#and grab anything shelf stable

[hillbillyoracle]

It's wild that I will just straight up forget I've had POTS since I was a young teenager.

And then it comes back and I'm like "oh my God am I dying?"

And my partner is like "sounds like the condition you've had almost your whole life."

[yellowbunnydreams]

Bunny Ears (Part 7) ~William Afton X F! Reader~

~Sorry for the very silly previous part, it was part of a headcannon me and friend had and it was too good to not write about. *Cue 'was that the bite of '87?!' Meme here*~

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

Tag List: @ruh--roh-raggy @h4nluv @sleepy---head @do-double-g @confiscated-peaches-main @dij-ology @viviennemuerte @robin-the-enby @shari-berri @randymeeksisafinalgirl @hallow1090

Cw: CW: Minors DNI, (18+ ONLY), Female Reader, legal age gap (Reader- 20's, William - 30's), divorce/processing divorce, Afton being a sarcastic hot ass, Henry being such a dad, grumpy x sunshine . Faz-Fuck TM

Half-way through the day, you were only half-way through your shift and you felt as if you could curl up and go to sleep then and there, but you knew you were in for a late night anyway since you still had to wait to be driven home. Henry had been taking you a lot more lately, but tonight he was going to his kid's recital and so you had to wait for Afton, although he was going to be working late in the parts and services room and so you would have to hang around and wait for him.

Looking at the drink in your hand, you went into the staff fridge and grabbed some more water, humming as you moved along the back corridors and kept out of the way of people. Nodding to people as you went past, it was a strangle quiet day at Freddy's. But apparently the local school had a big recital on that night so most kids were there, you almost wondered if William wouldn't be going to his daughter's.

Knocking on the door to parts and services, you peered in cautiously. "Are you decent this time William?" you jokingly called out and you heard his deep rumbling laugh in response.

"Depends on what you find decent, sweetheart." He felt the grin spreading across his face as your silence filled his ears, knowing that your cheeks were flushing and you were getting that slightly glazed look as he put the thought in your head.

"But if you mean am I wearing clothes and not shorts today, yes, yes I am very much decent." He chuckled, hearing you step into the room and letting the door close softly behind you. Appearing from behind a shelf with a bottle of water in your hand, smiling in that way that made his chest tight and his body ache to have you curled against him.

"I brought this for you, I figured you would probably be thirsty."

"Cheers sweetheart, I didn't realise the time honestly." He admitted, looking at his watch and smiling at the little bunny bracelet sat just beneath it, knowing you would see he was still wearing it too. Taking the bottle and unscrewing it, gulping down half the bottle in one breath before he gasped for air, feeling better for the cool water as he wiped his brow with his forearm. Not caring as it almost got on his shirt sleeve that had been rolled up as he focused on the animatronic hand in front of him again.

Frowning, you look at your own watch and then back at William, hands on your hips as you realise this was one of the rare times your head was above his whilst he was hunched over and working.

"Do you even eat whilst you're here William?" You asked, not noticing the slight pause as you said his name, turning and raising an eyebrow at you as he sat back in his seat, crossing his arms for a moment and assessing you before he leaned forwards to work again.

"You're spending too much time around Henry, he's being a bad influence." William scoffed, reaching for a fine tipped screwdriver from the bench and reaching into the mechanism he was tinkering with, slowly and carefully turning the pin-fine screw that he hoped would still be stable enough to support the connection he had put it in.

"Oh and you're a perfect influence?" You ask cheekily, smiling at him as you watched him work, leaning in to get a better look at what he was working on.

"Didn't you know I was a perfect school boy growing up? Would never do anything naughty, especially with an innocent young lady like yourself present." Chuckling as he finally managed to get the screw to the perfect tightness and was about to start tightening another nearby, placing down one screwdriver for another as you spoke up.

"What makes you think I'm so innocent William?" You'd stepped closer and almost whispered it against his ear, not close enough to be considered intimate, but your breath barely scraped his ear and he froze. It was your turn to break him as he felt every muscle tense in his body at your words, swallowing hard as a different kind of ache burned in his stomach instead. Clenching his fists and unclenching them as he slowly turned the swivel chair to face you.

His eyes that were usually such a silvery grey seemed almost charcoal under the light as he looked up at you, his expression totally serious despite there being a little sparkle inside them still. You watched his adams apple bob repeatedly, his hands clenching slightly as you stood before him and his eyes seemed to slowly trail up your body. Your stomach sank as you wondered if you had pushed your friendliness too far with him.

"I suppose I deserve that for making you so flustered all the time." He swallowed, averting his eyes from you as you felt guilty at his expression, shoulders sagging slightly and fingers intertwining together and keeping your eyes down on the floor. William ran his hands through his hair and sighed, his head tipped back slightly as he closed his eyes.

"You've got the worst of both us," he joked, opening his eyes and noticing your quizzical look as he tipped his head towards you. "you're caring like Henry and you've now developed my flir-....humour." he said, catching himself before he called it flirting. He was struggling, and he looked at his hands himself.

"I don't think either of them are bad things." You say softly, coming in close to him and nudging him with your shoulder playfully, your fingers brushing against his arm as he looked at you. "I like your...humour, William. I'm sorry I caught you off guard."

"Apology accepted sweetheart, I guess I just wasn't expecting it to come from you." he spoke softly, letting his hand come up and meet yours briefly like some forbidden touch. His ring catching the low light, making you feel ashamed all over again.

"Still friends?" You asked hopefully, your brow furrowed in concern as he gave you a sweet, lopsided smile.

"I wasn't aware we'd stopped."

~~

It became part of your ritual during your shifts after that. For the next two weeks you brought William water and home-made packed lunches, claiming you'd made extra by mistake and it would only go to waste otherwise. Spending what time you could listening to him talking about his projects whilst you both ate, or him listening to you complain about working with the general public. The kids could be great, but the parents could be nightmares, and he fully understood where you were coming from.

But it was a Saturday once again, and the place heaved with children and grown-ups alike. You'd been running around on your feet all day and you were sure your hair was a mess, face an intense smile or locked in concentration unless something snapped you out of it.

A kid came running up to you, although they didn't scream for attention like some kids so you crouched down and spoke to them softly and evenly. "Are you lost kiddo?"

"No..." Their voice was very soft, clearly nervous that you had taken the time to speak to them rather than them being able to run off again. "You're miss spring-bonnie aren't you?"

You blinked at the question, your cheeks heating up as you were asked and tried to think about how to answer.

"Can you clarify what you mean buddy? Like.. how am I miss Spring-Bonnie?"

"You helped him when he fell over!" The kid beamed and suddenly you understood what they meant, chuckling as you nodded. They lit up as you answered and grinned at you leaning in and whispering to you conspiratorially in the loud way that only children could do. "Will you say hello to him for me?"

"Of course! I'm now going to see him, so I'll say hello then." Watching the kid running off and skipping happily as you headed through to the breakroom. Grabbing your lunches out and some sodas as you walked through the back-halls.

The route to parts and services was familiar now, and you knocked on the heavy door to let William know that you were coming in as you stepped through, his head barely turning as he focused intently on the endoskeleton sat between his knees. Shoulders clamped between his knees as he deftly worked on the wires in the head, you carefully stepped around him and placed his lunch down, opening the box and cracking the drink for him so that he could get straight to eating when he was done. Not having to wait long before you heard the creak of metal and a grunt from William as he hefted the metal skeleton onto a stand opposite where he was working.

"This looks great! Thanks for bringing me this, although I'm suspicious about how much you 'overcook'." He said playfully, his hand brushing your back as he raised an eyebrow at you, making you blush and look at your feet before you spotted a clean spot on the workbench, jumping up onto it and sitting facing him as he remained standing, stretching himself out slightly.

"No, really, I'm just shit at measuring whilst cooking." You lied slightly, whilst you weren't the best cook in the world, you were fairly good at estimating only how much would feed you. But you were happy to be cooking extras and that he seemed to be enjoying them.

Eating in silence for the most part, you were always surprised how quickly he ate. Like he was starving or simply that he was worried somebody might take his food from him if he didn't eat it then and there. Taking a swig of his soda, William smiled and placed his hand next to your thigh, making you think he was picking something off the bench next to you.

"Thank you, bunny." he spoke softly, closing the small gap between you and planting a kiss on your lips, leaving you breathless despite the briefness of it. Taking a second to comprehend what happened just as it took William a second to realise too.

"Did..Did you just kiss me?" You asked, blinking and reaching up to your lips and brushing them with your fingers as you watched William's face fall at the same time he looked relieved.

"I guess..I did, didn't I?" He asked, clarifying you were both on the same page. He rubbed his face and groaned into his hands, thinking about how you would react to him making an impulsive move.

"You stole my first kiss." You murmured, making William's head snap up, still covering his mouth with his hands and looking at your expression for any signs of joking, but when he saw none he groaned louder and ran his hands over his face again, one going into his hair and staying there.

"Shit, I am so, so sorry." Afton felt his heart pounding in his chest as he realised what he'd done, he'd taken your first kiss. You'd just looked so right sat on his workbench and bringing him lunches that were clearly made with love, and he'd acted impulsively as he thought that the time might never be as perfect as the peace the two of you had carved out in the workshop.

"Why are you sorry?" Your voice broke him out of his thought spiral, looking back up at you and adjusting his glasses, seeing you smiling at him in the way that made his chest tight and his stomach flutter nervously, so vulnerable and trusting.

"You're not mad?" Swallowing softly as you shook your head in reply, he took a careful step towards you again. His hand going back to where it had been whilst the other hovered over you shoulder, breathing deeply and raggedly as you saw the darkness that you had seen once before back in his eyes. Hungry, untamed as he met yours. "Then... Can I kiss you again?"

Instead of answering him, you placed your hand against his cheek, feeling the stubble beneath your fingertips and how he leaned his head into your hand slightly, shuffling forwards and your knees sitting either side of his hips as you leant up slightly. William smiled and placed his large hand on your cheek and kissed you back, tender and soft despite the fact his beard scratched slightly at your skin. Taking your breath away again as suddenly all those thoughts you had had where you thought he was handsome, or a million and one times you had stared at him and wondered how his hands felt against you felt justified.

Pulling back after a moment, William placed his forehead against yours, catching his breath and allowing you to as well. You suddenly broke out into a grin and giggled, remembering what the kid had said to you earlier, William raising an eyebrow in question.

"A kid called me 'Miss Spring-Bonnie' earlier, apparently they were psychic." William snorted a laugh out as well, pulling his forehead away and leaving his hand on your face, thumb stroking over your cheek and feeling how soft you were beneath him.

"Oh, you're all ready to be 'Miss Spring-Bonnie' are you, little bunny?" He teased, making your cheeks flush hot at the comment and he chuckled again, leaning in and taking another quick peck from your lips. "How about we seal that with a kiss before you go back to work?"

And you happily obliged as you pressed your lips to yours once again.

[flightlessangelwings]

To Your Rescue

Javi Gutierrez x fem!reader (no use of y/n) Word count- 5k Dialogue prompt- “ hurry! take my hand! “ Action prompt- [ TACKLE ]: sender physically tackles the receiver out of the line of fire Warnings- s.mut (18+ only!), protective!Javi, mutual pining, so much pining, action/minor violence, a creeper character, minor character death, love confession, reader is a maid in the Gutierrez compound Notes- June's Year of Protectiveness fic is here and I just had to write one with our dear sweet Javi! @yearofcreation2023​ The idea randomly popped into my head and it was just too perfect and this one was fun to write! And I just love Javi so much!! Enjoy! @flightlessangelwings-updates​ is my update blog so feel free to also follow that and turn on post notifs to stay up to date on when I post!

~

As lavish as the Gutierrez compound was, your job was anything but. As a maid in the estate, it was your job to work behind the scenes to keep up that luxury appearance. It was far from a glamorous job, but it was a job you were grateful for. It wasn’t a hard job, and it was stable. You kept to yourself for the most part and it paid well. Plus, the views weren’t bad either…

With the sea as a backdrop, every view out any given window was stunning. The sun made the sea glitter beautifully no matter what time of day it was, and you found yourself staring out the window at times. But, there was something else that caught your eye often… or rather someone else. The head of the estate, and head of the Gutierrez cartel, Javi, was the most beautiful man you had ever seen. His smile lit up the room more than the sun that beamed through the windows. 

“Do not address Señor Gutierrez, entiéndame?” Flora, the head of the household told you sternly on your first day.

“Si señora,” you replied meekly.

Her words rang through your head nearly every day, and you had to remind yourself of your place in Javi Gutierrez’s life. But, even though you weren’t supposed to speak to him, there was nothing against looking at him, especially when you thought he didn’t notice.

But what you didn’t know was that Javi snuck glances at you when you weren’t looking too.

From the day you started, Javi was entranced by you. His heart nearly stopped in his chest the first time he saw you, and he couldn’t help but linger at times to watch you while you worked. Some days it was hard for Javi to keep his expression neutral as he passed by you in the halls, especially when he had to meet with more dangerous people. 

It didn’t go unnoticed that you averted your eyes every time Javi passed by. But, he also was aware of the weight of your gaze when he wasn’t looking. Javi wondered if you felt his own gaze on you, or were you too busy with your work to feel it. Little did he know that goosebumps erupted on your skin whenever you felt his eyes on you.

The stolen glaces went on for some time before Javi finally decided to break the ice. He happened to come into the library where you were dusting, and he made sure not to make any noise. Javi watched with longing in his eyes as you stepped up the ladder to reach higher up. But, as the dust flew into the air, it made you sneeze, and you almost lost your balance.

Panic rushed through your veins as you felt yourself fall backwards and you scrambled to grab onto the shelf. But, you barely fell at all before a pair of large hands grabbed you and steadied you.

“Careful there, querida,” a soft voice rang out behind you.

You gasped as you grabbed onto the bookcase to steady yourself before you hard and found yourself face to face with Javi Gutierrez. Your heart pounded in your chest as you took a moment to study his features up close, and he was even more beautiful than he was from afar.

“Señor Gutierrez,” you mumbled as your gaze dropped. Your skin burned as you realized he still held onto you.

Javi grinned brightly, “Please,” he let out a short laugh, “Just call me Javi.”

