#i went to a clothing store today to try to get new work shoes and pants bc the one pair i have of each literally have holes in them and are

[pepprs]

discovered miah_pie on t*ktok (<- i don’t have one btw i just stumbled upon her bc someone i follow on ig talked abt her) and her videos make me want to cry so bad. 24 year old dependent moment

[redrose10]

Here’s just a little bit of fluff to get you through the weekend and the final piece to the story!

Yoongi X Female Reader. CEO/Arranged Marriage AU

Summary: You were selected to marry the wayward CEO/Billionaire/Heir, Min Yoongi. You went into it with an open mind and heart determined to try and make it work. Yoongi on the other hand had no intention of ever letting you in let alone allowing himself to fall in love with you. Slowly you start to associate the smell of cinnamon and vanilla with the feelings of hurt and sorrow.

Word count: 1,734

Warnings: (May get updated as chapters progress): Arranged marriage, cheating/infidelity, hints of smut (Probably won’t get very explicit but we’ll see how it goes), Sexual Assault, Brief mentions of death, Reader grew up an orphan, General Angst, Swearing

Tag list: @gimeow @kam9404 @viankiss @baechugff @gaby-93 @kayleefriedchicken @igot7fairlyoddparents @jalexad @drrookie

You were walking around the mall for what seemed like the hundredth time. Today was Yoongi’s birthday and you still hadn’t gotten him anything. Normally you were so on top of things like this, but you were stumped. What do you buy a billionaire who can already buy himself anything he wants? Just last week he bought a $35,000 Rolex just because he said the blue reminded him of your eyes. It was sweet, but like seriously?

You thought about jewelry, but you already knew his friends would get him new pieces since it was the easy way out. You stopped to look at the suits thinking maybe you’d get him a new one, but then you remembered how he’s the type of person that designers pay to wear their clothes resulting in him already having closets full of high end fashion. Jimin had already told you about the very expensive bottle of whiskey he had gotten him so that was out of the question.

You did purchase a brand new lingerie set though. It was mostly a purchase for you, but you knew that once he saw you in the lavender colored one piece that was more ribbon than actual fabric he’d end up loving it more than you.

You decided to do one more lap around the mall before you were going to give up and just put a big bow on top of your head and call it a day. Out of the corner of your eye something caught your attention. Smiling to yourself you knew it would be the perfect gift for your husband and you entered the store to make your purchase.

Once back at home Yoongi was nowhere to be seen, but you did find a note.

“Y/N, get dressed and meet me in the lobby at 6pm. Love Yoongi. PS, I know you bought some kind of lingerie so make sure you wear that too.”

You chuckled at how well he knew you, but you were confused as to whether it was his birthday or yours and why you were being given a surprise. You didn’t have long to get ready so you took a quick shower and put on some makeup in a hurry. You picked out a simple black dress that showed the slightest hint of the lavender lingerie you had on underneath. Yoongi would appreciate the tease. Grabbing the gift bag you headed down to the lobby just in time.

Yoongi was already waiting. “You look beautiful.”, he smiled before giving you a kiss. He then helped you into the back of a vehicle that quickly sped off to its destination.

“Where are we going?”, you asked after he didn’t give any explanation. “You’ll see.”, was all he said in return warning a suspicious glare from you.

The car pulled up to a luxurious looking building. Yoongi helped you out and walked you inside to the elevators where you realized you were in an apartment building. After going up several floors and walking down a long hallway he stopped infront of an ornate door and entered in the code.

You were confused to say the least. After your shoes and jackets were removed he finally gave you an explanation.

“I want to start fresh. That old penthouse has a lot of bad memories and I think it’s time we started creating new ones in a new place. So we’ll be moving here. It’s pretty empty right now, but you can furnish and decorate it however you want. I want it to feel like your home too. I really hope you like it. I can always buy a new one if you don’t, but these places sell fast so I didn’t have much time to really think.”

You smiled at the slight blush creeping up on his cheeks as he tried to gauge your reaction.

“I like that idea Yoongi. A new start sounds nice.”

