#a spa area for all the stress that is literally killing you

[aqent8]

they need to invent a place u go to where they actually fix you up and reset your issues so if you walk back out youre the healthiest u could be at that moment

[genshingarbage]

How They Destress || Headcannons

Hello my darling travelers! I Hope you’re all doing well~ I’ve got some more fluff for you all so I hope you all have a relaxing day! - Mod Kaeya

recommending this song for these headcannons!

Diluc

- He distresses by training of course, cooking up new ways to dismantle his enemy whilst in a safe environment before trying them out is basically what he does in his free time

- Diluc doesn’t mind if you watch from a very safe distance so feel free to set up a little picnic and watch him brainstorm from afar

- You can always tell when he’s about to start training because you can usually spot him walking through the house tying up his hair in nothing but a vest and britches towards the field behind the winery

- You’ve almost become acquainted with the hive of slimes there with how many times he’s tested things on them

- His whole process of working through each strategy and practicing old ones of calming to him because it’s something that will never change

- Each swipe is the same, each guard, each lunge and parry will always be the same

- The one constant in his ever changing life

- Working with his vision makes experimenting with strategies a little hard whilst also keeping it interesting

- I’d recommend bringing aloe vera incase any sort of accidents happen but the most you’ve gotten recently is just singes so just relax and don’t startle the man whilst he waves around a sword literally his body length

- At least you get to drool over the biceps he normally keeps hidden under his coat

- And then once he’s finished with that there’s a fair chance he’ll start experimenting with drinks so…there’s a chance for fun that way

Kaeya

- Normally the only time he’s stressed is when Death By Noon is out of stock quite honestly and should that even happen he hyper fixates on work like no other to cope

- Honestly some people pray for the months where it’s gone just for the comforting fact that even before things become a threat they’re eradicated by Kaeya unless he deems them too interesting to kill and usually those times are when the Knights get their days off because golly the amount of commissions they get vanishes into thin air so fast you’d be surprised there was any strife at all

- It works sort of like clockwork, he starts out clearing all the areas around Mondstat itself then follows the trade routes and once those are clear, depending on how many days he’s been sober, he fucks off into the wilds and lets his sword take him wherever it pleases

- Once he gets home it’s a spa day though since he’s not used to doing everything he usually does and commit a mass extermination at the same time

- He probably doesn’t get home for a couple of days or weeks depending on how frazzled he is ngl

- He’s gonna take a nice long bath and zone out and then chug a cup of coffee on the couch in nothing but shorts and a loose open shirt and then he’s going to go to bed

- Consider the bedroom occupied until the shortage is over pretty much if the bag under his eye is any indication of his current mental state

- Just give him a lot of affection and I’m sure he’ll be fine

Albedo

- Somedays he’ll just short circuit and you can tell right away he needs to take a break

- He’ll still be lying in bed, eyes half lidded but as soon as you call his name and he just responds with a “…m¿” you know

- Don’t let him leave the tent

- At all

- As soon as he leaves the tent he goes into Work Mode

- He needs to rest and recuperate so shove some tea in his hands and start telling stories

- the best way to get him back on track is to get him to his thoughts about Deep ™️ things or work

- Tell him really long stories about anything from your day yesterday or a recount of your favorite best selling novel and he’ll eventually stop thinking

- Playing the story game might be a good way to trick him into light heartedness about everything for the moment honestly

- If he feels sleepy let him dream he’s a tired boi

- Days in bed just talking away with each other, completely blind and deaf to the world and falling in and out of dreams hits that sweet spot that has him refreshed like an hp bar got refilled

- He may even come to a solution for various experiments or theories because of your time together

Venti

- The guy doesn’t stress end of

- He’s always convinced everything will turn out at least a little alright for everyone so he isn’t too worry about life

- It’s very very rare for him to become stressed and if he is it’s because of things that have happened in his past that he can’t stop thinking about

- This would be the time for a good old song and dance

- Seriously if you have the ability to grab your closest friends and drag them to wherever the both of you live do it

- He loves music more than anything so watching others perform or going to a show with his buddies really lifts his spirits a lot

- Especially if they have vastly different opinions on music than he does because that means there’ll be a lot of interesting discussions on various topics across the night and this guy can talk if he needs to

- Maybe don’t let him drink till he’s smashed but being a little tipsy won’t hurt him if he wants to drink

- Chances are he won’t be in the mood as he’ll be busy trying to teach someone the lyre because they tried to shred it like a guitar though

- Listening to upbeat music is his go to but more slow, calming music sometimes does the trick if you both are just chilling out and don’t really want to be bothered

Xiao

- Okay he’s the opposite to Venti in that He’s Always Stressed

- It’s just reached a level to where it’d the norm to constantly feel like he’s going to sprout gray hairs at any moment so he’s just at this eerie calm all the time

- Unless there are mortals besides you nearby

- Okay first off dip out to somewhere without mortals for once

- Like seriously just go to Juryen Karst or something because Im afraid he’s going to pop a blood vessel

- Just walking around Juryen Karst is enough to put him at ease at least a little because of the atmosphere, it’s thick with adeptal energy and everything about the place is riddled with mystery and a mystic aura that you can never really find anywhere else in treyat

- He’s gonna just up and vanish a lot, don’t worry he’s just running around to burn off the stress or even doing a bit of routinely clean up so the slimes don’t get out of hand

- You’ve never seen the mega slime he’s described before but you have no intents of ever seeing it

- Set up a little place for you both to sit and eat (a looooot of almond tofu for him)

- Then just…breathe

- He’ll be quiet this whole trip honestly because he’s so content, high up on one of the stalks among the clouds and gods and yaoguai

- Xiao’ll be at peace just meditating there with you

Zhongli

- He needs to be busy, mostly with his hands

- So he’s taken up a lot of hobbies in his newfound free time

- His favorite thing to do though is make you a cup of tea and then get down to whatever it is he’s going to focus on that day

- Your company is invaluable to him at the end of the day

- Zhongli tends to go for sculpting things out of clay and he takes ages doing it in order to get the best result

- You’ve pointed out that it must be similar to how he sculpted Liyue or even some of it’s denizens out of the land before but he just chuckled at that

- Apparently that was more like sifting through sand and mining at the same time but let’s not get into that

- The sculpts he makes are usually of mythical creatures he’s read about that have taken his fancy, anything more realistic about dragons or Qilin are a bit boring to sculpt for him for the moment but I’m sure that fancy will return eventually

- He actually has given a sculpt of what a Cocogoat might look like to Qiqi before and she’s taken very good care of it since

- His tools litter his workshop because he’s so absentminded but he somehow still knows where everything is? The only thing messier than the clay dust everywhere is when he gets down to painting the sculpts

Childe

- Stress is very hard to detect with Childe because he’s so used to holding up that cheerful facade but once you’ve been with him long enough it’s like watching a fish out of water

- He’s slightly out of beat in conversation, his shoulders a little tenser than usual and he’s paying a bit too much attention to this or that

- You have to force him into your hotel room and sit him down on the bed

- You gotta break out the olive oil and the candles for this one guys he’s a BIG stressor

- Give him a massage and tell him about all the things you love about him, okay?

- And not a short one, a loooong fullbody massage with loooong soliloquies about how much you adore when he scrunches up his nose in confusion when he thinks no one is looking at him trying to use chopsticks

- When you’re done make him some traditional Sneznayan food, this can be anything from a breakfast food to a dinner food because either way he’s just going to be elated to see food that doesn’t require you to fight with utensils to eat

- It’d be good if you kept everything as quiet as possible around him too for once because god knows he’s probably going to go deaf from the amount of explosions he’s heard in his life

- Still though just relax with him and enjoy your food

Kuzuha

- It’s a bit easy to tell when he’s starting to stress

- He can’t really go with the flow as easily as he usually does, he gets hung up on things and he sometimes even is so stuck inside his head he doesn’t stop to view the awestrucking sights in Treyat

- The best way to help him destress is to leave him alone

- Sometimes it’s just for the best to tell him that you’re gonna have a busy day so if he wants to come along he can but it won’t hurt if he doesn’t

- He’ll probably take that queue to go on a long jog and think about his life up until now

- And boy does he have a lot to process since coming to Treyat

- He often takes routes that pass by rivers or ponds or lakes because the sereneness of them are often one of the first things he notices about a place he’s visiting and it’s undeniable that if he could paint a picture of the beauty he finds in all of these things he wouldn’t think it captured it all the way

- He might end up scaling a mountain by the time he gets back but he’ll be that sweetheart wanderer you’ve always loved by the end of it

- And on the off chance he’d ask for you to come with him on his walks please do, he’d really appreciate it

- falling in step with you whilst deep in thought makes him feel a bit safer than he did before, he’ll be distracted but should anything happen you’ll be there to jump in first as always

[just-come-baek]

get in, loser 2

Pairing: Taeyong x female!reader

Themes: smut | mafiaboss!taeyong | carthief!reader | streetracer!reader

Word count: 8.3k

Summary: As controversial as it is, it’s Taeyong’s order for me to participate in the most prestigious race of the underground. As one may expect, it is frowned upon by other gang members.

Warnings: disregard for police enforcement | illegal street racing | improper driving | violence | character death | taeyong being the ruthless mafia boss | poor stress management | drinking

A/N !REUPLOAD! sorry I fucked something up. Next parts shall be posted on Tuesdays every two weeks. 

***

Getting up early in the morning isn’t really my thing. I was the most productive during late evenings and nights, and the fact that I had to be ready unusually early fucked up my sleeping schedule. Hopefully, it was the first, and the last time my presence was requested at such an unholy hour. Right after getting introduced to my new workplace, they had to be flexible enough to let me adjust the work schedule to my preference.

Unfortunately, Taeyong didn’t specify how early Lucas wants to see me the next day.  I guessed it was around 7 o’clock in the morning – it was late enough for an early bird, yet early enough for someone who doesn’t really fancy getting up at sunrise.

Having parked my starling Fiat500 in front of the building, I saw a man. He was leaned against the brick wall, smoking a cigarette. It must’ve been Lucas. Who else could’ve been? It was the asscrack of dawn, for crying out loud!

“You’ve gotta be kidding me… that’s your car?” the man asked as he flicked the butt of the cigarette, stepping on it, grinding it against the ground, visibly galled by my cute feminine vehicle.

“It’s inconspicuous,” I commented, trying to make my point. Blending in after hours was one of the most crucial things in this profession, I didn’t want to go on and scream that I steal cars and race for a living.

“You’re late,” Lucas whispered. Under any other circumstances, I would roll my eyes, but right now, I just couldn’t. I was just staring at him, slowly checking him out. He was ridiculously handsome, and I tried my best not to drool. “I’m Lucas,” he said, sending me a playful smirk.

Politely, I introduced myself despite him already knowing who I was.

“That’s impressive,” Lucas commented, and I shrugged, not wanting to go through this once again. “How did you do it? It’s not that easy to steal Taeyong’s car, let alone Yuta’s,” he added, and I sighed, trying to come up with a vague and equivocal answer.

“What can I say? You’ve gotta have charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent.”

“Alright, I get it, keep your secrets,” Lucas voiced, biting his lips as if in deep thought. “Sooner or later, I’ll figure this out,” he promised and smiled, willing to take this secret with me to the grave. (I had a bad feeling in my gut, telling me Taeyong would be pissed if he found out the truth about the theft, and I was too cowardly to admit the facts.)

