#and had to go home after standing in line for 45 minutes because they had a sign taped to their door

[officialbabayaga]

philip glass should be sending me christmas cards. i'm so attached to the OST for the Illusionist that even though it's less than an hour long i've been listening to it on loop for 4 hours now, with 6 hours to go until this goddamn paper is due 💀

[gojonanami]

SIT IN MY LAP - SATORU GOJO

✴︎ summary: you and satoru take your daughter to see santa at the mall, and satoru proves that he's just as much of a match for his daughter, as he is for you. ✴︎ contents: fluff, domesticity, satoru being a cute girl dad, crack, innuendo, daughter's name is satomi, implication of pregnancy, wc -> 1,350

Satoru Gojo was blessed in almost every single way — from his cursed technique to his looks, but the thing he was not blessed with was patience. 

“We have to wait how long?” Your husband grumbles as you two wait in seemingly a line longer than the Nile itself all to take for your precious daughter to take a picture on Santa’s lap. 

“I don’t know how long, Toru, it’s probably going to be 45 minutes at least,” and you swear he pouts more then your three year old does, “Santa is very busy this time of year, isn’t he, baby?” You ask your sweet daughter and Satomi only grins up the two of you, after she insisted on standing on her own. 

“Very busy,” she repeats, and Satoru softens for a moment before he sees the long wait still ahead even as the three of you round another corner of Santa’s miniature workshop they had built in the middle of the mall, “Daddy gotta wait with us!”

“Why can’t Daddy go to the car and take a nap instead?” He grumbles, and you roll your eyes. 

“Because daddy has to be in the picture with Santa, otherwise you’ll end up on the naughty list,” and his lips curl, “and not the good kind of naughty list,��� you add in a whisper. 

“Daddy has already been naughty!” Your daughter exclaims as Satoru stares down at her dumbstruck. 

“What?” 

“You ate my pancakes this morning,” she huffs, and you stifle a laugh at Satoru’s indignant expression 

“I took one bite—“ but her glower said she did not care, “only three years old and already turning on me,” he mutters, “who carried her this entire time around the mall when she didn’t wanna walk? Doesn’t that earn me some points?” 

“Well I think you’ve been a good boy, aside from the impatience,” and he’s sporting a glower similar to your daughter now, as you giggle between the two of them, “how about this? We’ll all have a treat when we go home if the two of you behave,” and you lean to whisper in Satoru’s ear, “and if you’re a really good boy, maybe I’ll sit in your lap tonight,” 

And he perks up at your words, eyes raking over you, “And are you going to tell me what you want for Christmas?” 

You kiss his cheek, warmth blooming where your lips touched, “I think you know,” 

And a small blush settles over his cheeks, even as he grins shamelessly, whispering, “Have you been a good girl this year?”

You lean up to whisper in his ear, “Definitely not,” your lips skim his outer ear, drawing a shiver from him. 

“Daddy are you cold?” Your daughter notices, but you scoop her up in your arms. 

“Daddy is running a little hot I think,” you chuckle, as you watch him try to adjust himself, his tight pants doing little to help his situation, “he’ll be fine, right?” 

And he pouts again, “I’ll be fine,” he presses a kiss to his daughter’s forehead, “can’t say the same for your mom when we get home,” 

Finally, after many brain cells lost and almost an hour of time, you reach the front of the line. “Santa” sits in his chair, looking quite jolly, despite having to deal with children all day, and he welcomes your daughter, who, for all of her spunk when dealing with her parents, now was hiding behind your leg. 

And before you can say anything, Satoru is kneeling beside her, “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” He’s running his fingers through her soft white locks, “do you want daddy to go with you?” 

And she considers it, lips in a cute pout that’s all too similar to her father’s, and then nods, “daddy, come with me,” 

“Of course, baby,” and his fingers intertwine with her smaller ones as he takes her up. You hang back a little, your phone ready and poised to take pictures and a video, as you beam. 

Santa holds your daughter as he asks her what she wants for Christmas. Your daughter says something half whispered that you can’t make out, but Satoru does, his cerulean eyes widening slightly before his lips curl into a grin. 

And before you can ask what she said, you’re pulled in to take a picture. You three leave, Satomi in her father’s arms, nestled on his shoulder, peacefully sleeping, “what did she wish for?” You ask, raising an eyebrow. 

He snorts, “Sworn to secrecy by Santa,” 

“What’s that? A hidden confidentiality clause?” And he only smiles, as you roll your eyes, “pun definitely not intended,” 

“I’ll tell you when we get home. Too many prying elves here,” he jerks his head at one of Santa’s elves sitting on a bench, clearly on their break with earbuds in either ear. 

“I don’t think they care about a three year old’s wish,” and Satoru’s lips part and eyes comically big in mock offense. 

“This is not any three year old — she’s the next Gojo heir, my successor, the fruit of my—“ and you glare, “our loins,” 

“More like mine,” you cross your arms, tilting your head as you glance at your daughter, “you’re not the one that pushed her out,” 

“Yes I’m the one who put her in there—“ and another scowl makes him clam up, smile bit back, “I’ll tell you when we get home, after I get you on my lap that is,” he adds with a grin. 

“Oh yeah, I don’t know if you’ve been so nice though,” and his free arm slides around your waist, pressing a kiss to your forehead, curling his lips. 

His voice low as he murmurs in your ear, “The real question is if you have been, baby.”

And finally, when Satomi is fast asleep in bed — arms and legs tangled in her blanket like a menace, you emerge from her bedroom, sighing, “finally down,” you collapse on the couch beside him, lying your head on his shoulder, as his arm wraps around you, pulling you close, “are you gonna finally gonna tell me what she wished for?” 

And he hums, mischievous twinkle in his eyes, “Sit in my lap, and see,” and you tilt your head, but you slide over his lap, sitting with your knees on either side of his waist, “good girl,” 

“Satoru—” and he’s kissing you slowly, lips meeting yours in a languid kiss and you can taste the sweet hot chocolate on his lips he drank earlier. 

“Been waiting to that all day,” he murmurs, gaze leaving a trail of heat as it slid over his body, and his hands follow, squeezing your hips and making you lurch against his hips, “definitely on the naughty list from that noise,” he grunts. 

“Weren’t you supposed to tell me what Satomi wanted?” You mumble against his lips, as they meet again, before pressing kisses down your jaw and the hollow of your throat. 

“Oh, we wanted the same thing,” and you raise an eyebrow, and he’s grinning up at you, “she wants a sibling,” you breath catches — both at his words and at his darkened gaze — and you can feel his erection press against you, his fingers digging into the flesh of your sides, “wanna make a Christmas wish come true?” 

And your heart flutters, “do you think we’re ready?” You had been talking about possibly having another kid, Satomi was getting older — ready to start school soon enough — and you wanted your daughter to have a sibling to grow up with. 

Satoru’s gaze softens, his palm sliding across your cheek, as you lean into his touch, “I know we are — as long as you want it to,” and you can almost see it now — a little boy with Satoru’s blue eyes and your hair, nights spent up with the baby, days spent as a family, the baby sleeping on Satoru’s chest as you do Satomi’s hair, and another piece of your family complete. 

So you kiss him, lips sliding gently against his, and you smile at him, “Luckily, you both knew exactly what I wanted for Christmas.” 

✴︎ note: i don't celebrate christmas, but i got this cute fic idea in my head and i couldn't get it out lol. i love girl dad satoru.

[wandascrush]

Meet cute

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Fem!Reader

Warnings: nerves, money troubles, female reader, popular girls? A/N: In works to be a series, more parts soon! “I love you…but I will never stop hating you,” you practically whispered out the last line. The small phone booth you were in smelled like cigarettes and dust. You heard her breath on the other line, shakey. She said nothing. The endless rain created a waterfall on the glass windows, making your wife, Jamie, look like a blur of colors on the other side of the road, standing there with your two children. That was the last time you ever spoke to her. 

                     1954-Junior Year- NYC

     The first time you ever talked to Natasha was on the first day of Junior Year at Manhattan School for the Gifted. It was one of the most prestigious highschools in New York City and only few above a certain IQ were accepted. You were lucky enough to be above that IQ and be riding on a scholarship. You’d always seen her around the halls, classy, preppy, talking with her friends or teasing the poor boys that drooled over her (they didn’t stand a chance). Everyone knew her family, the Romanoffs, and her father, the head chief of the NYPD. To be frank, your opinion of her was nothing short of the rumors you’d been told- Natasha Romanoff was a rich bitch that only got into this school because of money. You know what they say, money makes the world go ‘round. So it shocked you when she gently tapped you on the shoulder as you were putting your books away in your locker, “Y/N right? I’m your locker buddy.” 

“Yeah, Y/N L/N. Pleased to meet you,” you felt weird about shaking her hand but there it was, awkwardly waiting for hers to shake back. Being forced to look at her also made you realize what pretty eyes she had, as if someone took the greenest pieces of the forest and made them into her soft orbs. 

She gently swatted your hand away, laughed, and pulled you into a soft hug, “I’m a hugger, silly.” The innocence of it genuinely touched you, and an unfamiliar feeling sprouted in your chest. That first day of Junior year, for whatever odd reason, she followed you around to break, lunch, and even got on the same bus as you after school, the fabric of her soft skirt rubbing up against your leg the entire ride home. As sweet as she was, the tension in the air was thick as you both knew her hanging around you was nothing short of unnatural. 

Yes, you were beautiful in your own right with big e/c eyes and soft skin, bouncy hair and sharp intelligence, and you could easily fit in with someone like Natasha- but your friend group wasn’t exactly popular. You were all working class girls who had to catch a job after school, instead of hang around the popular spots like some of the other kids in your grade. The girls that were able to hang out at the vinyl shop or at Joe’s burger spot didn’t let the difference between you and them go unnoticed- and most of those girls were Natasha’s friends.

Natasha rode your subway all the way to Brooklyn, where you worked at the corner bodega, your parents shop. Right before she followed you in, you turned around, “Uhm- sorry, Natasha. It’s not that I don’t want to be friends and all, but you’ve followed me a whole 45 minutes to my job just because?” You saw the way she bit her lip and hugged her played with her hair out of nervousness, “Well, I mean I do want to be friends, of course…but I also heard you were pretty good in the STEM area. Look, Mr. Stark has a project for us that he’s going to show at our end of the year fair and I don’t know shit about robotics. I was thinking…maybe you could help?” She looked at you with doe eyes and a little smirk after her rather colorful language that told you maybe there was more to this girl. Maybe. The way she talked to you was different too, not necessarily just friendly- and anything but cold. You shifted your weight to lean against the wall, contemplating her words. A part of you wanted to say no, but she slowly pulled a small little envelope out of her book bag. Your heart leaped at the thought of it being what you wanted most…cold, hard, cash. Cash that your family really needed.

“This is just a starting amount, is $85 a week okay? You could come over to my house maybe twice a week for a few hours and we can work on it.” “I’ll start Monday.”

Later that night, as you tied your hair into rollers and tucked yourself into your cozy bed, Natasha lied awake in bed as she thought about your interaction. Her mind replayed your smile, nervous laughter, and the way you made your friends laugh so hard at lunch that they cried. She wished she enjoyed her friends that much. Each time her eyes closed, your face popped up in her mind. The redhead started retracing your features like a picture. What was wrong with her? A warm feeling blossomed in the pit of her stomach, slowly working its way up to her chest- but she stopped it. Not again. Natasha Romanoff is completely normal, completely perfect…and completely straight.

[wosowrites]

New Fear Unlocked (Mapi Leon x Reader)

Warnings: ⚠️swearing⚠️

A/n: i know germany was in the finals but for the sake of this story let’s say it was spain instead. based off this request:

Prompt: in which mapi makes a bad tackle against you in the euro final, ending your tournament and season.

"With Spain playing England in the Euro final, it’s important to talk about both teams. But the real surprise right now is the fact that Spain has actually made it this far. Why? Mapi Leon’s questionable defending."

"The real shock is usual defensive champion, María León’s rocky performance throughout this tournament."

"Spain’s number 16 is going to have to step up during this final or they’ll get crushed by the Lionesses."

"Another thing that needs to be talked about is the relationship between british superstar striker, Y/n Y/l/n who’s been having a great tournament and shockingly questionable María León, who’s given heart attacks to Spanish fans all over the world for her close calls and bad mistakes. Seeing this power couple for barcelona play each other in a final will be interesting."

"María. Get off your phone. You know better." Ona told the older woman in spanish, snatching her phone and plopping it in the defenders bag. "We play the biggest game of our lives in 45 minutes. The last thing you need is that device." Ona added. "I know. I know." Mapi said, pulling out her cleats and putting them on.