He took your hand and led you out of the entrance way and into the main living area. It was slightly larger than your current residence and had an incredible view of the city. You were taking in the views when something in the corner of the room caught your eye and you couldn’t believe you hadn’t noticed it until now.

A grand piano surrounded by blue hydrangeas greeted you. Yoongi pulled you over to the bench sitting you down next to him. He handed you over a mug of warm milk causing you to chuckle, “Yoongi this is all so nice, but I think you forgot that it’s your birthday, not mine.”

“You’re right, it is my birthday and I decided to get myself a little present.”

You rested your head on his shoulder with your hands around his biceps feeling the muscle flex as his fingers began playing the keys. It was a beautiful melody that almost lulled you to sleep.

“I didn’t know you could play the piano.”

He smiled, “Well I am pretty good with my fingers.” You let out a dramatic sigh before resting your head back against his shoulder. You enjoyed listening to the melody for a while until Yoongi completely shocked you and started signing. Not talking, not rapping, but singing. The beautiful lyrics combined with his deep velvety voice making your eyes go wide in surprise.

As always you light me up
You are still like a fragrant flower 
Believe in me now
Hold me again
So I can feel you
Give me an embrace

Without you, I can’t breathe
Without you, I’m nothing

I still can’t believe it
All of this seems like a dream
Don’t try to disappear

Is it true Is it true
You You
You’re so beautiful, that I’m scared
Untrue Untrue
You You You

Will you stay by my side
Will you promise me
If I touch (you), you’ll fly away and break 
I’m scared scared scared of that

You looked at him in awe as he continued on. You never would have imagined that he could write something as beautifully as this.

When you say that you love me
I walk among the skies
Say that it’s forever 
just one more time
When you say that you love me
I only need you to say that one thing
That nothing will change 
just one more time

You are like the entire world to me
Yeah, even if I want to fly, I don’t have any wings but your hands become my wings
I want to try forgetting the things that are dark and lonelyTogether with you. Even though these wings sprouted from pain
They’re wings that face the light
Even if it’s hard and it hurts
If I can fly, I’m going to fly
Can you hold my hand
So that I won’t be afraid anymore?
Because if you and I are together
I can smile

The melody faded to nothing and Yoongi looked over at you with a shy smile.

“Soooo what do you think?”, he asked. You sniffled not even realizing that you had began crying, “I mean I’m pretty sure I asked for a rap song, but I guess this will do.”

You both chuckled before you wrapped your arms back around him, “It was really beautiful Yoongi. I love it and I love you.” You sat there for a moment taking in the moment. The warmth coming from his body thanks to his nervousness created a comforting feeling. You took in the scent of his new cologne. Something you two picked out together a couple weeks ago. Woodsy with a hint of sweetness and a subtle floral note. You fell in love with it as soon as you smelled it, but wanted to make sure he also liked it. It smelled refreshing and like a new beginning and you thought it was perfect.

After digging around in his pocket he pulled out a small black box holding it up for you to see. He flipped open the lid exposing a beautiful diamond ring. It was much smaller than your original ring, but knowing Yoongi you’re sure it was just as expensive if not more.

“I know you didn’t really like the old ring because of how extravagant it was so I picked out something new that I think you’ll like better and since we’re starting over I thought a new ring would be fitting any ways.”

“ I do love it. It’s more me.”, you chuckled.

“I’m sorry that it took me so long to realize that I loved you. You’re a strong beautiful woman who deserved the world and I’m going to do my best to give it to you. I promise. Y/N will you continue to stay married to me?”

You bit your lip failing to hide your smile, “I guess that sounds alright.”

He playfully rolled his eyes while slipping the ring on your finger and requesting a kiss that you happily obliged.

“Ooh wait I still have to give you your gift. It is YOUR birthday after all.”, you giggled before jumping up and running to grab the item from the entry way where it was left.

When you returned you handed him the gift bag smiling to yourself as you were excited for him to open it.

“I thought my gift was that lavender lace I see peaking out of your dress.”, he smirked.

“That’s for later. Open this one now.”

He pulled out the tissue paper before looking into the bag and doubling over with laughter.

“Seriously Y/N? Where did you find this?”, he asked pulling out the small stuffed animal in the form of a sheep. The personalized name tag reading as Petunia.

