#city park coop

[abitmoredetail]

City Park Co-op roses #toronto #churchandwellesley #churchstreet #cityparkcoop #flowers #roses #pink

[teddy-bear-naps-and-random-snaps]

[reasonsforhope]

Paywall-free version

On the outskirts of Austin, Texas, what began as a fringe experiment has quickly become central to the city’s efforts to reduce homelessness. To Justin Tyler Jr., it is home.

Mr. Tyler, 41, lives in Community First! Village, which aims to be a model of permanent affordable housing for people who are chronically homeless. In the fall of 2022, he joined nearly 400 residents of the village, moving into one of its typical digs: a 200-square-foot, one-room tiny house furnished with a kitchenette, a bed and a recliner.

The village is a self-contained, 51-acre community in a sparsely populated area just outside Austin. Stepping onto its grounds feels like entering another realm.

Eclectic tiny homes are clustered around shared outdoor kitchens, and neat rows of recreational vehicles and manufactured homes line looping cul-de-sacs.

There are chicken coops, two vegetable gardens, a convenience store, art and jewelry studios, a medical clinic and a chapel.

Roads run throughout, but residents mainly get around on foot or on an eight-passenger golf cart that makes regular stops around the property.

Mr. Tyler chose a home with a cobalt-blue door and a small patio in the oldest part of the village, where residents’ cactus and rock gardens created a “funky, hippie vibe” that appealed to him. He arrived in rough shape, struggling with alcoholism, his feet inflamed by gout, with severe back pain from nearly 10 years of sleeping in public parks, in vehicles and on street benches.

At first, he kept to himself. He locked his door and slept. He visited the clinic and started taking medication. After a month or so, he ventured out to meet his neighbors.

“For a while there, I just didn’t want to be seen and known,” he said. “Now I prefer it.”

Between communal meals and movie screenings, Mr. Tyler also works at the village, preparing homes for the dozen or more people who move there each month.

In the next few years, Community First is poised to grow to nearly 2,000 homes across three locations, which would make it by far the nation’s largest project of this kind, big enough to permanently house about half of Austin’s chronically homeless population.

Tiny-home villages for people who have been homeless have existed on a small scale for several decades, but have recently become a popular approach to addressing surging homelessness. Since 2019, the number of these villages across the country has nearly quadrupled, to 124 from 34, with dozens more coming, according to a census by Yetimoni Kpeebi, a researcher at Missouri State University.

Mandy Chapman Semple, a consultant who has helped cities like Houston transform their homelessness systems, said the growth of these villages reflects a need to replace inexpensive housing that was once widely available in the form of mobile home parks and single room occupancy units, and is rapidly being lost. But she said they are a highly imperfect solution.

“I think where we’re challenged is that ‘tiny home’ has taken on a spectrum of definitions,” said Chapman Semple. Many of those definitions fall short of housing standards, often lacking basic amenities like heat and indoor plumbing, which she said limits their ability to meet the needs of the population they intend to serve.

But Community First is pushing the tiny home model to a much larger scale. While most of its homes lack bathrooms and kitchens, its leaders see that as a necessary trade-off to be able to creatively and affordably house the growing number of people living on Austin’s streets. And unlike most other villages, many of which provide temporary emergency shelter in structures that can resemble tool sheds, Community First has been thoughtfully designed with homey spaces where people with some of the highest needs can stay for good. No other tiny home village has attempted to permanently house as many people.

Austin’s homelessness rate has been rapidly worsening, and the city’s response has whipped back and forth... In October [2023], the official estimate put the number of people living without shelter at 5,530, a 125 percent increase from two years earlier. Some of that rise is the result of better outreach, but officials acknowledged that more people have become homeless. City leaders vowed to build more housing, but that effort has been slowed by construction delays and resistance from residents.

Meanwhile, outside the city limits, Community First has been building fast. [Note from below the read more: It's outside city limits because the lack of zoning laws keeps more well-off Austin residents from blocking the project, as they did earlier attempts to build inside the city.] In a mere eight years, this once-modest project has grown into a sprawling community that the city is turning to as a desperately needed source of affordable housing. The village has now drawn hundreds of millions of dollars from public and private sources and given rise to similar initiatives across the country.

This rapid growth has come despite significant challenges. And some question whether a community on the outskirts of town with relaxed housing standards is a suitable way to meet the needs of people coming out of chronic homelessness. The next few years will be a test of whether these issues will be addressed or amplified as the village expands to five times its current size.

-via New York Times, January 8, 2024. Article continues below (at length!)

The community versus Community First

For Alan Graham, the expansion of Community First is just the latest stage in a long-evolving project. In the late 1990s, Mr. Graham, then a real estate developer, attended a Catholic men’s retreat that deepened his faith and inspired him to get more involved with his church. Soon after, he began delivering meals as a church volunteer to people living on Austin’s streets.

In 1998, Mr. Graham, now 67, became a founder of Mobile Loaves and Fishes, a nonprofit that has since amassed a fleet of vehicles that make daily rounds to deliver food and clothing to Austin’s homeless...

Talking to people like Mr. Johnston [a homeless Austin resident who Graham had befriended], Mr. Graham came to feel that housing alone was not enough for people who had been chronically homeless, the official term for those who have been homeless for years or repeatedly and have physical or mental disabilities, including substance-use disorders. About a third of the homeless population fits this description, and they are often estranged from family and other networks.

In 2006, Mr. Graham pitched an idea to Austin’s mayor: Create an R.V. park for people coming out of chronic homelessness. It would have about 150 homes, supportive services and easy access to public transportation. Most importantly, it would help to replace the “profound, catastrophic loss of family” he believed was at the root of the problem with a close-knit and supportive community.

The City Council voted unanimously in 2008 to lease Mr. Graham a 17-acre plot of city-owned land to make his vision a reality. Getting the council members on board, he said, turned out to be the easy part.

When residents near the intended site learned of the plan, they were outraged. They feared the development would reduce their property values and invite crime. One meeting to discuss the plan with the neighborhood grew so heated that Mr. Graham was escorted to his car by the police. Not a single one of the 52 community members in attendance voted in favor of the project.

After plans for the city-owned lot fell apart and other proposed locations faced similar resistance, Mr. Graham gave up on trying to build the development within city limits.

In 2012, he instead acquired a plot of land in a part of Travis County just northeast of Austin. It was far from public transportation and other services, but it had one big advantage: The county’s lack of zoning laws limited the power of neighbors to stop it.

Mr. Graham raised $20 million and began to build. In late 2015, Mr. Johnston left the R.V. park he had been living in and became the second person to move into the new village. It grew rapidly. In just two years, Mr. Graham bought an adjacent property, nearly doubling the village’s size to 51 acres and making room for hundreds more residents.

And then in the fall of 2022, he broke ground on the largest expansion yet: Adding two more sites to the village, expanding it by 127 acres to include nearly 2,000 homes.

“No one ever really did what they first did, and no one’s ever done what they’re about to do,” said Mark Hilbelink, the director of Sunrise Navigation Center, Austin’s largest homeless-services provider. “So there’s a little bit of excitement but also probably a little bit of trepidation about, ‘How do we do this right?’”

What it takes to make a village

Since he moved into Community First eight years ago, Mr. Johnston has found the stability that eluded him for so long. Most mornings, he wakes up early in his R.V., feeds his scruffy adopted terrier, Amos, and walks a few minutes down a quiet road to the village garden, where neat rows of carrots, leeks, beets and arugula await his attention.

Mr. Johnston worked in fast-food restaurants for most of his life, but he learned how to garden at the village. He now works full time cultivating produce for a weekly market that is free to residents.

“Once I got here, I said, This is where I’m going to spend pretty much my entire life now,” Mr. Johnston said.

Everyone at the village pays rent, which averages about $385 a month. The tiny homes that make up two-thirds of the dwellings go for slightly lower, but have no indoor plumbing; their residents use communal bathhouses and kitchens. The rest of the units are R.V.s and manufactured homes with their own bathrooms and kitchens.

Like Mr. Johnston, many residents have jobs in the village, created to offer residents flexible opportunities to earn some income. Last year, they earned a combined $1.5 million working as gardeners, landscapers, custodians, artists, jewelry makers and more, paid out by Mobile Loaves and Fishes.

Ute Dittemer, 66, faced a daily struggle for survival during a decade on the streets before moving into Community First five years ago with her husband. Now she supports herself by painting and molding figures out of clay at the village art house, augmented by her husband’s $800 monthly retirement income. A few years ago, a clay chess set she made sold for $10,000 at an auction. She used the money to buy her first car.

“I’m glad that we are not in a low-income-housing apartment complex,” she said. “We’ve got all this green out here, air to breathe.”

A small number of residents have jobs off-site, and a city bus makes hourly stops at the village 13 times a day to help people commute into town.

But about four out of five residents live on government benefits like disability or Social Security. Their incomes average $900 a month, making even tiny homes impossible to afford without help, Mr. Graham said.

“Essentially 100 percent of the people that move into this village will have to be subsidized for the rest of their lives,” he said.

For about $25,000 a year, Mr. Graham’s organization subsidizes one person’s housing at the village. (Services like primary health care and addiction counseling are provided by other organizations.) So far, that has been paid for entirely by private donations and in small part from collecting rent.

This would not be possible, Mr. Graham said, without a highly successful fund-raising operation that taps big Austin philanthropists. To build the next two expansions, Mr. Graham set a $225 million fund-raising goal, about $150 million of which has already been obtained from the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, the founder of the Patrón Spirits Company, Hill Country Bible Church and others.

Support goes beyond monetary donations. A large land grant came from the philanthropic arm of Tito’s Handmade Vodka, and Alamo Drafthouse, an Austin-based cinema chain, donated an outdoor amphitheater for movie screenings. Top architectural firms competed for the chance to design energy-efficient tiny homes free of charge. And every week, hundreds of volunteers come to help with landscaping and gardening or to serve free meals.

Around 55 residents, including 15 children, live in the village as “missionals” — unpaid neighbors generally motivated by their Christian faith to be part of the community.

All missionals undergo a monthslong “discernment process” before they can move in. They pay to live in R.V.s and manufactured homes distinguished by an “M” in the front window. Their presence in the community is meant to guard against the pitfalls of concentrated poverty and trauma.

“Missionals are our guardian angels,” said Blair Racine, a 69-year-old resident with a white beard that hangs to his chest. “They’re people we can always call. They’re always there for us.”

After moving into the village in 2018, Mr. Racine spent two years isolated in his R.V. because of a painful eye condition. But after an effective treatment, he became so social that he was nicknamed the Mayor. Missional residents drive him to get his medication once a week, he said. To their children he is Uncle Blair.

Though the village is open to people of any religious background, it is run by Christians, and public spaces are adorned with paintings of Jesus on the cross and other biblical scenes. The application to live in the community outlines a set of “core values” that refer to God and the Bible. But Mr. Graham said there is no proselytizing and people do not have to be sober or seek treatment to live there.

Mr. Graham lives in a 399-square-foot manufactured home in the middle of the village with his wife, Tricia Graham, who works as the community’s “head of neighbor care.” He said they do not have any illusions about solving the underlying mental-health and substance-use problems many residents live with, and that is not their goal.

“This is absolutely not nirvana,” Mr. Graham said. “And we want people to understand the beauty and the complexity of what we do. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else on the face of the planet than right here in the middle of this, but you’re not fixing these things.” ...

From an experiment to a model

Community First has already inspired spinoffs, with some tweaks. In 2018, Nate Schlueter, who previously worked with the village’s jobs program, opened Eden Village in his hometown, Springfield, Mo. Unlike in Community First, every home in Eden Village is identical and has its own bathroom and kitchen. Mr. Schlueter’s model has spread to 12 different cities with every village limited to 50 homes or fewer.

“Not every city is Austin, Texas,” Mr. Schlueter said. “We don’t want to build a large-scale village. And if the root cause of homelessness is a loss of family, and community is something that can duplicate that safety net to some extent, to have smaller villages to me seemed like a stronger community safety net. Everybody would know each other.”

The rapid growth of Community First has challenged that ideal. In recent years, some of the original missional residents and staff members have left, finding it harder to support the number of people moving into the village. Steven Hebbard, who lived and worked at the village since its inception, left in 2019 when he said it shifted from a “tiny-town dynamic” where he knew everyone’s name to something that felt more like a city, straining the supportive culture that helped people succeed.

Mobile Loaves and Fishes said more staff members had recently been hired to help new residents adjust, but Mr. Graham noted that there was a limit to what any housing provider could do without violating people’s privacy and autonomy.

Despite these concerns, the organization, which had been run entirely on private money, has recently drawn public support. In January 2023, Travis County gave Mobile Loaves and Fishes $35 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to build 640 units as part of its expansion.

Then four months later came a significant surprise: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development approved the use of federal housing vouchers, which subsidize part or all of a low-income resident’s rent, for the village’s tiny homes. This will make running the village much more financially sustainable, Mr. Graham said, and may make it a more replicable blueprint for other places.

“That’s a big deal for us, and it’s a big deal on a national basis,” Mr. Graham said. “It’s a recognition that this model, managed the way that this model is, has a role in the system.”

Usually, the government considers homes without indoor plumbing to be substandard, but, in this case, it made an exception by applying the housing standards it uses for single-room-occupancy units. The village still did not meet the required ratio of bathrooms per person, but at the request of Travis County and the City of Austin’s housing officials, who cited Austin’s “severe lack of affordable housing” that made it impossible for some homeless people with vouchers to find anywhere else to live, HUD waived its usual requirements.

In the waiver, a HUD staffer wrote that Mr. Graham told HUD officials over the phone that the proportion of in-unit bathrooms “has not been an issue.” But in conversations with The Times, other homeless-service providers in Austin and some village residents said the lack of in-unit bathrooms is one of the biggest problems people have with living there. It also makes the villages less accessible to people with certain disabilities and health issues that are relatively common among the chronically homeless....

Mr. Graham said that with a doctor’s note, people could secure an R.V. or manufactured home at the village, although those are in short supply and have a long waiting list. He said the village’s use of tiny homes allowed them to build at a fraction of the usual cost when few other options existed, and helps ensure residents aren’t isolated in their units, reinforcing the village’s communal ethos.

“If somebody wants to live in a tiny home they ought to have the choice,” Mr. Graham said, “and if they are poor we ought to respect their civil right to live in that place and be subsidized to live there.” But he conceded that for some people, “this might not be the model.”

“Nobody can be everything for everyone,” he said.

By the spring of 2025, Mr. Graham hopes to begin moving people into the next phase of the village, across the street from the current property. The darker visions some once predicted of an impoverished community on the outskirts of town overtaken by drugs and violence have not come to pass. Instead, the village has permanently housed hundreds of people and earned the approval and financial backing of the city, the county and the federal government. But for the model to truly meet the scale of the challenge in Austin and beyond, Chapman Semple said, the compromises that led to Community First in its current incarnation will have to be reckoned with.