“Are we gonna stand here the whole day, or are you gonna show me around?” I challenged, and Lucas took a step to the side, gentlemanly letting me enter the car repair shop, following closely behind me.

“Ladies first,” he added, chuckling.

It wasn’t a typical car repair shop. The space was huge, and it could accommodate at least fifteen vehicles. On the inside, it resembled a car factory, but instead of assembling the cars, people were taking them apart.

What surprised me the most was the fact that I was the only female inside. Though I knew it was a stereotypically a male profession, men to women ratio was astounding. I didn’t mind it, though. I knew I could beat every single one of them. Gender didn’t matter at all.

“Let me introduce the guys you’ll be working with,” Lucas mentioned, and a few men stopped what they were doing to look at Lucas and me. “Please, meet Renjun, Jeno, Haechan, Chenle, Jisung, Jaemin, and Mark,” Lucas introduced them to me, but they didn’t seem very happy to see me. If anything, they seemed a little bit hostile.

“Hi guys,” I said, smiling and waving at them, but their intimidating auras didn’t change. It was awful, and I couldn’t imagine how difficult it was going to work with them. They obviously didn’t like me and didn’t respect me as if worthy of the same position. And it was especially weird because I knew I was better than all of them combined.

Ignoring their angry glances, Lucas explained their roles in this division. Renjun, Haechan, and Chenle were in charge of tuning up the cars, making sure they’re up to the racing standards. Mark and Jaemin were stealing the cars and bringing them here, and Jeno and Jisung were racing. Later on, Lucas revealed I was assigned to both – car theft and racing, and of course, the boys had to voice their objection.

Apparently, they had never heard of multitasking.

According to them, it wasn’t fair for a rookie member to participate in the street races. This position had to be earned through hard work, and they just couldn’t comprehend how much effort I had put to prove my value to Taeyong.

Well… to be honest, I didn’t suspect any of the boys to ever personally talk to Taeyong.  I highly doubted they had an idea of what I had to go through to get recruited. They probably had never heard of Yuta, let alone been to his area and stolen one of his vehicles.

“I hope we will work together just fine,” I declared, though deep inside, I knew it wasn’t going to be a smooth ride. I was sure the boys were to make my time there miserable.

And, oh boy, I was right…

***

Somehow, I managed to survive a week at my new workplace without quitting. At some point, I was really close to doing so, yet then I remembered what I had gone through to work here, and this thought alone kept me going. The boys were an enormous pain in the ass, but it would definitely take much more than juvenile bullying to make me leave.

I was a lot of things, but definitely, not a quitter.

Having acted tough the whole week, I needed something to help me chill, and the only person I thought of was my best friend – Doyoung. I was a gang member now, but I knew it wouldn’t matter to him – it wouldn’t have any impact on our friendship.

Within an hour, I was already at his car repair shop. Not bothering to announce my arrival, I strolled inside, looking for him. It was already weekend. All of his employees were recharging their batteries for the upcoming week, so the slim pair of legs under the Nissan Maxima must’ve been Doyoung’s.

Smirking, I slammed my hands against the hood, startling him in the process. Swiftly, Doyoung rolled out from under the car, staring at me angrily, as if refraining himself from murdering me with bare hands.

“Jesus Christ,” he yelled when he saw my face, apparently relieved it was me. “Ever since I helped you with that gig, I have terrible anxiety,” he confessed, and I couldn’t blame him. I felt the same, fearing that someone might want to get rid of me with violence.

“Good thing I stopped by,” I mused, excited to reveal my amazing plans. “I was wondering if you would like to go on vacation with me – my treat. We haven’t spent all the money Taeyong gave me that time, and he hasn’t mentioned anything if he wants the rest of it back, so I thought we could go to the beach. What do you think?”

“More like Mr. Bad Boy’s treat… It does sound tempting, though. Where is the catch?” Doyoung asked suspiciously, knowing me all too well. “Are you on another stupid assignment?”

“Well… not exactly,” I answered, looking away, nervously playing with my fingers. “They’ve accepted me as the newest addition to the family, though some of them gotta warm up to me yet,” I explained, shrugging at the thought of the relentless bullying. “But that’s not the point. Taeyong told me to get rid of the car, and  I thought of kindly returning it to Yuta. It’s only logical I send him back the car plates, yet far from home because I don’t want anyone to trace it back to me.”

Judging by the look on Doyoung’s face, he wasn’t completely sold on this idea.

“It’s like killing two birds with one stone. We’ll go to the beach, post the plates to Yuta, and then enjoy the rest of the weekend, sipping drinks by the sea. It’s a two-minute risk-free adventure. What do you say? We both deserve some leisure…”

Staring straight ahead, Doyoung must’ve weighed all the pros and cons of my proposition. Ultimately he decided he deserves some alcohol drinks with cute little umbrellas in the glasses.

“What about the other car?” Doyoung asked, and I rolled my eyes at him.

“I’ll give it back as soon as we return.”

“Fine.”

“Great! Pack your suitcase, the plane takes off in four hours.”

As soon as we arrived, we made a short stop to mail the package to Yuta, praying for him not to trace it back to me. The parcel contained the Ferrari’s plates, a key to the storage room in Japan where Yuta’s vehicle had been kept, and a tiny piece of paper with a sorry written on it. Hopefully, once Yuta gets it back, he will forget about the car ever being stolen.

Later in the evening, we checked into the hotel I had booked, left the baggage, and hit the SPA. Having taken all available services, I was calm, I felt like a lotus flower. Doyoung, however, still was anxious and whiny.

“You need some vitamin D, my friend,” I told him, and he grimaced at me in disgust. “You know… there’s this man, his name is Jaehyun. He’s a guy from work, and I’m pretty sure he could help you let off some steam,” I offered, and Doyoung shook his head, sassily wrapping his lips around the straw, sipping on his third drink of the evening.

To be honest, I doubted Jaehyun swung for the same team, but both of them needed to get laid. Jaehyun because I was really close to start believing his gaze could be literally lethal, and Doyoung because he was so whiny and intractable to be around. I knew it wouldn’t ever work out, but I had to, at least, try.

“I appreciate the proposition, but I don’t hook up with gangsters,” Doyoung said, setting his drink on the counter. “You know what…” Doyoung started, and I rolled my eyes, knowing his further statement will be both funny and hurtful.

When tipsy, Doyoung would often state things harshly without even thinking about running around the bush. “Being your friend has become really stressful recently. It’s a matter of time until I go completely bold, and it will be exclusively your fault.”

“I know…” I agreed, sighing in helplessness. “I’ve been a terrible friend, I’m sorry,” I whispered, resting my head on Doyoung’s shoulder, reaching out to hold his hand. “I’ll never put you in danger again, I promise,” I added, acting way out of my character. Usually, I wasn’t this emotional, but I suspected it was coming from pretending to be badass all the time.

“OK, enough of the weeping, let’s buy some alcohol to go and go get drunk on the beach, waiting for the sunrise,” Doyoung pushed my off of his arm and jumped off the barstool.

“That’s the spirit!”

***

“Gather round people,” Lucas yelled as soon as he entered the car repair shop. As always, he looked like a complete snack, yet I chose not to comment on that. Though we barely spoke with one another, everybody knew how big his ego was, and I didn’t want to inflate it even more.

“What is it?” Haechan whined at Lucas, being annoyed by the interruption.

“The color festival,” Lucas revealed, and everybody grew silent at the mention of the event.

Though a regular person wouldn’t understand what’s that big of a deal, to a car racer, it was an event of the year. It’s an annual the most prestigious car race in the country – participation alone is an honor. It’s every racer’s dream to take part and win, earning a shit load of money and fame. The participation fee is 50 grand per head, after all. Every year the date is different, and only the best racers are talented enough to be a part of it. No wonder Taeyong’s gang will have its representative.

“It takes place this Friday, and Taeyong has already decided who’s gonna represent us this year,” Lucas announced, and the boys started to guess whether it would be Jisung or Jeno. If I had to nominate anyone, it would be Jeno – his drifting skills were no joke. “As I was saying, it’s Taeyong’s direct wish that our special snowflake represents us in the competition,” Lucas specified, and the boys looked at me the way Jaehyun did – with hatred and disgust.

“Ha-ha, very funny,” I chuckled drily, but the boys didn’t change their attitudes.

No way! Taeyong couldn’t… he wouldn’t. Well... I expected him to respect me after what I had done, but this… it was too much. Some drivers worked their entire lives mastering their techniques to participate, and right now, I felt as if I had my chance served on a silver platter. The boys must’ve felt the same way.

I deserved to participate, but Jeno and Jisung did as well. I wouldn’t mind sitting this one out. Their bullying was giving me a headache as it was, another reason to pick on me was the last thing I needed at the moment.

“It can’t be,” Jaemin stated, too perplexed to voice a longer statement.

“Well… it must be, Taeyong’s orders,” Lucas added with a smirk on his sexy lips, ignoring all complaints. “Guys, behave, it’s not my decision to make. You can always try next year,” he tried to console the whining boys, but it didn’t seem to work. If anything, it only multiplied the anger they felt towards me.

“It’s impossible,” I muttered, but the boys didn’t pay any attention to what I was trying to say, “I’m pretty sure it’s not final. I’ll talk to him, I think I can change his mind,” I continued, but once again my words were muffled by the loud white noise of complaining.

“You can’t just call him,” Lucas remarked, trying to remind me of my position in the hierarchy. Now, when I was a valid member of the organization, I had to follow the rules, and Lucas was my superior to whom I was obligated to report everything back. Talking to Taeyong would be highly unprofessional; I had to stick to the code.

“Can you try to persuade him?” Jisung asked, full of hope.

Lucas laughed at Jisung’s question as if it was one of the funniest things he heard in years.

“To be honest, I don’t give a fuck who’s gonna ride this year,” Lucas started truthfully, and I gasped at the harshness of his words. He didn’t sugarcoat nor beat around the bush. “It’s Taeyong’s decision, and I am in no place to question his choice, so beat it.”

His words successfully shut everyone up; Lucas was mean and straight-forward, but it had to be done. Perhaps his leading skills were a little bit rough around the edges, but they managed to get the work done.

“You,” Lucas exclaimed, looking at me. “Meet me here before the race; we’ll pick up the car,” he added, turning around, leaving me alone with the boys, so they could take out all frustrations on me.

“Fantastic.”

***

As expected, the boys, Jeno and Jisung in particular, were giving me hell. It was obvious they were unhappy with Taeyong’s decision, yet I shouldn’t be the receiving end of their relentless bullying. If I could, I’d pay Taeyong a visit and persuade him to change his mind, but just like Lucas said, I was on the very bottom of the gang hierarchy.

At this point, I’d call it quits. Unfortunately, I was too far in the game to bow out. Right now, I could only endure their harassment in hopes of quickly getting promoted, leaving them far behind. It wouldn’t be the most challenging thing I had done for the gang’s sake.

It was a Thursday night. Within 24 hours, I would compete in the most infamous race of the year, and I was beyond mortified. I had drunk half a dozen mugs of double lemon balm, yet the stress was still eating me from the inside out.

It was oddly quiet. Usually, at this time of night, something was going on, but tonight, it was silent. Without any white noise, one could hear a pin drop.

Everything suggested I was alone in the car repair shop. Having slammed down the hood, I wiped my hands in the cloth and looked around. Where was everybody? Did they forget to add me to their group chat? Did they go out for a drink without telling me?