“I saw it at a children’s store in the mall and thought of you. You know since you are an aspiring sheep farmer and all.”

He hugged the stuffed animal close to his chest before leaning over and giving you a kiss, “Thank you. I love it.”

He stared down at the sheep for a moment before looking over at you wiggling his eyebrows, “You know Y/N, Petunia could also be a good name for a baby girl.”

Standing up and adjusting yourself to be straddling his lap you began leaving kiss after kiss along his jaw and neck.

“So is that a yes?”, he chuckled.

“It’s a maybe, but in the mean time I definitely wouldn’t mind getting some practice first.”

[corruptedcaps]

Mallbrat

This story is based on this wonderful tweet by @shadow211e. Enjoy!

Despite Mel coming from a rich family, she had always seen herself as someone who was above the shallow, materialistic pursuits of the women who frequented the upscale mall in the neighboring town called Eden. She hated how bitchy and superficial the people were that frequented Eden, she was much more at home on the soccer field. Yet, today was different. She had come here with a pure intention: to find the perfect gift for her friend Katie.

Katie was a huge lover of fashion and followed all the latest trends but could barely afford the clothes she bought from the thrift store. Katie often told Mel that she was happy with her thrift store finds, that it made her more resourceful but Mel could see the sadness behind her best friend’s eyes.

Mel knew it would be hard, being a tomboy shopping for a dyed in the wool girly girl but she was determined to get her something perfect. It was just so overwhelming. The mall's glistening storefronts, adorned with designer labels, had always made her uncomfortable, but now she felt exhausted looking at a myriad of shoes, dresses and makeup, not knowing where to begin.

Taking a moment to sit down and gather her thoughts she watched as the bitchy girls of her school stride past flicking their hair and giggling at a joke she was sure she was the butt of.

As she was about to get up suddenly a perfume saleswoman appeared and sprayed something in her face. “Hello Miss, don’t you just love the smell of our new signature scent, ‘Entitled’. It’s such a hit that the mall will be pumping it through the air conditioning for today only. Make sure to buy your bottle before you leave today.” The saleswoman said to Mel who was coughing as she took the sweet fragrance in the face.

Before Mel could complain the woman had disappeared into thin air. Annoyed but undeterred from her task, Mel went back to walking the mall. As she strolled past boutique after boutique, something strange began to happen. Her posture straightened, and her steps became more deliberate, mimicking the confident strides of the women who were impeccably dressed around her. She pushed her chest out in front of her and walked with her chin high in a superior pose.

As she walked past store front after store front gazing at the opulent wears in the windows her mind started to drift from whether ‘Katie would like that’ to ‘I’d look good in that’. One outfit in particular caught her eye. It was a snakeskin style top that looked to have less fabric than her soccer shorts but she felt inexplicably drawn to it. She couldn’t stop picturing herself in its revealing curves.

She would have walked straight in to try it on only she got a look at herself in the windows reflection and nearly gagged. Her hair was messy, face dirty and her nails were chipped. She viewed her own reflection like the girls she saw earlier viewed her.

Mel sauntered into the upscale mall salon, her confidence preceding her. Locking eyes with a poised beautician, she snapped, "I need my hair cleaned and styled. My skin cleaned and moisturized, and my nails manicured. Make it quick." The beautician, catching the haughty undertone, nodded energetically and led her to an open chair.

As Mel settled into the plush seat, the beautician picked up the shampoo bottle labeled ‘Entitled’, the very same brand as the perfume that was spurted into Mel’s face earlier and worked diligently, washing away the remnants of soccer practice and transforming Mel's unruly hair into a sleek masterpiece. Meanwhile Mel found herself in a state of unexpected euphoria, a sensation induced by the intoxicating scent of the shampoo. The fragrance, like a veil of opulence, enveloped her senses, lulling her into a blissful reverie.

So enamoured with the aroma that Mel barely registered when the beautician put a facial mask on her as her hair dried. Her face tingled as she felt the dirt lift, bruises erase and her skin became smooth and imperfection less.

By the time her hair was dry Mel instinctively held out her hand, waiting for the beautician to start work on her nails. The beautician however was a pro and was manicuring Mel’s nails within seconds.