"Big game, y/n. How do you feel?" Your captain asked you. You were manspreading on the bench at your cubby, your forearms resting on your thighs, your head hung in thought. "I feel as though I want to make my country proud." You told Leah, looking up at her and smiling. "And…" She added. "And i’m terrified. Of hurting Mapi, of loosing, of making a mistake." You told her. Most of the team had headphones in, but you didn’t listen to music before games. Leah sat down beside you and looked at you. "You have already made your country proud, if we loose, we loose together, if you make a mistake, we have all got your backs. And you and María have been dating for three years, this will not be the end of your relationship. I promise you." Leah said, rubbing a hand up and down your back. "You’re right. You’re right." You said to her. She smiled at you and walked back to her cubby. You were starting today, and so was Mapi. It would be hard, and scary, and you didn’t know what tomorrow would look like.

You walked into the tunnel wearing your England kit and your england jacket. Your hair was in a tight messy bun on the top of your head, and Mapi was standing in line at the same spot you were. You gently reached out and squeezed her hand, she squeezed back and you made sure not to make eye contact with her. Today, she was the opponent, and nothing else.

You knew what the media was saying about your girlfriend, and it made your blood boil. When you talked to Mary Earps about it, she listened, but told you you couldn’t focus on that. She was right.

Soon, the referees started walking and you followed your squad out. You made your way into Wembley, the crowd bringing the most wild atmosphere you had every experienced. You lined up and the spanish national anthem started playing. You stood tall respectfully, it was your girlfriend home country and your clubs country after all. But when the english anthem played, you pushed your shoulders back, lifted your chin, put one hand on your heart and the other one behind your back. You sang, badly, but so was everyone else.

And then… kickoff.

You were a winger, which you thought really annoying for this exact game, because Sarina had put you left wing, and Mapi was right back, which means you’d be clashing throughout the game.

The first 20 minutes were dramatic. The pressure was sky high, the environment was wild, and at least ten fouls for both teams were called. But after that, it calmed down a bit.

The start of the second half was slow, everyone was freaking out, not wanting it to go to penalties. Leah was constantly having to yell at her squad to calm down and breathe. It was as though everything both teams had learned about staying calm and composed went flying out the window. And then, out of nothing, you received the most splendid ball from Keira Walsh. And then you were running, you took one touch, Mapi on one said, Ona Batlle on the other, and lifted the ball over the keeper and into the net.

Wembley went crazy. You ran as fast as you could towards then bench, arms wide, fans screaming, team yelling, atmosphere unmatched.

The kickoff happened three minutes later, and almost right away, England got the ball back and it was sent to Ella Toone. The woman received it perfectly, but then switched it to you. That’s when you felt an ankle collide with yours. You knew immediately something was wrong. Your ankle folded inwards and you yelled, loud enough for the stadium who were mostly holding their breaths to hear. You saw a cleat clear the ball away, and that’s when you saw the initials. Through your agony, even though you were rolling on the floor, crying and holding your ankle. You could see the initials ML on those cleats. The cleats that had just taken you out.

Leah, Ella and Chloe were soon at your side, calling over the medics. "What’s wrong?" Ella asked, crouching beside you. "Is she okay?" You asked a spanish voice say. "Get away from her. Right now." You heard Fran Kirby say. You ignored Mapi and Fran, too focused on the pain in your ankle. "I don’t know. But it’s wrong. Something is wrong." You cried, lying on your back and holding your ankle to your chest. You heard the stadium cheer and could only assume your girlfriend had gotten a yellow. You looked over to confirm your theory. Red.

She hadn’t done it on purpose. You knew that. You weren’t mad. Pained, sad, scared? Yes. Mad? No. You watched Mapi look at you with a look of despair before walking towards the tunnel. The medics were at your side now, touching your ankle and unlacing your cleat. As one of the men tried to take it off, you screamed loudly, putting your fist in your mouth to stay quiet. "It’s broken. For sure." The man whispered to the woman beside him. "Fuck." She muttered, looking at you.

You looked at the faces of your teammates, all of them broken to loose their goalscorer. "No." You cried. "No."

But the medics were waving over a stretcher, and you had pulled your jersey over your face, trying to hide your crying face. You kept it over your face as you got put into the stretcher, you hid your face as Leah whispered reassurance to you, you kept it hidden as the crowd stood up and cheered for you loudly. You kept it hidden as they carried you into the medical room and walked past Mapi, who was sitting against the wall in the entrance, crying almost as loudly as you were.

In the medical room, you had abandoned your shirt, wanting no recollection of the history making game being played only a few steps away from you. And then you heard screaming, but it wasn’t loud. Just loud enough to make it clear that the spaniards were happy. They had leveled the game. You started crying even harder. "We should really get you to a hospital y/n." One of the medics said. "Listen. My team is out there working their asses off to win the euros, and when we do, because we will, i’m going to walk out on that pitch in crutches and celebrate with them. Am I clear?" You told her. She nodded, and got out things to keep your ankle steady.

Mapi, who was now siting in the away locker room, was watching the game on the TV in there. And when Alexia scored, she couldn’t even find it in her to care. She just wanted to go back in time and not have fouled you. She just hoped you would forgive her.

The second your ankle was wrapped up and put in a boot, you stood up and used crutches to make your way back into the pitch. When you walked out, people went wild again, you smiled slightly, trying to seem brave through your surely puffy eyes. Sarina and some players walked up too you. Hugging you and congratulating you on your goal. You told them it was broken and your club season was over, they looked almost as sad as you did. It was only three minutes later that Chloe Kelly found the back of the net. She took off her shirt and ran around the stadium as you pumped your fists in the air, staying seated and yelling.

And then it was all over.

The spaniards fell to the ground, some of the lionesses did too, but for different reasons. You went as quickly as you could onto the pitch, but your crutches were bringing you nowhere.

You were angry, angry not at Mapi but at the media for making her feel as though she had something to prove, for messing with her mind. You saw Lucy Bronze run up to you. You stopped in your tracks and let your crutches fall, balancing on one foot and ignoring the pain in the broken one. She wrapped her arms around you, picking you up and letting you wrap your legs around her waist. You hugged her and cried, she did too, and then she put you on her back and carried you to the rest of the girls who started screaming and jumping and crying at the sight of you. The team, the managers, every person that made the lionesses, the lionesses came into a big group hug, while still being mindful of your ankle.

It was when people started going to find their families and friends in the crowd that Millie sat you down in the middle of the field, asked if you were okay and then left to find her boyfriend that it sunk in. That everything sunk in. That England were european champions, that you had scored in a euro final, that you’re ankle was broken because of the love of your life, and that the only person you wanted to see was crying by herself in the away locker room. You didn’t have anyone else. Your family was on the pitch, in barcelona, and on the opposite team. Your parents were deadbeat, all your friends were football players, and you have never felt this emotion before. The crossover between feeling lost, and feeling pure and utter joy.

The trophy lift was unreal, the smiles on people’s faces, unmatched. But when fans started leaving, and England made their way into the changing rooms, you parted from the group with Sarinas permission. You made your way instead to the Spanish locker room. The whole corridor was silent, and what broke the silence was your first rapping against the door. Aitana Bonmati, another one of your Barcelona teammates opened the door. Her eyes were puffy, her cheeks were wet, and at the sight of her you started crying as well. And not the happy tears from the trophy lift. "I’m sorry." You hiccuped. Aitana abandoned the door and hugged you tightly, mindful of your crutches. "It’s okay darling. Shh." She said lovingly. You felt bad for having her comfort you. You pulled away and saw the spanish team in the changing room, the head coach looked like he didn’t want you there at all, and in all honesty, you were scared of him. Mapi was nowhere to be seen. "I need to talk to María." You told Aitana.

She nodded stiffly and walked into the bathroom connected to the changing room. A minute later, Mapi walked out. Her eyes were puffy and bloodshot, she was shaking and she couldn’t look at you. She walked into the hallway and stood in the middle of the corridor. You closed the changing room door, struggling a little. "I’m so-" Mapi started saying. "Don’t apologize. You have nothing to apologize for. You made… a bad tackle. Yes. But you would have never, ever done that if it wasn’t for the media and what people were saying. They got to you. And I hate that. I hate it." You said, sniffling and playing with the medal around your neck.

Mapi looked up and you, her lower lip shaking. "Really? You’re not breaking up with me?" Mapi said.

You looked at her sadly. "Put your back against the wall." You told her.

She raised her eyebrows, using her tattooed palm to wipe away her teary cheeks. She didn’t argue though, placing her back on the wall and looking at you in confusion. You used your crutches to walk over to her, placing yourself in front of her. Balancing on one foot, you took both crutches and leaned them against the wall beside Mapi. You put your hands on her stomach, feeling her rock hard abs. And then you kissed her. You kissed her to tell her you loved her, and you forgave her, and you were sorry Spain lost. And she kissed you to tell you she loved you, she was sorry for injuring you, and she was so proud you had won.

Because after all, it was always going to be Mapi and Y/N, Y/N and Mapi.

[w2soneshots]

Charity match -W2S

words: 0.8k+

warnings: none.

summary: you go and support your boyfriend playing in a charity football match.

notes: Harry looked sooo good on the pitch this year🤭. I hope you enjoy!💓🫶🏼

I woke up, rolled over and then opened my eyes. Most of the players in today's match are in a fancy hotel (including Harry), so they can all go straight to the stadium. I got up and took a shower, dried my hair and threw it up into a clip. I put on a grey romper since it was so ridiculously hot today- 31° but even higher on the pitch.

I rushed to eat breakfast, put on my shoes and grab my bag, since I don't want to get stuck in traffic. Over 45 minutes later I arrived at the stadium, I parked and walked through the back of the building. I made my way to the private area for family and friends of the players, and quickly spotted Faith, she stood with Olive on her hip both in matching football tops. "Hey!" I said as I walked towards her, "hi!" she said excitedly. "You both look so cute!" I said enthusiastically, "so do you." she said with a smile.

I spoke to Faith for a little while, until I got a text from Harry... "I'm outside" Confused I furrowed my brows, "outside where??" I replied. "The lounge" he stated. I looked up and then walked out of the room. when I looked to my left I saw him. I ran towards him and pulled him into a hug, we haven't seen each other in just under a week because I was at a shoot in Manchester for a few days and when I got back (yesterday) he was already at the hotel.

With a quick kiss on the lips, we said bye. "See you after." I said with his cheeks still in my hands. He smiled and said "I love you." "love you too, now go get a goal." I said. He laughed and said "I'll try." And with that I was back in the lounge, and he went back to the changing rooms.

I sat in my seat just behind Faith and watched as the boys warmed up, "I hope they don't melt." I said sarcastically to Talia, who is seated next to me. "Seriously!" Talia said with a chuckle. They all headed back through the tunnel after around 10 minutes.

Faith headed down to the pitch to hand Olive to Ethan, so he could walk out with his daughter. I made small talk with Talia until cheers erupted in the stands, I looked around to see that all the players were walking out. Ethan passed Olive back to Faith and pecked her on the lips before running onto the field and forming a line with all the players.

Once everyone was in there positions the ball was brought out on a tiny car that made me giggle. The whistle was blown soon after and the match started. After just a few minutes Ethan scored a goal, the crowd went crazy and so did all of us especially Faith, who had rushed up back to her seat after collecting Olive. Theo hurt himself while attempting to score a goal and was sent off on a stretcher, "shit, I hope he's okay." I said quietly to Talia.

A little over an hour in to the game I watched as Harry scored, I sat in utter shock as he looked up into the stands and caught my eyes, he had a massive smile on his face and so did I. The game ended 8-5 to Sidemen FC, we all celebrated in the stand as did the boys on the pitch.

After they lifted up the trophy and collected their medals, they said thank you to the crowd and headed back to the changing rooms. We all collected our things and left the lounge. I was the first to leave and quickly spotted Harry, Ethan and Tobi stood in the hallway. They looked up at me and I ran towards Harry "you scored!" I said shaking his shoulders. "I know!" He said shaking mine.

We hugged and then I told him to go and take a shower because he stank, and that I would see him at home. I left the venue, got in my car, then got stuck in the most horrendous traffic. It took an hour and a half to get back to my apartment, when I finally did I immediately took a shower, I had just had one that morning but I’d been sat in a boiling hot stadium for hours, so it was very much needed.