“We can build smaller villages that can be fully integrated into the community, that can have access to amenities within the community that we all need to live, including jobs and groceries,” Chapman Semple said. “If it’s a wonderful model then we should be embracing and fighting for its inclusion within our community.”

-via New York Times, January 8, 2024

[muneca-lemon-steppa]

All Kinds of Trouble

Alfie Solomons x Reader, Fluff, 1.2k words

Warnings: Cursing

A/N: Hi guys!! Ok so maybe hiatus is over? I'm trying to be gentle with myself and not hold myself to high standards in posting schedules. Again, therapy and Bar prep are a lot to handle rn, but I was able to do this little piece! This is based of a request sent in by my sweet friend @jassiefayee !!!! I hope you enjoy this angel!! Anyway, love you all so much! Have an amazing day!

Alfie didn’t find peace in many things. The business and all. Made him toss and turn at night, and in the daylight caused him to explode from the pure idiocy of people around him.

But walks in the park with Cyril? Now that gave him peace. With Cyril by his side, anyone who may have wanted to cause trouble stayed far away. Cyril’s imposing stature and mean looking face kept many men looking to scrap at bay, but little did they know that Cyril was by far the sweetest dog in Camden. And the fresh air did Alfie good. Being out in the park, feeling the breeze, hearing children and birds milling about created a sort of temple for him. A quiet place for him to let his mind rest, talk to himself (or God if he had a particular question), or just hum to the beat of Cyril's paws on the ground. This was his rest. This was his peace.

Now it should be noted, that one of the reasons that Alfie loved this particular park was that it was free of distractions for both him and Cyril. While Cyril was a very sweet and good natured dog who hardly ever caused an unnecessary ruckus, he was still a dog. And dogs have this strange habit, if not fantastic ability, to completely change the course of their owner's life.

So it was during a brisk walk on a fine November day where Alfie was suddenly pulled with all the force of heaven’s angels by Cyril’s lead through the park. And just as quick as he was yanked he was halted, nearly tripping over his boots and coat, and falling into Cyril and what might possibly be one of those treacherous angels.

It had become a relatively new habit for you to take a few moments of your day to sit in the park. Whether strolling, reading, or simply listening to the music of the city, you found the meditative state you entered in the park particularly divine. Spending all day cooped up in the house was not doing anyone any favors, and your mother insisted that you look at the sky, breathe in fresh air, or do something to get your energy out. And you enjoyed the respite from your family’s eyes and ears, and the view you caught of other people’s comings and goings. Often making up stories for the familiar faces that passed your eyes.

You had seen Mr. Solomons and his a dog before. It was hard to miss them. Both imposing. Even if Mr. Solomons wasn’t physically too tall, the air in which he carried himself made him seem absolutely monstrous. And the dog he walked along with came with a silent stature to match. When you mentioned to your mother that Mr. Solomons frequented your park, she all but forbid you to go to the park again. He was dangerous. A brute. Nothing good was associated with him. He was an animal. Damned.

Everyone in Camden had a story about Mr. Solomons. Even if they personally had never met him, they knew someone who knew someone who had crossed his path and suffered greatly. Fewer than those who crossed his path, were the women who had the pleasure of spending an evening with him. Demanding. Particular. Incredibly cross with hardly a smile crossing his firm mouth and creased brow. You had heard them all, many a time. And each time you heard the stories more fantastical and gory and outrageous they became. From the way the neighbors spoke of him, he might has well been an ogre who ate good men for supper. A confidant of the devil himself.

Yet those stories never deterred you from letting your eyes wander over to him when he made his way to the park. Surely observing doesn’t damn one’s soul right? And wondering if stories are true surely cannot condemn. Besides, he was never close enough to truly make a difference. A glance and gaze and thought were all that you experienced with the fearsome King of Camden. Until this afternoon, when that monstrous dog came charging at you with a gleeful and slobbery smile. And for whatever reason you never moved from your seat. You stayed planted on your spot on the bench, waiting for whatever was to come. And your supposed attack was merely a disgusting kiss to the neck and chin from the dog, and happy pants from it as well. It’s master, cursing and bellowing at hundred pound puppy who was uninterested in the threats of its flustered master.

You couldn’t help but giggle at the reddened face of Mr. Solomons, clearly out of breathe from the exertion of the sudden chase. “Mr. Solomons are you quite alright? Do you need to sit?”

“Hmm? No, no don’t worry about me angel, m’fine. This damn dog knows better than to run full force in a park. You alright love? Hope Cyril didn’t scare ya.”

You smiled warmly at him, and he was convinced he must have died in the chase and gone to Heaven. Your sweet eyes and tempting lips all too pretty to be here in Camden. You scratched Cyril’s ears before answering, "Oh no Mr. Solomons, I'm fine. Cyril here is very very sweet."

"Now treacle, I think I'm at a disadvantage. Don't like that at all me. Now how is it yeah, that you know my name and now my dog's name... but I don't get to know your name sweetness?"

With a quirked brow you answer, "Oh Mr. Solomons, everyone knows your name. The ferocious King of Camden, and his demon dog. Lots of tales about you Mr. Solomons.”

Alfie allowed himself a smile at your cheek, “Lots of stories eh? Which one is your favorite?”

“The one where you bested the devil himself in a game of chess and won the keys to hell.”

Alfie made himself comfortable next to you on the bench, making sure that his thigh touched yours, “Is that so? Your mum tell you that little one?”

You shook your head, “No sir. She told me I wasn’t to go near you.”

“And yet here you are, talking to bad men. Tsk tsk tsk. Naughty ain’t you?”

“It’s fun to be naughty sometimes. Don’t you agree Mr. Solomons?”

Alfie couldn’t help but bring his shiny rings to your cheek, taking stock of your face. You never flinched away, keeping fiery eyes locked on his. He hummed a tune you didn’t know, and stated, “There’s an opera tonight at 8. You’ll come with me. Wear something nice.”

“I don’t go to operas with strange men.”

“I don’t go to operas with strange women. Yet here we are sweet. I thought you liked being naughty.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at his brazenness. In truth, you couldn’t believe you allowed yourself to get this far. But it was too delicious to let go now. “You’ll pick me up on the corner of 10th and Victoria? At 6pm.”

“Now what will I do with you for two hours before the play treacle?”

You shrugged, “Show me how the King of Camden has a good night.”

Alfie laughed heartily, “Fuck me you really are a bad little thing aren’t you. Alright sweetness, I’ll pick you up there at 6. And let’s see what we can get up to.”

[leaentries]

the moon & its stars | luke hughes

summary: luke “knows a spot” hughes

a/n: i’m so so so so soft for luke right, it’s not even funny. also im sorry if this is inaccurate, i don’t know the geography of new jersey and i don’t want to look it up

The car ride was bumpy and long. And you were getting frustrated.

Your night began early, since the Devils had a couple days off from their normal activities. Luke and yourself had every intention of staying cooped up in his apartment, wrapped in blankets..or the more appealing option: each other.

However, this didn’t last long as Jack bursted through the door with some of the guys claiming that he had called dibs on the apartment for the night. Luke tried his best to reason, more like argue, with Jack, but to no avail. Instead of sticking around the loud environment, Luke simply grabbed your hand and his keys and walked the both of you to his car.

“Where are we going, Lukey?” Your voice echoed through the empty parking garage.

“Don’t worry, I know a spot.”

You rolled your eyes at his response, “Luke, I’m serious. This is kidnapping.”

He turned to face you as he stood by the black car, “I can’t kidnap you if you’re not a kid, angel.”

“Then this is abduction.” You huffed.

Luke just smiled before placing a kiss on your cheek and ushering you inside the car.

❥.

Soft country music lulled in the background as Luke’s hand rested on your thigh comfortably. You watched as the buildings of Newark got smaller, your brows furrowed. Looking at the clock, you noticed you had been driving for at least an hour.

Breaking the peaceful atmosphere, you try to wear down Luke’s resolve.

“Lukey, can you please tell me where we are going. We are completely out of the city at this point.”

Luke laughed, squeezing your thigh lightly, “I promise we’re almost there, angel. Just a few more minutes.”

You groaned, going back to looking out of your window.

Another few minutes passed before Luke pulled up to an empty clearing. You looked around suspiciously.

“Oh my god, you actually fucking abducted me.”

Luke let out a breath, “Would you stop with that, woman. Get out of the car.”

You have him a dumbfounded look, “Out there?” You gestured towards the unknown territory, “I’ll die.”

“Oh for heavens sake, y/n. Come on.” Luke took it upon himself to open your door and help guide you into the outdoors. He walked over to the back of the car and popped open his trunk.

“I found this place one night with Nemo and Holtzy. We were bored and just started driving around. It was actually sort of traumatic.”

He grabbed a red and white blanket out of the car, “Holtz had google maps pulled up, but somehow got it turned around and going the wrong way. Next thing we know my tires’ blown out and we had to pull over here.”

You helped close the car door as you followed him further into the clearing, “How come you’ve never told me this story?”

He shrugged, “Don’t know, I guess I wanted to surprise you one day.”

You smiled at his confession. Even the little things he does is enough to make your insides all warm.

Luke continued a for a short while, before laying the blanket down and plopping himself right on top. He looked up at you expectingly, patting the spot next to him.

“C’mon, angel. I won’t bite.” He smirked at you.

“That,” You laid out next to him, “Is a lie. You have bit me before.”

Luke shrugged once more, brushing off your statement, “The past is the past, baby. Let’s focus on the present.”

“I genuinely dislike you.”

Luke gave you a cheeky smile in return.

He moved to lie on his back, gently pulling your body to lie on-top of him. You snuggled closer to his warmth, taking in the sound of his steady heartbeat and the smell of his cologne.

You closed your eyes for a moment, before you felt Luke’s nose nudge into your hair.

“Hmm?” You hummed out to him.

“Look up at the sky, angel.”

Peeking your eyes open, you looked up. You felt your breath disappear as millions of stars shone back at you in their blazing glory. It was very rare to see a sky full of brightness like this back in the city. You wished you could take a picture, to be able to frame this moment forever. But you knew nothing could bet do it justice.

You were speechless. Nothing you could say or do would be able to show how happy you were in the moment.

“You’re my moon, ya know?” Luke’s voice came out in a hushed whisper, “Something that brings light to the darkness. And helps guide me through the night.”

You sat up as he continued talking.

“I always feel connected to you when I look at the moon. Even when we are apart. Sometimes when I’m back in Michigan, I’ll look up at the moon when I miss you.”

Your chest clenched at his vulnerability. You don’t think you could ever love someone as much as you loved the boy in front of you.

“If i’m your moon, then you’re my stars.” You smiled at him, “Because one is never without the other.”

Luke felt his throat tighten with emotion, quickly pulling your face down to his. The both of you remained there until early into the morning, relishing in each other and the night sky.

The drive home was soft and warm, the glow of the early sun kissing your face. What the night brought had been changing for you and Luke, feeling closer to each other than you ever thought possible.

But, after-all, the moon is never without its stars.

[nyctophiliq]

⋆⑅˚₊ — in the back seat, I’m yours. abby anderson

description.             non of you can keep your hands to yourselves after a night out with friends, it has to be done right here, right now.

content warnings.               MDNI, nsfw content, female bodied reader, semi public sex, vaginal fingering, fingering, cunnilingus, college au, car sex author’s note.                 tumblr kept community label this back in may and I guess I am trying my luck again so you the ppl on tumblr can also see it !!! hope you like this if you haven’t read it on ao3 yet :)

it was one of those nights that when the day ended and before the next one started, ellie, abby, dina, jesse, you, and a few other friends of yours didn’t need to be cooped up in the college’s library, learning for upcoming exams and writing essays for extra credits. it was a night to celebrate your hard work and relax, let loose and forget about school even if it was just for a little while. abby and you both enjoyed nights out like these, seeing each other in lovely outfits, nicer than what you two usually wear but not so fancy you would look apart from everyone, laugh with everyone, to laugh with each other when arriving home.

the two of you have been driving around a little just before, trying to not get caught in the city’s traffic too much but one thing lead to another with abby parking a little away from the dorms, in an unlit alleyway, maybe one or two streets down. non of you could keep your hands to yourselves, not after you have endured almost five hours of just being around friends with no chance to really admire each other.

“abby…” your voice came out almost like a whisper, and you looked down, trying to work out a sentence. but your mind’s wires were knotting as you couldn’t stop your fantasies from taking over every coherent thought you had up to this pint. in such a thigh place like this, on the backseats of abby’s car, no wonder you had no room to think, abby was the only thing on your mind. her lips, her skin, her fingers, her breath, her voice… just abby.

“i’m yours… i wanna be yours,” you finally choke out, your hands tensing around abby’s neck as you wait for her to pull away and say no, that it is too public and fooling around was where she drew the line.

abby smiled sweetly down at you, with one of her hands on your flushed cheeks as she hummed, “yeah? wanna be mine, sweet princess?” you nodded, biting your lips while doing so, hypnotized by the lustful look on abby’s face.

“want you so bad abs…” you whine as you lean closer, wanting and needing another kiss so the burning feeling between your legs would be kept at bay. your eyes slipped shut and you whined softly as abby’s teeth got caught on your lower lip, biting and pulling before her mouth slipped to your jaw. she nipped and sucked at the skin of your neck, each kiss sending new tingles across your body.

a grin ran across abby’s face hearing your needy whines. she pushed some hair out of her face before burying her head into you neck, sensually kissing as her hands gave your thighs gentle squeezes. your girlfriend was more than eager to leave some marks, sink her teeth into your perfect skin, and hear you cry a little before letting a pleasant moan out when her tongue soothed the pain.

“you are so precious princess, so soft.”

abby whispered as she opened your legs, pushing the apart and unbuttoning your jeans, practically ripping them off in excitement, ogling those see-through, pretty pink thongs. the sight made the girl’s pussy above you clench around nothing, and that yearning desire to hear her pretty thing of a girlfriend cry out her name grew bigger.

she palmed your clothed cunt, laughing out loud pleasantly as she felt the forming wet patch on her palm. “i was thinking o-of this all n-night… you touching me like this,” you watched as abby’s eye darkened at your words, a grin eating away her facial muscles.