I strolled through their stations, yet I didn’t find anybody. They really left me behind. That wasn’t cool. We weren’t best friends, but I deserved to know if there was a staff outing. Maybe this time around, I’d pass, given the plans I had for tomorrow, but any other time, I’d be down to have a beer with them.

Perhaps, they would warm up to me if we could spend some quality time together.

Once again, I looked around the space and decided to call it a day. There was nothing urgent that I had to finish, so I closed up. I really wanted to come back home, relax, and psych myself up for the upcoming race.

Yawning, I slowly made my way to my car, which was parked two blocks away from the car repair shop. Lucas had suggested it was for the best if the boys didn’t see my vehicle, since it would definitely become another reason to pick on me. Though I didn’t care what they thought of me, I ultimately decided to follow Lucas’ advice. He was my superior for a reason.

The narrow street was barely lit, yet I made my way through it with ease. I had the route memorized by heart, even though I wasn’t completely familiar with this city district.

Once the car conjured in my line of vision, I reached into my backpack, fishing for the keys.

Unfortunately, before I managed to find them, somebody grabbed me by my shoulders and pushed me onto the ground. Stupefied, I looked up and saw half a dozen of persons, each of whom clad in a black hoodie and a face mask.

I was being mugged in a dark alley.

The survival instincts kicked in. The adrenaline rush hit me in a matter of seconds. Just like mothers who can lift cars to save their children, I was in a combat mode, ready to fight off all of them. I was outnumbered, but when driven on hormones, I thought I stood a chance to defend myself and kick their asses.

Quickly, I got back on my feet and took a few steps to the back to distance myself from the attackers and strategize my next move. My first idea was to run away, but that wasn’t going to work out. Two men with crowbars crept out of the shadows, depriving me of the only escape route I could think of.

“OK, think,” I whispered under my breath. There were seven of them, two of whom had crowbars, while one of them pulled out a knife. Seven against one, it didn’t sound fair. Back in the day, I had taken some self-defense lessons, but it was a long time ago. If I had some skills unconsciously memorized, they would surely be rusty.

Perhaps, I could bullshit my way out of it.

It wouldn’t be the first time.

“What do you want from me?” I asked, but none of the men even flinched. They were frozen in their spots, probably waiting for the best moment to attack. “I don’t have any money on me, but I can give you my wheels,” I proposed, but once again, I didn’t get any reaction. “It’s a measly car, but I got it checked by a mechanic a few days ago. It’s as good as new.”

It was like talking to a wall. I could run my mouth, yet I would never receive any reply.

Plan A didn’t work out.

They weren’t cooperative enough for me to implement plan B.

I had no choice but to go with plan C, which consisted of fighting back, hoping they wouldn’t beat me to death. It wasn’t the most optimistic scenario, but it’s what my mind came up with after doing the math. It wasn’t a fair fight, what were the odds of me winning?

Close to zero.

When I was about to pick which guy I should attack first, the one in front of me made a cutting throat gesture. It did freak me out, but on cue, I ran up to the one with the crowbar and kicked him in the nuts before he managed to smack me with the metal. Instantly, he crumbled down on his knees, dropping the weapon on the ground.

It was my opportunity to try to even the chances.

Everything happened so fast. One second I was wiggling my body from side to side in an attempt to dodge the attack, while a moment later, I was swinging the crowbar like a baseball bat. In all honesty, I wasn’t that bad, I managed to omit most of their punches.

Unfortunately, there were too many of them. At this point, I knew I wouldn’t win. The least I could do was to try to minimize the damage.

Though I could feel a couple of bruises on my thighs forming up and my blood oozing from my shoulder, I gathered enough strength to swing the crowbar at the man, hitting him straight on the neck, knocking him out. As soon as the man’s head collided with the ground, everybody stopped in their tracks, trying to register what just happened.

They couldn’t believe that a woman successfully fought back. It was a small victory, though. Six more angry men wanted to mug me. Or rape me. Or worse.

“You bitch,” one of them yelled, going towards me with a knife as if he wanted to gut me.

I saw everything in slow motion. He ran to me, screaming, and I tightened my grip on the crowbar, getting ready to knock him unconscious, too.

Before he managed to get close enough for me to hit him, we all got blinded by the lights. There was another car in the alley, scaring the men away. In an instant, they picked up their stunned friend and ran away, disappearing in the distance.

My vision couldn’t accommodate this amount of light, so I couldn’t precisely see my savior. Unfortunately, I was unable to see the person behind the wheel, but the vehicle looked like a Ford. Too bad it drove off before I could have a better look.

Worrying the thugs might return, I limped to my car and locked myself in. My pulse was slowly getting back to normal, and the adrenaline was wearing off, making me feel the pain. Each bruise and cut was hurting me, but I inhaled, flooring the accelerator.

***

When I woke up around noon, I was sore all over. Though I had taken some painkillers and put on ointment on the fragile skin, I still felt like shit. I wasn’t the best at treating wounds, and I discovered this fact about myself in the worst timing ever.

How was I supposed to win the most meaningful race of the year when I felt excruciating pain when I had to stretch my arm? How was I supposed to operate the gearbox in this state?

By the time I had to leave my apartment, I felt only slightly better. High on meds, I drove carefully to the car repair shop, expecting Lucas to already be there. It was typical Lucas – giving vague instructions, yet at the same time, demanding precision, or in this case, punctuality.

Gingerly, I parked the vehicle outside the garage, noticing Lucas leaned against the wall, smoking what I hope was just a cigarette. Putting a smile on my face, I undid the seatbelt and exited the car, waving at my superior.

“What the hell are you wearing? Are you going to a race or Lazytown?” Lucas yelled, amused by my outfit. I could bet it wasn’t a typical outfit for street-racing.

Tonight, I chose to wear a pastel pink wig that reached down to my shoulders, a mini dress in the same shade of pink, and a pair of white combat shoes. I had my reasons to wear this type of clothing, though.

First of all – diversion; I hoped the other contestants would underestimate me upon seeing my eccentric outfit. Looks might be deceiving, and at this point, I couldn’t wait to bask in the glory of their judging stares. In this outfit, no one would think of me as a threat.

Second of all – bruises; no one paid them any attention because all the curious gazes were focused on extravagant clothes. Moreover, I could apply another layer of ointment if needed because the skimpy outfit allowed me easy access to my bare skin.

Third of all – Taeyong; pink was his favorite color and it matched his current hairstyle. It was a bold statement to demonstrate whose gang I was representing in the race.

“The outfit is going to serve its purpose, so let me live,” I murmured, not in the mood for friendly banter. Lucas was ridiculously hot, and I respected him, but right now, I didn’t feel like joking around. “What car do you have for me?”

Lucas pulled the sliding doors to the side, letting me in, following right behind me. Though I tried to control my walk, Lucas quickly caught on.

“What’s happened? Why are you walking like that?” Lucas asked in concern, and I told him everything about the men, their attempt to mug me, and the savior. I didn’t even fail to mention how I knocked one of the guys out with a powerful hit in the neck. “I don’t really think it was some random dudes,” he concluded, taking a closer look at my bruises and cuts.

“Huh?” I mused in confusion.

“I think someone wanted to make sure you’re not participating in the race,” Lucas stated. I creased my eyebrows, unable to make sense out of his suspicion. It was ridiculous. Though I knew how to race, my name wasn’t widely known in the illegal underground racing circle. “It can’t be a coincidence you’re getting attacked one night before the event.”

Well… Lucas had a point.

“Can you race?” Lucas inquired, his voice coated in worry.

I did not expect that, but it felt nice. Lucas, being my superior, looked after me, and it was the first time I felt like a legitimate member of the gang.

“I’ve taken a lot of pills, I can pull through,” I stated, smiling half-heartedly.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah,” I confirmed, though I could already feel the medication wear off. This insignificant setback wasn’t going to stop me. I had something to prove.

“Alright then,” Lucas said, following me to the back. “Taeyong has personally chosen these cars. You can pick any of them,” he added, and I looked at the beautiful machines in amazement. “Oh, before I forget, he also said you get to keep it if you win.”

“For real?” I asked, and Lucas nodded, smiling at my reaction. “Sweet.”

Now, I really had to win.

Taeyong had selected three vehicles for me to use: BMW M2, Toyota Supra, and Porsche 718 Cayman. The three of them were white and shiny, and it was a real dilemma.

“Tough choice,” I whispered, struggling to make the ultimate decision. Each vehicle had incredible features, and it was impossible to pick the best one. It felt like having a birthday on the same day as Christmas.

“Be quick, we’ve got to go,” Lucas urged me, tapping his foot against the concrete floor impatiently. “Make up your mind, woman.”

“OK, fine, fine, let’s go with Toyota,” I answered, and Lucas put his hand into the pocket of his jeans, fished out three sets of keys, and threw one for me to catch.

“Let’s go, then,” he added, quickly making his way to the passenger seat.

“How does it feel like to win such a race?” I inquired, breaking the silence inside the car. I was speeding to the abandoned airport, while Lucas was texting with somebody, completely ignoring me. Perhaps it wasn’t the best time to bond with him, but I couldn’t help my curiosity. Three years ago, being the youngest participant, Lucas had won the race, and I really wanted to know how it felt to make history.

Who knew? Maybe I’d be the first woman to win this race this year.

“Fine, I guess,” Lucas answered dismissively, not wanting to engage in the conversation.

“Oh,” I sighed, deciding not to pry further. We would have other opportunities to talk about it.

Once we arrived, Lucas told me to park the vehicle on the start line. The race would start in an hour, and until then, I had to mingle with other drivers and make my presence known. It was time for the rich men to make their bets.

“Hmm… that’s strange,” Lucas commented when I turned off the engine. “Taeyong’s here.”

“Is that strange?”

“He hasn’t attended such an event ever since he had won it five years ago,” Lucas explained, and I nodded my head, registering the new information. When Lucas put it like that, it really seemed out of character. “Interesting,” he added, deep in thought.

When Lucas got out of the car, I searched for Taeyong in the crowd. Thankfully, it wasn’t that difficult. This time around, Taeyong was wearing a green tracksuit set, thick-rimmed black Fendi sunglasses, and a pair of simple white sneakers. With his pink-ish hair and a custom-made Dior purse loosely hanging off his shoulder, he did not fit in this picture packed with gangers. Taeyong looked like a stray 4-year-old who got lost in a dangerous alley.

Following Lucas’ example, I exited the vehicle, and leaned against the hood, posing as a confident yet quirky driver. Though I expected everyone to underestimate my skills, deep inside, I wished to be recognized as a serious competition.

Looking around, I stared at Taeyong and deliberately ignored Jaehyun’s death glares. Even from afar, I could sense he hated my guts. I suspected I was the reason why Taeyong was here right now, and Jaehyun was unmistakably displeased by it.

With my eyes locked on Taeyong, I noticed Lucas joined him and whispered something into his ear. Whatever Lucas had told him, it made Taeyong visibly angry.

“Attention racers,” a female voice spoke through the speakers, obtaining everyone’s attention. “The race shall begin in thirty minutes. We ask all racers to pick up the GPS device box at the judge’s lounge. Thank you for your attention and good luck.”

Every participant had to install the device in one’s car. Once set in the vehicle, the racer could see this year’s route and all checkpoints. The fastest one to clear all the checkpoints and come back to the airport would win the competition.

Following all the instructions, I got ready for the race. In a few minutes, twelve cars would leave the airport in an attempt to chase their dreams of fame and success.

