#gia went: //sweats

[ramshacklerumble]

gia's stance on floyd is so complicated.

they cant stand him, they work well with him, he gets under their skin in a way no one else can, he's a great cook and will feed them on occasion, he forced them to work at the monstro lounge as payment after """helping""" them on some personal matters, he's actually not that bad to hang out with throughout closing time

theyve deadass come to blows a couple times.

gia dreams of kissing floyd under the moonlight.

who said that,,,

[thedensworld]

Lover | Kim Mingyu

Officially Dated!

Lover Series🖤🌼

Pairing: Idol!Mingyu x Fashion Editor!Reader (ft. Joshua)

Genre: Romance, Angst, Humour, Series

________________________________________

A memory from last week continued to linger in Kim Mingyu's mind. Well, he might have forgotten some details after consuming three and a half bottles of soju, which was his limit. But the fact that he woke up in a hotel room that wasn't his own, shirtless, with you soundly asleep on his arm, was etched into his memory. There was a glimmer of hope when he woke up that morning, finding you beside him, though your baby blue shirt you still wore in your sleep had him slightly disappointed. He had wished for something significant to have happened, a step towards reconciling with you. However, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of regret that he had hoped for anything other than a genuine, sober reconnection – the kind he truly wanted.

But that was best forgotten for now.

Let's shift our focus to the pivotal moment when you finally mustered the courage to confess your feelings for him. That night stood out as a beacon of light in Mingyu's otherwise busy week. Amidst his hectic work schedule and mounting stress, your presence added a layer of complexity to his thoughts. He wouldn't necessarily say that you were the cause of his stress, but you certainly had him contemplating more than ever before. Since the day you two reconnected after all those years apart, he had found it nearly impossible to stop thinking about you and the emotions that had never truly ceased since their inception. The truth was, he hadn't dated anyone since he met you. And he struggled to pinpoint the reason behind it. Why had he become so irrevocably attached to you?

Your confession from that night continued to play on a loop in his mind. He could vividly recall the excitement that had surged through his veins upon hearing your words, "I also have that feeling, Mingyu. The one you feel.." In that moment, he felt as if he were soaring, carried away to the stars. He had been waiting for that very moment for what felt like an eternity – and it had taken merely three bottles of soju and a dose of honesty for you to reveal your feelings. Mingyu wondered why he had waited so long to hear those words.

In moments of introspection, he pondered this question. Lost in thought, he hardly noticed when his hairstylist posed a question to him. Tonight, he was set to meet you once again. An excitement brewed within him, fueled by the anticipation of encountering you. He knew you would be occupied with the fashion show, but your affirmative response to his text asking, "Are you attending the after party?" provided enough hope to keep his optimism alive throughout the event.

Y/n: Yeah, gotta gain all those blood, sweat, and tears that have already been spent...

He had chosen to wear one of Mrs. Gia's summer/spring collection from the previous year to the fashion show. His attire exuded a natural charm, and his confidence radiated effortlessly. As he entered the venue, the flashing of cameras and the attention from the media greeted him. Among the throng of unfamiliar faces, he was relieved to spot his friend Yugyeom from GOT7. At least, he had a companion to help him navigate his desire to see you.

Wandering his gaze around the venue wasn't a novel practice for Mingyu; he had been doing so since the moment he reconnected with you. Learning about the meticulous preparation that went into orchestrating a fashion show had made him appreciate the efforts of those working behind the scenes even more. While most people focused on the guests and models — besides the clothes, Mingyu had learned to notice the intricate web of creativity that interconnected various elements – concept, visuals, and production – to create a mesmerizing show.

Amidst this thought process, Kim Mingyu's attention was captivated by your presence at the front of the house. Clad in all black, a headset covering your ears, you seemed to effortlessly command the chaos. Your lips moved in sync with your directions, conveyed through the microphone of your headphones. A smile formed on Mingyu's lips as he watched you assume your position, poised and ready to guide the show he was about to witness.

Ironically, the show itself was a blur for Mingyu that night. He found himself captivated not by the runway, but by your charismatic presence as you orchestrated the entire event. Instead of the nervousness he had anticipated, he observed you relishing in your role, moving to the rhythm of the music while directing your team through the microphone. In the midst of all this, you radiated an ethereal glow that drew his gaze.

*

The after party was a lively affair, and it became even more enjoyable the moment you stepped into the venue, accompanied by your colleagues. Yugyeom playfully nudged Mingyu, having noticed his intent stare.

"Why the fixed gaze on Director Y/n?" Yugyeom's question caught Mingyu off guard, revealing that his friend was acquainted with you.

Yugyeom went on to explain that he had worked with you on several occasions during his time in Paris. By chance, his manager had been your college classmate. Mingyu inquired about your personality, and Yugyeom's response left him satisfied. You were described as intriguing and captivating, possessing a youthful maturity that had enabled you to ascend to such a significant position at a young age.

"Why the sudden interest, Kim Mingyu? Do you have a crush on her? Need a wingman?" Yugyeom's playful tone evoked laughter from Mingyu. Little did he know that Yugyeom's jest was closer to the truth than he realized.

If only Kim Mingyu could reveal to Yugyeom that you felt the same way about him.

*

"Congratulations!" Mingyu's simple words were met with a warm smile from you, acknowledging his sentiment. In a playful jest, you graciously nodded as if you had just single-handedly averted a war – the type of nod that subtly exuded your awesomeness. The clink of your liquor-filled glasses echoed the sentiment, a cheerful toast to the moment.

Seated on barstools next to each other, you and Mingyu turned your attention to the bustling crowd. With a mirrored movement, you both faced the scene. "Do you recognize anyone aside from Kim Yugyeom?" you inquired, gesturing towards the throng.

Mingyu nodded confidently. "Almost everyone," he replied, his gaze shifting to meet yours.

"Quite the network you've built," you remarked, acknowledging his impressive ability to connect with a wide array of people within the industry. Mingyu returned your compliment with an appreciative smile. Curious to hear your side, he posed the same question to you.

Your head shook slowly in response. "I recall having worked with a few of them, but I doubt they remember me. I'm not exactly memorable," you said with a light laugh.

Mingyu's lips curled playfully, and he nudged your side. "Are you sure about that?" he asked, his tone suggesting otherwise.

With a mockingly skeptical glance, you eyed him up and down before rolling your eyes, followed by a soft chuckle. "What I mean is, I tend to stay in the background. No one really pays us much attention – not that we're seeking it. I just believe that those working behind the scenes deserve more recognition than they get, although we do get paid," you added with a laugh.

As you spoke, the cadence of your words, the passion in your eyes as you shared your thoughts and opinions, succeeded in captivating Mingyu's attention. Your intelligence and charisma never failed to divert his gaze. Your conversation was engaging, your brilliance shining through, and he found himself distracted by your presence. Mingyu was aware that it wasn't the most opportune time for such thoughts, but he couldn't help but wish to hold you close, to kiss you in that very moment. Swiftly snapping out of his reverie, he redirected his focus to your words.

"Wanna leave this place?" Mingyu suddenly interjected, interrupting your conversation. The gentle touch of his hand landing on yours halted your words, your eyes locking onto his gaze. You took a moment to contemplate his proposal, your gaze momentarily flickering to your colleagues on the opposite side of the venue. Signaling him to wait, you quickly sent a text to your personal assistant before nodding and rising from the barstool.

Guiding your steps, Mingyu led you towards the exit. A signal to his manager, a halted taxi, and he gestured for you to get in first. An unusual sense of comfort and trust settled within you – a sense you rarely experienced with strangers, and certainly not this quickly. While your relationship had been progressing positively since last week, it wasn't typical for you to be so at ease and trusting with someone. Mingyu mentioned a location unfamiliar to you, leveraging your trust to lead you wherever he had in mind.

"Is it far?" you inquired as you settled into the cab, observing him. He nodded in response.

"I have my car with me," you noted nonchalantly, prompting a facepalm from Mingyu, who was stifling his laughter. Chuckling along with him, you wondered why you had opted for a cab when you had your own vehicle.

"It's fine. We were drinking anyway," Mingyu replied, attempting to rationalize your decision.

Silence settled between you two momentarily before he softly uttered, "You must be tired," while patting his shoulder, implying that you could lean on him for support. Shaking your head, you offered a smile, but he insisted, tapping his shoulder more firmly until you relented, leaning into the spot he indicated.

"Rest. I'll wake you when we arrive."

Unexpectedly, it was the depth of rest you experienced, and you were roused by a gentle tap on your arm. The motionless cab indicated that you had reached your destination. Blinking in confusion, you surveyed your surroundings, greeted by the sight of a beach, its entrance adorned with the words 'Blue's Sanpo.'

You and Mingyu had arrived in Sanpo, a location three hours away from where you had started. A mixture of confusion and amusement colored your expression, which elicited a shrug from Mingyu. Taking your hand in his, he guided you forward. It seemed that neither of you had anticipated the spontaneity of this moment. The attire you both wore was sufficient to shield you from the evening sea breeze. Mingyu kicked off his expensive shoes, and you followed suit, sprinting towards the water with the exuberance of a child. Mingyu's eyes gleamed with adoration as he watched you, his smile widening when your gaze met his, your expression is a testament to your approval of his choice.

Side by side on the sandy shore, you and Mingyu turned your attention to the local fishermen, immersed in their labor on the sea. The ethereal beauty of their boat's lights created a captivating spectacle, adorning the waters like jewels. The ambiance was picturesque, a canvas painted by the lights dancing on the waves, announcing the arrival of fall.

"Y/n," Mingyu's voice broke the gentle rhythm of the night.

You shifted your focus to him, responding to his beckon. This night was reminiscent of a movie scene, an intimate tableau of the two of you sitting in companionable silence on the beach. Words were unnecessary as you reveled in the tranquility of the moment, relishing each other's mere presence. Anticipation hung in the air, and you could feel the warmth of his breath in the small gap between you. Gradually, he inched closer, a silent question on his lips. "May I?" he whispered.

His inquiry caught your breath, leaving you in contemplation. After a beat, you nodded, giving him permission. Without delay, he bridged the gap between you two, closing the distance. The kiss that followed was deliberate and tender, an embrace of intimacy. The backdrop of crashing waves and the chirping of crickets contributed to the symphony of the night. Every touch of his hand against your skin, every sweep of his lips against yours, resonated deeply. The sea air, laden with a hint of chill, only heightened the sensory experience.

The kiss came to an end, both of you withdrawing as you took a deep, shared breath. Opening your eyes, you found Mingyu gazing at you, his eyes filled with depth and unspoken emotions. A chuckle bubbled forth from both of you, as though you were momentarily transported back to a different reality, where such intimate exchanges were a thing of whimsy. His arm extended towards your shoulder, urging you to draw closer, an unspoken need that your body instinctively answered. Leaning into him, you rested naturally against his side, your attention still focused on the captivating tableau before you.

And then, his voice, soft and tremulous, broke the silence. "Please, be my girlfriend," his words hung in the air, a question and a plea, simultaneously vulnerable and filled with earnest desire.

*

Pledis Entertainment's Announcement: Seventeen's Mingyu Reveals Non-Celebrity Girlfriend

On December 29th, Pledis Entertainment released an official statement disclosing that Kim Mingyu, a member of the global boy group Seventeen, is currently in a relationship with a non-celebrity. The news was met with a mix of surprise and support from fans. At the same time, Mingyu took to Weverse to share his sentiments with Carats, Seventeen's dedicated fanbase. Here is the message:

"Hello, Carats! This is Seventeen's Mingyu.

I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for your unwavering support and love throughout all our ups and downs.

Though I haven't had the chance to greet each and every one of you properly, please know that I always hold good thoughts for all of us.

I'm so thankful to Carat for loving and supporting both Seventeen and me.

Moving forward, I promise to work even harder on creating music and delivering great performances.

Thanks to your positive energy, I've been fortunate to encounter only good people.

I hope that Carat can experience the same positivity.

My wish is for us to continue sharing positivity and love only.

Always with love, Carat 💎"

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

Oooh! I love this Sheila erasure we’ve got going on here. Can we get more of Jasons mom please?

"Ma!"

"Hey baby," you grunt, picking up your son as he hurtled around the corner and lept into you. Trusting you to catch him.

He smelled of laundry soap, the chat on toast, and little boy sweat as he wrapped his arms around your neck and clung to your torso like a little koala. It was familiar. And a nice change from the smell of metal, gasoline, and motor oil.

"Did you have a good day?" you ask him, brushing unruly hair out of his eyes with a smile.

"Uh-huh. Pops and me went to the parts store and got the belt for the Gia and then we got ice cream."

"I see that," you snort, tugging his shirt that was spattered with chocolate, "Did you-"

"Yours is in the freezer," he said, kissing your cheek before wiggling to be put back down, "Extra chocolate." And as soon as his feet hit the floor, he was gone. Scampering away to do... whatever he'd been doing before he heard your boots on the linoleum.

