#bankruptcy preparation

[uncontesteddocuments]

In Wichita, for bankruptcy, can I self-file and represent myself? | YES. The general rule is the simpler your bankruptcy, the better your chances are of completing it on your own and receiving a bankruptcy discharge, the order erasing debt. Your case is likely simple enough to handle without an attorney if:

You pass the first portion of the Chapter 7 means test because your yearly household income is less than the state median.

You don't own much property and can protect your assets with exemptions.

You don't have any priority debts you can't discharge.

Creditors aren't alleging you committed fraud or threatening other action against you.

However, even straightforward Chapter 7 cases require work. Plan on filling out extensive paperwork, gathering financial documentation, researching bankruptcy and exemption laws, and following local rules and procedures. | Source of Information: NOLO

Bankruptcy Package Two Payments of $100 Excludes Filing Fee

Uncontested Documents 801 E. Douglas, 2nd Fl., Wichita (316) 312-4748 | Call or Text https://www.uncontesteddocuments.com uncontesteddocuments@gmail.com

Since 2011, Thank You Grateful To Be Of Service

[shinnyshining]

Petition to make days 48 hours

[daisey14]

one of these days i will stop being uncomfortable around spelling bees (i was SO FUCKING CLOSE to making it to nationals in eighth grade before stupid covid.) and listen to the 25th annual putnam county spelling bee. because i feel like i would really like it. but i am so pissed about the spelling thing still so we’ll see

[what-even-is-sleep]

We KNOW I’m on break from college cause ya bish is reading for fun again!!!!! (Atm: The Martian by Andy Weir— VERY GOOD!!!)

[havegaysex]

It's nice not having to give my dog eye drops every 4 hours and waking up after only a few hours of sleep because he needs antibiotics in his eyes.

At the vets on Tuesday she seemed really surprised that it healed as much as it did from Thursday to Tuesday

And here I was beating myself up for missing two doses of his medication over the week. Obviously it's okay that he missed those two doses because his eye is healed mostly and now the vet said I can do the eye drops only twice a day, I'm probably going to do it more than that but it's so nice not having to do it six times a day

I'm still waking up at 4:00 in the morning though

[qiraniwo]

We have embarked on our dedicated Bankruptcy petition preparation solution for attorney firms. We team up to help attorneys for preparing pruned and accurate bankruptcy petitions for review with the client and file subsequently. As bankruptcy filings increase nationwide, more and more attorneys are seeking help from outsourced bankruptcy petition preparer, also called "typing services" or "paralegals to draft bankruptcy petitions.

[galene-gothic]

𝖶𝗁𝗈 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗒𝗈𝗎, 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒?

୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅* ‧₊ I hope this reading found you in good health, every reblog is appreciated and thank you for everything :) ˖♡ ˎˊ˗ ꒰ 🐇 ꒱

˗ˏˋ༻ʚ♡︎ɞ༺ˎˊ˗             PAID SERVICES

Today we'll take a look at:

- your surface level personality/image

- your inner world

- your soul energy

︎︎⊹ ! ೀ Pile 1 ꒱

꒰ Your surface level personality/image ꒱

You seem to be struggling a lot and even others can see it or at least that’s your image. People think that you have an unwelcome community or no community at all. Even if you have friends, they could leave you out or you feel that way, or others can witness it or this is something of the past. You may feel a strong need for a sense of belonging which could lead to you overextending and being very welcoming, and gullible. However, despite this, you seem to be a bit isolated and seem to need solitude. You seem to be pretty comfortable with being by yourself. You definitely have those who think you are ‘all talk, no action’. People think that you’re judgmental and also have a tendency to overthink, that you have a tendency to overanalyse situations and people. There are people who think that you have unrealistic ideas without much planning or preparation. All of this may have been discouraging to hear but one thing is that you’re not perceived the way you actually are and that is okay, you are currently waiting for some sort of change but you’ve learned how to be patient by now. It’s not like you’re ‘all talk, no action’, you’re just patient and taking things one step at a time. You have learned how to go with the flow and are doing so for now, it’s just that others aren’t being able to see how you’ve cleared obstacles one after another and have had major expansion in comparison to your past. Your hard work is paying off little by little but you’ve not received all the rewards yet. Continue celebrating how far you’ve come, others just don’t know anything about you and your life. They think that you’re not doing well mentally and emotionally, that you’re at a rock bottom. It’s funny how people have such different perspectives of you than who you truly are. You look at it as even if those endings, hurt and situations were hard, you transformed a lot from it and you’re still in a transition period. You’re still letting go and changing. You’ve not fully gotten used to the new beginnings but you’re having a lot of them. Despite the negative feelings that tend to come forth, the fear and sorrow, the cycles have finally ended.

꒰ Your inner world ꒱

YES!! I’m so happy, I was right! Those who think negatively of you based on your surface level personality believe the same about themselves. They think that you’re ‘all talk, no action’ because they know they themselves are ‘all talk, no action’. You have a really rich inner world. At this point, you value balance, i.e. giving and receiving equally. Two people can go through the same or at least similar situations and turn out to be completely different. I wonder if you come from fairly humble beginnings, your family or you had a bankruptcy, you didn’t have a parent so you took up a lot of responsibilities, you grew up with your guardians instead of parents, started earning young or weren’t given much money (it could be a situation similar to all these examples). Even if you did come from a well off family, there was some sort of instability. There was a point when you probably didn’t have anything or didn’t have much. Also, you seem to have lost a lot, many people, things or you may not have had much to lose to begin with. I’m definitely getting that you felt unsupported by others and alone. I’m getting this in every sense, i.e. financially, mentally, physically and emotionally. Your health was bad at that time too. You didn’t look good physically (because you weren’t) and neither did you feel good internally. The loss of connections at that time was the worst thing that they could have done to you because these people definitely weren’t doing things for the sake of their peace or anything of that sort, they wanted to create chaos and pain for you. This is your confirmation that they wanted to break you down, they wanted to knock you down to a peg. You are too kind and strong though, despite all the difficult times and changes, you went within yourself to find answers and move forward. Despite all the distress that you had to experience, the moment you gained just a little more stability, you started wanting to give to others and become more good charactered. You’re grateful for what you have and try to treat everyone equally, and with respect. You already share resources from the good of your heart but you’re focused on your investments, you’re focused on building your money. You’re trying to be responsible and are generous, kind and truly valuable because you value the right things, and you also try to grow and live by certain values, morals and virtues within yourself. However, your past still is affecting you mentally because you were thrown under a bus and you’ve gotten used to thinking about it 💀. The metaphor I’m getting is that you were strolling with your group of best friends or your lover (possibly both) you had their best interests at heart and thought they had the same for you too but suddenly, in the blink of an eye, you were thrown under a bus. It was really difficult to even comprehend, the wheels crushing your bones, the confusion, until you eventually passed sway and when you woke up, you didn’t have those loved ones around you, you found out that your feet aren’t working anymore, you didn’t even receive a call from them to ask about your whereabouts and needs but instead, they started making memes about how you’re unable to walk now. You were hurt, betrayed, lonely but little by little, you tried to walk and even though it took you some time, you started being able to stand by yourself, then you started walking until you were finally sprinting. That’s just a metaphor but it was not an exaggeration, whatever those people did to you was the same level of betrayal that I’ve written in the example above (regardless of whether you realise it or not). You have a scary deal of determination but you also have a lot of energy towards those situations (in the form of aggression and anger) even if you don’t realise it.

You’ve had many revelations and still continue having them. You’ve started seeing the truth about past people and situations. All of you here lead different lives but you’ve learned how to find abundance right where you are. Some of you have good connections, some of you are progressing in your careers, some of you don’t have either of those but what you do have is that inner abundance. You have a strong desire and even daydream (possibly even literally dream) about community, healthy love, a happy family, a happy relationship, good friendships, etc. You already feel as though you have a fairly supportive work and personal environment. You’ve learned how to be emotionally content without experiencing all the highs and lows just because they might be exciting. You value belonging and long term commitments. Despite this, there are times when you get excessively negative though. You have a tendency to hold onto trauma and haven’t fully escaped your past yet. You can definitely feel a bit bitter at times. You also have a tendency to at times, let your emotions overpower your logic and at other times, let your logic overpower your emotions. Emotionally, you love unconditionally but your definition of unconditional love isn’t unconditional as in “even if you disrespect me and don’t love, I’ll still love you” but instead it is “I care about your well-being even when I’m angry at you”, “I love and respect you even when we are fighting”, “I accept your shortcomings for you are also a human”, “no matter how much we change, I’ll always love and devote myself to you”. Your emotions are also something that helps you express yourself better. When you love someone, you wish to express it wholeheartedly. You love everyone like a mother would their child, you’re incredibly giving and have a universal love. I wouldn’t be surprised if recently you’ve developed a love for kids or at least, you always have had compassion for kids and felt strongly against beating kids to discipline them, etc. You’re divine, not only do you love like a mother would their child but you also love like a child would their mother. For a child, their parents are all they know and usually even though times are changing and women work too, fathers still aren’t that actively engaged with kids, so it’s the mother that the child is strongly attached to. When you love someone, you give all of yourself to them and expect the same from them. You also have a praise kink ahahaha. It’s okay, don’t be embarrassed, I’m openly claiming to be one of your kind 😔. You have an innocent way of loving and desire to have people praise you. You are fun loving when you love people, with both friends and lovers. You trust them and can be quite naive to be honest because a child does usually naively trust people and especially they trust their own mother blindly. You’re extremely affectionate and tender, also so sensitive to little things. You could have had a parent, guardian or teacher not prioritise your gift to them or brush your affection off at least once if not multiple times and you’ve unconsciously carried it with you. It was especially bad when you were younger, if someone didn’t react the way you wanted them to, you would feel hurt and it would just make you think. You also develop a psychic connection with those you love, trying to and almost always successfully understanding their wants and needs. You are the type to send soft messages, say kind and sweet words, play around, touch them innocently, etc. Gosh, we don’t deserve you. Just looking at your inner world makes me want to love you and desire your love.