“all this flattery is gonna make me take real good care of this pussy.” abby smirked, flashing one side of her teeth hungrily as she stretched her back for one last time. she wanted to see the forming mess that you were, see how your face twitches as she moved your panties down and pocketed them. “gonna touch you now, ‘kay?”

you turned away, trying to hide your face in your own shoulder as you were already feeling fuzzy and sparkly all over your body. it felt so good to be under abby like this, feeling so small and at a loss of control, but still feeling just as special, her pretty princess, and now you just wanted to please the predator that had trapped you. if abby kept talking to you with that low voice of hers, with this choice of words, the sickly sweet tone that made your knees buckle, then you would have done anything abby had asked for no matter if people were to watch.

abby’s hand run up your flushed body, taking handfuls of your soft breasts as abby rapidly flicked your clit with her tongue. you worked up the courage to look, your glassy eyes stuck on abby’s face as it disappears between your thighs, trying your best to focus in spite of the dizzying weightlessness in your head that threatened to blur your vision. you wanted to see abby first, at least for a little while.

“you are so wet, princess, do you feel that?” abby asked teasingly, moving her thumb up and down between your sticky lips, eyes completely drowning in the stretching sight of your early arousal. she dragged your slick up to your clit and circled it once as slowly as she could, reveling in the way you absolutely melted under her. your entire body thrummed as abby repeated the motion, your mouth hanging open and your body shuddering.

you could taste it in the air how turned on you were, it was embarrassing and the best feeling at the same time. there wasn’t a single thought in your head besides how good it felt to be at abby’s mercy, letting her touch your pretty parts and play with you as a fox would with a bunny before catching it.

your thoughts were interrupted and you almost slipped off the seat when abby’s tongue glides over your fiery core, pushing into you eagerly. “it’s so fucking hot when you drip for me, must be feeling good, huh?” you nod, hardly you can but you try, unable to do anything else because there is no word that you could form with your mouth.

abby teases you a little more, playing dangerously, barely doing anything that would feel too good before pushing a finger inside you without any warning. your juices drip onto the car seat and abby’s fingers slip right in you, a gasp catching in your throat as your insides welcome your girlfriend with much need and want.

you feel amazing, and abby feels amazing as she moves inside you, relishing in the teasing strokes inside of you, as abby goes joint by join in you before even thinking about speeding up. there is a sight of satisfaction leaving you when abby picks up an even speed, her tongue playing with your clit while her finger fucks into your tight hole.

the night air is cool on your exposed, bare breasts, and you reach up to pinch and rub your already hardened nipple, your other hand reaching for anything in the car to grip, to hold onto. it is abby’s hair that you land your pick on, it feels so good, and the great view of abby’s head between your thighs doesn’t hurt either, just makes you feel even more excited and pretty.

the sound of abby’s finger moving inside you is dirty and hot, and you can feel your face heat up with the pleasure of it. you thrust your hip up into abby’s hand, your own encouraging way for her to put more pressure on your clit, to play with it, to abuse it even.

it comes so suddenly, without a warning when you feel that oh-so-wonderful knot in your stomach paired up with those butterflies trying to break out, making your body writhe, twist and turn. you shake, nails scratching abby’s scalp as you gasp and moan, cursing multiple times, your thigh muscles tensing and wanting to close around that handsome face of abby’s.

“mh… fuck, abs, ‘m gonna m-make a mess, c-cum all over!” you moaned, feeling your hot clit throb and pussy squeezing around abby as she didn’t let off, feeling your hips spasm against her before abby’s finger was coated in your warm, milky arousal, working you through your orgasm. “come on pretty girl, come for me.”

your back arched off of the little support that the inside door handle was providing, your head pushing up against the fogged-up window as you moaned her name out loud, chanting it as your muscles tensed then let go of your body as a whole. you fell back limp against the fabric of the back seats, panting with your eyes stuck closed, little mewls leaving you as the last waves of your drunken daze rode through your body.

“you are so sweet,” of course, abby knew how you tasted, it wouldn’t have been the first time she had pulled her fingers out of you and licked them clean of your oh-so-sweet cum. “like candy.” she continues her little comment, chest blooming at the sight in front of her, looking down between your legs, watching as the fabric absorbs your delicious juices. she feels bad, wasting something so good.

“come on, let’s go inside, yeah?”

[mvlvrr]

⋆｡°✩ melodic mayhem ⋆｡°✩

guitarist!kaiser x f!reader <3

summary; kaiser, the lead guitarist of some stupid garage band, makes it big and leaves you in the dust. finally seeing him again after years, old feelings bubble up between you two and nothing short of mayhem begins to happen, in the confines of a public bathroom.

. . . .

“kaiser, your food is at the door!” you yelled from upstairs, but to no avail. kaiser and his ‘band’ used your home’s garage to practice, and they were as loud as they were good. “fucker.” you sighed, getting up out of bed and leaving your phone on your pillow. trudging down the stairs, the cold floor practically freezing your bare feet (you wished you’d put on slippers), you approached the front door and huffed again.

reaching for the doorknob, you opened the door a bit, looking at the man who was holding two bags of chinese food.

“sorry for the wait,” you said softly, taking the bags from him and handing him money. your money. money that should have been kaiser’s. once the door shut, you grumbled to yourself. “fucking freeloader.”

hoisting up the bags of food, you walked into the noisy garage, and yelled over the sounds of the drums and guitar.

“kaiser! shut the fuck up for a minute, will you!?” he finally heard your voice, and stopped playing, along with his few other friends. the only one you knew was ness, nicer than kaiser but a bit awkward around you.

“oh, it’s you,” kaiser grinned stupidly, before eyeing the food in your hands. “that’s mine, right? thanks, pretty.” he set down his guitar gently, walking towards you and taking the food from your hands with narrowed eyes and a shit eating smile.

“uh,” ness mumbled, before speaking up to kaiser. “don’t you think you should pay her back, man? she always pays for our food and she lets us use her garage.” kaiser shot a glare to ness, eyebrow raised.

“pretty girl over here doesn’t mind,” kaiser answered, speaking for you before setting the food bags on a nearby folding table.

your hands clenched into fists. this bastard, always taking advantage of you. never paying you back. filled with frustration, you turned on your heel and stormed back into the house and upstairs, flopping onto your bed and screaming into your pillow once his stupid guitar was playing again.

. . . .

over the course of months, kaiser continued to use you and your kindness to his advantage, using your feelings for him as a stepping stone. kaiser knew you liked him, and he would be lying if he said he didn’t like you at least a bit. but he wasn’t going to let you get in the way of his dream of getting it big someday.

everything was normal, boring, even, until kaiser got a call saying they wanted him and his band to preform at a gig. one call turned into three. three turned into seven. until he was being asked by producers to sign a record label with them.

kaiser never texted you thank you, never called, or visited. you heard his music, saw him on the news, articles, everything.

it hurt, knowing he’d just left you by yourself after everything you’ve done for his stupid ass. scrolling through yet another article about him on your laptop, you decided it might be good for you to get out tonight. after all, you’d been cooped up in your house the past year while kaiser’s been famous, moving on while you’re stuck in the same place.

after a nice, hot shower, you dressed yourself up in your finest dress, heels, and did your hair and makeup. you were going to look your best tonight, no matter what. it was something you needed to feel confident.

you snatched up your purse and phone, walking out of the house and locking the door behind you. making your way to your car, you couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward in your own skin. when was the last time you’d actually tried to look your best? whatever. that didn’t matter now.

driving to one of the biggest bars in your city, you parked in the parking lot and shut off the engine.

around the parking lot, couples and groups were scattered, smoking, making out, popping pills, and drinking.

you sighed. you desperately needed a drink or two. walking into the bar, the first thing that hit you was the music playing in the background. you froze. live music. but..

it was kaiser’s voice. kaiser’s song. kaiser. kaiser and ness and those other shitheads who messed with your head. walking through the crowd and brushing shoulders with countless people, you stopped right in front of the stage, eyes wide and eyebrows furrowed as you saw him.

. . . .

kaiser had to admit, when he saw you he was shocked, pleasantly surprised, and annoyed. he had wanted to get over you, that’s why he never called. he wanted to focus on getting famous, not on a girl. but you weren’t a girl, were you? no, not anymore. you were a woman, that’s for sure.

once his performance was over, kaiser pushed his way through the crowd and found you, about to leave.

he gripped onto your wrist, yanking you back towards him.

“long time, no see, pretty,” kaiser said slyly, grinning cockily and ignoring the girls swooning over him behind. “how’ve you been holding up?”

“let go,” you said sharply, trying to pull out of his grip, and failing. “kaiser, i’ve been shit. not like you give a fuck.” he paused. you were really that affected?

“of course i ca—”

“if you cared you wouldn’t have left me in the dust,” you interrupted him, glaring up at him with anger. despite his better judgment, his cock stirred in his jeans as he looked down at the fiery expression on your face and the scowl on your lips.

“you’re sexy when you’re angry, pretty,” kaiser muttered. your cheeks turned a bit pink, and he relished in the pride of flustering you. that is, until you snapped back.

“if you’re just trying to get in my pants, i’m not interested,” you grumbled back in reply, sighing heavily. “look, you left me by myself after i gave you food, paid for your shit, and let you play in my garage. can your tiny brain wrap around why i might be a bit upset you ghosted me after all of that?”

kaiser did not respond right away. he thought about what you said. he knew you were right, and he did feel like a bit of a dick, but he didn’t just want to get in your pants. he did, but he wanted to have a relationship with you again. just seeing you brought those old feelings back to the surface..

“kaiser?” you snapped in his face. “pay attention when i’m talking to you.”

kaiser nodded obediently, sighing dramatically. “yes ma’am, no need to get angry. please, let me take you to the bathroom? it’s not like anyone would hear us!”

you were completely stunned. “do you have no shame?” you asked, flabbergasted, while he just smirked and dragged you with him to the family bathroom and locking the door. he turned to you.

“let me make up for lost time. let me treat you.” kaiser’s voice, for once, was sweet and genuine, and you practically melted. with a curt nod, kaiser smiled, pushing you gently against the wall. he kneeled before you, pulling your panties down and off of your legs completely, before lifting you up with ease, one hand holding you up by your ass, the other putting one of your legs on his shoulder, squeezing the fat of your thighs and looking up at you as he nudged your dress above your hips, admiring your puffy folds, already slick for him.

“pretty girl,” kaiser praised, before leaning in and licking a stripe along your clit. you twitched, eyes shutting and hand going into his hair, pulling on the strands as you whimpered shamelessly.

kaiser prodded his tongue into your cunt further, feeling your walls clamp down on his tongue like a vice. he continued to lap at your pussy, and when you began to grind on his face, your clit rubbing on his nose, and your whimpers more frequent, he knew you were close.

with a small cry, you came undone on his tongue, yanking on his hair as your juices coated his face and dripped down his jaw. he finally pulled away, smirking up at you.

“do you forgive me now?” kaiser asked with a sultry tone, gently thumbing at your clit while you whined and trembled from the overstimulation.

“no,” you said mockingly, voice trembling. kaiser smiled warmly at you, placing a kiss on your thigh.

“considering how wet you are, i think she forgives me.”

. . . .

[throneofsapphics]

old faces, part three

Rowaelin x f!Reader

Summary: you and Rowan meet again, and deal with the fall-out of your secret. 

Warnings: violence, descriptions of violence, death, minor injury, drinking

Word Count: ~5.3k

A/N: more rowaelin in the next chapter! coming late tonight/tomorrow if everything goes according to plan

series masterlist

True to their word, you didn’t see Aelin or Rowan before their departure yesterday. Fenrys came by once, letting you know they’d spoken to the future Emperor and Empress, and that they’d be keeping an eye out for you. You never saw them, but you sensed their presence. It brought a small bit of comfort. Not enough to let your guard down. 

Overwhelmed. That’s how you felt. Ceri and Ani seemed thrilled at the ‘new adventure,’ even more excited it was a secret, that they couldn’t tell anyone exactly when they were leaving and where they were going. Reya had been a mixture of contemplation and excitement but you - you were an anxious mess. 

New challenges, and more exposure you couldn't avoid. You were nervous for Ceri, above all. Nervous about how she’d be treated, about what this meant for her. At least she’d have her best friend with her. The vague plan was to visit a few different parts of Terrasen, starting with Orynth, and if the trial went well, it would be a group decision on where to settle. 

“You’re nervous.” Reya commented, you shot her a look and she held her hands up in a placating gesture. “Have you decided what to do with your home?” 

Home. A pleasant surprise in your mother’s will. A home you fully intended to keep in the family. But, Reya’s asking if you’ll rent it out or not. It would be easy to let magic seal it up, but if you rented it, you could deposit the money into a bank account and leave you with a fund if you ended up back here. 

The last week had been a gods-damned whirlwind, giving you barely a moment to rest. Liquidating your assets, downsizing, late nights finishing up projects, informing vendors you’d no longer have goods available, pulling the girls from school, and more. 

“Renting would be a good option,” you finally replied. Reya nodded, she was doing the same thing - and you trusted her sister to take care of both properties - for a fee of course. At least there was someone you could trust. 

“They’re going stir-crazy,” Reya commented. You could see it too, the frustration on their faces at being cooped up. “The park is right around the corner.” 

“It’s risky,” you hesitated. 

“We all need it.” 

You couldn’t argue with that, or with the excitement on their faces as you told them. Still, you slipped a trusted knife into a sheath under your dress. On the way, Reya reminded them to keep their ‘adventure’ secret. To answer ‘I don’t know,’ if anyone asks questions, and to inform the two of you. No chances. 

There were a few other women there you vaguely recognized, and children both Ani and Ceri sprinted towards. They climbed over the various obstacles, running around and making up different games. Ceri, of course, took the lead in organizing everyone, directing them like a general. What would Rowan think if he was here? Probably pride. And maybe alarm at just how wild his daughter ran. Her Fae heritage let run and climb faster, and it took away a certain sense of self-preservation.

“Will she be immortal as well?” Reya murmured quietly. 

“Most likely,” you admitted. Maybe in a selfish way, you really hoped she would. If you had to watch her grow old … you shoved the thought to the back of your mind. There was enough to worry about for now. 

Three hours later, the two of them exhausted enough energy to start asking for dinner, and agreed to leave. The break was good for you, the fresh air and walk in your city calming your nerves. Another chance to see it - your shelter and safe haven. 

Ceri held your hand on the twenty minute walk, chattering about the games she’d played, her enthusiasm and joy confectious. Ani was doing the same to Reya in front of you. 

Just around the corner, the hair on the back of your neck pricked. Something was wrong. 

“Reya,” you called, voice just drifting over the wind, laced with warning. Her head swirled, the whites around her eyes showing and you mouthed; act natural. Letting your senses take over, you listened in for movements, for heartbeats, for whatever the hell was out there. 

A magic you didn’t recognize was present, and probing at the wards on your home. A male, mortal, magic wielder. Across the street, but still too gods-damned close. You needed to get inside, to get into safety. 

