#I imagine snow in winter is just like what we have in our freezer when it doesnt get cleaned a while | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

sgwrscrsh · 4 years

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winter days: underneath the tree

☁️a/n☁️ this made my heart very warm to write even though i pulled an all-nighter to get it done because my time-management has gone to shit after finals. requested by @sachirou-senpai. thank you, ellie, for giving me a reason to bring back my boys. i’ve missed ‘summer on you’ so much. this can be read as a stand-alone or as a spin off of ending b, my fave. either way, merry christmas to my babes who celebrate! i have one more christmas fic for tmr and then i’m hiding away to plan + write an smau.

includes: female!reader, poly!seijoh four, post-timeskip (very minor manga spoilers), lots of domesticity, a little suggestive bit, a lot of eating and sleeping now that i realize, a christmas tree, matching pajamas, a very special christmas gift, makki slapping your ass once, a lil teary moment w tooru, homemade curry + pancakes (but not together), lots of cuddling, lots of love, happy holidays, 4.35k words

☁️masterlist☁️

shivering slightly, you unlock the door to the rather spacious apartment you shared with your four boyfriends later into the evening than you would’ve liked.

yes, four boyfriends. whom you love very much and are loved by in return.

living with four towering hunks has it’s ups and downs, but you wouldn’t trade tooru’s extensive skin care regiment sprawled across the bathroom counter; hajime’s bag of protein powder that he always forgets to put away; issei’s boots that you always tripped over when you came through the front door; or takahiro’s costco-sized box of cream puffs in the freezer that he insisted he would finish by the end of the month, almost half a year ago, for the world.

you made sure to stomp off the snow stuck on your boots before entering the building, but you couldn’t help but sigh at the warmth that greets you once you toe them off.

“ahhh,” you think. “thank goodness tooru convinced us to invest in heated floors.” another perk of having four boyfriends was that two of them brought in enough bank for you to seriously consider becoming their cute little housewife. snorting, you shake your head, though the idea of prancing around in a maid outfit to tease them seemed very appealing. “maybe we should make hiro dress up and clean the house since he still hasn’t found a new job yet.”

“what’s so funny, sweets?” speak of the devil. makki’s head pops out from the bathroom nearest to the front door, steam rolling out and droplets falling from his hair, signifying that he had just taken a hot shower. wordlessly, you stare at him, lost in thought imagining the water caressing his toned body, but a second later, he gets a better look at you and laughs. “you look like a wet dog!” your glare loses some of its edge when he takes in your own damp strands.

“did someone say something about a dog?” tooru comes bounding round the corner, and you could’ve sworn he drooped a little when he realized it was just you in the hallway sans dog. turning your icy glance on the setter, you open your mouth to complain about how mean the two of them were being to you when your prince charming comes in to save the day.

“you two, stop bullying the poor girl and let her take a warm bath before she gets sick!” iwa chides as he helps you unbundle the layers that protected you from the snow and sharp winds of the winter. pressing a sweet kiss to your forehead and promising to pick out comfy clothes for you, he ushers you into your spacious en suite where a steaming tub full of rose petals awaits you. hajime chuckles at the starry eyes you give him, heart warming at the love and appreciation shining clear as day on your face, before he leaves to grab a clean pair of underwear, one of issei’s t-shirts, and a pair of his own sweats, knowing you much prefer to wear their clothes at home.

submerged in the bath, you exhale contentedly, eyelids fluttering shut as you enjoy the product of iwa’s consideration and foresight. letting the stress of work and the chill of the outdoors melt from you, you stay in the water until it cools and your fingers prune. a lone thought of how much more you would’ve enjoyed the bath if the boys had joined you flits through your mind, but you jolt when you open your eyes and find issei sitting on the counter with a towel and your robe in his lap, some of the water sloshing over the side of the tub.

“oh thank god, i was scared you fell asleep and would drown or choke on a rose petal.” you giggle while he wraps you up in your robe before gently toweling your hair dry. “you can’t leave me to deal with the three of them alone.”

rolling your eyes, you retort easily, “if anything, i’d feel bad about leaving hajime to deal with the three of you alone. the poor man puts up with enough from his team, he doesn’t need you guys ganging up on him, too.”

“well i’ll have you know, sometimes he really enjoys us ganging up on him.” his cheeky quip paired with his wiggling eyebrows earns him a smack on the chest but regardless, you let him sweep you up into his arms and drop you on the massive bed the five of you shared. “get dressed, babygirl. as much as i’d love to spend more time with you naked, i gotta help haji finish dinner.” with a quick peck on your lips, issei leaves you to do just as he said.

emerging revitalized and relaxed, your mouth waters at the smell of homemade curry, distracted enough to not notice tooru’s arms wrapping around your shoulders and waist.

“hey, cutie, i’ve missed you,” he sings, face snuggled into the junction of your shoulder and neck. you spin around in his hold to slip your arms around his slim torso, relishing his firm lines against your soft curves.

“‘ve missed you too, tooru.” and you really did, grateful that all of you were able to take time off work and he was able to come home a week before the holidays, giving the five of you a whole month to spend together before he had to jet back to argentina for his next bout of training and practice games.

“hell yea! group hug!” makki comes running towards you guys, only for you to twist out of his reach at the last second, sending him straight into the sofa behind you. “oof, that was cold, y/n.”

you stick your tongue out at the strawberry boy. “yea, well that’s what you get for laughing at me when i got home. sucker.” still entangled in tooru’s embrace, you feel his body shake with mirth and bite the inside of your cheek to prevent yourself from dissolving into giggles when you see a pout take over hiro’s pretty face.

“dinner’s ready,” comes iwa’s call, beckoning the three of you into the kitchen before you could antagonize each other some more. once you all got your servings of curry, you settle into your proclaimed seats on the large sofa, your body comically small compared to their tall frames dwarfing the cushions. noting the way tooru threw his long legs over iwa’s and how mattsun and makki leaned against each other as they ate, you fold your legs to tuck your feet under takahiro’s thigh and dig in to your meal with some trashy reality show lighting up the tv screen, completely certain that the warmth in your chest was from the company of your loved ones more so than the piping hot potatoes in your stomach.

during breakfast the next day, you blearily rub the sleep out of your eyes before taking a sip of your coffee, a satisfied “ahhh” escaping your parted lips as you lean against the kitchen counter. slowly peeling your eyelids open, you notice all of their gazes were focused on you. “yes? can i help you?” you ask amusedly, awake now that caffeine had be introduced to your tired body.

“how are you still so gorgeous in the morning?” you blink at the dreamy look on iwa’s face propped up in his hands with his elbows on the surface of the island. looking around, you see the other three matching the athletic trainer’s pose and expression next to him. thinking over your messy bedhead, mysteriously stained pajamas, and almost impressively dark eyebags, you want to scoff, but the unfairly handsome men giving you their undivided attention despite all of that (“because of all of that, y/n-chan,” tooru would argue) make you blush instead.

“you’re one to talk, haji,” you opt to remark, hoping to divert their focus from you and your rosy cheeks. “and don’t look at me like that,” your pointed finger swinging wildly between the four of them like the needle of a compass. “you already know you guys are way outta my league, you don’t need me to tell you that.” with one last flourish, you wave your hand dismissively before grabbing your mug with both hands, palms warming against the ceramic.

“as wrong as you are, you can’t blame us for wanting to hear the love of our lives compliment us first thing in the morning as we admire her natural beauty,” mattsun grins once he sees the success his words have at deepening the flush on your face. tooru nods gravely in agreement, but it’s makki’s one-two combo of a wink and an air kiss that breaks you. you roll your bottom lip between your teeth to stifle a laugh but release it immediately when the playful atmosphere takes a heady turn. clearing your throat, you pay no heed to their hungry expressions, knowing full well that they all noticed your little action and how they would react to it.

“a-anyways,” you stutter, “i’m gonna go get ready ‘cause i have things to do today so-” you try to slip by, leaving your empty cup in the sink, only to get caught in your tracks by hiro’s long arms.

“ah, ah, ah, princess. and where do you think you’re going?” soon enough, you find yourself surrounded by your smoking hot boyfriends and heat up in anticipation of their next moves.

“this so isn’t fair,” you complain aloud, though you were just as eager as they were to get you out of your worn sleep clothes.

“tough shit, babygirl. guess you’re just gonna have to add four more things to your to-do list, huh?”

naturally, you leave your errands for some day later in the week when you’re able to walk properly again.

the opportunity comes when you rise earlier than the rest of them, a rare occasion where you found yourself graced with the freedom of sleeping on the outside instead of being sandwiched in the middle of the bed. tiptoeing about, you brush your teeth and get dressed, somehow managing to not wake any of the sleeping beauties. you scribble little love-filled messages on post-it notes and stick them around your apartment on your way out, but not without one last soft smile in the direction of the bedroom, the sight of the four of them cuddled together through the door left ajar renewing your motivation to accomplish your tasks and come home sooner.

with your laptop bag in tow, you set out for your first destination, settling into a corner booth at the coffee shop with a full cup and a pastry. once you finish your breakfast, you pull out your laptop and get to work, scouring the internet for the perfect gifts for your lovably imperfect partners. you rack your brain for any recollection of any moment where they would’ve let a potential present slip into conversation and light up when you come across volleyball print pajama pants. you check the availability of the sizes you needed and upon realizing that they were all in stock and would be delivered before christmas, you place your order without a moment’s hesitation. satisfied with your progress, you pull up the animal shelter’s hours before heading out of the cafe, the barista’s greetings and the jingling bells echoing behind you.

by the time you return home, it’s late in the afternoon and you’re greeted by a wall of warm bodies as soon as you step through the front door.

“where’ve you been, babe?” once again, takahiro is the first to meet your return, but this time he plants a sweet kiss on your lips with his long fingers encircling your waist after his inquiry.

“oh, you know,” you sigh, dazed from the saccharine embrace. “out and about.”

“busy day? hope it was productive.” you nuzzle into tooru’s chest, feeling the timbre of his voice through your skin, and nod.

“as a matter of fact, it was.” their eyes soften at the proud grin stretched across your face. but your grumbling stomach just had to ruin the moment, making the three of you stare at each other before bursting out in chuckles.

“you skipped lunch?” oiks asks, wrapping each arm around yours and hiro’s waists and guiding you into the kitchen. you rub the back of your neck sheepishly.

“i guess so? i didn’t really notice i was hungry until now.”

“good thing we saved your favorite from that chinese place down the street for you,” mattsun comes up behind you and lands a kiss on the crown of your head. you beam gratefully up at him and skip over to the fridge to retrieve the takeout.

“welcome home, love,” iwaizumi emerges from the bathroom to complete the set and gives you a once over. “you look tired.”

“gee thanks, hajime.” he rolls his eyes playfully at you while you wait for your food to heat up in the microwave.

“what time did you get up this morning?”

“uhhh,” you start, mouth full. at iwa’s stern glare, you swallow before answering, “seven-ish? earlier than i would’ve like for a vacation day but it was worth it.”

“hm, well i’m glad you had a good day at least.” you shuffle over to kiss his cheek before dropping yourself on top of where tooru and hiro were cuddling on the sofa, eyes drifting around the room to take in the holiday decorations adorning the space.

“thanks, haji. but you’re right, i am sleepy.” suppressing a yawn, you lean back against the broad chests behind you and tuck back into the paper container. “can we take a nap once i’m done?”

“sure thing, babygirl.” the innocent smile mattsun sends your way turns mischievous with his added comment. “we really tuckered ourselves out while you were gone.” you nearly choke but makki’s hand thumping your back helps you dislodge whatever food got caught in your throat. iwa shakes his head and looks to the side in an attempt to hide his face, but the reddening tips of his ears give him away. meanwhile, oikawa catches your eye and winks.

“how else did you suppose we keep ourselves occupied when our baby wasn’t home?” you get up to toss your now empty container, shaking your head as you go.

“i’m glad to see you at least got the christmas tree up before going at it. god, you’re all insatiable.”

“i mean, it’s hard not to be in this relationship,” hajime grumbles.

“aww, iwa,” makki pushes his lips into an overexaggerated pout. “you make me hard, too.” full-bellied chortles escape the four of you, ignoring iwaizumi’s indignant huffs.

“whatever,” comes his miffed reply, but you know he takes all your antics in stride. soon enough, he returns to the living room with a stack of blankets and finds you and issei added to the pile of limbs tooru and hiro founded. somehow, hajime situates himself to fit perfectly in your cuddle fest, blankets sprawled about to keep you warm.

one last yawn leaves your mouth before you mutter a sleepy, “night, guys. love you,” barely registering the quiet “love you”s you get in return as you drift off, the lights adorning your christmas tree twinkling above you.

christmas day, you wake up before the others again, this time more than willing to feign sleep and revel in the warmth of your shared bed. luckily, you don’t have to wait long for your boys to stir. sitting up, you stretch your arms above you head and begin to climb out of bed only to be caught by the wrist and dragged back down.

“haji, please,” you draw out. “we can finally open the presents under the tree!”

“i don’t care, it’s too early for you to leave me, princess.” you hum as he pulls you closer to him, revisiting your mental note that iwa is much more openly (and selfishly) affectionate in the mornings.

“oi, the rest of us are still here you know.” face buried against tooru’s back, mattsun’s muffled complaint gets hajime to loosen his hold on you.

“yea, yea,” he props himself up on his elbow to lean over you and kisses the former middle blocker’s temple. “unfortunately.”

“so mean, iwa-chan,” oikawa pipes up, stretching his arm across you to caress your boyfriend’s toned arm before lacing his fingers with makki’s. the pink haired man himself, still half-asleep, squeezes tooru’s hand before sitting up.

“hey, wait. it’s christmas, isn’t it?” takahiro’s question reminds you of the package you received a couple days prior, prompting you to spring out of bed before one of them could reel you back in. the four watch you rifle through the closet and resurface with the pajama pants you ordered.

“merry christmas!” you cry excitedly, tossing each boy their respective pair and eagerly awaiting their reactions. “they’re matching pj’s! look, i got one for myself, too.” thankful that you chose to go to bed in just one of iwa’s godzilla t-shirts and underwear last night, you rush to slip on your volleyball print pants. the boys take in your childlike joy, chests tightening at how precious you are. “hurry up, i want you to try them on so we can match!” at your insistence, they roll out of bed and dutifully don your gifts.

“oh these are actually really soft,” tooru murmurs thoughtfully, fingering the fabric on his thigh.

“right?” you pipe up, nearly bouncing off the walls. “i wanted to do something to commemorate our first christmas together in this apartment and i thought these were really cute since volleyball is what brought us together in the first place.” eyes meet each other as you all reminisce that special summer, grateful that you stayed close despite your individual journeys after graduation.

suddenly, the doorbell ringing catches your attention. a brief glance at the clock on the bedside table tells you it’s much later in the morning than you though, but you’re quick to answer the door.

“who could that be?” the boys are left wondering, wandering out into the living room in time to see you wave goodbye to whoever it was with a large gift-wrapped box sitting on the floor next to you.

“babe? who was it?” tooru is the first to ask the question on all of their minds.

“oh, just my best friend. they wanted to drop this off on their way to their parents’ house.” you gingerly pick up the box and bring it to where your boys were waiting for you. “go ahead!”

“go ahead?” hajime parrots.

“yea! open it!”

“it’s not for you?” takahiro ponders.

“well yes and no. c’mon just open it already!” you’re bouncing on the balls of your feet at this point. tooru finally takes the initiative to remove the lid of the box, eyes widening when he sees what it hid.

“oh my gosh,” he breathes. the other three nearly knock heads with how quickly they lean over the opening.

“is that-?” a furry little head pops up over the edge of the box, round eyes peering up at the four of them.

“a dog! yes!” you squeal. “he’s a shelter dog!”

“he is?” hiro is in awe, slowly reaching out to cradle the little guy in his arms.

“i met him the other day when i woke up early and ran errands without you guys. isn’t he just the cutest?” big hands dwarf the small pooch as they gently pet his head and stroke his fur.

“does he have a name?” tooru has the good sense to ask.

“mhm, the lady at the shelter said his previous owner named him ponyo.”

“ponyo…” issei whispered, eyes shining.

“i know we’re nowhere near ready to start thinking about kids,” you start, the topic of the conversation instantly drawing their attention. tooru even ignored ponyo’s little tongue lapping at his fingers. “but i thought we could use an addition to our family.”

“y/n, princess, we obviously all love him already, but we’re busy with work- well, most of us are. who’s gonna take care of him?” hajime questions, almost reluctantly.

“i mean, hiro is home all the time since he’s still unemployed (“i said i was looking, damn!”), but i actually got promoted so my schedule is way more flexible and i can work from home most of the time.” your voice trails off bashfully, but they give you no time to be embarrassed, swallowing you up in a huge hug.

“why didn’t you say anything sooner, baby? we’re so proud of you!” now you know how the dog felt being smothered by their affection, not that it was anything new for you.

“uhh, surprise?”

“fuck yea, surprise! god, you’re incredible. lemme make a list of things we’ll need to get for ponyo once the stores reopen tomorrow.”

“actually…”

“you didn’t.”

“i did, with help from my best friend.” going into the lowest cupboards in the kitchen, you show off the bag of dog food and water and food bowls you bought soon after visiting the shelter. “his bed and crate are in the other closet by the washroom.”

“how did we get so lucky?” takahiro asks aloud, making you blush as the others nod in sync, all of them blown away by your thoughtfulness.

“this is nothing. i just wanted to show you guys how much i love you.” you play with your fingers, a little overwhelmed now that the initial excitement has worn off. “oh wait!”

“there’s more?” tooru asks, shocked.

“but wait, there’s more!” mattsun and makki chime in simultaneously, making you laugh as you retrieve the last present. you hop over to where tooru was sitting on the sofa with ponyo on his lap, scooping the dog up and locking the two of you in the bathroom. a couple minutes later, you open the door to let ponyo scurry over to his dads, who coo softly once they see him come around the sofa.

“when did you have time to do this?”

“my pants were a little long, so i hemmed them one night after you guys passed out on the sofa watching your old volleyball matches. i kinda guessed ponyo’s measurements based on standard info i found on the internet, but it fits perfectly so i’m glad!” looking at the little sweater you made for your new family member out of the extra fabric from your pj pants, you couldn’t stop the pleased grin that broke out on your face. “now even ponyo matches with us!”

while your gaze was trained on the tiny dog that was exploring his new home, theirs were stuck on you, your resemblance with a proud mother struck something in them, giving them thoughts of you with their children. yes, children. but for now they shoved those images to the backs of their minds, meeting each other’s stares to confirm they were all in silent agreement.

“we’re gonna make breakfast, you just sit there ‘n look pretty while you watch ponyo, yea?” issei announces before pulling you into a searing kiss as he walks by.

“not that that’s hard for you,” iwa tags on, kissing your cheek and ruffling your hair following mattsun into the kitchen.

“but i’m always hard for you.” you yelp when hiro playfully slaps your ass, flipping him off as he trails after the other two with a loud hoot. tooru comes up behind you and rubs your sore cheek, spinning you around so that you were face to face.

“why’d you do this to me, y/n-chan?” you meet his frown with a confused look of your own. “now it’s gonna be even harder for me to go back to argentina.”

“oh, tooru,” you wrap your arms around his neck, standing on your tiptoes to bring him close. “you have the next few weeks to spend with us and our new baby.” as if he knew you were talking about him, ponyo pads over to sit by your feet, tail wagging. oikawa sighs melodramatically.

“a few weeks is nothing compared to the months i’ll be gone!”