I was sitting comfortably in my seat, and though on the outside, I seemed calm, the courtesy of painkillers, I was freaking out internally. I didn’t even notice someone knock on the window, making me jump in shock.

“Jesus Christ, Lucas, you scared the shit out of me,” I cursed, rolling down the window.

“I just wanted to wish you good luck,” he added, smiling genuinely. “I spoke with Taeyong, and he would like to talk to you after the race in his mansion.”

“Oh.”

And with that, Lucas walked away, letting me relax some more before the race. I just had enough time to turn on my playlist, which consisted of Britney Spears’ biggest hits. It always helped me to uplift my mood, and I really needed that.

“Three,” the woman counted out loud, and all participants turned on their engines.

“Two.”

“One.”

At once, all the cars surged forward, and people cheered enthusiastically, not even muffling the loud engine roars.

The route had seven checkpoints in total, and since the race was called the color festival, each stop was named after the rainbow color. There was no specified order in which the contestants ought to clear them, yet most of them chose to drive east, toward the indigo checkpoint.

I, on the other hand, decided to head west. The more drivers in one area, the more chances of dirty tricks, and I didn’t want to end up getting pushed out of the route into the gutter.

Only four racers mirrored my actions, and out of the five of us, I was leading. With ease, I cleared the green checkpoint, but one Britney song later, the driver of the red 2020 Lexus SC caught up to me, driving straight into my back left lights, making me lose control of the vehicle for a second. Thankfully, I managed to get a hold of the situation before I drove into the dangerous turn.

This bastard scratched my car and cleared the yellow checkpoint before me.

I couldn’t let him get away with it.

Flooring the accelerator, I quickly found myself on the right side of the Lexus, staring at the driver. I recognized him in an instant. It was Felix, and he was infamous for dangerous driving. It didn’t matter how many drivers he had to send to the hospital to win the race.

Perhaps, it would be reasonable to let him be, but I was high on meds, and the logical solution fled my mind before I managed to memorize it. The only sensible reaction I could muster in the heat of the moment was hitting him before he hit me again.

Sticking my tongue out for Felix to see, I abruptly turned to the right, pushing him out of the road. Unfortunately, I didn’t hit him hard enough. Before I drove into another sharp turn, I saw him in the rearview mirror. He was back on the lane, trying to catch up with the rest of the participants.

“Too high, can’t come down, losing my mind, spinning ‘round and round, do you feel me now?” I sang along with Britney, driving through the blue checkpoint.

I was almost halfway through the race, and it was about the time when I ran out of luck. I could hear a loud siren ringing in the distance, followed by red and blue lights. It couldn’t be a good sign. Competing against lunatics was challenging, yet on top of that, I had to lose the police.

My first thought was to let the other drivers catch up to me, and then hope the police would chase them, but I quickly realized it was a dumb idea. The racers would out-speed the police cruisers anyway; it was stupid to purposefully slow down.

The next checkpoint was near, and it was my priority. I’d deal with the police by the end of the race. Of course, only if the police cruisers could handle such speed. It was doubtful, but I chose not to underestimate them.

“Fuck, it can’t be,” I cursed when I noticed the red Lexus again. “He is stubborn,” I added, once again flooring the accelerator, trying to keep as much distance from Felix as possible. This car would be mine if I won, and I didn’t want any more damage.

Then, a few seconds later, another car appeared a couple of hundred meters behind me.

Too bad the police were too incompetent to catch them. The sirens were still ringing in the distance, so it only meant they didn’t give up yet. I didn’t think they stood a chance against any of the sports cars in the race, but it was admirable that they still tried.

The red checkpoint was a couple meters ahead, and I reasoned I needed to step up my game. In order to win, I had to think out of the box. I had to do something they wouldn’t dare. I couldn’t play it safe if I really wanted to win.

Having cleared the red checkpoint, I made a U-turn without slowing down. If it wasn’t for the breaks, the force would pull me out of the lane, sending me flying off the cliff. Felix and the other guy were visibly confused when I started driving right at them.

Going over 180 km/h, I passed them and the police cruiser before I made an abrupt turn, driving through run-down, abandoned properties. Very few people knew this short-cut, and I hoped it would give me the advantage I desperately needed.

With no problem, I cleared the orange checkpoint.                

Only two more to go, I told myself, trying to uplift my mood.

The violet checkpoint resembled a war zone. Three cars were sitting on the side of the road, all scratched and damaged. Compared to this psycho who had done it, Felix was a harmless kitten. Thankfully, he hadn’t chosen to follow the same path as me. It made me sick to think I could be inside of one of these wrecked cars.

Or it was the meds overload in my system.

I couldn’t be sure.

Having passed the final checkpoint, I noticed a sports car. It was heading the same direction, so I concluded it was one of my rivals. The neon green Porsche Boxter was behind me, but it was catching up incredibly fast.

I had to get my shit together, or I was going to lose.

I could see the finishing line in the distance. Unfortunately, the green Porsche was right there, on my left side. Neither of us wanted to lose, and almost at the same time, we turned, smashing against each other. Sparks were flying everywhere, the sound of scratching metal was ringing loudly, yet no one dared to let go.

If I didn’t push him out of my way, we would tie, and this result was unacceptable. With my foot on the accelerator, I turned the steering wheel to the right as hard as I could. The vehicle barely moved to the side, yet it was still making progress.

Maybe it was pure luck, but the Porsche ran over something on the road, and its driver lost control of the car. It was my time to shine, so once again I turned to the right. The vehicles made a 90-degree turn, which resulted in me being the first one to cross the finishing line.

Oh my god, I won.

These guys could suck it because I beat them!

When I got out of the car, Taeyong and Jaehyun were gone. Lucas was the only familiar face in the crowd, and he actually ran up to me to congratulate me. “You won,” Lucas said, beaming. His smile quickly faded away upon seeing how wrecked the car was. “It was a new car,” he cried, calculating the damage.

“It’s still new,” I remarked, but Lucas didn’t find it amusing. Well… I could relate. After all, it was my car. I knew the second the painkillers wear off, I was going to in pain because of what I did to the vehicle. Hopefully, Doyoung would help me get it fixed.

A lady in a deep-cut bikini and sun-kissed tan walked up to me to hand me a bag of cash and a bottle of champagne.

“Everybody, make some noise for this year’s winner,” she screamed into the microphone, making the crowd go crazy.

I was smiling like a lunatic. People were cheering, and it was all for me.

Though I was craving champagne, I knew it wasn’t the best idea to drink it. The pills mixed with alcohol would kill me, so I opted for an alternative celebration. Swinging my arm, I threw the bottle at the car, smashing it against the scratched doors.

“Christening the car seemed appropriate,” I commented when I saw Lucas trying to process what I just did. “At this point, one more tear doesn’t make a difference.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Lucas said lifelessly, staring with concern at the vehicle. “You better go. Don’t keep Taeyong waiting. He’s not a patient person.”

***

Having parked in front of Taeyong’s big ass mansion, I made my way to the main entrance and rang the bell. The doors opened a few seconds later, and Jaehyun looked at me from head to toe, stepping to the side, letting me in.

It was my first time in Taeyong’s palace, and the interior was breathtaking. Everything looked expensive, and everyone must’ve felt the wow effect during their first visit. Though I knew he had a shit load of money, witnessing his wealth first hand was an unforgettable experience.

“Stay here, I’ll get Taeyong,” Jaehyun ordered, and I smiled sheepishly, not wanting to mess with someone who could easily murder me. “Don’t touch anything,” Jaehyun added as he turned around, catching me red-handed on trying to brush my fingers against the sculpture, which was set on a coffee table.

Two minutes later, Taeyong joined me in the spacious living room.

“Lucas told me you won,” he spoke as he plopped down onto a leather couch, putting his hands into the pocket of his disgusting green tracksuit. “Good job.”

“Is that why you wanted to see me? To congratulate me?” I asked out loud, wanting to smack myself the moment the words left my mouth. Of course, Taeyong didn’t want to congratulate me; he had invited me to his mansion before the race even began.

“No,” he replied shortly, and I smiled sheepishly, trying to forget this incident. “You know what I will never tolerate?” Taeyong asked, and I sighed in thought.

“I don’t know… Hmm… it’s a wild guess, but is it Hawaiian pizza?”

“No,” Taeyong denied, smirking at my random guess. “I will never tolerate treason, doll.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, trying to figure out what he meant. I hadn’t done anything to betray him, yet he still somehow found something to punish me for. No way, it wasn’t possible. Had he figured out how I really had stolen Yuta’s car?

Fuck.

“Come on, doll. Let me show you,” Taeyong whispered, standing up. With his eyes on me, he smiled and stretched his hand. Anxiously, I let him hold his palm around mine as he led me to the basement.

It wasn’t a good omen.

Despite all of my achievements, Taeyong was going to kill me.

“The pink really suits you,” Taeyong spoke out of the blue when we slowly made our way downstairs. “I really like this hair on you,” he added, playing with the ends of my wig.

“Thanks, I was hoping you’d like it,” I answered, trying not to show how intimidated I was.

“Oh, I do, doll,” he smirked, pushing a pair of big pine doors open, stepping to the side, letting me in first.

Inside the room were seven men tied to the chairs with a piece of cloth wrapped around their eyes. Since there was only one light bulb, it took me a while to recognize them.

They were my colleagues from the garage. What the hell were they doing here? Why had Taeyong imprisoned them? What had they done? It was them who had betrayed Taeyong? No, it didn’t make any sense. He wouldn’t have invited me if it was about them.

“I don’t understand…” I commented, my eyes focused on the tied men in front of me. The moment when I looked at Jisung, I saw a wound on his neck.

Then it hit me.

It was them.

They had tried to kill me last night.

“As I said, I cannot tolerate treason,” Taeyong voiced as he began to rip the makeshift blindfolds off their faces. “Working against the gang is unacceptable, and you dared to hurt one of your own,” he spoke, and I trembled, afraid to witness what’s going to happen next. “Who came up with this stupid plan?”

Silence.

“Alright then,” Taeyong concluded through gritted teeth. It was the first time I saw him this angry, and I was scared. I’d shit my pants if I were the reason for his wrath. “Come here, doll,” he ordered, wanting me to join him. “Pick your weapon,” he told me, and I looked at him in confusion. What did I need a weapon for?

I looked to the right and saw pegboard tool storage on the wall. It was an impressive collection of torture weapons, and Taeyong wanted me to use them on the traitors. It was wrong on so many levels, and I really didn’t want to do it, but the perspective of wronging Taeyong seemed even worse. I would rather hurt them than let Taeyong hurt me.

“We don’t have a whole night, doll,” Taeyong urged me, and I grabbed the first thing which was in my arms’ reach. It happened to be a hammer. “Excellent choice; who should we punish first?” Taeyong asked, resting his arm over my shoulder, smiling like a maniac. Without any doubt, it was to bring him a lot of pleasure.

“I don’t know…”

“Alright, then,” Taeyong smiled in amusement before he started to sing the eeny, meeny, miny, moe counting rhyme to select the first victim. At first, I didn’t look, but once Taeyong stopped singing, I opened my eyes to see that his finger was pointing at Haechan.

“Do what you gotta do, doll,” Taeyong ordered happily, leaning against the wall, making sure he had the best view at the scene unfolding in front of him.