Throwing up what you hoped was a discreet shield, you kept your pace and body language natural as you approached. First thing you learned; don’t let them know. But, Ceri had picked up on it, her hand tightening around yours, head on a swivel. Quickly, you spared a glance at her; trust me, you tried to say, and she gave you a small nod. You prayed you’d show yourself worthy of that trust in the next few minutes. Maybe some of the emperor and empresses ‘eyes’ were nearby. But, no sense in hoping or relying for something that might not be true. 

Thirty paces away, male disappeared, cloaked from your sight- but you could sense his location. Reya fell back with Ani to walk next to you.  It was Ceri they were after, and that brought lethal focus to your mind. Let those instincts rise, the instinct to protect your family and friends. 

Ten paces, Reya’s nerves were showing but she kept herself loose, putting her trust in you. 

Everything happened within a minute, but each second dragged on. You had the seconds to shove them back behind the gate, throwing the wards up. Reya knew to drag the girl’s inside - Ceri’s yells and shouts echoing in your ears. If you went in as well, there wasn’t anyone to stop him from trying to shatter the magic, and you couldn’t do shit from behind them. 

The bits of training you picked up over the years came into play, the glint of a knife in front of you, and you thanked the immortal reactions and senses you’d been born with - gifting you an advantage. A knife flew to your shoulder, you dodged, shifting again as he threw another - shallowly slicing across your cheek. You palmed your one fighting knife, the pain fading into the background, and slashed across his forearm, severing his tendons. The dagger clattered, metal echoing off the cobblestones, copper scent filling the air. 

He spat a curse, and you danced around each other, before landing another slice. Blood spurted from his arm in rivets - eerily like a fountain, and you heard the whistle. 

An archer on the opposite roof, gesturing to the side. They needed a shot that wouldn’t risk hitting you. You hoped they’d leave him alive - you had several questions for him. They got their shot a second later, and you watched as an arrow lodged through the man’s skull, his body flopping to the pavement in front of you. So much for your questions. 

You prayed Reya had shielded their view. 

A plain-clothed guard was there in seconds, and you let your back hit the wall behind you, adrenaline still coursing through your veins, and used your dress to clean the blood from your knife. It was ruined anyway, a little more blood wouldn’t make a difference. The strange sense and scent of death filled the air as slid it back into your sheath, focusing on one movement at a time, keeping yourself grounded. 

You tried, you really tried, not to hate Rowan in that moment. It’s not his fault, not his fault he’s the father. He’d mentioned the target, the risk and dangers, but it hadn’t quite set in until that moment. Stupid, you were stupid for leaving the house. If anything, it was your fault. By some miracle, none of your neighbors were peeking their nosy heads out. 

Reya’s muffled voice came from the garden. Gods, she must be screaming at the top of her lungs for you to hear her. You turned, giving her a ‘thumbs up.’ It felt childish, considering someone had just threatened your lives, but she returned with a tense smile, one arm barely holding back a furious Ceri. Ani tucked behind her, head just poking out. 

“I’m fine,” you mouthed to your daughter. She signed back - you were a bit surprised she remembered that language, it had been a while since you used it. 

You’re bleeding. 

Not my blood. I need you to keep Ani calm. 

Give her something to do, a task, and she’d focus on it. Sure enough, it worked and she tugged her friend back inside. 

The guards had multiplied, at least seven of them on the surrounding street now. And - a certain blonde haired male sprinting down the street. Fenrys stood by your side as you answered all of their questions. The magic shielding the house behind you didn’t waver, not for one second. 

“You should get that looked at,” Fenrys murmured, as the body was carted off, a small crowd dispersing, and one official-looking woman promising updates. 

“Hm?” Your eyes flicked to him. He gestured to your cheek, to the cut already healing.  

“It scarred.”  

The small sting had faded to the back of your mind. Frowning, you ran two fingers over your face, an angry raised red line. That shouldn’t be there, not unless … you crouched to the ground, snatching the same knife that cut you. 

“Iron,” you murmured. 

“Still shouldn’t leave a scar,” Fenrys took a step closer, eyeing the weapon. 

You twisted the blade in your hand, surprised the guards hadn’t already picked it up. Marks etched into the handle, marks you recognized. 

“He was a magic wielder,” you had his full attention now, “it’s not … cursed, but enchanted to leave a scar.”  

Your fist white-knuckled around the handle. He meant to mar your daughter. 

“Can you let us inside?” Fenrys requested, distracting you from the pure wrath filling every inch of your body. The guards had finished their questioning, some now obviously stationed down the street - another archer joining the previous one. 

You willed the magic to bend slightest bit, enough for the two of you to slip inside, before slamming it shut again. 

“How soon can you be ready to leave?” Fenrys’s voice was insistent. You had a feeling he’d drag you to the ship soon if he had to. 

“Aren’t we traveling with you?” 

Fenrys nodded, and paused for a moment. “Can you be ready tomorrow by dusk?” 

You’d wrapped up the last of the ‘official’ business this morning, intending to give you a week to sort things out at a leisurely pace. But, words were too much right now, everything was too gods-damned much, so you answered with a nod. By tomorrow would be stressful, but doable. 

“We’ll leave then. I’ll announce we’re leaving at dawn the day after.” Smart, giving a false departure. “Only us, the captain and the crew will know, and they won’t know who it is until we board,” Fenrys continued - maybe more to reassure himself than you. Part of you wondered why he was going through the effort but … Rowan was his bloodsworn brother, maybe he felt some kind of duty to the two of you. 

“How’d you get here so quickly?” You asked the question lingering in the back of your mind. 

“I didn’t. I was already on my way.” Fenrys’s mouth opened, and you could read the next word, 

“Say sorry and I’ll kick you in the balls.” 

He winced, and feigned sealing his mouth shut. 

The door slammed open, knocking into the wall, and Ceri sprinted out, silver hair flowing behind her. You braced yourself as she slammed into you, arms wrapping around your stomach. 

“I kept Ani calm,” she whispered, squeezing you tighter. 

“I’m proud of you,” you ran your non-bloody hand through her hair. 

After a few minutes, she released you. Her small hand reached up, and you stayed still as she ran a finger on the scar. “Why would he do that?” 

When you hesitated, Ceri turned to Fenrys, as if he might have the answer. Her green eyes nearly bore a hole through his head. 

“Sometimes people do bad things and we don’t know why,” he answered slowly, “but everyone’s safe now.” 

“What happened to him?” She turned back to you. 

“He died,” a small tension left your chest - she hadn’t seen it. 

“You killed him?” Her head tilted, no judgment - just curiosity and a desire to gather all of the facts. 

“No, I didn’t,” you anticipated the next question, “and neither did he. One of the royal guards did.” 

Ceri mumbled something suspiciously like; I wish I killed him, and grabbed your hand - dragging you back inside. You shot an alarmed glance at Fenrys, whose mouth curved up at the corners. Seven years old, and already bloodthirsty. Maybe you should’ve questioned what kind of bed-time story Rowan told. 

“Just like her father,” he murmured, quiet enough only you heard. 

An inelegant snort left you, “I was thinking the same thing.” 

Reya’s eyes scanned you from top to bottom, and you were aware of the blood staining your skin and clothes. 

“Ceri,” she called, gaining her attention, “can you help me run a bath for your mother?” She looked at you for permission, you forced a soft smile, watching her take off after your friend, Ani’s dark hair flashing as well, never one to be left out.

“Are you going to insist on spending the night?” You didn’t look at him. 

An edged chuckle, “I'm afraid I will.” 

“Males,” you muttered under your breath, but shot him a grateful smile. Another set of eyes, another person to watch out for Ceri. Not that you’d get any sleep tonight. Reya returned a minute later, shoving a bundle of clothes in your hands, ushering you off towards the bathing room. 

Ceri was proud of the rose scents she’d chosen. Once, you’d loved Lilac - but you shedded that when you left Wendlyn. It hadn’t felt right anymore, it felt like an old version of you. The female left behind. Plus, it made you nauseous during your pregnancy. 

Fenrys didn’t leave for the rest of the night, entertaining the girls as you and Reya cooked, helping with the dishes, a perfect guest. Even with a spare room available, he insisted he’d crash on the couch closest to the door. He didn’t comment as you exited your room each hour, traveling past the sitting room to peek into where Ani and Ceri slept, both sound asleep. 

You caught maybe two or three hours of sleep total, but pure adrenaline kept you going the next morning. It spurred you and Reya into near-frantic packing, listening to Fenrys’s request to stay put when he left for a few hours. One small trunk each, plus one extra for books - your personal ones and school books. Everything else ended up in the attic, sealed off by magic. The tears stayed at bay as you deactivated the wards, dropping off the keys to Reya’s sister - who was informed less than an hour before, and vowed herself to secrecy. Everything about this felt so … cloak and dagger. Ceri and Ani viewed it as some grand adventure, but you and Reya were tense, entire bodies taut with nerves. 

With twenty minutes to go, you closed the door to the bathroom, hands bracing on the counter. An angry red scar ran diagonally across your cheek, still slightly lifted from your skin. If you adjusted your hair, just a bit, it mostly cloaked it from sight. Another permanent reminder. 

A nondescript carriage, made less discreet by armed guards, picked up the five of you just after sunset and took the long way through the city. It gave you a chance to see everything gaze through the window, making out a few details by moonlight. There’s no telling how long it would be before you see it again. Maybe a year, maybe a decade, but one day you’d at least come back to visit. 

Not a permanent goodbye.

Fenrys ushered you onto the ship, joined by a few others you didn’t recognize. Soldiers, disguised as courtiers. Or maybe soldiers turned courtiers. 

“Did you send word ahead?” You murmured, the captain directing you to a spot still on deck, but out of the way. The girls bounced with excitement, barely managing to keep themselves still. 

“No sense in it,” Fenrys countered, “we’re on the fastest ship available. It would probably get there after us.” 

You learned quickly what fastest meant. Magic wielders were on board, the ‘soldier-courtiers.’

Most of the first day was spent holding back Reya and Ani’s hair, convincing them to take some of the nausea tonic you’d brought with you. 

The second day, Fenrys showed Ani and Ceri some more advanced self-defense. 

The third day, the girls had convinced the sailors to tell them stories. 

The fourth, you rolled dice and made bets - Fenrys sharing his liquor with you. 

The fifth, you thought you might lose your mind of boredom - until Fenrys dragged you out to see how much self defense you knew. According to him - better than expected. He quickly added a ‘not surprising,’ considering who your father was. That particular detail, you usually forgot about - or tried to. 

The next several days passed in similar fashion, interrupted on day eight by Ceri trying desperately to convince you to shift to your animal form - then to teach her to shift to her animal form. It’s too dangerous at sea, you told her. When it didn’t work with you - she moved to Fenrys, who repeated your words, adding that she needed to be a bit older. After that, she gave up, thank the Gods. The last thing you need is to rescue an adolescent bird from the water. 

On day twenty, you spotted land. The first look at Terrasen. Mountains, still snow-capped in the summer, green forest, a small city. Illium, according to the maps you’d acquired. Then, you’d cut into the Florine river, taking you right to Orynth. Where you’d reconnect with Rowan and Aelin, and figure out what comes next. 

According to Fenrys, it’s normally a two week journey, but they dragged it out enough that the five of you would arrive closer to the expected time, after the rest of their court did. He declined to inform you of that until a few days before. 

“Will they know we’re coming?” You asked, propped up against crates, Fenrys stretched out next to you, tan face tilted up towards the sun, Reya on your other side, Ceri and Ani a few paces away, playing a card game they learned the night before.  

A genuine friendship had formed between the three of you over the last few weeks. Fenrys could’ve easily ignored you, but instead he sought out both of your company. The girls attached to him as well, eagerly taking in all of his lessons, pestering him with questions about Terrasen, all of which he answered patiently and thoroughly.

“Depends,” he turned to shoot a lazy grin at the two of you, “on how much chaos Aelin decides to cause. It’s been a while since she surprised anyone, I wouldn’t be shocked if she convinced Rowan to keep it a secret.”

Gods, you tilted your head back this time, letting it rest against the top of the crate. There’s a chance you’d arrive to Orynth, the entire court with no fucking idea who you were, who Ceri was. It had the potential to be incredibly awkward, or hilarious. You refused to stress over it, it was out of your hands for now. 

-

Their court gathered to discuss the results of their visit to the southern continent, as planned, arriving earlier that afternoon. The scouts reported the ship carrying Fenrys and company would arrive tomorrow after dusk - perfect timing for a discreet entry. But … two days early. That unsettled both her and Rowan. There wasn’t a good reason for them to arrive early, especially without any kind of notice. Although, with the crew they had - any notice sent would likely arrive after them. Instincts told her something went wrong, and she saw it echoed in Rowan’s face. They tabled it for later. There wasn’t anything they could do until they saw them. Until they had a chance to launch questions at Fenrys. 

Aelin wouldn’t call it a fight, but she’d argued with Rowan over whether or not to tell their court about their surprise.

“At least before they arrive, Fireheart,” Rowan sounded exasperated. 

“At breakfast, then,” she wound her arms around his neck, tilting her head up to grin at him. Tomorrow, they’d be here, and she was looking forward to your company. Aelin thought she might feel jealous of the connection you shared with Rowan through Ceri, but she didn’t. Instead, she wanted to be your friend - there was something soothing about your company, and she saw why Rowan grew … close to you. Even before she met the two of you, he’d been upfront about how you traced the line between friends and lovers, how you both knew it was a temporary arrangement. 

Her mind tried to tell her it was wrong that she felt this comfortable with Rowan being near an ex-lover, that her Fae instincts should be rearing with territorial jealousy. Thankfully they weren’t - otherwise it could make their current situation very difficult. 

“Should I be the one to make the announcement?” Rowan pressed a kiss to her hair. 

“I’m much better at them,” Aelin gave a smile, honeyed with false innocence. 

“You’ve given us enough surprises for a lifetime,” he muttered - but she knew he’d follow her lead. As much as he denied it, Rowan didn’t mind shaking everything up once in a while. 

“Evangeline will be excited,” she pressed up on her toes, placing a kiss at the corner of his mouth. 

“She’s much older,” he murmured. 

“I imagine she’ll take them under her wing.” Aelin pulled back to watch Rowan’s face. Nervous, her mate was nervous, one of the few times she’d seen him like that. It was oddly endearing. She was nervous too, of course, but it was … refreshing to be nervous over something not quite life and death. 

She decided now was the wrong time to remind him they’d be able to explore different parts of Terrasen - to decide where they’d want to live after Ceri’s ‘trial.’ If they stayed in Terrasen. 

Rowan sensed her shift in mood, and tilted her chin up to look at her. “It’ll be fine.” Aelin forced air in and out of her lungs, and nodded. 

“Bed,” he muttered, and tugged her off towards their room. 