You half listen for a second as you walk forward, listening to make sure he's not doing anything rambunctious.

"Hey kid," Your father hummed, setting your ice cream in your spot at the table and leaning over to kiss your head as you sink into the chair.

When you look at him in askance, asking without asking where your mother is. Wanting to avoid the familiar lecture about spoiling your dinner he grinned. "We're fending for ourselves tonight," he said, "She's over with the girls from the beauty shop."

"Oh no-"

"Eh, I got bail ready," he said winking. "And anyway, Wayne is gonna be spending a pretty penny on that mess-"

"And it just keeps getting worse," you tell him. "It's like he took it to someone and said, I need you to break as many expensive things as you can without totaling it."

Your father snorted but turned back to the books he was looking over, keeping his thoughts to himself. He'd seen the way Bruce had looked at you when he'd come to check on his car. When you weren't looking. And he figured that was probably EXACTLY what had happened.

What he didn't want to think about was why.

[practically-an-x-man]

Ok, Eclipse day is over, did your OCs see the eclipse, and how did they react if they did?

Thank you!

Rae: Cancelled all her foreign-languages classes so her students could enjoy the eclipse with her (she knows it's only a few minutes and they could have just stepped outside and then gone back in for class, but the kids could use a break anyway), and she and Warren go up to the roof to watch it themselves.

Robin: Missed it - didn't realize what day it fell on, and was in the middle of an opera rehearsal at the time

Madison: Hiked up to Lake Zenith with Alex and her sisters to see it. She saw an eclipse as a kid, her family traveled to see it, but it's still impressive this time around.

Ophelia: Tried to see it, but it was cloudy in NYC that day and she missed it.

Gia: Didn't plan on leaving the house, but Kate showed up with two sets of eclipse glasses and dragged her up to the roof of her building to watch it together (she protests at first but secretly loves it)

Jasper: Drove out with Kyle to the middle of the swamp somewhere so they could watch it in peace, managed to catch a partial eclipse but not total coverage.

Kestrel: Nope, was out on a mission for the Knights and was on a completely different continent at the time

Katherine: Went to go see it, drew it, took pictures, and showed those pictures to everyone at the museum. Ahk was briefly worried about Apophis eating the sun, and Larry had to explain the concept of an eclipse to him.

Quinn: Didn't really bother, doesn't really see the appeal. Kinda laughed at the other Ghosts all staring aimlessly at the sky, sweating their asses off, trying to get a glimpse of it. They're in the wrong part of the country anyway.

Eris: Rick wanted to see it, so they took a trip up to the path of totality, but Eris has seen dozens of eclipses in their life and just doesn't get particularly amazed by it anymore. They did snag a glimpse or two, sans-eclipse glasses, and temporarily blinded himself until his healing factor fixed his corneas.

Nikoletta: Had never seen an eclipse before, and neither had Abner, so they actually both get the eclipse glasses and watch it for as long as possible, and are both incredibly impressed.

Jimmy: Heard that Lars and Lucky were going to pop out around lunch to try and catch a glimpse and asked to join them. They also weren't in the path of maximum coverage, but Jimmy was awed at even the little sliver they got (he'd never seen an eclipse before either). Lars insisted that he borrow his eclipse glasses, even though he's a ghost and probably wouldn't suffer any ill effects.

[acaciasmith8]

BLOSC Acacia's Adventures The First Chapter: Chapter 2

Ice Cream Galaxy 

The Space Rangers and Buzz Lightyear made it to the Ice Cream Galaxy, and start looking around and investigating the building. And Buzz Lightyear started talking to Gia the the Boss about what happened.

Gia: and then the hornets took her away to Zurg's big spaceship! I don't know what to do, so I called one of you guys.

Buzz Lightyear: you did the right thing of calling us. But tell me has Zurg ever been this place before this happened?

Boss: no! I never seen him set foot on my cafe....... I don't think..

Buzz Lightyear: ok, but tell me gia, what is your friend's name?

Gia: her name is Acacia Smith.

Buzz Lightyear: and how old is she?

Gia: she's 27..... oh and just to be clear for a warning! She has autism.

Buzz Lightyear: alright then. Do you have a picture of her to see what she looks like?

Boss: I do! She's the employee of the month so I put this picture in the walls with the other employees they have one of the months ago.

The boss grabbed the picture and gave it to buzz.

Gia: Acacia has been working here for the past five years.

Booster came up to buzz and saw the picture of Acacia and got shocked.

Booster: hey! I know her!

Mira: you do?

Booster: yeah I came to this cafe for once a month, and she's a nice person I know. But I am curious about why would Zurg want her like that?

Buzz Lightyear: I don't know, but I had a feeling that there's another king of Evil scheme that Zurg has right now.

Planet Z

Acacia slowly opens her eyes and started looking around the room, when she looked around the room she saw the balcony! She went to the balcony and looked around outside. She sees red buildings, red factories, red skies, and when she turns and looks up, it's Zurg's Tower!

Acacia: I'm...... On Planet Z?! I can't be on Planet Z! 

Her heart is racing and her nerves are quick, and her sweats are coming out of her body, she wants to throw up and cry! But when she heard a door open she turned around and saw one of the other kinds of Zurg's minions. It's a little grub just came over to see Acacia.

Grub: miss Smith? The Emperor Zurg is ready to see you sense you'll be awake. Now follow me please.

Acacia feels like she has no choice but to follow him. She wanted to know what Zurg wants from her? When she followed the grub they made it to Zurg, Zurg is just looking out the window probably minding his own business.

Grub: my Evil Emperor Zurg, Miss Acacia Smith is finally awake and already here to see you.

Zurg still looks out the window and didn't want to turn around yet.

Zurg: good. Now please, leave us.

The grub left, everything is quiet now. Acacia stood quiet patiently and tried not to be afraid, she doesn't know him, but she knows of him. He turns to her, Acacia closed her eyes, began to shake, and try not to run in panic. 

She can here his footsteps sound like he's going speed walking, and all of the sudden when she's still having her eyes closed, she can feel something on her body grabbing her! When she opens her eyes, it was Zurg bugging her?!

Zurg: oh it's finally happening! I've always dreamed of seeing you up close and what hugging you feels like!

Acacia got really confused. She knows what Zurg can be like sometimes, but nothing like this! So she's trying to get released.

Acacia: well, I'm glad you did, but can you please let me go? Your getting tight, and it's hard to breathe.

Zurg: oh! Well, so sorry.

Zurg released Acacia, and she took three steps away from him.

Acacia: now, please tell me? Why did you send your robots and that brain guy to take me away? And what is your other evil scheme?

Zurg: oh! Well I'm not doing Evil schemes right now.

Acacia: ok? But why did you send your minions to kidnap me anyway?

Zurg: well, it's pretty complicated for you to understand. But I will explain to you carefully. You see, I have been knowing you maybe a little for the past three months. And it's hard to get you out of my head.

Acacia started shaking, but didn't want to get fear in her eyes. She wasn't sure what he's saying, but she had a feeling it's probably not good! So she was thinking about running away. But Zurg grabs Acacia's hand cause he knew she's was thinking about running away from him.

Zurg kneeled down both his knees and began the biggest words that Acacia wished she didn't want to hear it!

Zurg: please be my Empress!

Acacia: wh..... Why would you want that?!

Zurg: it's hard being the only ruler in this planet, and I have tried to find someone to be my one and only. But when I tried, it didn't work out for me......... But when I saw you, you're different then others! You may have a kind heart, but you also show anger to some people. When I see you do that it makes my heart pound like it's about to come out of my chest! So tell me Acacia Smith, tell me you want to be my Empress and my lover, do you accept my proposal and confession?

Acacia's eyes wided with shocked and fear, her heart is beating too fast and didn't know what to do! She feels like she wants to pass out, but she took a breath and began to speak.

Acacia: can you let me think about it first? I'm having a bit of pressure.

Zurg got up

Zurg: of course! Just don't take too long, I can be inpatient, you can go back to your room, I'll be coming back for 20 minutes to give me an answer.

Acacia walked back to the room where she was when she wakes. When she got in, her hands were on her chest and started shaking again. She tried to held in her tears so she can figure out how to get out of here. She quickly looked around the room and found some clothes in the drawers and the wardrobe!

So then she quickly tied them together as a rope, and threw them on the balcony! Good thing there's a lot of clothes to make it a lot longer, cause you don't know how high this tower is. When she climbed down the door began to knock!

Zurg: hello? Are you ready to think about it now?

Everything is silence and Zurg knocked the door again. He can't hear what on the other side, so he had no choice but to open it. When he opened the door, he noticed the clothes are tied as a rope! He rushed to the balcony, looked down and saw Acacia running away!

Acacia ran as fast as she could and find a good place to hide! Case she knows he'll might find her soon! She tried her best to hde from him so she could find a nearest spaceship to get on, get out of this planet, and find someone to help her. But it's too late Zurg poped out of know where and grabbed her whole body so she wouldn't go anywhere. And Acacia just started kicking his legs lots of time, but Zurg's handling the pain.

Acacia: LET ME GO!!!

Zurg: are you crazy! Your not ready to go this place outside yet! Do you want to get yourself killed out there?

Acacia: YES! IF IT GETS ME AWAY FROM YOU!

Zurg: but.... I love you....

Acacia: YOU DON'T LOVE ME! YOU'VE STALKED ME AND NOW KIDNAPPED ME! THAT'S CALLED OBSESSION!......... And you scare me...... I want to go home....... I can't be your Empress...... Please let me go home.....

Zurg's heart dropped and his blood began to rise. He grabbed her body tighter and his claws that holds one of her arms began to dig through her skin and started to bleed.

Zurg: I can't let you go home..... And I can't let you leave..... Your the last person I want..... SO YOU CAN NEVER LEAVE!!

Acacia: Zurg.... Your hurting me! I can't breathe!

Zurg didn't make his arms go tighter anymore. And Acacia didn't look at Zurg in the eye.

Acacia: Buzz Lightyear is going to find me, and rescue me. And he'll stop you from this nonsense.

Zurg: he might, but I will find you again. And if he tries to rescue you again, and again, and again, he'll might just give up the rescuing and he'll might let me have you.

Acacia went silent thinking he could be right or wrong. She knows about Buzz and Space Rangers, they shouldn't give up. And not even on her.....

Zurg carries Acacia and fly off to his tower. When he made it, he let go of her and grabbed her wrist very tightly. Acacia notice the Grubs and the Brain Pods looking shocked and feeling bad for her, they don't know what to do but just stand there and do nothing. But Acacia didn't blame them.

Acacia notice this isn't the way to her room and saw a strange metal door. He use his pin code to Open the door, and when he Open the door he pushed her into this empty dark room.

Zurg: NOW YOU STAY HERE AND THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE DONE!

He shuts the door and Acacia started banging! When she stops she breaths to fast her stomach tickles too m

uch for nerves and began to puke! She puked all over the floor, lean back to the wall, slid down to the floor, hung her head, and cry.

[cessreads]

I haven’t been feeling great lately. I’m kind of been isolating myself the past 3 weeks. I have spent all my time reading jegulus fanfictions over my summer break and it’s fun and I know it’s how I cope when life is shit. I read nothing but fanfictions for months until I’m better.

Yesterday Yvonne and Gia dragged me out of bed and we went to this lovely farm an hour and a half from home. We spent the day talking about school and laughing about last semester’s breakdowns and it felt nice that somehow I’m not the only one who’s having a hard time. Well, I don’t mean it’s “nice”. More like I’m glad I have friends who are going through the same shit as me and that we’re helping each other out and things will be fine. I love them. We ate so much pizza and pastries. We ran around the farm laughing and sweating and just having fun. I’ve forgotten what it felt like. I’m glad I got out of bed today.

On the way home, we belt out taylor swift songs at the top of our lungs. I don’t usually enjoy long car rides but this was nice. I haven’t felt this happy in a while.

[angelasscribbles]

Savage Love Chapter 22: Condottiere

 Series: Savage Love

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Pairings: Riley x Liam, Riley x Drake

Rating: NSFW (ish)    

Warnings: hint of lemons

Word Count: 3,043

My other stuff: Master List.

Drake knew I was lying about my freak out in the shower earlier, but he let it drop. Thankfully. I honestly didn’t know if I could lie to him if he continued to push.

I knew I should slow things down again, push him away, maybe put an end to the whole thing. As I combed through my wet hair, I resolved to do just that; but by the time we were eating breakfast, I found myself wiping crumbs from his face, my thumb lingering on his lips. I’m not sure I had ever wiped crumbs off someone’s face before. I just wanted to touch him all the time.

I went back into the bedroom to slip on a pair of shoes as Drake waited by the front door. My eyes fell on the bed as I pulled a pair of Louboutin pumps on my feet. Liam’s bed. Memories of the night before fell through my head as I finished getting ready.