꒰ Your soul energy ꒱

Your soul is going to have to deal with a lot of pessimistic moments. However, the best way that you’re going to learn how to deal with them is by being optimistic. You’re going to experience the most exciting situations going sour and turning out wrong. It’s all so that you learn a certain level of detachment and realise that it’s not that you can’t control anything, it’s that nothing can control you, it’s not that you can’t own anything, it’s that nothing can own you. Just the way the cloud covering the sun doesn’t mean the sun isn’t there, that the sun isn’t the sun, it’s just a cloud that will pass by in its own time. Anything that causes you to not be yourself, anything that causes you to not be seen as yourself by others, i.e. the brightest star in our universe, it’s going to pass by in its own time too. Your soul has signed up for trying multiple times. Which means that your soul has also signed up to experience failures before you finally succeed. You’ll notice that the way your life works is - first you go down, then you eventually rise up, then you go down again and while most people would stay down, you rise up even higher. You’re someone who doubts people’s loyalty and well, unfortunately your soul has signed up to deal with conflicts here and there in your partnerships so that you can work through the trust issues that you’ve carried throughout other lifetimes. You’re going to have to learn overtime that a lost love isn’t real love because real love wouldn’t give up on you just the way you wouldn’t give up on them. Your soul is here to grow and expand, past all these issues. You’re supposed to learn how to just be, to just live in the present moment without any reservations and fears. You’re supposed to put your past behind and move forward while applauding your baby steps and how far you’ve come instead of being all impatient. The cycles that you experience, especially in the earlier stages of your life will come to end with many delays. There are going to be days when you’re left empty handed, also days when you won’t see major wins as victories. Don’t blame yourself for having been emotionally attached to your past at some point, you are supposed to learn how to not waste your life away for moments that have fleeted away. You’re supposed to learn how to not seek closure, how to find closure within people’s character and actions. “Pay attention to people’s actions and you’ll never be fooled by words.” You’re going to suppress pain and anger at some point, eventually overcoming a lot of trauma and emotional pain. You’re going to learn how to free yourself from unnecessary emotional energy and are going to forgive yourself, others and situations for the sake of your own peace. There is definitely going to be a point when you refuse to move on though. Until you finally accept the truth of the situation and move forward with strength. If you’re single, it’s because your type is yourself 😔. You’re emotionally mature, compassionate, caring, empathetic, wise, tolerant, loyal, devoted and passionate, and these are the same qualities that you desire in a partner. You strongly desire the affection of someone who’s emotionally mature and intelligent, and makes a good counsellor. You want to have a partner that’s better than you in some way so that you can learn from them. You want to be able to act like a brat at times. You want them to be empathetic and kind, and understand the matters of the heart by themself. You want them to be open to supporting others and especially you. You want a kind and respectable partner because you are the same way and growing to take on more and more of that identity.

︎︎⊹ ! ೀ Pile 2 ꒱

꒰ Your surface level personality/image ꒱

You seem to be exploring multiple possibilities and options, often finding it challenging to choose a single path. This can lead to confusion and a sense of being overwhelmed by the choices in front of you. However, this exploration is a crucial part of your decision-making process. People might perceive you as indecisive or lost in daydreams but in reality, you're weighing your options and considering all possible outcomes. You may find yourself feeling stuck or encountering delays. Your usual swift movement and energetic pace might seem hindered. This stagnation can be frustrating, leading others to think that you're not making progress. Despite this, you are learning to adapt and move forward at a different pace, which is necessary for your long-term growth. It’s essential to understand that this period of slower movement is temporary and will eventually lead to greater momentum. You still need more experience for spirituality, emotions and love. You might feel hesitant to express your emotions fully, leading to misunderstandings or perceived miscommunications. Others might see you as inexperienced or lacking in depth in these areas. However, this is a period of learning and growth for you. You're developing a deeper understanding of your emotional landscape and how to articulate your feelings better. This phase is crucial for your emotional and creative development. You have a tendency to overanalyse situations and people, reminds me a lot of the previous pile, you may have been drawn to it. You may be too busy on certain aspects of your life which leads you to not having time to focus on the other aspects. You seem to lack direction right now but I would say that as long as you have your priorities straight and make decisions from your heart, you’ll be fine. I think that you have a slow moving body, you seem to give slow reactions but there are other days when you give impulsive and hyperactive responses? It’s quite endearing honestly. Supposing a football was about to hit you but it hit the wall instead, on some days you’ll just stand there and not react much, not even say anything, just blink a few times and go on with your day while on other days, you’ll be like “if this ball had hit me, I swear whoever kicked it!” while waddling around the football field. I’m getting that while others may not fully understand your journey or the depth of your experiences, it is clear that you are on a path of significant personal growth. Keep celebrating your achievements and know that you are progressing, even if the rewards are not yet fully visible. Your hard work and patience will eventually pay off, leading to a more fulfilling and balanced life.

꒰ Your inner world ꒱

This is crazy. Much like the previous pile who were perceived a certain way by other people but were strongly of substance. It’s the same for you. You’re incredibly humble naturally but you still make the conscious effort to maintain and create more humility within yourself? I’ve just started reading this part but I already respect and admire you so that speaks for itself. You could have a few conservative beliefs here and there or just views that are considered to be ‘conservative’ but are actually just basic human decency? It’s very natural for you, you have these qualities innately within yourself and you unconsciously, subconsciously and consciously look for these qualities as well. You really value loyalty ‘stereo heart’ by Gym Class Heroes is playing. You’re not exactly satisfied with your current state of wealth, status and success but you still continue to carry yourself with your head held high. You want something more but you’re not underestimating the journey to get there. You understand just how precious the present moment is and you try your best to appreciate it to the best of your abilities. You’re committed to your present duties and responsibilities while still reaching for more because you understand that doing the best with what you’ve got is the only way to live a life without many regrets. You’re very human and you accept that, that’s a great part of your charm. You know that regrets are inevitable but you still try to make the most out of life. You’re very reliable and loyal. You have dreams but know how to have realistic expectations or even if you have big dreams and unrealistic expectations, you internally have the awareness of that so you aren’t discouraged when reality isn’t living up to such dreams, hopes and expectations. Plus even if you have big dreams before starting to work on a certain goal, once you start the goal, you’re able to appreciate your little steps. You also become very duty focused and wanting to do the best so instead of focusing on what you don’t have, you end up feeling good about how much you do/did and what you did manage to have. “Mindset so good even my failures are a success.” You are strong willed and are currently more interested in financial stability than romance. I’m not getting it being anything superficial. You’re an incredibly well rounded person who would love a stable and loving connection, it’s just that you are a person who understands that you have this one life to live and you don’t want to have a futile life where you didn’t even make the most out of your own potential. Also, your goals seem to be more within your reach than romance. You want romance and relationships in general (platonic ones as well) to not be forced so you’re just patiently working on yourself. You have a grounded approach to success as well.

You aren’t the type to be like “once I become rich, I’ll hang out with successful and rich people, I’ll fly in the sky and forget everyone”, instead once you become successful, you’ll make sure to give credits to those who deserve it. “Thank you for instilling me with such values in the short time that we spent together, I promised to lead a virtuous life back then, maybe not out loud but within myself to honour you. You deserve a large chunk of credit for my success and once again, I promise to lead a virtuous life.” Once you’re rich and successful, you’ll be sure to bow down to those who serve you, to the community, to those who have raised you, to those who are younger, to those who are older, to those who are growing. ‘End of beginning’ by Djo is playing. I feel like there was a certain group of people that you really loved. The feeling that I’m getting is a childlike warmth and fun. It definitely seems to be a whole community with one person or a few people being the most memorable. You seem to have a lot of love for people in general and now that you’re growing, you are more appreciative of those who raised you and taught you certain things despite their own shortcomings but these people touched you on a different level in a very short time. It’s not like you don’t have appreciation for those you’ve grown up with and those who have always been around you or anything like that, it’s just that the tenderness, warmth yet firm boundaries and tough love you received from this community or maybe a certain person/group of people within this community has caused you to become more soft internally yet firm in your approach to the world yet kind, and very comfortable with your internal values of loyalty, living life to the fullest, stability, being virtuous as though it’s your duty, etc. I just heard that their humble and down to earth ways gave you a new life. They seem to be people who you are not around anymore but the warmth and love that they gave you and you have for them remains within you. This is so heartwarming. Some of you may think that you were at your worst when you received their affection, warmth, kindness and love, and it is true for many of you but just think about how loveable you must be to be loved so tenderly, warmly and deeply when you were at your worst. Due to your desire to be a certain kind of character, when you feel as though you didn’t live up to such ideals, you have a tendency to be a bit hard on yourself. You may have felt as though you had really strayed away from your morals at that time, that you had failed to maintain self respect, respect for others, your own morals and values which led you to being a disrespect-able person at that time but think about it, just how respectable of a person you must be to be respected and loved by such kind, courageous (because it takes courage to be kind and loving) and respectable people.

You deserve the world, you’re so precious. You have practical goals and planning, you’re also working hard and remaining patient right now. You’re a diligent person who is creating a stable and strong identity, and future for yourself. You try not to slack off your habits because you understand that your habits make up your identity. Think about it like this, if I smoke for a few days, that might be just for fun, due to peer pressure or something but soon that smoking will likely turn into something more, an addiction to say the least. Soon enough, my identity becomes that of a smoker. “Galene is a smoker.” Externally and action wise, you seem to be pretty well tempered. While, you may get angry here and there, when it comes to even big things, you just deal with them instead of complaining. You’re approaching life with optimism and passion. You also have your own personal philosophy through which you go through life. You’re pretty flexible right now and are just trying to be more harmonious, and cooperative. You are not aware of it but you have a lot of faith in the divine timing of things. You naturally believe and act as though things will turn out to be fine in the end, and are being pretty calm about whatever might be happening. You are just trying to remain grounded and in flow with life. You’re trying to stay true to your purpose and seem to be able to find contentment right where you are, even though you’re trying to reach for more. You have become pretty divine ahaha, you have a natural love for humanity or at least act with it. You’re looking at your life as your journey and just going through it, doing your best. This is very specific but I’m picking up on a man or a guy? I’m not sure who this is but at least one or two of you have learned from them to the point you have become them to a certain extent. Is this someone from that community setting from earlier? This person has affected you positively though. I’m getting something about your standards here. This person has raised your standards significantly. You look for stability, efficiency, mental strength, discipline and safety in your romantic connection and connections in general. This person was really wise and you’ve grown to be really wise. You have always been wise but just hadn’t been able to embrace that wisdom but you are doing so now. You also look for wisdom in your companions especially within your partner. This person looks incredibly sexy when angry. You are both very passionate individuals but your fuse used to lose when you were around them but regardless the connection between the both of you is beautiful. There was a telepathic bond. “Real recognises real”, they recognised your greatness at the worst time of your life. You have grown to become a lot like this person, likely because they actively tried to instil certain qualities, values and virtues within you. They did so because they had faith in you. Be grateful, you’re such a great person, you have great people see your brightness even when you are at your dullest.

꒰ Your soul energy ꒱

Your soul’s energy is one where your mind is often filled with hesitation and uncertainty. There are moments when you feel a lack of inspiration and motivation, which can make it difficult to start new projects or pursue your passions. This might lead to frustration and a sense of being stuck. However, this energy also leads to teaching your soul the importance of patience and the value of waiting for the right moment to act. It's a lesson in finding your inner spark even when the world feels dim. There’s a layer of complexity to your mental energy. It signifies that your mind is deeply influenced by your relationships and connections with others. You have a strong desire for harmony and unity, and your thoughts often revolve around how to maintain balance and peace in your relationships. This can sometimes lead to overthinking and indecisiveness as you weigh the pros and cons of every situation. However, it also highlights your ability to understand different perspectives and your commitment to nurturing meaningful connections. You are someone who was probably a victim of thinking about others before yourself due to how much you loved them (in the past). Your physical energy and actions are marked by a tendency to be cautious and sometimes overly defensive. You are meant to struggle with impulsiveness and a lack of direction in your actions. You will find yourself starting many things but not always following through. This is going to lead to frustration and a feeling of unfulfilled potential. However, this energy also brings a lesson in self-awareness and the importance of planning and thoughtful execution. You’re someone who is deeply involved in the present moment with those you love. Wanting to delve into that love, indulge it wholeheartedly. Due to this, you create really sentimental connections and memories. Even after you grow, you will find yourself functioning from a very childlike form of love and connection, not just that, your actions will be very childlike too. This is going to manifest in all ways, you’re going to be loving and affectionate like a child, sensitive like one too (to the actions and words of those you love) and also having fun, playing, and finding joy in simple things like a child.