I wanted to cry, but I tried my best not to. As a part of a gang, it was inappropriate to show vulnerability. I didn’t want Taeyong to revoke my membership, especially when the only way to leave the gang was through excruciating death.

“Where should I start?” I asked myself under my breath, having no idea how torturing worked. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a way of inflicting the least amount of pain, while maintaining the expected level of Taeyong’s satisfaction.

Having closed my eyes, I swung my arm, hitting Haechan’s palm with the hammer, making him groan in pain. “You bitch,” he cursed, and I repeated the blow a couple of times until his hand looked like a smashed pomegranate.

Haechan was yelling in pain, Taeyong was chuckling in amusement, and I tried my best to refrain myself from crying. Though I didn’t particularly like Haechan, and he had been a real pain in the ass with the bullying, he didn’t deserve such punishment. How was he supposed to work at the garage without his dominant hand? His career was basically over. It was a dick move to attack me, and though I was awfully petty, the punishment was too severe.

“Who came up with this stupid plan?” Taeyong questioned again, yet none of the boys dared to speak. Not even Haechan, who was in a tremendous amount of pain. “Here, hold this,” he added, handing me a baseball bat, “I got bored of the hammer.”

Obediently, I grabbed the baseball bat and hit Haechan in the stomach until he started coughing blood on my pink dress. “What the fuck?” I cursed, getting angry at the minor inconvenience.

“Stop it, you’ll kill him,” Jisung yelled, trying to shimmy himself out of the ties. “I did it. I told them to beat her up. She didn’t deserve to ride in this race,” he carried on, and Taeyong sighed, walking up to Jisung nonchalantly with his hands loosely tucked in the pockets.

“It wasn’t that hard, was it?” Taeyong asked as he bent a little and caressed Jisung’s chin. “I really appreciate your honesty,” he added before he pulled out a gun and shot him in the head.

It was hard to process, but he really did shoot Jisung.

“Good job, doll,” Taeyong congratulated me with a smile before he fired his gun once again, this time shooting through Haechan’s forehead. “What? He was useless without his hand anyway,” he commented upon seeing my shocked reaction.

“You’re not gonna kill them, are you?” I quietly asked as I leaned against Taeyong’s frame, clinging to his chest. None of them deserved to die, yet I hoped Taeyong would spare the remaining five.

“No, I think it was enough for them to learn their lesson,” Taeyong revealed, and I sighed in relief, glad the bloodshed was over. It was the first time I saw somebody get killed, and it was a morbid sight. I wouldn’t mentally handle the situation if he decided to murder them all.

“Can we go now? The blood makes me sick,” I confessed, and Taeyong once again wrapped his arm around my shoulder, pulled me to his side, and led outside. Surprisingly, regardless of what I had seen a while ago, his hug felt genuine. “I have a question, though.”

“Shoot.”

“How did you know it was them?”

Taeyong smirked, “who do you think was in that car that scared them off?”

“You?” I asked, cocking up my eyebrow, trying to process the newfound information.

“No, what I would be doing there?” Taeyong denied, making me even more confused. “I told Jaehyun to pick you up and bring to my mansion. However, when he saw you were attacked, he drove off and hunted them down.”

“I guess I owe him big time.”

[d3-iseefire]

Little Swan Lost Chapter 34

Note: Boom! Look who’s back! :D I’m sorry for taking so long to update, but I’m back now and we’re back on track! Also, a huge thank you to BeaverHatsAreTheCoolest who was kind enough to make some epic fanart for the story! You can check it out here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21840778

Bilba sat sandwiched between Cerys and Ori and tried to focus on the movie. She was idly chewing on her thumb nail, a bad habit she'd mostly broken and only reverted to in moments of high anxiety.

Like now.

Her eyes flickered to the door, but it remained shut.

What in the world was keeping him?

It wasn't so much that she wanted Thorin to come back, as much as she wanted to stop stressing about him coming back.

"Popcorn?" A giant bowl full of fluffy kernels appeared under her nose, culled from the small kitchen area behind them. Bilba hadn't realized they even had popcorn back there, but Ori had sniffed it out with laser focused efficiency.

"I'm not really hungry." Bilba pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around her knees. At Cerys and Ori's urging she'd gone and changed back into her nightclothes and pulled a robe on before returning to sit on the couch.

"We should totally have a spa day," Ori said, eyes going to Bilba's bare toes where they were braced on the edge of the couch. She toed off her slippers and held out her hands to reveal her fingernails and toenails were painted with a very pretty pink and gold floral pattern.

"Maybe," Bilba said non-committedly. She rested her head on her knees. On the television, the main heroine had just met her love interest in classic romantic comedy fashion, by spilling a full cup of coffee on him. "You ever notice they only react to getting a giant coffee stain?" she asked absently. "Isn't the coffee fresh?"

Ori's eyes narrowed. "That is so true. He should be screaming in pain from the burns."

"Less romantic," Cerys said. "How did you two meet? Oh, I spilled coffee on him, versus I gave him second degree burns and permanent scarring."

"True," Bilba conceded. Inwardly she cringed at the thought of someone one day asking Thorin how they'd met, officially, and him responding with the story of her almost getting him killed and leaving him with bruised ribs.

Not that she was suggesting their story was anything close to a romantic comedy, or that she had any intention of falling in love with him. Just that...if someone asked...and... there were parallels...and...and she was just going to stop thinking about it now.

The door opened and Bilba jumped. Her arms tightened around her legs and her toes curled into the cushion of the couch.

Cerys leapt to her feet as Thorin walked in. Bilba stayed seated because her body was literally frozen in place while Ori stayed seated because she was Ori.

"Ladies." Thorin frowned at her, and Bilba tried to not noticeably cringe. "Are you all right?"

Bilba nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry to have caused trouble."

He scowled. "You should be able to walk around your own home without risk of harassment."

"That she should," Ori said with a dark look at Thorin as if she held him personally responsible rather than her husband who was actually in charge of palace safety.

Thorin shook his head and frowned at the movie. Ori had paused it when he'd come in and it was frozen on a scene of the heroine frantically trying to help the love interest clean off the coffee stain only rip his shirt half off in the process. "What are you watching?"

"A romantic comedy, Your Highness," Ori drawled. She gestured to the couch. "You should join us. Maybe you'd learn something."

Bilba tensed, expecting Thorin to explode at the blatant disrespect. Instead, he simply raised an eyebrow. "Learn what? How to get scalded and have my clothing ripped off? I'll pass."

The thought of him having his clothing ripped off called to mind the memory of him without a shirt on and Bilba quickly focused on her feet as her face went red hot.

Thorin started to move toward his room, only to pause and half turn back. "Would you care to join me tomorrow for breakfast?" he asked Bilba.

Bilba gaped at him.

Ori gaped at him.

Cerys, who was still standing at attention, gaped at him.

"Uh," Bilba started to say...something but, before she could, Ori piped up.

"Sorry, I beat you to it," she said cheerfully. "Maybe the day after?"

Thorin's eyes narrowed. "Don't you and Dwalin usually eat with us?"

"Normally," Ori agreed, "but I promised I'd take Bilba to King's Landing tomorrow. They make great omelets."

Bilba tried her best to keep her face neutral even as she privately panicked.

Ori was lying.

Lying.

To THORIN.

She swallowed down a dry throat. Was this a test? If she said something she'd be disloyal to Ori, who was connected to the Captain of the Guard and the Spymaster. If she didn't say anything, however, she'd be showing disloyalty to Thorin.

Before she could come to a decision, Thorin turned toward his room again. "All right, day after then."

He vanished into his room, pulling the door shut behind him, and Bilba twisted around to stare wide-eyed at Ori. "What was that?"

"That," Ori said in a droll voice, "was me saving you from having to sit across from Kyra for an entire meal. At least for tomorrow, we'll have to figure something out for the next day."

Oh, Bilba thought. She'd known Kyra ate with Thorin at times, earlier that day for example when she'd intercepted them. Had she known the woman ate with the entire family at meals? She couldn't remember, but it certainly didn't surprise her.

"She's everywhere I turn." As soon as the words left her mouth, Bilba flinched and mentally kicked herself. Ori and Kyra were friends, and she was sure Cerys had far more loyalty to Erebor's ever present ambassador than she did to the interloper.

"You know," Ori said slowly, "you do outrank her, by a lot. You can set ground rules."

"Oh, I'm sure Thorin would love that." Bilba tried to keep the bitterness from her voice. She didn't want to be bitter, but some days were easier than others. "Everyone loves her, and they hate me."

"They just don't know you yet," Ori said, patting her on the knee. "You'll see. You just need to get out and let them see you, the real you."

Bilba snorted. "They'll probably throw things at me."

"Only if they want to deal with me or Gareth," Cerys said in a voice that was almost dangerously calm. She'd sat back on the couch again after Thorin had left and drawn her legs up to sit cross-legged on the small cushion.

"I thought you and Kyra were friends?" Bilba said to Ori, carefully. She had no idea why the other woman would want her to gain any positive ground, not if it meant upsetting Kyra.

Ori shrugged. "I consider you both my friends, and this is the best thing for both of you. You'll get the media to shut up, and she'll stop believing her own press."

"Her own press?" Bilba asked blankly.

Ori nodded. "She hears all the same news stories, and she gets all the pitying looks and all that stuff." She waved her hand as she spoke. The more excited Ori got the more animated she tended to get. "So she starts believing it, you know? Poor me and all that, and then she starts deciding it's fine for her to do stupid crap like hanging out with Thorin in here or going to lunch with him and so forth."

"You feel sorry for her," Bilba said, with a mix of surprise and resignation. She wasn't sure how to feel about that revelation. On the one hand it felt like a refreshing level of honesty. On the other hand, it felt like of course another Kyra supporter.

It also, just a little bit, felt manipulative.

Bilba was very, very familiar with manipulation. Her grandfather had the singular gift of being able to talk out of both sides of his mouth and appear completely genuine and sincere the entire time. Speaking to him was terrifying because she had no way of knowing if he was being straightforward or setting her up.

She'd been wrong more than once and always paid a heavy price for her mistake.

"I feel sorry for both of you," Ori went on. "It's an awful situation all the way around, and Thorin certainly isn't helping."

Bilba tilted her head ever so slightly, considering. Was that it? Was Ori trying to gauge what her feelings were about Thorin? The muscle deep soreness in her side was testament to almost getting Thorin killed, and now Ori was bringing him up and trying to see if Bilba would disparage him? Ori, who was married to Dwalin and sister to Nori.

Her stomach clenched, and Bilba's fingers dug into her knees. "I'm sure he's struggling just as much as the rest of us," she said softly. "His entire life was upended."

"So was yours," Ori groused. "At least he wasn't uprooted and sent halfway across the world from his family and friends, where everyone keeps treating him like some sort of old school villain."

Bilba made a non-committal sound and focused on the still frozen television screen. She had no idea what the "correct" response was and was too nervous to try and guess. Not when she now officially knew that Erebor had a Spymaster and that anything she said to Ori would undoubtedly make its way straight to him.

"In any event," Cerys said suddenly, breaking into the silence, "nothing is going to change overnight, and we did come in here to watch a movie, didn't we?"

"True enough, Ori said, slumping back against the couch back. "Movie tonight and then, first thing in the morning, we'll start work on reforming your image." She shoved an arm in the air, finger pointing toward the ceiling. "Starting at King's Landing with omelets!"