You opened your mouth, but closed it as you tried to find your voice, “T-thank you… For saving me.”

“No need to thank me,” Javi said softly as he finally released you.

The two of you locked eyes and time felt like it stopped. The sound of blood pulsing through both your veins felt like it echoed in the room even louder than the waves crashing out the window. The gentle breeze ruffled Javi’s hair, and you found yourself wondering that it would be like to run your fingers through it. But, your breath hitched in your throat when you noticed his gaze dropped down to your lips for the briefest moment.

But, as much as you wanted to know what ran through his head, you heard a different voice in your head: Do not speak to Señor Gutierrez.

You cleared your throat as you turned back to the bookshelf, “I should get back to work,” your voice was hushed as you picked up the duster you dropped.

Javi couldn’t hide the disappointment on his face, “Do not let me interrupt you.”

“Señor Gutierrez,” you called to him as he turned to leave, “Thanks again.”

He smiled at you, “I will always come to your rescue, querida,” he winked at you before he left the room.

From that day on, Javi stole whatever moments he could with you. He liked talking to you, even if it took some time for you to finally carry on a full conversation. As the months went on, Javi found more and more that what he felt was more than just flirting. He was falling for you. And he was falling hard.

For now, though, Javi knew he had to be careful. Between the fact that you worked in the compound and Javi’s role as figurehead of his family’s cartel, he couldn’t take unnecessary risks. He never wanted to make you uncomfortable, and he certainly didn’t want to put you in danger if anyone found out how much you truly meant to him.

There were times when it was hard, though. Like, whenever Javi hosted a fancy party and you worked serving drinks. He couldn’t help the way his fingers would linger over yours when you handed him a fresh glass.

“Gracias, querida,” Javi murmured in your ear so softly that no one else could hear.

“Anything for you, Señor Gutierrez,” you replied as you were sure he felt how warm your skin was.

“Call me Javi,” he quipped back.

Although you didn’t answer, Javi didn’t expect you to. It became a routine for the two of you to end conversations like that. But, the look on your face told him all he needed to know. Javi noticed the way your gaze lingered on him, even when you thought he wasn’t looking. And it certainly didn’t pass him by the way your eyes fell down to his lips once more.

For now, Javi just nodded and raised his glass to you before you turned and went back to your duties. One day, the time would be right. Until then, Javi would just keep you close the only way he could, and at least you were close enough to be kept safe. 

*

Another night, another party.

You let out a deep sigh as you picked up all the discarded streamers from the party. It was a particularly crazy night, and most of the guests had too much to drink and got rowdy. It didn’t bother you, though since you got paid overtime to work the cleanup. You had gotten to the compound late as most of the guests were already leaving, but your heart fluttered in your chest when you saw Javi laughing and having a good time. 

But now, everyone had left and it was just you in a big empty room with only trash to keep you company. Or so you thought. 

“Would you like some help, querida?” a soft voice broke through the quiet in the room.

You gasped and jumped, startled by the sudden presence behind you. But, you instantly relaxed when you saw Javi standing there, “Señor Gutierrez,” you breathed.

Javi smiled brightly at you, lighting up the dimmed room and bringing the sun into the night, “Querida, how many times have I asked you to call me Javi?”

Your heart pounded in your chest as your skin warmed, “Javi…” You finally replied and finally caved into his ongoing request. 

“That’s better,” he dropped down to his knees next to you, “Now back to my first question,” Javi’s tone was soft as he leaned in close enough for you to feel his breath, “Would you like some help?”

Lost in his eyes, it took you several moments to answer. And you were sure he caught the way your eyes dropped down to his lips for a moment before you spoke, “It…” you cleared your throat as you found your voice, “It isn’t your job señ… Javi.”

“I know,” his kindness was reflected in his voice as he covered your hand with his and slipped out what you were holding, “But I want to help. And…” he paused, “I want to spend some time with you.” 

Your mouth dropped open and you were sure Javi felt the heat that radiated from your skin, “Uhh,” you stuttered, “Thank you,” you mumbled as you dropped your gaze down, too nervous to meet his eyes again.

I will always come to your rescue, Javi thought as he let out a short laugh and helped you clean up in silence. The silence, however, was comfortable, and you never felt his warmth go far from your body. Soft rustling was the only sound in the room as you and Javi picked up together. It felt… normal… comfortable. As if the two of you were the hosts and you cleaned up after all your friends left. As time passed, Javi broke the silence with light conversation, and it only made the illusion stronger.

With Javi’s help, you got the space clean enough in no time, “I’ll leave the rest of the glasses for the morning,” you thought out loud, “I think that's it,” you turned to him, “Thanks, Javi.”

He reached out and gently cupped your face as he looked at you like you hung the stars in the sky, “You are welcome, querida,” Javi said as he stroked his thumb across your cheek. His breath hitched in his throat as you leaned into his touch, and he wanted nothing more than to pull you into his arms and hold you tight. 

Your eyes fluttered shut as you felt comforted by his touch. You were sure he could feel the way your pulse pounded through your veins, and when he whispered your name, you opened your eyes to meet his. 

“Javi…” you breathed, lost in your emotions.

The two of you stared at each other, lost in the other’s eyes. Slowly, you both leaned in close to each other, and your heart skipped a beat when you saw Javi’s gaze glance down at your lips. You trembled in his grasp, and part of you wanted to pinch yourself to make sure you weren’t dreaming. As his face got closer to yours, you felt his breath on your skin and it made goosebumps erupt on your skin.

But, just as Javi’s lips ghosted over yours, you suddenly got nervous and pulled back at the last moment. You cleared your throat as you mumbled an apology, “Sorry, I…”

But Javi didn’t allow you to complete the thought, “It’s late,” he interrupted, not wanting to hear your rejection, “Would you like to stay here for the night? I do not want you to be out this time of night.”

You fiddled with your fingers, “Are you sure?” you asked in a whisper.

Javi smiled softly at you as he brushed your cheek, “Anything for mi favorita,” he winked at you.

Your breath caught in your throat as your eyes went wide, “O-ok…”

“Come,” he stood and offered you his hand, “I will set us up by the fireplace downstairs and put on a movie.”

“That sounds nice,” you replied as you slid your hand in his. 

With a grunt, Javi helped you to your feet, and when your faces were only inches away again, your both froze. Your lips parted as your eyes dropped down to his lips again, and you saw Javi mirror your action. Together, the two of you stayed still for several long moments. Only this time, Javi didn’t try to close the gap, and instead cleared his throat and led the way.

*

“This is the most comfortable blanket I’ve ever used,” you sighed as you settled onto Javi’s couch. He let you use his shower and you changed into the spare clothes you always kept on the compound just in case.

“Only the best for you, querida,” Javi smiled at you as he poured two glasses of wine and turned on a movie, “I hope this selection is ok for you,” he sounded unusually sheepish as National Treasure started.

You returned the smile as you grabbed one of the glasses, “Only if it’s a double feature with both,” you raised your glass and waited for him to do the same.

Javi’s face lit up with excitement, “Of course!” he didn’t bother to hide his glee as he clinked his glass with yours, “Salud.”

“Salud,” you tapped your glass against his and you both took a sip before you settled in.

Comfortable and exhausted, it didn’t take long for you to fall asleep on Javi’s couch. As your body relaxed, you slumped over in your sleep and your head rested on his shoulder. Javi glanced down and his heart fluttered as he saw you sound asleep against him. Not wanting to disturb you… or move you… he adjusted himself so that he slung his arm around you and he held you tightly until he too dozed off. Neither of you made it through the first movie.

When the sun hit your face, you groaned softly as you yawned before you opened your eyes. Groggy from sleep, it took you a few moments to remember where you stayed for the night. But, you gasped when you realized that you fell asleep against Javi, and that he fell asleep with his arm wrapped around your shoulders.

You shot up with a start, which woke Javi, “Querida!” he exclaimed, “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” you breathed, “I just… I didn’t mean to…” you gestured around you.

Javi softened, “Do not apologize, querida,” he supped your face again, “It was a wonderful sleep… Even if we didn’t make it through the move,” he added with a laugh.

That put you more at ease, “I guess we’ll have to do this again sometime? And actually watch the movies,” you laughed as you suddenly felt more brave around him.

“I would like that,” Javi whispered as his gaze lingered on you for several moments.

Again, you felt captivated by his eyes on you, as if he cast some spell on you that froze you in place. But, it was something you were willing to cave to. And once again, you leaned in closer to him, your lips hovering just over his.

But, this time you were interrupted by the chime of the clock that made you both jump with a gasp. Your eyes went wide as you realized what time it was, “Shit,” you cursed under your breath, “I’m late,” you looked at Javi, “I gotta go.”

Javi looked disappointed, but he nodded, “Go,” he said, “I will tell Señora Flora that you stayed late and not to punish you.”

You gave him a pleading look as you did something unexpected: you placed a soft kiss on his cheek, “Thank you, Javi,” you whispered before you scurried away, leaving Javi on the couch with a dumbfounded grin on his face.

*

“Thank you for meeting with us, Mr. Gutierrez,” a sinister-looking man spoke in a heavy Russian accent, “We look forward to doing business with you,” he smiled darkly.

Javi and Lucas sat on the other end of the table, both on high alert. It was a private meeting, and you only stepped in briefly as they got started to offer drinks and refreshments. As you walked by the leader, he greeted you in Russian and gave you a smirk that made your skin crawl. You thought for a moment that he was going to try and reach for you, but Javi cleared his throat and got his attention before he could.

“We look forward to working with you too, Señor,” Javi didn’t sound like himself. He didn’t look like himself either. He kept a tough facade as a deep scowl shadowed on his face. But it only hid his true feelings, and he killed him inside that he couldn’t just grab you and hold you close, shielding you from these unsavory men.

The Russian looked over at Javi and gave him a nod before he turned his attention to you once more, “You certainly have very pretty help, Mr. Gutierrez,” he commented.

Everything in you told you to run, to slap him, to do something. But, you knew better, and all you did was nod once before you turned and left the room as quickly as possible. You felt the Russian’s gaze on you, but Javi also watched with great intensity. It wasn’t until the door shut behind you that you finally let out a deep breath. 

Javi kept his guard up the entire meeting, feeling even more on edge after the way the Russian looked at you. 

*

The next day when you arrived at the compound, you were immediately greeted by Javi. He looked like he didn’t sleep well, and it was clear by the look on your face that you didn’t either. Both of you were haunted by the encounter yesterday, and Javi had spent all night worrying about you. He wanted more than anything to keep you there overnight, scared that the Russians might find you. 

“Javi,” you exhaled, “Are you ok?”

Javi sighed your name with relief, “Come with me, querida,” he extended his hand, “I want to show you something.”

“But…”

“Do not worry,” he smiled softly at you, “I am the boss, remember?” he winked and suddenly all the tension and worry melted from your body.

“Ok,” you breathed as you took his hand, “Where are we going?”

Javi only grinned at you.

*

“Wow,” you breathed in awe, “This is…”

“Beautiful,” Javi finished your thought as his gaze never left your figure.

Javi had led you to his truck and drove you out into the cliffs, away from the compound, from your lives, from everything. The view of the sea was even more stunning from here, and the calm and the fresh air surrounded you. While you took in your setting and admired the views, Javi never took his eyes off of you.

“Listen, querida,” Javi started as he shuffled closer to you, “About yesterday…”

You felt like your heart was about to explode from your chest, especially when Javi looked at you like that, “Yes…?” 

Before he could voice his thoughts, the sudden sound of a gunshot from the distance made you and Javi jump. Another gunshot went off, and you screamed as the dirt only a few inches away from you blew up into the air. In the distance, you saw a truck with several men inside, all of them armed. Although you couldn’t make out their faces, you had a guess that they were the Russians that Javi and Lucas met with the day before.

“Hurry, querida,” Javi reached for you, “Take my hand.”

Everything happened so fast, you hardly processed it. Javi grabbed your hand and led you through the forest along the cliffs. The sounds of gunshots and shouts in Russian echoed through the wilderness. Javi weaved you both through the trees as the Russian yelled taunts at you both.

“You cannot keep the woman safe, Mr. Gutierrez,” a heavily Russian accented voice called through the forest, “We will find you, and kill you. And then she is mine.” 

The truck spun around and cut off the path that Javi and you ran in. He stopped short, keeping you behind him as they aimed their guns at you both. Thinking quickly, Javi grabbed you and launched you both down a hill.

You both grunted and shouted as you rolled down a short way before you landed in a clearing with a gasp. Javi groaned as he shook his head before he scrambled to his feet and grabbed your hand again, “Quickly, querida!” He yanked you forward as he led you behind a large boulder, “This will keep us safe for now,” he huffed.

“Javi, what are we gonna do?” you huffed, out of breath from running.

Javi stopped his frantic panic for a moment and corrupted your face with both hands, “Look at me, querida,” he waited for your eyes to lock with his before he continued, “I promise, I will keep you safe. Just trust me.”

You swallowed hard, “I trust you, Javi.”

“Good,” his lips pressed together firmly as his hair fell into his face. 

Javi kept you covered as best he could while he pulled out two things: his phone and his gun. You gasped when you realized he always carried it with him, and if the situation wasn’t so dire you would have thought more about it. But, another gunshot from the distance interrupted your thoughts.

“Lucas!” Javi shouted on the phone. He yelped as another shot rang through the air and hit the rock you currently used for cover. Without thinking, Javi pushed you down to the ground as he quickly told his cousin where to find you. “These fucking Russians,” he mumbled to himself as he tucked your head into his chest, “Stay down, querida,” Javi told you, “I promise I will not let anything happen to you.”

All you could do was cling to Javi’s shirt. You hated the helpless feeling and the fear that flowed through you. But, you also knew that Javi would keep you safe, and his strong arms around you was a comfort in the situation. You took comfort in the echo of Javi’s voice from earlier, telling you that he would always come to your rescue.

“There you are,” a thick Russian accent came from behind you and Javi.

You both gasped as you turned around and found the leader had found his way behind the rock and pointed his gun right at you and Javi. Javi hissed a string of curses in Spanish as he pulled you as close as he possibly could.

But, before the Russian could fire at you, a shot rang from behind him and he fell forward, dead.

“Do not look, querida,” Javi huffed as he blocked your vision. 