Which is why, at some point, you’ll find yourself being deeply connected to your past. You will often find yourself reminiscing about earlier times and drawing comfort from familiar activities and routines. This nostalgia will hold you back from fully engaging with the present at some point, but when you learn how to deal with it and be present, it will provide a rich source of joy and grounding. Embracing the lessons from your past will help you build a more secure and fulfilling present. Emotionally, you tend to hold on tightly to what you have, whether it’s material possessions, relationships or beliefs. You might struggle with letting go and trusting the flow of life. This can lead to feelings of isolation and a fear of change. However, this energy also teaches you the value of stability and the importance of setting boundaries to protect your emotional well-being as you grow. You’re going to have nurturing and sentimental connections that might be short term, likely in community settings, most likely not romantic because you’ll love everyone from that community due to how warmly you feel towards them but leave you touched forever, you’ll learn really valuable lessons from them. You’re have probably already experience deep emotional wounds and heartbreaks in this lifetime. These painful experiences shaped your emotional landscape, leading to moments of sorrow and grief. However, this energy also signifies great healing and growth which leads to lesson being learnt. Through these challenges, you are going to develop resilience and a deeper understanding of your emotional needs. This reading is a reminder that while pain is inevitable, it also paves the way for greater compassion and empathy. Your soul is on a journey of profound transformation. The challenges you face are opportunities for growth, teaching you patience, self-awareness and the importance of emotional resilience. Embrace both the light and dark aspects of your soul’s energy, as they both contribute to your unique and powerful journey.

︎︎⊹ ! ೀ Pile 3 ꒱

꒰ Your surface level personality/image ꒱

You are often perceived as hopeful and idealistic. You possess a sense of optimism and vision for the future that others find inspiring. People see you as someone who looks beyond the present difficulties and focuses on what could be. This perception can lead to others viewing you as a dreamer, someone who is always seeking out new possibilities and ways to make the world a better place. Your ideas are often seen as refreshing and uplifting, even if they seem a bit out of reach at times. People may feel that you have a unique way of thinking and that you bring a sense of calm and guidance, much like a beacon of light in the dark. However, this idealistic nature can sometimes be misinterpreted. Some might think you are unrealistic or too detached from practical concerns. They might see you as someone who spends too much time dreaming and not enough time acting on those dreams. This can lead to misunderstandings about your true intentions and capabilities. Despite this, your hopeful outlook and ability to envision a brighter future are strengths that set you apart and make you a source of inspiration for those who truly understand you. You are perceived as someone who has faced hardships but is in the process of recovery. They think that you’ve been through periods of struggle, possibly related to health, financial stability or general well-being. Others see you as someone who is working hard to overcome these challenges and improve your situation. This perception can evoke sympathy and admiration, as it shows your resilience and determination to rise above difficult circumstances. On the surface, people think that you have experienced exclusion or abandonment in some form, yet you are gradually finding your way back to stability. They notice your efforts to rebuild. This can sometimes be seen as a sign of vulnerability but it also highlights your strength in acknowledging and addressing your difficulties. People admire your tenacity and the steps you are taking to regain control of your life, even if they don’t fully understand the extent of your journey. Emotionally and spiritually, you are seen as someone who values deep connections and harmony in relationships. You have a strong desire for unity and mutual understanding. People perceive you as someone who is compassionate, loving and capable of forming meaningful bonds with others. Your emotional energy is often focused on creating balance and fostering positive interactions, which can make you seem very approachable and caring. You are seen as someone who thrives in partnerships and collaborations. You might have a partner right now? If not, when you do have love interests or even just talk about love, you talk about it in a very pure manner. Whether in friendships, family relationships or romantic connections, you are viewed as a person who brings people together and seeks to maintain harmony. They see you as someone who sometimes prioritises others’ needs over your own, sometimes to your detriment. While your surface-level personality and image may be misunderstood by some, it is clear that you are a person of depth, resilience and compassion. Your mind is a source of hope and inspiration, your actions reflect a journey of recovery and determination, and your emotional world is centered around creating loving and balanced connections. These qualities make you a unique and valuable presence in the lives of those who truly see you for who you are.

꒰ Your inner world ꒱

You’re healing and you’re aware of that. You’ve made some transition and you can feel the shift but what I need to tell you is that you don’t realise that you’re over it all. You are over it but it does not feel like so because not everyday is a fun, roller coaster ride. You’ve undergone empowering emotional changes. You have learned from your mistakes and have found the strength to move forward. You might be realising or may have realised that a lot of the love you received in the past was false. You may be realising that the love you felt then was the love that you were back then? I’m getting an acceptance of the fact that you almost always (if not always) got the shorter end of the stick. You’re interested in living originally, being true to yourself, instead of worrying about what people will say or what’s considered to be orthodox, or the right way of doing things. You have a strong sense of blind faith, as in you know that you’ll be fine? This blind faith doesn’t even seem religious, it’s just innate, it’s because you have great faith in yourself and the flow of life. You’re still changing your views as you’re still learning. “Maybe the happy ending was developing humility while still being proud of myself.” You have developed great humility in the past few years. You are going your own way. You don’t really have mentors or teachers, you’re just doing what you need to do, with whatever resources and knowledge you save or can find. While, you are humble and changing your beliefs, you’re not bending to other people’s beliefs because you have a knowledge of the kind of belief system you possess and wish to move forward with. Many of you contemplate religions a lot. You seem to know that there’s a higher power but for you, religion is trying your best to lead a righteous path. You’re also someone who is working really hard. You tend to get consumed by your work. Also, you prefer it being this way, you like to work in a space where you can be completely devoted, in a way you can be completely devoted, in a field that allows you to do so. Currently, you may not realise how much you’re doing because you’re doing multiple things. You should be more graceful with yourself. You lack elegance in the way you speak to and about yourself. You are critical of yourself and feel as though you fail to present yourself the way you wish to. You wish to be more refined in the way you present yourself. You should be a bit careful, you may be building great success little by little, you may end up with a lifestyle that is really hard to maintain. You’re putting a lot of emphasis on prioritisation and time management because you’re balancing multiple projects plus life outside these endeavours. When you work, you don’t just do things, you devote yourself to it, you pour your all into it. So when you work, you naturally end up putting a cherry on top of all that you were asked to do. You seem to be quite busy. I need to remind you that you don’t have time to waste but please take time to yourself.

I’m not sure who needs to hear this but please don’t start your day with TikTok or Instagram reels, there’s a lot of negative content on those platforms, it’s going to drag your vibe down. Your decisions require adjustments, even in your daily life because you have a lot to do. Everyday, you assess security, risks, calculating and speculating everything. You may be struggling with laze right now but despite this, you’re persistent on your path and growth. You have an inner satisfaction and contentment despite not necessarily being happy. You’ve learned how to think about yourself and put yourself first. You’re very reliable still and are willing to work for connections but now, you’re learning how to be more patient and less controlling with how things flow. You’ve also reached a point where if something is interrupting your peace, you just block it and try to shift your mindset to something better. You’re naturally very patient with people so you are keen on not letting those who are takers and talkers, and not givers and doers enter your life anymore. You’re practical and responsible so due to this, you consider the emotions of those around you. However, now you’re at a point where you don’t try to look at things from other people’s perspective anymore, you just remain practical and try to remain grounded within yourself. When you start focusing on the negative, it becomes really difficult for you to get out because it just pulls you in. You’ve learned a lot about life, you’ve learned how to live, you’ve learned how to be in the world and of the world. You still have slips here and there but I would say that you’re doing pretty well. You’re working for what you want. However, no matter how much you achieve, you feel like there’s always more to reach for, please take the time to assess and make sure that your desires come from the right place and mindset. You seem to be greatly committed to your career, goals, study and growth more than anything. As much as you would love a stable and healthy connection that you can just delve into, if you can’t find something, a connection worth investing in, you’re not interested in putting yourself in compromising situations. You’re emotionally attached to growing. You also tend to feel guilty when you don’t work or miss out on work for a few days due to your desire and almost a need to be, and feel as though you’re remaining consistent. You’ve value a bit more of a conservative approach to connections. You value fidelity, loyalty and strong yet humble, and grounded character in both you and the other person. You wish to have connections that are real, that are grounded, where you’re not looking at your phone when with each other, where you write and receive letters, give and receive flowers, and share and buy each other books. The conclusion is that, you’re very committed to and focused on your own growth and career, and when it comes to connections, you only want those that are long term and stable with trustworthy and reliable people. You’re doing well, all the best going forward!

꒰ Your soul energy ꒱

Right away, you’re bound for success and recognition. Your soul is on a journey of mastering inner peace and clarity. You'll face moments of conflict and competition in this lifetime, you likely already have but instead of being drawn into battles, you'll learn to seek harmony and understanding. You’ll experience many conflicts regarding competition besides the usual ego clashes. However, the thing is, as ambitious and growth focused you may be. I forgot to mention in the ‘inner world’ part of the reading but you value recognition and status. So, as much as you may care about these, you have a very grounded approach to these. You aren’t necessarily competing with people, you’re simply just trying to achieve what you want while you are going to have people in this lifetime who will compete with you over anything and everything. In fact, in the past, you may have been accused of being the competitive and inconsiderate one when in reality even your friends have been really competitive with you at some point. These experiences are here to teach you that true strength that comes from inner calm and being cooperative on the surface. Don’t get me wrong, you’re still very competitive, it’s just that your approach to competition is different. Due to how much others have competed with you, you may have felt the need to be competitive in the same or similar way that they were but you realised that you have an inner abundance that you used to function with but have gotten out of touch with. You’ll get back to your original approach to life and achievements, realising that it’s not about winning every argument or competition but finding peace within yourself and fostering it in your surroundings, regardless of whether or not you get what you worked for. Just as the clouds pass and reveal the sun, your challenges will pass and you'll shine even brighter. You’ll stop associating your self worth with how much you achieve. In your physical pursuits, recognition and success are just destined. Your hard work and persistence are bound to pay off and you’re going to have to celebrate many of your victories. Right now, you’re learning to accept compliments, praise and appreciate yourself and your achievements without doubting your worth. This phase of triumph is here to teach you the value of perseverance and self-belief.