Harry stumbled through the apartment at around 8:30. I got up off the couch and pulled him into a massive hug. "im so proud of you!" I said with a smile. Without a word he shuffled us towards the bedroom. He picked me up, dumped me on the bed, ripped his shirt and shorts off then finally fell into the bed, clearly exhausted.

[futbol16]

My Tana  • Aitana Bonmatí

Part 1 A Damn Best

Request:  Are you considering writing a part two of a damm beast? Maybe one where you show how reader is extremely soft for airana?

Word count: 1k

Your relationship with Aitana was still rather new, but to the people around you and to your teammates it was clear that your honeymoon phase would be everlasting. The two of you were so obviously in love that only a blind person wouldn’t see the nature of your relationship, hence why the whole of women’s football and their fans knew about Bonmatí and Kvinna Zlatanera. 

The past week you’d been away for international duty even though you ended up not playing in the friendly against Australia due to a small discomfort in your thigh. For this exact reason you were allowed to return to Spain just two days after the match. 

You kept it a secret because you wanted to surprise Aitana with your early arrival and as you make your way onto the Johan Cruyff stadium’s pitch you raise a finger to your lips, warning Patri, who had spotted you to remain silent. 

Aitana feels arms wrap around her from behind and for a moment she’s utterly confused until your scent invades her senses. She spins around so fast that you’re scared she’ll get whiplash but the squeal that leaves her lips is worth the ear damage and you catch the short girl as she pounces on you.

“Diós mío! I thought you had camp until tomorrow?” she laughs in disbelief as she clings onto you for dear life. Her eyes are shining with adoration for you as she stares up at you in wonder and several of the girls aww at it.

“Well I pulled some strings to be here, Kära” you smile at her and she enthusiastically pulls you to greet the rest of the girls, wanting to share her happiness with the team.

“Welcome back lover girl” Patri teases and she shrieks as you pull her into a harmless headlock to mess her hair up. Once she’s calmed down you allow her to wiggle out of your grip and Pina immediately starts laughing at her best friend’s tousled hair. 

Aitana can only look at you with that same warmth from before, a look that you reciprocate as your eyes find hers. She can not wait to take you home and cuddle up with you after a home cooked dinner. 

The game against Alavés is sooner than you thought but you line up in the tunnel, expression full of confidence and just by the look on your face the Barca girls know you’re going to demolish the other team. 

Frido and yourself are linking up, almost the same way you do when playing for Sweden but this time Aitana is also part of your duo, now trio. With the midfielder’s help Barcelona is up 5-0 at half-time and in contrast to the cold emotionless look you had during those 45 minutes, the mask immediately falls when Aitana pulls you into a hug in the tunnel.

“What’s this for?” you question, but nevertheless hug her back in a big bear hug, the brunette sinking deeper into your embrace as she shrugs.

“Just missed you” the sincerity in her voice tugs at your heartstrings and you press a sweet kiss to her forehead as you sway the two of you from side to side. Mapi and Frido stand in the corridor waiting for the two of you to make it to the locker room.

“She really is a softie for her.” Laia speaks up from behind the pair and she receives a nod from the Swede.

“I told you she is a sweetheart” she smiles cheekily at the way your hand moves to Aitana’s head and your fingers run through her ponytail.

“Y/N do I get a hug?” Mapi’s comment earns her a look from you and you flip her off with the hand in your girlfriend’s hair. “Hey! Why don’t we get the same treatment?”

“Tana is special” you announce with a nonchalant shrug and the girl in your arms turns to face your teammates.

“Yeah, I’m special!” she flashes a toothy grin accompanied with a kiss to your hand. The defender scoffs in mock hurt, claiming that her own girlfriend would give better hugs anyway.

The game against Alavés ends in an 8-0 win for Barcelona and you find yourself sitting in your seat, hair still damp from your shower. The soft patter of your girlfriend’s feet on the floor has you looking up. She has something in her hands and when she reaches you, the brunette allows you to pull her into your lap sideways. 

“I made this for you” she shows you the thread bracelet resting in her palms and you gently take it from her to run the pad of your thumb over the patterns. “The blue and red are for Barca and I added orange because it reminds me of you. Bright and energetic.” 

She states and you can’t help the blinding smile that takes over your features. Her own hand is resting on yours as she explains and your eyes wander onto the side of her face, admiring the girl you get to call your own. 

The team watches the interaction between the two of you but you ignore their prying eyes, your attention on Aitana and Aitana only. The look you’re giving her would have anyone melting under your gaze, but it was reserved for Aitana.

“It’s beautiful Tana, thank you” you tell her honestly, your head tilting at the crinkle of her eyes as she beams at you. 

“I have one too, I thought we could be matching” she confesses and you let out a huff of laughter, squeezing her waist in reassurance. She was so insanely adorable.

“I would love to have matching bracelets with you, my Tana” a giggle escapes your mouth as she throws her arms around your neck and you hold her close, unaware of everything else, even the camera pointed at the two of you and Fridolina filming the scene, too entranced by Aitana, your Aitana.

[truemeg]

Cursed Child Broadway notes from today (Sept 22nd 2024)

This ticket was an impulse buy, I got it 45 minutes before the show started because the broadway flea market wasn’t my thing

Joel’s Albus is so visceral and expressive, he really doesn’t hide any of his emotions. Especially around Harry in the blanket scene. And his Albus is filled with so much anger and frustration that just itches to burst out at every moment. But when he’s around Scorpius he’s actually smiley and has an optimistic determination to him. He really does change and loosen up around Scorpius. Around anyone else he’s very rigid.

His blanket scene had his anger really burst out. Joelbus has soo much anger in him and it all tumbled out in the blanket scene. That, matched with Logan!Harry’s anger, the scene was loud and boiling.

Speaking of Logan as (u/s) Harry, he was mad at Albus as early as the year 3 platform scene. Making both Albus and Harry really get at each other.

Erik’s Scorpius obviously had the audience falling in love with him. I love when Scorpius gets the audience wrapped around his finger. Erik is very physical, talking with his hands, very geeky. The thing that stands out about his Scorpius portrayal is that he really gets serious in the Dark AU. Like he understands he has to put on a front to survive (in a way that other Scorpius actors I’ve seen haven’t quite got). He even grandstands a bit to Craig. He really nailed the dark au version of himself.

Also I can best describe Erik’s library scene as a mix between Bubba Weiler and Jon Steiger. Like bubba in that he has his words explode out of him, and like Jon in that he takes his time with the monologue, really spelling things out for Albus. I like how he clearly got across the line “you just didn’t make it better” because I’ve seen a few times (other actors) where that line gets mumbled or outright dropped

In act 2 when harry asks “are you okay Albus” and Albus says “no” that REALLY got to Albus for the following scene. Like he went into the Owlery with Scorpius once again being rigid and reserved, not really knowing what to do or what was next. It was a huge difference to Scorpius in that scene, where Scorpius was happy and more confident after returning home.

Kudos to Erik for staying still on the floor after being crucioed, it really sells the fact that he was just FUCKING TORTURED. Lowkey grinds my gears when the Scorpius actor gets up too fast after that

Delphi tortures Albus too????? When did that start happening????

Both Albus and Scorpius being dropped to the ground and scooting closer to each other so they can hold hands

They also held hands in Godric’s Hollow too. Scorpius pulled Albus back from going up to Lily/James, and he just held his hand/arm until they could come back out

From where I was sitting (balcony box supremacy) I couldn’t tell how close their faces were during the last staircase exchange, but it looked VERY close. Albus put his hand on Scorpius’ shoulder and their dialogue was very soft. It was a realization moment for the both of them.

And their hug at the end was also so sweet and soft, the audience went “awww”

Add on: Joel and Erik’s scorbus are very physical with each other. They’re not afraid to get close, grab each other’s shoulders, etc. they really open up around each other

[valyalyon]

July 2022

STRAP IN!! So much happens here. The visit with Raphael that leads to Dolores deciding to break off a relationship with Julius and her decision to leave Phoenix entirely... leading to her meeting... drumroll!!! Harvey :) Theo's dad. Bit of a full circle moment to see fr fr but ENJOY :)

DIE MASTER LIST OR #LYONDIE

July 22, 2022.

That night, Julius and I went over to Raphael’s family home for a game night. I hadn’t seen him since June, and I definitely was glad for it...

CW: Mentions of dub con (no descriptions or actions). Predator/prey imagery. Descriptions of explicit sexual behavior. Explicit language. Break-up. Heartbreak. MDNI. Proceed with caution :)

My time with Julius had gotten even better, and the two of us were on yet another high.

I did not know it at the time, but by the end of that week, Julius had an appointment to visit a jewelry shop to pick out my engagement ring.

He never did end up going, because that night, and the next few days, would change our lives indefinitely.

After our third game, Julius excused himself to go to the bathroom. The game room was separated in the basement of the house, with the nearest bathroom being on the first floor.

I’m laying on the floor, we’re drinking ‘cause we’re bored.

I was laying on the floor, we had been drinking since we got there 45 minutes earlier. We were going to stay there a long while still. I was pretty far from Raphael’s view, and I was facing him, so I didn’t think anything would get out of hand.

Besides that, I wouldn’t cheat on Julius.

Raphael looked through his cards, and then looked over at the basement stairs. His eyes were focused and it seemed like he was listening.

I was half paying attention to him because I was scared of him, and the other half of me really wanted to disconnect, so that half wasn’t processing him as being there at all.

Safe to say, there’s a blur somewhere before he says, “I loved seeing and feeling you at Wonderspaces.”

“Raphael, respectfully, can we move on from that? I thought you were Julius. I would not have allowed you to touch me had I known it was you!” My voice was hushed, but I was so angry that I was starting to feel my skin heat up.

He did this to me every time he was around. It was as if there were two fire signs butting heads and falling in love through it, and sure enough that was the issue.

“That’s fine and all, Lola. You were made for me. We need each other,” Raphael said, and then I heard him get off the couch.

I moved to adjust myself. He came up next to me, at a time where my head was at his crotch, and looked down at me, he had a crooked, mean smile. It was taunting me and it scared me.

I felt like a bunny hunted down by the fox.

I scooted onto my bum and scooted myself backwards towards the couch away from him so I could stand up.

Once I stood, I realized he was close to me. If he just reached his hand out, he’d be touching me. I put my hands up defensively, “don’t come near me, I will scream.”

“I’m never going to do anything you don’t want, Lola,” he said.

“You did though! In June… What the hell was that, Raphael? And why would you do that? Or even this… Stop looking at me like that,” I complained, wanting to cover my eyes from his.

His dark eyes had a grip on me, I felt trapped in his eyes and I was not happy about it.

I managed for a second to peel my eyes off him and take a step away, getting out from the corner he had put me in. All he did was turn to face me, “You’re telling me you didn’t enjoy me touching you?”

I didn’t dare meet his eyes at this point, I was beginning to feel sick, “No. Julius and I have been together 47 months, we’re very happy, and what you did last month was extremely out of line.”

“I’ll apologize then,” he spoke, and then got closer to me, “Look at me.”

“No,” I responded flatly.

“I’m sorry, Lola. For what I did last month. When I saw you there by yourself, I don’t know what I thought… You’ve just always been on my mind since I met you,” He reached his hand out, but stopped right before he touched my face.

Oh, I’m looking for affection in all the wrong places, and we’ll keep falling on each other to fill the empty spaces.

I turned my eyes to his hand, and felt the world swirling around me. I was stoned and I wanted to keep my distance from him. The fire I felt in my stomach for him made me hate myself.

I don’t think I realized I was holding my breath, until he spoke again, “I feel like I’ve known you way before I met you. When I looked at you, I swore I’d seen you before.”

“We haven’t met before, Raphael,” I wanted to cut the conversation entirely. I wanted to just storm away from him. I was so frustrated with him. It seemed like he was out to destroy Julius, it always seemed that way.

“Maybe not,” he sighed. I felt the silence creeping in around us, and then he said, “Must have just been a dream.”

I turned to look at him. Those words. I didn’t know right away why, but the way he said those words triggered something in my brain. As I looked into his dark eyes, I remembered a dream that had not come back to me in years.

The details were foggy, but in the dream there was a man I could barely distinguish at first, could only make out that he was tall. His eyes peak out of the darkness, but they’re just as dark and scary. He pulls me in to his arms and the world is on fire, as it all spins around us he speaks, “Must have just been a dream.”

Having heard Raphael say those words in front of me, it dawned on me that I had actually been dreaming of him. It wasn’t any other “R” named men as I had started to gaslight myself into believing. It was him, and he was in front of me.