Liam’s body, hard and toned, behind me in the tub, soap suds sliding down his chest, his arms encircling me. His smile when I turned to kiss him, the way he stiffened when our lips met, embarrassed at how quickly he’d been aroused.

Liam lifting me out of the water. The way his lips never left mine as he carried me to the bed.

Liam on top of me, sweat beading his skin as his muscles coiled and tensed under my hands.

The way he’d pulled me close and held me tight. How right it felt in his arms.

“You get lost in there, Brooks?” Drake’s voice jerked me back to the present.

“Coming!” I hurried out the room, flustered.

We made it to the conference room on time, barely. Leo was flipping through paperwork. Jason and Max had their heads together about something and Jared was back from the hospital, he sat in one chair, his injured leg was propped up on another. Liam was seated at the conference table across from Leo, next to the chair I usually sat in. There was no way that wasn’t on purpose. I wanted to be annoyed with him for it, but I wasn’t.

I sat down in my usual spot; Drake took the seat on my other side. Nope, not awkward at all.

“So, I think we know how Rico was able to get Tariq to do his dirty work.” Jason said.

I glanced at Leo, who told me, “Drake updated me last night and I got these two on it right away.”

“Ok.” I turned back to Jason, “How?”

“Gambling debts!” Max answered triumphantly. “His finances are a hot mess. He has gambled away most of his family’s fortune.”

That made perfect sense. You don’t turn down a loan shark when they give you an assignment. This could be a huge break, pointing us to who Rico was working with, “Who does he owe?”

“Lorenzo Romano.” Jason answered.

“Who is that?” I asked.

“Well, he’s a loan shark, obviously. But I started digging around in his finances and he is definitely linked to the Gladius Company, a band of mercenaries used by a lot of mafioso’s as enforcers.”

“Ok, do we know who runs that?” I was trying to find a connection between Lorenzo and Rico.

“It’s a fairly new operation, but we are fairly certain it’s being run by a man named Saguaro Laurent.”

“Shit!” Jared’s exclamation drew everyone’s attention.

“You know the name?” Drake asked.

“I know the name. He was second in command to the Condottiere.”

“The Condottiere?” Leo raised his eyebrows questioningly.

I explained, “A mercenary operation pretty much like the Gladius Company. The GIA took them down about six years ago. The leader is serving eight consecutive life sentences, but his lieutenant got away.”  

“Looks like we found him.” Jared said.

“How familiar are you with this guy?” Drake asked.

“Not much.” I replied, “I didn’t work that case.”

“Really?” He sounded surprised, “You sure seem to know a lot about it.”

“There’s a reason for that.” Jared snorted.

I shot him a death glare, “Shut the fuck up, Lewis.”

He shrugged, “Whatever, Brooks, but you know we have to call him in.”

“Call who in?” Drake’s gaze shifted back and forth between us, looking for answers.

“I am out of commission, physically speaking, so I can’t go undercover with the staff at the Nevrakis estate and I’m worthless in a fight.” Jared told him, “The agency will be sending someone to replace me anyway. I’ll stay on in an advisory capacity, helping out with intel and I’ll still liaison between Brook’s field work and headquarters, but she needs a new partner.”

“Okay…” Drake said carefully.

Jared went on, “Now that we know Laurent is involved, we need an expert on the Condottiere, someone who knows how this man works, someone who spent years tracking him, studying him. The man that took his organization apart the first time. We need Nick Adler.”

“No, we fucking don’t!” I had never wanted to hurt Jared as badly as I did in that moment.

Jared fixed me with a stern look, “I thought you didn’t let your personal bullshit get in the way of business, agent. If you use your professional judgement and not your emotions, you have to admit that he’s exactly who we need.”

If looks could kill, Jared would definitely have exploded into a million pieces right then and there. I held his gaze for a few heated moments before all the fight went out of me. A frustrated whine escaped my lips and I hated myself for it. He was right. Damn it, he was right.

“Fine! Get Barton on the phone and update her. It’s her call.”

“You already know what the call will be.”

“I said fine, get him here.”

“Whoever this Nick guy is, he’s not going to be a problem, is he?” Leo asked.

“No, he won’t. He’s a good agent, one of the best. We just have a…uh…past, but it won’t get in the way of the investigation, I can promise you that.” I avoided eye contact with both Drake and Liam. The last thing I wanted was my past on display for either one of them.

“So, the assumption is that Rico used Saguaro who used Lorenzo to get Tariq to do his bidding. The Mendez cartel used the Condottiere a lot before they were taken down. It’s possible Saguaro stayed in touch with Rico.” Jared shifted the discussion back to business. Thank God, because I could feel the gazes of both Drake and Liam boring into me.

I ignored them and turned to Max, “How’d you find out so much so fast?”

“Orange soda and jellybeans! I can’t work without them. Brain food!” He explained.

“Uh huh.”

“I stayed up all night. I told you, I’m The Kraken, the assassin of cyberspace! I can find out anything about anyone!” Max was bouncing in his seat. He had way too much energy for this early in the morning.

Leo asked, “So where are we on the Via Imperii and is this thing with the cartel guy going to impede that? No offense Riley, but if you’ve been compromised, we need to bring in a new agent.”

“I haven’t. We don’t think Rico knows why I’m here, not yet anyway. We need to find him and take him down before he figures it out and exposes me though. As far as the Via Imperii, I’m having lunch with Neville today. I’ll continue to pump him for information. The next Via meeting is in two weeks. Have we gotten anything from the bugs we planted?”

“Jason’s been monitoring those.” Max said.

“Nothing so far.” Jason answered, “It doesn’t seem like anyone lives there, they just use it for meetings. We haven’t picked up anything since the night you were there.”

“Meanwhile, Drake, Liam and I are still leaving for Auvernall tonight, right?” I was dying to follow up on the secret Rys sibling mystery.

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Riley.” Liam said in concern, “Now that we know a madman is out to get you.”

“Actually, getting her out of the country for a few days might be a good idea.” Jared said, and once I again I silently thanked him. I knew my life was a mess when I was thankful to agent Jared Lewis for anything. “We just have to ensure no one knows she’s leaving. She’ll be safer off the grid.”

“I can make that happen.” Drake replied instantly. “Getting her out without anyone knowing won’t be a problem.”

Leo nodded, “You know I’d go with you, but I have too much going on right now and I can’t get away. Plus, the press will notice and question what I’m doing there. They pay less attention to Liam.”

“One last order of business.” Liam said, “Riley can’t stay in that room anymore.”

“But everyone needs to think I am.”

“I’ll keep the room assignments the same on the official books.” Drake spoke up, “You can come and go through the passageways, so you’re seen entering and leaving that room, but I’ll have two guards posted in there twenty-four seven. If there’s another attempt at an abduction, whoever it is will be in for a big surprise.”

“The room next to Drake is empty, use that one. If there’s nothing else, I have a meeting with some delegates from France.” Leo said as he stood and gathered up paperwork. He looked at me before he turned to leave, “Be careful out there, Riley, I’d hate to see anything happen to you.”

“I always am.” I assured him.

Lunch with Neville yielded nothing new, but I did have to sidestep his attempts to set up a more private date. Ew, no.

I was finally able to slip his company without being rude. I was hurrying back toward my room when I heard my name being called.

“Riley!” Hana was coming down the hallway from the other direction.

“I am so happy to see you!” I told her as she stopped to hug me. I was actually happy to see her. I hadn’t had a lot of close female friendships in my life. You don’t really make friends at court so much as frenemies and sycophants.

“Me too! I haven’t seen you around in a few days.”

“I’ve been busy, but do you have some time right now?”

“Sure. What’s up?”

“I just….I could really use someone to talk to!”

“Do you want to go up to your room?” She asked.

“Let’s go to yours.” I suggested. There were guardsmen in my room that I wouldn’t be able to explain.

Once we were alone, she turned to me and said, “Ok, spill!”

“You remember the night on the balcony? How both Liam and Drake tried to get me to go back to their rooms with them?”

“Yes….”

“Well, I’ve been sleeping with both of them.”

She sucked in a scandalized breath, “Really?”

“Really.” I laughed. “Don’t look so shocked. It’s not that bad.”

“Aren’t they best friends or something?”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t seem to be affecting their friendship.” Which I was grateful for.

“So, they both know about the other?” I hadn’t thought she could look more scandalized than she had a moment ago, but I’d been wrong.

“Of course.” I answered her, “It would be weird otherwise.”

“And it’s not weird now?”

I snorted, “Maybe a little.”

“So, they both know about each other, it’s not affecting their friendship and clearly it’s not deterring either of them from pursuing you. You’re sleeping with both of them and enjoying it, I assume from the fact that you keep doing it. Have I got that all right?”

“That about sums it up, yeah.” I agreed.

“I don’t see the problem.”

“The problem is that they both want a relationship, and I don’t do those!”

“Why not?”

Why indeed? Why was probably on his way here right now. “It’s….complicated.”

“It always is.” She nodded sagely, which made me giggle for some reason.

“I just need to not feel….feelings for either one of them!”

“From where I’m sitting, it looks like you might be feeling feelings for both of them!” Hana said.

“Ugh!” I blurted out in exasperation. “I know! That’s the fucking problem!”

She considered that quietly for a moment. “Maybe you’ve just been spending too much time with them, maybe you should sleep with someone else, see if that gets either, or both, of them out of your system.”

“Yeah….maybe…” I said doubtfully, “But who?” Maxwell Beaumont had given me a look right before we’d gotten in the limo to go to the Via Imperii meeting, but I quickly dismissed that idea. Sleeping with someone else that was involved in the investigation and also friends with both Liam and Drake just didn’t seem like a good idea. Bertrand? Ew, no. Leo wasn’t my type, and he was in love with Liv anyway. Liv. Hmmm. Yes. But she was in love with Leo, so no.

Madeleine. I jolted upright in my seat. Madeleine! I was willing to bet good money that she knew far more about the inner workings of the Via Imperii than Neville did. She was hot as hell and I’m pretty sure I’d caught her checking me out a time or two. A tryst with Madeleine could kill two birds with one stone. Get me the information I needed on the Via Imperii and distance myself a little from Drake and Liam. Prove to myself that I was not falling for either one of them.

Liar! My inner monologue yelled at me, but I ignored it. “Hana, you might be a genius!”

“If you knew me better, you wouldn’t sound so surprised by that.” She quipped and it made me laugh again. “So, who’s it going to be?”

“Maybe no one.” I replied honestly. I hadn’t really had much sexual interest in anyone else lately. Which was unusual. I told myself it was just because I was getting it on a regular basis but that wasn’t the whole truth. “But maybe….Madeleine….”

Hana’s eyes widened in surprise, “Amaranth? Is she gay?”

I shrugged, “One way to find out.”

Hana covered her mouth with a shriek, “Oh my God, Riley! That’s insane! Two of the prince’s top three suitors doing each other?” She fell over on her bed as laughter ripped through her.

I couldn’t help but laugh with her. It felt good to laugh. I should hang out with her more often. “I mean…..whatever. He doesn’t get to hoard all the hot women, right?”

Hana sat up, still laughing, and wiped tears of mirth from her eyes, “Why not? You’re hoarding all the hot men!”

“Shut up! Stop!” I needed to stop laughing, it was making my sides hurt.

My phone dinged and I looked down at it. This was predictable, but still unfortunate.

“Is everything ok?” Hana asked.

“Yes, fine.” I lied, “I have to go, I need to call home, just a minor issue with my mom, nothing serious, but you know how moms can be.”

Hana nodded sympathetically and I felt a little bad for playing on her family trauma, but I needed her to stop asking questions. I liked her. But I couldn’t draw her into a GIA investigation. She was an untrained civilian. She was safer not knowing anything.

I headed back to the conference room, via my old bedroom. I nodded to the guards on my way from the door to the secret panel. Anyone watching me would think I was in my room, not two levels up and on the east side of the palace rather than the west, in conference room.

I burst into the room to find Leo, Jared, Liam and Drake waiting for me. “I told you this was the most probable outcome.”

Tariq Lambros was dead. Washed ashore an hour ago. That was the price of failing the Mendez cartel.

“How?” I demanded.

“Two bullets to the back of the head, execution style.” Drake answered.

“Classic cartel assassination method.” Jared said.

“It’s too bad we didn’t find him first. Now he can’t answer any questions.” Which is precisely why they killed him. “On the upside, we should now be able to bring in the loan shark in for questioning.”

“We’re on it.” Leo said, “You three go onto Auvernall as planned. We’ll handle things here.”

“I can do the questioning.” Jared offered, “But he probably isn’t going to talk.”

He wouldn’t. It would be signing his own death warrant and he knew it. They never talked. But we had to try.

“Thanks, Jared. Have you talked to Barton yet?”