Remember, it's not just about the accolades; it's about the journey and the resilience you've shown. Your soul has signed up for these moments to empower you to take bold steps forward. Emotionally and spiritually, your journey is deeply connected to love and meaningful relationships. You are here to experience profound connections that go beyond the superficial. Your soul seeks unity and balance, integrating different aspects of yourself to create a harmonious inner world. The lessons of love will teach you to make choices that align with your higher self and to embrace the healing power of love. Your soul's growth involves understanding that real connections are worth every trial and triumph, and that true love never gives up. You wish to merge with your loved ones especially romantically. You have a loving and considerate spirit that’s very genuine in nature, and you want to love people as if they were you, as if you are one. You wish to work with their best interests at heart so naturally, you wish to be loved in such a way too. You want to love people who see and treat you, and your connection like team and teamwork instead of working with self serving motivations. Your loving spirit is something that you’ll notice, never dies. You continue loving deeply despite how many times you may hurt because that’s just who you are. Gosh, you’re precious, never change yourself. Overall, your soul is on a transformative path, learning to find peace within, celebrate your successes and embrace the power of love. Each challenge you face is designed to help you grow and evolve. As you navigate through conflicts, rise in your achievements, and deepen your emotional connections, you'll discover your true strength in harmonizing your mind, body, and spirit. Trust that every step you take is leading you toward a higher purpose, and embrace the cycles of ups and downs, knowing each phase is a crucial part of your soul's growth and expansion.

[ameliathornromance]

“Do you really have to have the blindfold over my eyes?” You asked, hands gripped onto your Orcs for dear life.

“It’s called a surprise for a reason, Love.” Your Orc Boyfriend chuckled.

You didn’t have time for this. At all.

At home, you had a whole stack of paper work to get to along with a whole days worth of data input on that wretched spreadsheet your boss had left you.

It had been weeks since you had had a proper break, or any time to relax for that matter. There just seemed to be more tasks hidden under other tasks, keeping you apart from your Orc Boyfriend and spending any time with him.

The list just went on and on and on. And there never came a time where you could take a break.

While you loved your Orc Boyfriend with all your heart, there wasn’t anyway that you could just abandon your work. Both of you really needed the money at the moment, mostly because of some ridiculous bill that had come out of nowhere.

He was working hard too, but got easier hours for his job since he was an Orc and worked on construction sites, doing heavy lifting.

At least he got evenings off.

But you couldn't afford to take the time off.

So, you put your head down and worked. With the amount of work you had, you couldn't even get into bed until the early morning. And that's if you had a good night of finishing off paper work.

If you didn’t turn in the required amount of data sheets by midnight, all Hell would break loose in the office, almost surely accompanied by the Banshee-like shrieks of Thomas, your Manager, over the phone.

Your Orc Boyfriend heard Thomas' bellows one time and practically had to wrestle him to stay in the flat you lived in.

"With all that work you do, and he talks to you like that?" He snorted, "pathetic. I ought to thump him."

Your work load had doubled in the last two weeks, creating double the amount of work you’d normally have to do.

The reasons for this were unclear, something about downsizing the company or mass lay offs? Rumour had it that the company was preparing for declaring bankruptcy, but there was nothing confirmed so far.

What would it help with your current predicament anyway? It’s not like the answer would decrease your work load.

The sooner you got through it all, the more time you would have to spend with your Boyfriend.

Due to this increase, you hadn't been able to spend any time together as a couple. Amazingly, your Orc never once complained, apart from that one time with your Manager.

As you had just sent the last email of the day, rolled up your sleeves to get started on the disrespectfully large pile of documents beside you, your Orc had knocked on your office door.

“What?” You snapped. Regret instantly washed over you as you heard your office door creek open.

“Are you done with your work?” Your Orc’s soft voice made your heart squeeze.

“Almost.” You rubbed your eyes. “Why? What’s up?”

Swivelling around in your chair, you started at his appearance. A shirt and tie clung to his massive figure, a blazer and smart trousers on top of that. His long hair had been slicked back into a fishtail plait that draped over his shoulder.

Blood drained from your face. Was there a family event going on? You’d been so buried in work recently, you could have completely forgotten about large events.

“Go and get dressed in something nice.” He told you, fiddling with his cuff-links. "We're going out."

“Hun, I’m really sorry I can’t I-”

“Just trust me,” your Orc smiled. “Please?”

You opened your mouth to protest, to tell him that you really didn’t have anytime for fun and games… Oh, but you missed looking at him. You missed being around him and his company.

The papers could wait. The Manager would just have to eat the late papers.

“Alright.” You walked out of the room and got dressed.

What was your Orc planning? You had no idea. You knew you couldn’t deny him. After weeks and weeks of being cooped up in your home office, you couldn’t ignore that your Orc probably felt lonely.

Guilt washed over you as the two of you got in the car. “You look beautiful.” He told you as he opened the car door for you.

You gave a sad smile as he closed your door. After being so unavailable, you felt as though you didn't deserve such nice compliments.

“Thank you… I’m sorry I haven’t been around recently.” You said, your Orc clambering into the drivers seat.

He gave a shrug as he backed the car out of the driveway, “here, put this on.” He held out a black cloth to you as he got onto the road.

You raised an eyebrow, but didn’t question it. After tying it around your head, you asked: “where are we going?”

“You’ll see.”

After a few minutes, the car stopped and your Orc opened the car door for you.

Harsh gusts of wind billowed around you, making you wince at the force of nature. Salty air stung your nostrils as your Orc guided you away from the car.

And so, here you are now. Blindfolded and gripping on to your Orc Boyfriend for dear life.

You gave his hands a squeeze.

“I’m still here, it’s okay.” He told you. The wind settled, the two of you stopped walking.

The ground beneath your feet was uneven and shifted easily. “Okay, you can take off the blindfold now.”

Reaching behind you, tugging on the tail of the bow around your head, the blindfold fell away.

Your jaw dropped.

A table, draped in a white table cloth stood at the edge of the beach. Plates and wine glasses adorned the top of it, along with your favourite glass of wine cooling in a silver ice bucket.

Backdropping the scene, the sun glittered over the sea, golden sand sparkling in it’s light.

“What-”

“You work so hard, put up with so much crap from that man.” His voice dripped with disdain at the mere mention of your manager, “I thought you’d need a nice break from reality... And I miss having you around." Your Orc admitted, voice twinging. "I thought I'd need something super nice and distant from the house to make sure you get a decent breather. So, I made this.”

You approached the setting. Salty air stinging your eyes, you sniffled. “I…”

Your Orc joined you and wrapped you in his arms.

All the stress and pressure rose up from inside you, eyes burning.

Fighting back tears, you buried your forehead on your boyfriends chest. You squeezed him tightly around the middle, “I’m so sorry-”

“It’s okay sweetheart.” He rubbed your back soothingly.

The words sent you over the edge. Angry tears rolling down your cheeks, you looked up at him. “No, it’s not okay!” You sniffed. “I should be better for you, I don’t deserve this!”

“Of course you do!” Your Orc pulled away and wiped your tears from your cheeks. “You put up with so much and work hard! That bill came out of nowhere, shit happens honey, I understand why we haven't been spending time together-"

“But that’s no excuse to ignore you. You're just as important.” Squeezing your eyes tightly shut, you grimaced. “I’ll tell Thomas to kiss my ass,” you declared, “I hate working for him and that company! They’re going to be shut down anyway, I’ll make sure to quit as soon as I get back!” Your once coherent words became wails.

Your Orc pulled you into his arms and squeezed you tightly, “oh Love…” He rocked you back and forth, the way a ship rocks its sailors to sleep.

“Let's worry about that later. C’mon, let’s enjoy dinner while we catch up, okay?”

Tears finally drying up, you nodded. “Yeah… I’d like that.”

[uncontesteddocuments]

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[selfaware-bungou-stray-dogs]

Hi, Thanks for answering my previous question about jobs :>

Anyway, I have more questions.

1)What do the guild do?

2)what does Og!Oda do as a job?

3)What does Bram do?

4) what do the Government! Members do? (I have no idea what to call them)

You are welcome.

Jobs. Part 2

_______

1.

Fitzgerald started a business (I lean towards trading company). Alcott is his mix of vice director, secretary and advisor.

Poe became a writer again, sometimes, he helps both ADAs with solving cases. He does both mostly for fun. All Guild members managed to get their 'implied' money and savings when they were preparing to go to the real world, and, they can not to worry too much about bankruptcy or having job.

Melville would become a museum worker or a consultant in university. He will choose something, that is either about sea and sea travels or about whales. He became quite famous tour guide. On the weekends, he read to kids in the library, telling them stories about sea travels.

Lovecraft is an interesting case. Sometimes, he will act as Steinbeck's assistant/colleague/bodyguard. However, Lovecraft's looks can make people uncomfortable (small side effect of being an Elder God), they need a lot of time to get used to him. So, most of the time Lovecraft stays home, looking after it. If hunting and fishing is legal in the country, he will go hunting/fishing for food.

Also, Lovecraft, during Halloween season, became an actor in hunted houses/scary attractions/festivals. He is more than popular, everyone wants to hire him.

They think, that his tentacles are very good animatronic parts.

Steinbeck became a vineyard owner. Grapes, juice and wine from his vineyard are fresh and taste good. Steinbeck always brings some of his products home.

Lucy is working with ADA/PM and HD. Her ability is good for transferring captured criminals.

Mitchell decided to study to be a seamstress or designer. She has some ideas, good ideas, but, she wanted to take a look at what fashion in this world can offer. Right now, she already created a line of scarfs and ties.

Twain trains paintball and biathlon teams. He wanted to publish his book, but decided to wait for right moment to do it.

Hawthorne, after some studying, became a theology professor in the university.

__________

2.

OG! Oda has multiple jobs. He is a handyman, he looks after kids and teens from BSD Cast, read to children together with Melville. He also a part-timer in ADA/ Private Investigation Bureau.

As for his dream to be a writer... Natsume, Oda and you are working on it. Oda tries to go to therapy, but, he has to be careful with what he said, so police won't be called. Also, back in BSD World, he helped Natsume with writing about Season 3-5 to add to "Story" in app. So, perhaps, there is a chance.

_________

3.

Bram is another "seasonal" actor. Another popular one during Halloween.

Outside that, he is looking after the mansion. Bram still has much to learn about modern times, right now he will attract too much attention.

_________

4.

Ango became a programmer in Fitzgerald's company.

Ayatsuji and Tsujimura, on papers, are part of ADA, but act separately, with Ayatsuji being a detective, and Tsujimura being his helper/bodyguard.

Chief Taneda becomes a librarian. His ability and title aren't needed in this world (for now), so he can have a rest and do something else.

[eunaithne]

House of Cards - K. Scaramouche

synopsis: Married to the house of Kamisato truly bears a balance of advantages and disadvantages, after being accused of attempted murder you found yourself captive of a short-tempered harbinger.

note: mentions of unrequited love, cheating, abusive society, violence, and more

also ayato is out-of-character only for the fsnfic, please note that this is a work of fiction and his behavior is not what he really is in-game. Thank you!