Your vision was blocked by Javi’s hand over your eyes, but you heard the shouts of Lucas and Javi’s security team. And the barrage of gunfire made your ears ring until suddenly silence filled the air. Just as quickly as it started, all the shooting stopped, and it wasn’t until Javi made sure that the area was clear that he finally loosened his grip on you.

“It's over,” he sighed as he looked you up and down, “You’re alright.” Javi looked around before he stood up and acknowledged his allies.

“Javi…”

“Come with me, querida,” Javi reached out and took your hand once more, “I want you to stay at the compound tonight until I know you will not be a target anymore.”

All you could do was nod as you followed Javi back into the safety of the compound.

*

You spent the rest of the day in a daze as you replayed the chase over and over again. Javi insisted you stayed in his bedroom, and even as you stayed in his large, luxurious shower for so long that the water ran cold, you knew he was just outside the door. Once you opened the door wearing nothing but a robe, you were immediately face to face with Javi, who looked more worried than you had ever seen him.

“Are you alright, querida?” he asked as he looked you over.

“I’m ok,” your voice was hushed as you sounded meek.

“Come here,” Javi rested his hand on your shoulder and guided you to sit on his bed. Once you were seated, he looked at you with the saddest expression you had ever seen, “I’m so sorry, querida,” Javi’s face dropped, “They must have seen how much I care about you, and it put you at risk.”

“Javi…”

“I never wanted you to get hurt,” he continued, looking back up at you with tears in his eyes, “All I want to do is protect you and treat you the way you deserve to be treated.”

You froze. 

“I just…” he sighed, “I cannot lose you… Te quiero, querida,” Javi’s confession came from his heart as he looked at you with those big brown eyes. His hands on you stayed firm and you felt the tension in his grip.

The dam broke, and without a word you launched yourself forward and crashed your lips to his. Javi’s muffled moan vibrated between your bodies as he wrapped his arms around you and immediately reciprocated the kiss. All the months of longing and lingering touches cumulated in his kiss.

Javi murmured your name as you both broke away for a breath before he yanked you close and kissed you again. This time, he swallowed the moan you let out as you both clung to each other as if you were both afraid the other would disappear. 

Neither of you were sure who moved first, but you both simultaneously began to tug at the other’s clothes. Javi stripped you more quickly, with only the robe covering your body, but you made quick work of the button down shirt and linen pants he wore.

As you yanked his pants off, you straddled Javi’s waist and pushed him down onto his back. All the breath was forced out of his lungs, but Javi never broke eye contact with you. He looked up at you like you were a goddess and he was just a lowly worshiper. But, Javi would worship you every day, every night, every moment he could. He would do anything for you. 

“Javi,” you breathed as you leaned forward, your folds rocking along his cock as you did so, “I love you too,” your voice was soft as your lips hovered over his before you closed the gap once more.

He mumbled your hand as he grabbed onto your hips, his hands pressing into the soft flesh of your body. Soft moans from both of you filled the room as you rocked yourself along Javi’s hardening cock until the desperation was too much for both of you.

“Fuck,” Javi hissed as the warmth spread across his whole body. 

You bit your lip as you lined yourself up with the tip of his cock and slowly sank down. A loud moan escaped your lips as he cock pushed into you, stretching you out so wonderfully. Both you and Javi let out a string of curses as his cock filled you more and more until your hips met his.

“Shit, Javi,” you breathed, “Fuck…”

“You feel so good, querida,” Javi groaned as he trailed his hands up your sides and pulled you forward for another kiss.

Slowly, you rocked yourself along Javi’s body, his cock hitting that sweet spot deep inside you while his tongue tangled with yours. Javi’s arms stayed wrapped around you, too afraid to even loosen his grip on you while you rode him harder. 

“I am never letting you go querida,” Javi mumbled as your warmth engulfed him over and over again as you bounced on his cock, “I promise, I will never let anything happen to you,” he whispered in your ear.

“Javi… Fuck,” you moaned against his lips, “I’ve thought about this for so long…”

“So have I,” Javi grunted your name, “Fuck… Let me feel you cum, querida.”

You let out a loud moan as your clit rubbed against Javi’s hips and his cock hit spots so deep inside you that you saw stars. You held onto his shoulders as you rode him harder and faster, desperately chasing your climax. Mumbled words of praise spilled from Javi’s lips as his own orgasm wasn’t far behind.

Together, you and Javi came at the same time. Your bodies trembled against the other as you clung desperately while you rode out your climaxes. Loud moans and groans filled the room and skin slapped against skin until you lost all your strength and collapsed down on top of him.

Javi kept his arms around you as he rolled you over onto your side, slipping out of you in the process. You shivered as you felt a sudden emptiness without Javi’s cock inside you and you let out a soft whimper.

“I’ve got you, querida,” Javi whispered as he guided your head to rest on his chest.

You sighed contently as you felt his pounding heart against your body, “I know you do,” you murmured.

Together, the two of you laid in a comfortable silence for some time. Javi tenderly stroked your back, and if it weren’t for your racing thoughts, you would have easily fallen asleep safe in his arms. But, between the attack and the heated confession, you had too much weighing on you.

“What happens now, Javi?” you asked, breaking the silence.

Javi let out a deep breath, “We have to hope the Russians did not get in touch with anyone else,” he sounded bitter, “But we have to assume that there will be others who will try to use you to hurt me,” he paused as he kissed the top of your head, “Do not worry, querida, I will never allow that to happen.”

You shifted yourself to look into his eyes, “I know you won’t,” you sounded confident, “I trust you, Javi.”

He smiled softly at you as he cupped your chin and pulled you in for a soft and tender kiss, “No matter what, you will be safe with me.”

It was a promise, not only to you, but to himself. Javi had never cared about anyone the way he cared about you. No matter what the future held, there was one thing Javi was certain of: he would keep you close and keep you safe. But, the future could wait until morning. For now, Javi just wanted to enjoy this moment here in his bed with you in his arms. 

[azalea-writes]

Hoi wondering about child!MC that’s very wise and self sufficient but very honest and talks causally about their domestic abuse at home?

A/N: Hello!! The age of MC is up to your interpretation! I went out of track oops

Warning: Domestic abuse

Lucifer, Mammon, Asmodeus, and Beelzebub with a child!MC who dealt with domestic abuse

ooc lucifer

Alt: Enjoy!

***

Lucifer

Wasn't excited to have a child in the HoL since he has to deal with 6 other man-children.

He was quite distant, so it took him a while to learn how well-mannered MC is or what they had to deal with at home.

Lucifer went to the kitchen to get some coffee, only to see MC washing the dishes while standing on a not-so stable stool.

When he saw that MC was about to fall off the stool, he picked them up and put them on the floor.

"Thank you, sir!"

Lucifer was confused on how a child has more manners than his brothers.

"Apparently their parents would yell at them for not doing anything right. They even said that their parents would get physically violent," Asmo had said with tears in his eyes. It confused Lucifer. Why would anyone have such high expectations for a child?

Lucifer made it his mission (though, he would never tell anyone that) to help MC enjoy their childhood and not to worry for any awful consequences. It was hard, but it might've been his older brother instincts (and pride *ahem*) that didn't let him back down.

His brothers would tease him for having a soft spot for the human child. Lucifer would of course deny it, not wanting to show some sort of weakness. But as he is lying down on his bed, MC curled up next to him after Lucifer calmed them down from their mental breakdown, he was thinking back to his brothers' words.

Of course Lucifer knew about his soft spot for the child, but he didn't want to appear weak to the public. Yet, as he feels MC grabbing his arm their slumber, he doesn't regret a thing.

Mammon

When he got a call from Lucifer, he was expecting to see an adult, not a kid.

"Hello, sir!"

What he was also expecting that the child had no manners at all, but they proven him wrong yet again.

"A child has more manners than Mammon," he heard Asmo snicker.

But, like the usual, he was complaining. about having to babysit a child. What if the child is secretly the devil in disguise?? (Diavolo secret child wow /j)

What's even worse is that MC resides in his room due to Lucifer's orders!

As Mammon was grumbling about how dumb Lucifer is, MC cringed at how messy his room was. Out of instincts, MC decided to clean the room. They gathered Mammon's clothing into one big pile, while Mammon went from talking about Lucifer to his new business idea.

Mammon came back to reality when he heard a thud come from behind. Lo and behold, MC had tripped while carrying a pile of clothes that obscured their view.

"Ya okay kid?!" Mammon hurriedly came by their side. MC just apologized and continued what they were doing. Now Mammon was confused, what the hell are they doing?

"Oi! Why are ya cleaning my room?" He asked, finally noticing the big pile of laundry that was accumulating.

"I'm cleaning your room!" MC happily replied. Were they trying to earn brownie points? No. Did they want a reward? No. Did they think if they did a good deed for him, he would need to pay them back? No.

"My parents would get mad at me for doing something wrong. Sometimes they get really mad and hit me. So I'm protecting you!" MC's answer shocked Mammon, their words repeating in his head while he's trying to comprehend the situation.

As MC struggled to get something on the shelf, he came up behind them and got it for them.

"From now on, I'll be you're big brother protecting ya!" Mammon gave them a toothy grin.

Asmodeus

When he first saw MC, he squealing and talking about how adorable they are.

He's already thinking of many outfits for them, better than what they have on right now.

MC is going to learn many makeup tips at a young age, which Asmo found out that they learn quite quickly.

He is going to have a kid-friendly (and human-friendly) skin care routine for MC. Gotta prevent wrinkles at a young age! (a really young age...)

MC also quickly learned the routine and they're able to do it themself!

He's the brother who's going to tell MC gossip, whether they understand it or not. (what does identity theft mean..?)

"And they were roommates!" Asmo told the story dramatically to keep MC intrigued, even though they didn't understand anything he said.

"Can you hand me my face serum?" Asmo asked, which MC complied. Though with their hands wet from cleansing their face, they were bound to drop it. It shattered on the floor while both of them froze.

Asmo was about to speak until MC started spewing out apologies and the tears were quickly forming.

"Hey, hey! It was just a small accident, I can buy another one!" Asmo tried to comfort them but to no avail.

"I-I'm sorry! Please don't p-punish me!" MC choked out while crying. Asmo froze again, not believing what he was hearing.

"Why would I do that? I wouldn't do something like that, you know me...!" Asmo kept his voice low so MC wouldn't be scared (more than they already are).

With more comforting words, along with his soft voice, MC was able to calm down. Asmo let out a sigh of relief.

"My parents would always get mad at me for doing anything wrong..." It was a short answer, but it was enough to know what had happen to MC before coming to the Devildom.

"Let me make you a promise then!" Asmo exclaimed, "No one hurt you here in the Devildom, and if they do, they'll face the wrath of all seven of us!"

Beelzebub

THIS BIG GUY LOVES HIS FAMILY!

Immediately wanted to adopt MC.

Though Satan had to inform him that MC still has a family...

Will be a little disheartened if MC is scared of him.

He did not trust Mammon to take care of MC, so he makes it his job to make sure MC is alive and healthy.

Mammon does not know how to take care of a child, especially when the child is a human...

Beel tells stories about Belphie and Lilith to MC, it just makes him happy to talk about his siblings.

"So you three would secretly go to the human world?" MC asked with their head in a slight tilt to the side. Beel smiled softly and nodded.

"Wow! If I sneaked out, I would've gotten in a looooot of trouble," MC sighed out.

"You're only a kid, so your parents would be really worried," Beel explained. Then he realized that MC never talks about their parents. Now Beel felt bad. He always talked about his family without knowing how MC feels.

"What about your family? I never let you talk about them," Beel said.

MC thought a bit about their answer, "Well, my parents are always in a bad mood. I once broke a plate by accident and mommy started to hit me."

Beel went wide-eyed. He was hoping he heard wrong, but MC kept talking and that hope went away. He put a hand on MC's shoulder, which made them go quiet.

"MC, you don't have to worry about punishment anymore. I'll make sure nobody hurts you anymore." Beel reassured MC. Even though they were confused on what Beel was talking about, the sincerity in his voice made them nod to his words.

***

REASON FOR MY ABSENCE: School is hard and I want to focus on my grades. So I haven't written anything in order to not burn out because I have bad self discipline. I'll try to get through all the requests during Christmas break, but I can't promise anything!

Alt: Thanks for requesting! Love you!

I don't know how to write Beel! :D

[sugolara]

𝙎𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧

ft. K.B x S.T x I.M x fem! reader

Synopsis: After a deadly virus leaks all over the world, every country is forced to close down it's borders and airports to prevent anyone from coming in and out. Though, it's to late for some people. The dead has rose and is looking for revenge. Cw: gore, quirkless! au, apocalypse! au, zombie! au, weapons, death, angst, lots and lots of blood, cannibalism, suicidal thoughts, slow burn

previous || series m.list || next

Emerging from the woods, Katsuki, Izuku, F/n and Shoto waste no time and run behind the parked cars to avoid the rotters walking in the city streets. With F/n leading them to a building where they can catch their breath, behind her followed Shoto, Izuku and lastly Katsuki. 

Finding a building that seemed stable, the group entered it. Katsuki killed one of the rotters that followed behind before closing the door. F/n and Shoto killed a few that were inside while Izuku blocked the door with chairs and tables.

They set their stuff down and took a breath, feeling relieved that they made it through the night. Izuku grabbed the bag of ammos and took out the medical supplies and began patching himself up. He smiled as his wound seemed to be getting better as well as his palms. 

F/n sat down on the counter and took her gun apart to clean. She used a rag that she found on the restaurant's counter and began to wipe the dirt away. 

Shoto kept watch as he stared out the window while chewing on some nuts. He watched a few stragglers bump into each other and others moving towards a black cat that ran into an alley.

Katsuki was in the kitchen and rummaged through the cabinets and shelf. He moved pots and pans away but felt unsatisfied when nothing decent came in view. 

“Can you keep it down?” Shoto said to Katsuki as a few rotters looked their way from the clanging. 

Katsuki rolled his eyes and headed to where the others were at, “Nothing.”

“Should we keep moving?” Shoto asked, watching a rotter leave his view. 

“I don’t see why not.” Izuku hissed a bit from cleaning his palms, “We still need a car. And we have miles ahead from us.”