“oi, shittykawa, you better not be complaining after everything this morning,” hajime hollers from the kitchen.

“love you, too, iwa-chan!” tooru calls back instinctively then he looks back down at you, his eyes giving away how much leaving will hurt him and it nearly makes you tear up with him.

“tooru, baby, it sucks every time you leave us, but you’re following your dreams and doing what you love. and we want to support you all the way, even if it means doing so from across the world. but with my new work schedule, i’ll be able to call or text you pretty much whenever. and just think how much sweeter it’ll be the next time you do come home to us. so don’t be too sad, okay, my love? we’ll all be here waiting for you.”

as the last words leave your lips, tooru has you pulled flush against him, arms wrapped tight around your body. his face was hidden, but you could feel the sobs in hot breaths against your shoulder. you guided him over to the sofa and let him cry, petting his hair and peppering kisses on his tear-streaked face until he tired himself out.

issei, hajime, and takahiro come out of the kitchen with stacks of pancakes and all the fixings, setting them down on the coffee table in front of you once they see tooru snoozing in your lap. iwa picks ponyo up before he could get a bite of your breakfast while you gently shake your boyfriend awake. mattsun and makki set up ponyo’s crate and bedding, leaving him with a toy to keep him occupied while the five of you filled up your plates.

sitting in the living room of the apartment you shared with your four boyfriends on christmas day, stuffing your face with fruit and whipped cream topped pancakes that they made, in matching pajamas with your new rescue dog scampering about, you couldn’t ask for a better gift underneath the tree.

taglist: @lovemeafterhrs @sachirou-senpai @honey-makki @kenmaki

#skye writes fluff #seijoh four #seijoh third years #oikawa tooru #iwaizumi hajime #matsukawa issei #hanamaki takahiro #haikyuu fluff #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu #hq #haikyuu poly #haikyuu post time skip #skye writes a series #summer on you: the series

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exosmutfactory · 4 years

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Six Phases 006 Pt 1

Who knew it nearly took 6 months to win your heart, and 6 phases for Baekhyun to lose his mind.

A/N: Hello!~ Long time no see. Are you ready for what comes next? 🤭😇

This chapter update is 20.5k so far... and it’s only the 1st “section” of Chapter 6 so you can imagine how this is gonna go (<.<) oops

[ contains: romance, fluff, angst, & smut (in part 2) ]

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⏰🌹Six Phases Tag List: 🌹⏰

@to-all-the-stories-i-love @insta1010

(I was unable to tag one of you guys, sorry love💗)

If you’d like to be added next time, please check out this blog post. Thank you ^^ 🌹

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A/N: I will be making the story layout more pretty ^^ Hope you like it! Let’s go!~

Track 01

It's funny how the most important people in your life can enter your world at any given moment. So suddenly—so unexpectedly that you can't imagine your new acquaintance becoming one of your best friends, a flirty friend of friends looking out for you, or even winning a playboy millionaire's heart.

Sometimes these people come out of the blue, and you may not see it then, but they will become pillars to help you hold yourself up; practical family members that you can go to in times of uncertainty—and you will thank your lucky stars every night for not being dumb enough to push these pillars of strength away. Especially if one of them holds the key to your heart…

As dumb as he can be with some things.

And there's just something about observing a silver-haired man walking through a world of white. Snowflakes clinging to the top of his head and his brown winter coat as he struggles with a large box in his hands.

• • •

The adorable pout on his lips makes a giggle escape mine. I watch him from afar with a fond smile, cupping my hands around my mouth. "Baekhyun!"

My loud call seems to startle him. I burst into laughter as he stumbles over his feet again. "Here, here." Chuckling, I quickly run across the parking lot to assist him. Thankfully without slipping on a patch of black ice along the way. "Let me help you."

"Please do." His warm brown eyes meet mine under the dim street lights, a pout still on his lips. "You sure we'll be alone tonight? This box is quite heavy."

I shoot him a small, secretive smile, neatly tucking my hands under the box along with his, my mitten-covered fingertips brushing against his leather gloves. "Yes babe, it's just you and me~"

Baekhyun hums, unconvinced, as we walk the box to his car, carefully setting it on the floor in the backseat. I catch a whiff of his heart-fluttering, cinnamon-scented cologne before he walks around to the driver's side. "Ready to tell me what's in it?" He raises a brow, resting his folded arms on the top of the snow-covered Audi, a smile playing at his lips.

"I'll think about it~" I chirp, slipping into the passenger seat as he climbs in with a chuckle, hovering my palms over the vent when he starts the car and cranks up the heat. "It's a surprise though."

He hums, carefully backing out of the empty parking lot.

"Oh!" Turning to him with my best puppy eyes, I softly ask, "Can we stop by the convenience store?"

"If you tighten your seatbelt," He advises, taking a quick glance at me and a moment to adjust his own before turning onto the road.

I lean back in the comfortable leather seat, humming along to a familiar song on the radio as he taps his fingers to the beat on the steering wheel. A smile forming on my lips while admiring his side profile against the snowy backdrop of the fogged-up driver's window.

He glances over with a smile of his own, "What?"

I can't help but giggle. "Nothing." Cheekily resting my chin on my palm and balancing my elbow on the handle of the door, I muse, "Just admiring my handsome boyfriend."

Even with only the glow from the radio and the occasional streetlight, I can spot the telling red color on his cheeks. "Shh, you're distracting me." He insists in a flustered murmur, steering the wheel.

Chuckling softly, I turn to face the window, sneaking a peek at him every now and then.

• • •

After I flashed the cashier my ID and purchased what I desired at the store, I held the bottle in my lap for the rest of the ride home, carrying it up as Baekhyun assured me he could manage walking the box on his own to the elevator. Of course, I held open the door for him to make both our lives—and my subconscious—easier, and I unlocked the one to our shared apartment.

He had asked me to move in with him the night of our one year anniversary. The question came so out of the blue, I nearly sprayed champagne all over his nervous features across our chandelier-lit table at an upscale Italian restaurant. I mean… I love surprises—and him as well—but damn man, not even a subtle warning!? And why the hell does he want to live with me anyway?

"I want to wake up every morning to your sleeping face curled up by my side," He murmurs, cheeks rosy. From his confession or the champagne, no one knows. My face doesn't feel like it's doing any better either. "Your hair products cluttering our dresser and your toothbrush next to-"

—Okay, okay. Baekhyun is a hopeless romantic who I'm forever trying my best not to melt into a lovestruck puddle on the floor because of his heart quaking words. And what he wants is what he gets. Most of my clothes are stored in our closet, my purple toothbrush next to his golden one, and my 'emergency' duffle bag is stuffed in the farthest corner of the large space.

Now that I'm officially considered, "Baekhyun's woman," Among his group of friends, I have plenty of options for places to crash for a few nights if the need arises. I'm still getting used to his face being the first thing I see in the morning and sometimes I need a little breather, especially when I sense an argument on the rise. It's all fun and games until we're both running low on sleep and high on adrenaline. A girl's always got to have a plan B.

Even Jongdae offered me his guest bedroom for shelter—and sleepovers!—since Jenny moved in with him after graduating earlier in the year. Must be nice, I got a few classes to finish up while diligently editing the current novel that Park's Publishing is working towards welcoming to the public. It's a lengthy fantasy read full of cheesy romance and battling monsters I can't even think to name—typical shit, a few twists and turns along the way, you get the gist.

Baekhyun carefully sets the box down in the living room while I remove my white coat and snow-covered shoes, quickly skipping into the kitchen with the bottle in hand. "Still trying to figure it out?" I call over my shoulder, moving to get ice from the freezer.

"They're definitely canned," He murmurs, padding into the room on sock-clad feet; his arms wrapping around my waist and chin resting on my shoulder as I work on the countertop. "Did you order exotic food again?"

I shake the bottle in my hand, "What goes good with vodka?" Looking over my shoulder, I find his eyes shifting back and forth between the drink in my hand, and the two iced filled glasses on the counter. His brown eyes light up in realization. "Cheerwine?" He chuckles at my excited nod, "You were serious, weren't you?"

"I miss my homeland soda, okay!" I huff, grinning at his endearing laugh before batting my eyes up at him, "Mind opening the box, babe?~" My eyes flutter closed as he presses a lingering kiss to my forehead.

"Of course," He murmurs, soft lips curled in a smile.

As he goes to unpack the drinks, I put my focus back on the ones in front of me, carefully pouring roughly an ounce of vodka in each glass. There is no desire to party too hard tonight when both of us have work in the morning.

"Are you ready, babe?" I tilt my head towards him, holding a glass in each hand. At the confirmation of him indeed prying open the box, I bring the drinks into the living room, neatly setting them down next to the two red cans on the coffee table. "Ready to relax?" I utter playfully to his lean body stretched comfortably across the entirety of our black & white striped couch. His black button-down shirt and matching snug jeans straining deliciously over his thick thighs and firm chest.

Baekhyun nods with a soft hum, and I won't even deny the way my heartbeat skips when he sits up, welcoming me into his open arms with sparkly brown orbs. "Come here."

Accepting the invitation—what am I gonna do? Say no? No way in hell—I carefully nestle myself in his lap, snuggling into his firm chest as my cheeks warm. They burn even more as my eyes catch his fond-filled ones. "Uh-uh." I gulp, squeaking, "Drinks?" Carefully pulling the tab on the first can he hands me before leaning forward to pour an even amount of soda in each glass. Relishing in the familiarity that washes over me in wake of the soft fizz.

Baekhyun hums, a soft smile playing at his lips. He hands me a glass and collects the other for himself. The feeling of his racing heart on my back has me hiding a smile of my own in the fabric of my pastel green turtleneck. I watch his reaction as he takes a tentative sip; his jaw moving while he seems to savor the taste before taking another, briefly meeting my eye.

I blink expectantly, "Well?"

Baekhyun chuckles, planting a heart-fluttering kiss on my nose. "It has a nice cherry flavor. I like it."

I hum, arching a brow, not quite satisfied. "Better than Cola?"

He laughs, nodding as I sip on my own. "Yes, baby," He murmurs, soft lips brushing over my forehead while pulling me closer, "definitely better."

With a nod, I let the conversation lull into a calm silence, nothing but the tinkering of shifting ice and the reassuring beat of Baekhyun's heart interrupting the blissful atmosphere. Nights like these are my favorite: staying in and curling up to each other for warmth. Away from the loud bustle of our daily lives.

Thankfully with my hard work ethic, (read numerous sleepless nights,) the higher-ups have allowed me to work from home as long as I come in for important meetings and I am present three days a week. I rarely miss more than a day every few weeks though; I have no issues working in my designated office there. However, having the option to pack up my laptop and go spend lunch with Baekhyun in his company a few blocks over is always a treat. And the cutest expression of surprise that forms on his features... I'm never taking it for granted.

I stir a little at a soft pressure on the top of my head, blinking a few times before looking up at an equally sleepy Baekhyun. Giggles soon escape us both. "Cheerwine is a sleeping drink, hmm?" He smiles, eyes twinkling.

"It's really relaxing okay," I smile as more laughter rumbles in his chest, melting further into him as his hand rubs soothingly over my back. "I had a lot through high school."

"Helped to prepare for finals?" He inquires, gently combing warm slender fingers through my hair, melted ice swirling around the bottom of his glass.

I nod, briefly closing my eyes with a hum. "That and facing idiots every day. I almost didn't want to go to college, man."

A gentle smile lights up his face, "But you did." The sparkle in his eyes as he gazes down at me warms me up from the inside out. "And then you met me."

"—The persistent idiot from a frat party."

"Yah!" He complains as I erupt into another giggle fit, squealing when he starts leaving ticklish kisses all over my neck.

"Hey, I'm drinking here!"

Baekhyun chuckles, stopping his playful attacks; his small smile pressed to my neck.

"What?" I mutter breathlessly, savoring the remainder of my drink while regaining my breath. Trying not to waver despite the heat rising in my cheeks under the warmth of his stare. His comforting grip on my waist isn't easily ignored either.

"Nothing," He murmurs, looking me over for a moment. Adoration shining clear in his bright orbs as he tucks a lock of hair behind my ear, uttering softly, "Want to take a bath with me?"

"H—Huh?" I squeak, wide-eyed, hiding behind my hand. My face damn near bursting into flames. "Why?"

Baekhyun laughs softly, briefly squeezing my waist. "I don't know, I just…" He falters, fingers fidgeting, an all-telling red hue filling his cute cheeks. "Just thought it'd be nice."

"Nice, huh?" I mumble over the rim of my glass, licking a few stray drops before they can fall while arching a brow; my lips curling at the tint of red crawling up his ears.

"Y-Yeah, I mean," He stutters, focused on my cherry lips.

"I think you just want to see me naked," I tease, leaning forward to set my glass on the wooden table behind his blushing form sitting against the armrest of the couch.

"No-" Baekhyun's breath hitches, tilting his head back at my cold lips softly exploring the warm skin of his gorgeous neck. "M-Maybe…"

"Mmhm." Gently nibbling where his neck meets his jaw and putting his half-full glass away as well, I murmur, "That can be arranged."

Baekhyun sits there for a long moment, blinking owlishly at me before he straightens up. He swoops his arms under my knees and behind my back, standing up without a word, his biceps flexing at the motion. Soft eager lips press to my squealing ones as he walks down the hall to our bedroom.

I wrap my arms around his neck with a shy smile, smirking inwardly at the rapid beat of his heart under my palm resting against his neck.

"Give me a sec," He mumbles, entering the master bathroom. He sets me down on the spacious counter and opens a nearby drawer. "Can you open the cabinet for me?"

"You're gonna light a candle?" I blink, eyes widening at the box of matches in his hand.

"Not a candle," He braces his free hand on the countertop, capturing my lips in an unhurried kiss that makes me gasp. "Many candles."

"How romantic," I chuckle, breathy as he pulls away.

"Everything for you," His lips curl into that adorable, boyish smile; his hand patiently waiting. I retrieve the container of cream-colored candles from beyond the mirrored door behind me, carefully closing it before turning back to him, watching as he lights the match. The flickering flame reflects beautifully in his brown eyes while he holds it to the first candle, the scent of vanilla filling the room. A knowing smile forms on his lips at my unwavering stare.

I clear my throat, gripping the edge of the counter, "I'll go start the water-"

Baekhyun wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me back to him with a shake of his head. "No, I'll do it."

"But-"

"Baby," He has that pleading look in his eyes, lowering the lit match held between his fingertips. "Let me pamper you."

"You're gonna make me spoiled," I grumble, eyes fluttering shut at the soft brush of his lips over my cheek.

"You're my girl," He murmurs, chuckling, softly squeezing my waist. "Of course I'm going to spoil you."

My chest nearly bursts under the weight of my surging affection. "Well then..." I begin, calm despite my racing heart, sliding my hands down to unbutton his shirt and tug at the belt on his jeans. I pull up his tucked-in t-shirt, aimlessly searching for his lips. "Do it properly."

My eyes flicker open just in time to catch his adam's apple bobbing, his little nod causes my lips to curl up. He hands me the lit match before shrugging off his shirt; his black t-shirt not too far behind. I lick my lips, trailing my gaze over his honey-toned torso. Smiling before pressing my mouth back to his soft pillows, mindful of the flame between my fingers while wrapping my legs around his waist, pulling him closer. "My favorite view."

Baekhyun's bashful smile presses more firmly to mine, strong arms holding me flush to his body. I don't know if the sudden heat in the room is coming from my thick clothes or the proximity of his firm chest.

Just as I start to feel overwhelmed by the warmth, he detaches our lips with a loud smooch, carefully taking the match from my hand. The passionate fire in his orbs burning brighter than the flame between his fingers is enough to make me scorching hot under the collar.

Baekhyun has that knowing little smirk forming on his face again, lighting a few more candles before blowing out the match. "I'll start the water."

I can only giggle, completely enamored with him. The twinkling sparkle in his eyes in response to my laugh makes my heartbeat skip even more. I duck my head to hide from his amused expression and adoring gaze.

He just chuckles, planting a fleeting kiss on my forehead before stepping towards the grand tub on the other side of the room. Grand because the damn thing has three white steps leading up to it and it's at least as big as our king-sized bed in the other room.

The soothing sound of running water fills the air, mixing with the sweet aroma of vanilla and the view of Baekhyun leaning over the tub. His back muscles flexing alluringly, black belt tugging perfectly on his hips.

I look away, covering my red face with a muffled giggle, tugging at the collar of my shirt. Just what has this man done to me?

"What?" He glances over his shoulder, an amused smile playing at his lips.

"Nothing." Hiding my smile is nearly impossible until it falls off my face entirely in wake of him running a wet hand through his silver hair. The soft strands pushed off his gorgeous forehead with those dancing brown eyes of his watching me. I'm not blushing, I swear it's the humidity in the room.

He steps back over to me with antagonizing slow strides, his hands resting comfortably on my waist. "May I?" He murmurs, sliding them down to take hold of the hem of my turtleneck. The warmth of them somehow manages to seep through the thick fabric of my shirt.

I can only gulp, nodding meekly as he smiles, pulling the soft material over my head. The way his eyes drift over my tank top makes my cheeks warm—even more so when he rids me of it without hesitation.

"I should consider underwear," He mutters distractedly, one hand swiping under the edge of my bra while the other slides warmly up my back.

"You wanna compete with them too?" I arch a brow, leaning into his touch.

"No," He shakes his head, wrapping his arm around my waist, lifting those brown eyes back up to meet mine. "I want to see you with my name."

I can't help but snort despite my racing heart, giving him a disbelieving look. "You'd make a whole clothing line just for me to wear?" My amused grin falters at his serious nod. "I wouldn't be the only one wearing them, Baekhyun."

He hums, leisurely peppering kisses to the exposed skin of my chest. Goosebumps rise under his gentle caress as he pulls off my bra, quietly muttering, "You're the only one that matters."

There's no hiding my quickening heartbeat with his lips pressed so firmly to my skin; his brief smile not helping the state of my flushing cheeks at all. Just as I part my lips, my breath hitches—words forgotten with his hands trying to slip under the waistband of my thick leggings. I tsk, lightly smacking them away. "Yours first, mister."

"Mmm." He smiles, his palms sliding down my thighs. He's got that look in his eyes again that tells of unspoken mischief. "I kinda like the sound of that-"

"Never in a million years, Byun."

He chuckles, warm breath fanning over my cheek. "Remember last time? When you just-"

"Baekhyun!" My hand clapping over his mouth does nothing to muffle his contagious laughter. I can only shake my head, reaching to unzip and pop the button of his jeans. He gets quiet as I push them down to his calves. "Don't give me that look," I mutter, running my hands over his back, already well aware of the barely concealed problem he has.

"Why?" He murmurs, seeming to be content with painting me in gentle pink hues with his soft lips.

"You're staring."

Baekhyun chuckles, lifting his head, meeting my eyes with his twinkling ones. "I love admiring art."

"Oh, so I'm an object now?" I arch a brow, leaning back on my palms braced against the countertop.

"No." He shakes his head, brown eyes still focused on mine, long strands of silver hair cascading down his forehead. "You're the source," He pauses, smiling almost shyly, "Of my love and affection."

I'm ignoring the urge to coo at his reddening ears, merely planting a kiss on his cheek before wiggling out of my pants and carefully sliding off the counter. I collect our scattered clothes from the floor, tossing them into the wash basket a few feet away, curiously venturing over to the tub. Funny how we haven't used it since I moved in with him months ago. Then again, dating a CEO or not, I still think it is a waste of water just to fill up half of this thing, let alone what kind of water bills come with turning on the internal jacuzzi mode that will set the water into motion. But tonight is a special occasion.