My whole life flashed before my eyes up until that point. What was everything that I had lived with Julius supposed to be? What was I supposed to do now? Could I still be with Julius, knowing I had spent my entire life dreaming of him and Raphael?

Up until then, I had fantasized about a wedding to Julius, a life with him. I wanted so much, I wanted to be there by his side. Even in that moment, I didn’t want to lose that. Yet, I found myself wondering if I would ever know what to do or where to go.

I didn’t want Raphael, I had committed so much time to my love with Julius, but I realized in that moment that I was not meant to be J’s wife. I didn’t deserve him if I was feeling this confused after so long and he didn’t deserve to have anyone that couldn’t give him her full love and attention.

“Raphael, I don’t think I can give you or Julius what you want from me,” I told him, and then we heard Julius coming back in.

July 23, 2022.

We got home in the early hours of the next morning, and I immediately tried to go to sleep. Julius was kissing my neck and touching my skin as we laid, I could tell that he wanted to have sex and I wanted to have sex with him too. Even after everything that had happened between Raphael and I, I just couldn’t shake my desires for Julius.

He got on top of me, kissing me now on the lips. I didn’t fight him, I never could, I kissed him back happily. It was so fucked up of me, but I wanted to forget everything so badly. I wanted to wake up in the morning and all of the Game Night would have just been a stupid nightmare.

The only resounding thought in my mind was, “why can’t I start over? We’ll be happier, then…”

His arms were on either side of my head as we made out desperately, our tongues dancing and our clothes beginning to come off in a steamy hurry. I felt his fingers begin to enter me, I gasped and moaned, melted into his finger tips and greedy hands.

He was so good to me, maybe we could forget it all…

I’ve come for you, my love, through a window in the dark. Don’t you know you’re my everything?

Soon, I felt his bulging cock against me. Why was I so wild for him? Was it just because he was wild for me? My moans escalated, my body trembled. I moved my hips excitedly, and slowly settled my pussy down onto his dick.

Immediately, he could go no further, much too big to enter me. Too lazy to get the lube, he just spits, and I think I love it even more. The way he rubs it into my clit and then moves it down into my pussy with a finger, before leading his cock in so perfectly.

He knew exactly what I needed. No doubt about it. He fucked me so good that night, full of plenty of slaps, spanks, and harsh choking.

But, I think I knew when I looked at Raphael last night, that everything would have to end. The real question was who the hell am I? I’ve lived my life, my entire life — for other people… what am I doing?

I had a specific dream of my life. I wanted to run away, fall in love, get married, get pregnant, dissolve my personality into the role of motherhood and in loving servitude, I’d bend to my man. I wondered, seriously, if staying in Phoenix was really the best option for me.

I hated living here since I moved here. I love being in the desert, I love the state of Arizona, I love the palm trees, the lights, the mountains, the Grand Canyon, every part of it. But, the city of Phoenix has done nothing but hurt me.

Meeting Julius changed my perspective on the city, if only for a moment. But, as each year passed in front of my eyes, I found myself still stuck in this city, feeling the same cursed feeling I’ve always felt. Still, my love was blossoming.

Everything between us was so beautiful and natural, and we only got stronger with each argument. I believed I could count on Julius and I trusted him with my heart and my life. It was all perfect, but the longer I stayed in Phoenix the more that dreadful feeling crept over me.

Julius grew up there, so wouldn’t be ready to leave Phoenix, not now, and maybe not ever. Those were discussions we’d had through the years, plans and ideas would spring up but the dreams would always be dashed by his analytical reasoning.

When he dreamt, it was so far away.

Sex ended with him cumming down my throat, and I swallowed the hot semen happily.

By around 10 in the morning, the argument started and it lasted long into the next day. I couldn’t explain to him why, but I approached him with the feeling that our relationship couldn’t continue. At first, it started as “I’m not sure, but I’d like to see where you are…”

It dissolved rather quickly into a lot of back and forth. It was never hostile, but the two of us would fight our points tooth and nail. He worked that day and we still spent most of the day texting paragraphs, the argument continuing into the night.

As time progressed, it quickly became clear to me that there was no way of saving anything. I had lost everything I built with Julius, the moment that Raphael said what he had to me the night before.

Still, Julius continued fighting for our love. It hurt me to see it, because I wanted to fight with him, but I was so depleted that I asked him that we sleep and see where we are in the morning.

He agreed that would be for the best.

I didn’t sleep well.

July 24, 2022.

If someone asked me at the end, I’d tell them, “Put me back in it.”

Waking up around 7am, we regrouped. The conversation was a lot calmer, though the pain had settled into J’s dark brown eyes. I told him earnestly that I worried about the state of our future, and if I am the wife for him. I explained to him my desires to leave Phoenix as soon as possible, and told him that I couldn’t keep waiting for him to make that move with me.

I desperately didn’t want it to end but at the same time I knew that I had made every mistake. Raphael had touched me, and then told me something straight of a dream. Julius and I had lived a life like a fairytale. It felt unreal how much we had loved each other, but I knew every second of it was authentic.

He had been so good for me, but I couldn’t expect Julius to stand beside me if he knew everything that had happened. I was too embarrassed to tell him about it, even though I hadn’t consented explicitly, I felt I had made a mistake.

Up until that point no other man had touched me sexually, so how could I be okay with letting him have me after another man had used me?

All of it was too much. It made me dizzy, it made me sick, it made me hate myself and everything I stood for.

Julius went back and forth with me for a few minutes, before his resolve broke entirely, “okay, but please don’t leave…”

“I really think leaving is for the best, Julius… You deserve your space to move on from me,” I told him, holding back tears.

We were laying in bed together, holding hands and doing this. It broke me apart.

“I don’t think I can just stop loving you even if you do leave… There is no moving on, I wanted you forever, Dolores. I know I can’t be without you, I know I need you in my life…”

“I’m not staying, Julius,” I reaffirmed, as the tears fell.

“Tell me where you’re going?” He asked, curiously, his voice breaking. “Don’t move back in with your family…”

“I don’t know where yet, but it won’t be with my family don’t worry…” I tried to comfort him through my own tears as he broke down and wrapped his arms around me.

If I could hold you for a minute, darling, I would do it again… Though, I know my heart would break, I’d tell them, “Put me back in it.”

“Don’t lose my number, Dolly… Don’t ever lose my number, even if you don’t talk to me for years. You need me, you call me,” he begged, holding onto me.

July 26, 2022.

Seeing Kansas City, Kansas for the first time through my windshield, leaves me unimpressed but remembering another time. I stuff the thoughts, bury the emotions and the choking feelings beginning to overtake me.

Drove up to an empty motel room and checked in for the night.

So when I break down and list all the reasons, I’m here and I’m still breathing, oh, I’m hanging on.

Undated Entry

I want to disappear, sob for a day or two… and then find a part time job to get me out of my new apartment. Got a diner job just down the street from my new apartment. Speaking of, moving in tomorrow.

My remote company shipped me my new work station, I’ll have it by next week to start that… Rent is cheap out here. I think I’ll do fine alone…

July 31, 2022

Today, I met Harvey and he tipped me $1,000 to go to a military ball with him. I guess I’m going, then.

CLICK FOR FULL JULY 31, 2022 POST

SONG REFERENCE affection by BETWEEN FRIENDS Emerald Star by Lord Huron Francesca by Hozier Sleep Deprivation by Chance Pena

[kpopsickies]

secrets and sneezes

lmao yes, I started writing this like 6 months ago when Jay and Jake did that interview with kids

because I need more domestic Jayke, because their interview with kids was the cutest thing ever. 

AU: Jayke parents (Jay: history teacher, Jake: science teacher)

(dad=Jay papa=Jake)

SunSunki children (Niki: age 5 Sunoo: age 9 Sunghoon: age 12)

(summary, the sunsunki children want to get a pet cat. Jake says no, because of Jay’s allergy. and yet...)

Jake p.o.v

“have a great day” I said to my students as they left the room at the end of the day as the bell rang. I sat down at my desk, running my hands through my hair. I glanced at the clock. 2:45. I had five minutes before I had to leave to pick up my kids. I pulled out my phone, checking my texts. I saw a text from my husband reading “I have a staff meeting after school today. I’ll be home between 3:30 and 4:00, (ps I love you)″  I texted him back with “see you then, love you too” 

I packed the last of my things into my bag, throwing it haphazardly over my shoulder, and heading out the front door of the highschool. 

“have a good one Jake” I heard one of the office workers call after me as I left.  “thanks Mina, you too”  I stepped out the front door of the highschool, where one of my students (admittedly one of my favorites) was standing, waiting for his older sister to pick him up. “Have a good weekend Mr. Park”

“thank you Jungwon, you too.” I left, throwing my bag in the front seat of the car. I checked my watch, it was 2:52, If i left now I could pick up Sunghoon from the middle school at 3 and be ready for the 3:05 elementary school pick up. (so, Idk if this is a normal thing, but at the school i went to for my whole childhood, this is the way dismissal worked, to keep things “organized” I guess. high school at 245, middle at 3 elementary at 305.)

I pulled in front of the middle school, waving at him, he smiled and waved back, coming over to the car. Tossing my bag in the back and sitting down in the front seat.”hey kiddo, how was school?”

“it was fine” 

“did you do anything fun?”

“um.. I ate lunch with my friends. Wooyoung’s cat just had kittens”

“lucky kid!”

“can we have one of them?” 

“no” I said without hesitation. He looked devastated.“what! why not?” 

“because I’m your dad and I said so” 

“that’s not a good reason” he pouted. “it’s a perfectly fine reason.” he huffed in annoyance, turning towards the door, sulking. I laughed. “you get your attitude from your dad” He rolled his eyes, but I saw a hint of a smile grace his lips. We pulled into the elementary school pickup line. Once the two younger kids got in, Sunghoon immediately turned around to face them. “guys help me convince papa to let us get a pet cat”

“I already said-”

“A CAT!!!! Papa can we get a cat!!!”

“no boys, we cannot get a cat”

The endless debate occurred for the rest of the ride. When I got home I was surprised to see that Jay’s car parked, even though it was only 3:20

“dad’s home!!!!” Niki yelled. “Niki, no yelling”

“sorry papa”

“Guys, let’s ask dad if we can get a cat” 

“let’s go”

“boys I already said no” I said, my voice trailing off as the boys left. I shook my head. I knew that Jay would be more likely to at least listen to them. I gently smacked my head down on the steering wheel, grabbing my bag and going inside. I saw Sunghoon going on a full-on rant as to why he was mature enough to get a cat, meanwhile, his two younger brothers, interjected randomly with “yeah!” and “exactly” and “see dad! We’re responsible”

I went up behind my husband, as he was faced towards the counter, making a snack for the boys. I wrapped my arms around his waist, and gently kissed his neck “hey Jakey” he said with a soft smile. “do you hear what our boys are asking?” I asked him, holding him closer. “Actually, I do, and Mr. Jake Park, I would like to speak with you alone” he said throwing a sideways glance to the boys. I went with him into the living room, and closed the door to the kitchen. “what’s up hon” 

“I want to let them get a cat”

“Jay, you’re allergic”

“but Sunghoon put up a good argument, and if the boys take care of it, and keep it in their room, I’ll be fine, maybe a bit sniffly, but it’s not bad”

“Jay, I know that the boys would take great care of a cat, but that being said, when we were in 9th grade you were around a cat for 10 minutes, and in that time you sneezed over 40 times, your eyes were swollen shut, you couldn’t breathe, and you continued to have issues for almost three days after”

“that was like 20 years ago, people grow out of allergies.”

“Jay, they can get a cat if you get allergy tested first”

“Jakey, I don’t need an allergy test to tell me that cats make me sneeze, I could tell you that”

“jay, hon, I love you, but I just don’t think this is a good idea”

“Jake, please, and if by some very small chance it ends up being really severe, we can always just, keep it outside”

“Jay, I’m serious, you can’t get a cat, this is me putting my foot down, you cannot get a cat”

“please” 

“Jay, I said no, I mean no” he exhaled in a sound of exasperation. “fine, you win” 

“thank you” as I turned to leave he grabbed me around the waist and pulled me close. “I must say, I like it when you get all demanding, and bossy like this, it’s kinda hot” I rolled my eyes, wigging out of his grip, turning around and kissing him on his nose. “you’re such a dork, and I love that”

“and I love you” he said, pressing a soft kiss to my lips. “Love you too” I said in between kisses

We went back into the kitchen. “alright boys, I know you guys really want to get a cat, and maybe, MAYBE sometime in the future that could be a possibility, but right now, your dad and I are going to say no” all the boys began with overlapping protests.