-

“What is it?” Aedion sat down his glass, looking between Rowan and Aelin. Rowan kept his mouth shut, sending a pointed look at Aelin. She wanted to make the announcement, she could do it. “Please tell me you’re not planning something,” Aedion groaned. 

“It wasn’t planned,” Rowan muttered before he could stop himself. 

Aelin’s foot stomped on his insole, and he pinched her thigh under the table. 

Aelin propped her forearms on the oak wood, and everyone’s attention turned to her. Their entire court was here - minus Fenrys. Ren, Aedion, Lysandra, Evangeline, Elide, and Lorcan - who wouldn’t let Elide go anywhere alone. 

“We have some guests arriving with Fenrys.”

“Who?” Lysandra asked, lifting a glass of water to her lips. 

Fuck it, Rowan could say this for himself.. 

“While we were in Antica, I ran into an old … friend,” Lorcan’s eyes dug a hole into his skull, and he avoided his former commander’s gaze. “I have a seven year old daughter.” 

Lysandra yelped and shot back as Aedion spewed water across the table, Elide’s eyes were wide, Lorcan looked contemplative, Ren and Elide blinked several times, Evangeline - as Aelin expected, looked thrilled. 

“Ceri, Rowan’s daughter, her mother - y/n, her friend Reya, and her daughter Ani will arrive this evening,” Aelin cut in. Rowan caught Lorcan’s gaze as soon as Aelin said your name. Dark eyes flashed in recognition. Interesting. 

Aelin continued to explain the deal they’d come to. His wife even asked if they’d be willing to let the group explore living in their respective lands, conveniently mentioning some of your skill sets and how you’d been open to working here. 

“Gods, Aelin.” Aedion sighed at the end. “And Rowan,” he added, ignoring his glare. “A little warning would’ve been nice.” 

Still, he had a contemplative look on his face. You’d done the same thing his mother had - to protect his daughter from Maeve. A silent understanding passed through them, that Rowan was getting the chance Gavriel didn’t, that he’d honor it. 

“How did she go … undiscovered, in Antica this long?” Ren asked cautiously. 

“Well, Sartaq suspected there was a Whitethorn relative living in the city, but as Fenrys said,” Aelin ignored the elbow he discreetly jabbed into her side, “Rowan has an army of cousins - there were plenty of possible sire’s.” That drew a few chuckles and eye rolls. 

“She wasn’t going to tell you?” Elide pushed. 

“We don’t know.” Aelin said honestly. It was luck … or fate, that he ran into you during that trip. He had a feeling your paths would’ve crossed eventually, but the timeline was pushed up. 

“I’m surprised she agreed that quickly,” Lorcan said.

“It wasn’t safe in Antica, anymore. There were already people gathering outside their home.” 

“It won’t be completely safe anywhere.” Lysandra replied, “but it’s safer here.” 

“Considering who her father was, I imagine she can handle herself,” Lorcan drawled. Aelin’s brow furrowed, and Rowan frowned. He hadn’t shared that, it hadn’t really struck him as particularly important. 

“Are you going to explain?” Elide pinned him with a look, and Lorcan - firmly on her leash, kept talking.

“Her father was a skilled warrior. He mated to a demi-Fae from Antica, met while visiting Varese, and finished out his military service not long after,” Lorcan said, adding “he declined the blood oath for centuries, eventually Maeve gave up on him,” as an afterthought. 

“Was?” Elide asked quietly. 

Lorcan looked at Rowan, almost asking for permission to share this part of your story - or giving him the chance to. He wondered how Lorcan knew, when it took him a lot of convincing to find out. 

“Her parents died when she was young,” he made a point to meet each of their eyes. “Don’t push her about it.” His warning tone was enough that nobody, even Aelin, pushed the question further. 

Rowan remembered enough to know how you locked up at any mention of their lives and deaths, how it took a decent amount of liquor to pull any personal details out of you. One night - after you’d had a good amount of particularly strong brew, you spilled.

For some reason, Rowan had a fixation on knowing your story. He wanted to know everything he could about you. A terrifying feeling, but he didn’t see the harm in learning, gathering information was a habit built over centuries. Even if this particular story wasn’t pleasant. If it involved you, he wanted to know. Learning your fathers name surprised him, and as soon as you said it - he didn’t know the story, but knew how it ended. 

“They bought me time. There must’ve been nearly three hundred of them - mortal soldiers,” one Fae warrior was as good as a hundred mortal soldiers, but against those odds, against three hundred …

“They hit them both with Iron first, and my mother made me promise to run for the hills - told me if I came back I would be dead, and then they would win.” Rowan kept his face neutral, but inside he winced. That was a harsh way to put it, but effective. “I made it to the hills, and hid in a tree. But … I could see everything. Eventually, they were overrun. I watched the whole thing. They spiked their heads on our fence posts, but left the house intact. For seven days, they waited to see if someone would come back. I still don’t know why.” 

He did, her father had built a reputation, and wiping out his entire family line would’ve been a prize to them. He didn’t tell you that. 

“After I was certain they were gone, I buried them, took what I could carry, and left. I’m still not certain what happened to the rest of the soldiers. Maybe twenty were left by the end.” 

Rowan knew. Lorcan hunted them down. Made a brutal example out of them. By the time he opened his mouth to tell you, you were already asleep. 

“We could use more women - and females, around here,” Lysandra switched the subject with a grin. 

“What’s she like?” Evangeline asked.

“We didn’t get to spend much time with her, but we’ll find out.” Aelin answered. 

Time. Rowan would take full advantage of every second he could spend with Ceri. He’d missed too much already. 

-

The ship steadily made its way up the river, your eyes glued on the surroundings. Terrasen was … absolutely beautiful and different than anywhere you’d seen before. Snow, that would be new to you. The sun was setting as you approached the city, steady but slow. 

“We’re going to arrive after dark,” Fenrys said, arms propped on the railing next to you. “More discreet.” 

You hummed in appreciation before your mood sobered. “Everything’s about to change, isn’t it?” 

“No need to be so dramatic,” he tutted, nudging you with his shoulder. “But yes, it is.” 

With three hours left, you all disappeared below decks to try and make yourself as … not stinky as possible. As you were making the final approach, Fenrys offered you a small flask. Alcohol - but the scent was barely detectable. Could easily be explained as time spent on a ship. You shot him an incredulous look. 

“Liquid courage, they won’t scent it on you.” You stared at him for a few moments, where had he gotten that? “If you don’t want it,” he reached a hand towards it, but you snatched it back - tipping a small bit down your throat. Just enough to take the edge off. You wiped the droplets off with the back of your hand. 

“Thank you,” you handed it back, and watched as he took a drink himself. 

“For solidarity,” and something else he wasn’t telling you. You decided it’s not your place to push. 

It certainly took the edge off as you pulled up to the docks - a carriage waiting to take you right to the castle. It was a comfortable fit with all of you. The two girls pressed their faces against each window, although with the sun already set - they couldn’t see too much. 

You knew they got closer, because Fenrys’s shoulders rolled back, his body tilting forward to look out the window. “A few more minutes,” he said. It felt like an hour, but it likely was less than a twenty minute ride. As you approached, each clop of the horse's feet, each turn of the wheel, each small murmur from a driver, all seemed to thunder in your ears. 

“Breathe,” Reya whispered next to you, and you forced air in and out of your lungs. You could do this, it would be fine. Ceri’s excited. For her, you reminded yourself. So she can have a father, so Rowan can be a father. For safety. Everything would work out, and you for her, it didn’t feel like a sacrifice. Since you felt her little life growing, you knew there wasn’t anything you wouldn’t do for her. This is no exception, a bit of discomfort you could survive. You’d adjusted before, and you would again now. 

Reya grabbed your hand in her own, for her comfort as much as yours, and the two girls squealed as the gates groaned, the carriage passing through. “A better world for us,” she whispered - so low you barely heard it, but squeezed her hand in reply. A safer place for Fae, a place for Reya to find some peace, new things for your daughters to experience.

A hand thumped on the carriage, and Fenrys swung the door open. You breathed in through your nose, out through your mouth. You could do this. 

[seat-safety-switch]

Home renovation is the reason for the season. Every time spring rolls around, folks in my neighbourhood get that itch to improve their living space. After months of being cooped up with a toilet they despise, nothing feels better than to yeet that porcelain bastard directly into a dumpster and go buy a new one, along with several thousand dollars of other stuff.

This bothered me a little bit. My house is perfectly fine for my needs, and yet I was seeing much newer parts getting thrown out all around me. My natural scrap-hoarding sense was screaming out, telling me that there was some kind of profit margin to be made here, not to let it go to waste. And yet I had no interest.

I tried to contact house scrappers. Maybe they'd think that this damaged hot tub was sweet, and out of gratitude tell me where I could find an intact rear end for a Cougar XR7. This didn't happen, as it turns out that house scrappers also hoard scrap metal, and a lack of interest in cars simply meant that all of it went into the crusher instead of just the bad stuff. It turns out that they were my sworn enemies, and I engaged in a limitless campaign of violence against them, which is a matter for another story.

It wasn't until I was at the dog park that things made sense. No, I certainly was not there to walk a dog. If you're so snoopy about it, I was actually in the area because someone had crashed a stolen car while getting chased by the police, and I figured I could loot the starter battery before the tow truck showed up. That's when it hit me.

All it took was a few weekends of hauling junk from point A to point B, and I soon had a series of "tiny homes" assembled using bigger homes' waste. Sure, they weren't really on land that I owned, except in the widest possible sense. The city wasn't going to go infringe on homeowners' rights, though, especially not with such nice hot tubs out front. The dogs seemed just as happy running around a set of handsome Tudor-style four-bedrooms as they did in a big featureless field.

[iisasarcasticlittleshite]

Heya! Thanks for working hard to feed us with wholesome and hilarious dragon mc material, I love it. In the polls, I voted for something else and I just thought about how funny it would be for mc to encounter the dragon version of catnip?? Not sure entirely how that would work lol but just thought it would be a cute idea to see

This ask is so sweet, thank you!

"Are you sure Lucifer doesn't mind us taking MC for a walk?" Simeon posed the question carefully, watching the dragon's tail swing with each step the sorcerer in front of him took.

News of MC's growth had peaked the sorcerer's interest right away, it didn't surprise Simeon to have the sorcerer meeting him in town, on his way from the House of Lamentation with the dragon on his shoulders.

At first, he believed the human when he said he had permission from the eldest to take MC for some fresh air, but the further they go from the House of Lamentation, the more Simeon thinks about it.

Lucifer is far too protective to let the little dragon out of his sight without one of his brothers around, they see MC as vulnerable in this condition, so why would they let Solomon take the little dragon?

By now, he's sticking around because they eldest is already going to assume him an accomplice.

"Fresh air will do them good, you worry too much." Solomon simpered without a care in the world, as always.

Simeon signed, resigned to his fate, and followed the sorcerer out of the city until they reached a secluded little park. "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere MC can spread their wings."

He tapped the dragon's claws, and MC immediately took off sweeping ahead between the trees with a happy roar.

"Oh...I see. Being cooped up in the house all the time must be frustrating for them."

Solomon chuckled to himself. "Lucifer hates it when they fly around RAD, he's worried they'll fly into someone's horns or something. MC does it anyway, but still."

"This is rather considerate of you." The angel tried not to sound suspicious, really he did, but the second he lost sight of MC, he realised exactly where they are. "This is the forest where those herbs you needed grow, isn't it?"

"Figured me out already, have you?" Solomon didn't have the decency to look sheepish. "MC does have a rather impressive sense of smell."

"...when Lucifer finds out, I'm letting you deal with him."

"Cruel, but fair."

The two carried on strolling ahead, meandering between the trees in comfortable silence, glimpsing Devildom blossoms. Simeon has yet to get used to the strange flora in the Devildom, it was so very different from the flowers he knew back in the Celestial realm, growing without sunlight.

It's not until Solomon stops that Simeon realises, they haven't seen MC for the last ten minutes.

Solomon called their name, magic reaching out, extending his senses, and Simeon knows he's found nothing as the sorcerer walks on with purpose in his step.

"Very funny MC, where are you?" Simeon called, already dreading the thought of having to tell the seven lords of hell that they'd lost their human.

The path passed an open field, Solomon almost marched right past it if not for the quiet, happy chirp that came from the tall wildgrass.

The sorcerer stopped in his tracks, and listened, watching a certain patch of grass shuffle conspicuously. The two crept closer, until they overlooked a delighted, wide-eyed dragon, rolling through a patch of slim-stemmed grass, rubbing their cheeks and wings against the plant while purring loudly.

"MC? What're you doing?"

The dragon blinked up at them, eyes blown wide, spread out on their back with tail swishing from side to side, almost like-

"Catnip." Solomon concluded. "Or the dragon equivalent, at least."

Simeon relaxed, assured that nothing was really wrong, he pulled out his DDD, and managed to get a video (intended to be a picture) and send it to Lucifer, just in case the eldest got worried about MC.

"So, what do we do with a dragon that's...like this?"

MC was still purring, now lying on their side, one wing tucked under them, the other spread up in the mess of grass, looking utterly blissful.

Solomon chuckled, gently scooping them up into his arms, despite their chirp of objection. "I think you've had enough fun for one day, little one. Let's go find that herb, can't have you flying around forever."

Part 7 (Finale)

[b1ackoutartist]

Chicken

The night was cool and the sky above was a tapestry of stars. Natasha and Y/N lay side by side on the grass in a secluded corner of the park, a sense of tranquility surrounding them. They had shared a bottle of wine, and the gentle buzz added a layer of openness to their conversation.

Y/N turned her head to look at Natasha, her eyes reflecting the starlight. "You know what I dream about? Living offside, away from the chaos of the city. A house by a lake, maybe with a mini farm. Just a peaceful, quiet place," she shared, her voice soft and wistful.

Natasha turned to face her, propping herself up on one elbow. "Why don't you go for it?" she asked gently.

Y/N sighed, a small frown creasing her forehead. "Carol hates the idea. She can't see herself away from the city life."

There was a moment of silence as Natasha processed this, feeling a twinge of frustration at Carol's inability to see Y/N's needs.

As they lay there, their faces inches apart, the air between them seemed to charge with an unspoken tension. Natasha's gaze flickered to Y/N's lips, and she saw a similar longing in Y/N's eyes.

For a fleeting second, they both leaned in, drawn by a magnetic pull. Their breaths mingled, and Natasha's heart raced, pounding against her ribcage. But just as quickly as the moment came, it passed. They both pulled away simultaneously, a silent agreement to pretend it never happened.