No need for fancy anything—well, excluding the expensive bathtub—just being by his side is one of the most rewarding feelings in the world.

The steam rising from the still water makes my face feel dewy and refreshed. Coaxing me to dip into its heated depths. I gather my hair up into a bun, reaching for my hair-tie only to find out that it isn't on either of my wrists.

"Ah—do you need one?" Baekhyun mumbles, pausing mid-stride, pink lips pouting as he ruffles his silver hair.

Smiling adoringly, I make my way back to him with a shake of my head, grabbing his wrist. "No, it's fine."

"But-"

"It's alright, Baekhyun." Noticing the uncertainty playing on his features, I giggle. "It's not going to melt off, you know?"

He still has a furrow between his brows.

Fighting my smile, I shrug after a few moments, scrunching my nose, "My hair just gets a bit puffy—but." Holding my hand up at the sight of his dancing orbs, I narrow my eyes, muttering, "If my head ends up underwater, we are going to have a problem."

"Alright," He nods, lips curled up in a sheepish smile. "I can work with that."

I smile softly, taking a deep breath as he steps closer; heart palpitating when his familiar scent hits my nose, mixing with the aroma of vanilla permeating the air. His wet hair flops over his forehead in the most endearing of ways, outlining the cute droop of his eyes and his brown irises lit with the flickering candle flames. I doubt I will ever find a more comforting place than the shelter of his strong arms, fully content with melting into the security of his honey-toned skin.

"The water's getting cold," I blurt, muffled in the safety of his shoulder.

Baekhyun laughs, briefly dipping his hand into the water. We strip off the rest of our clothes and slip into its pleasantly warm depths.

'Wow,' I mouth, settling against the far side of the tub, relaxing under the water comfortably lapping at my shoulders.

"Nice, hmm?"

"Nice!?" My eyes drift to him as he moves closer. "Dude, I could spend an entire lifetime here if I wouldn't shrivel up like a prune."

I catch a glimpse of his sugar-sweet smile before he moves to sit behind me, pulling me close until my back is resting on his chest. Relaxing completely against him, all tension seems to leave my body, only a sense of warmth and security fills my being.

This kind of closeness—this intimacy—is something I'm definitely up for getting used to. The steady beating of his heart, the soft puffs of his every breath... It makes me inwardly scold myself for not doing this with him sooner. But when I stop to think about it…

I shoot down the thought quickly, fighting the urge to squeeze my eyes shut. The past is in the past. It shouldn't define the present, nor should I think about it. No matter how painful it is, I rather focus on Baekhyun's fingers gently playing with the ends of my hair instead of getting lost in the reminders of why my chest aches from time to time. The unanswered questions and concerns that easily plague my mind if I'm not careful enough.

I'm brought back to the calming waters of the tub by the feeling of Baekhyun's hand sliding down my stomach. "What are you doing?" I grumble, peeking an eye open.

"Appreciating," He murmurs with a small smile, wet strands of his hair tickling my ear as he plants a kiss on my shoulder. "I want to wash your hair. May I?"

Both my eyes flutter open with a quiet hum, a lazy smile forming on my lips. "Only if I can too," I propose, peeking over my shoulder at him. The view of his slender neck bared while his head rests against the back of the tub with water lapping at his chest is damn near intoxicating. Like what the hell, I swear this man grows finer by the day—or maybe I'm just a sucker for him... At this point, it's probably a mixer of both. Possibilities are endless when it comes to being in love—especially the cringe-worthy ones.

Baekhyun hums, brown eyes shimmering brightly as I turn around to face him, resting my palms on his lean abdomen for stability. "I'd love that," He murmurs, arms wrapping around my waist.

I shoot him another sweet smile, reaching to grab his shampoo bottle left on the edge of the tub. An all-too-familiar citrus scent wafts into the air when I open it. Squeezing a bit in my palm, I rub my hands together. "Close your eyes—just in case," I mumble sheepishly. I'm not about to risk him getting soap in his eyes tonight. Between his luck and my clumsiness, we must take all precautions.

Baekhyun chuckles, his eyes fluttering shut as I carefully run my hands through his hair, shifting into a comfortable position on his lap. He rubs soothing circles on my back, making me smile shyly, treating his soft strands with care.

"Your roots are showing," I note, gently ruffling his silver locks.

"I know." He tsks, cracking an eye open. "I'll get it done in a few days. When inventory calms down."

Humming, I swipe away shampoo drifting down his forehead, looking into his eyes sternly. "Enough of that. Less talking, more washing."

Soft laughter rumbles in his chest. "Yes ma'am," He mumbles, brown orbs shining in amusement, shutting his eyes again.

I massage the shampoo into his scalp, thoroughly covering the hair at the nape of his neck, pausing at the soft peck he presses to my lips. My cheeks burst into flames, "Lay back for me?"

"Oh?" He peeks, soapy suds sliding down his jaw. "This isn't what I was expecting, but I'm not complaining," He murmurs, smirking.

"Baekhyun!"

He's full-on laughing, causing the water to ripple around us. I shake my head, smiling a little, shielding his forehead and scooping up water to rinse his hair.

"Almost done," I mumble distractedly, my gaze drifting over his handsome features in the meantime. There's nothing like seeing a peaceful expression form on his face, or being the one to help him relax after a tiring day. Witnessing the way his stern eyes soften into the purest brown pools of love makes me feel like a criminal. "There."

"Thank you, baby." He hums, eyelashes brushing his cute cheeks before his sparkly brown orbs focus on me. He leans up for a sweet kiss that washes my every worry away, his warm breath causing goosebumps to form on my skin. "Your turn."

I don't even try hiding my smile, relaxing at the rare feeling of his hands carding through my hair. Something about the gentle way he does it makes me giggle, giddiness bubbling in my chest.

"What's so funny, hmm?" He murmurs, biting my ear.

"Baek!" I squeal, nearly opening my eyes as he chuckles, pressing a ticklish smooch to my neck.

Stealing a peek at him, I could melt at the adorable concentrated look on his face. Moments like these remind me how much I love this man. His every habit and cute mannerisms. Even on days when we've had enough of each other, where we teeter close to the edge of a breakup, I rather try a thousand times with him than start over with someone else. Stubborn personality and all, no pride of mine outweighs my never-ending love for him.

Nothing compares to how much I would do for him. Rain, sleet, or snow, I'll be there—and knowing he'd do the same, that he feels the same—is the greatest feeling imaginable.

"Baekhyun?"

"Hmm?" He lifts his head from the edge of the tub, holding me close to his beating heart, gently tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. The warmth of his gaze and the familiarity of his palm cupping my cheek send my adoration to new heights.

Taking my time to gaze over his features, I map every soft slope, every stunning curve, every unique freckle of his skin to memory. The little imperfections that make him even more perfect to me, reminders of why I haven't given up completely on humanity. I could spend forever with you. "I love you."

His beaming smile is the most heart-fluttering gesture in the world. "I love you too."

The sizzling of meat and the mouth-watering aroma of seasoned beef fills the air, popping to the tempo of my anxious heart. I blow away annoying strands of hair dangling in my eyes, painstakingly swirling the steadily cooking, thinly sliced marinated strips around the pan. Monitoring the rice cooker on the other side of the stove while being mindful of the glass plates neatly set out on the counter. I'm grateful that this recipe is as simple as the online articles have stated, who knows what kind of disastrous mess the kitchen would be in by now if it were any more difficult on this Friday night. 8 straight hours of back and forth with a picky, opinionated novelist has left me ravenous, I can't imagine what Baekhyun must be feeling.

The familiar sound of the security code being typed in is audible over the quiet atmosphere, bringing a smile to my lips as the front door opens.

"Honey," That honey-filled voice chimes, beautiful even with the tiredness in his soothing timbre. "I'm home-"

I carefully slide the food out of the pan, giving his plate the bigger portion, glancing over my shoulder at him while trying a piece of meat. He's just standing there in the middle of the room with parted lips, his white dress shirt straining against his chest and black blazer hanging off his biceps.

"Welcome home, Baekhyunee," I murmur, an amused smile tugging at my lips.

He hangs up his coat and blazer with an acknowledging hum, neatly placing his dress shoes on the shoe rack before slipping into his black house slippers, entering the kitchen with quick resounding footsteps.

My eyes flicker over to the beeping rice cooker as I finish emptying the meat from the pan, barely taking two steps before he's wrapping his arms around my waist. "You're home early."

"That I am," He muses, pressing a kiss to my hairline, strong arms tightening around me. "What's all this?"

"...Do you not recognize Bulgogi?" I frown, giving him the side-eye while scooping rice out of the cooker, smiling at the result. It's not overdone or undercooked. Perfect. "—Wait, is it that unrecognizable? Did I fuck-" I gasp, disoriented from being spun around so quickly.

Baekhyun chuckles, brown eyes twinkling in awe as he smiles down at me. "You didn't, baby." His thumb brushes over my lips, dexterous fingers curling stubborn strands of hair behind my ear. "I'm just surprised is all. What's the occasion?"

"Well..." I mumble, spooning a piece of meat on top of some rice. "I'm tired of getting takeout all the time. We may be busy, but I'll be damned if we buy food that we can cook in mere minutes like what's the point? When we can just-" My eyes flutter close, heart rate exhilarating at the feeling of his soft pillows pressed to mine.

"Let's cook more often," He proposes with a smile, leaning down to take a bite of the spoonful of food held in my frozen hand. Not even two seconds go by before his eyes widen.

"What?" My eyes enlarge the longer he's quiet; he's chewing so nonchalantly I have the urge to run away in a burst of panic.

"It's amazing," He mumbles after a few minutes, eyes sparkling so brightly while gazing at me, planting a kiss on my nose. "I love it."

"You…" I blink a few times, lightly smacking his arm. "You jerk!"

Baekhyun just laughs, pulling me further into his warm embrace. Brown eyes forming cute crescent moons.

"I thought you didn't like it," I mumble, slumping in defeat, unmistakable warmth rising on my cheeks.

"Why wouldn't I?" He murmurs, planting a kiss on top of my head. The tiredness from a long day of work only amplifying the sexy rasp of his voice. "Even if you burnt it to a crisp, I'd compliment you."

I scoff with a racing heart, stepping out of his hold, "That's not very honest."

"Mmhm, but-" He chuckles softly, taking me by the hand and spinning me back around, love shining in those deep brown orbs of his. He's breathtaking under the dim overhead light of the stove that will need to be replaced soon. The faint glow and coupling shadows cast over his features in a captivating way, making him appear older and reformed yet reflecting the youthful emotions in his eyes all the same. His silver hair is blinding under the reflective light; surprisingly the least bit ruffled in its state over his forehead. How someone can look so stunning after working all day will always astonish me, but that's just him.

"I'm honestly in love with you," Baekhyun utters in a heart-quaking hush as if sharing a secret, setting my cheeks aflame. "—And your cooking. Holy shit, what did you put in this?"

I shoot him a small, secretive smile, resting my hand on his bicep, "It's a secret~"

"A secret, huh?" Baekhyun muses, arching a brow, fighting a smile. He briefly glances down at my mouth at that moment, licking his lips before leaning in.

"Ah-" I take a step back just as his soft pillows brush against mine, bracing my hand on his firm chest when he steps closer. "Don't you dare."

"What?" He mumbles, meeting my eyes, pink lips jutted out in the tiniest pout.

Shifting my gaze away from the unfairly adorable sight, I mutter, "I spent all afternoon marinating that meat. You better not let it get cold."

"I'm hungry for something else at the moment," He murmurs lowly, biting his lip. Just those words alone from his sinful mouth make my insides quiver. I clear my throat, trying my best to keep a flush from reappearing on my face as he runs a hand through his silver hair, giving me those darkening brown eyes.

Spotting a magazine out of the corner of my eye, I grab it just as he's leaning in again, promptly smacking his arm. "Dessert comes after dinner—if," I breathe, bottom lip brushing against his, "you're lucky."

"May luck be on my side then..." He hums thoughtfully, swiping his thumb over his lips; slender fingers softly squeezing my waist. His dark brown orbs lift back up to mine, eyeing me intensely for a long minute. My cheeks redden at the implications.

Baekhyun finally shifts his attention back to the steaming plates. "I'll handle these. Go sit down."

"I-"

He turns those dark brown eyes onto me again, the mischievous promises swirling within them enough to weaken my knees. I spin around on my heel without another word, hurrying to the dining table. He brings both the plates over, setting them down on the winter-themed table mats placed in front of our designated seats. We prefer sitting next to each other when having meals together at home—some nights spent with my right hand being held securely in his left one.

Baekhyun slides into his chair just as I pick up a pair of chopsticks, the faint scent of his cologne tickles my nose. Would it be silly to say that the room seems to warm up whenever he is around? He's like a little source of comfort and warmth, relaxing me in any situation. It doesn't matter where I am; if he is there, I'll know I'm safe, that everything's going to be alright.

"Say ah," Baekhyun's melodic voice rings, sending butterflies fluttering in my stomach.

I pause mid-bite, glancing over at him. He continues to hold up a piece of meat despite my incredulous stare, "Really?"

He just smiles sweetly, patiently waiting, his bright brown eyes sparkling when I take the offered food with a playfully annoyed sigh.

"I missed you today," He murmurs warmly, pointedly staring down at his plate. My heart nearly jumps out my chest at the sweetness. I bite my lips to fight back a smile, holding back a giggle. It's always heartwarming to know that even after all this time, I'm not the only one bursting at the seams with my love for him. He's so fucking adorable.

"I missed you too," I mutter, kissing his rosy cheek before shifting my attention back to my food. "Eat up, you've had a long day."

"Oh baby, you have no idea." He groans. The familiar sound of metal cutlery clinking against glass dishes fills the room.

"Wanna share?" I inquire, resting my chin on my palm, carefully picking up a few pieces of beef and rice. I gaze intently at him with an encouraging smile.

"I've had three meetings since the afternoon," He grumbles, a tired smile briefly tugging at his lips. "Someone kept messing up the orders and a truckload of the material conveniently ended up shipped to the wrong facility."

"Conveniently?" My gaze flickers to his glass of water on the table, dangerously close to the edge. I move it closer to the center of the table mat, eyes widening slightly at the clench of his jaw. His eyes are full of that stern businessman gleam he only gets when he's restraining the urge to go off on a subordinate.

"Mmm." His body is rigid despite his calm tone, voice deeper than usual, "I swear that they are out to get on my nerves." He speaks slowly as if containing his anger. "We've been at this for years, why haven't they got their shit together yet?"

"Did you get the shipment?" My voice is soft as I tentatively rest my head on his shoulder, stroking his arm.

Baekhyun hums, relaxing a little, resting his head on top of mine. "It's frustrating." He sighs.

"Good thing you're the boss then," I chirp, peeking at him, cheekily adding, "You can yell at them and you won't get fired."

Thankfully, my words make him laugh, breaking the tension in his broad shoulders. The joyous sound rumbles his chest and echoes off of the walls.

"Shh!" I whisper, softly covering his mouth, making a show of looking around. "Yah, don't wake the neighbors. They might think I'm watching questionable comedy again."

Baekhyun only laughs harder, pressing a kiss to my palm before taking my hand into his own, his brown orbs lit up in amusement. "That movie was a wild ride."

"Literally," I agree, raising my brows to broaden his smile. "How much longer do you have to work these long hours?" My tone comes out whiner than intended, but I just hide my face in his neck, basking in his comforting scent.

"A few more days," He mumbles, kissing my head, gently tangling his fingers in my hair. "Why? Do you miss me?" He teases, curling a strand around his finger.

My heart downright quivers. "Nah, I'm just curious—of course, I miss you!" I retort, scoffing, shooting him a look. "12-hour shifts are too much. You're gonna start getting gray hair for real."

"Just until Thursday, baby." He murmurs, chuckling at my doubtful expression, tucking hair behind my ear, and cupping my cheek in his warm palm. "Two more days and then I'm all yours."

"Are you sure about that?" Muttering under my breath, I get lost in the mocha brown of his eyes, my own fluttering shut at the light kiss he presses to my lips.

"Mmm as sure as I am about loving you," He smiles, caressing my cheek with his thumb, gazing adoringly into my eyes.

If I was standing, I'm positive I would have stumbled over my feet by now. I swear this man and his affection will make me melt into a damn puddle one day—possibly today at this rate.

The loud buzz of a phone goes off in the room. Heavy vibrations come from the left pocket of Baekhyun's black slacks, warmly pressed against my thigh. He pulls it out without breaking eye contact, but the sight of a child out of the corner of my eye draws my attention. My heart quickly sinks at the realization that…

This kid looks just like the man next to me.

"Hello?" Baekhyun hums, closing his eyes, a peaceful expression forming on his features until they snap back open. "What did you say?" He breathes, straightening up, face going pale the longer the person's muffled speech filters through the phone.

My eyes shift back and forth between him and the blank screen of his phone, the image of that child still circling around my mind. Who is he? Why is there a picture of a child that resembles him so much on his phone?

Baekhyun and I never really talked about his family, despite him meeting mine. I just assumed that it was a touchy topic or something, so I never—

"I can't—I can't," He grits out, abruptly leaning away from me, knuckles white from his tight grip on the device. He roughly runs a hand through his hair, growing more agitated by the second. "My schedule is packed for the next two weeks. I won't be able to..." He goes quiet, listening as his brown eyes drift over to mine. The nearly blank look in them makes my heart race, and not in a good way.

"I understand," He mutters, ending the call.

The silence that stretches out in the space between us while he re-pockets his phone is unbearable. Even more so with the way he seems to avoid my eye, crossing his arms over his heaving chest; a faraway look within his dimmed brown orbs.

It takes a few deep breaths for me to dare to say anything, reaching out towards him only to lower my hand back to my lap, curling it into a fist. "...Baekhyun?"

"Hmm?" His head snaps up, blinking a few times before meeting my gaze. The unfamiliar daze in his tired eyes is worrisome, "Yeah, baby?"

"That…" I bite the inside of my cheek, not sure how to go about the question I'm dying to ask. Baekhyun rarely gets like this—he gets angry, yes, but to reach this extent of...rage? I only recall witnessing it last fall when I had my phone off all night, and that one time I almost sliced off my thumb while trying to peel potatoes. Multiple chirps of his phone has my eyes darting back down to his pocket.

Baekhyun follows my line of sight, realization dawning on his features. "Ah..." He nods, adam's apple bobbing in his throat, smiling a little before reaching out for me. "Sorry about that, my love."

"Who was that?" I try my best not to seem stiff when he pulls me into his arms, but by the way his smile falls off his face, he already knows.

"My brother," He mumbles, pressing kisses to my forehead, gathering me closer despite the protesting squeak of our chairs.

"And the kid?" I look at him dead in the eye, leaning back regardless of the frown forming on his face.

"Hmm?" He tilts his head for a moment, brown eyes soon widening. "Oh! That." His sheepish smile is borderline guilty as he ruffles his hair, uttering quietly, "That's my nephew. Isn't he adorable?"

Nodding slowly, I hum, turning to poke aimlessly at my cold food. "Looks just like you."

Baekhyun's arm tenses up under my hand. He pulls the phone back out of his pocket. "You mean his father. See?" After a few swipes of his finger, he holds it up; the device displays an image of the little kid and an older-looking version of Baekhyun. "Baekbeom and I got confused a lot growing up."

Uh-huh... My heart squeezes uncomfortably in my chest as I twirl a chopstick around my plate. "Why do you never talk about them?" I whisper, taking a peek at him.