“I’m sorry boys, but you know, no, means no” 

The younger two started to argue, but Sunghoon turned to his younger brothers. “guys, I’ve been around long enough to know that our dads, are awesome, but also they are stubborn, so let’s just deal with it, besides, Wooyoung has a cat, so we can always go over to his house.”

I was shocked at how much maturity our boys were showing, shocked, but proud. 

Sunghoon p.o.v

I was mad at my parents, they didn’t even have a good reason for not being allowed to have a cat. I was especially upset because I had already told Wooyoung that I wanted a kitten from the ones that he got one from, he told me he would bring it by tomorrow. 

That’s when I had an idea. I called my younger brothers into my room. 

“what’s up Hoonie?”

“we’re getting a cat”

“but dad and papa just said no”

“yeah but my friend Wooyoung, his cat just had kittens and he said that I could keep one, and he’s bringing it over tomorrow at 10:30, so I just need you guys to keep them distracted while I put the cat in my room.”

“do they know?”

“no, we’re gonna keep it a secret”

“that’s not good” niki said looking a bit guilty 

“but we could have a pet cat” He thought for a second.”okay! I want to help”

“alright operation Paw-some begins now, I’m going to clean out my closet, and put some blankets down to give him or her a bed.”

“get a girl! we have an all boy family, we need a girl kitty!!” Sunoo said, laying upside down on my bed. “alright, I think Wooyoung said is a girl.”

“yay!”

“I think Niki you need to tell papa you want to go on a walk, and then Sunoo you convince dad to go with them. I’ll need like 20 minutes. Wooyoung said he’d provide food, a litter box and bowls for the food+water, so we won’t need to buy any of that, you guys got all of that?”

“yes sir!” the two said together, playfully saluting. 

~The Next Day~

After my parents and brothers left I threw the last of my blankets into the closet. About three minutes later there was a knock on the door. I opened it and there was wooyoung, standing there with the cutest cat in his arms. 

“where are you keeping her?”

“In my room”  he followed me upstairs, “set her down on my bed” he did, “what’s her name?”

“that’s up to you”

“I’ll wait until my brothers get home, they will want to help name him”

“what about your dads”

“they, kinda don’t know about this”

“how do they-”

“I was told that I couldn’t get a cat, but I didn’t care,so my brothers and I made a plan to keep it a secret”

“Why didn’t they let you get a cat?”

“they didn’t really have a reason”

“I’m sure they did, like I wanted to give a kitten to Jongho, but his older brother Jungwon is allergic, so they said no”

“well, I mean, I kinda thought about that, but they said maybe in the future”

“oh, okay, then” just then the front door opened. “quick! hide her” I gently, but quickly put her in my closet. “Sunghoon!!!” 

“what!?!?” 

“why is Wooyoung here?”

“how does he know!?” I whispered, feeling slightly panicked. “my shoes are by the door” he whispered back, sounding even more nervous than me.

“he just came over to visit” I called back. 

“please come downstairs” 

“coming”

The two of us went downstairs, feeling slightly nervous. “Wooyoung, buddy, you  need to head home, I need to talk to Sunghoon” dad said while Sunoo mouthed sorry to Sunghoon. Wooyoung left, shooting an apologetic look as he did. Niki looked between us, not knowing what to do. 

“Sunoo, Niki you boys stay down here, we need to talk to Sunghoon” dad said

“yes dad” they said together, Sunghoon giving me a sympathetic, but also apologetic look. Niki just looked upset and confused.

I followed my parents upstairs, swallowing nervously, all I could think was about the cat sitting in my closet, knowing the tiniest meow, and I’d be done for.

“come sit down” dad said, sitting down on my bed, and patting the spot next to him. I sat down, Papa sat on the other side “Sunghoon, you know that we have a very strict rule about having no friends over when parents aren’t home. It’s a safety concern. Imagine something were to happen, you wouldn’t have anyone to help” both of my parents looked upset, but overlying that they looked worried. 

“I’m sorry, I just wanted to hang out with him” I looked at my hands, I wasn’t exactly lying, so why did I feel so guilty.

“Sunghoon, your dad and I were just leaving for a few minutes, you could have waited like 20 minutes for us to get back”

“I’m sorry dad”

Jay p.o.v

I was shocked. Sunghoon has always been really good at following rules, so it was shocking to see him break our most strict rule. 

“Sunghoon, do you know why we have this rule?” Jake asked, Sunghoon shook his head. “when I was a kid, my best friend and I were hanging out at my house. We were playing outside, and my friend fell off the swing set and broke his left arm and collar bone, and he fractured his right wrist. But my parents weren’t home and we didn’t have anyone to help us. I know that you are responsible, but accidents happen.” His head was tucked towards his chest, “I’m really sorry” he apologized again. Jake and I looked at each other, before we pulled him into a hug. “I know you are buddy”

As I continued to hug him, I fought to ignore the burning feeling in my eyes, and the itchy feeling in the back of my throat and nose. I had remembered that Sunghoon had said that Wooyoung had a pet cat, but my allergy shouldn’t be so severe that I can’t even be in the same room as someone who has a cat had been.  I let go of my oldest son, turning away from him. “h-hah-ahTchu-hatcHu-eteChuI” I cleared my throat, hoping to help with the irritating and itchy feeling that was settling. “are you okay dad?” 

“yeah I’m okay” I said sniffling and rubbing my nose with the back of my hand. “hey Sunghoon, did Wooyoung bring his cat over when he came?”

“y-eah” he sounded nervous. Jake, who had looked concerned a few seconds before now had a look of understanding cross over his face. “I’m not mad about that, but do you think you could maybe warn m-m-hehYChu-eKTchhu- could you warn me next time he does” 

Sunghoon p.o.v

I watched as my dad continued to try and talk, being interrupted by his sneezing and sniffling. His eyes had taken on an irritated red color. When he asked me if Wooyoung had brought over his cat, all the pieces clicked together in my brain. “dad, are you allergic to cats?”

He cleared his throat and coughed softly, nodding, as he turned away from me. “hit-itETchu-haeTchU-eteCheU” 

“bless you” papa and I said at the same time

“thanks” he held his sleeve up to his nose. “do you need a tissue?” I asked, he shook his head. “I think I’ll go change and wash my hands, please change your sheets” 

“yes dad” then he left, papa went with him, his hand on his back, looking concerned.  I heard him sneeze once in the hallway. Followed by a ‘bless you’ from papa. I felt overwhelmed and panicked. I already got in trouble for having a friend over when my parents weren’t home, and now I snuck a cat into my room, and dad’s allergic. I felt guilty, and stressed. If dad and papa find out about this, I am in so much trouble. But I also was worried. Dad’s allergy was really bad and he was only in here for a few minutes. I didn’t know what to do. I called Sunoo up to my room. He was up in a few seconds. “dad’s allergic to cats” I said as soon as he shut my door. He had a look of shock on his face, “how do you know?”

“he was sneezing a bunch when he was in here and then he asked me if Wooyoung had brought his cat over, and I said yes. He asked me to warn him if Wooyoung was going to bring his cat over again because he’s allergic” Sunoo’s panicked face mirrored exactly how I felt. “what do we do? Do we tell them?”

“I don’t want to get in trouble” 

“me neither, but don’t you think telling them now, rather than waiting and risk having them find out about the cat, might be better in the long run?” I just stared at my younger brother, “that was so mature” he blushed and shrugged, “It sounded like something you would say, and I like sounding like you” I blushed, Dad wasn’t kidding when he said I was a role model for my younger brothers. That’s when I was hit with a wave of guilt, dad and papa trusted me to be a role model for my brothers, and yet I had roped them into sneaking a cat into our house and lying to our parents. “Let’s tell them” 

Jake p.o.v 

I was suspicious as to why Wooyoung was over at our house, and it happened to be at the same time that Jay and I were both not home. As Jay and I were talking I noticed that Jay was sniffling a lot, plus his eyes had started to get red. I kinda assumed he was reacting from the pollen from being outside on our walk, but he just kept sneezing and sneezing, until he asked Sunghoon is Wooyoung had brought his cat, to which Sunghoon informed us he had the pieces clicked in my head. 

Jay and I left Sunghoon’s room to get Jay cleaned up, “Jake, I think that Sunghoon has a cat in his room” I was shocked, “why?” 

“h-hhhAtcHu- hh-hhTTCHhu- hhTCChu- HAAtchu-”

“bless you” I said handing him a few tissues, “thanks babe. But when Wooyoung left, did he have a cat with him?” I didn’t even know what to say. “oh my gosh, why didn’t I think of that” I face palmed, Jay smiled at me, “I’m gonna wait to give him a chance to come clean, and if he doesn’t I’ll confront him about it.” 

“alright, but go get changed or you’ll keep- bless you- doing that” I nodded, I went to our room to change. When I came out a guilty looking Sunghoon was sitting at the kitchen table, an equally guilty looking Sunoo was next to him. Jake was sitting down too, he waved me over, “Jay, the boys have something they want to tell us” I sat down next to my husband, “Dad, Papa, I- Uh-” Sunghoon swallowed nervously, Sunoo patted his older brother’s shoulder. “I’m sorry”

“about what?”

“I- um.. Yesterday I told Wooyoung that I wanted a kitten before I had asked you guys, and then today I had the boys distract you and that- that’s why Wooyoung was over here, he brought a kitten over for me. I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t have, I know you said no and I’m sorry. This isn’t Sunoo or Niki’s fault. I made them do it”

“NO!” Sunoo said looking upset by what his brother said, “he didn’t make me do anything, I chose to do it. Niki was innocent though. He just wanted a cat. We kinda tricked him into lying for us.” Sunghoon nodded, “and dad, I’m sorry for causing you to have an allergic reaction. I didn’t know you were allergic” Jake and I looked at each other. “thank you for telling us.”

“I’ll take the kitten back to Wooyoung” Sunghoon said, Jake looked at me, I think he knew what I was thinking. “What’s our punishment?” Sunoo asked. Jake looked over at me, “you’re the one who had to suffer, it’s up to you” 

“I’m really sorry dad. I should have known you guys had a good reason for not letting us get a cat.” 

“It’s not entirely your fault, I could have told you. I know you wouldn’t have if I had” the both nodded. “can we see the kitten?” Jake asked. The boys nodded, “should I bring her down here or do you want to go to our room to see her?”

“your room, I don’t want to get cat hair everywhere down here” Jake said, the boys stood up, Jake followed them, I went too. Jake looked at me, “Jay your allergies” he warned softly. “I’ll be okay” Jake gave me a skeptical look, “you’re going to let them keep it aren’t you?” Jake said quietly, not letting the boys hear. “probably” I laughed, “how’d you know?” 

“I’m a mind reader” he said simply, the four of us went into Sunghoon’s room, he opened his closet, and to be honest I was surprised at how prepared he was, the kitten had everything she needed, the boys had clearly thought this through. I exchanged a look with Jake, who gave the tiniest shake of his head, I responded with a minuscule nod. “she’s cute” Jake said, he knelt down and pet the kitten, The kitten meowed softly, and cuddled against Jake’s hand. “I think she likes you” I said laughing. Jake smiled at the kitten, “did you name her?” 

“we were going to, but I don’t want to get attached” Sunghoon explained. Jake looked at me. “Jay, I think he need to talk” I nodded, the two of us went out to the hallway. Niki was standing by the door, “what’s going on daddy?”

“papa and I need to talk about the kitten” Niki gasped, “you guys found it!?”

“no, your brothers told us about her”

“But we weren’t going to” he said looking confused, “well they changed their mind, you can ask them why” Jake explained, I sniffled, I had only been in the room a few seconds and my nose was already itchy, not that I would tell Jake. It definitely wouldn’t help me case in convincing him to let us keep the cat. Niki went into Sunghoon’s room. 

“I say we let them keep it” I said, Jake sighed, “I also want to let them keep it, but I wanted to make sure you’d be okay first. I mean earlier you were sneezing a lot and you were only in there for a few minutes.”

“I’ll be okay, I’ll just take allergy medicine more often” I said with a shrug, “we can keep it in the boy’s room during winter and when it’s cold, and then during summer and spring she can be outside more. We have the fence around our yard so she’ll be okay outsi-iih-hhAtchu- eh-hhetchHu- snf- outside” 

“bless you” 

“thank you, i think we need to have a small punishment, just because they need to know lying and sneaking isn’t okay” Jake nodded, “what do you think?”