Prologue: Bitter Vows

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 𖥻 Kamisato estate

As dawn hits the island of Narukami, townspeople all gathered and talked amongst themselves. Chatter in every corner can be heard in the island as the new inaugurated head of the Kamisato Clan was announced to be wed. Fabrics and fast footsteps of servants is heared in the Estate of Kamisato as everyone was busy preparing the wedding of their master; Kamisato Ayato. He is to be wed to the Fukuoka Clan's heiress — Fukuoka Y/n.

The folks all wondered why he would choose to take a girl from a clan who's experiencing bankruptcy as his bride when he can choose all different girls from more established ones to strengthen his hold on his own.

Yet, he only smiled when the question is shot at a table. To those who hear it, it's a love story they all read about from the books in Yae Publishing House, fables and flowery words thrown at each other.

But in reality these are just bitter vows, this marriage only rubs salt to his injury. He can't marry the girl he truly loved. He was forced to take on his father's legacy for his sister's sake and those who depend on the Kamisato. Words do really mean nothing when you don't understand it, perhaps it's like telling someone "I hate you" in a language they don't understand which similarly can draw a silver lining between hate and love. His bride, his marriage, the vows — they are all meaningless. He thought.

With their parents passing away the weight of carrying a whole clan downed on his shoulders. From a distance, he could only watch the the servants busying themselves in dressing up his bride with expensive silks with golden embroidery that compliments her complexion as a noble daughter. In contrast to his perplexion, she wore a smile; a genuine one, and he knew it's because she is happy to be married to him. After all, when different clans heard about his intent on marrying someone they all sent him a letter endorsing their own daughters like its red light district. But he chose the Fukuoka Clan instead knowing they are less ambitious than most of the clans.

Alas, the hour of the ceremony has finally come. He snapped away from his thoughts and smiled showing his degree of status alongside with posture. He took her hands, she wasn't nervous at all instead her squeezed his hands hoping it will calm him down, that's when he realized how fumbling his fingers are.

The wedding was smooth, everyone congratulated the newly wed. Even though he tried to smile in the crowd, his eyes looked lonely and in agony. He didn't realize his — now spouse was looking at him in her peripheral view the whole time while greetings the guests. Her smile from earlier dropped slightly when she saw him staring at a particular person from a distance. Without words or evidence she knew exactly who it was. Eyes spoke louder than mouths will ever do anyways. She loosened her grip on his arm and promptly excused herself to have a chat with her parents.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 𖥻

Once they arrived back at the estate, she was greeted by his cold attitude. He didn't mean to behave like this but his emotions, his heart was in agony seeing that the girl he so longed for wasn't the one he married. After all, what would society say if he were to marry a commoner? Some officials still insist that he's just a boy without any knowledge on how to handle the Kamisato Clan and marrying someone who's a shrine maiden won't help a bit on the situation.

"We shall leave seperate lives, I won't meddle yours and you won't meddle mines." He spoke.

Before she could answer he left the room, guilt on his eyes but it washed away as fast as it came. So she sat on the bed, still in her wedding gown and looked down. She've admired him for so long now, she didn't know if he could still remember how he helped her up when other kids laughed at her. Perhaps a part of his inner child does but they don't really last do they? She sighed, wiping a tear from her cheek and she silently waited for the servants to knock on the door.

Rushing servants came in to help her removed the balloon of a gown and she put on a fake smile so no one would notice her shoulder of sadness. Laying down the bed she wondered how long will this type of arrangement last?

"If; the time comes he doesn't learn how to love me. Then, the lantern shall blow away with the wind." She spoke silently, looking out the window in preparation for how many years and nights can she handle being alone. Day after day she tried and tried to make him open up, although he makes sure to give her attention only when his sister - Ayaka is around so she won't feel anything out of order, she's still young after all. Soon, the people started to adapt to their new first lady at the manor. Y/n tries to make her husband be more responsive even for daily questions. When she did managed to take a response out of him, feels relieving and the goals achieved.

Smooth, life was smooth. A year, after a year, after another year, and a new year have passed. They developed a respectful relationship. All was well. But, life is boring isn't it if everything runs smoothly, conflict will arrive. It's inevitable.

Her hair is straight and like crystal, she wore a pink headress that compliments her maiden outfit. Y/n could only stare at the girl in question as the news of her residing at the estate befell. Ayato never mentioned this when she asked, and yet, it's as if all the efforts washed away like it was nothing in the first place. Perhaps, she thought, he can't really manage to call this as his home without her. Afterall, in their story, she's just a side character that hindered in the way of someone else's love story.

"Pleasure to meet you, Lady Y/n." The maiden greeted and she bowed her head as well to show respect.

"Welcome to the estate, although Ayato has never mentioned anything—." She was cuttee of by ayato who cleared his throat.

"She will be staying here for good, please mind your attitude when talking to her." He warned, although it's spoken in a flat tone, the idea was there 'don't make her upset' that's what it says.

Days later, it's like she's an invisible individual on the estate, her servants, all catered for the girl her husband took into their estate without even thinking of her. She was left with her personal maid; Even the officials won't acknowledge her anymore. Now that his seat as the head commisioner is sealed, no one would dare question their relationship.

"Did you hear that? The Lord Kamisato just took home the love of his life!" A fan draped over the woman's mouth as she talks alongside her friends.

"Mhm! I heared that he never really loved her wife, can you believe it? It's a shame we all thought they are in love with each other." Another voice also exclamed as she walked on the streets to purchase daifuku because she's craving it.

"Are you okay m'lady?" Chūso, her personal maid asked her. She just nodded in response.

"I'm fine, Chūso. You should not worry about me. Your mother is still sick, why don't you go visit her at Kondu Village for a while? I won't mind." She smiled, tapping Chūso's palm.

"Really!? M'lady you're too kind!" She exclaimed squeezing back her lady's palm back while her other hand hold's the umbrella.

"Yes, I'm thinking about, leaving Narukami for a while.. to think about something. It's been 5 years, yet you're the only one who notices my shortcomings and my problems, the one who cares for what I feel. So you deserved it." Y/n smiled at her and Chūso smiled back. They continued chatting and soon they are back at the estate.

The maids are in rush, and some of the officials are there as well. Y/n looked around for what is happening and yet like invisible wall, no one answered. Ayato looked like he could murder anyone at the moment and the elders looked at her with disappointment.

"Ayato? What seems to be the prob—"

Yet she was caught of guard when he grabbed her tightly.

"Ayato! It hurts!" She was trying to make him let go but he wouldn't budge.

"Why did you do it?" He asked her, voice dropping and furious. "Did what? I didn't do anything! Let go of my wrist—!"

"Don't lie to me! The servants saw you putting something on Maya's drink! Couldn't you think?! She could've died from what you did! She and my child!" He shouted at her face. She flinched, so all this time, that's why he suddenly brought her here, that's why all the maids are treating her like she's fragile glass. All this time. Y/n, the fool with the slowest and greatest heart. First to be blamed, last to know.

"What.. But! I didn't put anything in her drink! I didn't even know she was pregnant! Why would I even do such thing!" She also shouted back.

"You don't know? Oh I know! Perhaps because you are afraid your little clan will be in shambles once Mr. Kamisato decided to divorce you. Now you have to be a desperate little cunt to put pills to kill the baby on lady Maya's stomach!"

One of the elders pointed out their finger at her, she shook her head and told them that she has nothing to do with it but no one listens.

"Don't lie, a lot of servants saw you! Go on, ask them yourself." A chief told her.

She turned to the servants and asked them lowly. "Did you.. saw me? Trying to kill Maya?" She spoke slowly.

They all nodded in response, and her shoulders fell as well as tears beginning to form in her eyes. "Even if that's not the truth.. huh? I guess.. I wasn't generous enough? Or, you can feel that Ayato never favors me, and you decided to side the latter who received more attention?" Y/n told them. Wiping her tears and they all looked down on the floor. If the walls of the estate could speak, it could tell how much kind she was with them and yet, with a little bribery, they all turned their backs.

"I see. To think I was still in the wrong position when my husband got someone else pregnant wasn't an issue makes me think, I wasted 5 years for treating people nicely." That's all what she said, then the guards dragged her out the estate for good. She knew this would happen, but she didn't expect that they would accuse her of murder. That's something she would never do.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ៹ 𖥻 Chinju Forest

She sat down on one of the rakan statue, looking back at her life, everything faded. She laughed bitterly

"I guess, this what happens to those who hope, is this my sin? Taking someone else's place in that wedding, taking someone's heart that doesn't belong to me?" She asked, after minutes the exhaustion downed on her and she fainted in the forest. Amidst the blackness, she could hear footsteps and a soft jinggle of bells.

Kami-sama, have you decided to send someone to properly bury my body?..

━━━━━━ ៹ 𖥻 CUT !

- this is my first fanfic lmao 🥹 idk if the things I said made sense but hopefully it does 😭. I've been wanting to make a fanfic about this because I don't see one that's why here I am! Please don't be afraid to correct my grammar, I'm more than happy to receive opinions since this is my first. The blog is a little plain, I'll try to make more designs in the future :>>

signing out!

[flowerandblood]

The Vanity and Variability (3)

[ Jane Austen • Aemond x Baratheon • female ]

[ warnings: sexual tension, angst, mention of trauma ]

[ description: Despite coming from a family with royal blood, Aemond is forced because of his brother’s debts to choose one of the daughters of the famously wealthy general, Borros Baratheon, as his wife to save his family from bankruptcy. When he arrives to make his choice he is distraught and discouraged, made all the more so by watching from the sidelines his youngest daughter, who seems more intrigued by his dog than her possible future husband. Slow burn, sexual tension, regency and Jane Austen prose vibe, vain, self-righteous Aemond. ]

A story which is an alternative universe of The Impossbile Choice taking place in regency times (1805-1815). The characters are all the same as in the main series, however, for obvious reasons they will behave differently and experience things differently from medieval times. You can read this without having to delve into the main series.

Aemond & Miss Baratheon & Vhagar Moodboard

* English is not my first language. Please, do not repost. Enjoy! *

Previous and next chapters: Masterlist

_____

Never before in his life had he been so afraid of Sunday. He knew what awaited him then, he knew that the whole town, all the people of Chelsfied would want to meet him and have a few words with him.

He knew how gossip worked, even more so in such small towns, he knew that everyone was already talking about the fact that he was bankrupt, that he had no eye, that he had come to Borros Baratheon's house like a stray dog, begging for his daughters' pennies.

He felt sick at the thought.

Worst of all, he realised, the very people who surely deep down despised and mocked him would pay him compliments, ask about his health and express their joy that someone like him had come to their town.

He knew they would do this, and then they would talk behind his back, whispering about how great his scar on his face was, how he reigned like a lord, how they felt sorry for any of Mr Baratheon's daughters who would receive the unpleasant honour of becoming his wife.

He knew this and had mentally prepared himself for it, but even so, when confronted by such a huge crowd of strangers he panicked, forcing himself out with barely a few words, leaving the whole conversation to Mr Baratheon. He felt embarrassed for himself and thought it couldn't have gone any worse.

When they were finally to be seated he waited impatiently for the youngest Miss Baratheon to take her place and sighed heavily not understanding why it was taking her so long.