“Yes. Nick should be here by the time you get back from Auvernall.”

“Great.” I said, copious amounts of sarcasm dripping from the word.

“So, are we going to talk about this Nick guy?” Drake asked as he and I and Liam headed back toward their rooms to get ready to leave for Auvernall.

“Nope.” I replied.

“Ok then.” I could hear the frustration in his voice.

I didn’t want to talk about Nick. Not yet. Not while I was still struggling with my feelings for each of them. Dealing with my issues around my ex was too much, too soon, too personal….or maybe exactly what I needed to do to get some closure and resolve said issues.

I’m not clueless. I’m under no delusions about why I bury myself in my work. Yes, I love my job, love the work that I do. I loved it before Nick, but there was no denying that after I used it to distract me from my pain and avoid getting hurt again. Hard to get hurt if you never let yourself care about anyone.

Except that now I had and my past and present were on a collision course with each other.

Without really thinking, or realizing what I was doing, I slipped one hand into Drake’s grasp as we walked and the other into Liam’s. I felt a little squeeze from each of them. Neither drew away.

Maybe I was an idiot for fighting against these feelings. Maybe I should let one of them in. But which one?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[armandisdaddy]

Dangerously In Love Pt .1

Pairing: Fezco x Black Fem Reader

🔞 No Minors !!!

Warning(s)/Content⚠️ : Drug Use, Underage Drinking and SWEARING!!

Y/n was new in town, she was cousins with Rue and let’s just say things where she lived originally had went to shit, but that’s another story for another time. She knew of Rue and her issues with addiction, but who was she to judge she would partake in party favors every now and then, but she knew for Rue it was rooted way deeper than that so she did feel for her and her Aunt Leslie and Gia. The first night she was there Rue was off to a party; meeting up with Jules and Kat. “Hey, Y/n you tryna go to a party with me and my girlfriend, Jules?” Y/n shrugged, “Shit, why not?” It didn’t take too long for her to get ready, she wore her bright red thigh length knotless braids in a high ponytail with a side swoop, a glittery black two piece mesh crop-top and matching mini skirt out with some heels. When they pulled into the party it was already packed. There were teenagers and college kids all over the place already high, drunk, or both. Rue took her hand to pull her through the crowd to go find Jules and on the way that bumped into Lexi standing off in a corner observing. “Hey Lex! This is my cousin, Y/n. She’s gonna be staying with me for a while.” Y/n and Lexi exchanged waves and smiles as Lexi said, “Yeah, I’m kinda Rue’s best friend, I’ve known her since kindergarten.” Y/n just smiled and nodded and got pulled off before she could even say anything since Rue finally spotted Jules. “Hey, Jules!!!”, She screamed. Jules looked over and her eyes lit up once she saw her. Her and Kat were drinking when Rue and Y/n approached her. “Jules, Kat this is my cousin, Y/n.” They looked her over and Jules screamed, “Damn she hot!!!” Kat agreed, “Right?!” Y/n blushed, “Heh thanks guys. Rue? Who the fuck do I go to to get some drugs around this bitch?” “Oh yeah, that would be Fez.”, she replied. “Okay and who would I be looking for exactly, girl.” Y/n laughed. “Oh yeah fuck, ginger has a beard you’ll find him sitting on a couch somewhere you’ll know him when you see him.” “I’ll come find you guys in a second, it’s was nice to meet you Jules and Kat.” Walking off Y/n went to go find the kitchen first so she could get a drink in her hand. Finding the nearest empty solo cup she found a bottle of something dark and took a sip before looking for this guy named Fez. Of course it took no time she just looked for the loner sitting on the couch. When she finally saw him she stopped in her tracks. Was she nervous, that rarely ever happened to her before. She could let him see her sweat so she shook it off and continued to approach him. He was in the middle of supplying another customer when she walked toward him, but he definitely noticed her. He sized her up and quickly got rid of the person ahead of her before speaking, “What can I get you, ma?” Y/n giggled and bit her glossed lip, “I need molly and Mary-Jane, please.” She looked at him as if she could devour him right there, but she quickly snapped back into reality when he start talking to her as they made their exchange. “I haven’t seen you around here before, ma. What’s your name?” She quickly found herself finding a seat next to him, “I’m Y/n and you must be Fez. I’m Rue’s cousin so she told me who you were of course. I’m staying with her for a while.” He smiled at the way she said his name it was cute, “That’s cool or whatever. So like how old are you?” She popped her molly and took another swig of her liquor, “I’m 18. I’ll be spending my last year of high school here.” Nodding he took a long drag of his blunt and exhaling the smoke he looked over at her with those captivating eyes, “That’s what’s up, mama.” Before she could even respond, Jules pushed through the crowd looking for her. “Hey, have you seen Rue around? She said she was looking for you, but she never came back.” You looked around and went to check your phone you missed a call from her and she sent you a text. “Oh no I haven’t seen, but I’ll help you look for her.” Looking back at him she sighed and waved goodbye. “Hey, before you go can I get your number, pretty girl?” “Yes, text me see you later, Fez.”

Part 2|

[abookishdreamer]

Character Intro: Cyrene (Kingdom of Ichor)

Nicknames- Lioness by Apollo

The Lion Killer by the people of Olympius

Age- 17

Location- Thessaly, Olympius

Personality- A true fighter, she's tough, loud, & confident. She's not traditionally into feminine things- preferring cars and leather to lace & make-up.

Cyrene's half mortal & half oceanic nymph. She's the oldest of four girls, born to her parents- her dad Hypseus & her mother Chlidanope (Lida for short). She has three younger sisters named Themisto, Alcaea, and Astyagyia (called Gia for short). Hypseus is a retired sergeant in the Olympian Army while Lida is a homemaker/stay at home mom.

Her & her family own a sizable farm, with them mainly herding sheep. The farm first came about a little after her Hyseus retired, dealing with PTSD. The sheep first started out as comfort animals to him.

Despite being half oceanic nymph, Cyrene can't breathe underwater. Out of her siblings, only Gia inherited this trait from their mother (as well as having a tail while in water- her tail having light pink & yellow scales). Cyrene & her family have been to the Underwater realm for a few summers, to visit their mom's side of the family.

Growing up, Cyrene enjoyed the days before her dad's deployments. They'd spend the day at the park & zoo before returning home to watch wrestling on TV- pigging out on pepperoni pizza and rum raisin ice cream.

A noticeable feature of Cyrene is her eye-catching long big & curly dark golden brown hair. She uses the Glory's Crown olive oil curling glaze.

Her go-to drink is a root beer float milkshake. She also likes cola, iced tea, & her dad's cubanitos.

In her room, there's posters of Hybris (goddess of insolence, hubris, & reckless pride), Hysminai (goddess of fighting & combat), and Palaestra (goddess of wrestling) who are also her favorite wrestlers, Ares (god of war); who Cyrene used to have the biggest crush on, & the Amazon Queen, Hippolyta.

She once beat up a girl that was bullying her sister Themisto.

Cyrene was the talk of her town when she fought off (and killed) a rogue lion who was ravaging her father's flock of sheep. Someone was filming the whole thing on their smartphone (the video was later posted on PanopTube). The battle of flesh & fur deemed Cyrene the champion even with knots in her hair and deep scratches & bites on her body. The lion was eventually turned into a decorative pelt (which now hangs on the living room wall).

She has so far rejected offers for televised interviews.

A favorite dessert of hers is the pastelitos de guayaba (a puff pastry with cheese & guava paste).

While her younger sisters are into dolls, make-up, ballet, & fashion, Cyrene's into cars (working part-time as a junior mechanic at an auto repair shop), skateboarding, basketball, wrestling, and football (soccer). She's even into bodybuilding & often works out on the weekends.

For her recent birthday, Cyrene & a few of her friends went to New Olympus to the most buzzed about match at Acropolis Square Garden- the cyclops Maneater versus the giant, Bane. She loved the front row seats, being close to the action and the scents of blood and sweat. It was there in the audience where she first met Apollo (god of the sun, music, poetry, healing, medicine, archery, plague, light, & knowledge). She wasn't initially interested or attracted to him. Cyrene thought he was "too pretty" & not her usual type of guy- blood, sweat, stubble, and heat. But Apollo charmed her, making her laugh & she liked ruffling through his thick golden brown-blond curls. Their first "date" was just them hanging out at the gym, working out together and then hooking up in the showers. They are currently "friends with benefits." When the two of them are intimate, Apollo enjoys being the submissive one with Cyrene being the aggressive dominant. He really likes when she sometimes slaps him & chokes him during sex.

Some of Cyrene's favorite foods include ropa vieja with yellow rice, platano maduro frito, mosas de cerdo frita, & kleftiko. She also likes the double bacon olympian burger from Olympic Chef.

In her free time she likes playing video games, football (soccer), go-karting, working out, reading comic books, watching wrestling matches, basketball, working on cars, football (soccer), spending time with her friends & family, and listening to music.

"My veins are made of steel!"

[words-by-kalyn]

GIVE ZENDAYA HER FUCKING EMMY NOW…

Because in Euphoria season 2 episode 5, “Stand Still Like the Hummingbird”, she acted her ass off. I had so much anxiety throughout that entire episode that I was sweating and crying the whole way through. The range of emotions Rue went through in just that first 15 minutes alone. The dynamic between Rue, Gia, and their mom. The verbal attack on Jules. Her jumping out the car. The confrontation at Lexi’s house. How the moment Cassie opened her mouth, Rue saw her opportunity to manipulate the situation in order to get out. Cassie stuck on stupid and Maddy about to beat her ass.

Rue trying to take Fez’s grandma’s pills, to him throwing her out. Her breaking into a stranger’s house and stealing from them. The police chase. The way Zendaya made me believe she was actually going through withdrawals. Rue ending up at Laurie’s house. My fear that she was going to pimp Rue out in order to pay the rest of the money she owed. Laurie giving Rue the morphine fix and her actually getting out the next morning.

I literally cannot emotionally deal with processing this episode at the moment.

[diegos-butt]

Electricity Chapter 1

Summary: For the first time in her life, Melody Williams is moving out of her hometown to Minnesota where she got a job as a crime journalist for the Minnesota Daily. But this city does not only have a new job for her to offer. What will happen when she crosses paths with detective Walter Marshall? Heads up, a little electricity is involved ✨

Walter Marshall x Melody Williams (curvy OFC)

Warnings: none

Wordcount: 2.5k

A/N: So, I wrote something for the first time 👀 Pls be kind haha. This is written with a plus size/curvy OFC in mind because all my curvy babes, like me, deserve some love 😘 

“Thanks for calling me. I will call you back with my decision soon.” I hung up the phone and stared at it in my hand. A woman from the newspaper in the city a few towns over had just called, telling me they were offering me a job at their crime department. I sat at my desk at my current job, a local journalist for my hometown newspaper. I started working there during college and they offered a job after I finished. I happily accepted, because that meant I could move out of my lovely parents’ house and start my own life.

As I sat at my desk I realized I had never really left this town, and I had always fantasized what it would be like to live and work in a different town. I loved my hometown, don’t get me wrong, but it is small and everyone knows each other. Every day is basically the same here. Miss Johnson walks her dog at exact 3pm, the Millers go to the supermarket at 4pm to buy dinner and the whole town eats at Al’s diner every Sunday.

Also, the men in this town aren’t something to write home about. The decent men are taken by the perfect housewives and the ones who are left, are the type of guys who you don’t want to meet in a dark alley. And unfortunately, no nice men have decided to move here in the last couple of years. The only guy I dated (we were only together for a couple of months) decided I wasn’t good enough and eloped with a pretty, skinny blonde bitch.

While the town doesn’t seem to change, neither does my job. I have been covering the local news for a couple of years now, and it feels like I have been doing the same thing over and over again. Nothing really happens here, and honestly it makes me feel stuck at my job. I feel like my job and this place aren’t helping me to move further. I want to learn more and see something else than this town.

Still staring at the phone in my hand realization washed over me. This was my way out. This phone call could change everything. Not thinking twice, I called the woman (I had forgotten her name, Stacy apparently) back telling her I was accepting their offer. This was my chance of starting something new.

In the weeks after the call, I quit my job and started looking for a new place. Luckily, I found a cosy, affordable apartment. Not too big, not too small. Perfect for me and only me. Not wanting to wait, I moved in quickly with the help of my parents and made the place feel a little like home.

It was a cute apartment with one bedroom and a tiny kitchen. I had everything I needed. A comfy couch, my kettle, my books, a tv for my binge-watching nights and lots of cosy blankets and throw pillows.

After moving in and settling down, I finally had a chance to decorate the place with a lot of fairy lights and plants. I stood in the middle of the living area, wiping some sweat of my face after moving around some heavy plants. Yeah, this is starting to look like home. I thought as I looked around the living area, satisfied with the work I did.