Natasha lay back, staring up at the sky, her heart still racing from the near kiss. She was acutely aware of Y/N's presence beside her, the heat from her body, the sound of her breathing. It was a moment of unspoken connection, a testament to the depth of their bond, yet underscored by a palpable tension of what could have been.The rest of the night passed in a comfortable silence, both lost in their thoughts, the memory of their almost-kiss hanging in the air like a delicate, unspoken secret.

---

Natasha pulled up to Yelena's place, honking the horn. Yelena emerged, looking confused.

"Where are we going?" Yelena asked as she hopped into the passenger seat.

"We're borrowing a chicken," Natasha said matter-of-factly, starting the car.

"A chicken? Seriously, Nat? There are better ways to woo someone," Yelena remarked, rolling her eyes.

"It's for Y/N," Natasha said, her tone softening at the mention of Y/N's name.

Yelena sighed, "You know, you could just tell her you've been in love with her for years."

Natasha glanced at her sister and flipped her off playfully. "Just help me with this, okay?"

As they approached the farm, Yelena couldn't help but tease her sister. "You do realize that stealing a chicken is not exactly a grand romantic gesture, right?"

"It's not about the chicken, Yelena. It's about making Y/N's dream a little more real," Natasha explained, her eyes focused on the road.

Yelena shook her head, smiling at her sister's stubbornness. "Fine, but if we get caught, I'm not calling Melina to bail us out again. Last time was embarrassing enough."

Natasha chuckled, "Deal. But we won't get caught. You forget who you're with."

They arrived at the farm under the cover of darkness. The mission was simple: sneak in, grab a chicken, and sneak out. But with Yelena's constant commentary, it felt more like a comedy of errors.

"This is ridiculous, Nat. We're like two spies on a mission to save the world, except it's just a chicken," Yelena whispered as they crept towards the chicken coop.

Natasha couldn't help but laugh quietly. "Just follow my lead."

They managed to grab a chicken, though not without a few squawks and a lot of suppressed laughter. As they made their escape, Yelena couldn't resist one last comment.

"Next time you want to impress a girl, maybe stick to flowers and chocolates, okay?"

Natasha just smiled, holding the chicken carefully. "This is perfect for Y/N. You'll see."

They drove back with their feathery cargo, both sisters unable to shake the feeling of another absurd but memorable adventure added to their list.

---

The morning sun was barely up when Natasha arrived at Y/N's apartment. She knew Carol had bailed on Y/N again last night, choosing to get drunk with friends instead.

Natasha knocked firmly on the door, a mix of concern and excitement in her heart.Y/N opened the door, rubbing her eyes, her hair tousled from sleep. She looked adorably disheveled, and Natasha's heart skipped a beat.

"Nat? What are you doing here so early?" Y/N mumbled, still half-asleep.

Natasha grinned. "Morning, sleepyhead. Get ready; we're going out."

Y/N groaned, "Nat, it's too early. Come back later," she said, turning to close the door.

But Natasha stopped the door with her hand. "Nope, no going back to bed. We have a schedule to keep up with," she said with a determined look.

Y/N sighed, leaning against the door frame. "Nat, I'm really not in the mood..."

Natasha softened her tone. "Y/N, trust me. You're going to want to see this. Please?"

There was a pause as Y/N looked into Natasha's earnest eyes. Finally, she nodded, a small smile appearing on her lips. "Fine, give me fifteen minutes."

"Make it ten," Natasha said playfully, stepping back.

Y/N rolled her eyes but smiled. "Ten minutes, but I need coffee first."

Natasha's grin widened. "Deal. I'll wait here."

As Y/N disappeared to get ready, Natasha felt a flutter of excitement.

---

Natasha drove with a sense of purpose, while Y/N sat beside her, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The cityscape slowly gave way to open roads and green fields.

"Nat, seriously, where are we going?" Y/N asked, a mix of tiredness and curiosity in her voice.

"Just wait and see," Natasha replied, her eyes fixed on the road. Y/N glanced at Natasha, watching her focused expression. Despite her confusion and tiredness, she couldn't help but smile softly at Natasha's determined profile.

After a while, they arrived in what seemed like the middle of nowhere. Trees surrounded them, and the sounds of the city were a distant memory.

Y/N looked around, "Nat, why did you wake me up for trees?"

Without a word, Natasha took Y/N's hand and started leading her forward. The anticipation was building, and Natasha could feel her heart racing.

As they neared the lake, Y/N's eyes widened. In front of them was a little fenced area, a small wooden structure resembling a chicken coop, some straw on the ground, a chicken pecking around, and a handmade sign that read "Y/N's Little Farm."

Y/N's gaze moved from the chicken to Natasha and back again. "Nat, is this...?"

Natasha grinned, "Your mini farm by the lake. I remember what you told me that night. You shouldn't let Carol or anyone else stop you from your dreams."

Y/N looked at Natasha, her eyes brimming with unspoken emotions. The gesture, so thoughtful and so aligned with her deepest desires, struck a chord in her heart.

"Nat, this is... I don't even have words," Y/N's voice trembled slightly.

Natasha stepped closer, her expression softening. "You don't need words, Y/N."

In that moment, something shifted between them. The unspoken feelings, the tension of their near-kiss a week ago, it all came rushing back.Without thinking, Y/N leaned in and kissed Natasha.

It was a kiss filled with gratitude, realization, and a budding love that had been there all along, waiting for the right moment.

As they pulled apart, Natasha looked into Y/N's eyes, seeing a reflection of her own feelings. "I just want you to be happy, Y/N," she whispered.

Y/N squeezed Natasha's hand, her heart full. "Thank you"

[shhh-secret-time]

Star Park AU: Stan Marsh Edition

-> Lives on Tegridy Farms with his family. His dad sold their house and moved them out to the valley when Stan was ten. (They're essentially where Marnie is in game.)

-> Sparky is still alive but he's getting older, so he sticks to laying on the porch waiting for Stan to get back

-> Plays football with Clyde, Craig, and Tolkien! Kenny and Cartman will join in sometimes and he practically drags Kyle out to join them.

-> He works for Joja Mart with his sister. They'd both rather work there than be near their dad.

》 He's saving up to move back to the city, or so he says. Truth be told he can't leave behind Sparky or his Mom.

-> He bought his own chicken coop and has a few chickens of his own.

-> He goes to the saloon every night, most nights by himself

-> But on Fridays, after Jimmy's comedy act, him and his band will play!

-> On Sundays when everyone else is in church or doing their own thing. Stan and Kyle will go up to the summit past the railroad tracks and spend hours up there. Catching up and just unwinding.

-> He probably has a mini event that's kind of like Sam's 2 heart event, where he asks the Farmer what type of music they like.

Gift Guide:

Loves: Pizza, Survival Burger, Book of Mysteries, Frozen Tears, Beer (This changes after Heart Event 6)

Likes: Joja Cola, Apples, All Eggs, Void Esscene, Large Milk

Neutral: All Fruit (Except Apples), Coffee, Peppers

Dislikes: Fertilizer, Daffodil, Any Fish, Pink Cake

Hates: Rabbit Foot, Coleslaw, Clay, Beer (After Heart Event 6)

Loved: "Dude! Are you sure?! Man this rules!"

Liked: "Oh, uh thanks! Should I get you something back?"

Neutral: "Cool, I'll find a use for it."

Disliked: "What...is this? Why?"

Hated: "What the fuck were you thinking?"

Given any alcohol after Heart Event 6: "Why would you give me this?! You know I'm trying to stop!"

Heart Event @ 2:

Stan is throwing empty beer bottles at the passing train, they shatter just as the Farmer approaches him. He looks back at them with a grin offering one for them to throw. He mentions that he was drinking with his friend Kenny but he had to go, so now he's just passing time. He's not quite drunk yet but he's tipsy. When the Farmer takes the bottle and throws it he relaxes a little, says that he's glad they're not put off by the behavior. After a little bit of silence, he asks them why they moved to the Valley. There's not a lot of money in farming and then makes a comment about how he fucking hates it. How he feels isolated from the rest of the town sometimes.

-> Feels that way sometimes doesn't it? But at least you have your friends (+)

-> You're literally closer to town than I am, don't your friends come to visit you? (-)

If First Option: He mulls it over and decides you're right. He should he grateful he at least has them. Though lately it feels like they're drifting apart. Stan comments how you must feel lonely being new to town and all.

"Oh well. I guess we can be lonely losers together. Farmer buddies and all that."

If Second Option: Stan doesn't really appreciate the sass. He wasn't looking for a pity party, just wanted to kinda vent. He makes note not to talk about it again.

"Yeah sure. I guess, but you didn't have to be a dick about it."

Heart Event @ 4:

Stan and his friends are playing pool at the tavern, a rare instance where they're all off work and finally get to hang out. He leans over the pool table and sinks another ball, much to Kyle's annoyance. As the Farmer comes in Cartman makes a comment that Kyle is getting his ass kicked and bad. It prompts Kyle to snap at him and shake the pool cue at him. Kenny and Stan laugh a little before Stan realizes you're there. He smiles and gestures for you to come over! Now that you're here they have enough for teams. Farmer is confused because there's already four of them, they make five. Stan whispers in their ear, explaining that Cartman won't play with Kyle anymore. He lost one time and now he's convinced that Kyle cheated. Something about how there's no way Kyle would ever actually win a game fair and square. When you agree he gets excited and before anyone else gets the chance he announces that you'll be on his team!

"Awesome! We're gonna smoke these guys! Kenny wrack 'em! Farmer is with me!"

⚠️ TW: Attempted suicide ahead ⚠️

Heart Event @ 6:

Stan's drinking again. Right next to the railroad tracks but this time he's got one foot on the railroad, rocking back and forth. There's glass bottles around him, unbroken and too many to count. He almost stumbles down to the ground but he keeps himself up. Farmer approaches and that's when they hear the sound of the train coming in, and it's coming fast. Stan had no intentions on moving, in fact he looks like he's about to fall forward willingly. The dead look in his eyes tells them that much. Farmer runs across the field and tackles him into the ground, the train narrowly missing the both of them. Stan lays there having just had the wind knocked out of him. His head is spinning and he feels sick, but he also feels the Farmer on his chest and his back against the ground. He's not dead. Then it hits him, you almost died to save him. You who's kept talking to him despite everything, even when he was being an ass.

"You....you could have gotten yourself killed why would you do that?"

-> I couldn't just stand there and watch you die Stan!

-> Are you crazy?! You almost got us both killed!

-> I don't know...my legs just moved on their own.

-> (Just hug him)

If First Option: Stan starts crying and presses his palms into his eyes. He lays there and sobs, but he feels safe enough to do it.

"Hey Farmer...hic...can you help me to Kyle. I'm scared."

If Second Option: He grits his teeth and digs his hand into the dirt. Stan knows what he did was crazy, he can't be mad at you for snapping like that. You just saved his life. But he didn't ask you to.

"Fuck...I know. Look, just help me get to Kyle. I think I'm gonna be sick."

If Third Option: Stan doesn't know what to say but he thinks he gets it. He just closes his eyes and tries to stop the dizzy ride his drunken state is on. He doesn't want to move but he can't just lay here all day.

"Do you think Kyle is gonna yell at me...if I show up looking like this? Maybe if I just go to sleep I won't have to think about it."

If Fourth Option: Stan freezes he wasn't expecting the Farmer to do that. They should be angry with him, furious. But they're hugging him and clinging to him for dear life. His life. Stan wraps his arms around them and starts to cry. It's the most vulnerable he's been with anyone in a long time.

"Shit...fuck dude...just please don't let me go. I don't wanna go. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Heart Event @ 8:

It's early morning when the Farmer steps out, they're greeted with the sound of music. Stan is sitting on their porch playing his old guitar, the acoustic one that's seen better days. When the Farmer gets closer he looks up at them for a moment, unable to look them in the eye for too long. After a moment of silence, he tells them that Kyle got it out of storage for him. Says it'll help him focus on something other than the withdrawals and that Kyle put him in contact with a therapist. He thanks the Farmer for saving his life, and apologizes that they had to see that. As he plays a somber tune again he makes a comment, this is the first time he's been on their farm. First time he's been out this way since they moved into the valley. He confesses that your farm is a lot nicer than his dad's and that maybe farming isn't so bad. Farmer sits beside him and he quietly continues playing, they've never heard him play this song before.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry I've been a jerk to you. You and Kyle shouldn't have to take care of me, but you did. You care and I should remember that. Sparky would have been really upset if I never came home. So thanks...for everything."

When given the bouquet:

"!! I don't understand why you'd choose me, but...I'm selfish and I want you all to myself. So I accept!"

Heart Event @ 10:

Stan is leading Farmer past the railroad tracks, he doesn't even seem bothered much anymore to be here. He leads them up the path that he's taken a thousand times. There he leads them to the summit, his favorite spot to be at. They sit together at the edge if the cliff with their legs dangling off the side. He admits to them that he liked coming up here a lot as a kid, when his dad and him would fight it was his little hiding spot. Then he brought Kyle and it became special. The days where he'd get stupid drunk he'd think about just falling forward like that day with the train. But it's because of those amazing memories with his best friend, he could never bring himself to do it. They're special and he wouldn't want to ruin them for Kyle. It's things like that, that remind him why he's alive. Things like you. He smiles at the Farmer and tells you this. Tells Farmer he wants to continue to make more memories with them so he has a reason. His hand inches closer to theirs, not quite touching. Before he can pull away, Farmer takes his hand and slides closer to him. They rest their head on his shoulder and look up towards the big illuminated moon that's in front of them. Stan wraps his arm around them and lays his cheek on top of their head.

"Every moment with you reminds me why I'm here. I'm not...perfect and I don't think I'll ever understand why you choose to stick around. But I meant what I said, I want you around me always. I can breath with you around."

Heart Event @ 14:

Stan's outside playing with Sparky and Farmer's pet, when he moved in he brought his beloved dog with him. Sparky seems to be getting better every day he's here and Stan couldn't be happier. Farmer walks up with hearts in their eyes, making him a little bashful. He rubs the back of his neck just as Sparky brings the ball back. He mentions that he really loved animals, and that he's always had a soft spot for them. Farmer questions him about his love for Survival Burgers, which he quickly points out that they're made of Cave Carrot NOT beef! After a little while of playing with the pets he sits in the field with them, looking over their hardwork. Stan turns red and starts ranting about how the last time he went to visit his dad, he started nagging him about grandkids. He's embarrassed because Randy has never mentioned it before and it makes him uncomfortable.

"He's such an ass! You'd think he'd stop trying to tell me how to live my life after I moved out. Why doesn't he bother Shelly with this?!"

-> He probably does. We don't have to have kids if you don't want them! I'm just happy you're here with me! Don't let him get to you!

-> Don't let your dad pressure you into anything you're not ready for. It's our relationship and we'll decide when and if we want kids. But if you're anything like you are with Sparky towards kids, I think you'd be a great dad!