"This seat is for Mr Targaryen. After all, we won't let him sit at the back." He heard Floris' words with difficulty and furrowed his brow, glancing at them out of the corner of his eye.

"There's enough room for everyone." Whispered her younger sister, impatient and tired of the humiliations that had been endless since he had appeared in their house.

"There isn't." She replied lightly, something akin to mischievous amusement in her voice.

He watched in silence as the youngest Miss Baratheon withdrew and walked to the bench behind them, sitting down resignedly, looking down at her hands, her father turned to her and asked her quietly what she was doing.

He decided that he had no intention of sitting next to this insolent girl and putting up with her solicitation or the, obviously casual, touch of her body, which she would surely cling to him as soon as he sat down next to her.

Therefore, he joined her younger sister at the back, recognising that his reputation in this place was ruined anyway, so it didn't matter if he sat in the first or last pew.

He just wanted holy peace and quiet.

He saw Floris turn to him, frowning her eyebrows, surprised and displeased by his decision, wanting to say something already, but he didn't even let her open her mouth.

"Please attend to your prayers, Miss Baratheon." He growled coolly, and she flushed with a blush of shame and turned away, correcting her hat as if nothing had happened. He felt her little sister's gaze on him and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, frustrated.

"Can't you concentrate on prayer in the house of God either, Miss Baratheon?" He rebuked her in a dry, frustrated voice, and she shook her head quickly, pulling a prayer book from her small bag.

He was relieved that he had chosen his prayer companion well, for Mr Baratheon's youngest daughter was focused the whole time and did not look at him, absorbed in her own thoughts.

He knew she was only pretending.

He knew she was thinking only of him, like her other silly sisters wanting to be princesses in a magical palace.

Even though he had told her not to look at him, now it was he who glanced at her all the time, wanting to catch her in the act, to prove to himself that he was not at all mistaken, that she was not at all different from them.

Neither Cassandra, nor Floris, nor Ellyn, nor Maris could stand it; each of them turned at least once in his direction, and he felt like laughing at the pathetic sight.

He was frustrated and tired.

He felt like a sold-out object in the eyes of his family, a way to royalty in the eyes of the general's daughters and a nobody in the eyes of the people around him who knew absolutely nothing about him.

He was alone.

As they stood up to receive the eucharist, he let her pass in front of him and drew in the air feeling her body rub up against him, her pleasant scent reaching his nose.

Had she done this on purpose?

He stood behind her in the line, looking at her intensely, hoping that when she took communion and turned back towards the pews, she would throw him a look that would reveal everything about her.

She, however, did not even turn her face towards him.

He sat down beside her, a little closer than before, watching for her reaction, but she was still staring absently ahead, her fingers wandering involuntarily over the soft material of the cover of her prayer book.

What was she thinking about so strenuously?

He opened his knees a little, just a little, so that their legs came into contact almost imperceptibly. He felt her flinch, her fingers moved in an anxious gesture as she swallowed loudly, but she did not turn her face towards him.

He pressed his lips together, glancing at her once in a while. He grunted and corrected himself in his seat, pressing his knee harder against her leg, looking at her expectantly.

Look at me.

Stop pretending.

He could see that her breathing had become anxious, that her figure trembled with uncertainty and fear, her hands clenched tightly on her book.

And suddenly he had an idea.

Why not play with her?

Alys loved it.

Subconscious, innocent coquettishness.

His hand from his knee went over her fingers, which clenched panic-stricken at the object on her thighs, and he grinned with satisfaction, knowing that she thought he wanted to touch her so directly, so indecently. At the last moment, before his hand touched her skin he grabbed her prayer book and with a slow movement pulled it from her grasp.

He took her book as if nothing had happened and began to look through it, recognising that it was really old and beautifully published, it must have been at least 20 years old by now. He felt her face turned towards him, but she still wasn't looking at him, her hands lying on her lap was trembling.

"Please, sir, give it back to me." He heard her faint whisper, and he murmured under his breath, delighted that she was finally speaking to him, taking some strange pleasure in her helplessness.

They both knew full well that this was what she wanted.

A little bit of his attention so that she had something to think about at night.

"What harm am I doing? I am merely looking at it, Miss Baratheon." He hummed softly, licking his finger, turning another page. He knew she saw the gesture, felt her whole body tense up when he did.

Come on, answer something ambiguous, play with me.

"Please. This is my only memento of my mother." She mumbled with difficulty, and he froze.

He felt his heart start pounding like crazy, his knee immediately pulled away from her body. He grunted loudly, feeling a sudden dryness in his throat, and handed the prayer book back to her.

When he felt the touch of her skin he involuntarily mussed it with his thumb barely, as if in a gesture of apology for having completely misunderstood her reaction to what he was doing.

He glanced at her with his lips pressed together and felt a tightening in his pit, a sudden chill went through his body when he saw that she was crying.

She didn't make a sound, her body and lips trembled slightly, tear after tear ran down her cheek and she wiped them away with her hands, looking straight ahead, her eyebrows twisted in pain.

He clenched his hand into a fist feeling only the shame overpowering him.

Of course she didn't want to flirt with him now.

What was he thinking?

He wanted to apologise to her as soon as the liturgy was over, but she got up at once, literally running out of the church. He looked at her with his lips slightly open, not knowing whether to stay or run after her, what he should do.

He finally left quickly, deciding that he couldn't leave it like that, that he couldn't let her tell her father about it. Heedless of Floris' and Cassandra's calls, he ran a little way, come to think of it no one of his status was likely to do so, and saw her round the bend in the village road.

She turned towards him hopefully, evidently thinking that he was her brother, but when she caught sight of him a moan of disappointment and pain broke from her lips, which for some reason made him feel even worse. Her face was flooded with tears.

"Miss Baratheon. Forgive me. I have no idea what has gotten into me." He mumbled with difficulty, not knowing how to properly apologise for what he had done, how to explain the momentary eclipse that had apparently descended upon his mind that he had allowed himself to behave in such a way.

She looked at him, breathing hard, and after a moment she shook her head, pain and some kind of immense weariness in her eyes.

"I don't understand you, sir. I try, but I don't. You are cruel. You humiliate me and my sisters knowing that we do not stand in a position to oppose you. I would like to be your friend, but I am not sure you could be a friend to anyone, let alone a person of such low position as myself." She burst out on the verge of crying and despair, then turned and moved with a quick step towards her house.

A moment later, Cassandra and Floris ran up to him asking what had happened, what their sister had done again, and he did not answer them.

You are cruel.

I would like to be your friend, but I am not sure you could be a friend to anyone, let alone a person of such low position as myself.

These words rang in his ears for the next few days and he felt like he was going completely mad. She avoided him, did not look at him or speak to him.

He kept repeating to himself that this was one less tiresome sister, that at least she was no longer taking Vhagar away from him despite the fact that his dog missed her and howled at her door when they returned from walks. Still, even though he pretended that this change suited him, he couldn't stop thinking about what she had said.

I would like to be your friend.

What did she mean by that?

He had never had a friend. He didn't have access to other, strange children because his grandfather considered them unworthy and feral, that he and his siblings would pick up bad habits from them.

He could not say he was friends with Aegon or Helaena, for they were never close. He loved Daeron, but he was his younger brother, not a confidant.

He realised then with amusement and embarrassment that he had no friends.

He had never needed them and did not feel that this should change now.

Nonetheless, he felt a kind of discomfort as he walked with Vhagar to the shore of the lake where she had fallen asleep with him at the time, and as soon as she spotted him from afar she got up and set off back home, greeting only his dog on the way.

He wanted to stop her, to talk to finally alleviate this tense atmosphere, but he couldn't get anything out himself.

To his despair, Cassandra, Floris and Maris had insisted for so long on organising a ball with dances at their estate that Mr Baratheon finally gave in.

He hated dancing, hated the fact that everyone was then looking at him and talking about him, his scar, his eye patch, the fact that he was poorly mannered for a man from London since he allowed ladies without a partner to have to sit.

He didn't have the strength to explain how tired he was of such entertainment, how he only dreamed during it that he could already go back to his room and lock himself in there with his dog and his books.

Therefore, he was not surprised by the surreptitious, disgruntled glances of the guests, who did not understand why instead of asking one of his future chosen ones to dance, he was sitting with his legs crossed, tapping his fingers on the table top, looking around, bored.

He knew what they thought of him and he didn't have the strength to try to change it.

He watched from the corner of his eye as Mr Baratheon's youngest daughter danced with her brother, her gown, like that of her sisters, was all white with a high waist, long gloves halfway down her arm on her hands.

In her front curls, which were arranged at the back of her head in a small bun, were pinned the white field flowers he had seen walking with Vhagar once before, the rest of her hair was loose, waving slightly with her every movement.

He had to admit that they were both excellent dancers and he could see by the joy on their faces that they were taking great pleasure in this, their figures turning with lightness and to the rhythm. He thought, watching them these few days, that they were very close to each other and he partly envied them the bond that he himself had never managed to establish with his siblings.

However, he felt a strange kind of unease, as if a tingling in his chest, when he saw her being asked for her next dance by a colonel whom he remembered from balls held in London.

Colonel Larys Strong was a strange and disturbing man to say the least in his eyes. He knew him because the affair between his brother, Colonel Harwin Strong, and his half-sister, Rheanyra, had been the talk of London.

Everyone suspected that her children did not come from her first marriage, but just from their union, which would make her children bastards, which indeed he believed them to be.

Nevertheless, it was Larys who seemed more dangerous to him, for his conversations with women, which he sometimes listened to from the sidelines, bored, were inappropriate, impertinent and ambiguous to say the least, often embarrassing them. He would pick out young, naive girls in love with uniforms and male prowess.

He thought, looking at the youngest Miss Baratheon, that he couldn't have chosen a better target, and tapped the tip of his tongue against the wall of his cheek, looking at them in thought.

He wondered if he should warn her, inform her to be wary of this man knowing what intentions he might have had for her. He hesitated, recognising that this was why she had her older brother and father to watch over her. On the other hand, he reminded himself that they did not know his nature and he felt anxious again, playing with his fingers extended on his armrest in a nervous gesture.

I am not sure you could be a friend to anyone, let alone a person of such low position as myself.

He rose slowly from the chair he was sitting on, to the surprise of Floris and Maris, who had accompanied him the whole time, playing cards with each other.

They led him away with curious eyes as they watched him disappear between the crowd of guests, circling around the dancing Miss Baratheon and Colonel Strong, making sure that his hand did not slip too low or that he did not slide too close to her.

He pressed his lips together seeing that as soon as the dance was over, Colonel Strong immediately leaned over to ask her for another dance, a shadow of uncertainty flashed across her face.

He recognised that she was too young and inexperienced for him to watch idly as this man pestered her.

For this reason, he did the first thing that came to his mind. On a sudden impulse, he moved towards them, meeting the surprised stares of the conversing couple, and bowed before asking Miss Baratheon if she would honour him with her next dance.

She looked at him in disbelief and for a moment probably wanted to refuse him, but then she glanced at Colonel Strong. She lowered her gaze and nodded, embarrassed.