While the beautician worked, Mel’s internal dialogue shifted to a self-indulgent narrative. Thoughts of striving for success in soccer and excelling in academics seemed distant, replaced by a fixation on social standing and personal allure. "Who needs soccer? I'm destined for a life of extravagance," she thought, her mind now captivated by visions of high-society events and glamorous soirées.

Maybe it was how straight her posture was now and how she stuck out her chest and held her chin high but Mel absolutely adored how big her tits now looked. They were practically spilling out of her top and she knew her cleavage would have heads turning.

“Good,” she thought to herself. “It’s about time I caught the eye of a man who can treat me to the finer things in life and is my monetary equal. I’ve wasted so much time with the boys at school. I need a man.”

As the beautician skillfully completed her work, Mel, now adorned in the aftermath of pampering, gazed for the first time at her reflection with a sense of vain satisfaction. The sleek hair, the impeccable facial, the manicured nails, and her impressive breasts painted a portrait of indulgence she couldn't help but revel in.

The beautician, seemingly now intimidated by Mel, inquired cautiously, "Are you happy with the results miss?" Mel's eyes met her reflection once more, and with a dismissive wave, she retorted, "You didn't do much, darling. It's hard to improve upon perfection." The words hung in the air, leaving an awkward pause as the beautician grappled with the unexpected critique.

“But I suppose I better pay the ‘the help’. Here charge it to my black card.” Mel said coldly handing the beautician here matte steel credit card, the one her parents had given her but she refused to use but now could think of nothing more satisfying than maxing it out.

“Thank you miss, we hope to see you again.” The beautician said as she quickly disappeared out of sight as Mel stared at her with disdain. Mel liked how it felt to have someone fear her. It made her pussy tingle.

Mel, fully immersed in the conceited realm she had embraced, stood up out of the chair and sauntered out of the salon. As she expected and enjoyed, all eyes were on her as she walked the mall floor.

She strode confidently into the store that held the outfit that had caught her eye earlier and snapped at the shop assistant to get it for her. The shop assistant quickly leapt to attention and got the outfit for Mel who rolled her eyes at the shop assistant for taking so long.

In the dressing room Mel joyously slipped into the tight outfit perfectly, her body contouring to fabric as if it was made for her. As she gazed lovingly at her reflection, a far cry from the girl that had entered the mall a few hours ago, something began to nag in her mind. This wasn’t right, this wasn’t her. She had come her for Katie not for herself.

And yet the longer she stared at her magnificent body the more she didn’t care. The once happy thoughts about friendship and empathy gave way to daydreams of a luxurious lifestyle, filled with adoration and admiration. "Katie can fend for herself; It’s time she learned that this world can be cruel," Mel mused, her thoughts betraying a growing detachment from her former priorities.

Leaving the dressing room in the outfit she was about to pay for, she didn’t give a second thought to her old clothes laying on the floor until the shop assistant asked sheepishly what she should do with them.

“Burn them for all I care, they’re paupers rags as far as I’m concerned.” Mel said with cold detachment. She looked at the pile as a representation of her past life.

She spent the next few hours at the mall on a shopping spree. One outfit would not make up for years of neglect of her wardrobe. She needed clothes that reflected her station in life, one she had refused to embrace until now.

Along the way the same girls who had scoffed at her appearance earlier approached her cautiously but with new reverie. “You’re Mel right? You go to our school? We should hang out, girls like us need to stick together.” One of them had said.

Mel looked at them with a cold gaze, observing their demeanours. They were pretty and mean but Mel could see they feared her. She smirked knowing they’d be putty in her newly manicured hands. They would be perfect betas.

“If you must, but keep up I don’t have all day. Oh and it’s Mercedes.” She said with a turn on her expensive heels as she walked fast to make the girls try and keep up with her.

Before long the girls had filled her in on the most eligible men and the juiciest gossip. Their last leader had moved towns and they had a power vacuum that Mercedes was now only too happy to fill and they were only too happy to follow.