“no tv for the weekend” Jake nodded, “sounds good to me. I think it’s not too extreme, but it gets the point across” I nodded, sniffling. “let’s tell them” 

“you go to the kitchen, you don’t need to expose yourself to more cat dander right now” I nodded, knowing full well every single one of my kids, and my husband are covered in cat fur, but I knew better than to argue. 

Jake and the boys came into the kitchen together, they all looked sad, Niki had a few tears on his face. “sit down boys” I said, trying to sound stern. Jake rolled his eyes at me. “do we have to get rid of her?” Niki asked, his eyes glistening with tears. “no, you guys can keep her” They all looked up in shock. “we can!?”

“yes, you guys can keep her, but we have some rules” they all nodded, “Number one, you guys have to take care of her, number two, she isn’t under any circumstances allowed on the furniture, except your beds. number three, she is absolutely NOT allowed in dad and I’s room” Jake explained to the boys who all nodded.

“and boys?” I said, they all looked at me, Niki looked worried, “daddy are you crying?” I heard Jake stifle a laugh at that. I made a mental note to smack Jake later. “no Niki, I’m allergic to cats, so my eyes are watering, I’m not crying” I barely got the words out before I had to sneeze. “bless you” I rubbed at my nose. “are you sure you’re gonna be okay dad?” Sunghoon asked, “I’ll be okay, don’t worry” they nodded, “Alright boys, I know you were upset about not being able to get a cat, but that doesn’t mean you’re allowed to sneak behind our backs and lie to us. You guys are not allowed to watch tv this weekend” They all nodded, “yes dad” 

“we need to name her” Jake said, “what should we name her?” I asked, “muffin!!” Niki yelled, Sunoo shook his head, “we should call her Sunshine” 

“I wanted Mandu, because she’s cute and chubby and she kinda is dumpling color” 

“I like Mandu” Sunoo said, I agreed, Mandu was a cute name, Jake also said he agreed, Niki didn’t look to happy about it though. “I want muffin”

“Muffin can be her middle name. Mandu Muffin” Sunghoon said. Niki thought for a second, then smiled. “OK, that’s fine.” 

“so Mandu Muffin Park?” The boys nodded, “okay, I’ll go register her” Jake said, “I need to take her with me, Sunghoon can you grab her” he nodded and ran upstairs. “Dad?” I looked at Sunoo, “thank you for letting us have a cat, even though you’re allergic” I smiled, “anything for my kids” Sunoo came around the table and gave me a huge hug, I smiled and hugged him back, not really caring that he was absolutely covered in cat hair. 

A few minutes later Sunghoon returned, “here you go papa” Jake took the kitten, allowing her to snuggle against him. I smiled, knowing Jake loved the cat probably more than the kids did. “can we go with you?” Sunoo asked, Jake looked at me, I shrugged, “sure you guys can come along. Jay you gonna come?” I shook my head, “I’ll stay here and make dinner for when you get back” Jake nodded and handed Mandu to Sunghoon “you boys go out to the car, I need to talk to dad for a second” 

“yes dad” they all left, taking Mandu with them. “what did you need to-” Jake cut me off by pulling me in and kissing me. After a few (wonderful) seconds he pulled away. “I love you” he said, “love you too”

“you’re amazing. I know that your allergies are worse than you’d ever let the boys know, and yet you let them keep the cat. And you even let Sunoo hug you. And you and I both know how much cat hair was on him.” I smiled, “what can I say, I love my family. And don’t pretend you don’t love that cat as much as the boys do” he blushed, “oh shut up” I laughed and kissed him again. Pulling away to sneeze, “bless you” he looked down as his shirt, also covered in cat hair, “sorry” I shrugged, “it’s okay, I need to shower anyways” He kissed me again. “have fun” I said, “I will” he left. Once they left I showered and got changed, hoping to help rid myself of how much cat hair was on me. 

The boys and Jake returned home about two hours later and officially Mandu was registered, vaccinated, and had her own license that made her officially our Mandu.  

Despite Jake’s original reluctance to allowing his kids to have a cat he ended up being the cat’s favorite, and he adored the little fluff ball. Five moths after adopting her I found him cuddling with her on the couch in the living room, disobeying his own rule against having her on the furniture. And yeah, my allergies were pretty bad, but it was worth it. 

[xxlynxxx]

With me-chapter 13

A/n: I think I’ll write a couple more chapters to this story before it comes to an end. Y’all better buckle up bc next chapter is gonna be DRAAAAMAAAAA!

Xoxoxo enjoy! 

The next couple of weeks felt as if they went by in a blur. Unfortunately, you had to go back home when Zeke arrived. Even though he didn’t actually see you until 3 nights after he returned, "Late nights" at the office again He of course tried to make those up to you with another couple thousand dollars in purses and sex, although you denied both. Keeping your word to Reiner, you didn’t allow Zeke to touch you. 

 

You had plans to break things off after the gala. Yes, you knew it was selfish to stay until then, but you also figured if Zeke got to use you the way he wanted this whole time, you might as well even things out. 

A couple times out of the week, you would meet up with Reiner. Half because your gala was rapidly approaching, and the other part because now that your promiscuous boyfriend was back in town, you feared he would catch you and Reiner together. 

Even though Reiner made it known, he had the opposite feelings you did when it came to getting caught. "Baby, I would like to tell you I care, but I would never want to lie to you." He would chuckle on the other side of the line as you scoffed. You looked forward to his calls on the days you couldn’t see him. His voice felt like a warm hug, even when you were apart. 

 

Tonight was the big night, and you couldn’t be more nervous. Everything had to be perfect. This gala would be your breakthrough if everything played out right. Reiner arrived two hours early to help you set up, and just having him around you was better than any anti-anxiety medicine you could take. "Yes, honey, everything looks perfect." He said kissing your forehead. "I can’t tell you enough how proud of you I am." You turned to fully face him, standing on your tippy toes to kiss him. 

As the guests poured in, Reiner pulled you aside for one more chaste kiss, knowing that tonight you two would have to act like the past couple of months never happened. What was meant to be a quick kiss turned deeper as he held you close. "Ahem," someone coughed behind you. Mikasa walked up to you two, smiling as she enveloped you in a hug. Reiner took that as his cue to find the rest of the group acting as if he had just arrived. "Damn girl, everything looks great..and you seem happy." Don’t think I didn’t catch that kiss. I feel like I haven’t talked to you in forever. "I'm going to need details." She whispered that last part as Eren walked up, handing her a glass of champagne. "Yeah, these pieces look great. "Lots of bigwigs here tonight." He said he was looking around the place. "Yeah, thanks to your brother, of course." "Most of the guests are regulars at this type of thing, but you can of course guess who Zeke’s guests are." 

 

"Speaking of which, where is he?" Mikasa asked as you took her glass, taking a gulp and giving a quick eye roll; only she picked it up. "That’s a great question, Mika. He was supposed to have been here an hour ago. " You had to remind Zeke of this night more times than you could count. At this point, you weren’t even sure if he would show up. "He mentioned something about getting caught up at the office when I spoke to him earlier, but he should be here." "Especially on your big day." Eren said he was giving you a sympathetic smile.

You excused yourself to schmooze buyers and greet the rest of your friends. Reiner had his eyes on you the whole night; he didn’t want anything ruining this night for you knowing how important it was. Because of that reason, he didn’t try to make it known to you that Zeke had arrived and spent the first 45 minutes of his arrival at the open bar whispering in some blonde's ear. He wanted so badly to take you away from all of this. It made him physically sick to watch Zeke sleazily go from that random woman to coming up behind you as you spoke to a woman interested in one of your paintings. Zeke pinched your butt, causing you to jump, then put his arm around you, squeezing your shoulder while the other hand held whatever number of glasses of whiskey he had already. Reiner couldn’t even pay attention to the conversation he was having with Jean, Connie, and Bertholt. He saw the quick look of disgust you had when Zeke touched you. 

Reiner downed the rest of the liquor in his glass as he watched with rage and disgust. He tried so hard to fight his inner thoughts of wanting to rescue you. claim you as his in front of everyone. "Calm yourself; this is Y/N night." "She's worked so hard to get here, so don’t let your emotions fuck it up," he thought to himself. 

"You good, bro?" Bert nudged him, following his peripheral vision. His best friend softly grabbed his shoulder as if to silently calm him, knowing he couldn’t say what he wanted out loud. "I’m going to get another drink." That was all Reiner said to him before walking to the bar and downing a shot of vodka. Normally he wasn’t a fan of shots or even hard liquor, but he needed to take the edge off and calm himself. 

[totheseok]

home is where the heart is

Jung Sungchan x Reader

synopsis: Sungchan and y/n are family friends but y/n moved abroad and they lost touch, now y/n is back in Korea for uni and it's just so happens sungchan is attending too and now he's helping her readjust and navigate through life in Korea. What could possibly go wrong?

stage seven: airport wifi sucks

prev ☆ masterlist ☆ next

warnings: swearing

Airport WiFi sucks. Especially when you're sitting in a plane that hasn't taken off for two hours because there's an issue with the engine.

Y/N had been perfectly on time to the airport, she got to boarding just as they started and luckily didn't have to wait too long in line.

But of course, everything good comes to an end and for her it was the fact that her flight was now delayed. Its already been two hours and it doesn't seem like they'll be taking off anytime soon.

The issue lies in the fact that she has a connecting flight with a 3 hour layover in a different country and if her plane didn't take off soon she'd miss the connection. She had tried contacting Sungchan to let him know that she might be a few hours or maybe even a day late but alas, airport WiFi sucks, especially if you're sitting in a still airplane.

"Dammit," she groaned, leaning against the headrest, "why is it taking so long!"

As if her flight, that hadn't even started, could get any worse, the baby sitting two seats behind her started crying like the world was about to end.

Oh for the love of god please just start the flight.

Maybe god WAS real because as she sent out her silent plea. The pilot finally made the takeoff announcement and apologised for the delay.

Let's hope I don't miss the next one because if this.

Of course she missed the connection flight. It had to happen. For the plot.

She had gotten to the airport just in time for it but for some reason it had departed early.

For gods sake, one flight got delayed by 2 hours and the connection left an hour early? What sick games is this airline playing?

"Excuse me ma'am, but you can't stand here you must head over to either the exit or your next gate for your connection." an airport employee spoke up.

Maybe i should ask her what im supposed to do now.

"Oh, uh, sorry," y/n looked at the worker, "Uh, i missed my connection because it took off early so... what exactly do i do now?"

"Oh! Was your flight for Seoul?"

"Yeah."

"I see, right this way ma'am."

The worker started walking away from y/n, beckoning her and the other people who were supposed to be on a flight to seoul, to follow her.

After hours of waiting and working out what was going to happen, the airline gave all passengers a free night's stay at a 5 star hotel, all expenses included, and told them that they'd put them on the next flight to Seoul in 24 hours.

Exhausted, y/n flopped down on her bed, her brain was telling her there was something she really really needs to do, but good god the bed was so comfortable, and she was too tired to even blink and before she could even consider trying to remember what she was forgetting, she was out.

She woke up feeling like she was forgetting something very very important. So naturally, she decided that she would deal with it when she'll remember but for now... she was gonna get some food.

What time is it? Can i make it to the breakfast buffet?

9.47, she has 13 minutes to get breakfast.

Hmm, if all had gone according to plan i would've been 45 minutes away from landing at Incheon Airport in Seoul.

Wait...

I'd be landing in Seoul in 45 minutes... but i'm not... I HAVE TO TELL SUNGCHAN!

a/n: flight based on irl experience btw

taglist open :)) [comment, ask or message to be added]: @seungzzzz @wccycc @syupakingcowbaby @billiondollarworth @revehae @yyangj3lly @wonychu @dutifullyannoyingfox @teddywook @stayonceeva @julsinglee

[thebeloathed]

Idk if anyone cares BUT I do so I will rant about this

Buying physical things. I love physical things, I loved going to the store as a kid and browsing the dvds.

Every grocery store run, me and my mom passed that One Aisle that had a bunch of movies on dvd and like every other time we went, I'd find a movie I had heard about and wanted to see or one that looked like I'd enjoy it and I'd ask if I could pretty please have it.

And when I got home, I could put it on and watch it and find a good place for it on the shelf. A nice neat row of colorful spines of dvd cases, next to books and physical copies of video games. It made me happy seeing them.

I have propably over 100 dvds. They are not going anywhere.

I got reminded of all this because I wanted to watch the httyd trilogy, but I couldn't find the first movie on any streaming platform available to me.