I sat down on my couch and looked at the clock on the wall. It was 8pm. I was tired and hadn’t eaten yet. Tomorrow was my first day at the Minnesota Daily and I couldn’t wait. I was a little nervous, but because I was so tired, I didn’t have the energy to be too nervous or to make dinner.

I decided to make a grilled cheese sandwich and go to bed early. Tomorrow was the first day of a new start and I needed to look good. Might need a full 12 hours of sleep if I want to look a little decent, I thought to myself as I stared into the mirror and noticed my messy hair and the bags under my eyes.

After I ate my ‘dinner’ (I decided two grilled cheese sandwiches counted as dinner), I went to my bedroom and picked an outfit for tomorrow. A simple jeans and a baby blue blouse would do it. Afterwards I brushed my teeth and removed my make up. I put on my pyjamas and fell asleep as soon as my head hit my pillow.

After parking my car in the parking garage underneath the building the Minnesota Daily is located, I checked my make up one last time in the rear-view mirror. No uneven eyebrows and no smudges of mascara. Let’s go make a good first impression.

I stepped out of the car and grabbed my purse. I walked out of the parking garage and made my way to the front desk where I was greeted by a friendly older looking receptionist.

“Hi, I’m Melody! It is my first day here and I was told to ask for Stacy,” I said.

“Welcome dear! I’ll let Stacy know you’re here! She’ll be here in a sec,” she said with a smile. I nodded and looked around. People were walking in and out of the building, most of them talking on the phone. They all looked like they were in a rush.

Stacy appeared within a minute. She was taller than me, and I’m not exactly tiny, and her long brown hair was tied up in a bun. She walked towards me with her hand reached out and I quickly took it.

“Hi, you must be Melody! I’m Stacy, but everyone calls me Stace. Come, follow me, I’ll show you where we will be working!” she said while we walked to the elevator. While the elevator brought us to the 8th floor, she asked me how my new apartment was and if I liked the city. Before I knew it, the elevator reached the 8th floor.

“Everyone, pay attention! This is Melody and she will be joining our department as you all know,” Stacy practically yelled the second we left the elevator. I already saw some friendly faces looking at me. “Hi, I am Melody, but please call me Mel,” I said while Stacy walked over to a desk and started to introduce me to my new co-workers.

After I met everyone from the crime department, I made my way towards my new desk. Everyone seemed friendly and there was a relaxed atmosphere. Which was a little surprising to me considering this was the crime department. I looked around and thought: yeah, I made the right call to accept this offer.

Yet, I had no idea what this town had to offer me. Or better said, who.

In the first week I worked there I became friends with some of my co-workers. Carmen Garcia practically forced me to go to lunch with her and Gia Park on my first day. They had both been working at the Minnesota Daily for a couple of years now and they were one of the few women in the department. So, they were glad I was recruited to give them another ally in the office.

While we had lunch, they informed me about everything I needed to know. “You seriously need to stay away from creepy Greg, he works for the finance section. Make sure you never go down there alone. He always looks at women like he wants to drag them into an empty alley,” Gia said while pretending to throw up.

“Oh, he is the worst! But Megan, the receptionist, is the best ever. She is so sweet and kind. If you ever need anything, just ask her and she will help you,” Carmen added.

“Definitely! And if you ever need free tickets for a sports game, just let me know and we will visit the guys from the sport section,” Gia told me with a wink.

“I will keep all of this in mind,” I said while taking a sip from my cappuccino. “but tell me something about yourselves!”

Next thing I knew Carmen and Gia told me where they grew up, where they went to school and how they ended up working for the Minnesota Daily. I noticed how easy it was to talk to these girls and we had a good laugh while they told me about their most recent dating disasters. I nearly spilled my cappuccino not once or twice, but thrice while Carmen told me about how she escaped from one of her dates through the bathroom window.

During my first week I spend a lot of time with them. I helped them finish their articles and I got to know them pretty well. Carmen is tough, but sweet and straightforward, while Gia is soft and has a very short span of attention while working. She has visited my desk every half hour just to “catch up”. But I didn’t complain. It was nice to have them as my co-workers, although they began to feel more like friends.

It felt like my life fell into place again. I was making new friends, and I did a pretty good job so far.  Still, sometimes I forgot to do basis tasks like getting groceries. So now I was parking my car in the parking lot of the grocery store.

As soon as I stepped out, I felt the cold chilly air around me, making me pull my leather jacket closer around my body. Hastily I stepped through the doors of the store just a few minutes before they would close. Quickly I grabbed a basket, knowing I should grab a cart, and started to walk through the aisles.

It was quiet inside, just a few people were doing some last-minute shopping like me. I waved hello to the woman at the cash register as I made my way to the first aisle.

So just the basics, some bread, apples, veggies, chocolate. Hmm maybe no chocolate. Okay yes, some chocolate. I deserve it today. What else, milk and cereal obviously. Girl gotta eat some breakfast. I thought as I threw some products in my already way too full basket and made my way to the cereal aisle. I walked passed the apples and picked some up, holding them in my hands.

Walking through the aisle I stopped in front of the many boxes of cereal. Above me I noticed a flickering lightbulb, reminding me I still needed to watch the last episode of Stranger Things. Maybe I should watch it tonight.

Staring at all the different kinds of cereal, I couldn’t decide which one I wanted. After a minute of just staring at the boxes lost in my own world, I grabbed one.

Except, I suddenly wasn’t the only one. Quickly I turned around and bumped into a warm, broad chest which made me drop the apples I was carrying. “Oh shit,” I whispered before I looked up into the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen and stared at the man. He had a beard and dark, brown curls. One of the curls dangled in front of his eyes and I had to fight the urge to not wipe it out of his face.

“It didn’t look like you were going to make a decision soon, so I just grabbed the one I wanted,” he said while crouching down to pick up the fallen apples.

“Oh no, no it’s fine,” I stammered, completely overwhelmed by him. “I guess I was zoned out there for a moment.”

While he was picking up the apples, I decided to take a quick look at him. He was a tall, big man wearing a dark blue sweater. Damn it, he is gorgeous. Don’t mind bumping into him more often.. no don’t go there, pull yourself together! I thought as I felt my cheeks burning all of a sudden. I couldn’t even remember the last time I talked to a man this handsome. Get it together Mel.

As he stood up and handed me the apples, I noticed how tired he looked. There were dark circles underneath his eyes, making me wonder when it was the last time he had a decent amount of sleep. Or if he ever had a decent night of sleep.

“Thank you for picking these up,” I said while holding up the apples, making them almost fall again. His reflexes were fast as he grabbed my elbow, helping me keep the apples balanced. The warmth of his hand made my legs suddenly feel a little weak.

“No problem,” he chuckled tiredly making me smile a little. “Maybe you should have gotten a cart instead of a basket, might be easier,” he said while still holding onto my elbow. He pointed with his other hand to my basket that was way too full.  

“You are probably right, but my stubborn ass thought I could carry it all, so here we are,” I answered with a timed laugh, feeling a little embarrassed. He looked at me with those blue eyes and I noticed he had a “don’t mess with me” vibe, that somehow made me feel safe.

As I looked at his hand on my elbow, I suddenly became aware of how close he was. I could smell his musky cologne. He noticed I looked at his hand, and he abruptly let go of me while taking a step back. I immediately missed the warmth of his hand.

“I, uh, I need to go. Take care and don’t drop those again,” he told me with a small smile pointing at the apples in my hands. He grabbed his own basket and started to walk away. As he walked away, I took a good look of him. He was a very muscular man, and I took a mental picture of his ass because that was a sight I did not want to forget. I must tell Carmen and Gia about this.

“I can’t promise that, but I will try my hardest,” I laughed, knowing I would probably drop them again soon. “See you around?” I asked him. Surprised by my own boldness I nearly sank through the floor out of embarrassment.

He looked back at me with those beautiful blue eyes and I felt a spark of electricity going through my spine. “I hope so,” he said with a smirk before he shook his head and turned the corner leaving me speechless in the cereal aisle.

I stood there for another minute while coming back to my senses. My cheeks stopped burning and I realized I had not embarrassed myself that much. I smiled to myself and pictured the smirk he gave me in my head. Then the announcement that the store was about to close in a few minutes blared through the speakers, reminding me I still had to collect some groceries.

Quickly I grabbed the rest of the groceries and headed towards the cash register hoping to see him one more time. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be found.

I paid for the groceries and walked to my car. Loading the groceries in the trunk I nearly dropped the apples again. Told you, I thought while closing the trunk. It was getting dark and colder outside so I wasted no more time and drove home.

While driving home I realized the mistake I made.

Damn, I should’ve asked his name.

•••

> Chapter two

Taglist: @keanureevesisbae

If somehow you want to be on my taglist, just let me know!

[roxxy-16]

Intervention. Part 2

“Eddie.”

He turned his head back to her unaware he had been zoned out until she softly spoke his name. He had been watching Nancy Wheeler and her friend Barb who were sitting in at a window table lost in their own animated conversation.

“Sorry G. I must’a got lost there a sec.”She smiled at him, the dimple in her cheek showing briefly, just as he remembered it.

“So you understand your choice? You must be clear because once you tell me then it’s set.” Eddie nodded, swallowing quickly, but laughing aloud, drumming his heavy rings against the table top as his nerves started to really kick in.

“ Yeah I get it. Get the girl. Put things right. Make sure she’s ok. Then I can get outta hell intact and back to life as I know it.” The Angel watched him. She knew Eddie was trying to act unconcerned, playful even. She’d watched over him since conception after all, she knew him better than he knew himself. He was sweating already at the thought of his task despite the air conditioning in the building. “So tell me your decision and it shall be so.”

“Yeah, yeah. Take me back to her and I’ll try to fix it.”

“ Ok Eddie. Good luck on your quest.” Gia started to fade, as did the rest of his surroundings.

September 28th 1984.

He was driving his van. The music was deafening, as it always was when he was alone. He knew exactly where he was, making his way to his girls’ house to pick her up for their usual Friday night date. Benny’s for milkshakes. Then back to his place after Wayne had left for work so they could have some time alone. It was the best day of the whole week as far as he was concerned and he put his foot down a little more, wanting to get to her all the faster.

He turned up her street and slowed as he saw her standing outside in her driveway, clutching his jacket around her body waiting for him. Pulling up next to her she didn’t wait for him to fully stop moving before flinging the door open and diving in onto the seat next to him. “Hey Princess, what’s the rush?” Grinning over at her as she closed the door & then turning to wrap her arms around his neck, planting little kisses on his cheek and nose.

“ just missed you Munson.”

You only saw me a couple of hours ago you nut”

“Yeah, but I wanted to see you again.” She smiled at him and his heart flipped. It had been a long time for him since this interaction had first happened but he recalled it perfectly. How things had gone downhill so quickly he still didn’t really understand.

Benny’s was busy. Gia went ahead to grab their booth while Eddie stopped by the restroom. He splashed his face with cold water to try and steady himself. He took a few deep breaths buying some time before he went out to try and stop what would happen over the course of this night to go down . He could feel the small sparkly star shaped earrings in his pocket and his fingers traced the sharp outline. Gathering himself he left the small space and made his way back, past Nancy and Barb, past the few others in the restaurant and slid into the booth opposite Gia.

“Did you order already babe?”

She confirmed and he smiled at her. Reaching into his pocket he told her to close her eyes. Smiling softly she did as she was bid. He took her hand in his and turning it over placed the earrings into her palm..

“Ohhhh Eds the ones I wanted!” She beamed at him, already reaching to put them in her ears. “ Thank you babe, I love them.”

“You’re welcome Princess. They look good.” She turned her head , moving her hair back so he could see better, smiling widely at his sweet gesture. They talked and drank their shakes, although he did notice she was a little quieter than usual. Not her full on usual chatty self. It hadn’t occurred to him before but now he had a different perspective. They held hands and their legs were entwined under the table. It was seemingly just their usual laidback fun interaction. Eddie insisted on paying their tab, just as usual, and they left the Diner.

[thewildomega]

Second Chance Ch.13

The first thing you noticed as you came to was the strong scent of Edward. That cedar smell mixed with the saltiness of the sea and something that was all him. Parting your still heavy eyes you could make out his chest and neck, some golden strands of hair laying across his skin. There was only a little bit of early morning light but you glanced up to his face to see him still sleeping, his eyes closed and his face relaxed. Smiling at the handsome giant as the memories from last night flooded your mind you felt an immense warmth spread in your chest. He loved you, he had told you he loved you and you loved him. Blushing you let out a soft sigh before going to ease out of the bed, just now realizing you would have to crawl off the end or over top of him since the bed was against the wall on what was apparently your side. However you were quickly stopped when a strong arm pulled you back down. 

Humming he wrapped his arms around the woman and held her to his chest, turning back over to his side. "Too early to get up lass." he told her with his eyes still closed, his voice thick with sleep. 