Mercedes was having such wicked fun that before she knew it the mall was closing. She had bought so much stuff that her new clique each held numerous bags for her as they followed her to the exit. Along the way Mercedes was sure to pick up several bottles of the perfume ‘Entitled’ as she left. She just loved its aroma.

Outside Katie stood waiting for Mel. Mel had told her at the beginning of the day that she had a surprise for Katie and to meet her at the mall. But now after waiting several hours Katie was beginning to worry.

Mercedes and her gang left the mall and made their way to the waiting limo Mercedes had ordered. Mercedes spotted Katie and with an evil smirk got close enough so her former friend could hear her say, “I really wish the mall would keep the riff raff further away from the property. They are ungodly eyesores.”

Katie went beet red at the cruel comment and quickly made herself scarce. She didn’t recognize this new girl that seemed to have her bully group ensnared but there was something so familiar about her.

The End

[jjkamochoso]

Summer Hair, Don’t Care

Choso x gn!reader (reader described as having enough hair to put into buns just fyi)

Fluff

Reader and Choso have the same hairstyle. Love and hijinks ensue !

Warnings: none

It was hot outside. Very, extremely, utterly hot. Summer had finally come around and with it, scorching temperatures. Thankfully it was the weekend so you didn’t have to brave your commute in work clothes that would end up being sticky and sweaty before you even made it to your job. No, today was a day for letting loose and living life in carefree and well ventilated clothes. As you went through your morning routine, you contemplated all the things you could do with your days off. Even though being outside was akin to walking on the literal sun, you decided that the day could be best spent surviving the trip to somewhere fun and cool—the mall. After you chose your outfit, all that was left before heading out was what to do with your hair. You were tired of the same old hairstyles that everyone else seemed to be doing. Ponytails, braids, and half updos were fun, sure, but you wanted more from your hair today. Going straight to Pinterest, experimentation with a new style was the name of your game. You scrolled through endless photos of perfectly poised ponys and crazy curled coifs. You were almost ready to give up and go back to your tried and true style when something caught your eye.

“Double spiky buns, huh? Looks interesting,” you mumbled to yourself, gathering the tools you needed. Your first attempt went well but the buns weren’t quite even. The second attempt was somehow worse, the buns in totally different angles on the top of your head. By the third try, thankfully, you figured it out because if you hadn’t, you were ready to just rip out your hair and go bald (your arms hurting from styling certainly didn’t help). You took a minute to admire your work in the mirror and you were glad you got out of your comfort zone because you looked great! Satisfied, you grabbed your belongings and hopped on the next train to the mall. Everybody standing near you looked as miserable as you felt because of the heat and your knee anxiously bounced up and down as you anticipated your destination. You had never clamored off a train as fast as you did then to escape into the sweet release of the air conditioned mall. Once the cool air touched your skin, you immediately got goosebumps, but unlike the winter ones, you appreciated these. You stood next to the directory for a few moments, making a plan of attack for what stores you were going to check out. Like any mall, there was an overwhelming amount of choices and you were in no mood to strategize so you just started walking. Little did you know, there was a group that had just arrived after you doing that exact same thing.

“Chosoooooo I’m bored,” complained Yuji, who was sprawled out on his bed. Usually the two boys slept in a lot later but the heat had them awake bright and early. Choso sighed as he took in the sight of his exasperated brother, running his fingers through his undone hair.

“Do you wanna stay home and play some board games?” he suggested, but Yuji shook his head.

“They’re fun but I wanna go somewhere. It’s too hot in these dorms.”

Choso couldn’t disagree with that. He didn’t know how his brother withstood the heat in his room during this time of year. Maybe they could buy some fans while they were out.

“Get your shoes on. We’re going to the mall.”

Yuji immediately got up, a huge smile on his face.

“Great idea! I’ll text Kugisaki and Fushiguro and ask if they wanna come too!”

As Choso began to put his hair up in his signature buns, he smiled softly at his younger brother’s antics. He was so relieved that Yuji found people he could have fun and act his age with. Sure, they were all going to run off and leave him behind with the bags, but what else were older brothers for? Choso was grateful he was able to be there for Yuji and his friends. Yuji, in turn, noticed how lonely Choso would get without knowing people who were his (physical) age and hoped he could help him find romantic companionship or at least some friends to start. That thought is what the three high schoolers were talking about as they walked in the mall while Choso was blissfully unaware, his attention occupied with finding the nearest electronics store.