If First Option: Stan grins and tells them they're right as always. He leans down and kisses the top of their head. Sparky walks over with the Farmer's pet and lays in their lap. Stan smirks and makes a comment about how they could just get another dog.

"Our farm is big enough for another one right? We could get one or two more puppies. They could help with the sheep and chickens! Help dig holes!"

If Second Option: Stan says he'll think on it. Later that night while Farmer is cleaning up the dishes and putting them away. Stan walks up behind them and wraps his arms around them. He murmurs in their ear that he's been doing nothing but thinking about what they said. The thought of starting a family with them is starting to sound appealing, plus it could be fun raising a mini them. He presses a kiss into their temple.

"You really think I'll make a good dad? I just don't wanna end up like mine...but if you're with me I think I could do it. And if they're anything like you, they'll be an amazing kid."

Random Marriage Quotes!!

"You looked really adorable asleep last night...you also drooled on my arm."

"Having a bad thought day...I might be a little off today. I'm sorry."

"Babe, you got dirt on your face. C'mere, let me clean it. Just let me take care of you butthead!"

"Sparky and I watered the crops today! How do you know how much to give them? I feel like I'm drowning them."

"Fed the animals! They're doing great! Would...you judge me if I took a nap out in the field with them?"

"Hey...real quick...I uh- I love you. I know I don't say it enough and I'm sorry, but I really do."

"Morning. Made you some pancakes! I stole the recipe from my mom! Why do you look scared?"

"Hey babe, I'm going to visit my parents today. Please feel free to come save me when you're done doing what you need to do."

"Are you coming to the tavern tonight? We're playing a new song tonight, I wrote it for you."

"You know, when I was a kid, when I got nervous, I'd throw up. You make me nervous sometimes but I- hey! I'm not going to puke on you, I'm not twelve. Get back here!"

Tag List: @hunnysnoops

[heyiwrotesomethings]

Country Mouse

Makima x She/Her Reader

A/N: I wrote this a month ago. Caught up on the manga in like, three days so some minor manga spoilers and some hints to more spoilers depending on when I decide to post it so please read ahead at your own discretion. I’d say not to worry about it, but I’m not sure if my hints would be as blatant to people not caught up as they would be to people who are. Word Count: 1,750~

Makima rolled down her window and inhaled the sweet air once the smog of the city was long behind her. She heard a whine from the back seat and rolled her eyes with a playful smile before lowering the other three windows down a little less than half way.

The dogs knew as well as she did that they were getting close to the farm. She had to send a few warning looks through the rear view mirror the more rambunctious they got.

“Yes, yes, I know,” she pouted, reaching back to get a handful of exited, slobbery licks over her hand, “it’s hard being cooped up in the car for so many hours, but we’ll be there soon and you can run to your hearts’ content.”

Makima loved the farm. So peaceful compared to the devil ridden city. Even she needed to get away from all of that death from time to time. The quiet, repetitive work, the lack of honking cars, crashing buildings, the absence of the scent of smog and blood and to able to look up at the sky at night and see the stars in vivid clarity…

And as if that wasn’t paradise enough, she got to be with her little country mouse.

It had been much too long since she had the opportunity to see her face to face, but the Public Safety Commission wasn’t an easy job to get time away from. The moment she saw an opening, she snatched it up. Anyone who had a problem with it need merely catch her eye and they snapped their mouths shut. She needed this and she wasn’t about to let anyone take it away from her one week more.

She turned her car onto a familiar gravel road that renewed the dogs’ wiggles and whines of excitement.

“Tiramisu,” Makima admonished with a giggle as the dog in the passender seat attempted to cross her field of vision to sniff out of her window instead.

She followed the curve of the road and finally the house came into view. As she pulled in, she saw (Y/n) step out onto the porch to greet her. She waved excitedly, earning a smile from Makima and a little wave of her fingers from behind the steering wheel.

She parked the car and withdrew the key. She waited a moment, gaining the attention of her seven dogs packed in her car like sardines.

“Wait,” She ordered softly, then exited the car.

Makima aimed a wink in (Y/n)’s direction as she took the back handle of the car door in her hand and swung it open. Still the dogs sat like statues. Makima smiled proudly.

“Go.”

The dogs didn’t need to be told twice, scrambling over each other they came tumbling out of the car. Each barreled over to (Y/n), greeting her lovingly before dashing around the property.

“I still can’t believe you manage to fit them all in there. It’s like a clown car of dogs. It makes me laugh every time.” (Y/n) beamed, brushing her hands off on her pants before wrapping her arms around Makima’s neck. “Did you have a good drive up?”

Makima gave an affirmative hum and returned the embrace and gave (Y/n) a lingering peck on her cheek. “It’s so good to be back. I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” (Y/n) returned the favor a bit more boldly, pressing a lingering kiss against Makima’s lips, “wanna come inside? I got a raspberry cheesecake in town yesterday.”

One of the dogs perked up, cocking it’s head to the side while listening intently.

“I wasn’t talking to you Cheesecake, you can go play.” (Y/n) assured and the dog went back to frolicking with Cream Puff.

“That sounds lovely.” Makima freed (Y/n) from her hug, but kept her hand on her waist as they made their way inside.

This was it. This was the peace humans strived for. A quiet, but no less meaningful life. Everyone deserved to have a place like this, a love like this, Makima believed. Nothing would get in her way of making that a reality. If she had to sacrifice a few pieces along the way, then that was just how it had to be.

“What are you thinking about?” (Y/n) asked, tapping her fork against her lips with an amused look. Once upon a time she may have been unnerved by Makima’s blank smiles, but she had grown used to them over time. It was just another oddly charming part of the devil hunter that she grew to love.

“Are you finally going to tell me you’re not human and you’re actually like, a space alien or something and you need to take me to your home planet?”

Makima’s smile curved a little higher as she brought a steaming cup of coffee to her lips, “Not quite. Just thinking about how glad I am that I met you. You remind me of what I’m doing all of this work for.”

“Oh,” (Y/n) flustered, “that’s, that’s actually really sweet.”

Makima hummed with glee as she put down her mug and finished her last bite of cheesecake.

“Shall we go take a walk now?”

“Not so fast, dishes first.”

Makima pouted.

“Let’s do them later.” She suggested.

“Mmm nope! I’m not made of dishes. Come on, it’ll be quick. You wash and I’ll dry.” (Y/n) said while gathering the plates and forks, “you got the mugs?”

“Yes,” Makima sighed, though she still smiled.

She enjoyed that (Y/n) did not easily bend to her will like others did. If she had her mind set on something, she would often stick to it unless Makima found reasons that could change her mind.

“There, see? Took no time at all.” (Y/n) wiped the last plate and put it back in the cupboard. “Now when we have dinner, the plates will be ready to go.”

“So right, darling.” Makima flicked the water from her fingers at (Y/n), making her flinch.

“Hey!”

“Walk now?”

“You are no different from the dogs,” (Y/n) dipped her hand in the draining water and gave Makima a taste of her own medicine, “Alright, let’s go. Just grab that bucket on the way out. We can collect berries.”

“Oooo,”

Makima enjoyed the little world her country mouse had crafted. A precious little garden, greenhouse for the winter months, and lovely fruit trees. As well as several winding trails leading to high outlooks in the hills or to stagnant ponds or the crystal clear river that cut through the property. She liked the feeling of walking hand in hand while the dogs flanked them on either side, only breaking formation to investigate a smell or chase after a noise from the bushes. It all felt so very natural and human.

“So how is work?” (Y/n) asked while attempting to wash the red stains of berry juice from her hands in the cold river.

Makima frowned at the back of (Y/n)’s head. As well meaning as the young woman was, Makima came here to not talk about, nor think about her work.

“Don’t remind me of all the work I left undone to be with you, pet. Let’s just enjoy our time together, please?” Makima crouched down and pouted against (Y/n)’s cheek, nuzzling deeper until she got a laugh.

“Is it really that awful, poor baby. You know, you could always quit. The pay isn’t as grand, but I’m pretty sure you and the dogs would thrive here. No offense, but the city is kind of a cesspool with so many devil attacks… I worry about you, you know.”

“I know,” Makima smiled, “and I would love nothing more than to stay here with you and take in all that the country life has to offer,” a soft kiss against (Y/n)’s temple, “but not before I eradicate devils from this plane. Everyone deserves a chance to live as freely, don’t you agree?”

(Y/n) groaned quietly, craning her head back, “Of course I do. Can’t I just be a little selfish?”

“It does feel nice to be wanted.” Makima teased. She cupped (Y/n)’s cheek in her hand and stoked the skin with her thumb, “I will say that I have found something that I’ve been searching for. For some time, I might add. If all goes well, maybe we can live out the rest of our days here together sooner rather than later.”

“The way you say it sounds kind of ominous,” (Y/n) chuckled nervously at Makima’s intense stare.

Makima blinked, then let her head fall forward to rest on (Y/n)’s shoulder.

“Does it? I promise you have nothing to worry about. Nothing beyond normal devil hunting procedure anyhow.”

“That’s still a lot to worry about, need I remind you.” (Y/n) scoffed.

Makima tilted her head to meet (Y/n)’s eyes, her wry smile hidden against her shoulder, “I suppose you got me there, but don’t you worry, dear. I am sturdier than most.”

“You are so odd. Have I ever told you that?” (Y/n) teased, pinching Makima’s cheek.

“Several times. I often wonder if I should be offended.”

“It’s an endearment, I swear.” (Y/n) assured.

Though she was enjoying sitting with Makima like this, it was going to get dark soon.

“We should gather up the dogs and go home before it’s too dark to see.”

Makima begrudgingly let her stand before following suit, then she whistled. Within seconds the dogs came flying out of the woodwork to sit at her feet. After a quick headcount, the party made their way back to the house for dinner and a movie.

When it was time for bed (Y/n) and Makima fought their way through the pile of dogs that had claimed the bed and wormed their way into the middle, curling up together beneath the heavy and warm beasts and blankets.

“It’s funny how I miss this when you’re gone, but when I’m in the moment I want nothing more than to exile all of you to the couch.” (Y/n) mumbled, wincing when one of the dog’s sneezed near her ear while another walked over her body to claim the sliver of a spot between her and Makima’s legs.

“They make the most pitiful sounds when they aren’t allowed in the bedroom though,” Makima defended, snuggling closer, well, as close as she could with Cream Puff in the way.

“Such a softy,” (Y/n) yawned, “good night.”

She felt Makima’s fingers trace along her back and relaxed further at the soft ministrations, finally closing her eyes.

“Good night,” Makima echoed, her golden eyes still fixated on the back of (Y/n)’s head, “have pleasant dreams.”

[libraryofloveletters]

Don't Fall

Rodri x Fem!Reader

Warnings: rodri is soooo boyfriend, the ice skating skills are sooo bad, friendly teasing, some falling and a few sweet moments - might be directionally wrong?? I googled, my bad in advance lmao.

Word Count: 844

Author's Note: only pookie gets it, this is my bookie fr - you would not believe how are it is to find a pic of rodri where he isn't in his man city kit. like why must these men make my life hard???

--

It was safe to say the man who comes from sunshine had yet to ice skate in his life. You made it your mission to change that; he was in Manchester, after all.

Winter break boredom was hitting you both hard. You had been cooped up in the house over the last week or so, lazing around the apartment.

The original plan was to soak up as much couple time as you could before you had to go back to work and Rodri was back to training but there's only so much you can do indoors before you start to become a bit stir crazy.

Your head rested on your boyfriend's lap, his fingers gently tangled in your hair as he flipped through the channels. "Rodri mannnn," you groaned.

"Y/n dudeeeee," he mimicked, making you smile.

"I'm losing my mind in here, we need to go out."

"Where? Most places are closed for the holidays." He looks down at you, poking your nose with his middle finger. You shrugged, feeling around for your phone. Rodri unplugs it from the changer and hands it to you, you hum a thank you and head to Google - the only place to go when you need an answer right away.

You Googled things to do in Manchester and found a few options.

The first on the list was to tour the Etihad and you were almost certain that Rodri didn't want to tour the stadium in which he spends most of his time in. You could go sightseeing or do some sort of Sherlock Holmes tour but none of these seemed like anything your boyfriend would be interested in.

You stumbled upon the thing you figured you'd both be into; ice skating.

"Cathedral Gardens had an ice rink," you show him your phone, and Rodri nods, his head tilted to the side as you rattle on about how much fun it is.

"I've never been, I don't know how to skate." He tells you and you shrug, pulling him up and off the couch. "That's fine, I'll teach you. Granted I'm not great either but we'll figure it out."

It didn't take much convincing - a few kisses and a promise to make his favourite dish tomorrow and he was on his way to get dressed.

He drove, parking a few streets away so you could enjoy the lights as you walked down to the ice rink. Rodri watches as you tell the man at the counter the sizes and he hands the skates over to you.

You and Rodri sit on an empty bench and exchange your shoes for the skates. Rodri, being the man he is, kneels in front of you to tie your laces - he always complains that you tie them too long and that's why you always trip over your feet. You rolled your eyes, you never trip over your feet.

It was a slow walk to the entrance of the ice rink, Rodri holding onto you as he tried to balance himself on his way.

You stepped onto the ice first, your back to the crowd as both of your hands stretched out to your boyfriend. Rodri carefully and hesitantly steps onto the ice, letting you help him balance himself. It took him a second of looking like a baby giraffe but he got the hang of it.

He stumbles a bit but you hold onto his forearms, keeping him steady as you two make it around the rink for the first time. You go to let do but he doesn't, gripping tighter on your arms.

You bite back a smile, "do you want one of those gripper things? That the kids use?"

On cue, a little girl comes skating by with her little holder thing which was keeping her up. Rodri rolls his eyes, "I'm not that bad, I swear."

"No!" You giggled, "you're good, you're doing good." You smiled, pulling him a bit closer so he could stand straight.

It takes you two a few minutes, slowly starting to move faster with each lap of the rink and eventually Rodri builds up the courage to let go of your hands, skating next to you rather than in front of you, holding onto you.

Right as you were setting a good pace, you tumbled over a chip in the ice, causing you to fall flat on your ass.

"Babe!" Rodri stops, sort of tumbling into the wall to stop himself. He kneels down, moving over to you - the wetness of the ice freezing his knees but he couldn't care less at the moment.

"Are you okay?!" He asks, helping you sit up.

You nod, laughing. "It's not my fault, there's a chip in the ice!"

Rodri shakes his head, smiling as he helps you up. You two decide it was time to call it a night, your clothes a bit damp from the wetness of the ice and your egos a bit bruised after seeing the little kids skate circles around you.

"Wanna watch Home Alone?" Rodri asks, unlocking the front door.