"Why don't you ever ask?" He shrugs, lips twitching—an almost annoyed tone in his voice.

"O-Oh well..." The painful throb in my chest is immediate. I grit my teeth, lowering my head and pushing away from the table. "I'll go wash the dishes-"

"No—wait." Baekhyun grabs my wrist, gently pulling me to him. "Come here." He whispers, wide eyes flickering all over my person.

"The chair's gonna break," I mutter, avoiding his eye, reluctantly sitting on the edge of his lap.

"Shh—baby." His voice has taken on that soft comforting timbre he reserves for dreary nights and hushed calls between meetings. His strong arms wrap around my waist, pulling me further into his warmth. "Look at me, please?" He tucks a finger under my chin, coaxing me to face him.

Shaking my head, I keep my eyes down on my hands, fully content with examining the state of my chipped nail polish instead.

Baekhyun sighs after a while. "I'm sorry," He mumbles, hugging me to his chest, nuzzling his nose into my hair. "I had a long day and shouldn't be taking it out on you."

"And I cooked for you." I huff quietly, crossing my arms. "Next time I'm making food for myself. You can stick to your precious takeout."

"No," He whines, hiding further in my hair. "I want your food. Your cooking is the best."

"You only had one meal." I roll my eyes.

"And I want them all." He pulls back, cupping my cheek in his hand, staring deep into my eyes. "I want all of you."

There's no holding back the smile that automatically forms on my face, but his words do nothing to ease the lump in my throat or the burn of his actions. No amount of butterflies in my stomach can hide the fact that... there are parts of Baekhyun's life that he refuses to share with me. But there's no point in getting upset over something I've known for over a year, is it?

Baekhyun peeks over at me mid-bite. "What?"

"Nothing," I murmur, breaking out of my daze, mustering up a smile. Gently wiping away a grain of rice from the corner of his lips. "You're just so cute, I bet you were adorable as a kid."

"Mmhm." He nods nonchalantly, though his reddening cheeks are a dead giveaway. "Our kids will be lucky."

I splutter, damn near dropping the glass in my hand. "Baek!" My light slap on his chest does nothing to disturb his laughter. "Stop playing, I'm still upset."

His chuckles evaporate in an instant. "I'm not." The serious tone of his voice mirrors the determination in his eyes. "I mean it."

My eyes widen, "Oh..."

"Do you ever think about it?" Baekhyun's voice barely reaches a whisper, he meets my eyes with a bashful expression before looking away. "Having kids, I mean."

"Yeah."

"Yeah?" He breathes, wide brown eyes focused on me. The utterly surprised look on his face is refreshing to say the least.

I nod, choosing my words carefully, "I wouldn't mind 2, 3, 4 mini me's."

"Four!?" The chair creaks as he leans back in astonishment. If his eyes were wide before, they are the size of saucers now. "Are you mad, woman?"

"No! I just-" It's hard to formulate words with his fingers mercilessly tickling my sides. "Stop." I groan, laughing, batting his hands away. "Can't I dream about having a bunch of cute kids?" I shrug, looking away. "I dream big, so what?"

"Nothing." He smiles, bright orbs dancing, softly squeezing my waist. "Keep dreaming, baby."

"Mmhm." Relaxing against him, I wrap my arm around his neck, giving him a look. "What about you?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't 'hmm' me." His widening smile is contagious, I just want to kiss it off of him. "How many kids you want?" I murmur, picking lint off of his dress shirt, peeking under my eyelashes at him. He stays quiet as I gently curl his hair around my finger, "Go on. Spill."

"Doesn't matter," He mumbles, pressing a kiss to my palm, picking up his chopsticks again.

"Really?" I arch a brow, not the least bit convinced. "Are you sure? I bet you want two."

"Nope." The word comes out muffled around the cheek-full of food in his mouth. Even his audible chewing is adorable and attractive.

I scoff in disbelief, smiling a little with a tilt of my head, resting it on his shoulder. "How many do you want then?"

"Doesn't matter the number or gender," He shakes his head, neatly setting his chopsticks down on his empty plate. "I just want them." He peeks at me, "With you."

My brows raise in surprise. "Thinking ahead, are we?"

He shrugs, a smile quirking at his lips. "I like being prepared."

"You know life is unpredictable, right?" I mutter, narrowing my eyes at his cheeky expression.

Baekhyun smiles sweetly, pulling the collar of my oversized shirt off my shoulder, brushing his lips over my skin. "Then I hope life predicts me with you."

It takes everything in me to hold in a gasp, tangling my fingers further in his silver locks. "What are you up to now?"

"Making it up to you." He leaves a trail of soft smooches up to my collarbone, nibbling at the sensitive skin, gently digging his fingers further into the swell of my waist.

"Making it up..." I mumble, melting into him, resting my hand over his heart. "How exactly?"

"Well." He pulls back with a tiny grin, biting his lip, pure mischief swirling within his sparkling eyes. "There are many ways my mouth can apologize..."

•⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •

A/N: What is Baekhyun up to now? I swear he grows more complex by the day. Do I write the fic or does the fic write itself? (>.<) let’s not talk about the filth that leaves his mouth (<.<) *coughs* 😳🔥🌹 onto part 2 we go~

#baekhyun smut #bbh-net #baekhyun fluff #baekhyun romance #baekhyun angst #Six Phases

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rjzimmerman · 3 years

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Excerpt from this story from The Revelator:

Seeing a moose in person — they can be 7 feet tall at the shoulder and weigh more than a thousand pounds — is both shocking and mesmerizing. Where I’m from, badgers are the largest remaining wild animals, and they’re being culled by the tens of thousands to the point that they’re at risk of becoming extirpated in parts of England.

It was February when my British husband and I moved into our house in Whitehorse, Yukon, just over the 60th parallel in northern Canada. All the homes on our side of the street back onto miles of forest; the snow was still thick on the ground, and we were looking forward to discovering what was in our back garden when it finally melted.

Despite the snow, it didn’t take long to notice the moose antlers propped up against the fence beside an overgrown rhubarb plant and concealed by low spruce boughs and the open, snow-wedged gate. The antlers were still connected to a bloodstained section of skull. They hadn’t been shed by their living owner as male moose do each winter; they’d been hacked off a corpse by humans.

Every year people shoot moose, cut them up and put them in their freezers. Every year another batch of antlers is nailed to gates, garages and cabins, a custom that always makes me think of the medieval predilection for displaying decapitated heads on spikes.

Yukon is known for being home to two moose for every person. It’s the sort of fact Yukoners are proud of. Each year, though, that ratio becomes less true as the human population steadily rises. We’re currently at about 42,000 people to 70,000 moose.

Even though moose here aren’t considered endangered at the moment, that doesn’t stop me from lying in bed worrying about them. The truth is that we don’t know exactly how many moose live in Canada right now. There may be a million, or there may be 500,000.

But I do know this: We’ve taken abundant species for granted before, and they’ve paid a terrible price. Passenger pigeons once numbered in the billions and now there are none. As many as 60 million buffalo may have roamed North America and, after we hunted them to the brink of extinction, we had to rebuild their species from a population of just a few hundred.

I’m not a biologist. I’m a poet, so I tend to let my imagination run away with me. More and more, I’ve been thinking about what it will be like when so many of the animals we share the planet with are no longer here. In the forest behind my house, I imagine smooth snow, unbroken by the prints of any creatures other than humans and our dogs. No squirrel tail scuffs, no cute cartoony hare ovals, no scarpering coyote tracks. No deep postholes made by moose that my whole leg disappears into when I step.

#extinction #moose #biodiversity #Canada #Yukon

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raleighliving · 4 years

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Snowmageddon: A Defense

If you’ve lived in the south during the winter months at any point you’ve probably heard all the jokes and jabs already about how well we tend to handle snow. At the first flake falling, you’ll hear cries of “Shut down the schools” and “Buy bread and milk NOW!” from everyone; northern transplants especially.

Southerners panic at even the hint of snow, clearing store shelves to hoard a years’ worth of groceries and filling jerry cans with enough fuel to cross the Atlantic because the news predicted a half inch dusting overnight. It’s not as prolific or hurtful as other stereotypes but if you’ve grown up hearing it you’re probably tired of the same five jokes like I am.

Not to say it’s completely unwarranted. I’m sure you’ve gone to the grocery store during a particularly cold night and seen gaps in the inventory of various necessities, and fellow North Carolinians forming lines at the gas station to top off before the snow hits.

Even if you’re not from North Carolina, you’ve probably seen the below image of our very own Glenwood avenue from a few years back. Meme’d to hell and back with various edits including references to Star Wars, Ghostbusters, and various post-apocalyptic scenarios.

Glenwood Ave, credit WRAL

So of course, a question I’ve been asked rhetorically from friends across the country is “why?” With a recent snow day passed and another possibly on the horizon, I figured now would be as good a time as any to write about what Raleigh’s deal with snow is and why so many of us dread the icy doom it brings.

Not to say this article excuses the Glenwood Incident or any over obsessive individuals you may run into throughout Raleigh; but instead, I hope to at least provide an explanation for why things are like this. Provide insight for school closures and concerns so that my fellow Raleigh citizenry might seem at least a little less crazy the next time the sky goes gray on a cold Winter’s day.

To understand the issues with Raleigh and snow we need to understand two important aspects of the problem: city maintenance and city planning. While there are many small issues that pervade North Carolina, and especially the city of Raleigh, these two form the crux of our problem.

As you can imagine, any city’s road conditions are linked at least partially to their Department of Transportation’s (DOT) budget. Repairs, litter control, and much more are all accounted for in the state DOT budget; and while North Carolina might not be as small as her neighbors like Georgia she still has to budget accordingly.

How much money is spent on inclement weather for a state that might see snow once every two years is weighed against contracts for road repairs, the much more frequent summer/fall tropical storms, and other projects that need it more.

Of the $5.3 billion 2020 budget, it’s estimated by the NCDOT that we spent 32% of that on road maintenance (and a fraction of that goes towards inclement weather solutions). So a fraction of a fraction of the budget goes towards preparing the roads with brine and equipping plows with a salt/sand traction mix.

Of course, this means we only have so many snow plows and so much brine to spread around the roads. If you get any pre-snow road treatment, you’re likely in more urban areas like Raleigh or you’re by a military base like Fayetteville. Even in those areas, however, pre-snow road treatment and subsequent plowing are usually only afforded to major roads and high traffic areas.

Live in a subdivision or a back road? Then may fortune be ever in your favor, because there’s a good chance that the most you’ll get is somebody laying out InstaMelt from the HOA (if you even get that much). There’s a chance you could drive on Leesville or Glenwood if you can get to them, but that’s IF you can get to them.

The neighborhood where I grew up you couldn’t get out if there was too much snow/ice because all three exits sat atop fairly steep grade hills. Don’t have a heavy enough vehicle or specialized tires? You’re probably going to slide back down or get stuck in a snow drift.

Of course, that’s just my old stomping grounds. But Raleigh is full of various neighborhoods; ranging from cookie cutter suburbs to nightmare hellscapes crafted with form over function kept firmly in mind. For every Longlake or Dominion Park, there’s a road like Sendero Road.

Sendero is a back road attached to a back road with narrow, one-way roads twisting around steep gorges filled with trees and water at various points. The upper-middle class neighborhood is cut in half by a river with an old wooden bridge, and the only reliable turn around point is at the very end of this anxiety coaster.

For schools you have the school buses, which break down super frequently already, with no seat belts transporting kids across the city to school and parents trying to get out of their neighborhoods and dealing with other drivers.

If something gets damaged or someone gets hurt or stranded, all because you had the option to close down but didn’t, then that’s consequences and problems laid at the foot of the school board and superintendent. Parent complaints, insurance rates, and potential lawsuits versus a few days of missed education and a few jokes on twitter; it’s easy to see which bet anyone would take when the sky starts spewing ice crystals.

It’s true, not every neighborhood in Raleigh (and many other southern cities) is a poorly designed nest of streets placed at random using dice; but enough exist throughout that it’s an important consideration for many schools, businesses, and families when they’re preparing for possible winter storms.

Do we shut down schools, or hope the weatherman is right and that the light dusting clears by midday? Do we go and stock up on supplies in case the freezer goes out, or hope that the 2005 ice storm just doesn’t happen ever again? It’s these questions, and previous experiences like the 2005 ice storm that fuel a lot of the paranoia that happens surrounding snow storms.

I don’t expect to change any minds writing this, but hopefully you’ll at least come away with a better understanding of southern snowphobia when you see schools start closing left and right at the first flake, or when you see someone load their cart up with bread and milk.

PS: Apparently, it’s always bread and milk because bread provides energy, nutrition, and doesn’t need to be refrigerated; and milk because you can keep it fresh with snow/outdoor coolers if your fridge dies.

#NC #North Carolina #northcarolina #Raleigh #NCSU #NC State University #Glenwood #Glenwood Ave #Snow #snowday #city planning #Ice #icestorm #icestorm2005 #gifs

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fictional-worlds-are-exquisite · 4 years

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i am very much enjoying my vague void! it's currently blasting hozier at full volume and that's almost louder than my internal screaming (don't worry, everything is fine, i just saw a spider)

i've never once in my life have followed a recipe correctly. all of my measurements are completely random and whatever happens happens. it is no longer in my hands. whatever eldritch entities exist take the wheel. and i absolutely refuse to spell anything in english without autocorrect because y'all have way too many double letters and random vowel placement

thank you! sadly, i won't have a break right now, because we just had christmas vacations, but the start of the new semester is always pretty chill. and you're absolutely right, i should take up necromancy! the snow and the cold will add to my mysterious vibes. i just need to get a big black cape with a hood to complete the aesthetic

i definitely picture everything above 5'6 feet as the same height. 5'7 and 6'2? the exact same thing. no difference here

how is morepork a real bird name. it's just... more pork? but the bird is magnificent. i completely approve of your first order as bird queen, not that you need approval from mere peasants like me, but it's a great order. ohhh salps look really cool, and it does look a lot like it! when you said boob implant i thought of mermaids and them using salps as boob implants but then i realised wait wouldn't jellyfish be better for that? because of their shape? ignoring their little leggies they're quite boob shaped, no? and then i realised that i was thinking about mermaids and alive boob implants... if i had to think it, you have to read it. i'm sorry

i was sold before but now i'm even more sure that i want to hire you. and I'll make sure to have lactose free cheese for the backflips (unless you want the lactose version? i'm not judging). will the biting of ankles cost extra?

that sounds like a brilliant set-up for a horror movie where they kill off all the children one by one. it's absolutely horrifying. if something like that would've happened to me i would've most likely just passed out. whatever happens afterwards is not my problem. and now i really don't want to know what the hell your leg was caught on because that seems like knowledge that would get me killed

ah so you're a fellow dirt eater? according to my mom my favourite thing to do outside when i was a little kid used to be eating sand. just shovelling handfuls of it into my mouth and crying when my mom made me spit it out. which i refuse to believe. if there are no photos it didn't happen

you warm climate people are starting to make me think that i'm better adjusted to the cold than i thought i am! it's either that or our buildings are better heated. i definitely don't know if anyone else calls hot water bottled hotties but i like it so from now on i'm using it

that's so cute! i was clearly a way more selfish child because when i found any amount of money i just kept it and bought candy as soon as i could. i clearly couldn't save money then and i can't now. we have stores like that (or i'm assuming that they're like that solely based on how they sell lollies) and they used to be my favourite thing because you could get so many lollies for such a small price!! and my mom even used to let me order for myself sometimes so i always felt like a very big girl jsjshsbsjk

also the fact that i can't send pictures on anon is a crime (yes i know why and it's good that that's not possible because can you imagine anons being able to send pictures? oh no is all i have to say about it) but anyways. because i have this one super cursed photo that reminded me of you and now i can't share it :((

duuuuude, sick void bro. sounds like a vibing void. I feel like I haven’t seen a spider in awhile. Other than daddy long legs. But they’re chill. They mind their own business.

I nearly always follow recipes exactly. My mum is like oh cook this for about 7 minutes? Yeah sure. I’ll take a wild guess. I’m like they say exactly 7 minutes so I’ll set a timer for 7 minutes and start a stopwatch so if it does seem to need more than 7 I can keep an eye on the extra time and be aware of exactly how long it takes me for next time. Other people are like oh let's see I have [lists 5-10 things in their fridge], hmm...oh I know what I could make with that! I’m like I have beans in my freezer because one recipe required them and no other recipes I know how to make do so what am I supposed to do with these now,,, this is stressful,,, basically I barely know how to cook and recipes are the only things saving me in that area. That is entirely fair. Except for the fuck duck, and murder is not the word you want surely, situations, it’s pretty helpful.

Ohhh I see. At least the start is chill! For a little! Before your entire situation spirals out of hand and you’re behind in every class and it’s taken you a whole day to read 10 pages and you’re exhausted and it’s only week 2. Just me? ok. fair. anyway. I want a cloak so bad. One of my uni friends tempted me to class because she said she was wearing a cloak so my depressed ass honest to god dragged myself out of bed and to said class just to see it. It was worth it. They’re incredible. Everyone should own a big cloak for the aesthetic.

I’m glad it isn’t just me hahaha. I can visualise my own height in feet but everything else is just the same size that is a vague amount taller than me, mentally.

It’s also known as the ruru. But the name morepork amuses me. It’s named after the call it makes haha. It does sound like it’s asking for more pork if you know to listen for that. thank u for ur approval, it means a lot, turns out becoming bird queen didn’t ACTUALLY get rid of my anxiety disorder weirdly enough so validation is great! lmaooo. What if the jellyfish stung them tho? At least salps wouldn’t do you dirty like that. The mermaids would just look like there are hundreds of bugs crawling around in their boobs, flesh shifting as they float around. Which is a vibe. If you’re into that. Jellyfish WOULD make a more solid, single, implant, some of them are definitely boob shaped. But that’s kinda boring no one’s gonna be traumatised by that. Salps on the other hand...yeah, that sight will DEFINITELY traumatise someone.

To be PERFECTLY honest I haven’t done a backflip in years but for lactose-free cheese? Dude. I’ll be going back to training. Gonna be the best backflip you’ve ever seen. As long as it’s not Tasty cheese I am content, but lactose free IS better. The biting of ankles will not cost extra, it is a pleasure to be allowed to do that.

Oh it absolutely would be. It’d be very funny if it reached the wider world bc people would probably be like ok but who would send kids into the bush like that,, it’s an odd concept. meanwhile everyone who grew up in nz is gonna be like y’all, you’re not gonna fuckin BELIEVE what i experienced growing up, it’s real dude. On one hand, I feel like murdering kids in a movie is questionable, on the other hand, It exists, so maybe people would be down for it. I feel like it’d be a good concept even if it wasn’t murdery tho. Like psychological horror? I’m not sure if I’m using that category correctly I don’t watch much horror. A kid following the rope but then being shifted into a different horror dimension but they never take the blindfold off because their teachers said not to and they’d probably have to let go of the rope to do it...I feel like this could work super well as a short film. The viewers see everything. The child just knows something is off and no one is coming when they call for help. I am so down for this. I also do not want to know what my leg was caught on. Some things I am better off not knowing.

yes! I am a fellow dirt eater! We had a sandpit at home (that’s a little bold. It was a large plastic shell that my parents filled with sand. technically a sandpit. but not fancy sdflsdkfsdf) but I don’t think I ever tried to eat it. Then again, I possibly did and just don’t remember because there’s no photo evidence of that one. I’d have to ask my parents sdfhsjdfs, I would however fully believe them if they said yes. it’s very characteristic of me. I don’t doubt it for a second. muuuum that’s my emotional support sand don’t make me spit it out smh the disrespect these days.