“I’m glad he suggested it because malls are the best places to meet people. Especially girls, huh Fushiguro?” Yuji teased and Megumi’s face sported a blush.

“Shut up. I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, looking away in embarrassment.

“It’s not fair that everybody flirts with Fushiguro when I’m right here,” complained Nobara.

“You’re so loud I think the whole mall knows you’re right here,” Megumi retorted. The two of them started to bicker when Yuji finally interjected.

“Guys! We’re here to help Choso, remember?

“I think he’s gonna need more help than we can give him,” Nobara grumbled, sparing a glance at the brunette who looked hopelessly lost trying to figure out where he was on the directory.

“I’ll help him with that. You two… just… whatever,” said Megumi, waving them off and walking toward Choso, who now had his face so close to the plastic map that his nose almost touched it.

“Okay, back to the plan. We’re trying to find a normal looking person for Choso to-”

“Yuji! They have the same hairstyle as your brother! I’m gonna go talk to them.”

Nobara marched away before Yuji could get another word in.

This is where you come back to the story.

You were almost in the door of the first store when you heard someone come rushing up behind you, calling for your attention.

“Excuse me! Excuse me!”

You spun around to be face to face with a spunky teenager with bright orange hair and a huge grin.

“Hi! I’m sorry to bother you, but I wanted to say I love your hair! Also, there’s this guy that I want you to please meet. He’s very lonely—well, no, that doesn’t sound right. Yes, he’s lonely, but not because he’s weird or anything, he just spends his time being a great big brother. I’m Kugisaki by the way.”

You had to take a moment to process everything this girl just told you. It was a surprise to be greeted like that but she seemed to be genuine and, to be honest, you were lonely too. The worst thing that could happen is that you didn’t get along too well but you could easily go your separate ways since you were at a mall.

“Nice to meet you, Kugisaki. I’m y/n. Would you like to show me this mystery man?”

You didn’t think her smile could get any wider but you were proven wrong.

“Come with me.”

She led you over to the directory where you were met with two teen boys and a man who seemed around your age. When the older guy turned around, you got a good look at his whole face and it almost took your breath away. He was absolutely handsome! His dark eyes suited his dark hair and light complexion perfectly. You were intrigued by what you thought was a tattoo across his nose. Whatever it was, you thought it was hot. The thing that caught your attention most, though, were the two spiky buns planted on his head in the exact manner as yours. You couldn’t help but laugh a little at the coincidence and you noticed the man’s face had a dusting of pink on it.

“I’m assuming you’re mystery man?” you asked as he nodded sheepishly.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t know what the kids were up to. Please, don’t let us ruin your shopping trip.” The poor guy genuinely seemed distressed for seemingly bothering you. He was way too cute to be so nervous!

“So you’re not Tokyo’s most eligible but lonely bachelor?” you teased, making him blush some more.

“We’re gonna go shopping. I’ll text you later Choso!” yelled the pink haired kid who was dragging away his friends. You found the whole situation amusing and hoped the man opposite of you felt the same.

“Choso, is it? I’m y/n,” you introduced yourself and you noticed he had a shocked look on his face.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m just surprised you’re not weirded out by my brother’s friends. I know if teens ran up to me like that I probably wouldn’t have handled it as gracefully as you.”

“I remember being a kid and how kids that age act. Trust me, they seem to have good hearts. Besides, it’s better shopping with other people if you’re up to hanging out. I trust you make good choices, judging by your hairstyle.”

Choso tilted his head in confusion until the realization dawned on him. You two wore the same double buns!

“Your hair!” he exclaimed, “It’s great! But I’m obviously biased.” You two shared a laugh and started walking deeper in the mall when Choso struck up a conversation.

“What are you here for? Anything in particular?”

You pondered for a moment.

“Mmm, no. I just wanted to get out of the house but stay out of the sunshine. It’s way too hot outside.” Choso nodded in agreement.

“I get that. I’ve been staying at my brother’s dorm and it’s too hot in there too so I’m buying some fans while I’m here.”