"Don't you want breakfast?" smiling softly at how cuddly he was being. 

"Mmmmm. Rather have you here in my arms." 

Giggling you pushed your face into his chest and hugged him. With the sound of his strong heart and his soothing warmth you quickly felt yourself falling back asleep but shook your head some and moved to try and wiggle out of his arms, you had things to do today. Hearing a deep groan you sighed as he only tightened his arms, wrapping his legs around your own. "Ed I have to get up." 

"No." 

"I have to. I have to help Mrs. Gia organize her store." 

Lifting his lip he continued holding her, "Why?"

"Because she was telling me and Zella the other day how she hadn't done it in years and how it needed to be done, how she was dreading it because her back and knees ache so much afterwards." you explained. 

"Still doesn't explain why you have to do it." 

Turning him to his back you lifted your head to look down at him. "Because I don't mind and it's the right thing to do." 

Humming he looked up at her. "Old bat's back might not hurt so bad if she hadn't have chased me all over the island when I was little, beating me with the broom." 

Giggling you propped up on his wide chest and looked down at him. "I'm sure you deserved it." 

Tilting his head he smirked, "Probably, I put a skunk in her store once, place stunk for a week." 

"That's so mean." you laughed. 

Chuckling he smiled up at her bed hair and her sparkling eyes, her large smile. Keith had told him once at the bar how he was happy to see her smiling so much now, something apparently she had never done that much before he had showed up. She looked beautiful to him and a swell of pride came over him when he remembered last night. She loved him and he loved her. He had loved her for a while but it was nice to be able to tell her and know his feelings were reprocritated. "What's something bad you have done darling?" 

Humming you tried to think back. "When I was living with my grandparents they used to make fun of me for my hair not being as nice as their family's line so I poured out their shampoo and refilled the bottle up with Nair." Seeing his confusion on the product you grinned, "Hair remover." When his eyes went wide and he laughed you nodded, "Yea it was pretty bad, it didn't even all come off evenly it was like big patches for the both of them... my grandfather had this long goatee and yea that got it too." 

Laughing he smiled up at her. "Is Zella helping you as well?" he asked and saw her nod. "Do you know about what time you will be done?"

"Should be a little after lunch. Why?"

"No reason." he lied. 

"Your sons should be here by tonight shouldn't they?" 

"Yes." Humming he reached up to brush her hair back, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "I'm excited for them to meet you." 

"I'm excited too, a little nervous but excited." you admitted. 

"You don't need to be nervous, they will love you." Seeing her smile softly and look down he knew she still felt nervous and he understood, meeting new people made most people nervous but he also had a hunch she also felt that way because of her own insecurities.

"Maybe I'll just have to make pizza to win them over like I did Marco." you told him and heard him laugh. 

.......................................

Wiping the sweat from your brow you restacked the items on the now clean shelves. Once you were done you stood back and smiled, giving a firm nod. 

"It looks wonderful dear, thank you, both of you." Mrs. Gia spoke. 

Smiling you looked down to the elderly woman. "You're welcome. Glad to be able to help. If you ever need anything else just let me know." 

"Yes." Zella smiled, nodding as well.

Leaving the store you walked back beside Zella towards the market when she said she needed to pick up a few things. Talking about this and that you agreed on the both of you cooking for everyone tonight. Deciding on curry since it was rather easy and could be made into a large batch. You were just in the middle of going over the list with her when you felt a hand wrap around your waist. Startling a bit you snapped your eyes over to see Ed standing there smiling. 

"All done with the store?" he asked and saw both of the women nod. "Good. Mind if I take y/n away Zella dear?" he asked his daughter. 

Smiling Zella looked up to her father in law, "Not at all." 

"I'll be there to help you later okay." you told her and saw her smile and nod. 

Spinning her around he walked her towards the sea. 

"Where are we going?" you asked. 

"It's a secret lass." he told her with a smile, taking her hands and spinning her around to his back. 

Smiling as he carried you you kept your arms wrapped around his neck, his large, warm hands holding your thighs. "So what have you been up to all morning?"

"Helped Marco get things ready for when Izo, Vista and Jozu arrive." 

"Me and Zella are going to make curry for supper." you told him and heard him hum making you smile. You had quickly found out it was one of his favorite foods. 

"Sounds good darlin'." Coming up on the Whaleship he felt her head perk up some. "Hold on."

Tightening your hands you leaned closer into him as he jumped off the rocks and onto the deck of the ship. You still had no idea how he managed to jump so high, even being as large as he was. Once his feet were on the deck he swung you around to his front but didn't put you down. Now even with his eyes you smiled softly, a light blush coming to your face at the way he was looking at you. "You know, you keep carrying me around all the time and people will think I'm a cripple." you joked. 

"Let em' think whatever they want. I hold you because I'm afraid if I let go I'll wake up and you will have been nothing but a dream."

Hearing his sweet words made that fluttering in your chest increase tenfold and before you could think twice you were pressing a kiss to his cheek. Realizing what you had done you pulled away and kept your eyes from his. Swallowing hard you chanced a glance up to his face and saw he was still looking at you, his warm yellow eyes now softer if possible. "I won't disappear until you want me to." 

"That's never gonna happen." he assured her in a deep voice. Seeing her give him that gentle smile he sighed. Remembering what he had planned he carried her over to the middle of the deck and set her down but kept his hand on her back. 

Looking over the top deck of the ship you grinned then looked up at him. "So the Moby Dick was kinda like this one?"

Nodding he looked down to her at his side. "For the most part, the Moby Dick was larger and the whale on the front was white instead of blue. This one is also a paddleship where mine wasn't." Seeing her nod he took a deep breath as the memories came back to him, the memories of that day. When he heard her speaking he snapped out of his thoughts and looked down to see a look of concern on her beautiful face. 

"You okay?" you asked him, worried when he had zoned out and a darkness overcame his eyes. 

Taking a deep breath he nodded. "Just a lot of memories lass. Now what was it you asked before?"

Still looking at him for a moment you saw that light return and turned your eyes back to the ship. "I asked if most ships have the same layout?"

"Depends really, I've come across some that are completely different but all of mine mostly had the same." Glancing up to the deck and then back down to her he smiled, "Come on, I'll give you the tour." he told her and saw her smile. 

For the next hour he showed you around the ship. He took you all over the deck, telling you what each thing did before you both moved bellow deck. Seeing the cargo hold which you noted was full of barrels and wooden crates along with cloth bags you were walking around with him when something bumped your foot. Reaching down you picked it up and saw it was a coconut and grinned before holding out for him to take. 

"I told them boys to stop leaving shit out like that." he grumbled, finding the create with the coconuts in it and dropping it back inside. Turning back he saw her smiling and grinned. "What?"

"Nothing. You just... well you sound like a dad." you told him with a smile that grew hen you saw him blush lightly. Feeling his large hand come back to your back, taking up the whole lower half you walked with him towards another area. There was the brig which he told you mostly stayed empty.

"I used to lock the boys in there though if they started fussing too much, made em' stay in there until they sorted it out." he told her and heard her laugh.

The large room on the second deck held a mess hall where everyone ate, beside it being the kitchen. There was the crew quarters, a large room filled with bunkbeds and dressers. A floor that he referred to as the gun room, cannons and such lining the walls. Other rooms were here and there each having their own purpose until he opened the door to a room in the back of the ship...

"And this is the captain's quarters." opening the door and allowing her to step inside before he moved in behind her. He had already looked over the ship the week they had arrived back in his world so he knew everything was in order. 

Looking over the large room you saw a desk, a couch, a wardrobe and a large bed. They were all made of the same dark wood, the couch a deep blue color matching the bedding. It was all simple but nice. "Was your cabin like this as well?" you asked as you looked at everything, your eyes finding refuge on the wall that held many built in shelves lined with books and other things. 

"For the most part. Bed was a bit bigger and I had a little more things inside." he told her. Looking down at her he saw her eyes looking over it all, taking it in. When her eyes looked to the bookcase he saw delight fill them and grinned, he knew she loved books. Oddly though he noticed her stay right where she had been standing beside him and tilted his head. She had been the same way in his home, she never went out of her way to touch anything other than when she was straightening up. Now that he thought of it if someone was to go into his home they wouldn't even be able to tell she lived there. Did she not feel comfortable? He knew that she had never been welcome anywhere growing up and now that he thought back he realized she never called her own house, home. She had always referred to it as 'the house'. He didn't want her to feel like that with him. He wanted his home to be their home. He knew her well enough to know that he couldn't just tell her that though. Blinking he saw her still looking to the books and placed his hand on her back to give her a small push forward. 

Looking to him when he pushed you, you saw him with his head tilted forward a bit and a relaxed grin on his face. Turning back to the books you slowly walked over to them and read over the different colored spines. 

Seeing her so caught up with the books he chuckled softly and moved over to sit in the chair at the desk. Glancing over the paperwork there he was looking at the maps when he saw her out of the corner of his eye walking towards him. Seeing her holding a book he rose a brow, "What caught your attention darling?" 

 Walking over to him you held out the green book and went to tell him when you were lifted up and placed down on his lap. Feeling your cheeks and neck catch fire you raised your eyes to him and saw him just grinning like he was. Feeling a warmth in your pelvis you bit the inside of your lip. Swallowing thickly you tucked a strand of hair behind your ear and looked down to the book, holding it out for him to take. 

"The history of the underwater world" he read aloud. This one wasn't his, must have been one of his sons'. Humming he held it back to her. "Fishman Island has a interesting history, should be a good read." 

"Fishman Island?"

"An island at the bottom of the sea, it's where the fishmen and mer race live." 

Smiling you took hold of the book but kept your eyes on him. "Mer race, like mermaids? Your son Namur is a fishman right? Have you ever ben there? What's it like?"

Chuckling at her interest he wrapped his arm around her, placing his hand on her hip and pulling her more into him. She had relaxed now, her eyes shining in excitement as she looked to him. "Yes lass, mermaid and fishmen alike live there. Namur is a whitetip shark fishman, all of them can be different types. Been there many times, in fact it used to be one of my territories..." 

.........................

Getting out plates and such you set the table, your hands shaking. Marco had went to meet his brothers at the port while Zella had went to make other arrangements. From what Marco had said he thought it would be best if he had a moment to talk to his brothers before he brought them over to see their alive father. So here you were trying to help get everything set up so all of you could have supper. Ed had went to take a shower after you had said you had everything under control. Truthfully you were still very nervous about meeting three more of his sons. Even more so now that the both of you had confessed your love to one another. You weren't sure if Marco knew yet, if Ed had told him anything but he had at least been able to meet you before hand. Ed had said that they would love you but he couldn't know for sure. If they didn't like you, you weren't sure what you would do. You would never make him choose between his family and you. No. If for some reason they didn't like you or you being here made things awkward then you would have no choice but to leave. Just the thought made your heart constrict painfully and your eyes water a little. Closing your eyes you took a deep breath, silently begging that they liked you. 

Quickly looking over everything you made sure everything was perfect before going back into the kitchen to wash up the few dishes. So caught up in your thoughts you didn't hear the door open or the voices before a very deep voice spoke, startling you and making your hands jerk, the knife you had been washing slicing open your palm. 

"Who the hell are you?" 

Snapping your eyes behind you to the opening you saw a group of men there, Edward's sons. Quickly grabbing the rag to wrap around your hand you clenched it in a tight fist and held it behind your back. Knowing them from the pictures you knew the tall one was Jozu, Izo was the one dressed in the kimono and vista had the curled mustache. Quickly noting that Marco wasn't with them nor Zella you looked to all of their confused and possibly angry faces. Instantly all of your self doubts came smashing back into your mind and you felt your heart hammer in your chest. 

"Who are you and what are you doing in our pop's house?" Jozu asked in a gruff voice. 

Swallowing hard you opened your mouth to speak when you were cut off, this time by Vista. 

"Jozu don't be so gruff with the young lady..."

"Shut it Vista. I want to know who she thinks she is making herself at home in our late father's house." 

"I agree I would like to know whos she is." Izo spoke. 

"Is this what Marco said he needed to speak to us about?"

"Maybe that's why he didn't want us coming in yet..."

Looking from one to the other as they spoke you licked your lips. 

"I don't care who she is I don't want her staying here." 

Curling up a bit you could feel your hands starting to shake again, it was what you were afraid of, they didn't like you. 

"What is your name?"

"Jozu you're scaring the poor girl."

"M...my name is..." you started in a whisper but were cut off again. 

"Speak up woman..."

"THAT IS ENOUGH!"

Snapping your eyes over to where the voice had come from behind them you saw Ed standing there. He stood tall, his large arms crossed over his wide chest that was bare per usual, his damp hair falling down his shoulders. He wore his tan pants with his scarf tied about his waste but his feet you noticed were bare. Looking back up to his face you saw his brows and lips set in a firm line. His yellow eyes were still warm but there was also this edge about them. He looked dangerous and you found yourself blushing as you realized the warmth settling in your pelvis. 