Putting her gun back together, F/n stood up, “I say we split into two. One group looks for a car while the other looks for food. Makes it faster.”

“I go with F/n.” Shoto quickly said, pulling the bag of guns on. F/n nodded and pointed at Katsuki and Izuku, “You two look for supplies. Me and Shoto will look for a car.”

Izuku slyly glared at Shoto but nodded nevertheless. Katsuki on the other hand wanted to let out a groan. He still hasn’t apologized and felt like being with Izuku would make things awkward. 

When the group had gathered their stuff they headed out. They reached a four way street. 

“If we don’t find anything then we meet here in 30 minutes.” They all nodded and with that, F/n and Shoto continued forward while Katsuki and Izuku took a right turn. 

“You wanted to come with me so Izuku and Katsuki made up, right?” F/n asked Shoto. 

He glanced to the side, “Yeah, sure. They have to anyway and we both know Katsuki won’t apologize.” 

“True.” They spot a car and head to it. With the window halfway open, F/n used her butterfly knife to stab the rotter. She then opened the door and dragged it out of the car. Shoto watched as F/n used her knife to take the compartment of the bottom wheel out.

“You mentioned your dad was a survivalist.” Shoto began, “How does that work?”

“Well,” F/n grabbed the wires from underneath, “we lived on a farm outside of Musutafu. My grandfather owned the property but let us move in. I was 10 when I went to school. My dad would teach me and sometimes my mom on how to gather your own resources and how to tell time.”

F/n smiled at the thought, “I thought he was crazy. When we went on camping trips, he would bring little food and water, sometimes he’d leave me so I could find my way back. We’d go fishing but with our hands and drank water from the creak. We’d sometimes starve to. My mom never went with us because of it.

“Then, when I turned 10, he taught me how to shoot. He was a cop so he knew better.” Her smile faltered and shrugged, trying to not be affected by the memories, “He taught me to never trust people and to never love someone deeply because before you know it, they’ll be gone. They’re dead now.”

Shoto watched her smile leave and even though she was good at hiding her emotions, he could feel the sad energy she was letting out. He then glanced ahead, “...My oldest brother might still be out there.”

She stopped her movements for a moment and hesitated, “...How are you so sure he’s still alive?”

“I have a feeling.” Shoto said, “But the rest of my family is dead. Him being alive is the only hope I have left.”

F/n got out of the car and gave him a soothing smile, “Then let's hope he's in Sortson.”

He returned the smile as they both walked off to another car, “If the world wasn’t as it was today, do you think we would have met?”

F/n hummed, “Well, we did go to the same school so I’d say chances are we would have. Though I don’t think we would have been great friends.”

“What makes you say that?” Shoto asked.

“Because we’re complete opposites.” She simply said, “And your family is wealthy and I honestly don’t think they would appreciate you hanging out with a commoner.”

Shoto raised his brows in surprise, “You know  my family?”

“You’re a Todoroki.” F/n looked at him, “Everyone knows who you are.”

Grunting, Izuku pulled his knife from the rotter's skull. He wiped the bloody blade on his jeans and followed Katsuki as they entered a convenience store. Hearing a rotter moaning below him, Izuku sorrowingly looked at its decapitated body and put it to rest. 

The squishy sound of piercing the skull made Katsuki cringe. He flinched back when the blood squirted to his face. He wiped the blood away with a grimace. 

The male next to him let out a disappointing sigh when he saw no sign of supplies, “Everything’s gone.”

Katsuki scoffed and walked further, “Has the apocalyptic taught you nothing? You gotta move the floor and tear down a wall for food.”

Izuku rolled his eyes and muttered to himself, “And clearly the apocalypse taught you to let go.”

The blonde heard but decided to leave it as he didn’t want to start another argument or upset Izuku even more. He rummaged and moved shelfs in case anybody hid something underneath it.

He tried focusing, but ever since he lashed out on Izuku and said many hurtful things, he felt guilty. What if Izuku had died and died thinking that he was at fault? Or what if F/n and Shoto died making Izuku feel guilty because Katsuki was right all along?

He didn’t want that. He couldn't bear to witness seeing Izuku’s spirit crush and couldn’t even imagine seeing his childhood friend dead. Besides, he liked the way Izuku thought. It made him feel like there is still good in such a terrible world. 

From where he stood, Katsuki could see Izuku picking up empty supplies. He picked up a box of bandaids and placed three of them in his hands, “...Hey.”

Izuku eyed him and hummed, “Yeah?”

The blonde felt awkward as he thought of what to say, “So..back then, I shouldn’t have said…those things. About you dying, you getting people killed. I know that you want to help people and so do I, but sometimes…we can’t. I won’t say I’m sor-”

“I know.” Izuku let out a pleased smile, and continued a little further, “But, you are right. About everything. I have to stop thinking like the old ways and start thinking about surviving and doing things that…I’ll never forgive myself for.” 

Katsuki looked down, the chipped tile beneath his foot looked to be taped on. He found it strange as he listened to Izuku. “I’m also sorry for being petty and ignoring you.”

The blonde reached down, removing the tile, “So…we good?”

“Yeah, always.” Seeing Katsuki picking a tile, Izuku moved closer to him, “What did you find?”

The cheap tile split into pieces. Underneath it was a piece of concrete and underneath that was a pair of dirty flashlights. They both grabbed one, examining it to see if it turned on. Katsuki’s light turned on fine while Izuku’s kept flickering until it stopped, his light being dimmed. 

“Seems good.” Izuku muttered. 

The sound of moans interrupted them. They looked at each other and exited the store, their eyes widened as to what they were seeing. A horde. A horde that could trample them within seconds. 

Without hesitation, they run out of the store and head to their friends in hope they reach in time so they all have a chance to run away. Luckily, they easily spotted F/n and Shoto who turned around as Izuku and Katsui shouted at them. 

The pair's eyes widened as they saw a horde just behind the green and blonde hair males. All of them run to find a safe place. Their legs hurt and their breaths fell short as the rotters seemed to get faster from their tiredness. 

[godesssiri]

Décor items I am constantly looking for in thrift stores:

I watch a lot of Youtubers who either thrift for a living or do a lot DIY décor content. They all have the most gorgeous homes, and their homes are 90% thrifted. I have a gorgeous home and it’s easier for me to point out the things in my home that I’ve actually bought new rather than try point out all the things I’ve thrifted. Sometimes friends or family will ask where I got something and I won’t bother to answer I’ll just look at them, and they'll realize duh – stupid question. I thrifted it, have you even met me?

I wanted to give you all a list of things I am ALWAYS looking for, things I will browse through in every thrift store and will pick up even if I don’t know exactly how I’m going to use it, I just know I can use it somewhere.

Frames. OMG Frames! Never buy them new! I have bought some of the ugliest framed crap you wouldn’t believe. But the frame was great. I bought my brother a portrait of a little girl that I’m pretty sure is haunted, but the frame was stunning antique oak that goes perfectly with his style and the creepy little girl could be easily removed - and it was so cheap, probably because the little girl was so creepy. If you want to frame something, go to the art section of the thrift store and ignore what’s in the frames, just look at the frames themselves. Chances are you will either find something that’s perfect as is or that just needs a bit of spray paint to make it perfect. I will always look through the frames even if I don’t have anything that needs framing. I have a stash of great frames on the highest shelf in my wardrobe, I don’t have use for them yet, but I know as soon as I want to frame something I can just go shop my stash and find something perfect

Plant pots. I will pick up new ones when I see a gorgeous one that’s in my price range but 90% of my plant pots are thrifted. The thing is you can put a plant in ANY vessel if you get creative. And you do find a lot of actual planters at thrift stores, but the good ones go quick, so you have to be ready to grab when you see a nice one. I have a huge collection of 80s post-modern pastel ceramic pots and guess what’s come into fashion in the last couple of years? 80s style post-modern pastel stuff. I’ve also found gorgeous Victorian jardinieres in thrift stores that have snuck past the people doing the pricing because they’re transferware and they don’t realize that transferware can be that old. You also come across piles of modern generic cover pots, you know the ones for the gift plants you see at the supermarket or florist or hardware store? People get gifted a plant in one of these generic pots, they either kill the plant or it thrives and needs to be re-potted, and they send the gift pot off to the thrift store. You can give these a makeover with a paint pen, or one of my favorite things to do with them is hot glue them to a glass candle holder with a wide stable base so you end up with a goblet look – it instantly both literally and figuratively elevates them.

Curios and oddities. I’m a collector of curios and oddities and let me tell you, if you are going to a specialist store that stuff is pricey. But if you scour thrift stores and pick up any weird thing you come across you can quickly build up a collection of the strange and unusual that will delight any weird loving freak. But even if you don’t love the things that edge on creepy like I do then still keep an eye out for things that are a bit quirky, a bit odd. Every home needs something that’s a bit left of normal.

Trays. I have a variety of trays that I have on various surfaces to corral small things, one on my dresser for lotions and potions, one beside my sink for the dishwash and scrub brush etc, one on the side table next to my couch to hold all the little bits I want to be able to access easily but they look messy scattered across the table. I can’t pass up a good tray, I bought a nice solid brass one earlier this week with no idea what I was going to do with it, I bought it home and it’s perfect for my coffee table to hold my coasters and a little posy vase of flowers and a pretty bowl to hold the jewellery and hair clips I will inevitably discard there.  A good tray can take a random assortment of practical items from stressful mess to pleasingly organized in seconds. They’re another thing that you constantly come across in thrift stores and also something that’s easy to do a thrift flip on if you can’t find one that fits your aesthetic.

Candle holders. There are soooooooooooo many candle holders of every description at the thrift store. Whatever your style you will find something. I actually rarely use them for candles, I like to buy ones meant for chunky candles and use them as plant stands to elevate small pots. Or get tall beautifully shaped candlesticks and display shells or crystal spheres or air plants on top. Some of them are so sculptural and beautiful they look great just on their own. They’re a fantastic display item whether you use them for their intended purpose or not. And if you like the Dark Academia aesthetic that is everywhere right now they are your best friend. I have never walked into a thrift store and not stumbled across a candle holder of some description – never.

Decorative storage. When I want to increase my storage by storing stuff out in the open in a place people will see, I look for vintage wooden boxes, cool old suitcases, pretty pottery canisters, interesting vintage baskets. When you wander around the thrift store looking for things you can put stuff in, a whole world of pretty possibilities opens up. Wooden boxes are my catnip, I have so many but will never pass one up if I like it. And if it’s an old cigar box with pretty graphics and peeling labels then my heart goes pitty-pat. Pretty canisters you can have on your bench means you have more space in your cupboards to hide the ugly practical stuff. I have a gorgeous old leather briefcase that holds important documents and small things I Do Not Want To Loose, I have ADHD and I'm more likely to remember where my birth certificate or great-grandad's pocket watch are if I keep it them in something I actually like looking at.

Glass display items. I love to display stuff beneath/behind glass because dust. Glass domes and glass display boxes and shadowbox frames are all either A) freaking expensive or B) hard to find or C) both. I’m always thrifting display items that I can rip out whatever is currently in there to display my own stuff. I’ve bought 6 Anniversary Clocks for their glass domes and brass bases; I usually get ones that the clock itself is plastic and it’s super easy to take it apart with a screwdriver. I’m also constantly buying the ugliest shit in shadow-box frames because it’s usually easy enough to open up the frame and get the ugly crap out – dear lord the crap they put in shadowboxes in the 90s. I will buy ugly souvenir stuff for their glass display boxes and will break the glue holding them closed and pull out the tourist tat. I have a couple of glass globes that have come with ugly artificial flowers in them and they’re usually cheap because the flowers are so ugly, but it’s easy enough to open them up and clean them out. Glass trinket boxes are another awesome display item, and there’s been a trend for them in recent years so they’re turning up more and more often, they’re not very practical for everyday storage because you can see everything in them and they look messy, but if you’re only using them to hold carefully arranged pretty things then they look amazing.

Bases, plinths, pedestals. I mentioned I buy pillar candle holders to elevate plant pots but basically, I’m always on the lookout for stuff I can put stuff on top of for display. I’ll buy any candle holder I can put something on top of, any wooden box that can be used to elevate stuff, cake stands don’t just have to be used for cake. Onyx ashtrays are perfect for lifting things a little and if that something has a slightly curved bottom, like a large seashell or a crystal geode, then sitting it in the depression of the ashtray stabilizes it, or if you need a flat surface flip the ashtray over and use the bottom as the top. If you’re lucky, you’ll come across bases actually meant for décor and they always make things look just that little bit classier. Displays always look better when you vary the heights of objects so I’m constantly looking for things to lift my pretties and it all looks so much more interesting when you use an assortment of vintage bases.

Vases. I have a vase problem, I know I have a vase problem, I do not care that I have a vase problem. I mean 16 on one shelf isn’t too many right? I promise it’s a huge shelf with lots of space for them. There are so many beautiful ones out there. So many that are gorgeously hand painted. So many interesting shapes and colors. So many that have been carefully looked after and passed down through generations but have gone to someone who it’s not to their tastes so they can now be your treasured antiques. So many that are modern, mass produced and worthless but ripe for a thrift flip to fit you exact style.

Books. Before anyone @s me about people who use books just as décor, there are good reasons to use some books purely as décor. I collect antique books, specifically natural history ones but I’ll consider any reference book with beautiful covers and illustrations. Most of these books are now inaccurate, I’ve got books that talk about extinct species in the present tense, Atlas’ that were produced between the 2 world wars that are not even in spitting distance of accurate anymore, archaeology books with laughable theories. Also, a lot of my books are fragile, there’s some I barely dare to open because pages are falling out and the binding is perished or the cover is loose, the safest place for them is sitting on a shelf just looking pretty. I also collect children’s classics purely out of nostalgia, I make it my mission to find the prettiest and/or oldest editions I can get my hands on. I doubt I’m going to sit down and re-read the Pollyanna books or the Little Women series but seeing them on my shelf takes me back to those pre-teen days devouring every classic I could get my hands on, mostly in paperback form because those books have been re-printed again and again. If a book is lovely but has no real value as a book anymore either because it’s inaccurate or too fragile, or if it’s had a million re-prints, why not have it as décor? Décor is meant to give a home a feeling and what inspires more feelings than books?