You hum, walking into the foyer. "Let me change and we'll watch it?"

The man picks you up, tossing you over his shoulder as if you weighed nothing. "We'll watch it in bed."

[klbwriting]

Adventures In Atlantean-Sitting

Chapter 5

Fandom: Aquaman

Pairing: Ormxfemale!Reader

Warnings: some violence

Summary: Orm and YN are cooped up after a metahuman attack, but when its finally safe YN takes Orm to the amusement park

Notes: 'Orm is a witch in the woods' forever

Orm’s attitude since the movie and diner date had improved immensely. He was still aggravated that he had to wear the bracelet, it itched, and he missed having his abilities, but YN wouldn’t budge. He could see now that trying to run had been a huge mistake and her trust was broken. He wasn’t sure he would ever earn it back and for some reason that irked him the most. The last few weeks they had been getting along great and he found that she was probably the best friend he had ever had. He didn’t realize that she felt the same way about him, but he hoped she did.

YN threw herself into showing Orm everything she could about the surface world. They went on hikes to lakes and wildflower fields where he asked her question after question about nature in the area. Turns out being alone for long amounts of time gives one all kinds of time to learn and YN was very knowledgeable. They would cook together, and she taught him how to bake, though those lessons normally ended with them covered in flour and noticing how much they liked the others’ laugh. And the movies, they went to the movie theater every weekend and watched different shows and movies every night on the couch. It was becoming a routine for them and Orm found he loved it. He was starting to wonder if that’s why he always used to be angry, maybe he, as YN liked to say, just wanted to be a witch who lives in the woods and gives out full size candy bars to the brave kids on Halloween. He had no idea what half of that statement meant, but he got the idea of it.

Another attack happened while Orm was there. They soon found out that it wasn’t Atlanteans, just run of the mill metahuman stuff, but YN still thought it was a good idea to stay inside for a couple weeks, make sure that Atlantis didn’t send anyone to poke around. They spent three weeks inside and by the end of it Orm was crawling up the walls. He didn’t like what the isolation was doing to YN either. Instead of doing things she normally did, she was hiding out with him because she was worried he would try to run again. Finally, he sat on the couch in the early afternoon and looked at her.

“We need to get out of here,” Orm said. YN looked at him from her place on the floor, reading. “You have read that book twice since we started this quarantine. No Atlanteans ever came looking for me, the city is rebuilding from the damage, it seems like a good time to get out and do something.” She put down the book and looked like she was in thought. “Let’s go to the movies.” Orm was trying very hard to get her to agree to go out, just for a little while.

“No, not the movies,” she said, rising. “Go get dressed, we’re doing something new, something I hope you’ll love.” Orm hopped up, not needing told again. They both went into the bedroom and Orm grabbed a shirt while YN grabbed some thinks from her closet. She turned to exit and Orm was already in his underwear, ready to throw on his new clothes. YN stared for a second. “You’ve been hiding all that.” Orm looked at himself.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she said quickly, blushing as she headed to the bathroom to change. Orm smiled a little. They had been dancing around each other, flirting here and there, and it made his blood run a little faster knowing that she was attracted to him. He sighed. He had to face the fact sooner or later, at some point in time he had stopped thinking of YN as his babysitter, or even his friend, she was so much more than that. Maybe she felt the same way? After whatever activity they did today he would have to find out.

YN put her clothes on for what she planned with Orm and then she splashed some cold water on her face. Yes, Orm was hot, and yes, she was very interested in him beyond the fact that he was hot. Ever since he had arrived, she had been chipping away at his exterior and she loved what she found. If only he could feel the same way she did. But why would he? He was pretty much a step down from being a god, and she just a human, just his babysitter while he waited for Atlantis to forget about him. It was hopeless. She let out a breath and headed back to the living room. Orm was waiting and he smiled at her, and it made her heart flutter. Alright, maybe there was some hope.

Orm was staring. This place looked as bright and colorful as Atlantis, and he felt homesick for a moment. YN seemed to notice and frowned.

“Do you hate it?” she asked, clearly worried she had made a mistake bringing him to the amusement park on the pier. He slowly shook his head.

“No, its amazing, reminds me of my other home,” he said. YN’s heart nearly stopped.

“Your other home?” she asked. Atlantis was his home, what other home was there? It couldn’t be her little cottage. He looked down at her and smiled.

“Atlantis, this reminds of there, my home here is your place,” he said simply, as if it were the truest thing in the world. YN smiled back at him and took his head. “What do we do first?”

“Roller coaster let’s get that out of the way before we try to eat anything,” she said, pulling him in the direction of a large wooden track structure. As they got in line, he watched the cars going up and down the hills and he felt a little nervous.

“What is the point of this thing?” he asked, watching as someone got off the ride and immediately emptied their stomach in a trash can. YN pushed his face so he would stop watching and he wished she would touch him again like that, he loved it.

“It’s a thrill, for some people it’s the closest they get to flying,” she explained. They soon were on the ride and Orm was screaming and laughing as the coaster raced around the track. When it finished he wanted to go again, so they did. However, after the second time he started to feel dizzy and could understand why someone could get sick on that thing.

“That was amazing,” he said as they headed to ride something else. YN took him on everything, the swings, the pirate ship, the boat hide, the haunted house. It was nothing like he had experienced before and by the time they were getting funnel cakes to eat he was trying to figure out how to come back again the next day.

“I guess you like it here,” YN said as if reading his mind. He chuckled. “I hoped you would, I know its not easy being stuck with one person, or in one place, for a long time, I hope this whole thing hasn’t been too bad.” Orm shook his head.

“Honestly, this whole thing, the cottage, the movies, the rides, you, this has been the greatest thing to happen to me,” he said. YN eyes watered a little and he worried he had stepped too far, maybe she didn’t want him to think so highly of her.

“Thank you Orm, that is incredibly sweet,” she said. She moved around to his side of the table and kissed his cheek. He blushed and cleared his throat, putting an arm around her shoulders.

“How about we do one of those games. I see one with water guns, I have a feeling I could win you something,” he offered. She nodded and they threw their trash away, and picked up some other discarded trash as they went and headed to the games.

Orm was very successful with the water gun game. YN walked out of the park with a dolphin the size of her cottage pretty much, holding it under one arm while she held his hand. They walked down the beach, and she stopped him.

“Alright, here’s the best part,” she said, turning back to the park. Orm turned and frowned, wondering what she was talking about. Then he heard a boom and saw lights in the sky. It was amazing. “The fireworks,” she explained as a few more went off. She watched him as he watched the lights. Finally, he sensed her eyes on him, and he turned to her. He was suddenly pushed by some unknown force to kiss her. He leaned in just a little, but stopped, not sure she would want this. His eyes shifted to her lips and back to her eyes and she seemed to understand. She nodded. He didn’t need told again. His lips pressed to hers, his free hand wrapping around to hold her head as his tongue pushed at her lips. She opened them and he tasted her, and he knew he never wanted to taste anyone else again. This was the perfect moment and his heart had never felt so full. He was pissed when the explosion rocked the pier. He turned and before he could stop himself, he was running back towards the attack, YN following him.

[dairyminki]

Inked By Fate - FOUR

↬ pairing/s: park seonghwa x fem!reader, choi san x fem!reader ↬ genre: soulmate!au, racers!ateez, rivalry, angst, romance, fluff, pining ↬warning/s: profanities ↬wc: 1.4k

↬a/n: i apologize for this very late update and for this chapter being short. still, i hope you all will still enjoy this one <33 guess whose pov it is in the beginning of this chap btw ;)

*reblogs and feedbacks are much appreciated!

・・・・・★

Just like the past few, it starts out in plain black.

Then it becomes hazy and suddenly a scene shifts into his view.

But unlike before, tonight was something new. The usual scenarios of his soulmate being surrounded by flowers and a bell chiming when people keep going in and out was suddenly replaced with the night city lights and silence.

From his soulmate's eyes he could clearly see how the stars sparkled and how the moon casts its light upon the beautiful city.

The place wasn't familiar though. Nothing was ever familiar to him, which led him to thinking that maybe his soulmate was living far away from his home country.

But then the scene shifts again, and he's now staring at a blurry face of a man. Something in him tells him that he knows this person, but how could he confirm it when it isn't clear enough?

He gets to stare at the blurry man for a while before everything faded back into darkness once again.

・・・・・★

Morning came, you're stretching your limbs after getting a good amount of sleep, the soft glow of the sun peeking through your room's curtains.

Then you remember last night. The experience itself was very odd and confusing.

How come Choi San has your name as his soulmate tattoo on his wrist?

You felt the connection, you saw your very own name on him, yet you two weren't the ones destined for each other. How is that possible?

You sigh as you glance at your wrist. If the initial S doesn't stand for San, then whose name does it stand for?

After taking a bath and cooking yourself a simple breakfast, you head back to your room to take out your laptop.

You'll be doing some research today. And hopefully, just hopefully you could find some answers.

"Let's start, shall we?" You say, cracking your knuckles before you start typing on the keyboard.

An hour has passed yet you're still glued to your laptop's screen, still nothing.

"Why the fuck does the internet not have any answers?" You were growing impatient, and tired.

That's when you finally decide to ring a number on your phone. Right, if anyone knows better about soulmates, then it should be her.

'Hello?'

"Jia, hi!" You greet back and immediately you hear a chuckle from the other line.

'Why do you sound rushed?'

"Nothing! I was just wondering if...you could lend me some of your time?"

'Sure! Do you perhaps want to meet up?'

You said yes and quickly ended the call, then you went inside your room rummaging through your closet to pick some clothes to wear so you could head out and meet Jia at a nearby coffee shop.

This will be your first walk under the sunlight for this week, since you've just  been going out every night and cooping yourself up inside your apartment during daytime.

The coffee shop was just a ten-minute walk, and now you found yourself sitting inside the place with a cup of caramel macchiato in hand.

You were browsing through tons of articles about soulmates when the door opened with a chime.

Jia has arrived.

After ordering herself a cup of coffee, the two of you are now seated, face to face and discussing.

"Wait, wait. So you mean to tell me, you met a guy, who you thought was your soulmate, but they turned out to be not?" Jia repeats, trying to sink into her mind the details that you just told her.

"Yes." You reply, looking at her as you take a sip of your coffee.

"And you're telling me that your name is engraved on his skin? Did I get that right?" She continues, and you nod your head.

"Woah, this case of yours is tough." Jia admits, also taking a sip of her own beverage.

"Right? This has been keeping me up late last night." You sigh, plopping your head on the table, feeling defeated.

"Y/N, give me your phone," Jia tells you and you shake your head, pouting. "No. You have yours."

"I don't, I left it at home" When you give her the stink eye, she adds, exasperated, "Oh c'mon, are you hiding something in there? Also, I thought you want me to help you with your soulmate problem here?" Jia quirks an eyebrow.

You groan, giving in, "Fine, just hurry up. Also for your information, I'm not hiding something in my phone okay?" You huff.

"Sure, whatever you say."

・・・・・★

You're already in your fifth serving of your favorite Oreo cheesecake yet Jia's still staring intently at your phone as she scrolls through numerous articles and sites about soulmates on the web.

"Found anything?" You ask after taking your last bite of the cheesecake. Jia signals you with her hands, telling you to wait.

You're drinking your macchiato when Jia suddenly squeals and slams her hands on the table, leaving you to choke on your drink.

"Oof, sorryyy!" Jia giggles despite your state. After getting you a glass of water and some tissues, she proceeds to tell you the good news.

"Listen up," Jia starts. She opens her mouth and closes it again, she does it repeatedly for a couple of times before you finally send her a glare. "Quit playing around, for fuck's sake."

"Alright, alright," She says, but then eventually squeals. When you send her another glare, she calms herself down, putting your phone down.

"Y/N...ever heard of platonic soulmates?" Jia asks, her mouth forming into an amused smirk.

Platonic what?

・・・・・★

A series of knocks could be heard from the door, yet Seonghwa doesn't exert any efforts to stand up and answer it to make it stop. Though it's starting to make his ears bleed.

He just wants to sleep more.

Sleep doesn't find him though when he hears a shriek from outside and even louder banging on the door.

"Ahhhh hyunggggg! I swear you have to wake up! If you won't wake up Imma beat yo-"

Wooyoung's voice goes unheard when Seonghwa hears his phone vibrate.

What now?

Confusion was what his face was painted with when he opened his messages and read a text from an unknown number.

Unknown Number:

Sannie, I have answers!

Can we meet up as soon as I arrive there tonight? 

Huh?

Sannie?

Meet up???

What the fuck??

Seonghwa groans and ruffles his hair in an annoyed manner.

I swear to god- 

Standing up, he hurries to grab a plain white shirt inside his drawer and some trousers.

Then he stomps his way out of the room, completely ignoring Wooyoung who was about to scold him once again while holding a frying pan in his hand. Instead, Seonghwa's eyes search the room, and he does see San happily munching his dinner in the kitchen.

"The fuck Choi, you're giving my number to one of your girls now?"

San coughs, having choked on his steak to which Wooyoung rushes to get him a cup of water.

After recovering, San faces Seonghwa with an unreadable expression, asking, "Hyung— what?"

"I said, why are you giving my number to your flings, instead of your own? What? Are you tired of dealing with their whiny-"

"Hyung, I have no idea, at all."

Seonghwa scoffs. "Sure, you don't." Then he shoves the phone in the younger's face, San squeaking. Then his expression morphs into one of recognition.

San mumbles an 'oh shit', before he takes Seonghwa's phone. He speedily composes a text message and sends it.

San clears his throat, then smiles sheepishly. "Uh, I'm sorry about that hyung, I must've given her the wrong number. But I swear this one is not a fling of mine, in fact she's a friend." 

"Since when did Sannie take a girl as a friend and not as a fling?" Wooyoung gaps dramatically, joining in the conversation as he places another batch of steak on a plate, for Seonghwa.

"I'm not like you, Woo." San rolls his eyes, he doesn't get a reply from the latter at first, Wooyoung just clutches his chest, before saying, "I'm offended." 

"And I'm out of here." Seonghwa says in a monotone and was about to turn on his heel when Wooyoung catches the hem of his shirt.

"Nu-uh, you're not going anywhere mister. Now go sit down and eat." 

"What are you, my mother?" Seonghwa spats.

"I might as well be if you're gonna keep going with that grumpy attitude of yours."

"Fine." Seonghwa grumbles and sits down. Eventually, he finds himself eating the steak as if there was no tomorrow.

・・・・・★

You're deep in your thoughts as you sit on the couch, your eyes staring at the television, your hand clutching your phone.

Then your phone beeps, pulling you out of your trance.

A small smile finds its way in your face when you read his reply to your text.

Sannie:

Sure, Y/N! ^-^

・・・・・★

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