Colonel Strong made room for him, glancing at him surreptitiously, and he, whether he wanted to or not, now had to trudge through the few minutes of this torture and then face the critical stares and remarks that he had danced with General Baratheon's youngest daughter first, rather than the eldest.

They bowed to each other and then moved, passing between other couples, her hand on his. He decided that since it was appropriate to talk while dancing anyway, and everyone was looking at them, he preferred to divert his attention and convey to her what he had wanted to say all along.

"I would not trust Colonel Strong if I were you, Miss Baratheon." He said dryly, turning with her, glancing impatiently to the side. They made another move and her hand covered by the material of her glove was again on his, he met her gaze, uncertain and sad.

"You are quick to pass judgement, sir." She declared with a kind of resentment from which he furrowed his brow, but again they had to separate, avoiding the other couples, in those few seconds he thought through what he wanted to reply to this accusation. When her hand was in his again, he looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"In his case, I have very solid reasons for that." He stated coolly and she blinked, swallowing hard, clearly wondering whether to believe him. He couldn't look away from the white flowers pinned into her hair, he thought they suited her and reflected her person well.

"It seems to me that it is easy to lose your good opinion, let alone gain it." She replied surprisingly seriously for how she usually spoke, he could feel the tension between them every time they came close again, their hands on each other's arms.

"I thought I was the one who was quick to pass judgement." He mused, not taking his eyes off her, and she flushed and lowered her gaze, embarrassed that he had turned her own words against her. Involuntarily the corner of his mouth twitched in a smirk of satisfaction.

Teasing her gave him an disturbing amount of pleasure.

She glared at him, a little giving in and a little fighting, recognising that she would make one more attempt to point out to him what she thought of him. They turned their backs to each other and moved sideways, avoiding the couples who passed between them and stood at the very end, facing each other again, her fingers back in his hands.

"Why is my conversation with Colonel Strong so preoccupying you?" She asked curiously, wrinkling her brow, her cheeks red from embarrassment and exertion after another dance in a row, some of the tiny strands of her hair stuck to her face.

Her face seemed pleasantly soft in its shape to him.

"Friendly concern." He replied dryly, her eyebrows arched in pain and disbelief, her eyes large, widened in surprise, for she had completely not expected such words. She swallowed loudly, lowering her gaze, her lips pressed together.

She gave up.

"Then it remains for me to thank you, sir." She said a little more softly, lifting her gaze to him not so displeased and hurt anymore, some kind of warmth and relief was painted on her face.

"Hmm." He hummed and they stopped in front of themselves at last, the music around them ended and people began to clap.

As was the good custom he escorted her to the side, glancing at the table where Floris and Maris sat, Cassandra standing behind them had tears in her eyes. He let out a quiet breath, knowing what awaited him when it was all over.

"Don't worry, sir, I'll tell them that you danced with me just to rescue me from this intrusive man." She said softly seeing where he was looking, sensing subconsciously what he was thinking about.

He hummed under his breath again, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, measuring her with his look from top to bottom.

"Why?" He asked dryly, and she smiled at him in a way that made him warm.

"Friendly concern."

_____

Taglist 1

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[dontforgetukraine]

The Western arrogance, stubbornness and sheer apathy following the brutal Russian attack on a children's hospital in Kiev is unbearable. This week NATO turns 75 years old, and from today the heads of state and government are meeting in Washington DC. The moral bankruptcy of the military alliance has probably never been closer than it is now. When the White House was asked on Monday whether Ukraine could now use Western weapons to attack all military bases in Russia in light of Russian missiles fired at a children's hospital, the president's spokesman replied that Joe Biden's position had not changed. This means that Western weapons may only be used near the Russian-Ukrainian border. From all other locations, the Russian army can fire as many rockets at children as it wants without running any real risk of the military bases being destroyed. From Germany, there was a short tweet on X from Chancellor Olaf Scholz about the attack in Kyiv: "Germany stands unwaveringly by the side of the Ukrainian people. Especially in these difficult hours." It couldn't be more of a cliché. And in the end it means: no new weapons, no Taurus, nothing. If even the attack on children with cancer doesn't change anything, what should Putin be afraid of? The West keeps warning of escalation, while Putin continues to escalate. Our weakness is his strength. The German debate alone is so far removed from reality that it is often hard to believe. At the end of May, SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert said of the use of Western weapons in Russia: “Just imagine if such a weapon accidentally hit a civilian infrastructure (in Russia)!” Yes, just imagine, Mr Kühnert! In Ukraine you don't have to imagine it, it happens every day. These and other statements should be shown to the Ukrainian mothers whose children were bombed in Kiev. Because it is this "strategy" of Western politicians that is partly responsible for Russia being able to bomb Ukrainian children's hospitals in the first place. To this day, Ukraine is denied the means to defend itself against Russian war crimes. The supposed fear that the West would cross Putin's "red lines" or "escalate" led to this war - and to this day leads to Russia being able to commit war crimes against the Ukrainian people with almost complete impunity. Meanwhile, Western politicians are resorting to diversionary tactics and are all attacking Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Orban has never made a secret of his position, so his attempt to talk to Putin is not surprising. All politicians who are upset about Orban's trip to Moscow and the talks with Putin must face an uncomfortable question: Are they prepared to supply enough weapons to enable Ukraine not only to defend itself but also to recapture territory? There are only two ways to end this war: either Putin will be pushed back with Western help so that Ukraine will win, or there will be talks that will ultimately be conducted according to Vladimir Putin's rules.

—Paul Ronzheimer (@/Ronzheimer)

[ereardon]

The Back Seater and the Baker || Chapter 1 [Bob Floyd x f!OC]

Overview: Bob hasn't seen Haley Nichols since he was fifteen. But when Haley shows up out of the blue with one sentence that throws Bob for a loop – "I'm turning thirty in two weeks, are we still on?" – all of the feelings from their childhood return. Bob never thought that Haley would remember the marriage pact the two made when they were just kids, even if he never forgot. So what happens when Bob falls all over again for his childhood crush? And what will Bob do when he discovers the real reason she came back to capitalize on the pact is to secure her inheritance and save her bakery from bankruptcy? Will he believe Haley when she confesses that she loves him, too?

Pairing: Robert "Bob" Floyd x OC [Bakery owner Haley Nichols]

Tropes: Marriage pact

Chapter summary: Bob gets a surprise at his front door; Haley grapples with how to save her bakery business

Warnings: Cursing, alcohol

Word count: 3K

Series masterlist here; next chapter here

It had been a long day. Bob was dragging the moment he left the training facility, drenched in sweat, dehydrated from a day in the skies. 

The only thing he was looking forward to was taking a nice cold shower, putting on a pair of pajamas and ordering Thai food.

So when the doorbell rang just as he was pulling on a shirt, hair still wet from the shower, he groaned audibly. 

“Fuck,” he whispered to himself, padding down the hallway of his small cottage. He thought it would be Phoenix with a case of beer under her arm, or Bradley with the door to his Bronco flung open, beckoning Bob to join everyone at the Hard Deck. 

He yanked the door open perhaps a little too hard, face stone cold in preparation for turning down whatever nitwit idea his friends had. 

That’s why you were almost knocked over from the weight of his angry stare as the wooden door swung open. 

Bob’s eyes went wide as he took you in, standing on his doorstep, a smile spread across your face. 

“Haley?” Bob asked. He sounded like he was seeing a ghost. That’s what happens when you haven’t seen or spoken to someone in fifteen years, you thought. He looked older, but so much better. Blond hair pushed back messy from his face, wire glasses perched precariously on his delicate doll-like nose, blue eyes wide and clear, perfect little pink lips opened in surprise. 

“Hi Bobby,” you whispered softly. 

“What, uh, what are you doing here?” he stammered. 

You grinned. “I turn thirty in two weeks,” you said as realization started to creep through Bob’s brain. “Are we still on?” 

***

You were nine when you met Bob Floyd for the first time. 

You were thirteen when you decided you loved him. 

You were fifteen the last time you saw him, or at least what you thought would be the last time. Waving his hand in the middle of the street as you sobbed, watching him from the back of your dad’s pickup truck, your fingers pressed against the glass in the back of the cab as you sat turned around in the backseat, watching until his form became so small that he disappeared beyond a hill in the road. 

You were thirty the next time you saw Bob, standing on his doorstep, asking if he remembered the marriage pact that the two of you had made as kids in the South Carolina low country.  

***

You were up to your ears in buttercream. Or at least, that’s what it felt like. Why you had agreed to take on a three-hundred person wedding two days before the event you had no idea. 

Actually, you did know why. They were going to pay you four thousand dollars. And you desperately needed it. 

“Need help in there?” 

“God, please,” you groaned, using the sleeve of your jacket to push the hair out of your face as you filled a piping bag. “Can you stir the lemon curd?” 

Calvin nodded, taking over at the stove, stirring the large vat with a wooden spoon. He looked you up and down. “No offense, but you look like shit.” 

You rolled your eyes. “Well I’m not trying to win a beauty competition, just want to get through this wedding in one piece and I’ll be happy.” 

“You shouldn’t have taken it,” he said, as if you didn’t already know that. “We’re behind as it is.” 

“In more ways than one,” you huffed, bending over the metal prep station, swirling a perfect ring around the edges of the cupcakes. 

Calvin put one hand on his slim hip. “You gonna make me say it?” 

“Say what?” 

“We’re both thinking the same thing,” he said. “Grandma Lee.” 

You looked up at him with eyebrows furrowed. “No fucking way.” 

Calvin shrugged. “Then it’s your funeral. And the bakery’s.” 

“Were you this much of a pill in culinary school?” you asked. 

“One thousand percent,” he said with a grin. “Even worse when I was dating Dylan. God, remember him? He was gorgeous.” 

“He stole from you,” you reminded him. 

“Yeah, but he was hot.” 

You laughed, shaking your head as Calvin flicked off the heat on the stove. “Grandma Lee is not an option.” 

“Why not? She’s filthy rich and old as fuck.” 

“Because she hates me,” you said. “And she’s mean.” 

“Mean, but rich,” Calvin reminded you with a knowing look. 

You set the pastry bag down on the metal table with a sigh. 

He held up his hands in a sign of defeat. “Hey, it’s not my business that’s about to go down the toilet,” he said. “Way I see it is, either you marry a billionaire overnight, you call Grandma Lee, or you lose the bakery in three months when the bank forecloses.” 

“Isn’t there a secret fourth option?” 

“Nope.”

You refilled the pastry bag. “Sell feet pictures on the internet?” 

“With those fucking hobbit feet? You’d be lucky if they didn’t make you pay to post those.” 

You rolled your eyes. He was right and you both knew it. Even if you hated to admit it. 

***

You brought it up first, on a crisp fall day as the two of you were walking through the marshes. Bob didn’t know it yet but you were moving in a few weeks. You refused to admit that it was real. That it was happening. Instead, you grabbed Bob’s hand.  

“Bobby?” you whispered. 

He smiled at you. Behind him, the sun was starting to set softly, tossing a halo of light around Bob’s already golden head. “Yeah?” 