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

[insaneintheemembraneowo]

it's not paranoia if they're really out to get you.

**please read!**

hi there, this is my first time publishing a long fanfic on tumblr. updates will be a lot slower here as i like to post longer chapters on tumblr (at least 1-5 chapters need to be written before posting to tumblr) just as a personal preference. that means updates will take a lot longer here than other platforms so please follow me on wattpad or ao3 if you'd like to support me more or read this book faster. find me at @ insaneintheemembrane thanks!

in which a burnt-out detective/vigilante meets the ninjas.

a trans-fem!reader with spiderman? powers x ninjago boys & girls.

slow updates

i will make a male and gender netural version of this book if its wanted! please check out my profile for other books,

posted books; > into the fog (fem!reader x dbd) - only ao3 and wattpad atm > its not paranoia if theyr're really out to get you (fem!reader x ninjago) - all platforms

upcoming books; > teen by day, wicca by night (fem!reader x twilight) > fight for me (sodapop curtis x fem!reader x steve randle)

chapter 1 & 2

A/N: the timeline is fucked and I've added my own parts to spice up the plot so it isn't similar to other fanfics. i do attempt to stick somewhat to the order of things though. please excuse the spacing, this was copied to multiple sites from notion.

warnings: mentions of blood & violence, swearing words: 1906

chapter 1

i didn't know where i was going or why i even the station, i just needed to get out, needed to do something, anything else. nothing made sense, my thoughts were irrational and i wasn't stable enough for this case. i needed to hand it to someone else, but i couldn't, people were counting on me to solve it.

i'm amazing at cases, this is what ive always wanted to do, what i've dreamed of, so why couldn't i? when it mattered and when it counted why couldn't i solve a singular case? what was wrong with me, why was my brain acting like this? god, it felt like my brain was running at 100 miles per hour.

i kept walking, turning different ways when i felt like it. eventually i came to a tea store. outside was a huge poster for fresh tea and pastries on a discounted price for the winter.

'yes' i thought, 'exactly what i need.'

i walked into the store and was immediately greeted by the smell of an intrusive citrus tea. it flooded my senses and slowed my brain down almost instantly.

"hello dear, something i can help you with?" a calming voice asked.

i spun around to see an older lady, she had grey hair and kind green eyes. she was wearing a light coat of well applied makeup and was smiling at me while holding a cup of tea (which seemed to be the culprit of my relaxation.)

"i, uh, i saw the uhm." i tried to explain using my finger to point toward the window, but my eyes were very obviously glued to the cup of magic the woman was holding.

she followed my gaze and lightly chuckled. "you like the smell of this tea? its ours new brand of organic lemon balm tea, otherwise know as melissa. It increases GABA activity, meaning it's a fantastic choice for calming you down andddd getting to sleep at night!" "sounds just like what i need."

i look from the cup to the shelves, they are covered in hundreds of boxes of tea, ranging from all different colours and types. on the shelves behind the counter sit at least 200 different teapots.

"well lucky for you we have an offer on this type of tea, as its new. 2 boxes for £15. although you do need a good teapot to brew this kind of tea to a high standard. so for an extra £15 ill through in a teapot as well." she responded, putting down her teacup, grabbing two boxes of the tea from the shelves and walking behind the counter to select a teapot.

this woman moved fast, i hadn't even said i wanted it yet.

"right okay, £30 sure." i nodded approaching the counter.

as the woman turned back around she knocked the shelf causing one level to fall. without thinking id hopped over the counter and caught the shelf before it could cause any real damage.

fuck!

"oh woah, those are some… fast reflexes. and your quite strong too. hm" the woman said stepping back putting the teapot she had selected for me on the counter. she then turned round and looked me up and down.

i propped the shelf back up and sighed nervously.

"aha, yeah well, i am a detective so quick reflexes and all."

"sure sure, whatever you say, just seemed a little… unnatural is all." she responded with a smile.

i walked back round the counter, pulling my purse out of my oversized winter jacket. it was like this woman could see right through me. read me like a book - as cringey as that sounds. i pulled out three 10s and handed them too her. she bagged up my things and handed then to me.

"have a nice evening and come again!"

"thank you."

i spun around making a b-line for the door, 'freedom!' i thought, right before the door opened in front of me and i crashed into the stranger that had walked through.

"woah! sorry about that, wasn't expecting you to come through." i said apologetically, regaining balance.

i looked at the guy in front of me, he was solid and hadn't even wobbled when i bumped into him. he had fiery brown hair, gelled up into stupid spikes. he had beautiful light brown eyes, but they were currently looking cold and sharp right at me.

"watch where you're going next time." he half-shouted.

i scoffed, looking at him in disbelief. i was being kind and apologising! what was this assholes problem?

"kai! don't be rude to customers." the woman that had served me said from behind.he rolled his eyes walking off to the back grumbling about something. the woman started to say something but id already walked out, fuming.

like my shitty day could get any worse, not only am i in a slump at work, i nearly exposed my powers to the tea lady AND that guy was unnecessarily rude.

i angrily walked back to the station and set my tea down in the locker room. i ignored everyone's confused looks and sat back at my desk, head in hands.

chapter 2

blood dripped down my face and onto my vigilante suit, not like i wasn't already covered in snake juices and blood but it was still an inconvenience. i had been on my way home from work when i heard cries down an alleyway. a group of snakes had stolen a baby. very original.

i dipped into the alley, stashed my bag and tea in an old bin and changed into my suit, before saving the baby. i fought of the serpentine and found the mother a few streets down crying out for her lost child. a few of the slimy bastards got away so i tracked them through the city, to the sewers. it was some kind of hive for all the serpentine clans too meet. how freaky.

that's when i saw them, the ninja. the most irritating men you will ever come across.

4 arrogant, cocky, colourful men in pyjamas. they call themselves ninjas but fail to do the simplest of tasks, not to mention they are always in my way. they believe in no killing unless absolutely necessary, i believe some people just aren't worth keeping around and that not every life is worth saving.

it's fair to say we don't see eye to eye.

they were all here, trying to fight off the serpentine horde and (to my misery) winning. this place must be important because they were all here blue, red, black and… pink? since when was there a pink ninja? what happened to the white one?

i saw the one in black get knocked down and decided to be his knight in shining armour. i pulled down my hood and used my webs to swing myself into the fight. i grabbed the snake on top of the black ninja with my webs and flung him into a wall. the ninja on the ground looked up at me and nodded, swiftly getting off of the ground, rushing back into the fight.

i rolled my eyes, although he couldn't see that. we continued fighting until the serpentine were dead, tied up or knocked out. i'd been scratched a few times but nothing serious. most of the blood on me wasn't mine, not that you could tell whose blood is what anyway, a certain breed of these filthy things exploded into blue goo when it died. extremely gross. there were only a few stragglers left, but i thought that the Pyjama Men could handle them on their own - they were big, scary ninjas after all. i turned on my heel, prepared to leave, when i heard a scream behind me. i looked over my shoulder to see the pink (white?) ninja being lifted up by his neck. the thing lifting him was grotesque; it was like a hybrid snake. it was bigger, stronger, and covered in markings, and metal.

the remaining ninjas rushed to aid their friend, while i took care of the less powerful serpentine who were trying to assist the hybrid. dealing with the remaining serpentine was easy, and i dispatched them quickly while the others did their best to help their icy companion.

the poor guy was choking and struggling as his teammates desperately tried to get the thing off of him, attacking them with everything they had. their golden weapons, powers and strength didn't work so i helped out and tried my best to strike the hybrid with my weapon. nothing worked and the thing just shrugged us off or threw us back. i eventually got fed up and webbed the guy's hands up, he dropped the icy ninja to try and get the webs off. the fire ninja grabbed the ice ninja and we all ran out of there while we still could. there was no point fighting something so strong, especially since we were very under-prepared. plus i could sense that the ninja still weren't my biggest fans even after i just saved them.

we ran out of the sewers and hid in an alleyway. i lifted the bottom part of my mask, revealing my mouth and gasped for air. it stunk in the sewer and i appreciated the fresh air. part of my hair fell out of the mask along with it.

"are you a girl?!" exclaimed the blue lightning ninja.

"i thought that was obvious?" i responded, looking his way.

"not to me."

"it was obvious, you're just a dumbass jay." the earth ninja said rolling his eyes while checking on his injured friend.

"your name is jay?" i asked.

"oh for fucks sake cole!" the red one exclaimed.

"and yours is cole?"

"shut up you two!" the injured white one shouted, his voice sounding croaky and sore. "she knows too much about our identities now, we will have to take her to master wuu."

"yeah good idea. besides, we still need to discuss whatever that monster was." the red one replied nodding, a hint of disgust in his voice toward the end.

"im not going anywhere with you lot." i started backing up, they came toward me and i turned around and bolted.

[steviewashere]

I Like This Girl in a Band

Rating: Teen and Up CW: None Really Apply Relationship: Robin Buckley/Nancy Wheeler Tags: Post Canon, Post Season Four, Getting Together, Robin Buckley has a Crush on Nancy Wheeler, Nancy Wheeler has a Crush on Robin Buckley, Nancy Wheeler is a Flute Player, Mourning, Talking about Barbara Holland, Coming Out, Robin Buckley is a Sweetheart, Nancy Wheeler is a Sweetheart, Barbara Holland is Nancy Wheeler's Bisexual Awakening, Barbara Holland is Robin Buckley's Lesbian Awakening, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington's Friendship (Background), Nancy Wheeler is a Little Shit, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff

Can also be read on Ao3!

💕—————💕

Robin never expected to be friends with Nancy Wheeler. Somebody who she viewed as being prissy, uppity, overall out of her league. She thought that Nancy didn’t have much depth to her outside of: pretty girl with a smart mouth and all the boyfriends she could ask for. But, then again, she thinks that most people thought of Nancy that way.

After trauma, though, you reconsider the people in your circle. You identify who your allies are. And you miff the ones that don’t serve you any purpose. Like, Robin became best friends with Steve—he had depth, almost surprisingly. He wasn’t a shallow douchebag. Maybe sloppy when he eats, a little bit of a snarky bitch, and gossiper to a fault. But that didn’t make him a bad person, not by any means.

So, sure, Robin reconsidered the people around her.

And Nancy Wheeler has become one of those people.

She’s intelligent and beautiful, but Robin already knew that. Her fortitude is stable and at the forefront of her being at all times. If Robin’s being honest, considering her biases, she liked to hate Nancy because it was easy—not because it was necessary or anything. Hated Nancy for taking her best friend, Barbara Holland. Hated Nancy for always being right and overshadowing her line of thinking, even her thought process was wrong. Hated Nancy for just being perfect.

Perfect Nancy Wheeler and her pretty little outfits and her small smile and her shining eyes and—Okay, maybe Robin doesn’t hate Nancy Wheeler for being perfect. She should admit that now before she gets ahead of herself. Robin doesn’t hate her at all.

She’s honest enough now to admit that she’s been falling in love with Nancy. A little at a time. With everything she does.

Sure, it was hot when Nancy cocked that shotgun and blew Vecna’s head off his body. And it was supremely attractive to see her sketch out plans and actually bring them to life. It’s wonderful to even hear Nancy talk. She’s just got this brain about her that Robin can’t possibly wrap her head around.

It’s easy to hang out with Nancy. To be sitting in her bedroom, looking at her pink and white and lacey little things. To feel her eyes on her back. To turn around and find her smiling.

“So I take it that you like my room?” Nancy asks.

“I love it in here! Are you kidding me?” Robin twirls around in the space, picking up the little music box on her shelf. “There’s a ballerina in here! Oh, Nance, please tell me you did ballet as a kid! That would be adorable.” By the way Nancy tries to act coy, Robin suspects she figured part of Nancy out. The music box is placed back down and Robin goes back to rummaging throughout her space.

That’s when, while she’s attempting to grab something from by Nancy’s closet, a little black case clatters to the floor. It catches Robin’s attention immediately, swooping it up between her hands. A black case, hard shell, little handle. She gasps knowingly.

“Nancy Wheeler, a flautist?” Robin teases. “A band kid? Who knew.”

Nancy’s shy when Robin glances at her again. She tucks some of her hair, loosely permed, behind her ear. Bites her bottom lip. “I don’t play anymore, but it was fun the first couple years of high school. In middle school, too.” Her face drops, though at the admittance. She sighs. Whispering, “Used to do it with Barb. Stopped after—Well, you know.” Her eyes are mournful, understandably. Going far and glistening. Yearning, longing for a past that would never sprout a future.

Robin hums. “I remember,” she murmurs, voice going raspy with it. “Used to be a clarinet player, right? Her section was next to yours, I’m assuming. That’s where the wind players were. I used to sit behind her in the back of the band, my trumpet too heavy for my hands.” She chuckles, a remorseful sigh escaping her. “She was good at it, wasn’t she?” She crosses the room and settles on Nancy’s bed, sitting warm next to her. The case still in her hands.

“Yeah,” Nancy sighs. A little wet. “She was pretty spectacular.”

She hates the spike of jealousy that stabs sharp through her stomach at Nancy’s praise. Barb should’ve been her best friend, she should be mourning her like flowers miss the rain in winter. But, Barb leaving their friendship wasn’t Robin’s choice to make. And Nancy, well, she didn’t know—Did she?

“She was,” Robin agrees. Her voice sounds so brittle to her own ears. “You—God, you must’ve cared a lot about her, huh?”

Stupid question, she chides. Because there’s been polaroids tucked away in drawers. Old costume pieces that Robin remembers Barb wearing during school plays. Little trinkets that Nancy had whispered, “From Barbara”, every single time Robin picked one up.

At the core of it all, they’re just two girls missing the bridge that connected them.

Nancy doesn’t answer. And Robin doesn’t prod for one. It’s always hard to admit something like that aloud, especially for somebody you miss. Even if it’s been years since they left.

“Can I trust you with something?” She abruptly asks. Nancy just hums. Robin swallows roughly. “When I was a kid and I used to hang out with Barb all the time, I used to feel super funny. Like—and I know what it is now—but a weird flip-flop fluttering in my stomach.” Her fingers trace the textured case of the flute. The rough ridges and bumps under her fingertips. “I had dreams every night about doing her hair. About painting her nails.” She clears her throat, a bubble of emotion caught. Admits, “Kissing her knuckles, her cheeks. But not—Never in the way a friend would.”