“Oh! There’s a great electronics store around here somewhere. You wanna check there first?”

Choso was relieved because even with Megumi’s help, he still couldn’t figure out the directions to the store. If you hadn’t shown up when you did, the mall directory would’ve felt Piercing Blood cut it in half. Already, you’ve proved to be a great addition to his life. You were kind, funny, and definitely attractive. If he didn’t screw this up, he’d have to thank Nobara for her spontaneity.

“Which of the boys was your brother?” you inquired, wanting to get to know the quiet man next to you.

“He was the one with the pink hair, Yuji. Fushiguro was the dark haired kid and the girl you met was Kugisaki, if she didn’t tell you already.”

“Oh! I would’ve assumed the dark haired kid was your brother.”

“Yuji and I are half brothers,” he explained, a gentle smile on his face, “so the family resemblance isn’t all there. But we’re close anyway. He’s such a great kid, he’s always looking out for others and doesn’t have a selfish bone in his body. I’m really lucky to call myself his big brother.” Your heart absolutely melted hearing Choso talk about his brother like that. Kugisaki wasn’t joking when she told you he’s a devoted family man!

“He seems lucky to have you, too. Everybody deserves a doting big brother like you in their life,” you said, earning a bigger smile from Choso.

“How about you?” he asked. “What’s your family like?”

You dove into your family life and you could tell he listened with such intensity, like he was a sponge soaking up every little word you said. He nodded when appropriate, asked questions at the right time. Even as the topic changed and you shared more mundane details about yourself, Choso looked at you like you were holding a seminar on the most interesting topic in the world. Alternatively, when Choso spoke, you found yourself appreciating every subtle movement he made and how he pronounced certain words because he was just so mesmerizing. You had only known this guy about 20 minutes but it felt like you were old friends, or even lovers of a bygone age, who were rediscovering all of each other’s quirks and culminations of what made up your personalities and life experiences. You never knew you could be so comfortable around someone so quickly but Choso was simply intoxicating. You didn’t even notice you had been stopped outside the electronics store, talking about whatever came to your minds, for longer than what was deemed normal to not notice your surroundings. Finally, you and Choso gained consciousness of the world around you once more and headed into the store. It was a little gesture, but you really appreciated how Choso held the door open for you. Even while browsing fan selections, you two had a great time debating on which option seemed the best, what color to get, it didn’t matter—you both had a lot to say and you both wanted to hear the other one speak. Finally, after the exasperated salesperson left you two to figure out your choice on your own, you settled on three medium sized black fans.

“I think they’d be cute if they matched you,” you had argued, gesturing to Choso’s black shirt and black pants outfit. He couldn’t disagree with someone who effectively called him cute so you guys took the products to the counter and asked if they could be held until you were done shopping. The store clerk was just happy that the two indecisive chatterboxes were leaving and he eagerly took the merchandise from you, charged Choso, and ushered you two from the store in a lightning fast manner. You and Choso were so wrapped up in each other that you didn’t notice the employee’s behavior and headed out to see what else the mall had to offer. You found yourselves looking through manga, circling aisles of knickknack stores, competing to see who could find the cutest plushies, and ended up with stacks of clothes in your hands, doing fashion shows for each other.

“Alright Choso! I’m on my last outfit!” you called out, walking into the communal area filled with uninterested boyfriends and phone scrolling girlfriends who were waiting for their significant others to finish trying things on. Choso stood out among the crowd as he eagerly awaited to see what you picked. When he saw you emerge, his eyes widened and he gulped. The weight of the whole situation he was in had finally dawned on him—was he on a date?! Yes, he was having an amazing time with you, yes you were easy to talk to, but these were attributes of a friendly hangout. Admittedly, he found you so attractive it made his heart skip a beat when you looked at him and his hands clammy when you brushed them with your own—these were not attributes of a friendly hangout, but of something more romantic. And now, as you stood in front of him, goofily modeling your look, he weighed his options. He either tells you that he’d never seen someone so captivating in his entire life, or he stays quiet and laughs along like a good friend would. When you looked at him expectedly, he made his choice.