Bilba, who'd been in the process of sending Cerys a look of gratitude for changing the topic, felt her smile fade. She wanted to get out and go to college and work in the bakery and maybe see the ballet school but wanting to do it was a bit different than actually doing it."

Okay, a lot different.  

She'd be out in the open, surrounded by the public, who openly hated her.

Cerys put a hand over hers and she started. "It'll be all right, Your Highness," the dark-haired woman said. "Gareth and I will be there, along with plenty of security."

"Good palace security," Ori cut in. "Not like that asshole."

"No," Cerys growled. "Gareth and I will put together a team for you, one you can trust. If you ever feel uncomfortable you'll be able to turn to any of us on the team with complete faith." She leaned forward and flashed a grin at Ori. "Don't tell the Captain that I implied I was better at picking guards than he was."

Ori laughed. "Don't worry, I'm going to tell him to his face, from me."

She grabbed the remote as she spoke and started the movie playing again before retrieving her bowl of popcorn to munch on.

Bilba sighed and tried to focus on the movie and not think about the next day.

She wasn't entirely sure if she wouldn't have been better off having to deal with Kyra.

                                                     ***

"I hear there was an issue with your young wife last night."

Thorin frowned as the words registered and pulled himself away from the email he'd been reading on his phone. He'd slept poorly the night before and, while he'd managed to drag himself down to breakfast, he wasn't entirely awake yet.

He focused on his father. "There was a problem with one of the guards. It's been dealt with."

Thrain did not look convinced. "She certainly seems to attract trouble."

Thorin scowled. His father was referencing the mishap at the beach which he, as a matter of course, had been briefed on. "She's a dancer. She was practicing in the ballroom when one of the guards took it upon himself to accost her."

"She chose an odd time to practice," the king said flatly.

"I quite agree," Kyra spoke up from the other side of the table. "Rather inappropriate if you ask me."

"I did not," Thrain said. He continued to stare at her after he'd spoken, until an awkward silence had fallen. Kyra's face turned increasingly red and her hand clenched on her fork.

Thorin cleared his throat. "She can hardly be faulted for not being able to sleep. I've been known to walk the gardens late, and Frerin trains at all hours."

Frerin glanced up from his phone with a confused frown. "What?"

Thorin waved at him to go back to what he'd been doing. "Besides," he continued, still focused on his father, "aren't you the one wanting her to leave her room more often?"

The king grunted. "When I said that I meant in public, during the day, not scurrying about at night like a frightened mouse."

"In that case," Thorin said with satisfaction, "you'll be happy to know she's off having breakfast with Ori this morning."

Somewhat to his surprise, his father's scowl deepened. "She sits down to eat with your guard's wife before she comes to eat with her own family?"

"Perhaps she was concerned she wouldn't be welcome," Dis broke in from where she was struggling to get Kili to sit still for five seconds. On her other side, Fili had his nose buried in a book, other hand holding a fork a bit of egg impaled on it. Thorin was pretty sure it was the same bit that had been there five minutes earlier when he'd glanced at the boy.

"The irregularities have been corrected," the Thrain said, "and I've been more than patient in allowing her to 'settle in' as you advised."

Thorin grimaced. The "irregularities" his father referenced referred to Hadra and Dardren and the fact that they'd openly lied about the girl refusing invitations to meals. His father had virtually banned her from the table at one point, angry over what he saw as blatant disrespect.

He'd been ready to order the girl before him, but Dis had calmed him down, citing the fact the princess had been uprooted from all she'd known and married to a stranger in a foreign land. She'd suggested patience and, surprisingly, Thrain had agreed.

Or maybe not surprising. He'd always had a soft spot for Dis, not only for her loss of Vili but also the fact that she'd provided him with grandchildren.

Thorin's eyes caught on Kyra and saw her looking at him, wide-eyed. He knew she was thinking of how awkward it would be having her and Bilba there at the same time, across from one another.

He quite agreed but wasn't sure how to address it. Certainly, Bilba had the right to be there as his wife, but Kyra was family. He couldn't very well exclude her from meals, could he? Force her to eat alone while they all ate together?

"I want to see her when she returns," Thrain said.

The words registered and Thorin scowled at his father. "I have meetings scheduled for most of the day."

"I didn't say you had to be involved," Thrain growled. "Have the girl's guard alerted. As soon as she returns she's to be escorted to my office. I've gone long enough not meeting my new daughter-in-law."

"Fine," Thorin muttered. "I'll make sure she's sent up."

"Is she pregnant yet?" Thrain suddenly demanded, seeming to change topics without rhyme or reason. It was a common trait of his, and one that had more than once left some poor councilor or aide mired in confusion as they struggled to keep up.

Kyra sucked in a harsh gasp and the fork in her hand clattered onto her plate.

"No," Thorin growled. His hand, resting on his thigh, dug into his leg. He was already in a poor mood from the lack of sleep and the pain of his bruised ribs and his father wasn't helping. No doubt the man knew that and was using it to his own purpose. People who were tired and in pain were far easier to push, and once someone was pushed far enough they tended to reveal things they wouldn't have otherwise.

Some people anyway. Thorin had long grown used to his father and, while the man could certainly be irritating, it didn't mean Thorin would slip up and start babbling like an idiot.

"And why not?" Thrain asked. "Are you incapable of --"

"Father!" Dis had her hand over Kili's ears and was giving her father a pointed look. "Not in front of the children, please!"

Next to her, Fili was still staring at his book, but Thorin saw his eyes flick up a few times, showing he was listening but pretending not to.

Thrain muttered under his breath. "It's important Erebor have an heir as soon as possible."

"Erebor has three heirs," Dis said in annoyance. "Your grandsons, and youngest son in case you've forgotten."

Frerin was looking up as well, Thorin noticed, having actually put his phone down for once.

"The throne is passed through the oldest son," Thrain stated, placing his own fork and knife on his plate with a clatter. "There are many who'd challenge Frerin's claim, and even more who would challenge Fili or Kili. I want my legacy ironclad, and that will only happen if the throne passes through Thorin and his progeny."

Hurt flashed through Frerin's eyes and Thorin resisted the urge to yell at his father. It would do no good, it never had in the past and trying again would simply be a waste of breath.

His father, unfortunately, held a deep paranoia concerning the throne of Erebor. They'd lost it once and, now that they'd reclaimed it, he was deeply afraid of losing it again. He was forever taking steps that he felt would ensure the throne could never again be lost. Some of those steps made sense. Others, not so much.

Frerin reached for his phone again. Before he could grab it, Thorin caught his eyes and flashed him a reassuring smile. Frerin gave a small one in return before looking down at his screen.

Frerin knew their father loved him, just as he loved Dis and the boys. He did. He just sometimes had a tendency to let his concern for the throne override his concern for his family.

Realizing he'd lost his appetite, Thorin pushed his plate back and stood to his feet. They rarely stood on ceremony at the table, allowing them to come and go as they pleased. It was a fact he'd never been so grateful for before. As he stood he heard his father grumble under his breath, but the man made no attempt to stop him.  

He nodded toward Dis and the boys, received three smiles in return and headed out of the room.

As he reached the stairs, he heard hurrying footsteps and then Kyra was there alongside him. "Has he been harassing you like that all along?"

"More or less." Thorin sighed. "Here's hoping he doesn't dump that on Bilba. He can be intense and the last thing she needs is him demanding she provide an heir."

"Does he know?" Kyra said in a low voice. "That you haven't--"

Thorin shot her a dark look and Kyra snapped her mouth shut. The last thing he needed was for word to get out that he hadn't consummated his marriage. The media would have a field day with it.

They reached the top of the stairs and headed toward their respective offices. Kyra appeared ready to walk to his office with him so Thorin deliberately stopped outside of her office door, forcing her to stop with him. "I'll speak to you later."

She frowned. "Are you sure? If you need to talk--"

"I'm fine," Thorin said. He was not fine. He was in pain; he was tired and he was deeply irritated. "I'll see you later."

"Okay." She reached out and placed her hand on his forearm. "I hope your day goes better."

Thorin nodded tightly and turned toward his own office.

He had a long day in front of him but, for the moment, there was only one thought on his mind.

Finding a damn aspirin.

  Follow On AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1743620/chapters/3723188

[fieldnotesconfidential]

Oh. Yes. In. Deed. Definitely Highlight Zee Main Concerns. *in some kinda Nordic-Germanic accent*

*from the other room* How was “the day spa”?

Funny. At least you’ve tagged “and bagged” a handful more.

👽Good lord! You’re actually killing these people at that facility???👽

Nibru, please. We are all simply identifying them within the network, tagging them to track to prevent more deaths, and adding them into our surveillance matrix.

👽Hahahahaha! Like that movie? Holy shit that makes so much more sense now, in a very fucked up and backwards way.👽

I’m not sure it even realizes itself.

*from the other room* Amazing work. Fantastic simulation. Apologies on the undue stress, however, thank you for translating “The Curse of LaLarona” or whatever.

👽Have you seen that one?👽

I fell asleep, too many errors in the plot and research that went into it that they obviously did not do bef...

👽Oh here we go.👽

*from the other room* Okay, and the prescription drug network?

Ugh, okay, here goes. I’m saying this aloud so I don’t have to type up a field report later. Okay, so, this one guy, I will just call him ‘Guy A’, I will out the names in the official, sealed reports, is going around amassing an army of, um, uh... like, guys and gals who you wouldn’t particularly want to meet late at night in an alley unless you know a Ju-Jitzu or something. Anyway, he is attempting to cover people’s mental health prescription costs (when in reality that is actually the STATE OF IOWA doing that) and is using a strategic network of dealership cars to try and get the people filling the meds to think it’s him or this other guy, I will just call him ‘Guy B’, who is covering the cost. The wacky thing is, Guy A and Guy B and most certainly Guys C, D, and E are the ones controlling this entire drug operation that specifically caused the mental health issues of the people getting their mental health prescriptions filled and fully-covered.

👽This sounds like a screenplay. Um, how about: Hot Guy Vigilantes: Air Quotes Around The Word Vigilantes?👽

I love it. However, working title?

👽Obviously.👽

*from the other room* Okay, Agent, do you have the documents showing the specific drug names and how they are being written, etc., etc., etc.?

Yes. Photo evidence. By the way, drug prices are out of hand, thank you for the coverage. As for the drug ring, the highlighted areas seem to be the concern and cause for confusion:

👽Good thing you have some of our DNA so it doesn’t really matter, like, *that* much.

*from the other room* Are you going to take them?

👽Is one that one that makes you hot and thin? The designer Hollywood one???👽

*from the other room* Goddammit, Nibru! Are you even listening??? That’s what all of this is about!

👽Jeez! Sorry! My species is just naturally like that following the correct diet and exerc...👽

I am going to take them as prescribed, hopefully they’ll kill m...

*from the other room* If you take them all at once just to shortcut to reset, God so help me I will send you RIGHT back to “the day spa”.

Yeah. I get it. Also, Nibru, literally everyone currently on Earth is like that. Diet and exercise. That’s it. People can not fathom that as the answer. People “do not have time” for “all of that”. That pill is completely unnecessary, but it’s too tempting to most people. Once the entire ring is brought down, which will probably never happen, an entire subset of the population is going to flip the fuck out. This has to be a gradual societal shift and refocusing of priorities and tapering, it’s this whole thing, okay?

👽Got it! Jeez! I can’t wait till everyone dies out and my people can have this planet back and fix it.👽

Yeah, yeah, yeah, just chill. It’s gonna be awhile.