"P...pops?" The three said in unison, their voices breaking.

"I told you three to wait a damn minute!" Marco grumbled.

"That's not..."

"How..."

"No... no it can't be..."

"Maybe he's a zombie?"

"He can't be a zombie he's not even old anymore."

Hearing his sons all start conversating with themselves and then turning on Marco he rolled his eyes and looked back to see her still standing by the sink. She looked stiff and her eyes were focused on the floor. Taking a breath he walked across the room, past the men still bickering and over in front of her. Curling his finger under her chin he lifted her eyes to his. 

Slowly raising your eyes to his you took notice of the drops of water running from his hair. Seeing it go over his extremely toned chest you felt that warmth turn into a tingling that dropped between your thighs and swallowed hard. No. No, bad y/n. Meeting his yellow eyes you saw him simply stare at you for sometime, like he was reading you. Feeling his warm, calloused thumb brush your jaw and cheek you gave him a small grin. 

Returning her grin he moved his hand down to her lower back and stood beside her before looking back at his sons. "Are you all done then?" he asked them. When they all stopped and turned to look to him he saw Marco move to lean against the wall, Zella moving to stand beside him.

Relaxing a bit when Ed stood beside you, pulling you into his side some you moved your hands in front of you, glancing down to the towel and seeing the blood had thankfully not soaked through. Still holding it in your hand to hide your stupid injury you looked back to the group of men as Ed spoke.

Raising his chin he looked to each of their faces and smiled. "Now I am sure you all have plenty of questions that I will answer over supper. To answer your first question Jozu this here is my lass, her name is Y/n and she saved me." Feeling her eyes lift to his he rubbed her back with his thumb. 

[practically-an-x-man]

Special Delivery for Gia and/or Vivienne! (sorry it's a lot)

Appearance: 2, 5, 11, 19, Objects: 5, 14, Food and Drink 7, 15, 17, Weather and Nature 4, 11, 16, 18, Community and Relationships 3, 10, 11, 20, Mind, Body, and Soul 9, 13, 18 Hobbies and Activities 7, 12, 17

AHHHHHHH thank you so much!! And I think this is the first ask I've gotten for Vivienne, so double thank you!!

My Super Long Hopefully Fun Ask Game

Appearance:

2. What would your character wear if they were told they had to gussy up?

Gia: Almost certainly a dress, probably an above-the-knee cut (so she doesn't feel like it's tangling up in her prosthetic) in a darker, solid color (so it shows off the vibrancy of her tattoos). I could see her wearing a jewel-toned purple, maybe something with a peekaboo slit in the sides or up one of the thighs, and rose-shaped jewelry.

Vivienne: If it's out at sea, it'll probably just start laughing its ass off. Gussy up? Seriously? Anything that doesn't smell like sweat and fish is gussying up. While on land, though, she tends to dress pretty nicely regardless of circumstance, just because of societal expectations.

5. What are your character's opinion on scars?

Gia: They do still remind her of everything she went through, and that's painful, but for the most part she's gotten used to them.

Vivienne: Doesn't mind them, and they're part of the trade - though she'd rather they not be visible when she's wearing normal clothing, since shark-bite and rope-burn scars are probably pretty hard to explain for the otherwise-demure sailor's wife.

11. Is your character's favorite color a color they wear often?

Gia: She really likes that soft two-toned pink of a fresh carnation, and she does wear a fair amount of pink in her clothing.

Vivienne: I'd say her favorite color is that "wine-dark sea" color, where it's sunset or sunrise on the open ocean and the water turns this interesting purple-red color. That's kind of a difficult color to find in clothing, especially for that time period.

19. If your character had to get a tattoo what would it be?

Gia: She has a lot of tattoos! Most of them are botanicals or various insects :D

Vivienne: Probably a traditional sailor's tattoo, and it was probably a bet. It would probably get a sea turtle - historically, signified a sailor being welcomed into "King Neptune's Court", which for Vivienne is effectively how it became a siren.

____

Objects:

5. Would your character ever try to haggle?

Gia: Not usually. She gets anxious when she's away from the house, so even if she does manage to get out to a craft fair or farmer's market where she could haggle prices, she's more likely just to find what she wants, pay, and leave.

Vivienne: Oh, for sure. It's practically an art form, and haggling was much more of a common thing in those days than it is today.

14. Is there an item your character is embarrassed they own or want?

Gia: She's probably a little embarrassed at the extent of her home security, especially given she's just a single person running a marginally-successful flower shop with no major assets, but it makes her feel safer to have those measures in place.

Vivienne: Nope. It doesn't really carry a lot with it, since most of the time it's swimming through the open ocean. Anything particularly valuable is left onshore, or she asks Wojchek to keep a hold of it for her, but she's not a material person by any means.

____

Food and Drink:

7. Is there food that has made your character sick?

Gia: Ground hamburger meat. She's never been a big meat-eater in general (not a full vegetarian, just doesn't enjoy eating meat much), and it was one of the main things HYDRA fed her because it was a cheaper source of calories and protein to keep her going. No seasoning, no sauces or anything extra, just cooked hamburger meat on a bun. To this day, it makes her stomach turn, though she only vaguely remembers eating it while in HYDRA's capture.

Vivienne: Frequently... it's the 1890's, there's not much in terms of food preservation and especially out at sea. Sometimes she can swim out to a shoreline and find some fresher food, or even fish herself, but there are definitely times it's gotten sick from spoiled food.

15. What food or drink does your character consider a treat?

Gia: She's a sucker for gimmicky desserts like rolled ice cream or those novelty milkshakes that are impractically decadent, and that's a treat because it's something she physically can't get from home so she has to leave the house.

Vivienne: Any kind of fresh fruit or vegetable. It sounds simple enough, but when you've spent a month at sea and finally take a bite of a fresh strawberry...

17. What kind of drinks does your character prefer?

Gia: Iced coffee, peach tea, diet cola, or horchata from the Mexican restaurant down the block from her flower shop.

Vivienne: Honestly... I don't even know. I think it pretty much takes what it can get.

____

Weather and Nature:

4. Is there a natural phenomenon that scares your character?

Gia: Not really? She actually finds the weather more calming that anything manmade, I think. And sure, fire tends to worry her, but any fire she'd experience in the middle of NYC is by no means a natural phenomenon.

Vivienne: She definitely develops a greater appreciation for sea storms once she develops a fondness for Wojchek - sometimes it even worries the storm is a warning from Poseidon himself. And she's terrified of being caught in a feeding frenzy while out at sea (this will actually play into a future scene in the fic... once I write the fic that is)

11. What part of nature would your character most resonate with?

Gia: Plant growth, particularly new growth or recovery after a storm.

Vivienne: Just the will of the ocean, how it can be calm one moment and tumultuous the next

(funny, you picked 2 of my OCs that actually have very strong nature themes lol)

16. What celestial body would interest your character the most?

Gia: Charon (Pluto's largest moon). Can't explain it, she'd just think it was interesting.

Vivienne: Polaris. Wojchek taught her how to navigate by the stars, and that was the first one she learned.

18. How willing would your character be to nap outside?

Gia: Not willing. She has enough trouble sleeping in her own bed, at night, thirty feet away from her clover.

Vivienne: Oh, sure. She does it all the time!

____

Community and Relationships:

3. How comfortable would your character be singing and dancing in front of others?

Gia: Actually, she'd be fine once she gets going. It might take a bit to get her up on the metaphorical "stage" to start, but she could have a lot of fun with it after the initial push.

Vivienne: Totally comfortable. She's actually got a lot of confidence and bravado, and her persona on land is more the restraint of that than her persona at sea is the magnification of it. Plus like... you're asking a siren to sing. Its only hesitance would be whether or not it would hurt someone, but it has no problem with the singing itself.

10. Is there a habit your character has that they learned from someone else?

Gia: She will sometimes swear in Greek under her breath - she doesn't even remember that much Greek, it's just a habit she learned from her parents and grandparents when they were trying not to openly swear in front of the younger kids.

Vivienne: A lot of her habits while working on a ship are echoes from her first husband (who taught her to sail), like the way she does certain tasks or ties certain knots, and how she moves about the ship.

11. Does your character have people they think would worry about them if they got injured?

Gia: Kate would worry, she knows that much. And she knows her family would worry, which is exactly why she hasn't told them about what happened with HYDRA - somehow it's easier to believe they'd grieved for her and moved on, rather than having to see everything the experience made her into

Vivienne: Wojchek, of course. He's her husband, after all. And it's made friends with a few of his regular crewmates too, and it's sure they would express sentiment if it got injured (though maybe not complete worry)

20. What would it take for your character to get into a fight?

Gia: If she's attacked and there's no other way out, she'll fight back. Otherwise she's pretty nonconfrontational.

Vivienne: She's actually fairly mild, both on land and at sea. She can throw a punch when she needs to, but she doesn't have much of a temper that would get her into fights.

____

Mind, Body, and Soul:

9. Does your character have any allergies?

Gia: When she was a kid, she was sensitive to pet dander and tomatoes, but those were both mild enough allergies that her clover makes them basically negligible (though she still avoids tomato-heavy dishes out of habit)

Vivienne: Not that she's aware of.

13. How does your character relax?

Gia: She likes painting, embroidery, and crochet in her downtime, and watching cheesy movies :D

Vivienne: I think it has a real fondness for storytelling, actually. It started with her first husband, since he had no patience for doing the captain's log every night and would push the duty off to Vivienne instead (who found she actually liked recounting the day), but later it becomes weaving dramatic tales to rally the rest of the crew on a tough day. Wojchek has tried repeatedly to convince her to write a book, but Vivienne usually brushes the idea aside.

18. How often does your character have nightmares?

Gia: Very often. The worst part is that she doesn't even remember them when she wakes up, since it's from the part of her memory she blocked aside - it's really awkward to wake up crying and call your girlfriend in the middle of the night, only to realize you don't even know what's wrong when she asks you about it.

Vivienne: It's a mix. Most of the time she doesn't remember her dreams at all, but sometimes it dreams of how it became a siren, and that's... dramatic, to say the least. I'll just leave it at that for now.

____

Hobbies and Activities:

7. What is a talent that your character is proud of?

Gia: She actually thinks she's a pretty good painter, and she does a lot of still-lifes of plants or arrangements in her shop.

Vivienne: See above answer about storytelling. It's really proud of the stories it creates.

12. What kind of music does your character enjoy?

Gia: She's the most "pop" of any of my OCs, so... pop stuff. I do think she's pretty open when it comes to music, though.

Vivienne: She does enjoy a good live orchestra on the rare chance she gets to see one, and also really loves the energy of a whole crew singing shanties together. Really, it just likes powerful music, whether that power is a hundred expertly-trained musicians or a six-man band of tuneless crewmates. And sometimes it does write its own songs to include in its tall tales.

17. Does your character prefer music or silence?

Gia: Music, absolutely. Silence makes her skin prickle.

Vivienne: It's never really silent, there's always the sound of the ocean or the bustle of people around her, but she definitely prefers music either way.

[missymallow]

Drarry: Sacred

---

"Bloody hell, what a waste of time." groaned Ron, swinging a foot forward to kick the offensive enormous ancient entrance that was made of stone.

"There was absolutely no information stated here saying that we need a ritual to open the entrance." said Hermione in exasperation as she held her journal book and an old parchment in her hands, eyes wildly jumped between the items, taking a quick read. "Perhaps you read it wrong, Draco." she said, lifting her head up to send Draco a look.

"Are you questioning my competency now, Granger?" asked Draco, quite annoyed that Hermione had dismissed his ability. "And need I remind you that you have read it yourself?" he raised a brow, just to rile her up.

As expected, she pressed her lips in annoyance, brows knitted together. "It doesn't make any sense, we have spent months just to search for the entrance and now we couldn't have it open!"

"Mia ierí parthéno aíma eínai to kleidí gia tin eísodo aftí ti diadromí." recited Draco, reading it roughly out loud, thinking that perhaps they did read it wrong. They had just learnt the language barely eight months ago after all, just for the sake of their current mission. Though they had rather learnt it successfully, one must always make sure that they have done it correctly.

Unfortunately, the carving message on the entrance stone remained the same, even if they'd spent their lifetime reciting the words over and over again.

"A Holy Virgin blood is the key to enter this path." translated Draco, for umpteenth time. Salazar, he had even written it down on a parchment, complete with all the calculation.

A sudden wave of magic suddenly flew passed them straight towards the carved message resulting in a soft glow hovering the words with an english translation forming above it. They simultaneously turned to the caster with an unimpressed look.

"Mate," frowned Ron.