Oh I’m absolutely terrible even by most people’s standards around here when it comes to cold and hot temperatures. I remember sitting in the sun in my school shirt and school jersey in summer on a blazing day like it’s a bit chilly, isn’t it? Meanwhile my friends were in the shade absolutely dying from the heat. Likewise in winter I’d be shivering, teeth chattering, dying with my long sleeve thermal, my school shirt, my school jersey, my school jacket, my longs, warm socks and sneakers and gloves and school scarf while ppl would be walking around in a shirt and shorts like it’s a bit warm this winter huh? my body didn’t learn how to thermoregulate and it shows. But yeah NZ does also have a reputation for shittily insulated buildings and such. It shows. skhdfsfs if it’s not common use maybe don’t say can i have a hotty to someone without context but otherwise go ahead lmao. it’s a fun shortened version.

I was typically a very good saver, to the point where my extended family started gifting me gift cards and vouchers for Christmas and my birthday because if they just gave me money I’d put it in my bank account to save towards uni once I hit like, 12 years old. Which I think was a smart move. But apparently, I’m supposed to buy myself ‘something nice’ with it. I think I’m still an okay saver but I’m not as strict anymore. I’m aware of how much I can spare and I’m not just like you can never get anything for yourself ever, so I do get lil things for myself sometimes. oooo yay! At least you know what I mean. But yes. They were the gold mine for lollies. Absolutely terrific stores. My mum would be like hey lindsey how about you order? And I’d be like mother, I am 7 years old and I have an undiagnosed anxiety disorder everyone assumes is child shyness why would you think I would want to do that. Instead I will whisper my choices to you. After therapy tho I felt pretty rad for picking my own lollies by myself. I was like 13 at that point but sdfkjhsdf listen I got there in the end.

sdfkjsdfkjhsdf I like that a cursed photo reminded you of me. That’s all I need to hear. Tumblr said no anon dick pics but they also said no anon cursed photos either,,, very sad. for the latter part. the first part thank god. If I could turn on photos on anon I absolutely would just to see this but I don’t think I can :(

#tasty cheese is nasty and i will die on this hill #i'm not sure if other countries have like the same main cheeses or if it differs everywhere #tasty. colby. and edam are the main three i think of #i know there's like mild or some shit but i know only the blue yellow and red packets #either or a wasp or a bee just flew in my room but it flew out so i'll respect that #my plans for today were reply to your ask and that's it #what am i supposed to do for the next twelve hours #oh wait i know #m u r d e r............#Anonymous

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heyyylittlemo · 4 years

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Ask game

1. Where did you hide the body??

Me: *pause* No, where did you hide the body—

*police stare at me with disbelief*

Me: there’s no—there’s not a single body here—well stop looking at me like that, you’re the cop! You should know! Why are you asking me for! Body? Whaaaaaat. Ahaha.

*cops shake head*

*whispers to my friend* Guys I think I pulled that one off

Police: you know we can hear everything you’re saying

me: 👁👄👁

2. Favorite rock? The 1975. Dominic Fike. Arctic Monkeys. Bad Suns. The killers. Pale Waves. Etc. That good good shit 👌

3. Most aesthetic season? Fall. Love them orange colors. The leaves falling. Though spring is also neat if you have a bunch of flowers bloomin in shit and winter is only aesthetic when it’s snowing. Boring ass summer tho just be heating me up.

4. When texting do u shorten words or spell out? I used to write stuff out all the time mostly but now it’s like half and half bcuz its just faster and nobody got time for it 🤣🤣

5. Vintage stuff? Hell yeah, but maybe not anything too expensive since some old stuff IS hyper expensive.

6. Colors that pop or blend? Not sure I understand what u mean abt them blending ahaha u mean like when they’re so similar to another?? Well I think it’s nice but honestly I prefer a pop and a bang, y’Know?

- At this moment I realized I was answering the last few questions from a completely different ask and felt like a dumbass 😂 anyways the actual number we’re on is three so imma just kickback

3. Worst dream u have ever had? I had sleep paralysis but was imbetween that and a lucid dream. At first I was paralyzed and could see my bed but my eyes felt closed and open at the same time?? A giant dark demon looking dog had towered over me and began to tear at my neck. It looked and felt very real I started to try to scream and it felt like a scream was coming out but no sound exited. Then I went into a lucid dream where I was being chased by this dog and running for my life I was running by and nobody could save me nobody in the dream when it caught up to me I was back in my bed and it was trying to eat me again. I was so terrified I couldn’t sleep for a whole week.

4. Lyric that comes to your mind? “And I don’t think I can be there. I’m paralyzed,I’m terrified of being alone. When you said I deserved what had happened.”

5. Blood make u uncomfortable? Yes, I passed out once when getting my finger pricked and a VERY small blood sample and another when dissecting a fish.

6. Even or odd numbers? Well I like the number 5,7,9, 3 so odd. (Like me 🤣🤣)

7. Something I hate that I love? Anything I’ve ever loved becuz love can be frustrating. Bruh.

8. 1st initial of someone I hate? Hmm...do I hate someone tho? Not that I can think of...

9. *Skipping down the lane* NOPE

10. Corn dogs? It’s funny cuz when I think of corn dogs my mind will always go to when we first moved to our current house because at our initial town we never had Sonic and while we were getting the house fixed up and moving stuff we use to always get Sonic since it was the closest to us most times to eat and that was a bunch of corn dogs and hotdog days 🤣 so thnk u corn dogs for ur service

11. I’m not a huge movie person so...I looked up movies from 2005 and movies Inlike from this time are Brokeback mountain bcuz it’s gay af, Shark Boy and Lava Girl damn I rewatched the shot out of it when I was younger, Narnia and the Chocolate Factory(although it low key creeped me out as a kid, and idk why).

12. Least fav music genre? Most country, most EDM, dubstep, screaming/really hard rock, some pop music, mumble raping.

13. As someone who waits on tables, my job is my least favorite restaurant experience 🤣🤣 just dealing with ppl...like ok, I’m half Hispanic right?? But I look white. Well, I work at a Mexican restaurant and so sometimes racist costumers will say shady shit just bcuz I guess they think it’s appropriate to say it to me just bcuz I’m not Hispanic in their eyes?? But it pisses me off and I feel like I can’t say anything without causing a drama which I hate and when the “costumers always right” it can be hard to budge and stand up and say “bitch wtf did u just say??” And there’s just folks who take things the wrong ways or ask too much at once or give u a hard time or just say something that sticks onto you for the whole day. One bad move can turn my whole day upside down.

14. 3 things never come near me? Cockroaches, Needles, and close mind ppl

15. Worst way to die? With regrets. Something really brutual, random, or where something just happened to go wrong (accident). Being killed by someone u love.

16. Unusual habits? Doing a Michael Jackson esque “hee-hee” after every sneeze I make, being extremely clumsy and making every task 100% more difficult, having the ability to talk as if I have an accent that comes from nowhere in particular just stupidity also I can’t speak my own language half the time 🙃getting words confused or misusing them in a sentence so I sound dumb having a very weird imagination and thoughts, I swear it like I never went to school and don’t know how the world works, plus many many more

17. Clothing style u want? I want to dress in a way that screams who I am and is a blend of both femininity and masculinity. A little vintage. Grunge. Urban maybe?? What do I know abt fashion 🤣🤣

18. Song or artist that deserves more? Dijon, hands down. I love his stuff. He’s like Frank Ocean meets light-singing beautiful lyricist with a more rock vibe?? Hidden gem. I also think Durand Jones & the Indications needs more love along with BadBadNotGood they sound like old-times but are new!! Oh, and Pale Waves is like a female The 1975 and kicks it. Bad Suns is a good alt rock band that no one seems to recognize :,D Toro y Moi too! His song with Flume “The difference “ is a banger!! Kid Cudi is my man when I want a blend of rock and rap. Also Dominic Fike,King Krule, and Roy Blair, who are all amazing!! Ok I need to stop 🛑

Duck I answered the past questions from a different post I’m sorry 😐

17. Emoji never used? There’s a bunch since I reuse the same over and over again. Lmao

18. 3 sentence Gatorade horror story? A faint quiver overtook the small freezer the Gatorade lay in; no one had come by in days, hours, weeks; when was the last time he met the lips of a thirsty body? They’d forgotten about him, as his last sips remained glued to his hollowing entrance. ‘Help, ‘it wanted to say, but it’s frozen lips could not be moved; It’d stay here, die here...just like the rest.” What am I doing with my life 🤣🙏

19. Do u know what an old bay is? A bay that is old? And old ocean? Idk!!!

20. Can u dance? Sometimes I dance when I’m alone but nothing spectral lol

21. What first comes to ur mind when u see ropes? 2 extremes. Sex and death. Hm. Ok. Moving on.

22. Make an obscure reference. “Even a bra couldn’t hold these nipples” *Holds a water gun to chest*

23. Fav balloon color? Pink or yellow.

24. If u were in court would u be innocent or guilty? Depends, what am I in court for 🤣 lmao jk honestly idk bcuz I don’t think I’d wind up in there

25. Are u hungry ? Nope

26. Unlucky number? Hm I don’t think so but I have a lucky number “123”

27. What’s “JMD”stand for? I’m guessing...Jamming my d—- 💀lol jk ahaha why am so dirt

28. Random inside joke? *chirpy squeak* I’m making a double batch of cookies

29. What sends chills up ur spine? Seeing disgust food or smell disgust or talking abt disgust things like gore

30. How many questions are in ur inbox? A pathetic zero ahaha no one want to ask me anything 😂

31. Someone real who scares u. 2 of my ex friends. One when I was 10 said disturbing things and I was kinda forced onto the friendship and everything they said make me fear for others lives...and then a different ex friend who seemed normal at 1st but became both low key psychopath cult leader type stuff and I booed out of there—-.

32. Run or hide? Uhh probably hide because I’d say even if ppl say “u can run but u can’t hide” u CAN just hide! that’s the point of hiding they not find u xD also why not combine them? Hide then run somewhere far away once I got them off the trial.

33. Last person who made u angry? A frickin beetle that flew at me and pinched me in the middle of singing in the shed xD also my autocorrect

34. What’s going on in ur head? I should probably pee soon—

35. Little thing that makes u Smile? A lot of little things bruh.

36. Are u a descisive person?

Not sure.

*pAuse *

Ok, I guess I’m not then 🤣

37. Would ppl say I’m paranoid? Hm maybe about certain things social situations, singing in front of others what ppl think abt me etc etc

38. Store least likely in? Any southern clothes shop, Abercrombie & Finch types shit, lol

39. Do I like hats fave type? Hm not wear many hats but I think they’re cool any type is cool for different ppl and their aesthetici just can’t rock a hat.

40. Bow ties or ties? Don’t really care but now want to see more bow ties

41. Who? You.

42. What? Reading this shit

43. Where? In ur ass

44. When? Now.

45. Why? Not even u know why.

46. How? We all want to know

47. Do u collect anything? Vinyl records.

48. What tome is it? Time to get a watch

49. Fav transportation? My car or walk is possible

50. Would u ever kill someone to save someone? Don’t want to think about that

51. Make a joke. Yo, it’s time to make a joke—so the other day I was working. And I was practicing my Spanish, yes? Anyone whose trying to learn anew language k n o w s that sometimes words can be so close to another u just confuse then! So apparently churros in Spanish is a desert but if u say it more harshly (it literally sounds almost the same) it makes a whole different meaning—diharrea, but like I didn’t know that so I legit just walked up to this person and asked if they would like some shit to eat. So yeah, that was great. Let’s not forget that I mixed up blood, watermelon, and sangria which is a wine. I legit once said I had mixed wine in my vines and another time watermelon 🤣

52. I’m really confused so I skip

53. Would ur dash be confiscated SFW? By dash do u mean this account? Um not 😬

54. Do I like to cuddle? Hell yeah and manhandle ppl all the time it’s my affection

55. What makes u angry? Close minded ppl or ppl who jump too fast to conclusions, strict schedules just dumb stuff that people try to force when I just want to be carefree 😭✌️

56. How many voices are in ur head? 😐

57. Do U consider urself mentally stable? 😐

58. Are u easily offended? Well U just called me mentally unstable and asked it there was voices in my head!!

59. What’s wrong with taking the backstreets? Uhm...

60. Any questions u want ppl to ask u? Nothing in particular but it’s be nice if someone care to ask me something abt me from personal question to my opinions on shit to 19 days fandom related junk 😌

Woooo I’ve finished this game! Thanks to @seiji-amasawa for introducing me to this ^^

#tag game #game #ask #19 days #19days

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nadjadoll · 5 years

Text

Character Interview

Okay so I was tagged a bunch of times by so many people for this and I was putting it off but I’m finally getting to it so here we go!

Thank you for the tags @noonvraith @foofygoldfish @devotchkas @colesphelps @statichvm @honesthearts and @outranks

Buckle up because I’m going to be doing three of these in one post

name ➔ ayla edwards

are you single ➔ i think i’m kind of in that in between stage with a friend of mine...

are you happy ➔ i try my best to be upbeat as much as I can

are you angry ➔ funnily enough, i don’t actually remember the last time I was angry!

are your parents still married ➔ they are, and happily so!

EIGHT FACTS

birthplace ➔ edinburgh scotland

hair color ➔ strawberry blonde

eye color ➔ blue

birthday ➔ june 14th 1999

mood ➔ extremely worn out but optimistic!

gender ➔ female

summer or winter ➔ summer, though there isn’t much of one in gotham

morning or afternoon ➔ morning, just as the sun is rising and everything is quiet

SEVEN THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE

are you in love ➔ yes (◠‿◠✿)

do you believe in love at first sight ➔ absolutely! a lot of things can happen with just one look

who ended your last relationship ➔ i did, it broke my heart but i’ve never been a fan of long-distance relationships

have you ever broken someone's heart ➔ i’m afraid i have

are you afraid of commitments ➔ not at all!

have you hugged someone within the last week ➔ a few people actually! one being marv, the others being a very nice couple i saved from a mugger

have you ever had a secret admirer ➔ well how would i know if they were secret?

SIX CHOICES

love or lust ➔ love, and all the soft hugs and kisses that go along with it

lemonade or iced tea ➔ lemonade with lots of sugar

cats or dogs ➔ both! though i do prefer dogs a little more

a few best friends or many regular friends ➔ a few best friends

wild night out or romantic night in ➔ romantic night in, i don’t have the energy to have a wild night out

day or night ➔ day! there are about 5 days of sunny weather a year in gotham and i love every one of them

FIVE HAVE YOU EVERS

been caught sneaking out ➔ i’ve never had to, my hometown was pretty boring and my parents were always lax about me coming and going

fallen down/up the stairs ➔ so many times, there are an incredible amount of stairs in the university and i have fallen on all of them

wanted something/someone so badly it hurt ➔ do the dogs i see on the sidewalk count? i swear if my dorm allowed pets i’d have 10 dogs by now

wanted to disappear ➔ after the accident that gave me my powers, i was really embarrassed and scared and didn’t know what to do, i don’t think i left the house for a couple of weeks after that

FOUR PREFERENCES

smile or eyes ➔ smile!

shorter or taller ➔ taller, it’s not hard to find people taller than me, being only 5′3

intelligence or attraction ➔ intelligence

hook up or relationship ➔ relationship

FAMILY

do you and your family get along ➔ yes! i haven’t been able to get back home to see them in a while but i talk to them on the phone at least twice a week

would you say you have a "messed up life" ➔ ironically, no. despite my powers that let me multiplicate myself, i have great parents and amazing friends and i’m so thankful for that

have you ever ran away from home ➔ i’ve never felt like i wanted to

have you ever gotten kicked out ➔ never

FRIENDS

do you secretly hate one of your friends - no! i love all of my friends

do you consider all of your friends good friends - 100% i would do anything for them an di know they would return that feeling

who is your best friend - song! not only is he one of the first people i met when i moved here, he also has powers

who knows everything about you - song again, i feel like i can tell him anything

name ➔ august seed

are you single ➔ no

are you happy ➔ generally

are you angry ➔ 75% of the time

are your parents still married ➔ well they’re both dead so no

EIGHT FACTS

birthplace ➔ a place called new york

hair color ➔ brown

eye color ➔ blue

birthday ➔ april 4th 2013

mood ➔ bored, charley and I haven’t made a good death maze in too long

gender ➔ female

summer or winter ➔ summer, the less clothes i have to wear the better

morning or afternoon ➔ afternoon

SEVEN THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE

are you in love ➔ i guess you could say that

do you believe in love at first sight ➔ no i think it’s all crap

who ended your last relationship ➔ technically it was the vehicle that drove over them

have you ever broken someone's heart ➔ probably

are you afraid of commitments ➔ no never

have you hugged someone within the last week ➔ i don’t do hugs

have you ever had a secret admirer ➔ i have gotten a few “odd” gifts, mainly things like teeth and fingers so maybe

SIX CHOICES

love or lust ➔ lust

lemonade or iced tea ➔ what are those

cats or dogs ➔ dogs, big ones

a few best friends or many regular friends ➔ neither, i like to keep to myself

wild night out or romantic night in ➔ wild night out, drinks and drugs and all the fun things in between

day or night ➔ night

FIVE HAVE YOU EVERS

been caught sneaking out ➔ i snuck out a few times from the camp my mom and i were living at, never got caught though

fallen down/up the stairs ➔ no

wanted something/someone so badly it hurt ➔ if i want something, i go get it

wanted to disappear ➔ nope, never

FOUR PREFERENCES

smile or eyes ➔ eyes

shorter or taller ➔ shorter or same height

intelligence or attraction ➔ attraction, can’t do much without that

hook up or relationship ➔ hoop up, i don’t care about feelings. charley is the only exception

FAMILY

do you and your family get along ➔ i’ve never met my dad but from what i’ve heard of him, i feel like i would get along with him more than i ever did with my mom

would you say you have a "messed up life" ➔ i think some people would say that, not me though. the only thing i think i would change is bring my dad back so i could kick his ass for never being there for my mom and me

have you ever ran away from home ➔ i stuck with my mom until i was about 16, i figured i would have more fun out on my own

have you ever gotten kicked out ➔ i’ve been kicked out of a few gangs i used to travel with, until i found the highwaymen

FRIENDS

do you secretly hate one of your friends ➔ it’s no secret i hate most of the other highwaymen

do you consider all of your friends good friends ➔ i don’t have friends, people say i’m “untrustworthy” and “horrifying”

who is your best friend ➔ closest thing i have to a best friend would be charley though i hate the term best friend

who knows everything about you ➔ no one, and i’d like to keep it that way

name ➔ scarlett campbell

are you single ➔ no

are you happy ➔ i am now

are you angry ➔ i’m pissed off someone kidnapped my baby but it’s alright, i’m doing everything i can to find him

are your parents still married ➔ had they somehow survived the bombs, i imagine they would be or maybe not. it was always hard to tell if they really loved each other.

EIGHT FACTS

birthplace ➔ i was born right here in the commonwealth

hair color ➔ blonde

eye color ➔ brown

birthday ➔ sometime in september, i never cared much for birthdays

mood ➔ currently apathetic

gender ➔ female

summer or winter ➔ winter, after it snows and just before sunrise

morning or afternoon ➔ afternoon

SEVEN THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE

are you in love ➔ hopelessly so

do you believe in love at first sight ➔ i thought i did when i met nate, now i’m not so sure

who ended your last relationship ➔ i guess the nuclear bomb did. i had plans on leaving nate and taking shaun the day they dropped, they beat me to it.

have you ever broken someone's heart ➔ many, i do regret some of them

are you afraid of commitments ➔ in my younger years i was a wild child and would have said no. these days i’m more hesitant to those kinds of things

have you hugged someone within the last week ➔ yes, i was having a bit of a down day the other day and all i wanted to do was hold piper, thankfully she let me

have you ever had a secret admirer ➔ haha i’m sure i have, i suppose piper was one of those at some point?