Beside her, Nancy sharply inhales. Robin tenses momentarily.

With as much courage as she can, Robin continues. “It was scary, sometimes, to be around her. Afraid of what sort of impulse I’d act upon. And I knew, too, that it wasn’t a good thing to try. So I never did,” she whispers. “I never let myself have that with her. But I cared about Barb. I cared about her so much, I think about her and it’s painful.”

“I know,” Nancy murmurs. “Makes my chest ache thinking about…God, I’m just glad you haven’t seen the way she—I’m sorry you didn’t get to mourn her like I did.”

“Nance—“

“No, Robin. I am sorry. I’m so—I understand what you mean.” Nancy’s left hand reaches out, scooping up Robin’s right. Her nimble fingers, petite on Robin’s palm, squeeze with the might of an entire army. “Continue, it’s okay.”

Robin sighs. “I didn’t realize what it meant until she was already gone. But I’m a lesbian, Nancy. I—Barb was the first girl I ever considered anything with. She was my partner in crime, my best friend, the love of my life. Even if I never understood the severity of that.” She squeezes back at Nancy’s hand. The flute gets set down on the floor. Admitting, heavier and quieter, “To be honest, Nancy, I was so jealous of you. I was so angry at you for so long. For being a normal friend to her. For letting her fit in. For taking her from me. But I—“ And Robin weeps softly. Nancy’s comfort grows, steadfast and more intense. “—Nancy, I can’t be mad at you. I don’t think I can. That’s not fair. You—“

“Birdie,” Nancy murmurs. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me.” She raises her free hand to wipe gently at Robin’s cheek, the other hand joining in, too. Her palms are cold on Robin’s cheeks, squishing slightly, yet holding her so soothingly. “It’s okay that you’re mad at me. I was mad at myself for a very long time.” She sighs. “Can I tell you something, too?” She questions softly.

Robin nods. “Yeah, Nance, you can tell me anything.”

“I like girls, too,” she whispers. Her own voice is hoarse and broken. “You know what’s funny about it though?” And she chuckles wryly. “Barb was what opened my eyes. Which only made the ache worse, but at least she helped me know? Does that—I don’t know if that makes sense.”

“Doesn’t have to,” Robin whispers back.

Nancy gives her a curt nod. “You remind me of Barb sometimes,” she confesses. “The whole band thing and your theater background. And you’re so spitfire about the world. A prestigious movie taste, honestly.” And she giggles again. Squishing Robin’s cheeks further between her palms. “It’s really fucked up, but I look at you and kind of—I fall in love easier. That’s probably weird. To hear yourself compared to a dead person.” She grimaces. “But I don’t know how else to explain it. You make me feel the way I did about Barbara. And if anything happens to you, I don’t think I’ll survive it.”

“Is it weird if I say the same thing?” Robin asks, laughing herself. “That you fill the hole in my soul that’s Barb shaped. I can’t be mad at you because I find myself entirely enamored. You’re so—“ She groans. “Intelligent and courageous and wonderful. You’re beautiful and quick and amazing and good and every positive word under the sun.

“You help my world glow brighter,” Robin murmurs. “I think if everybody got to talk to you just once, the entire world would be better for it.” She leans in to Nancy’s space. Her hands coming up to cover both of Nancy’s. She closes her eyes at the sensation. Their skin touching. Their breaths mingling. “You should write something about that.”

“What? Write something about me being a good person or whatever?”

“Yes, exactly. And—I could give my eye witness account. And we’ll share how Barb helped the both of us. And—“ Robin shrugs. “I don’t know where I’m going with this.”

Opening her eyes shows Nancy’s smiling face. Soft. Lovely. “Do you think Barb would be mad at us if I kiss you right now? It’s weird timing, I know, but—“

Robin silences her. Pecking her smooth lips. The sound a small smack, a barely there pop. She pulls away slowly. “Weird is okay. Have you met me?” She kisses her again, this time a little deeper. When she pulls back again, she chuckles. “Will you tell me more about her some time?”

“You’d want that?”

“If I’m falling in love with her best friend, then of course. I want to know everything about you two. And I can tell you about when Barb and I were kids, if that’s okay.”

“Yeah,” Nancy whispers, elated. “Okay.”

Robin finds loving Nancy to be the easiest thing in the world. And it may be odd, the way Barb’s life mingles between them. But, at the end of the day, their love spread between them, the stories they have to tell, the feelings that spring loose on certain days—

All of it makes understanding one another a little better.

“Before we share stories though,” Robin starts, leaving space between them. She reaches down for the case on the floor. “Show me the flute skills, sweetheart.”

“I haven’t played in years, Robbie!”

“Who cares?! My possible girlfriend was a band kid! I’m a band kid! This is the hottest thing in the world!” She crows. “Please! Please, please, please, plea—“

“Okay Birdie! Alright! I’ll play it for you. One one condition,” Nancy hedges.

“Anything,” Robin swears.

“You play the trumpet for me. And we start a tribute band. And we prank Steve.”

“Prank Steve?”

Nancy nods. Solemnly. “Yeah,” she sighs. “He borrowed my favorite pen for when I get my stories for the newspaper. I haven’t seen it in weeks. I say that we get up at the crack of dawn, break into his house, and we play our instruments at top volume.”

“Is this flirting?” Robin asks. “Because you know the ways of my heart. Yes, absolutely we’ll fuck with Steve. You have to get your pen back.”

“Great,” Nancy murmurs, leaning back in again. She kisses Robin with fervor. “Now show me what trumpet tonguing means, baby.”

Yeah, Robin thinks loving Nancy is a lot easier than hating her.

💕—————💕 This was my first time writing just the Robin Buckley/Nancy Wheeler romance dynamic. I've only ever written them as background in my other fics, so this was pretty big for me. Let me know what you think.

[hillbillyoracle]

What To Do In Tornados

I’ve lived in tornado country pretty much my whole life and to be honest they still freak me out. I also remember how anxiety inducing it was when I first moved out and had to deal with them on my own. So like a message in a bottle to my former self, I wanted to compile what I’ve learned over the years in a skimmable format in case there’s anyone else out there today who could use it. 

Difference between a watch and a warning?

Tornado watch means you have time; think of a wrist watch. Tornado warning means one is incoming, no more time. This is the one I use to remember it.

Or if you prefer the Weather Channels very memeable explanation - tornado watch means you have taco (tornado) ingredients - picture a taco bar. Tornado warning means you have a fully assembled taco (tornado). This is what my partner uses. 

So there are possible tornados in the forecast: 

Make a plan about where you’ll go if you get a warning. It should be the most interior room in your house, well away from any windows. Here we have a walkout basement and I go to the most interior part of it. When I was in an apartment, the most interior room happened to be my bathroom and hallway. If you live in a dorm or other communal setting, they should have a plan in place so make sure to find out what it is.

Take pictures of your rooms and car in the event you need to file an insurance claim. Having pictures of what you own, it’s condition is helpful for filing insurance claims if you need to. Especially if you’re a renter. This is easiest to do when there’s no storms in your area so you aren’t nervous or pressed for time.

Make a power outage plan. A lot of the threat that comes with tornados is not from the tornados themselves but the damaging straight line winds around the tornado. Whenever there’s high winds, there’s a chance to lose power. Consider how you’d eat, drink, go to the bathroom, and stay warm in the event of a power outage. Less necessary but still helpful - consider how you’ll entertain yourself, especially if cell towers go down or you need to conserve your phone battery. Consider what chores - like laundry or dishes - would be good to have out of the way before hand. 

Grab snacks and food that doesn’t need refrigeration. If you’re able to make a grocery store run, grab some food you can eat that is shelf stable and doesn’t require cooking. A good rule of thumb in my experience is three days worth. Most power outages I’ve been through have been fixed in that time and you can more safely evacuate then if you need to go somewhere with power. If you’re like me and have a lot of food allergies (gluten, dairy, soy) - consider baking items ahead of time that can keep well at room temperature like cookies, scones, and breads. 

So you’ve been issued a Tornado Watch:

Check the forecast; you might have lots of time before the storms will be in your area or you might have very little.

Make a plan if you haven’t already. Or check your building’s plan if you live in a dorm or communal setting. 

Make sure everyone involved knows the plan. Don’t assume people you’re with know. I have made that mistake before. 

Charge your phone and electronics. If you don’t currently have a thunderstorm in your area, go ahead and charge your phone, power bank, flashlights, and anything else you’ll want to take with you your safe spot.

Gather supplies to take with you to your safe spot

Minimum: 

Shoes

Phone

Form of ID*

Leash/Harness/Cage for pets 

Explanation of minimum: 

Shoes are important because if you need to evacuate, there’s likely broken glass and other things on the floor that can injure you. If you can’t safely move through it, then people will have to come escort you out which means waiting longer + more risk. 

Phone is important for calling for help and receiving alerts. Also many can double as a flashlight in a pinch.

*ID is helpful accessing emergency housing and medical services if you have to leave your home. If your ID doesn’t list your residence or you don’t have/want to have ID documents on you for safety reasons, consider grabbing a copy of your lease or some mail addressed to you there. You can still access services without this, it just helps speed stuff up. 

Keeping pets on a leash or cage helps keep them safe in the event you need to evacuate with them. 

If you can:

Tote bag

Helmet

Flashlight

Power bank + cord

Weather radio

Water bottles

Some pet food + bowl

Snacks

I put all my supplies in a little tote bag. It’s my storm tote (conference bag I’m never gonna use for anything else).

Helmet is pretty self explanatory. One more way to keep your head safe in case anything falls on you. 

Flashlights help you move around your house if it’s safe to stay in if the power goes out. In the event your house is unsafe, it helps you safely evacuate. If you’re trapped, it helps you signal for help. 

Power bank + cord helps you recharge your phone if the power goes out. When you’re checking alerts and watching streams, the battery can deplete quickly. 

Weather radios of any kind is helpful. Cell service often goes out so the way you’ll get your information then will be primarily through radio. If you’re reading this not in a watch and want to get one, look for ones that will wake you up if there’s a warning in your area. Midland has several. I have a small Sony radio I take with me to my safe spot. 

Water bottles are helpful because they’re highly portable and in the unlikely event you get trapped in your house, you’ll have water to keep you hydrated while help gets to you. 

Pet food is so you can feed your animal without leaving your safe spot since warnings can last a long time. I’ve seen some areas be warned for 1-2 hours before if a storm is slow moving enough. But it’s also so you’ll have some food for them in the event you need to evacuate. 

Snacks are similar to pet food. It’s you food. Just helps you shelter in place. 

So you’ve been issued a Tornado Warning:

Put on your shoes

Put pets on harnesses and a leash or in a cage 

Go to your safe spot and don’t come out until the warning has expired

Especially if the warning is PDS or has some other enhanced tag, try to bring something to cover your head and body with - like a mattress. A thick blanket is better than nothing in a pinch.  

[scenezfreak]

What would Jeff do if his s/o found photos of him before the accident? How would he react? ❤️

Jeff’s S/O finding old photos of him before the accident.

I PROMISE MY WRITING IS SO BAD LMFAO‼️

• SFW!!! Comfort-ish? Definitely Fluff

You were cleaning out Jeff’s room since he’s too lazy to do it himself but claims he’s just “busy”. You take a bland box off one of the shelf’s he has and you rummage through it to sort more things out. Clearing the contents of the box you see an old cracked picture frame.

“Geez…I can barely see the photo.” You say to yourself as you carefully turn the picture frame over. You unclasp the back and take the picture out carefully, it’s just a picture of a normal looking boy. You examine the picture closer and you realize it looks similar to Jeff. ‘Oh my god…is this him before he-‘ you couldn’t finish your thought as you heard the door open.

“Oh, Hi Jeff!” You try to say nonchalantly as you try to hide the picture. He notices the box and rushes over towards you. “What are you doing?” He spat. “Well, I’m cleaning your room because you’re, and I quote, ‘too busy’.” You respond. Jeff sees the empty picture frame. He fell silent and just looked at you.

You sigh and reveal the picture you were hiding. “Sorry…I know I shouldn’t have went through your personal belongings.” You try to grab the picture frame but he stops you. “I just need to burn the picture. I don’t know why I still have it.” He sighs. You look at him, concerned. Usually he’d be mad if you went through his personal things, but he didn’t seem mad just…..sad?

You stand up, you know Jeff isn’t one to talk about his feelings. “Did you think I’d like the old you better?” You assume. He shakes his head. “No just…ugh…I hate talking about my feelings but I guess it’s the right time to tell you.” He states. “I just hate how vulnerable and weak I was back then. And yea I guess I thought you might even wish that you could date the more mentally stable me.”

“Oh Jeff…I love you for the way you are now, I love all of you. Nothing can change that. Mentally stable or not, you’re still the one who owns my heart. Not to mention you look 10x more beautiful now, you think so too, right?” You say and he nods his head. “If you really want to get rid of it then go ahead, but I wouldn’t mind seeing your old adorable self in a picture frame.”

He blushes slightly at the comment and turns away. “You really don’t mind that I look completely different?” He questions. “Of course I don’t mind, you’re still you, and I wouldn’t exchange you for ANYTHING. Being honest, I don’t mind that you’re literally insane, I’m into that type of stuff” you giggle.

You press a quick kiss to his lips and put the picture back into the frame and put it on the shelf. “I’ll get a new picture frame later, alright? If you don’t like it then take it down, I don’t mind.” You smile at him. “And don’t worry, I also find your smile very beautiful.” You say.

He sighs in relief. Looking at the picture one last time. Maybe it wasn’t so bad. Things change and he’s already accepted that. You go back to go through the box. “Why don’t you help me? I mean you ARE free right now.” You say teasingly.

He rolls his eyes, “Fine but only because I don’t want you snooping anymore.” He says. “HEY- I didn’t mean to!” You growl back at him and playfully hit him. He laughs at your anger and you both go cleaning his god awful room together.

[lilianvanrouge]

Malleus and Lilia x Frail and Abused Reader Part 3

When you woke up, you were in the infirmary with (Y/B/F) asleep in a chair next to you. You pulled your phone out of your pocket and saw that it was five in the afternoon. (Y/B/F) started to wake up and once he saw you he gave you one hell of scolding.