[brainrattlers]

I Hope I Can Handle It (Part 5/?)

Summary: Sequel to “Think You Can Handle It?” - Reader is in a long-distance relationship, and is traveling for the holidays to see her man.

Pairing: Sebastian Stan x reader

Words:  3174

Warnings: Oh geez, fluff. Nervousness/anxiety in social situations, but not too bad. Mentioning of getting naked. (aww yeah!)  Still... PG-13.  I’m not comfortable enough to go past that phase (yet?).

A/N: For the amount of time this chapter covers, it is kind of long. But it was the most fun part to write so far. I hope you all enjoy!  Tags are open, and are at the bottom.  I haven’t edited this too much, if there is a missing word or two, I’m sure I’ll find them.

(Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4)

“Sebastian, I am so glad you made it!  I know it was so last second…” The woman kissed both of his cheeks, before turning to you.  “And this must be Y/N!”  Unexpectedly, she pulled you in for the same greeting.  Sebastian chuckled.  “I’m so glad you both are here, and that he’s giving me an opportunity to do something a little matchy matchy.  Shall we get started?”

You shrugged your shoulders.  “Sure?”

“Excellent. Sebastian, honey, your tux is in the back.  If you want to head back there, Miguel will be happy to help get things perfect.  And you, Y/N, Sebastian gave me a few ideas to work with, so I have a few designs to show you.  Come, come!  We’ve got a lot of work to do!”  Pulled away, Sebastian winked at you, blowing a kiss.

Being pulled into another back room, the designer grabbed a tape measure and a few sheets of newsprint, along with a few fabric swatches.  Awkwardly  being told to get down to your underwear to get measurements, she gave you a peek into the ideas that were brewing in her mind, getting your input along the way.  After about an hour of being measured and pinned, you imagined this is what the models feel like on Project Runway.

“Alright sweetie, I think Sebastian is done, and I’ve got what I need for right now.  I hope I’m not ruining anything but I hope you have a super relaxing afternoon… and I will see you for final tweaks on this dress right before you head out for the evening!  Have fun, honey!”

It was all a blur, but you thanked her for the time spent, and was actually excited to see what was going to come of it in just a few hours.  You went back into the main room of the store and met Sebastian.

“Hey baby girl, you ready for an afternoon of getting pampered and ready for the night?” He kissed your nose before heading back out to the street. “I hope you don’t mind, because, well, makeup and hair really aren’t my big thing, but I’ve got some appointments set up so you can get all dolled up… and I’ve got a meeting about an upcoming project.”

“No, that’s fine babe.  Besides, I think you’d probably be really bored waiting around on me getting ready, plus… I’m not sure what sort of makeup protocol goes with these sorts of events.  I’m glad you’re putting me in able, and far more qualified hands.”

“Okay good.  Well I believe your ride is here to whisk you off… enjoy your afternoon, my queen.”  Sebastian kissed your hand, and helped you into the car before doing an about face to get in the waiting car behind it.

The blush on your face stayed in place for quite a while.  Your driver dropped you off at a day spa, where a whole package of events was planned.  Starting with a massage, your stress of not knowing what to expect the rest of the day melted away.  Next was getting your hair done, and finally your makeup.  Not even when you got ready for the big dance in high school, or even your cousin’s wedding did you ever get this gussied up.  Turning around for a final reveal, you almost didn’t recognize yourself, and it took all of your will to not get teared up, and messing your makeup.

A stylist arrived with the designer, gown in hand.  You couldn’t believe the colors of the fabric, and how it felt beautiful sliding over your skin.  The stylist tried several pairs of shoes, finding the perfect look and fit.  A clutch was put in your hand.

“Damn girl, you look amazing.  But we’re missing something... “

“You’re right.  What could it be?”

Sebastian rounded the corner into your dressing area, and gave a long slow whistle as he eyed you up and down.  The dress hugged your curves in the right spots, and hid the others that you were iffy about.  You actually felt comfortable in your skin, the gown making it feel even better.

“You look…”  You could tell he was searching for the right words, smirking when he picked it out. “Phenomenal.  Gorgeous. Sexy as hell.”

Feeling quite warm at the compliments, you gave him a once-over, noticing the details.  Sebastian’s bowtie was the same fabric as your gown, and the shirt a complimenting color.

“You don’t look so bad yourself.  You know I love you in tuxes….”  Your tongue unconsciously  licked your lips.

“Ladies, you’re right, I think I know what it is missing though.”  Sebastian pulled a blue box from his pocket, opening it in front of you.  “I had a little help picking out what would accent this dress, but I think you make it look perfect.”  A thin necklace with a delicate pendant, encrusted in jewels was placed around your neck.  You fingered it gingerly, looking in the mirror.  Knowing that these events, celebrities often are showcasing items like dresses, tuxedos, and jewelry from various designers, you tried to not get down about having to give it all back at the end of the night.  As Sebastian fastened the clasp, he whispered in your ear.

“Did you just say you loved me?”

Your knees went weak. He said it in a tone that he KNEW would cause you to stutter.  He is the cat who loves playing with the mouse before going in for the kill.  The look you gave him was akin to deer in headlights. It was too early to say such things.  You didn’t just SAY that.  You even clarified with “in tuxes.” Trying to dig your way out of this hole that you were sinking into, he saved you at the last moment with another whisper in your ear.

“Well I love you in this dress, baby girl.”  He kissed the shell of your ear before grabbing your hand to do a twirl for him and the small audience.  The designer and stylist clapped and whistled, sending your confidence soaring.  You thanked them both for everything this afternoon, and said you hoped to do them proud tonight.  

You hadn’t realized just how much time was spent getting dressed, because you noticed it was getting dark outside, and Sebastian’s phone buzzed.

“Hey babe, it is time to hit the road, are you ready?”

You quickly hugged everyone involved in this amazing transformation, and were ushered outside to the waiting car.  Sebastian helped you inside, and then sat next to you, holding your hand.  Your other hand’s fingers idly fingered the pendant hanging from around your neck. For some reason though, you were a little nervous.

“Seb? What is our signal for tonight? I… I’m starting to get a little nervous.”

“How about... being cold? Maybe something like ‘I’m a little chilly, I could really use some hot cocoa’?”

You involuntarily shivered.  Nerves were starting to get the best of you.

Sebastian chuckled and kissed your knuckles.  “You’re going to do great.  Just remember the signal.  I’ll be there with you the whole time, if something happens to my queen, I will be within mere footsteps to save m’lady.”

You nodded, and squeezed his hand.  The car slowed to a stop at a fancy looking building.  A few photographers lingered outside, snapping photos of the arrivals to the event.  Sebastian climbed out of the car, and leaned in to help you scoot out, and make a graceful exit.  Upon getting upright, he offered his elbow as you looped your arm into it, smiling for the cameras as each hollered to look in various directions.  Sensing your literal chilliness, he nodded to the photographers and guided you inside the warm building with his hand on your lower back.  Shortly past the front door was a carpet and backdrop, with a number of other photographers waiting patiently to photograph all those who strolled along the carpet to the ballroom entrance.

“Sebastian! Over here!”

He offered up his million dollar smile and walked toward the carpet.  You’d helped at a few events, none of this caliber, but similar enough to know that plus ones stood off to the side of the backdrop, allowing photos to be taken, and questions to be asked about thoughts regarding the organization and the work they do, what they happen to be wearing, upcoming projects, etc. You held back as Sebastian’s hand guided your back again, but you held steady, shaking your head, then nodding to him to go ahead.  It was his moment, not yours.  He was the one they wanted to see, to have a moment of his time.

He smiled as the flashbulbs flickered, looking in random directions at various lenses.  His brow furrowed though, when he saw you standing alone, off to the side.  Even if the photogs didn’t care, he did, and stepped away toward you for a moment, pulling you to the carpet, and into his side.  

“Sebastian! Is this your girlfriend? What’s her name? What are you two wearing?”

“That gown is gorgeous!  Love how it matches!”

“Y/N Y/L/N! Are you excited to be in New York for Christmas?  Big plans?”

The question caught you off-guard.  You weren’t expecting someone to know who you were, but they were kind enough to include you in the craziness of the carpet.

You smiled to the cameras.  “It has been a wonderful visit so far.  I haven’t a clue what else is going on during my trip, but your city is lovely!”  

A journalist asked whom you were wearing, and asked you to give a 360.  You answered enthusiastically, giving a slow twirl and a pose for the paparazzi.  If you didn’t feel like you were absolutely glowing while the stylists were working on you earlier, you certainly were now.  Any negative butterflies you had waiting to go in vanished, and you felt like the belle of the ball, literally, with shutters clicking and flash bulbs snapping.

“Hey Sebastian, your lady here is stealing your spotlight!”

A round of chuckles came from the press as the flashes of light continued.  A round of “Awww!”s came from the crowd as he showed a little PDA, kissing your cheek before nodding at the photographers and guiding you off of the carpet.

“Alright my little ham, I thought you were nervous?”  Sebastian chuckled in your ear as you entered the event hall. People everywhere were mingling, chatting with yet more media types, and networking with everyone in various fields, all there to celebrate the cause.  Sebastian mingled, you on his arm, nibbling on finger foods and drinking champagne.  A few more photos happened with the both of you, including a few shots for Seb’s Instagram, tagging you and the designer.  You tagged your stylist as well… might as well give credit where credit is due, right?  You also took some selfies with Sebastian to send to family and friends.  This was the most elegant you had ever been dressed, and you knew everyone back home would get a kick out of it as well.

The half hour Sebastian recommended staying turned into nearly 3 hours, with a little bit of dancing (oh yes, he twirled you around the floor in a waltz, and even attempted a tango before turning bright red after stepping on his own feet repeatedly), more finger food, and meeting a number of Seb’s acquaintances, including a few in the hospitality/restaurant industry. After a little champagne, not only were you piping up into conversations, but you also were starting them.  You had so many questions regarding how it all works, inevitably telling stories about Mama J, and her plans, and how you wished to help.  You gained valuable insight, and even a few phone numbers/email addresses to talk further in a less-party setting.  For as cut-throat as the world may seem sometimes, everyone you talked to had huge hearts.  It didn’t really surprise you though, Sebastian always seems to surround himself with amazing people. Smart, funny, genuine people.  

In his eyes, you were one of them.  He was beaming, watching you come out of your shell after being so nervous on the ride over. Seeing that you were putting yourself out there, getting the info you were after, and networking. He was so excited, watching you get excited about helping out Mama J.  He noticed you intently listening, all while taking mental notes as you fingered the pendant around your neck.

The crowd began to thin, and you were collecting business cards and contact info from your new acquaintances.  You thanked everyone for their input, and profusely thanked Sebastian for giving you the opportunity to do this, despite your initial reservations.  As the car arrived to take you back home, you curled into his side, him holding his arm around your shoulders and resting his cheek atop your head.

“You have a good evening, baby girl?”  Sebastian whispered before kissing the top of your head.

“Yeah,” curling up tighter with him, “It’s kind of fun playing dress-up with all this.” Your fingers were lightly touching the collar of your gown, sliding over your necklace, and to the other side, feeling the fabric again.  “You know some really great people, Seb. And I feel like I got a lot of good info to help out Mama J.  I’m so excited, I just need to figure out how to make it all work, maybe save up a little bit extra for her to make it easier.” You bit your lip, thinking. “IF she’ll let me.”