The MENU. It's incredible. It has a bunch of animation, the main characters run around the screen and the dragons bounce around the characters. Yeah the animation looks Old and Hiccup slides while standing up more than once but it is unique. Even going to the settings has a transition animation, and it's own animation in the settings menu itself.

So, after I finished it, I put on the second movie since I also have it on dvd.

It's dissapointing. It's so dissapointing. No animation in the menu at any point. It's just still images. Even the arrow that tells you what button you are on is just a regular red arrow. There's a few drawings of dragons around the option boxes but that's it. No cool transitions. No animations. Just the theme song in the background.

I will remember one of those menus years after, and it is not the second one. I don't have the third movie on dvd so I don't know how the menu on it looks but. Damn.

And the video games. Every couple of months, my dad would tell me to pick a game or two from the ones I had, and we'd go to the closest store that sold games to trade and get a discount. It was 45 minute drive away, and I was so excited every time. Not to mention my brother worked in that store for a bit.

One time, he comes for a visit and he, with dramatic flourish, pulls out a copy of Rayman Legends from behind his back. Me (and a few of my friends) had pretty much played everything Rayman Origins had. All the levels had been played, just a handful of electoon medallions (I had no idea what they were called but the case has a booklet that has the names of all of the enemies and instructions and what the controls are. It even has some lined pages so you can take notes) were missing. This was huge.

That store is not available anywhere in my country anymore. I have no idea where to even start finding physical games anymore.

This thing doesn't really have a point, I'm just upset and kind of angry and decided this was better than me sending an entire novel's worth of sentences as text messages to my friends

[hauntingthechateau]

Friday November 3rd

High of 15, a steady 7 overnight low. Overcast and broody looking.

Terrible sleep last night. Between noise and anxiety I just couldn’t fall asleep. Tried to let myself sleep in, but just ended up waking up at regular time anyway. The consensus with the trains was that a late train was still running and would get us here by 7ish if we caught it for 4:45. I bought those tickets. Took the time to repack all my bags. Checked out of the hotel but left my bags with them and went out to breakfast. Breakfast place (Au Pavilion) was touristy and empty, and yet exactly what I wanted. €12 bought me fresh pressed orange juice, tea, a GIANT omelette (3 eggs?) with a whole massive chunk of smoked salmon on it, a big potato roastie chocked full of garlic a salad and some bread.

From there I decided to do a little walk to all the really old medieval houses still standing in Paris on Rue des Barres and Rue François Miron, stopped in at the Church St Gervais and had a peek around and then went to see the Hotel de Seas (another medieval building with a public garden). It was a lovely walk through lots of different Paris neighbourhoods and just a really nice time.

While resting my feet in the garden, the text came through that our earlier train was uncanceled and we were all to take that train. I sat and read in the garden for 20 minutes before starting the trek back to the hotel and then made my way to the station. I was able to meet up with an ever growing group of artists in the station an start to get to know people. 

We got on the train and a bunch of us sat together. We made it about an hour out of Paris when the train stopped and we started getting a bunch of announcements in French but we were pretty surety train was heading back to Paris. Eventually we cobbled together that the train was turning back and taking a different route because the rails were blocked by falling trees from a passing storm, some 300-1200 trees down on the line, hence the cancelations. We sat at a station in Longueville or something like that for half an hour and then finally headed all the way back to Paris before starting off north eat towards Chalons en champagne where we turned south to Chaumont. The 2 hour journey to Chaumont took us nearly 6 hours and we were all stressed and tired and dehydrated and hungry. I got motion sickness from going backwards for part of the time, but took gravel and Imogen switched spots with me so I could face forward. 

We were picked up by Chateau staff at the station in two passenger vans with a trailer behind for our luggage and then we were off! I missed a beautiful countryside views (both on the train and in the van) since at this point we were coming in well after dark in a pitch black cloudy night and could see nothing. Ziggy drove me and some of the others staying in the village to our houses to drop our luggage and show us our rooms and then it was back to the Chateau to eat dinner!

No big champagne social/welcome party tonight since we got in so late (8 instead of 5). But the food was delicious and the wine was plentiful. There was red, white, rose and champagne on each table and I availed myself of the champagne and the red which was a Grenache merlot and was quite nice! Dinner was a whole big thing but the beef bourgeon and the pork pie were absolutely stunning. Served along side were a couple salads, pumpkin soup, baguette, mash potatoes carrots as well as dessert (which I never actually made my way to, but the pies looked fantastic! Three different kinds!

Missing from dinner was my roommate Lauren, who it turned out had taken the later train and then got stranded at the train station without data. She arrived shortly after I walked home from the Chateau and I helped her settled in. One of the kitchen staff delivered her food and I sat and chatted with her while she ate, what a stressful time for her!!! 

Finally, I unpacked and got ready for bed and man oh man and I looking forward to sleeping.

Xo 

[conflictandscotchblog]

Dealing the Good Stuff

If you heard this one side of my cell phone conversation, what would you think?

"Hello, yeah, is he gone?"

(muffled reply)

"What? You said he'd be gone by 5:45. I'm not just going to keep driving around waiting for him to leave."

(second muffled reply)

"Okay, well, then I'll meet you down by Bishop's Supermarket. Hurry up."

You would probably assume I was in the middle of some illicit affair with a married woman. If you thought that, you'd be wrong.

It was arrangements to pick up dinner.

Let me explain.

My ex-wife, Arlene, and I have a very good relationship. It is a much better relationship than the one we had when we were married. I hope my kids can appreciate that fact. There are untold horror stories of divorced couples, who use their kids as weapons.

There are divorced couples who, even after 30 years, can't stand to be in the same room.

And then there's Arlene and me.

Even though we're divorced, she handled and drops off my taxes at the accountant, picked me up when my car was in the shop, and sat together (along with Dennis, her forever-fiancé) at all our kids' events.

When our children were younger, Arlene would buy me presents for Father's Day (from the kids) and I would buy her presents for Mother's Day (from the kids).

During Hurricane Irene several years ago, my townhouse lost power. I called Arlene, whose house still functioned in the storm. She told me Danny (our youngest) was stuck at his girlfriend's house, and couldn't get home because of all the downed wires.

Although, I'm sure Danny wouldn't have used the word "stuck”.

However, that being the case, there was an extra room, and Arlene asked if I wanted to stay there. I thanked her, packed a few things (scotch and medications) and headed over. What normally would have been a 20-minute ride ended up being a two-hour ordeal. Streets blocked by fallen trees, power lines draped across broken branches.

I maneuvered back roads that I didn't knew existed; I followed some innate primal urge to get safe and dry (and drunk), and eventually made it to Arlene's house.

After I unpacked (poured a drink) I gathered in the dining room with Arlene and Dennis, along with Amanda (daughter) and her boyfriend, Paul. To round out this menagerie was Arlene's late sister Andrea (before she died) who had come for a visit, but was now trapped (stuck?) unable to get back to her own town.

After spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, Arlene announced, "Let's watch a movie."

Dinner, drinks and a show.

Don't get me wrong, I am very happy with the relationship we have. I just couldn't help think how odd other people would view the arrangement.

One thing that has evolved over the years, between Arlene and myself, that even I find strange, is our relationship with food.

For some reason, and I don't know how it all started, Arlene feels compelled to feed me. I certainly don't have a problem with that: Arlene is an excellent cook. However, it's the manner how I get the food that is strange.

Like something out of a spy novel, we started to have food ‘drops’. Not sure why, I'm sure Dennis doesn't give a damn that Arlene gives me leftovers, but it was just something that evolved over time.

I would walk in to pick up the kids and Arlene would whisper, "There's a bag in the front seat of my car-baked ziti".

She might as well have said, "The frost is on the pumpkin" then stroked her index finger across the side of her nose like Paul Newman in The Sting.

The food might show up anywhere: in my son's room, the front porch, a hollowed out copy of War and Peace. It's come to the point that when I pull into the driveway I check the mailbox for a forgotten Veal Parmesan sandwich.

As for the one-sided phone conversation above, I pulled into Bishop's Supermarket’s parking lot next to Arlene's van. I got out of my car with a bag full of empty Tupperware containers from previous drops. Arlene got out of her car with a bag full of containers filled with ravioli, turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy.

We exchanged packages, then back into our cars we went, and drove away.

Another successful prisoner exchange.

There is a consequence, however, to having such a good relationship with my ex-wife.

I really need to drop a few pounds.

[urmom-101s-posts]

Chapter 3:

Davis’s pov:

Order and routine is key to a successful day. I wake up at 5:00 a.m., work out, shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, and am out the door by 7:15 a.m. Today, however, the routine is messed up. Holly and I got in an argument about who was going to take the kids to school, and after hours of complaining and nagging I gave in and agreed to take them. That’s how a lot of our arguments went, she would bitch and bitch until i had enough and just obliged.

I arrived at the school around 7:50ish and prepared for my first hour class. When the kids start funneling in, I go out and stand by the door greeting the students as they pass. Class is about to start so I crack my door for the last couple of student who decide to show up right at the bell and the late ones. When the bell rings I look up to start doing attendance and notice y/n isn’t here. I hear whispers from her friends Kameron, Emily, and Amelia.

“I’m worried about her, it’s only the second day.” Kameron whispers while texting on her phone.

“She’s just going through a lot Kameron.” Emily rebutted.

“Yeah I know, Kyrie stresses her out.” Kameron chuckles.

Eavesdropping on my students conversation about a fellow student wasn’t my brightest moment, but I could tell the four of them were close and I simply was just curious. I began to feel a hot, burning sensation flow down and through my body, so I took off my sweatshirt and tried to finish the attendance.

I decided to text y/n to check up on her, last night she was eager to come in for extra help and now she didn’t even show up.

“hey y/n, are you feeling alright? I noticed you weren’t in class today, I can email you the assignment if you’d like to do it before you return.”

I wasn’t sure if I should even be texting her at all, it felt like a professional line was crossed but I didn’t care. I wanted to make sure she was okay.

The rest of the day dragged and felt excruciatingly long. I just wanted to go home, sit on the couch, and drink a few beers before going to bed. Usually my routine also consists of grading papers, but considering yesterday I didn’t assign anything meant my night was free to relax.

I was at my desk playing on my phone during my prep period when I received the text i was long awaiting.

“Im fine, just a stomach ache. I’ll be back tomorrow and if it’s okay with you i’ll just do the assignment then.”

“She’s okay.” I sighed with a sense of relief.

Y/n’s pov:

My alarm had been going off for the last 10 minutes and I didn’t feel like moving to turn it off. My body felt heavy and I felt too weak to lift it. Most days were bad, but never like this. I could always get up and fake it, but today felt different. I felt numb and distant from my body. I texted my mom that I wasn’t going to school and closed my eyes and began drifting back to sleep with the sound of my alarm blaring in the background.

When I woke up again it was around 11. I had plenty of missed calls and texts. 22 notifications from my group chat with Kameron, Emily, and Amelia, but one text stood out from the rest. Mr. Davis. He had texting me to make sure I was okay, which was really sweet, but I didn’t know what to reply back that didn’t make it seem like I was in a dark pit of disparity.

I decided to go out and get some fresh air hoping it would bring some form of life to my cold and numb body. So I went downstairs, made a large cup of coffee, and went outside and sat on my porch. I sat there for what felt like hours, but when I checked my phone it had only been 45 minutes. I felt some sort of peace, but not a feeling of release peace, the kind of peace that numbs you out. You don’t have to worry about the past or what’s hurt you. You just don’t feel anything and that’s what makes it peaceful.

When I went back inside I replied to all the texts saying I was fine and that I would be there tomorrow, even though I didn’t want to be. I sat on my couch and put on a show and took a nap. I slept longer than I intended to because I woke up to Kyrie standing above me.

“What are you doing here?” He said with a sassy attitude.

“I didn’t feel well today so I stayed home.” I calmly replied.

“Well you could’ve at least picked me up, I had to ride the bus. the bus!” he said with his voice cracking.

“I’m sorry Ky, I didn’t mean to sleep in so late.” I apologized.

I felt awful. Kyrie was a really good kid, he got a shitty hand having to deal with our mother, but I always did what I could to save him the heartache of our mothers’ conditional love. Ive spent everyday since he was born to be the person I wish I had as a kid, and I let him down.

“it’s okay, y/n,” he says sitting on the couch putting his hand on the top of my head and petting me, “you’re not feeling well. Have you eaten?”

He really was the sweetest boy, he was born with such a pure heart and every bone in his body was kind and caring.

“I drank some coffee when I got up this morning, but that was all.” I replied.

“Are you hungry?” He questioned.