“How old is old, do you think?” 

He smirked. “I don’t know, thirty?” 

“So if I’m thirty and still not married, and you’re thirty and single, should we do it? Get married?” 

He squeezed your fingers. Bob looked at you like you turned on the sun every day, lighting up the world. You could feel his smile all the way to your toes. He grinned. “No way will you not be married by then.” 

“Shut up.” 

Bob laughed. You loved the way he laughed. He didn’t do it often, only when the two of you were alone. He was shy back then, and quiet. He hid behind a pair of bulky glasses, shirts a size too big, a backpack overloaded with books. But you loved him. You had said so six months before, as the two of you kissed for the first time under a weeping willow on the edge of your grandparents' property. 

He had said it back. It was the best day of your life. 

You looked at Bob expectantly and he realized you were serious. You were the one with all of the ideas. Bob was just along for the ride. But he knew even back then that you wouldn’t lead him astray. 

He trusted you. 

Bob leaned in, brushing the hair from your face back behind one ear, the right one which stuck out more than the left. He nodded. “OK,” he whispered. “I’ll marry you when we're thirty.” 

“Shake on it,” you murmured, sticking out one hand. Bob slid his long, slender fingers into yours and you wrapped your warm ones around his, gripping him tightly. You never wanted to let him go. “No going back,” you added. 

“I wouldn’t dare.” 

***

“I, uh, what?” Bob stuttered, his mouth still popped open in shock. He shook his head quickly. “I mean, um, come in, we’re letting the cold air out.” 

You stepped over the threshold and Bob closed the door until it was just the two of you standing in the small foyer of his house, staring at each other. 

Bob adjusted his glasses with one hand. They were wireframes now, and his blue eyes looked massive behind them. You hadn’t expected the fervor that would course through your veins, seeing him again. The desire. How even after fifteen years, it felt like he was the first boy to ever look at you and truly notice you. 

You smiled. “Got anything to drink?” 

Bob frowned, stepping into the kitchen and you followed him. He opened the fridge, scanning it with his eyes. “It’s been a while since I’ve been to the store,” he admitted before pulling out a bottle of sparkling water. “I have this?” 

“Anything stronger?” 

He shook his head. “Sorry, my teammates pretty much cleared me out last time they were here.” 

“That’s fine,” you said, reaching out a hand. Your fingers brushed over Bob’s and he almost dropped the bottle but you caught it, smiling up at him. He felt woozy. “Sit,” you said. “You look a little green.” 

“Thanks.” Bob took a seat at the small kitchen nook in the corner and you rummaged around for glasses before pulling out two and pouring water into each. You slid one toward Bob. 

“Drink,” you said and he lifted the glass to his mouth, sucking half of it down. “Feel better?” 

He shook his head. “Haley, what are you doing here?” he asked softly. 

Your smile fell and Bob wanted to kick himself. “You’re not happy to see me.” 

“Honey, that’s not it,” he said and that small drawl came jutting out. You smiled. “It’s just, it’s unexpected. It’s been a while.” 

“I know.” You leaned forward, pressing one hand over his on the wooden table. “I’m sorry about that.” 

“Not your fault,” Bob said. “We were just kids.”

“I could have tried to stay in touch better,” you murmured. 

“We tried,” he whispered. "We did our best." The unspoken hovered between the two of you.

You nodded. “I’ve missed you, Bobby.” 

“How’d you know where to find me?” he asked. 

“Grandma Lee.” 

Bob nodded. Your grandmother knew everyone and everything in Mount Pleasant. No doubt she had somehow kept track of the Floyds. 

Bob studied you. You were beautiful. As kids, you had been a little gangly, awkward. By fifteen, the year you moved away, you were just starting to come into your beauty. But now, another fifteen years had passed and Bob could barely believe he was breathing next to you. Caramel colored hair, big green eyes, stunningly white smile. Your fingers pressed into his. “Bobby,” you whispered. “What are you doing tonight?” 

“I, uh, I don’t have plans.” 

“Let’s go out,” you said. “Dinner. On me.” 

“It’s been a long day, Peanut,” he mumbled and you smiled at the nickname. 

“OK. What about tomorrow?” 

“Um.”

You grinned. “Not taking no for an answer, Bobby.” 

He frowned. “What are you doing here?” he asked again. “In San Diego.” 

“I came to see you.” 

“After fifteen years?” 

“If you don’t want to get dinner, I understand.” 

“No, no!” Bob shook his head furiously and you smiled. “I just, feels random is all.” 

“I had some vacation time,” you said, “and like I said, I’m turning thirty at the end of the month.” 

“You can’t be serious.” For the first time, Bob raised his eyes to yours. 

Your lips pulled back in a perfect smile and Bob felt it in every inch and crevice of his body. He thought you would have forgotten about him. Even if he had never forgotten you. 

Somehow, you had always been there in the back of his mind. A looming countdown. Perhaps he had always just been counting down the days until he turned thirty on the off chance you showed up, looking to seal the deal the two of you had made over a decade ago. And now here you were, like he was dreaming. 

You shrugged, lips still quirked up in a smirk. “Maybe, maybe not,” you said, teasing. “Don’t you want to find out?” 

***

Bob tapped his foot nervously. On the bar next to him, a ginger ale was growing warm. 

“Floyd? You doing OK?” Nat took a sip of beer and squinted at him. “You look antsy.” 

Bob thought about confiding in her. Of the daggers, he was closest to Phoenix. But on the other hand, he hadn’t wanted to bring you here tonight. He had wanted the two of you to simply get dinner somewhere off the beaten track. But when he had gotten conned into going to the bar for pre-birthday drinks for Fanboy, he texted you to move your date and you had volunteered to meet at the Hard Deck first before heading to the restaurant. 

Phoenix leveled Bob with her brown eyes. “Spill.” 

He shook his head. “It’s nothing. Just don’t want to stay too late.” 

She looked over at the corner where the group was already calling for shots. “They’re going to get rowdy. I say stay for one more round and then you can Irish goodbye.” 

Bob nodded, picking at the cup of pretzels between his legs. He was too nervous to notice that you had just stepped into the bar, wearing a pair of jeans and a tight tank top, brown hair pulled back into a soft bun with a few tendrils framing your face. You spotted Bob immediately, his back partially turned to you, and started to make your way toward where he was sitting at the bar. 

You tapped his shoulder twice and smiled as he turned, face automatically lighting up. 

“Hi,” you whispered, cheeks flushing. Even in a bar crawling with men in uniform, Bob was still so handsome in a way that swept you off your feet. 

“Hey,” he murmured, his eyes locked on yours. After a moment he scrambled to his feet. “Can I get you a drink?” 

“Tequila soda? Casamigos if they have it.” 

Bob raised an eyebrow but nodded. He turned around and flagged down the bartender as you fidgeted. Nearby, a group of rowdy men were on their way back toward the bar when a handsome blond narrowed his gaze on you. 

“Hey sugar,” he said and you placed his accent in a millisecond. “New here?” 

“First time,” you said. 

The brunette woman next to him smacked his arm. “Shut up, Hangman. Can’t you see she’s with Bob?” 

Hangman barked out a laugh just as Bob turned around from the bar with your drink, handing it to you gently. 

“Here you go,” he said. “No Casamigos, I’m afraid, but Penny said this was good.” 

You accepted the glass and took a sip. “Thanks, Bobby.” 

Hangman turned his gaze between the two of you. “You know Bob?” 

You let your free arm wiggle up over Bob’s broad shoulder, resting on the back of his head as your fingers threaded through his hair. “I’m his fiancé.” 

All eyes turned to you. Bob blushed. “She didn’t mean that.” 

You shrugged, taking another sip of your drink. “Well, technically he hasn’t proposed. But I think he’s going to.” You winked up at Bob and he turned a darker shade of crimson. 

The brunette crossed her arms over her chest with a smirk. “Care to fill us in, Floyd?” 

“Guys, this is Haley.” Bob held out one palm toward you. “Haley, this is the squad. That’s Phoenix, Fanboy Hangman, Rooster, Payback and Coyote.” 

“I’ll never remember those names. Except maybe Coyote, I like that one.” 

The taller man in the back grinned. “Thank you, ma’am.” 

“Haley,” Phoenix said, settling down on a stool. “We’re going to need the full story of how you know Floyd here.” 

“Oh, you know,” you said softly. “Childhood friends fall in love. Girl moves away. Girl comes back fifteen years later because her thirtieth birthday is coming up to see if boy still remembers the pact the two had to get married when they were thirty if they were both still single.”

Rooster barked out a laugh in the back of the group. You dropped your hand from Bob’s shoulder, letting it dangle at your side, brushing against his hip. 

“But I’m having a hard time convincing him,” you said with a smirk. “Maybe there’s someone else.” Despite your light tone, your heart froze in your chest. What if there was someone else? 

Bob looked down at you softly, shaking his head. “There’s nobody else, Peanut.” 

“Floyd here has been girl-free as long as I’ve known him,” Hangman said, clapping Bob on the shoulder before ordering another beer at the bar. 

Bob grimaced as Rooster piped up for him. “Not to say he doesn’t get hit on his fair share,” Rooster added. “Bob is a hot commodity around here.” 

“Not true.” Bob’s voice was quiet. Without thinking, you intertwined your fingers in his at your side and squeezed. He looked over at you and you smiled reassuringly. 

“So how long has it been since you’ve seen each other?” Rooster asked. 

“Fifteen years.” You glazed over the summer that you turned seventeen. It was something you and Bob hadn’t spoken about since it happened. Perhaps it was better to stay unsaid. 

“Long time,” Phoenix said, tipping her head, examining you. “Why’d you come back?” 

“Had some vacation days,” you said. “And I’ve never been to San Diego.” 

Phoenix nodded but there was something behind her eyes. Bob squeezed your hand affectionately. “We actually have dinner reservations,” he said quietly, “so we should be getting going.” 

There was a collection of groans from the team and you smiled, eyes trained on Bob. The two of you made your way out of the bar and you were pleasantly surprised to find that one of his hands was pressed against your back, guiding you through the crowd. 

“This is me.” Bob pointed to a black pickup truck. 

“Really?” 

“Yeah.” He frowned. “You don’t like it?” 

“Oh that’s not it,” you said, pulling open the passenger door and scooting in. “Just not what I expected.” 

“What did you expect?” he asked, tugging the truck into gear and peeling off down the road. 

You leaned your head back against the headrest, looking over at him. “You’re different,” you whispered, eyes freely examining him. “In a good way. Better than I had hoped, I guess.” 

Bob gripped the wheel tightly, eyes locked on the road. He snuck a glance over and noticed you taking him in and blushed. “You’re more beautiful than I imagined,” he murmured. 

“So you’ve thought of me?” you teased. 

“Peanut,” Bob said and the nickname rolled around in the cab of the truck, penetrating every pore on your body. It was syrupy and delicious and it rolled off his tongue like he had never stopped saying it. “I never stopped thinking about you.” 

“You’re the one that got away, Bobby,” you whispered, turning to face back through the windshield. “Always were.” 

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