“Mama J is lucky to have you.  Lot of people were asking about you, you made a pretty good first impression. So… I have another question for you then, Miss Popular… some friends of mine are having a little friends Christmas Eve dinner tomorrow night. Would you want to come with? Much smaller than this AND you don’t have to get all dressed up, if you don’t want to.”

“You mean I can’t wear this again tomorrow?”

“Sorry baby girl, you can’t be seen wearing the same thing twice.”  You both laughed.

“Okay.  I’m a little sad I don’t get to play dress up again, but I’ll go.”

Digging the phone out of your clutch, you started scrolling through the notifications that had piled up during the event.  A few texts from Y/F/N came up, saying she wanted more photos of you in that dress, then another of “The two of you are trending on Twitter, some of the photos of you in that amazing gown already are online! You are such a show off!”

A few photos of Sebastian and yourself were being passed around on Instagram and Twitter.  You double-tapped, and commented on a few about what a wonderful evening it was, how it was a pleasure to be there.  You noticed a few candid shots of you that Seb slipped in. Not even sure when he shot them, you looked up at him, giant smirk on his face as he watched you scroll through.  Tears were threatening to escape your eyes. Profile head shots of you talking with people, full-body shots of you laughing while chatting with someone else.  You looked like you were meant to be there, like it was nothing new.

“So beautiful, she is my everything. I am so lucky. <3”

He pulled you in tight and kissed the top of your head again. “It’s true, baby girl. You look amazing tonight, more so than you always do.  I know you aren’t supposed to talk about exes,” Sebastian paused for a second, closing his eyes, opening them to meet yours again, “But in the past, I always was compelled to keep relationships quiet. With you, I want to shout it from the rooftops. I WANT to show you.. US… off.”

Without a second thought, you pulled his face down to yours and kissed him fervently.

Pulling apart, both of you shared a dazed stare, catching your breath.  Something set Sebastian off again, kissing you deeply, leaving you feeling like a couple of horny teenagers in the backseat of the car making out.  Between kisses, he whispered things in your ear, causing you to blush with every kiss.

“You are beautiful.”

“You are so smart, and funny…”

“You are my queen.”

“You are my everything.”

The last kiss lasted until you felt the car slow as it pulled to a corner, and you slid apart, smoothing out your hair and gown.  Sebastian hopped out of the car and ran around to the other side, opening the door and helping you out. Upon stepping on the curb, Sebastian shut the door and started guiding you toward his building, but stopping a moment.

“Hold on a sec, there has been something I’ve wanted to to do for a while…” A wolfish grin spread upon his lips.  He grabbed you around your midsection, pulling you up and slinging you over his shoulder, fireman-style. You squealed, laughing as he carried you to the building, your fists playfully smacking his back.  Getting you back, he smacked you on the bottom, making you gasp and squeal more.  

“How DARE you treat your queen in such a manner!” you feigned shock, but truly were aghast as he playfully turned his head and nipped at your gown-covered behind.  Reaching down, you smacked him on the butt as he carried you into the elevator. The two of you couldn’t stop laughing on the ride up the floors. Once the doors opened, he continued carrying you to the door, balancing you precariously as he unlocked the door.  As soon as he could get the two of you inside, he kicked the door shut behind him, carrying you to the bedroom.  Gingerly, he plopped you on the bed, crawling on top of you to continue the kissing that was going on in the car.  Things got pretty heated, until you pushed Sebastian back, giving you a concerned look.

“Babe, we need to get out of these clothes. I’d hate to rip that tuxedo right off of you…”

“Good point, don’t want to ruin that pretty dress of yours…”

Pushing Sebastian up, you undid his tie, sliding it from his neck and draping it over the chair.  Next came the jacket, and his shirt.  Sebastian couldn’t take it, turning you around to slowly unhook your necklace, placing it on the dresser, along with the gown, kissing your shoulders as they became bare.  Stepping out of the dress, you gently placed it over the chair, as Sebastian did with the rest of his tuxedo.  Immediately the two of you dove into bed, kissing and giggling.

“Do you have an early morning tomorrow?”

“Nope, Christmas Eve and Day are off, why do you ask?”

You kissed along Sebastian’s jawline, and whispered against his ear. “I think you’re in for a long night.  Think you can handle it?”

Sebastian’s eyes darkened, looking deep into yours.  “You have no idea what you are in for, baby girl…”

Part 6

TAGS: @dawn121, @sceaterian, @pennyroyalcreep, @karollbey, @discophony,  @imamoose​, @skatinginpr0gress, @bluebrrn, @goldwanderer

[mikeyd1986]

MIKEY’S PERSONAL BLOG 49, April 2017

Last week, I enrolled myself in a free online Wellbeing course through the MindSpot Clinic. It’s a self-paced course which offers lots of information about ways to deal with anxiety, depression, worries, low mood and stress. I’m currently working through Lesson 2 which focuses on challenging your thoughts. There is also a therapist available who you can contact via the website or over the phone as well as additional resources, online questionnaires and client case stories to help you work through the issues you’re currently dealing with. https://mindspot.org.au/wellbeing-c...

On Tuesday morning, I had my flu vaccine at work. I’ve always hated needles and injections of any kind but today I was trying hard to remain calm and collected about it. It really helped that I had some fellow team members there to distract me. The string of the syringe wasn’t too bad but I was more anxious about the side effects after sitting back down in the tearoom. http://www.immunise.health.gov.au/i...

For the first five or ten minutes, I was fine...until I began sweating and became light headed. “Oh shit! Here we go again.” I thought to myself as the nurse named Sharon escorted me over to the sofa to lie down and elevate my legs on the cushion. She also gave me a glass of water and applied a damp cloth to my forehead. It was actually comforting rather than embarrassing having my workmates ask me if I was feeling okay. I just accepted my negative reaction and after a few minutes, I was feeling much better and the colour was returning in my face.

On Tuesday night, I went to my Body Combat class at YMCA Casey ARC in Narre Warren. Sadly, my usual instructor Cinamon Guerin was away tonight and we had a lady named Paula instead. Paula was still very encouraging and motivating throughout the class saying things like “Well done guys. Keep it up.” and “You’re nearly there.” I actually did pretty well following the movements during the first half of the class, which was mostly jab boxes, upper cuts, high knees and side kicks.

But I have to admit that I was fatiguing pretty hard tonight. The step lunges were really difficult for me and the push-up section absolutely killed me. I was actually beginning to feel nauseous during the Muay Thai track but thankfully didn’t throw up for real. By the time I got to the last Power Combat track, I literally had “nothing left in the tank” as Lisa-Faye from The Biggest Loser: Transformed would say. https://www.lesmills.com/workouts/f...

On Wednesday night, I went down to YMCA Casey ARC to do my Water Workout class. The pool and the carpark were both absolutely packed. I couldn’t believe it. As I arrived fairly early, I decided to spend 10 minutes in the spa to relax and loosen the tension in my muscles before the class started. It was a really big class with 22 people participating. A lady named Wendy was the instructor and naturally she made the workout very fun and entertaining.

It was a struggle to keep up with some of the movements, especially ones involving co-ordination but every had a laugh about it. Wendy really mixed things up with exercises including tuck jumps, donkey kicks, rock n’ roll, jogging, rolly polly, side and front kicks, baby crawl and underwater scooping. http://www.caseyarc.ymca.org.au/par...

On Thursday morning, I had an appointment with my support worker Ally at The Coffee Club - Fountain Gate. It was a really long session as we were chatting on for about an hour and a half. I discussed my recent financial issues and my plan to get things back on track. My work related stress and anxiety, how my triggers affect me and finding better ways to cope. I’m trying to use mindfulness techniques to stay focused in the moment and remind myself that I’m doing the best that I can. I also can’t control other people or the situations around me. https://www.dss.gov.au/our-responsi...

On Thursday night, I went to my Bring It On yoga class at Now, Yoga. in Narre Warren South. I haven’t been to the studio in over 3 weeks since the members night due to financial difficulties. I’ve spent the last week or so trying to let go of all the negative emotions I’ve had about it...shame, guilt, anger, embarrassment, hopelessness. None of these things are truly helpful when it comes to taking back control of my spending habits and getting on top of my debt. It took a lot of courage to share my truth with Keren Gurrieri but I’m glad I did it. Being broke doesn’t make me a bad person or even an unworthy person. It’s a temporary state and in a couple of months, I’ll be in a better position and feeling much lighter.

Tonight’s class was fairly challenging in that it involved lots of strengthening poses through the legs, shoulders and arms. We did a sequence of poses with our heels into the wall including Downward Facing Dog, Plank, Chaturanga, Cobra, Three Legged Dog and Knee to Nose. We also did some Warrior poses including Warrior 1, Twisting Warrior, Forward Fold and Warrior 3. We finished the class by doing some L-shaped handstands into the wall. I wasn’t really feeling comfortable doing them as I was dripping in sweat and a little fatigued so I chose to simply do Downward Facing Dog pose into the wall. http://nowyoga.net.au/

On Friday night, my family and I drove down to the Nepean Country Club in Rye to spend a few nights relaxing and unwinding. Sadly, I wasn’t in the best mental state and hence was feeling very indifferent, unmotivated, depressed and socially disconnected. The main cause was my bad addiction to social media. Every time I’d see a post, check-in, photo or video from one of my friends, I’d instantly feel jealous and inadequate. I’d ask myself “Am I not good enough to be invited?” or “I wish I had a great social life like them”.

It was really getting me down and so I had to force myself to switch my phone off and limit my use of Facebook and Instagram. It’s like my boredom and loneliness consumes me and I have this obsessive-compulsive need to check my notifications every 5 minutes. It was really destroying my life and having a huge negative affect on my mental health. Thankfully, there was plenty of activities at the resort we were staying at to keep my mind active.

We are staying in one of the two-storey villas which contains two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, living and dining areas and a balcony. There’s also plenty of facilities at the resort including a tennis court, squash court, bowling green, golf course, swimming pool, sauna, gym, games room and a day spa. http://nepeancountryclub.com.au/

On Saturday, my parents and I went for a brief walk around the resort before driving down to Arthurs Seat, Victoria for the afternoon. We rode on the new Eagle Skylift which replaced the old Chairlifts last year. I’m really nervous when it comes to heights and so I was clinging to my seat as our Skylift started to ascend. Thankfully, it was moving at a glacial speed and eventually I was able to relax and enjoy the views surrounding the Arthurs Seat area. https://aseagle.com.au/

Later that night, we went down to the Nepean Chinese Restaurant for dinner. Sadly, it wasn’t a traditional Chinese restaurant at all and the overall interior was very plain and modern with only a handful of Asian-inspired decorations adorning the walls. The food on the other hand was delicious. We ordered a banquet between the three of us which included chicken soup, spring rolls, curry puffs, prawn crackers, special fried rice, lemon chicken, steamed vegetables, a banana fritter with ice cream and a pot of Chinese jasmine tea. http://nepeancountryclub.com.au/nep...

“Join our group and you will find harmony and peace of mind. Make you better. We’re here to welcome you. We’re all on a journey to finding the real inner you. Make you better. We’re here to welcome you. Happiness. How did you get to be happiness. How did you get to find love, real love.” Goldfrapp - Happiness (2008)

“Some people don’t get much. Some people feel they’re in touch with spirit worlds, talking to you know...You know it. You owe it to yourself. You won’t let it make you mad, it’s already crazy.” Goldfrapp - Some People (2008)