“A little, are you? I can make something.” I said sitting up on the couch and turning to look at Kyrie in the kitchen.

“I’m starving, but I can cook since you aren’t feeling well,” He said while looking in the fridge for something to eat, “grilled cheese?”

“Sounds yummy.” I answered while walking into the kitchen.

While Kyrie made grilled cheese we talked about his day. After we ate I helped him with his homework and then we watched movies until it was bedtime. He gave me the biggest hug and kissed my cheek and told me goodnight.

When Ky went to bed I tried to keep the house quiet so I went upstairs to my room and laid down and listened to music until mom came home banging around downstairs. I went downstairs to check on her, but to my surprise there’s a man in only his boxers and a wife beater looking in my fridge.

“Um, can I help you?” I questioned.

“You must be y/n, i’m a friend of your mothers.” the half naked man answered.

“I bet you guys are real close.” I sarcastically replied.

I knew this was just another random man that I would never see again so I decided to stop asking questions and to just go back to my room.

I could tell tonight wasn’t a night i was going to get much sleep so i decided to write. Writing music always relaxed me, it was a relieving kind of peace. I loved the feeling of the smooth ivory on the tips of my fingers. I plugged in my headphones and messed around until i played something that gave me goosebumps. While writing it out I began to yawn, so when I finished I threw the notebook on the floor and went to bed.

[officialjoriskarlhuysmans]

Lament for a Dead Astronaut.

Astronaut is a restaurant industry term. I don’t know how common it is. Harry, the bartender, introduced it to me. Maybe it’s a regional thing. Maybe it’s something he came up with himself. I’d like that. It’d be a good character trait for an otherwise dead-eyed workaholic, to come up with fun little euphemisms for disgusting features of our line of work. 

An astronaut is a mouse that has found its way onto the dining room floor. I guess the reason they call it an astronaut is because its a being who’s brave enough to go where none of its kind has gone before. Its necessary to have a euphemism for something like that because you don’t want to raise the alarms to the guests, or rather customers, that we have mice running around everywhere. Euphemisms are important in the restaurant industry. You have to be able to speak about unsavory things under watchful ears. 

Would you like a crumb of context? Sure. I’ll oblige. I work at a Mexican restaurant that serves German beer. The beer they serve is a tribute to their genetic heritage, the food they serve is a tribute to the fact that it sells well and is cheap to produce. The owners are white men from Austin. Or something like that. I never cared to learn, in truth. They’re not great people. They don’t care about the restaurant or us employees much, at least in terms of anything that isn't related to profit margins. Oh, they pretend to, but it’s all in the name of retention. They give us treats which are little more than bribes. We get 3 free tacos and 2 free drinks after our shifts are done. We have the option for a fifteen minute break, a rarity in the hospitality industry. The kitchen gets to eat and drink as much as they want. They stand up for us if a guest is angry or too drunk and they don’t have unreasonable standards for customer service. They understand that we have our vices. They want us to be ourselves. But they don’t really care. They want to smoke cigarettes and ride their motorcycles and have sex with their wives and maybe cheat on them with other people, too. They want to go on expensive vacations and not to be bothered with work matters during them, even if there’s a leak in the pipe and the kitchen is flooding. Once one of the owners told me to not call him if the place was on fire, and he meant it. 

I like the job, though. It’s fast paced and straight-forward and I make enough money to live comfortably in an expensive city that’s getting more expensive by the day. That city is Boston. My friend accidentally let it slip recently that he thinks Boston is a diet city and I had to agree with him. He lives in New York. That’s a real city. The residents even call it The City. I think that’s ridiculous but I get why. I call Boston things like “shitty fucking hellhole” and “depressing” and “lifeless” and “regressive” and “a place for babies.” But I like it here, I guess. It’s comfortable. I’m a man who enjoys being comfortable, to absurd extents. I drive myself insane in the pursuit of total and complete peace. This is an inherited trait. 

Tonight was a busy shift. We got rocked by a group of 20 something dads who were presiding over a local hockey tournament. They were simultaneously easy and difficult to deal with. They ordered efficiently. They didn’t require a lot of fussing over. They weren’t happy with how long the dry rubbed wings took to cook. Big deal. Grow up. But they put a kink in usual operations. Mainly, one of the newer front of house employees, Zeb, had to stay a little longer than usual. 

Zeb is an interesting character. He represents an archetype that I am terrified of living up to one day. That being the 40 something service industry worker. Young enough to hack it, old enough to be entirely assimilated into the perverse culture of the thing. He has his little routines. I am terrified of having little routines. His big thing is walking the 45 minutes home, rain or shine, to his apartment after getting done with his shift and drinking a Twisted Tea on the way. He will interrupt service to walk across the street to purchase the Twisted Tea for the walk home. 

A Twisted Tea is a disgusting concoction, if you’ve never had it. It’s exactly what it sounds like: an alcoholic Arnold Palmer. A friend of mine once pointed out that it tastes like a ham sandwich. I’ve never been able to separate that association from my palette. All the more power to Zeb, I suppose. A man deserves his creature comforts. 

Zeb is a sad case, though. He had his ambitions of becoming a stand up comedian in his past. Those ambitions have long since faded away. Who knows why. I haven’t asked him. We’re not at that level yet. He’s a funny guy. I don’t want to throw him under the bus or anything. I could see it being good. The stand up, I mean. Everyone’s funny, though, in the way Zeb is. And he’s just too goddamn nice. 

I could tear Zeb apart more, if you’d like. I mean, in the interest of establishing a good story. He has a disgusting prematurely grey ponytail that he keeps tucked under a childish Kelly Green Celtics snapback. He’s ugly as hell, like an emaciated vampire. His painfully bright blue eyes recall a feral child, some psychological novelty on the cover of National Geographic. He favors graphic tees that advertise the sitcoms he likes. He’s always talking about his girlfriend, to the degree that you question her reality. He’s always talking about video games, to the degree that you question if he ever had a friend coming up. 40 somethings shouldn’t be playing video games. 40 somethings should be, I dunno, investing in mutual funds and building furniture for their estates. 

Anyways, he takes too long to close the service well. Whatever. Who cares. Me and the other guy I’m closing with, Peter, all live in the general vicinity of each other. Zeb suggests we split an Uber. I’m game, Peter’s game, so there Zeb is, until the bitter end of the night. 

We clean the bar. We sweep the floors. I have a strange conversation with a delirious Taco Bell employee who acts like he’s never been in a restaurant before. The man feels like a character from a Dickens novel. We all have fun making fun of his all-encompassing depressing aura when he leaves. Things are unfolding nicely, or at least, by par, and it starts to feel like we’re in for an early night. I’m counting the cash drawer when it all begins. 

Zeb comes bounding up the stairs. He was going into the basement cum kitchen for his bag. He’s all flush in the face. 

“Stephenthere’samouse.” No need for euphemisms, everyone who spends good money to be there is gone. “Inthetrap.”

“Okay.” I respond, calmly, sitting in one of the booths, Pacifico in hand, as I count the cash drawer.  “What’s up? Care to repeat that?”

“There’samouseoneofthecuteonesstuckinthegluetrap.” He’s got this wild look in those painful blue eyes. 

I don’t know what he wants from me. I don’t even really know what’s happening. This is just a fact of life in our line of work. It’s an old building and there’s always construction work happening down the street. The mice have to go somewhere. We don’t want the mice. Hence the traps. 

Zeb has this ludicrous manner of speaking to me. He’s at least eleven years my senior and yet he’s all deferential when he talks to me, even though I have no authority over him whatsoever outside of seniority at the restaurant. He talks to me like I have all the answers.

“What should we do?”

I understand what he’s getting at now. A glue trap is a particularly inhumane way to kill a mouse. They get stuck in there and squirm until they like suffocate or starve to death. Imagine that. Being paralyzed in a sea of goop and not knowing why. Not even knowing the stakes. That’s the scary part about being an animal, I imagine. No concept of what’s to come. Only vague hormonal instincts, stabs of warmth in a discordant void of black, to guide you. When something goes wrong, it’s haywire, but what to do with the chaos? How to manage it? With no conception of death, the uncertainty could be forever. Maybe that’s what animals think. It’s all forever. That’s insane to me. 

At the end of the day, though, it’s a fucking mouse. Zeb is being childish. He’s a pure soul, I guess, though too old for such a reaction, I’d wager. I reply, somewhat offhandedly, to bludgeon the poor thing to death. I have more important matters to discuss, namely, handling the money and rolling the goddamn silverware so we can get out of the restaurant at a proper time. 

He’s all a flutter now. He’s pacing around. He’s talking nonsense. Maybe we could dissolve the glue with soap and water and free the thing. Who could ever think like that. The glue they make those traps with is industrial strength. There’s no cure. The mouse is going to die. 

Now Zeb is legitimately crying. It feels performative. I’m always suspicious when a grown man cries. It feels as though he’s trying to come across as a real sensitive type of guy. Me, I only cry when I’m off my meds or I have to say goodbye to someone important and I don’t know when I can see them again. I cry when I think of the impending death of my parents. Real shit. 

“I can’t stand to see it like that.” 

I repeat my suggestion: take a brick and end the suffering. I’m almost done with closing out all the checks. My Pacifico is still mostly full. This is an unnecessary nuisance. 

“Could you do it?”

Automatically, I respond: “Sure. Whatever.” I don’t think anything of it. It’s almost amusing to me, Zeb’s pained reaction. I’m holding back a laugh, to tell you the truth. 

Minutes go by. I press the buttons on the screen to resolve the various cash reports. I take my Pacifico to the booth with the cash drawer, where Peter’s rolling the silverware. I have to count the drawer to 215 dollars and account for the comped checks and count the remaining money for the deposit. I almost entirely forget about the mouse that’s suffering. 

Zeb comes up to me. There aren’t actually tears in his eyes, but his cheeks are red. “This is what I’m going to do.” His voice cracks as he speaks, pubescently. “I am going to grab a pair of gloves. I am going to bring the trap to the edge of the patio. Take care of it, please.”

I shake my head. “You know it’s just a fucking mouse, right?” I walk away as I say this. I have to grab a stapler or something. 

Zeb jerks his head to me. I’m sure he tried to make direct eye contact. “Yeah? And my cat’s a fucking cat.” 

“Cats are different though.” I reply. I don’t even know if he hears me. 

We part ways for a bit. I chat with the dishwasher and the line cook as they’re about to leave. They don’t speak much English. I know a little bit of Spanish but not enough to actually carry a conversation. We sip our Pacificos together. The other night, the dishwasher was wearing a Joy Division t-shirt. I ask him, in broken Spanglish, if he likes them. He doesn’t know what the hell I’m talking about. 

Zeb approaches me. “The mouse is outside.”

I nod, curtly. I grab my cigarettes from the booth. I figure I might need one. I grab the cinder block from the alley, a good sturdy piece, the one the cooks use to sit on while they eat their food sometimes. I walk to where Zeb says the poor mouse is. 

It is 3 o’clock in the morning. A light mist hangs in the air. Rain is coming. Dead leaves litter the sidewalk.

The fucking thing is squirming and shaking in its prison of glue. Of course it is. It’s heaving, like it’s about to throw up or give birth or something. Zeb was right, it’s one of the cute ones. They’re all cute, in a way, but this is like a baby or an adolescent. Too young. It’s under a tree, exactly where Zeb said he’d leave it. It’s a nice tree.  A fine place to die. 

I don’t even need to take a deep breath. I take the cinder block and smash it. I don’t really want to look, but I must.

I didn’t hit it hard enough. It’s still writhing about. I take the cinder block to it again, aiming for its little mouse head. This time I don’t really need to look. I heard it well enough. I look anyways, for a moment. It’s red and brown and grey everywhere.

It takes some effort to remove the cinder block from the glue trap. 

The dishwasher and the line cook walk outside. They’re riding their bikes home at 3 o clock in the morning. They look at my work. They smile. They say something in Spanish. I reply: “muerte.” Dead. Dead dead dead dead dead. 

I smoke a cigarette. It’s necessary. The necessary ones always go down best. 

I walk back into the restaurant and grab a pair of disposable gloves. Zeb has put aside a bag to serve as the mouse’s coffin. “Do you want to attend the funeral?” I ask. He doesn’t find that very funny. 

I return to the mouse outside, pick the trap with the carcass up. I run across the street to the garbage bin and shove the bag inside. I go inside and I forget to wash my hands. 

Zeb hugs me. Now I think he really is crying. I’m not really one for hugs and I kinda sidestep it. 

“You’re a better man than I.”

“I don’t know if that’s how I’d put it.”