"We've talked about using magic, Harry." scolded Hermione. "We are dealing with a sacred place here, and the use of magic will-"

"-altered the spells that were created to protect the place. Yes, yes, you have at least told me ten times a day." waved Harry dismissively, scratching his neck when his stag tattoo has decided to move and scratched their antlers on the small part of the skin. Harry flicked the stag away when it gave him a headbutt in return making the black inked magical tattoo galloping elsewhere.

Draco dragged his gaze back to the entrance, pretending to look at it with interest. Harry Potter was a really fit bloke; hot, sizzling! Worse, the man himself knew he was an absolute catch and not in a million years Draco was going to feed the man's ego by watching him hungrily. It was enough that his conquests have done it for him.

"We've been standing here for a half an hour just to make sure the translation was correct." drawled Harry. "I was just trying to fasten the process." he shrugged, crossing his arms together, muscles contracted beneath his shirt.

"Well, at least now we knew that the translation was correct." sighed Ron. "Looks like we've met a dead end. There was no way now we could proceed when what we have been looking for was on the other side of this bloody big door."

"There must be another way," said Hermione thoughtfully, frowning at the entrance. "Perhaps I could give it a try." she decided with a determination and put down her equipment on the ground and stepped forward. They observed her movement incredulously.

"'Mione, no offense," began Ron, and Draco just knew he was about to say something ridiculous. "If I remember correctly, we've just made love last night. In fact, your screaming was a definite proof that you're clearly not a bloody virgin."

Draco snorted so hard that he was afraid a mucus would come out. He slapped a hand to his mouth, fighting a laugh that was threatening to escape whilst Harry already had his hand on his stomach, bending forward as he laughed wholeheartedly.

"Oh, don't be an imbecile Ronald!" shouted Hermione, clearly embarrassed by the whole situation. Her face was red, and she quickly bent down to pick a small rock before throwing it at Ron who had evaded the attack easily.

"I was just trying to remind you!" protested Ron with a chuckle, fondly amused by Hermione's reaction.

"I am aware!" said Hermione, ignoring her embarrassment and proceeded to move towards the entrance. "I was just trying to see if the message was just a fabrication."

"You mean, if they actually just an empty message?" asked Harry, already had his wit gathered.

"That's what I said, Harry." said Hermione sharply, clearly still annoyed that the man had laughed at her.

Harry sent Draco a shrugged, eyes dancing with amusement which Draco replied with a roll of his eyes. Screw him for being so charming.

"We can give it a go," said Draco, actually saw the logic behind Hermione's words. "We didn't come all the way here to have an ancient door stop us from trying."

"Precisely," agreed Hermione, voice was pleased and Draco quickly sent Harry a smug look that got him a stretch of an attractive smile from Harry. Shoot, bad move.

Hermione stuck a hand down her bottomless bag and took out a small knife and they observed her actions as she cautiously made a straight cut on her palm and Draco heard Ron make a displeased sound at the same time.

"Careful, 'Mione."

She sent them a quick smile and stepped in front of the entrance as she carefully put her bloodied hand on top of the circle in the centre of the entrance and they held an anxious breath as they waited for something to happen. Ten minutes in and Hermione sighed heavily in disappointment.

"I guess we already did our best," said Hermione with an upset voice. "There's nothing else we could do about it."

Ron and Harry shared a defeated look. They have spent nearly a year trying to solve this mission, after all. Blood, sweat and tears literally and an ancient door that thirst for virgin blood has put an end to their hard work. They gathered Hermione into their arms to reassure her before they moved to pack their equipment.

A sudden loud growl of stones moving against each other grabbed their attention and they turned in an instant to watch in stupefaction as the entrance was opening itself with Draco standing in front of it. When the door made of stone stopped its movement, Draco turned to his three friends as he wiped away his bloodied palm with a handkerchief and gave a nonchalant shrug.

"I reckon real virgin blood might do the trick." said Draco, casually picking his rucksack and beckoning his three gobsmacked friends with his head. "Come on, now. Let's not waste any time."

Draco stepped inside, fires of lights came to live as he walked further down the dark hall.

Hermione was the first one to recover as she quickly ran to follow Draco with a holler of; "But I saw you three weeks ago with that handsome bloke! He literally had his tongue down your throat!" 

"Because of course a tongue down my throat would take my virginity away." echoed Draco's voice throughout the hallway, laughing when Hermione reached him and slapped his shoulder. They continued to banter teasingly.

"I didn't know he was a virgin." stated Ron, haven't quite grasped the idea of Draco being a virgin seeing as they always had they nights at clubs together and Draco always, always pulled.

"Neither do I." growled Harry.

Ron turned to Harry and inches away when he saw his friend's dark look and followed his line of sight. Harry had his gaze pinned on the way Draco swung his hips as he walked, a look that he always wore when someone had their hands anywhere on Draco’s body. 

Ron grimaced, not because Draco didn't have an amazing arse because he did, in fact. It was the way those green eyes of Harry's clouded in a possessive way and he quickly sent a prayer that Draco would survive from Harry when they were done with this mission.

"Ron," began Harry with a low voice and Ron took a brace of himself because the man appeared serious. "The next time you pick a mission, make sure they didn't require a virgin blood because he won't be after I am done with him."

There was no need to ask who was 'he'. Ron stupidly nodded, and gaped when Harry's magical stag tattoo made an appearance, bright red as they took an angry gallop around his neck and went elsewhere after.

Merlin's beard, the man was really serious.

"Come on," Ron slapped the man's shoulder, just to remind Harry that they still have a mission to complete. "Let's worry about that later."

He quickly took his steps following Hermione and Draco’s trail, leaving Harry to gather his mind for a moment. He couldn't help but chuckle when he stepped past the entrance, thinking that perhaps this will put an end to Harry and Draco’s mating dance they've been doing since the past few years.

And, well. Good luck, Draco.

---

Because you know, I always had a thing for virgin!Draco meow. cheers x

[bodyalive]

By Gia Kourlas

Published Jan. 22, 2021Updated Jan. 23, 2021

Bruce Lee talked about emptying the mind in order to become formless and shapeless like water, which “can flow or it can crash,” he said. “Be water, my friend.”

The pandemic has made us shift our perspectives in so many ways, but Lee’s guidance rings true: We need to be water. And we need to move. It heals. And if more people moved, they might just find their way to dance.

Dancers know that how you are in your body relates to how you are in your mind and how you move through the world. Most New Yorkers live in cramped quarters that now often double as workplaces, too. Our bodies are constricted. And though we aren’t back to a complete shutdown the way we were in March, as the pandemic drags on, it’s getting harder and harder to find moments of release and wonder.

Winter is not my greatest season. I mean it can be a struggle to stand. But when I least feel like moving is when I need it the most. It’s good to sweat. I run. Last spring, a friend who knows me well recommended a trainer, Erika Hearn, and she has saved my body and mind through her Instagram classes, which mix strength, Powerstrike kickboxing, resistance band-work and mobility. It’s a meticulous total package; plus, she moves with such dynamic ease that watching and mirroring her fluid execution of steps — including her occasional human moments of imperfection — in some small way fills the gap of not being able to see live dance. When she says “stay with me” it’s not only about completing a movement, it’s about having faith in movement.

Still, it’s hard to remain optimistic about much of anything at dusk. It’s too cold to roam the city; we’re basically stuck inside. But even our milder version of lockdown doesn’t have to feel as if we’re locked up. We can use movement as a way to look inward. Through stillness and slowing down, we can create a rich sense of space by moving our minds around our bodies. Slowing down can feel like freedom — and, for me, that’s a good antidote to dusk.

Somatic practice — named for “soma” or the living body — is a way to connect the mind and body that encourages internal attentiveness. “We’re talking about allowing the living body to inform behavior,” Martha Eddy, an esteemed somatic movement therapist, said. “But then how do you do that? It’s by using your proprioception” — the ability to feel the body in space — “and your kinesthetic awareness.”

Focusing on the navigation of space and becoming conscious of how you move, especially when outdoor ventures are limited, is unsettling and grounding, excruciating and exciting, but always transformative. It’s a trip you can take. “It’s a mind journey,” Eddy said. “And it’s a mind journey that’s real.”

During the pandemic, virtual training has opened up the somatic approach to the bigger world. Classes in the Feldenkrais Method and BodyMind Dancing are available at Movement Research at no cost. (The joke is that they’re priceless.) Eddy’s BodyMind Dancing, appropriate for any level or any body, is a delightful, curative way to spend a Monday night.

It’s fitting that a key somatic principle, Eddy said, is the idea of slowing down. “I call it slowing down to feel,” she said. “Related to that is going into the breath, and related to that is releasing tension. Sometimes I separate those two and sometimes I keep them together: releasing tension and breathing.”

There are levels, but slowing down to feel isn’t a static act: It’s about shifting to a more internal place. The hope is that you emerge from a somatic class and bring some of that awareness into your everyday life. I know I have. In a time when it seems we have little control, having agency over our bodies — and our internal world — is a kind of power. By engaging in a somatic experience, you come to realize that these practices are not just about creating flexible bodies, but flexible minds.

The Feldenkrais Method, created by Moshe Feldenkrais, does that and more with its system of exercises that zone in on skeletal function and self-awareness through movement. It’s slow, methodical and controlled. Sometimes the movements seem imperceptible. You are told to hold back, and you are also on your back a good deal. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

Rebecca Davis, a Feldenkrais practitioner, broke it down: “You do a movement and you pay attention to how it feels,” she said. “You do something with the right side. You do that same action on the left side. I’ve tried to distill it to that I teach people how to pay attention, what to pay attention to and why it matters.”

In one class I took focusing on the feet and legs, Davis told us — repeatedly — to stay in a 5 percent zone of range and effort. This, it turned out, was impossible. It’s like my muscles were laughing at me. Attempting to do less is a hard, humbling act.

“When I say, ‘Now slowly tilt your legs to the right,’ what comes out of people is definitely not my idea of slow,” Davis said later. “We have to recalibrate pacing, timing because for this work in particular it’s the sensory details that we’re interested in. Once you slow down and start paying attention to yourself in a different way, that’s really where change can happen.”

Davis, who teaches at Movement Research (her next classes are in February) and has an online program, talks you through the physical instructions, which in turn develops a skill: You listen both to a voice and to your body. While executing small, detailed movements, she invites the release of the eyes, the jaw, the forehead — sites of parasitic effort, where parts of the body don’t need to work. It’s a way to quiet ourselves so the sensory details of our experience become clearer. It’s like relearning yourself from the inside out, and the breakthroughs are otherworldly.

“When your weight is not collapsing onto your spine, onto your skeleton — when you’re not falling onto yourself, when you figure out how to use your feet so that your weight is coming up and through, that feels so good,” Davis said. “You’re lighter. It takes less work to move.”

But it also takes work to remain still. Early in the pandemic, I found yin yoga, a practice focusing on passive poses, and Kassandra Reinhardt, who has been teaching on YouTube since 2014. She can ease the memory of any miserable day, and so can yin, which isn’t about stretching muscles, but relaxing into them in order to release ligaments, joints, bones and fascia. Poses are held for at least two minutes and usually longer.

Some of them feel good; others feel like death. “We’re slowly breaking down physical tension that we might have been carrying for years,” she said. “Maybe you just have it from the run that you did earlier that day, but maybe this is decades worth of tightness and tension that you’re now consciously releasing.”

It’s a process: You find your pose — and your edge within it — and breathe while remaining still. If all goes well, you melt lower and deeper; when class is over, it’s like you’ve shed a layer of skin.

Embracing stillness-oriented practices is important to Marie Janicek, a dancer turned personal trainer who hosts a podcast, “This Thing Called Movement,” that explores how movement impacts our lives. “It allows us to flesh out the true depth and subtlety and dimensionality that’s inherent in the movements we do day to day,” she said. “And then we have a greater ability to appreciate all the threads of what’s happening in our bodies, in our minds, in our sense of self. Not just when we’re actually moving, but then outside of that as well.”

As Eddy pointed out, even when we are seemingly still, there are physiological rhythms that occur in our bodies. “Which is our breath, which is our blood flow, which is our craniosacral rhythm, which is the cerebrospinal fluid around the nervous system,” she said.

For her, it’s an orchestra. “Sometimes it’s very, very quiet and sometimes one particular instrument is very dominant,” she said. “But no part disappears.”

You can access that dimension and richness in her classes, too. In a recent BodyMind Dancing session, we were swinging and swaying in whatever way we chose. She said, “Let the weight move into lightness.”

It was the sensation of moving heavy water — thick yet unbound — and suddenly being swept to shore by a wave. In my apartment. After class ended, Eddy asked if anyone wanted to share their experience. One woman, effusive and out of breath, popped onto my screen and said she had been working up until the time class started, but was determined to take it anyway. She went to a park. But she didn’t want to lie on the ground to perform the exercises.

“I found a tree!” she said.

Movement can do all sorts of things. On this night it brought the world a little closer together. “Thanks,” Eddy said, “for bringing the tree to us.”