He kept going on about how you have a weak heart and immune system. This very true since practically every winter you get bed ridden sick.

“I can’t believe you only put “hall of mirrors” in your text! Should’ve put that your heart was freaking out pumping too fast and then I would’ve dropped everything without fear of Riddle!” scolded (Y/B/F).

You chuckled with a smile at how much he cares for you. As soon as your heart became more stable (Y/B/F) walked you back to Ramshackle Dorm. You entered the dorm you still heard Grim under the stew pot and you immediately helped him out. He was angry.

The sun was almost completely down when you made it to Octavinelle. Ever since Azul went into overblot you’ve worked at Mostro Lounge. You were considered important since you were on the scale with Azul, Jade, and Floyd. Students even thought you were Jade’s and Floyd’s little sister since you look like them, which is why you got the nickname Mini Jade/Floyd. Jade and Floyd make fun of you for looking them and being short.

“(Y/N), we need a fruit smoothie for table seven!” said a worker.

“Okay!” you said.

You were happy to finally leave the kitchen, though you do love to cook. You were able to get all the fruit and milk, but couldn’t find the blender.

“Jade, have you seen the blender?” you asked.

He smirked and chuckled, “Yes, it’s in the washroom.”

You walk to the washroom where the dishes were washed and saw the blender on the top shelf of clean dishes.

“Who did this!” you said, raising your voice angry.

You then turned around hearing both the Leech twins chuckling.

“You sea weasels!” you said, upset. “Where’s the ladder?!”

They kept on chuckling with their evil smiles. You looked back up at the blender and then saw the stepladder hidden behind it on the shelf.

“You weasels of the sea!” you said.

All of a sudden you were lifted off your feet. You turned around and saw it was Floyd with a smirk on his face. You pouted and grabbed the blender and the stepladder. You then stomped off to make the the smoothie. Once finished you walked out into the lounge to take it to its table.

You were catching everyone’s eye and you were blushing red remembering your clothes. You didn’t wear a Octavinelle uniform while working. You wore a super short maid uniform that if you walked the wrong way everyone would have saw your underwear. It was didn’t help that you wore super high heels, which you struggle to walk in. Once Azul found out you were a girl he immediately had a “brilliant idea” to bring in more customers, since this is a boy school. But it isn’t all bad since you get a lot of tips this way.

“Here’s your order,” you said kindly to the customer.

“(Y/N), can you take table fourteen’s order?” asked asked a worker.

“No problem!” you said.

You walked over to table fourteen and saw it was Ace, Deuce, and (Y/B/F). The first time (Y/B/F) saw you in this uniform he started freaking out like an overprotective father. He tried to take off his overcoat and tie it around your waist since your socks were ankle high. He confronted Azul about this head on, but couldn’t do anything about it. (Y/B/F) tried to get you to quit, but when you refused he tried to get used to it.

“Hey guys, what can I get for you?” you asked.

“You said you finally got it, so can you make my favorite?” said (Y/B/F) with a smirk.

“I knew you’d ask for that,” you said with an all knowing smile.

“Hey, what’s this meal you two are talking about?” asked Ace.

“You’ll see, there’s enough for all of you,” you said.

You quickly made (Y/B/F) favorite food and brought it out. Ace and Deuce we're in awe.

“Honey baked prime rib, with sweet rolls, macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes, mixed vegetables, and a hot fudge sundae!” you said, proud.

All three of them praised you on your cooking and you went back to the kitchen; unknowing that you caused a big problem.

“(Y/N), Azul wants to see you in his office,” said a worker.

“Huh? But a meeting is scheduled today and I didn’t do anything wrong?” you said.

Nevertheless you went to Azul’s office where you saw Jade and Floyd as well.

“Is there something wrong? Is there some sort of emergency?” you asked.

“Unfortunately, yes are the answer to both of those questions,” said Jade, calmly.

“(Y/N) did you make something off the menu and gave it to Ace, Deuce, and (Y/B/F)?” asked Azul.

“Yes,” you answered honestly.

“Customers are starting to ask for the exact same meal that you made, which isn’t on the menu and none of us have no idea how to make. We also don’t have any prime rib here,” said Floyd, clearly bored.

You jumped at this shocked. You quickly explain the circumstances to all of them and told them you only had a few more prime ribs left in a cooler that you brought into the kitchen. Azul understood and took care of everything else. That’s how you ended up in the kitchen the rest of the night cooking all the prime ribs you had in the cooler.

You were now walking home tired, and upset at what Azul said.

“In exchange for not firing you for breaking an unwritten rule and not giving you to the angry students; you’ll cook all the prime ribs you have left and not get paid for any of those meals,” you remembered Azul saying happily with a smile.

All of a sudden you saw glimmering lime green lights in front of Ramshackle Dorm and saw Malleus.

“(Y/N), it looked like Ashengrotto worked you to the bone again,” said Malleus.

“Yeah,” you sighed with a smile.

“I wanted to thank you for spending time with Lilia today,” he said.

“No problem. How was your club meeting?” you asked.

“Not good, since I’m the only member, the headmaster is thinking about getting rid of my club,” sighed Malleus.

“I could join, since I’m not in any clubs. It may not be a lot, but it might help,” you said.

Malleus looked at you surprised and then smirked.

“You really are a kindhearted human. Very well, tomorrow after school is your first day being apart of the Gargoyle Research Club,” said Malleus, before disappearing.

You smiled feeling good about making Malleus happy.

It was now the next day and you were walking around the campus with Malleus. You were both spotting out gargoyles and having talking about.

“Hahaha! You really know how to entertain me child of man!” laughed Malleus.

All of a sudden you felt your phone vibrate in your pocket.

“Hmm,” said Malleus, clearly unsatisfied. “Is it something important.”

You saw that it was an emergency text from your co worker at Mostro Lounge.

“Yes. Sorry, but I have to go. I’ll see you next meeting,” you said, before leaving.

When you arrived at Mostro Lounge it was in chaos with rowdy customers.

“(Y/N), thank goodness you’re here! You have to go to Azul’s office now!” said a worker.

You went around the crowd rather than through it, because you didn’t want to be pushed and shoved. Once you made it to Azul’s office you were mentally exhausted.

“(Y/N), you’ve finally arrived,” said Jade, calmly.

“It’s about time you showed up, Little Shrimp. The crowd is getting reckless,” said Floyd, annoyed.

“Has (Y/N) arrived yet?!!” said Azul, entering the room. “Ahh, so you are. All those customers out there are rioting for more of your prime rib and more food by you.”

“Really?! When I requested to work here you said you truly doubted my cooking tasted good,” you said with a smirk.

“Well I’m glad you’re happy, cause you’re going out there to talk to that crowd,” said Azul.

“What?!!” you said, downright terrified.

One of your numerous fears is public speaking.

“Tata now,” said Azul, as Jade and Floyd pushed you out the office.

It was clear Jade and Floyd didn’t want to do this, but did anyway.

“Some benevolent heart he has from the sea witch,” you mumbled.

You walked back out to where the crowd was and trembled believe that you couldn’t do this. That’s when your guardian angel arrived and stood on top of the counter in front of you.

“All of crazy monsters calm down!! This is all my fault!! I asked (Y/N) to make me that prime rib you’re all asking for, and if I didn’t this never would’ve happened!!” (Y/B/F) shouted out to the crowd.

The crowd all quieted down and listened to him. You tugged on his pants and he bent down as you whispered in his ear.

“Alright, everyone!! It turns out that now everyone wants a taste of (Y/N)’s food Mostro Lounge is going to change their whole menu, but that’s going to take time!! We’re all going to have to remain patient until then. The date of it is unknown!!” shouted (Y/B/F).

He told a lie by saying that Mostro Lounge is changing their whole menu, but you have to do whatever it takes to keep the crowd under control. The crowd soon dispersed make the whole lounge now empty.

You gave a big hug to (Y/B/F) while crying all over him. He was happy that everything went well and you’re safe. But you’re not out of danger yet. You dreaded figuring out a way to tell this to Azul without getting in trouble.

[balkanradfem]

So, the last summer, I decided to try out the method of drying green-beans, to see if it would be a good alternative to freezing them. I love frozen green beans, but I want a method of preserving that doesn't take any energy to keep them frozen, dry stuff is shelf stable!

The way to do this is to grab a needle and a thread, stack the green beans on the thread vertically, and then hanging them up to dry. It takes them several weeks to dry, and I do have to say, they all dried properly, none went bad or started getting mold, the drying part went well! Then I put them in my big giant jar and promptly forgot about them for the whole winter.

And now, I'm going to test if they're good to eat!

Some of these are long noodle beans, and some are just normal green beans. In the container next to them are some young garlic plants I found in the field. I've decided to go and make a garlic+green bean soup, to make sure the green beans get a proper time to cook in there.

So, the method of rehydrating these is to put them in a pot, pour boiling hot water over them, and leave them to soak for an hour. This is how they looked when I took them out of the jar:

They seemed light and like there's not much substance to them, they're also pretty thin. I covered the pot and left it for an hour. In the meantime, let's look at the garlic plants. Firstly, what are they.

I sometimes forget to harvest a bulb of garlic, and then in the spring, I get 5-6 young garlic plants growing on top of each other. I tried to pry them apart and plant separately, but none of them would really go on to produce a big head of garlic. So I decided it's much more satisfying to just yank them all out and eat them in the spring as fresh garlic. The entire plant is filled with fresh garlic flavour!

I cleaned them up and separated the white parts from the green, because the white parts can be sauteed on oil, while the green parts will do better to just be cooked. I cut them in little soup-appropriate pieces.

Then I thought, well, this soup would just be so much better if there was a potato in it. Green beans and potatoes just go extremely well together. And I didn't have a young potato, all of mine have already sprouted, so I picked two that looked somewhat decent:

I know these look rough at first, but when you cut them, inside they're just fine! I didn't even peel them, just cut them in little cubes. Now let's look at how are the green beans doing:

They grew bigger! And they now feel very squishy and chewy, and there's much more weight to them, which I like. The smell coming out of them was not like a green-bean scent, it didn't smell much like anything really. I was very curious to how the water would taste where the green beans were soaking, so I tried it. And it tasted like tea. Usually when you cook some vegetable in hot water, it tastes like broth, right? Well this tasted like tea. Tea from leaves and bark. It was extremely interesting.

Anyway, I cut the green beans to little bits as well, and now we have all of the ingredients for cooking! It's going to be a very simple meal, but cool because we're just using garden stuff one can get in early spring.

I put the potatoes and salt on some oil first, because they can handle it for the longest time, and it draws out a more intense flavour in them. When they started smelling real nice, I added the garlic whites, and after a bit, garlic greens and green beans, or at this point they would be called 'leather britches', because people compare the texture of dry green beans to leather. And that's it! Extremely simple soup making. Here it is done:

I was excited to see what the flavour of green beans would be, because I was promised they have this very intense flavour, but I have to admit, this soup tasted overwhelmingly of potatoes and garlic! Which is a heavenly combination, so I loved it a lot. I was a little disappointed that I couldn't taste the green beans, I think the flavour possibly faded because I just left them sitting in a transparent jar for some 9+ months, and they should have been protected from the light better.

I could feel the texture, however, and it was okay, it was slightly leathery but by no means difficult to eat. I ended up eating the entire soup very quickly, and I have to say it was extremely sating. I felt very well fed afterwards and satisfied for hours. Food that is no trouble to store, easy to eat and sating, that sounds like a perfect thing for me.

I'll try it again this summer, but I'll see if I can eat the green beans before they lose the flavour completely, or if I could preserve it for longer by keeping them out of light, in a paper bag or a very dark spot. Possibly I should have tried putting them on oil to draw out the flavour, but I haven't thought of that at the time. I actually have a bit of them left over, because I wanted to see if they cook any different if I don't soak them first, so when I try that out, I'll put that information out as well!

[technoxenoholic]

i think every bathroom stall should be accessible to some degree.

i don't necessarily think every single bathroom stall should have an adult changing table and a lift to get from your wheelchair to the toilet, etc. etc. i understand that would be too much expense (and take up too much space) for the proportion of the population that would need it, for most places. what i do think there should be in public bathrooms depending on the available size is:

1-2 fully accessible stalls with absolutely everything a disabled person could possibly need, no matter the severity of their disabilities and no matter how much support they require. the stuff above, and everything i haven't thought of too. electrical outlets sound like a good idea to charge certain equipment. stuff like that

2-4 large stalls with space for wheelchairs and other equipment, still with outlets, plus a decently sized shelf to put things on so they don't have to go on the floor

3-7 smaller stalls that still have grab bars with antimicrobial materials/coatings, hooks to hang canes/medical bags/etc. on the back of the door, a sharps bin above the toilet tank, a trash bin on the wall for used menstrual and other medical products, and if not a separate shelf then at least a flat, stable top on the toilet paper dispenser in case a small extra shelf is needed (all this stuff should be in the other stall types as well obviously)

and in places like libraries and sports facilities, 1-2 that are shower stalls instead of toilet stalls, also with enough space for wheelchairs/carers/etc. because sure, showering in public sucks, but if you don't have the choice to do it at home or in a hotel (due to cost) you still need access to showers

this is all very unlike the current setup i always encounter where there are zero fully accessible stalls, 1 large stall if you're lucky, and 4-10 smaller stalls with no grab bars or hooks or anything.

feel free to add on if you know other things that could be included in public bathrooms to make it easier for disabled people to exist in public!

[the-bio-ska]

Molting

(POV Lenox)

I swear if Brittany has me carry all of those suitcases back down, I will ask for a transfer. I do not care how busy Freddy is.

The apartment Brittany has in New York is impressive. For a room she rents out to others, she definitely shows her wealth, if nothing else. A lot of paintings that consist of nothing but color; surrealist paintings that I get what it is depicting, but I still have to wonder, why? Some odd clock that is telling the time, but looks like a carjack bolted to a wall. 

I had to stand up to actually get a proper look at the time while I was laying down. Ms. DeBoin explained to me the meaning of the piece.

That’s by design! It is supposed to look like that! It symbolizes time being a difficult thing to keep track of, yet for all the time zones we find a way to keep track of it.