SIX CHOICES

love or lust ➔ a healthy mix of both

lemonade or iced tea ➔ iced tea, it’s hard to find now of course but it reminds me of the days before the war

cats or dogs ➔ hm neither, i’m not really an animal person

a few best friends or many regular friends ➔ many regular friends, it’s good to have lots of people on your side

wild night out or romantic night in ➔ romantic night in is the way to go for me nowadays

day or night ➔ night, the commonwealth just seems more peaceful at night

FIVE HAVE YOU EVERS

been caught sneaking out ➔ many times, i was a bit of a party girl years ago, it drove my parents nuts and they tried everything to keep me in

fallen down/up the stairs ➔ oh a lot, high heels + the stairs in diamond city do not mix

wanted something/someone so badly it hurt ➔ yes, once upon a time i thought i wanted nate but he wasn’t who i thought he was

wanted to disappear ➔ towards the end of my marriage that was the plan. but now he’s gone and i don’t regret saying i’m glad about it

FOUR PREFERENCES

smile or eyes ➔ eyes, they say a lot about someone

shorter or taller ➔ either works for me

intelligence or attraction ➔ little bit of both

hook up or relationship ➔ old me would have said hook up but i’m really getting used to having piper around long term

FAMILY

do you and your family get along ➔ i wouldn’t say we necessarily “got along”, my parents and i had our ups and downs, they didn’t quite understand who i wanted to be. but we loved each other in our own ways

would you say you have a "messed up life" ➔ well let’s see i was married to an asshole, our country got bombed, i was locked in a freezer for 200 years, my son was kidnapped by a secret institution and now i have to figure out how to survive in the wasteland that used to be my home

have you ever ran away from home ➔ that was always a thought it the back of my mind, not because i hated my home but because i wanted to go out and do my own thing, be my own person. i never did but now i wish i had gone through with it

have you ever gotten kicked out ➔ there was a time i had gotten into a bit too much trouble and i thought for sure i would be tossed out but no, they let me stay but i had to watch my step for quite a while

FRIENDS

do you secretly hate one of your friends ➔ no

do you consider all of your friends good friends ➔ that would be a strong way to say it. i do love them but i try to keep a bit of distance

who is your best friend ➔ piper

who knows everything about you ➔ it’s actually nick, he’s a very good listener and god knows i’ve needed to vent to someone

#omg thank you guys for taggine me #im so sorry this took forever #these kicked my butt #but im glad i got them done #ayla edwards #august seed #scarlett campbell #also have some ugly edits for this #writing this out took me forever and im done looking at it so i did some quick ugly edits

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cutegirlmayra · 7 years

Note

I know this is super unoriginal, but how about a boom!sonamy mistletoe story?

(x) Permission was given by artist! If you’re an artist or have artists friends who would be fine with letting me use their art for ‘Preview Images’ for my stories, please let me know! I would be very grateful!!!

I don’t think it’s unoriginal, I have done one before, but that was years ago… So I’ll try and write a new one this time XD

Prompt:

All was adorned with decorations and fun.

Leafs on trees had fallen off slowly, but Amy had excitedly waited for her perfect snow day.

That way…

Sonic couldn’t escape!

She squee’d as she pushed her muzzle up against the glass of her warm home, hearing that a mysterious wind had brought a great cold to the usual tropical island.

Excited about this change, she purchased a traditional tree and even… a silent, but hopeful mistletoe to work some holiday magic!

Eggman… on the other hand, hated this cold front.

Amy smiled and closed her eyes, feeling the cold of the window seep onto her nose and give her a thrilling chill of the freezing degree of the world outside…

Eggman huddled near a fire he man-made and coughed at the smoke, not able to open a window or having made plans to make a chimney. He was bundled up, but still freezing…

“Confound it all!” He threw his blanket down, looking fat with layers of clothes, stacked hats, and mittens all toppled over the other in a frantic attempt at staying warm. “This hunk of metal grows cold just by a sneeze! Now we’ve got this miserable weather abnormality… HA-CHU! -sniff-… Cold moves right through me too… What luck! I can’t even attack Sonic today like I planned without freezing half to death!”

Eggman imagined him in his icy eggpod, floating over the battlefield while rubbing his arms, his teeth chattering, and the team having a snowball fight to destroy his robots.

He shook his head, snapping out of it. “I HATE the cold…” His eyebrows dipped sinisterly down, before striding the best he could with a wedgie and so many layers that it was almost impossible to move right with them all on.

He moved over to his microwave, took it out, and examined it. “Hmm… If I could cause a huge heat wave to this cold front… I could create enough force to melt the snow and bring our warm weather back.” He planned out loud in his head, but Cubot and Orbot looked at each other.

Finally, Orbot boldly moved forward, meekly rubbing his hands together, “But… wouldn’t that cause a wind speed conflict? Something like a-“

“Tornado!!!” Cubot flung his arms up, spinning around frantically as Orbot looked away from him, spiraling off behind him, and shook his head with slanted, disapproving eyes.

“Hmm… still a good plan to take out the island’s inhabitants… And even Sonic!” He giddily yanked the cord out from the wall, not even giving it a second thought, “Boys! Get Steve on the line! We’re getting rid of this- winter. wonder. land.” He glared at each work spoken, moving slowly over the syllables as if to emphasise and stress his hatred for it.

Amy excitedly welcomed her friends in the door, looking up constantly at the mistletoe and moving them discreetly away from it as they came in.

“Hello, how are you-Woop! Watch out, ice puddle. Hello, Sticks- Ah! To your left more,… perfect! Welcome in~ Knuckles, happy to see you- Wah! Watch your step, buddy. SONIC!” after moving them in and dodging them standing under it, Amy happily blocked the entrance of her home from Sonic, who abruptly halted from the fast-paced line being suddenly interrupted in its flow and simply just waved.

“Oh, uh… Hiya, Amy! What’s up? It was really awesome of ya to open your house for us… less fortunate… haha.” He hunched down a little, putting his hands together as he smiled weakly up at her. His home was not ‘properly built’ for anything ‘cold’. So Amy’s ‘Snow Party’ was very much welcomed when she mentioned it would be hosted in her warm abode.

Amy giggled, thrilled to introduce him to a traditional Christmas gag, but waited for him to step under it.

“Umm…” he rubbed his arm, then shifted his eyes to the right. “M-may I come in?” He was freezing, and asking felt a little weird but Amy wouldn’t budge…

She blinked her eyes, expecting him to move closer. “Sure.” But she didn’t move.

He rose an eyebrow, before looking behind him and seeing the snows swirl with such power, the wind blasting them in its wake, and clearly, a horror-scene was waiting to happen…

A Sonic Snowman was about to be formed…

He gulped and looked back to Amy, “Hey! I’ll freeze to death out here!” He finally stated, trying to move past her but she blocked his way time and again.

“O-oh, I’ll just step backwards then..” She tried to not make it obvious… but stepped precisely behind the mistletoe.

“Phew, finally…” Sonic got one foot to the rim of the door’s bottom frame when Amy cried out in glee.

“You’re under the mistletoe!”

“The what?” Sonic felt his legs start buckling up from the cold, his back shivering, and finally… his ears growing numb along with his cheeks.

The gang inside, happy and warm, were taking off some layers of clothes before gasping and looking back at the door.

“You say you found the missing toe?” Sticks, completely intrigued, peered over from the couch.

“No, not a toe!” Amy looked disgusted by her misinterpretation, before pushing Sonic gently back out the door. “If a boy and a girl are under the mistletoe during a white snow day… that means… well, especially on Christmas anyway… actually, it’s a tradition that all started with-“

As Amy dragged on, explaining, Sticks started snoring, becoming absolutely uninvolved now that the topic was less to her liking. Sonic began to see ice forming on his nose, his teeth clattering as he held himself, his lips becoming blue.

“I really need to come in, can you tell me about it later?” He had no idea what she was talking about, nor why she was so passionate about it. But right now, his mind was in survival mode.

He needed to get in now!

“O-oh, right. So that means you have to-!” She lifted her arm and closed her eyes for a split second, and with that moment, Sonic dashed to the fire and skid on his frozen knees, swiping off his scarf and basking in its glow.

“WARM ME!” he cried out, demanding the fire to obey him as he bent his back all the way back and sighed out a long-winded breath at the immediate warmth he received.

“Ahhh… that’s it. Thank you.” He then turned to see Amy’s eye twitching.

She slammed the door shut. “You can’t get out of a Christmas tradition!” she complained.

“But I was dying! I still can’t really feel my lips!” Sonic pointed to them, before moving to the fire and rubbing them, making a silly sound with them.

“Ugh, I could have helped with that…” Amy groaned to herself, leaning on the door and folding her arms, pouting.

Her plan had failed… not surprisingly… but maybe she could get him before he left…

Suddenly, the snow was flooding the house through the cracks from the door frame and around the home, as a terrible heat wave was creating countless tornados and hurricanes!

After some Christmas fun, the team was ripe and ready to rumble but had to take off their extra layers, sweating from the new heat.

“I can’t believe… he’d ruin the island’s first real snow day.” Tails complained, wiping his forehead and taking off his heavy jacket.

“That fiend..! He’s killed Larry!” Knuckles mourned the loss of his crudely made snow-castle, having given it a smile, a carrot nose, and two bead eyes that stared into your soul.

It began to melt away… as he leaped towards him and carried to giant handfuls into Amy’s home, stuffing them in the freezer. “I won’t abandon you, Larry! Not now! Not ever!”

“My home!” Amy cried out, “Why is it you guys always trash it!?” She placed her hands on the sides of her cheek, before seeing a massive wave carry through her home, knocking her friends and her down.

But worst of all…

“The mistletoe!”

She rose up to see the stream of warm water carrying her precious tradition down to town.

She raced frantically after it, as Sonic was climbing dead trees to stay out of the water.

“Ah! Amy!” He saw her getting caught in the stream and glared at Eggman. “Hey! The snow isn’t all that bad, Egghead! Why’d you have to ruin everything!?”

Eggman sat with a long-bathing suit from older times and sipped some tropical drink with an umbrella in his Eggpod, soaking up the sun.

“Ah~ Nothing like a good tan, some sauna steam, and an annoying hedgehog complaining in your ear~”

“Grr…”

After taking down the machine, the team desperately looked for Amy, who had also taken out some water robots Eggman had sent to the village.

When she counteracted the tornado with her own hammer spinning, the other wind currents turned cold once more, and no more formed after that…

She reached desperately up to a roof for her mistletoe, having followed it with absolute faithfulness, but felt her foot slip on some melting ice and start falling.

“AHH!!!”

“Got’cha!” Sonic raced up and grabbed her, smiling cheekily, “Miss me?”

“My mistletoe!”

“What’s so special about that herb, anyway?”

“Ohhh! If you would have let me finish! It means we have to-!”

She reached out for it, before pulling back and frowning at him, but the plant toppled off from the winds and smacked Sonic right on the lips.

“ACK!” He hacked and spat it down to hit Amy’s lips, where she took it off and held it out.

“Tastes terrible!” he coughed, but Amy blushed, realizing…

She shifted her eyes to Sonic and blushed more as she held the mistletoe up. “Does this make one more?”

“One more what?”

Before she could, Sonic turned his head to the others calling, and Amy aborted the mission when she noticed he didn’t see her attempt at a kiss.

She hid the mistletoe after that… played in the newly falling snow, and enjoyed the rest of the day.

She even let him go without complaint.

But apparently,… Eggman heard Sonic complaining about the plant and mentioned what it meant, and then snickered at thinking they may have kissed.

Sonic, embarrassed by the truth of Amy’s schemes, tried to avoid any plant that hung over his head for a full month! Still not really understanding what it truly meant…

(I’m not sure if the real show would mention ‘Christmas’ but if not- ‘snow day’ works too xD)

#sonamy #boom sonamy #sonamy boom #sonic boom #sonic christmas #sonic the hedgehog #sonic #amy rose #cutegirlmayra #sonic boom prompt #sonamy prompt

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high5nerd · 5 years

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Alone Together---Chap. Eleven

Forgot to mention, this fanfic was abandoned.

Fall slowly turned into winter. The leaves shriveled and fell to the crisp ground in haste by the wind, and the winds themselves grew colder and bit at exposed skin as the month slowly slugged by to December. Frost was already starting to coat the windows of Alice's house and her clunky car, and occasionally snow fell only to melt away hours later. I used to like the cold before meeting Jack Frost, but afterwards I can't stand the sight of it. Not even the idea of people slipping on black ice could make me snicker anymore, especially with what happened at the North Pole.

Sadie already got enough snow outside to form into a light snowball and put it in the freezer for safekeeping, even if it was only the start of the season. When we returned from the North Pole, it took her days to realize I was mad at her. She seemed to only care that I stayed in the house and that she knew my presence was closeby if she needed to talk to someone, even if they never responded and just stared out the window like I did.

Alice was the first one to notice my withdrawal. It was late at night, a day after our return. She was just passing by from putting Sadie to bed when she saw me sitting in the armchair, head craned up to look at the stars. I have to admit, they're much brighter and prettier in the wintertime.

She came over and whispered, "Do you get the winter blues?"

"Hm? Oh, no. Winter's my quiet season. That's all." I looked at her, not bothering to smile.

She noticed that immediately. She pulled up a footrest for the couch and put her hand on my knee. I didn't like that. Warmth was already flowing from her hand to my knee and somehow it struck sparks in my heart. This sort of chemistry of a human body should downright just be called witchcraft.

"What happened? I saw you go off with North and you came back looking very furious. You haven't spoken to Sadie since we got back."

Her honeyed voice wasn't making me feel any better. It was just making me feel worse. I couldn't even hold her, touch her, let alone smile at her. It's all forbidden...and North's words still rang through my head like the bells that ring before an execution, harmonized by the flutter of raven's wings.

"Nothing happened, Alice."

"You're lying."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are. I see it in your eyes."

That struck another nerve. A big one. I snarled and stood up abruptly, my hands clenched into fists so tightly they turned white at the knuckles. Alice looked surprised at the reaction, and I could tell she thought she did something for that.

"Why does everyone tell me that? Am I a fucking open book? Am I just so damn readable that anyone could easily tell I'm bothered that a child promised to keep a secret yet told someone else despite that promise?! Am I just...so desperate for someone to notice my presence in the world I actually thought entrusting my first believer with a secret would be a smart move?! North was right along with Misery and-and everyone else! I'm a fucking monster that only scares people for-for-!"

"...Pitch…"

"What?!" I looked up at her. My face felt hot. And wet. Why did it feel wet? I swear I didn't mean to shout at her like that...Whoa...I've never exploded like that before. Usually I'm very calm and collected no matter how angry I was but...where this all came from I do not know.

"You're crying." Alice took a step towards me, concern etching her face and making her supple lips turn into a worried frown.

I growled and turned my back on her, wiping my face hurriedly with the heels of my palms. There's no way in Hell I'm letting Alice see me like this. I have to remain dignified, resilient, smooth...Boogeyman-like. I'm no longer a part of humanity, I can't be vulnerable. I can't...I can't…

I felt hands on my shoulder, and then one sliding upward to bring my face down. I kept my eyes closed, not wanting to look at her. I hated this. I hated looking vulnerable. I just wanted to run. Run away and not look back. Run into the forest and never come back until daybreak, or at least when she's forgotten this. But I'm frozen stiff, stuck, while her hands cupped my face.

"Look at me, Pitch." she whispered gently.

"No."

"Why?"

"I shouldn't have said those things."

She was silent for a while. I could hear her breathing. I felt...sadness in the air. I could sense it. It didn't feel colder, just...it sent chills up my spine. Like when someone hurts your feelings or you see someone you love walk away from you forever.

"Then listen to my words, and believe me completely."

I only remained still, and refused to open my eyes in case they were red or threatened to spill more. Her hands stayed on my face, but I felt one go up and brush my hair, tracing it to my temple. God, how I longed for her touch…

"You are not a monster. No matter what others say about you, don't believe them. Believe those who care about you, like Sadie and...and me. I...I wouldn't have gotten better without you. Though you spread fear as your job...you helped me face it and...come to love it. Accept it as a part of life. You brought Sadie and I closer as sisters instead of survivors, and you're the only person in the world I would trust...no matter what."

With that I opened my eyes, and saw that she had tears as well. But just like I did, she hid her face from me, by hugging me tightly and burying her face into my shoulder. Again, I was frozen. I'm still not good at this, despite dreams of holding her and making her happy.

"When I was little...people called me a monster, too. They called me that because I believed in magic, along with magical beings like mermaids and fairies. People would bully me into silence to the point I just wanted nothing more than fade away from reality...I know that feeling, Pitch. I'm all too familiar with it, and it makes my heart break knowing you go through it as well. It breaks my heart that someone I care about...someone I care about a lot is hurting so bad."

...What was I supposed to say to that? I can't just stay silent to that confession...but no words of consolation or respect, or even gratitude for her kindness came to mind.

So the only thing I could think of doing was enveloping her in an embrace. She melted into me, still hiding her face from that, and I guess she was embarrassed about admitting something so dark.

"Well….does it make you feel any better knowing you were right all along?" I asked in the stillness.

Damn. Was that really all I could say? I'm terrible.

She looked up at that, confusion written in her dark chocolate eyes. "Huh?"

I smiled at that and took her hand, beckoning her to follow me into the cold air outside. She was able to grab a knitted hat before the back door was swung open by yours truly. I never let go of her hand as I guided her towards the forest, right at the edge where the woods met the backyard. The stars glimmered in the sky brighter than any day so far, not a cloud in sight either. The moon was full, like a glowing moonstone one would find in a stream.

"What are you showing me?" she asked, her breath steaming in the crisp air.

"Watch the forest." I said, guiding her neck gently to turn forward and watch with a trained eye.

A few minutes passed where nothing happened, and I could tell Alice was getting colder by the second. She started shivering, rubbing her hands together before rubbing the sides of her thighs for friction. I smiled and wrapped my arms around her from behind, resting my chin on the top of her head. I didn't need to look to know she was smiling. I felt it by the warmth her body gave off despite being cold.

Sure enough, twinkling lights floated out of knots in the trees, up from the leaves and down close to the ground. Mostly ranging in glowing colors of white and yellow hues with some green, they danced around in the air, following the call of the wind. Faintly, one could hear their tiny music play, a chorus of singing and panflutes and instruments that resembled the sound of a music box.

I heard Alice draw in a breath of utter awe, and I couldn't help but smile in victory. I knew that would please her.

"They're...Oh my God." were the only words that were whispered from her mouth.

Closer and closer they danced in the air, being carried by the wind and upwards above our heads. By this time Alice could see that they donned silkworm clothing and were as tiny as her pinkie finger. Their gossamer, dragonfly wings fluttered along with their dance in a rhythmic pattern to the tune of their music, and some noticed us below, but barely enough to cause a disruption in their dance.

By the time half of them were above in the air and reaching the other side of forestry across the backyard, we were bathed in their light. It was a dim glow, easy on the eyes for an evening that was meant to get ready for bed. The moon's glow made it seem more majestic, probably than I have ever imagined.