I’m starting to think she just bought a confusing looking clock and has to make up a justification for why she bought it.

Her TV looks like it is the most recent and high resolution version of the flat-screen. Aside from the bottom bar with the TV logo, the TV has no frame. I have not watched anything yet, but I’m curious if it will have an odd aspect ratio. 

Looking at the media shelf she has on the sides of the TV, it is surprisingly small for someone who tries to claim she is as media influenced as she is. I cannot see the full spines as the frame covers a third of it, but I see from some of the spines.

Eyes Without A Face which made sense given the poster she has, Phantom of the Pa, Kino’s Journey, Visions of Escafl, Revolutionary Girl Ut, Bound and finally Hedwig and the Angry. This only took up about half of the shelf space for her film collection. 

Her music collection is the polar opposite. Her shelves are full nearly to the brim aside from the bottom two shelves. I have not even heard of a lot of the bands on here and it would take hours to go through them all. I know she is going to make me listen to something later.

“Lenny! I need your help!”

I bolt up from the couch. The limited ways she could be hurt is low, but still, I have to make sure she is okay. Plus, it sounds like she is whining over something.

Upon opening the door, I see Brittany in a towel, but more importantly something is around her eye. Her eye looks almost swollen, a layer of clear skin clasping on her eyeball. It seems impossible for her to see out of. It looks almost merged to her eye. I have never seen anything like this. If this blinds her I will be in deep trouble. “We need to get to a hospital!” I grab her arm but she breaks my grip.

“No! We don’t have to go! This is just a bad molt. I just need you to do me a favor.” Reaching over to her bathroom sink, cosmetics spilled into, she hands me a pair of flat headed tweezers. “I just need you to pull off the skin using these tweezers.”

Skin?! That’s what this is? Her eyes molt? Is this due to that surgery that her father did to her? “Hold on! Why can’t you do it?!” 

“Every time I get the tweezers near my eyeball I get shaky and nervous. Now, please pull the center of my eye with the tweezers!”

Oh she gets nervous? What about me? Brittany is trusting me with her eye. If I screw up I could blind her. I cannot feel her pain, nor do I have any empath magic that could help.

Tenderly, I move the tweezers towards the slit in the molting skin. I figured it would be best to start from the corner so it would come cleanly off. Hopefully. My hand is stable due to my bio organic enhancements, but my heart is beating out of my chest. Going for the eyes is something I myself get nervous over. The mere idea of something piercing and cutting an eye shakes me to my core. I have never done this before. The most I have ever done was when I tried to remove my own contacts when I was 11.

Wait. Like contacts! I place the tweezers back on the counter. Brittany fidgets nervously, hearing what I did. “Len. What are you doing?”

“Just trust me on this.” I turn on the sink and wash my hands. From the mirror I can see Brittany opening her available eye to see what I am doing. She’s shaking, likely nervous as she does not know what to do. After barely drying my hands, I grab the good side of her face from her chin, so I can guide her head. The one good eye is dilating, meaning I need to keep this quick. With my other hand, I lightly scrape my middle finger against her eyeball.

I feel the wet clump of skin attach to my finger, slimy though it may be. I tenderly continued until the skin clasped around my finger. I look at her eyes and it looks like there is no damage. A bit red, watery and swollen, but it seems like she can see. My relief gave way to disgust once I realized I still had the skin. It feels slimy, but there was clearly texture. It felt like I was holding wet snake skin boots. Instinctively I flick it off into the toilet. Brittany gives me a horrified look.

“Were you raised in a barn!? Dammit, I cannot sell it now?”

Sell? She sells her skin sheds? I know that was a practice that dragons could do to make some quick money. But would anyone take some skin molts from a human? Wait, Brittany looks human again. I know her father performed extensive surgery on her to look human, so why did she still molt?

“I thought your father got all of your skin replaced. I just thought the scales under your eyes were just makeup.” Figured any time is as good as any to escort her back to the living room, but she struts past me doing that damned walk that makes her look like a model.

The pop star just shakes her head at me and laughs. “My father is a skin and muscle surgeon. He is not comfortable doing any work on eyes, teeth or ears.” She lifts her hair to reveal something I had never noticed with her. Instead of human, or even animal ears like you would find on a cambion, there were little holes on the side of her head. From what I can see, they were also molting, with whitish skin. “It is also why I keep my hair in this style at all times, so no one can see my ears. It’s…not something I like showing. The fact you assumed the scales under my eyes were make-up makes me feel better.”

For the first time since I took this job, Brittany is showing some vulnerability with me. Not a lot, but this is something. For all of her confidence over her new body she still has points of insecurity for her, which at least was something I should keep in mind. I hide one of my ears in my hands, gentle rubbing them.

“In fact, let me show you something,” Brittany went back to the bathroom. I hear something unzip, then I hear her footsteps again. I see a bag of skin? The contents of the bag looked like plastic inside another plastic bag. Except once I get one more good look at it, it’s scaly skin!

“Why do you have that?!”

“To sell them to a select group of people. I thought we were on the same page with that.” Brittany is using that sing-song tone from when we were driving up. “I sell them to people within my network. Connections with my production team, my dad. People suspect I shed to varying degrees since I went public with both my transition and my reversion into a human. I myself just do not like looking at them.”

“I know you aim to sell it. Just nasty is all,” something about what she said stood out. Having a network of someone with her status. "Is one of those people in New York?”

Brittany nods. “Agnes Utgar-Hagen is my main doctor. I give her clumps of my skin for study and depending on how much skin clumps I give her, I can get 40 dollars for every 6 inches.”

40 dollars? That still mattered to a millionaire? I just shrug. Whatever she wants to do with her skin is up to her. “You know what. I don’t even want to hear more than that. This topic is getting too gross for me.” If she kept going, I can only imagine what she will mention. What if she sells other excrement to some weirdo who needs it for 'magical studies'?

“True true~! By the way,” Brittany approaches me meekly, reaching her hand out to try and grab my hand, only to stop herself. “May I see your hands please?” My hands? I’m grateful for the topic change, but why my hands? A better description of them is closer to claws, so says Freddy.

“Your hands just feel nice. I assumed under your energy claws they would be gnarled and gross, but you take good care of your hands. I just want to look at them again.”

Oh my god! Why is she doing this? She’s probably lying about finding my hands feeling soft. This is just her trying to mess with me again. My guess, she wants to get a look at as many things with my body she can mock. If she thinks that I don’t know her reputation as a shit stirrer, she will be in for a rude awakening.

“N-no Ms. DeBoin! I believe that is not necessary. I believe I have helped you so I will leave you to get…dressed.” Oh. Right. Brittany is in a towel. Needing to get out of there, I shut her door as fast as I could without slamming it. I really hope she does not report this to Freddy.

Brittany is laughing as she goes back to the bathroom. I just walk back to the couch and slump down. I’m already exhausted with having to deal with her antics. It’s not even a week yet. This is going to be a long job.

[sulky-valkyrie]

For the DADWC: 'I knew it, you’re sick.’ 'Go away’ featuring Anders?

Happy Friday, Ann! I realize this doesn't so much feature Anders directly as occupy Nate's thoughts, but I hope you enjoy anyway 💜

For @dadrunkwriting

~~~

"Have you seen Anders?"

Nate looked up from his fletching as Aedan ambled in.  "Not since this morning, what's he done now?"

Aedan snorted.  "Why is that always your first question?"

"You know him as well as I do," he replied.

"Not quite,  I should think," Aedan laughed.  He sat down on the bench and grabbed a few feathers and split them with his belt knife.  "He hasn't done anything, and that's actually the problem."  He gave Nate a wry grin.  "Well, ‘problem’ is a bit of an exaggeration, honestly.  But Sigrun and Oghren were playing chicken on Vel and Zev's shoulders, and one thing led to another and now there are at least three broken bones between them, and the infirmary is completely empty."

Nate frowned at the sliced feather that Aedan handed to him.  "You don't think he went back to Amaranthine, did you?  To try to find his phylactery again?"  The look of terror on Anders' face when Rylock had tried to trap them still haunted his dreams.

"If he did, he can't be more than a few hours’ walk down the road; even if he could ride well, which he can’t, he hates pulling up his robes."  The for a horse was left unspoken, but the smirk on Aedan's face made it clear he was thinking it.  "I'll go saddle up Urthemiel and head out."

Nate shook his head.  "Still can't believe you named a prized Nevarran stallion after an archdemon."

"What should I have named him, then?  Ser Pounce-A-Lot?"

After Aedan left, Nate finished making arrows from the last of the already-split feathers, then drummed his fingers on the table.  Anders would be fine.  No, Anders was fine.  There was nothing to worry about.  Nothing to worry about like Templars dogging his steps at every turn, or anti-mage sentiments in the general populace, or darkspawn still roaming after -

He stood up so quickly that he nearly tripped on the leg of the table.  I'll just do a quick check, then finish these arrows.

His room was empty.

Mistress Woolsey was in the library, but reading something sideways and looking awfully flushed.  Best not to interrupt that.

Oghren was in the kitchen, one arm in a sling, and drinking tea mournfully.  "Where's your skirt, Nate?"

He arched an eyebrow.  "My skirt?"

"Your man, the one in the damn dress.  The rutting void is he?  My arm hurts like pissing blood and Sparkefingers the wonderboy is missin'."  Oghren took another sip of tea.  "And this leaf water sucks if you don't dump have a tin of sugar in it, but the cook put the lumps up on top the shelf where I can't reach them, long-legged bastard."

Nate left him to his grumbling and kept looking.  Out of habit, he ended up in the infirmary, where Velanna was patching up both Sigrun and Zevran in exasperation.  She looked up when he walked in and pointed at the door.  "Out.  Unless you've got that blasted mage in your pocket, you're no help, so get out."

He got out.  Velanna was never a good choice to debate with, and even less so when Sigrun was hurt.  Next were the stables; unlikely, but still worth a look.  Anders didn't like to ride horses, but he had helped the farriers and stable hands on a few occasions and was fond of them in a more general fashion.  No luck.  Not even up in the loft where they had - he coughed and checked around to see if anyone was watching the blush creep across his face, then kept searching.  

Anders wasn't up on the ramparts, or snooping through Varel's desk.  He wasn't in the chapel either, but Nate was scraping the bottom of the barrel and unsurprised.  He didn’t bother to check the cellar.  The fact that he hasn't seen Ser Pounce-A-Lot was worrisome.  The cat went with Anders everywhere, so if he wasn't roaming the Keep, that meant Anders was . . . gone?   But where?  And why didn't he leave a note?  No, why didn't he just come and tell Nate what was going on?

Unless . . .

He slapped his forehead and ran back to the barracks, past his own room, past Vel and Sigrun's, past Oghren's, down, down the hall to the very end.  The only one with a window.  Anders' room, the one he never used.  As he turned he handle he heard an irritated groan, followed by a series of sneezes loud enough to make his teeth rattle.

And there Anders was.  Stuffy and red eyed and miserable and huddled in his bed with Pounce draped over his side, but he was safe.

"I knew it, you're sick!" he almost crowed it in his relief.

Anders winced and pulled the pillow over his face.  "Go away."

Nate sat on the edge of the bed and squeezed his hip before leaning down to kiss Anders' forehead.  It was sweaty and a little grimy, but it didn't matter one bit.  "Never."

[ffauthor]

Michael afton x reader + William pt.2

This one is more of a william afton x reader one!

(Doctor!william)

Read part one here:

You were laying on a bed, William was standing next to you on your left side, and michael was sitting in a chair on the other, holding your hand softly. After putting the chard back at the shelf at your foot end, he made his way towards you, gripping a small flashlight out of his pocket. He moved your hair out infront of your eyes, giving you a quick peck on your forehead before he held his hand on your head, flashing the flashlight into your eyes, making you move his finger afterwards. "Does anything hurt you still?" He asked, looking down at you with a kind smile, yet worry could be read over his expression. You shook your head carefully, your head still pressed in the pillow.

"You've been very lucky, love." By this michael shook his head, the grip on your hand tightening. "I still dont understand why you did that, y/n. It could've turned out so much worse!" Followed by, "you really scared the shit out of me. Don't you ever do that again." Michael still had a faint red color around his eyes, sniffing his nose quietly. "I'm sorry -" you tried to apologize, but william just shook his head down at you. "Don't love. And michael, keep your voice down. You're scaring her." Michael's eyes widened slowly, letting your hand go. Making you look towards him, the warmth is now completely replaced with the cold, windy atmosphere. You didnt say anything, just letting the quilt feeling swallowed down. "Will?" Your voice was sore, raspy even. "Hm?" William was looking at the machine, connected to one of the tubes stuck in your hand. "When can I go home?" William looked back down at you, a small sad smile on his face.

"I'd like you to be here for atleast two more days for observation, then. Because ur lucky ur amazing man of a partner is a doctor, we can try and get home." He was playing with roots of your hair, his white jacket softly scrooving across your skin. "But. That is, if ur stable enough. And even then, we gotta take it slow love. Meaning no pizzeria for a long time." You nod your head, smiling slightly.

"Now, scoot over. Ive got about a hour until I have to do rounds again" you could hear the annoyance in his voice, he'd rather stay here with you at all times, holding you close and protecting you at all costs then leave you for even a split second. You did as told, scooting over just a bit for william to get in with you, holding you softly against his chest, but still with a protective hand over you, his head laying atop of yours.

You smiled, softening against him as you watch michael swallow, looking down at the floor. He was probably still upset about the scene that went through before you were here. William yelling at michael outside your room, ofcourse blaming him for you getting hurt, even when you tried to convince william it was your fault, he wouldnt blame you. He would never, you were his after all; nothing could make him blame you or look negatively at you.

It made you grab michaels hand softly, making him hesitantingly interwine your hands together, as he looks up at you, seeing you smile softly at him. "Come on, silly." You mumble, using your strenght to pull michael of his chair, him standing up his own, not wanting you to do anything that could hurt you. You scooted closer to william, making michael get in at your otherside, his hand carefully at your back and the other awkwardly resting on his own hip, his leg pulled underneath yours.

This is exactly what you needed, laying in a bed with the two people you love the most, even tho you wish to forget the accident that brought you here.