I felt eyes on me, and I couldn't help but think they were the eyes of the fairies that glided upwards into the sky, finally noticing our presence. Fairies were usually calm beings, though preferred to be hidden from human sight, as well as any other animal that was larger than them. They were timid yet peaceful, never biting people's ears or tricking unfortunate wanderers like pixies and sprites do. If they noticed us they would not be bothered since we weren't bothering them. Just observing.

But then I felt those same warm hands from before take my shoulders, causing me to look down at Alice if she needed to go back inside.

But then I saw her face come closer, and closer...and closer...really quickly.

Before I knew it, her lips were pressed to mine.

My neck stiffened…

This. This happened. It wasn't I who kissed her first. It was her. My eyes never closed, I was too deep in shock. My mind was blank, or maybe I can't remember what I was thinking when she kissed me.

She finally pulled back, blushing brightly and busy fidgeting with her winter hat to look at me.

"S-sorry. I-I just thought, uh-w-well, I um-" she stammered.

...She likes me. I really matter to her that much. She kissed me….God Above she kissed me.

Shut up and let me kiss you.

And I did just that. Her stumbling words were ceased once I kissed her back bravely, now feeling a giant weight lift off my chest. I no longer had a burden to wear...or at least this one. Many burdens will weigh on me, but this one can be relieved for good. Her lips gently pressed back, causing me to hum happily and embrace her tightly, and her arms wrapped around my neck.

Screw the spirit rules. Screw the Forbidden Bond...Alice was mine, and mine alone. I'll love her like no man would ever love her, make her feel whole and happy til her final breath. Or at least...make her happy for now until she moves on.

She finally pulled away, smiling a bit, as if she knew something that I didn't. After shaking myself out of my stupor I gave her a quizzical look.

"What?"

"You know how long I've known you liked me?" when she got the embarrassed blush of mine she continued with a wild grin, "since the day you told me that dream you had."

"Oh, come on, are you serious?" I rolled my eyes and dropping her.

She laughed brightly as she followed me back towards the house, causing me to grin widely as well. It's no longer a problem of mine now that I knew how she felt in return.

"You were staring right at me when you said it! How was that not a clue?" she snickered, jogging up next to me to lace hands with mine.

"I was engaging us in a conversation! You're supposed to look at who you're talking to." I protested.

"Oh please, you totally were giving me baby eyes."

"Baby eyes?"

"Those big eyes you make when you want something?"

"Damn, you know me well. Am I cute like that?"

She giggled before jumping to her tip-toes and kissed my cheek, grinning wildly, "Very cute."

So take that and stick it up your ass, North. I don't give a damn about the Forbidden Bond, nor does Alice.

#pitch black #pitch black x oc #rise of the guardians #rise of the guardian fanfics #rotg fandom #rotg fanfiction #rotg fanfic #fanfiction #fanfics

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chelsbrownwx-blog · 6 years

Text

To cold!

Me being from the south I cannot start to imagine what negative 40 even feels like. The coldest temperature that I have witnessed is -1°, and I would prefer not to feel it again. I took to Google to see if anyone had shared some of their experiences with these bone chilling temperatures. One woman stated to be outside there of course had to be many layers of clothing, and if you worked outside you needed special custom clothing that could cost in the thousands of dollars. You cannot spend any time outside even a minute without these essential layers. Frostbite can set up quickly causing serious or permanent damage. The NWS is also advising not to take deep breaths. In these temperatures the air doesn’t warm by the time it gets to your lungs. This leaves your lungs feeling a sensation of getting stabbed by little icicles. Breathing in this cold air also caused reflexively coughing. I understand what that means to cough because of the cold. I work at a grocery store, so sometimes I must go into the big freezer in the back. If I ever take a deep breath while I am back there I will start to cough. This cold of temperatures is truly life threatening and should always be taken with the right precautions.

The polar vortex is what brought the life-threatening temperatures to many states across the northern half of our country. What is the polar vortex though? The polar vortex is an upper level low pressure system that constantly sits over the poles. It is constantly there; during the winter it is stronger. Many times, in the winter the polar vortex will expand sending cold air south towards the jet stream. This led to record breaking and near record breaking temperatures and time frames across the north. Chicago made headlines because their temperature fell below zero and stayed there for 52 hours; that is in their top 5 longest times to stay that cold. Cotton, Minnesota came close once again to breaking their record; they reached -55.9 during the span of frigid days. Good news! The polar vortex has receded, and temperatures are starting to warm.

Winds right now in the region of Roosevelt, MN are more easterly. That doesn’t last too long by Sunday morning the winds are back out of the north pulling in more of the artic air. Temperatures today will probably be the warmest they see in while. Temperatures climbed to a whopping 17 degrees. These warm temperatures were brought by a warm front that is lifting to the north as temperatures will start to fall back down. Going into the next few days temperatures barley get above zero because it is pulling more of that frigid air southward. Average temperatures for this area are highs of 17 degrees and lows of -5 degrees. They are close to average temperatures for tomorrow, but a low-pressure system that is pushing in from the southwest will drop the temperatures significantly and bring snow chances along with it. Going into the beginning of next week low temperatures around the negative teens. And highs just above zero.

Not only will Roosevelt be seeing cold temperatures but also precipitation, and when temperatures are that cold its snow or ice. A low-pressure system that is still along the coast of California is what is bringing the next snow maker to the region. This system has already sparked winter storm watches across the area. This watch extends from Feb 3rd at 6 PM to Feb 4th at 6PM. Not only will it be snowy it will be windy as well, so that adds to the risks of the system. As the system nears the boundary layer saturation is becoming more impressive. This could cause snow to start by tomorrow afternoon. There is also a big of upper level divergence which is lead to more synoptic lift in this area. This will enhance the winter weather.

Looking at the soundings and how they take shape over the next day, we can see warm temperatures for tomorrow quickly dropping once it shifts past sunset. At lunchtime tomorrow, it is drier and warmer in the mid-levels. By 5 PM the moisture has settled in and temperatures are starting to drop. By midnight the moisture is there and there is only a little bit outside of the snow growth region. If you were to look at the profile, I would say the snow ratio would be in the upper 20s:1. The winds are what kill it though. There are strong winds at the surface, strong enough where I would say the snow ratio at this time is now 10:1. Now at 5 AM Monday morning the entire profile is below -10; the bottom half is below -17. It only warms to -17 right at the surface. So, at this point I would think that dendritic crystal are not being made at this point. The air continues to cool throughout the day Monday. By 5PM the entire profile is below -18 except one spot where it climbs to -17. So, the ratio at this point with the temperatures and still factoring in the winds I would say 6-8:1. The atmosphere starts to dry out overnight into Tuesday as temperature are constantly cooling off.

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disrepairhouse · 6 years

Text

Chapter 3 - Interruptions

“Okay, we just need to pick up a few necessary appliances for now and we can do a more in-depth shopping trip later. When it isn’t so late. As it is, our options for shopping centers are narrowed considerably by what stores are still open after five. It seems, at least so far as I can tell from the local shops, a fair number of shops close around four or five,” RK explained, helping Itara out of the large truck after they dropped it off. “It’s a considerable walk to the majority of the shops from here so it’s likely best for me to carry you until we arrive.”

Itara looked up towards the sky once she was back on the ground, attempting to study the falling snow, only for a sneeze that nearly sent her toppling back into the grey slush to interrupt her thoughts. Hissing in annoyance, she nodded to RK, following him into the small building to hand the truck’s keys back before they headed off. “The sooner we get this done, the better. What’s on the list to get tonight?”

“Just going off what we had in the previous base, I think a refrigerator, freezer, oven, and couch should be our priorities for the night. From what I’ve seen of most websites regarding larger appliances and furniture, there are options to get ‘next day deliveries’, so we should be able to get them in and installed by tomorrow at some point. Then we should probably do some grocery shopping once that’s done. We can pick up some non-perishable foods on our way back home tonight but we should obviously leave anything that can spoil for after we have a fridge.” Itara nodded, eying the truck as they passed by it again on their way out of the rental center.

Once outside the gates, RK pulled Itara up onto his back, mapped out the quickest way to the antique shop, and took off at a light run. He wasn't the fastest, not even amongst the robots when he had Metal Sonic to contend against, but he was still considerably faster than most and especially so for Itara. He still ranked after Sonic, Metal Sonic, and Shadow, but he was faster than his mobian namesake. Either way, a run to the antique shop, which was technically further than it was from their old base, was still faster than going by car.

There was, however, a lot more icy wind to contend with.

By the time RK started coming to a slow, Itara's ears were tightly pierced against the back of her head and her nose was twitching from the cold. The sudden warmth of the old shop was so comforting she let out an audible sigh of relief and nearly jumped when a voice spoke up. "Cold out there, isn't it?"

"It would seem so," RK responded, letting the little girl down off his back and looking over her to make sure the cold hadn't been too much, "maybe we should get you a thicker coat."

"I-I'm f-fine," Itara stammered, shivering and reaching up to rub her nose while an old, hunched over fox made his way across the room. He crouched down to meet her eyes and gave her a quick pat on the head, smiling warmly.

"I've got the heater set up near the counter, why don't you go warm up?" She opened her mouth to argue, but reconsidered and nodded, instead. Hugging Kipper to her, who had gone into full doll mode, she made her way across the room while the fox stood up to talk with RK. "How's everything going? You two doing alright?" There was an extra note of concern behind his voice that RK almost missed, glancing towards Itara before nodding.

"I think she's doing better, yes. She doesn't talk about it much, and still insists it doesn't bother her, but she was able to go back to school finally. They're on winter break at the moment but they go back in a couple days." He followed the old fox, who was nodding along, back towards the counter, glancing through the shop as they walked, "we actually just moved to a new neighborhood, I thought it best to start shopping for furniture and... figured we could start here."

"Oh, is that so? Must be difficult moving during the winter. I'm glad to see you again, though. I'd been wondering how things had been going since your last visit." He glanced around the shop a bit as he moved back behind the counter to return to his stool, "well, just let me know if you find anything you like and I can get it set up to ship for you." RK nodded and looked over Itara, who was curled up in front of the heater, and then started walking through the floor to see what might fit in their new house.

The shop was decently sized, nothing massive but enough to fit a considerable amount of furniture in addition to the shelves of ancient toys, figures, and decorations. While RK looked around, Ned turned his attention back to the little girl huddled by the heater, catching sight of the familiar doll wrapped up in her arms. "How's Kipper doing, there?"

She looked over her shoulder towards him, looking down at the doll, and thinking about her response. Should she explain what Kipper actually was? Before she could decide either way, however, Kipper made the decision for her and piped up, "pretty great, all things considered. Could use more souls, though."

Ned nearly toppled over from his chair when the doll turned and stared at him, the gem on its head glowing lightly and a wide grin spreading across its plush face. RK sighed from across the room and Itara reached up to bap the doll on the head, turning back to the shocked fox and apologizing. "Kipper is kind of a brat, but I'm glad to have him around... most the time," she explained, standing up and straightening her clothes out to walk over to the counter, "I guess I should explain why he can talk, though." She waited for a response, but getting none, continued, "He's... actually kind of a... ghost? Possessing a doll. He used to go by Tails Doll but he's Kipper now. He didn't have any power before, which is why he stayed still for so long, but... he has some now."

"And now that he can talk, I wish he would go back to being powerless," RK grumbled.

The room remained silent as the three let the old fox process the information, the shocked expression taking several minutes before it finally left his face, being replaced by confusion and eventually settling on deep consideration. Itara frowned slightly, a bit worried that they might have scared him too much and he wouldn't want to talk to them anymore, and apologized again, but much to both hers and RK's relief, he waved her apologies away.

"No, no, it's okay," Ned began, speaking slowly, still trying to process the information. He studied the doll closely, rubbing his chin, and speaking again, "well, I can't say I'm not a bit surprised, but... well, I guess that explains why he took so long to sell. I knew there was something about that doll but I never imagined that's what it was. Though I am a bit concerned as to where he got that power." He eyed the doll with suspicion while Itara looked away in thought. That, she decided, was actually too much to explain to the old shopkeeper. A talking doll was one thing, multiple timelines and the destruction of humanity and her Sun God father was something else entirely.

"We just... found a source of easy power for him," she stammered, frowning and continuing to avert her gaze. Ned studied the doll a few minutes longer, but shook his head and resituated himself back on his chair.

"Well, I guess he found the right family to join, then. I'm glad he's got a place."

Itara looked up at him, confused, exchanging glances with Kipper. It was a strange thought, that they could be considered a family, she wasn't sure if that's what they were. But she didn't want to argue the point so she only nodded and moved back towards the heater. She didn't like excessive heat, but she wasn't overly fond of the freezing cold, either. Right up against the heater was exactly the temperature she enjoyed most. It wasn't the same warmth as her dad, but it was close enough for a small, metal contraption.

She huddled there in silence for several minutes, slowly nodding off but jolting right back up when she felt her head dip. Ned watched her with amusement, making sure she didn’t bump into the heater, itself, while Kipper debated whether or not to scare her awake again.

“Itara, why don’t you come help me pick out a couch?”

RK walked back over to her, watching her eyes droop before she jolted back up to look up at him. She had to blink a couple times and shake her head to understand what he’d even asked. Once she did, he continued, “There are a couple over there I think will fit the house well enough so I want your input on which one we should pick.” She looked up from the heater, resisting the urge to whine about having to move away from it, but stood up and walked over. “Go ahead and pick the one you want. I have no judge for what’s considered ‘comfortable’ or not so you’re going to have to decide on what we get.”

Now that he was thinking about it, what was Lynda saying about interior design, as well? Studying the different colors and styles and even fabrics of the couches available, he wondered if they should be trying to balance appearances or not. Did it matter? Would it be suspicious if they didn’t at least consider a theme? Maybe he would look into it. The convenience of having the internet available at any given moment right in his head.

Watching Itara taking off towards the show floor, he switched into a windowed mode, keeping his optical sensors active but opening a secondary window to look into the concepts of ‘interior design’ and what exactly it called for. Apparently there was a considerable amount of information available about it so he simply started with the first article, scanned through, downloaded some images, and continued on to the next. It seemed to be a rather complex situation, regarding colors, styles, eras, materials, personal preferences, the list went on. But as RK was considering how important it even was, his optical sensor informed him of an approaching body and he switched back into visual mode to face the old fox, who had joined him once again.

“Looks like she found a comfy one,” he grinned, nodding his head towards the couches. RK followed his sight and found Itara fast asleep on a light blue love seat, curled up into a tiny ball against the cushions. Shaking his head, walked over to gather the little girl up, trying not to wake her. “Must have been a long day of moving, hm?”

Shifting her to one arm, he walked back over to Ned and nodded, “she’s… got a cold, as well, so I believe it’s tired her out more than expected.” He would have to find the stove and fridge on his own, but he doubted he would have time to run Itara back home and return again, so he would just have to carry her. He would have preferred to have her on his back so his arms were free, should he need them, but he could manage.

Ned nodded, “that time of year. Just make sure she stays plenty bundled up and drinks a lot of water.” He walked over to grab the tab off the couch so he would know which one they wanted, and then followed the two back to the counter to get it all rung up. “You take care of her on your own, don’t you?”

“Uh… yeah, for the most part. Kipper is usually just there to cause trouble.”

“It’s what I do best,” the doll grinned, moving up from the little girl’s grip to RK’s shoulder, getting a side-eyed glance from the shop owner. “I only help when it’s fun for me.” RK shook his head, looking around and deciding to add a couple smaller decorations to the couch, not wanting the house to look quite so barren. Ned then offered to have what they’d picked out shipped over for them and gave a couple recommendations to find what else they might need for cheaper.

"Alright, we should probably finish up and head home, then," RK explained, shifting Itara onto his back without waking her, motioning for Kipper to keep her secure. Ned nodded, hammering out the final details so what they chose would be delivered to the right place. "Thanks for the help again."

"Oh, no problem, no problem at all," the old fox grinned, "like I said before, you two come on by here whenever you want, alright? I'm happy to see you and I'm glad to see the little one is recovering well enough from the... incident."

RK nodded, glancing back at the sleeping girl, "and thanks again for getting those delivered for us."

"No worries, that just comes with running a shop."

Once everything was taken care of and Kipper had moved back between Itara and RK, he bade the old fox 'goodbye' and headed out of the shop. Luckily, with Ned’s suggestions, the rest of the shopping could be taken care of in one stop. It wouldn't take long and then he could get Itara home and in bed.

Walking back down the street, he gazed up towards the blackened sky, noting the continuous drift of snow coming down and checked the temperature to see if Itara would be alright until they got back home. She at least had a thick jacket and scarf, but he figured he should likely hurry, nonetheless. The next stop was a five minute run at his full speed, but would the wind speed bother Itara? He would save time by running, but the cold air would likely worsen her cold. The natural wind was cold enough, as it was. Nodding to himself, he started off at a brisk walk.

Before he could get far, however, a sudden commotion from further down the street stopped him in his tracks and put him on high alert. The first things he heard were the screams, though he hardly had enough time to wonder about the cause before an earth-shattering explosion and the loud screech of oversized robotics echoed across the previously quiet night sky. In the dark of the night, the orange glow of the sparking fire could be seen from a considerable distance and, while most the population around them went running, screaming, from the towering scrapheap rolling through the street, RK only stared in brief annoyance. Of course Robotnik would be attacking here and now, of all times. It seemed the rest of the shopping would have to wait, after all.

As he turned to leave, and take another route home to avoid any collateral damage that would likely come from the attack, he caught sight of another tall, red robot standing several feet away, surveying the larger robot. It wasn’t one RK recognized, in fact, the entirety of its design was foreign to him. Even with as many upgrades as he and Metal Sonic had gone through, they were still noticeably robotic and, specifically mobian in design. As far as he knew, he and Metal were Robotnik’s most advanced creations… and the doctor had never roboticized a human before. Yet, the general outline, and especially the face, of the robot were exceptionally human. Its mechanical parts were bright red and white, with some kind of softer, black covering over the exposed limbs. Long, yellow hair fell back in a ponytail under what appeared to be a red and white helmet and sharp, blue eyes seemed to be carefully and closely studying everything around it.

RK didn’t recognize him at all. Yet, surely only Robotnik was capable of something so distinctive.

But, more importantly, why was he there? Normally Robotnik liked to be more directly involved with his attacks. If he wasn’t in the machine, itself, he wasn’t far behind or above it. So far as RK could see, the doctor was nowhere to be seen, or more importantly, heard. It was only the large, attacking bot, and the oddly human looking one, on either side of the street. He would have to go past one or the other to leave and he had a short panic that maybe that was the intent. But surely, if Robotnik had found him again, he would be there in person to gloat or ostracize. In addition, the humanoid robot didn’t even seem to see him. It was looking at the attacking bot. Studying it with narrowed eyes.

It wasn’t until a long, glowing blue sword appeared in the robot’s hand that RK considered he might, somehow, not be related to Robotnik. The larger bot was unmistakably his, even without the usual giant logo of his face; he wouldn’t send two different robots to fight in the middle of a shopping center. There were training arenas for that.

“RK?”

Looking away from the others, RK looked down to see a half-asleep Itara staring up at him in confusion. Glancing towards the fight that was taking place, he looked back at her and explained, “don’t worry about it, go back to sleep. We’re on our way home.”

She stared at him warily for only a moment, but her dropping eyelids gave way to light snores again before long. Unfortunately, the sleep didn’t last long as the crackling of metallic and further explosions from the larger bot jolted the hedgehog right back awake. “W-what’s going on?!”

RK had no time to answer, however, as he had to dart away from the main street to avoid the line of sight of a blue streak zipping right by them. Motioning towards Itara to hang on and be quiet, he ducked around a far awning, watching cautiously as the blue streak stopped just in front of the larger, rampaging machine that was swatting around at its previous opponent.

“Good timing, I was just getting bored, Egghead! …Hey, who are you?”

“RK, w-we need to leave… immediately,” Itara hissed quietly behind him, keeping a tight hold around his neck as her legs wrapped around his torso.

“Aw, but it’s just getting good,” Kipper grinned, watching the fight with wide, crazed eyes. Both RK and Itara ignored him.

“Yeah, I know. I’m just making sure the others aren’t near before we take off,” RK explained, scanning the area while keeping out of range of the battle down the street. Gravel, metal chunks, sparks and… Sonic’s usual smarmy remarks were flying but when RK finally deemed it safe to move, he started around the edges of the square towards a far street. It was the direction Sonic had come from, but it was the opposite direction of the fight that still lead to a path back home.

“What did I miss?” Itara questioned once they were further away, the battle becoming noise in the background.

“Well, firstly, you fell asleep on one of the couches while we were shopping, but while I was on the way to the next destination, the larger bot attacked. It’s an older model of Robotnik’s, so far as I can tell, mostly designed for defense so I’m not sure why he would send it out to attack like that. However, there was another robot that seemed to be surveying the attack. I don’t know who or what they are, it wasn’t a design I recognized. It started attacking the defense bot just before Sonic arrived.”

“A new robot? That’s… troublesome,” Itara frowned, looking out at the snow again, shivering lightly and snuggling down further into her jacket, as much as she could from RK’s back. “What did it look like?”

“I’ll give you more details when we get home, for now I think it’s important we just get home. I’m going to run the rest of the way, will you be okay back there?”

“I’ll be fine.” RK nodded, getting another quick look around, before taking off in a quick sprint, going into a full run once they got past the limits of the city.

“RK! Have you seen Kipper?!”

RK narrowed an eye towards the stairs as Itara’s steps echoed down to him, putting the tool in his hand down to turn fully towards her once she reached him, putting his hands on his hips, instead, “no, you can’t find him?”

“No,” she frowned, taking a quick glance around the lab before frowning up at him again, “I haven’t seen him since we got back last night.”

Letting out an audible sigh, the tall red robot reached up to rub his temple, “that little nuisance better not be causing trouble. Let me finish up here really quick and I’ll help you look, alright? The couch should be here soon, anyway.”

Itara nodded, stepping back to take a longer look around the expansive, metallic underground lab they’d managed to finally clear out. It wasn’t the largest lab in Robotnik’s arsenal, even Itara knew that, but it was the full length of both the house upstairs, as well as the yard around it. RK had mentioned something about a few inches of empty space between the lab walls and the cement basement walls, though, so it was several inches short, but it hardly made a difference. It was clearly set up only for basic functions for what Robotnik usually had, but it was plenty for their needs. Most of it had been cleared out long ago, but the main computer, four charging stations, and a defense system remained behind for their use. Just enough to make the repairs they needed, Itara figured. Plus a little extra.

With as much space as there was, and how little of it was actually being used, she figured they could start building up a proper, fully-functional base over time. Since they certainly had far more of that than she was used to. The remnants of Metal Sonic were set up in one of the charging stations closest to the computer and RK had already hooked him up to start on repairs again. He’d been working on getting full functionality out of the computer, itself, when she came down and had returned to finishing that while she waited.

Leaning back on her heels to watch him work, she looked up towards the monitor, which was several times larger than her, wondering why lab monitors were always so big. It reminded her of the lab room she often slept in after she met her father, its computer monitor consisted of several large screens connected to a long, curved console. It had been the only working bit of technology she had seen in that future. Her father explained that, because that specific lab was the source of Solaris’ split, it had been kept mostly out of harm’s way during Iblis’ rage. She thought it a bit ironic, sparing the source of your hatred when you destroyed everything else, but she hadn’t questioned it. She never questioned anything her dad told her.

While she was examining the room, a small flicker of an image appeared on the large screen in front of her, though disappeared before she could discern what it was. Tilting her head curiously to the side, she edged closer to the screen, being careful to stay out of RK’s way, but wanting to test to see if it was even on. She thought it had been off. Leaning over the keyboard to try and reach the power button, she ran her fingers carefully over the side of the tall, thin screen, looking for any sign of a button. She didn’t even know if she could reach it, the monitor was so tall. Before long, however, her fingers brushed over a bump and, leaning up on her toes, she pressed it in, hoping it was the power button.

With a quick flash of deep red and a cut to black, a giant terrifying, fang-filled face filled the screen, followed by a harsh, loud static and a low rumbling. Swirling, deep black eyes stared out with a crazed look while long, thin, orange arms lifted to reveal massive, red-stained claws reaching out as if to escape the screen it appeared on.

Itara jolted back with a screech, the commotion catching RK’s attention, looking to Itara first before looking up at the monitor. A sharp glare fell into irritation as the doll on screen burst into a fit of laughter, its eyes and fangs returning to normal size while it put its hands back down again.

“Kipper, where have you been?” the unamused robot questioned, going back to his work while Itara huffed in annoyance, pulling herself back to her feet.

“Oh, you know, around,” the doll grinned, looking around the screen before it flickered off again. A sharp crackle of static filled the room before the doll materialized from the screen, floating just above the desk, laughing, “You should have seen the look on your faces-”

“Kipper, th-th-that w-wasn’t funny!” Itara snapped, reaching over to grab the doll, wrapping him up in her arms again, glaring angrily down at him. “Where have you been?”

“Sh-sh-sh-sure it was,” the doll mocked, laughing again, getting a hateful glare from the little girl holding him and a side-eyed glance from the robot half under the table. “I told you, I was just around. Thought I’d get a good look at our new neighborhood… and neighbors.” A toothy grin spread across his face again, Itara sighing and shaking her head at him as she turned back towards the stairs.

“Well, I hope you got a good look around… and didn’t cause too much trouble. RK, we’ll be upstairs,” Itara called, heading back up to the main house once she got a nod from RK. Someone needed to be upstairs to wait for the deliveries, after all, and the longer he had to repair and upgrade the computer, the better.

Though it was Lynda who showed up again before the fridge or couch, and Itara had no idea how to deal with her. It took her a moment to convince Kipper to go back into doll mode, but once she did, she was glad she managed.

“Hello there, little one,” the human woman smiled once Itara answered the door, “how goes the move?” She glanced past the door into the still barren living room, making Itara glad they’d already moved Metal Sonic downstairs. “Is your daddy free?”

Itara still wasn’t sure how much she wanted to explain this to the people in the neighborhood. It bothered her, yet again, that she couldn’t check the future to find out. On the one hand, it was none of this lady’s business, Itara had the distinct feeling she was the kind of person who would take an inch and run a mile. But at the same time, even if RK was mobian and not a robot, they weren’t even the same species and she had a feeling Lynda was going to ask about that eventually, so maybe it was best to get some minor explanation out of the way now.

“The move is… progressing,” she started, looking around before settling her eyes on Kipper, “but RK isn’t really… my dad.”

“Oh?”

There. That tone. Itara did not like that tone. It sounded nosy and annoying. But she resisted the urge to say as much as she continued, “my dad is… away, RK is taking care of me in the meantime.”

“Then what is he to you?”

Itara blinked. She’d been running a number of possible answers to that question in her head long before she started the explanation, knowing it would be the most obvious course of conversation. But there was something about having it said out loud. In those exact words. It took her a minute to process them. “He’s my… uncle.” She had explained it differently once before, to the family she only got to know briefly, she had told them that RK rescued her from Robotnik. But for some reason, that didn’t feel like the right explanation now. Perhaps it was because ‘uncle’ wouldn’t have been gotten far before, and using Robotnik explained her disappearance, which she no longer needed. Somehow, for some reason, this neighborhood felt… removed from Robotnik and his shenanigans. Like bringing him up here would shatter some kind of well-contained illusion.

So she went with uncle, instead.

Looking up to study Lynda’s expression, wondering if she was suspicious, she noted a look of amusement on her face, instead. It was an odd reaction, but Itara had little time to think it over, as a large moving van pulled into the small driveway just then.

“Speaking of moving,” she started, “you’ll have to e-excuse us now, it seems we’ve got a bit more work to do.”

“Oh, of course,” the woman agreed, slowly, before giving Itara a quick nod, “well, let your uncle know I dropped by, then, and I’ll let you get what you need done. Come see me any time, alright?” Itara nodded and watched the woman walk away, waving to the movers as she passed them, before looking back when she heard RK’s steps come up behind her. “Lynda dropped by again.”

“I heard.”

He made no further comment about it, however, nor did Itara, and instead he went out to help the movers get the couch moved in. Itara did her best to stay out of their way, since she could offer nothing in the way of help outside of instructing them where she thought it should go. Between the two adults and one robot, the furniture was moved in and the movers were on their way.

“Alright,” RK began, walking out from the kitchen into the living room, “I’m going to see if I can just order the rest online and have it delivered, as well, since I’m sure they’re still repairing the shopping center after last night’s attack.” After a moment of silence, he added, “you go back to school tomorrow, don’t you?”

Itara visibly cringed, having hoped he had forgotten in all the commotion and business of moving. “Yes… I suppose I do,” she muttered, begrudgingly, glaring towards a wall and muttering under her breath, “not that I want to…”

RK rolled his eye and headed towards the lab entrance again, “then make sure you get to sleep early enough tonight, I’ll be downstairs working on the computer. Since it’s a new route and you’ve never ridden a train on your own before, I’ll go with you tomorrow, to make sure you don’t get lost. Luckily, from our new location, there’s a train that takes you within walking distance of the school and a station just on the other side of the neighborhood.”

Itara groaned again, this time far louder, just to declare her disinterest as dramatically as possible, though it went largely ignored by the robotic echidna as he disappeared down into the lab. Huffing, she snuggled down into the new couch again, glaring out at the large window leading out to the street. What a pain. Why did she even have to go to school? She didn’t want to go. Everyone looked at her strangely enough from the get-go, but it had only gotten worse after the fire. She had avoided going back for several weeks after that, but eventually RK thought it best she return and as soon as she did, everyone looked at her strangely. She didn’t want their pity. That wasn’t even her real family, anyway. She didn’t care what happened to a couple of mortals. She had just stayed with them to see if they were useful. She didn’t have any kind of connection to them.

Shaking her head violently to throw the thoughts from them, she looked up in annoyance at the empty space between the couch and the wall and muttered, “We need a TV. I’m missing my shows.”

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juliusgermani · 7 years

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55 Things Your Grandparents Lived Without — Can You?

I once heard a story about a young woman proudly showing off her new kitchen to her grandmother. The kitchen had the latest and greatest of everything—high-end range, refrigerator with water and ice through the door, gentle-glide drawers, and granite countertops.

As the older woman admired the kitchen, her granddaughter asked her, “Grandma, what is the thing you like most about it?”

“Running water,” the grandmother replied.

For me, that story has always reminded me to keep my blessings and challenges in perspective. Many of our grandparents grew up with what we would likely consider privation by today’s standards. Depending upon the ages of you and your grandparents, and on your family’s geography and lifestyle, it’s possible there is a wide gap between that which you take for granted and what your grandparents once lived without.

Assuming your grandparents were born somewhere between the end of the 19th century and the middle of the 20th, here are a few of the things many of us consider to be necessities today that our grandparents probably lived some or all of their lives without.

Personal computers. Actually, most people old enough to be parents today have lived at least part of their lives without home computers.

Laptops. There’s a good chance that anyone born before the year 2000 has not always had one.

Smart phones. We all remember life without smart phones.

Tablets and other modern devices. Most of us remember when the word “device” didn’t have anything to do with communication.

Voice-activated devices. Hey Alexa, how long ago were you invented?

Mobile phones of any kind. Lots of us grew up without one.

The Internet. Our grandparents probably grew up using encyclopedias, if they were lucky.

Google. Most of us remember the teacher telling us to look words up in the dictionary.

Cloud storage. Some of our grandparents might have thought humanity had gone ‘round the bend if someone told them they were storing photos in a cloud.

YouTube. Mindblowing, when you think about it.

Credit cards. The rule of thumb was once that if you didn’t have the money today, you didn’t buy it today.

Debit cards. Our grandparents probably grew up on just cash and checks.

Big houses. Homes are much larger than they once were.

Multiple bathrooms in one home. Your grandparents likely got by with just one bathroom for the whole family to share.

Indoor plumbing. Your grandparents might have even had to use an outdoor privy and lug water for washing.

Electricity. Although urban areas had electricity for most of the last century, it was not available to many rural residents until decades later.

Central heating and air conditioning. Many of our grandparents might consider this a real luxury.

Online shopping. Once upon a time, in a galaxy not all that far away, people had two choices: they bought from the local store, or else they pored over a print catalog and filled out forms with pens and put money in an envelope and waited for weeks for the thing they ordered to arrive. Now, we can lie on the couch in our pajamas and buy just about anything—the world of shopping is literally at the tip of our fingers.

Cheap airfare. Buying an airplane ticket was once a really big deal, mostly reserved for very special occasions or for wealthy people.

Uber rides. Call some stranger and ask them to come pick you up? Sure, strangers helped people out in the good old days. But it wasn’t Uber.

Online financing and mortgages. For most of our grandparents, seeking a loan was a lot harder process than it is today. It included a long paper application, at least one face-to-face interview, and a multiday wait. The last time I took out a mortgage, I entered a few facts and figures on my home computer and got an answer within minutes.

Medical test results available almost immediately. In the old days, people got blood drawn at the hospital and waited for two weeks for the results to arrive in the mail. Nowadays, your doctor often gets the results later the same day.

Huge closets full of clothing, shoes, and accessories. I don’t know how many purses or pairs of shoes my grandmother had, but I bet I have more. Way more.

Dishwashers. Many of us alive today have lived part or all of our lives hand-washing dishes.

Kitchen electrics. Our grandparents might have had a toaster or a stand mixer, but probably didn’t have the wide range of small electrical appliances available to us today, from smoothie machines to stick blenders to juicers to expresso makers to spiralizers.

Automatic icemakers. Filling ice cube trays and setting them in the freezer without spilling them and then busting the ice out of them is hard. Especially if they’re those old-fashioned aluminum kind. Reaching into the freezer and grabbing a few ice cubes that your freezer made and dumped into a container for you is easy.

Overnight mail delivery. Some of our grandparents lived in a time when a letter took several days just to cross a few state lines, and people spent extra on “air mail” when it was urgent. But even air mail didn’t arrive the next day.

Reliable weather forecasts. Meteorology wasn’t as precise as it is today. They didn’t have access to radar and other modern tools, and it was often a guess at best.

Warnings for natural disasters. Scientists and officials still don’t get it right all the time, but warnings for blizzards, tsunamis, and floods are far more efficient than they were in our grandparents’ day.

Comfortable passenger cars. Some of our grandparents could never even have imagined the creature comforts in modern cars. Power windows and mirrors, heated seats, air conditioning, state-of-the-art sound systems, cruise control, lumbar support, navigation systems—wow!

Fast food. The ability to zip in, order, pick up, and zip out with a bag of food in your hand is a relatively modern concept.

Drive-up windows. We can do a lot without getting out of our cars these days. We can buy food, do our banking, pick up prescription meds, grab a few groceries, and in some regions even do convenience-store shopping.

Live-saving vaccinations. A world where diseases like polio, diphtheria, pertussis, influenza, tuberculosis, and smallpox threatened lives and caused irreparable disability existed in many of our grandparents’ lifetimes.

Life-changing medications. From antibiotics to statins to antipsychotic drugs to hormone replacements to synthetic insulin to pain relief to cancer chemotherapy, our grandparents had far fewer choices.

Surgeries and other medical advancements. Our grandparents might not have had the option of knee- or hip-replacement, or prosthetic limbs, or cataract surgery, or even cutting-edge diagnostic procedures like MRIs and mammograms.

Food imported from all over the globe. Our grandparents probably couldn’t walk into the produce section and choose from hundreds of different fresh vegetables and fruits 365 days a year. Buying local is important, but it’s nice to be able to occasionally indulge in fresh produce on a cold winter day.

Replacement formula for babies. Our grandparents had far fewer choices when it came to infant nutrition. Mother’s milk is not always possible, and cow’s milk by itself is incomplete.

Television. Many of our grandparents grew up without TV. And even those who did have a television often had just one, in the living room, with just black-and-white pictures and limited selections.

TV on demand. Today’s viewers can choose between cable, Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and dozens of other channel choices. Our grandparents? Not so much.

Remote controls. I have one for my TV, one for my Roku box, and one for my internet radio. That’s not a lot of remote controls by today’s standards, but it’s three more than my grandparents had.

Power tools. Anyone who has ever used a cordless impact driver or a table saw or a belt sander can testify to how much easier and faster and more efficient they are than their manual counterparts. Our grandparents did it the hard way.

Plastic. The amount of plastic most of us use in our everyday lives is staggering. Very little of our lives is untouched by plastic, from sandwich bags to house siding to toothbrush handles to storage totes to snow sleds to rakes to water buckets to trash bags to lawn furniture to car dashboards to dishware to children’s toys to zippers. Our grandparents had products made out of wood, pottery, glass, metal, and natural materials. But they might not have grown up with much plastic.

Disposable diapers. Many people alive today spent their early years in cloth diapers, or possibly even used them for their own children. The convenient remove-and-toss method was not an option a few generations ago.

Disposable tissues. Many of our grandparents used reusable handkerchiefs.

Paper towels and napkins. People used reusable cloth for cleanup jobs far more often in our grandparents’ day.

Disposable tableware. Plates, cups, and flatware were items which our grandparents bought once, used every day, and washed over and over.

Microwave ovens. When I told my young children that I had not had a microwave in my childhood home, they asked me in hushed astonished tones, “How did you live?!” I got by, it turns out. Just like most of our grandparents did.

Synthetic fabrics. A lot of garment labels today list fibers I’ve never even heard of. Our grandparents had far fewer choices of materials for clothing, outerwear, accessories, and home décor.

Ready-made foods at the grocery store. In our grandparents’ day, the grocery store carried mostly whole foods. Heat-and-eat options are a relatively recent phenomenon.

Ready-made coffee. Our grandparents made their own coffee at home. Without a Keurig machine, and possibly even without an electric drip coffeemaker. Going out to the local coffee shop, or even the corner gas station, for a cup of coffee, hasn’t always been a thing people do.

Automatic laundry machines. Many of our grandparents didn’t have dryers. And if they had a washer, it was probably a lot less user-friendly than the ones we have today.

If our grandparents did have refrigerators, they were not like the ones we have today.

Riding lawn equipment. Our grandparents probably used a walk-behind mower, with or without a gas-powered engine, to mow their small lawn.

Electric heating pads and chemical heating patches. Our grandparents probably used hot water bottles and poultices instead.

Paid time off work. Paid vacations have not always been common, and maternity/paternity leave didn’t always exist.

This list could truly go on forever, and I have barely scratched the surface. Such a lot has changed in just a few generations that it must be difficult for some of our grandparents to even recognize the planet we inhabit today as the same one they grew up on. Some of the changes truly represent advancement, while others make us all wonder if modern-day goods and services might have gone too far. But most of us embrace the things we’ve grown accustomed to, and we may find it challenging to live without the things our grandparents didn’t have.

What would you add to our list? Share your thoughts in the section below:

This article first appeared on offthegridnews.com See it here

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