“You look absolutely astonishing. I’ve never seen anyone come close to as stunning as you are.” You were taken aback. You definitely weren’t expecting him to say that! You searched his face for any sign of teasing and tried to find a hint of joking in his tone, but he was serious. You felt your face warm at the compliment as you looked away, suddenly shy. The eye rolls of the other shoppers went unnoticed by you both who were too engrossed in your moment of puppy love. Choso was nervous at your lack of reaction. Did he make you uncomfortable? Was he too forward? Should he have waited—

“Do you want to grab some food after this?” you suddenly suggested, and for the first time today, Choso had no words. He silently nodded as you went back to put your normal clothes on. When you were out of sight, he let out a sigh and pushed his bangs off his face for a moment as he was suddenly feeling the summer heat even in the cool mall. When you came out once more, the outfit you had worn last was in your hands.

“I take it you liked this one?” you said, trying to ease the tension.

“I liked all of them,” he confessed, and you lightly swatted his arm.

“Well, how am I supposed to choose what to buy then? I want an outfit that’ll make you want to take me out on a proper date.” You giggled to yourself as you saw Choso getting flustered. Usually he was so composed in all other areas of his life, but romance had been neglected for far too long.

Brothers, lend me your courage and strength, he thought to himself before answering you.

“I would take you on a proper date even if you weren’t wearing anything.”

You tried so hard not to burst out laughing but you failed as Choso realized what he had said. Quickly backtracking, he was getting more and more flustered.

“No, wait! I did NOT mean for that to sound like that. Y/n, I’m so sorry, I’m not that kind of guy, I promise. I just meant that you didn’t have to buy anything special for me. You’re perfect enough as you are.” You wiped the tears that had formed in your eyes from laughing so hard as you reached over and gave his hand a quick squeeze, butterflies in your stomach at the touch of his skin on yours.

“Choso, it’s okay. I knew what you meant, it was funny but I understand the intent behind it.” You put the clothes on the rack to be sorted by the employees. “If it makes you feel any better, I’d take you out as you are now too, no fancy new clothes needed, because you’re really handsome just like this.”

Choso tried to keep his big, giddy smile internal, but he couldn’t contain his joy at hearing you found him attractive too. As you walked to the food court, he had a newfound burst of confidence and softly took hold of your hand, another trait of his you found completely endearing. He was a pretty bulky and intimidating man, but you liked how he treated things with a gentle touch. You both decided to get ramen bowls but with different toppings so you could share. Choso insisted on paying for your meal and you thanked him profusely for his generosity. When he let go of your hand only to pay and bring over both your orders to the table, you found that your hand was uncomfortably empty without his in it, even during such a short amount of time. Enjoying your meals, you both still had tons to talk about. There was never a dull or awkward moment with him and it was nice that you could be yourself around him with no fear of judgement. As you were listening to Choso talk about a funny story, he took a break from speaking to finish eating the noodle he had picked up with his chopsticks. You, too, were trying your hand at finishing a noodle but it was extremely long. When you felt tension on the noodle and noticed it starting lifting from Choso’s side of the bowl as well, your heart did a flip.

“Have you ever seen the movie “Lady and the Tramp?” you asked him, noodle dangling out of your mouth.

“Uh uh,” he replied, meaning no.

“Just follow my lead,” you said. Choso looked at you curiously but heeded your directions. You both slurped away at the noodle until it was obvious you two were eating the same one. You put your finger up to signal Choso to refrain from breaking it. You continued to bring the noodle further into your mouth, as did he, and your faces were now close together. You knew PDA wasn’t totally acceptable but the food court was surprisingly quiet for the time of day and no one was in the booths around you. If you were going to kiss him, now was the time. You gave him time to understand what would happen if you ate any more of the noodle and he had the chance to break it off and back away if he didn’t want to kiss you. Choso’s lips curled into a tiny smile as his eyes bore into yours, leaning in ever so slightly. You did the same, and your lips ever so slightly ghosted Choso’s as you—

“Hey! Choso!”

You quickly clamped down on the noodle with your teeth so it was no longer connected to the piece in Choso’s mouth. You had never moved so fast in your life to sit back in your seat normally as Yuji and his friends came barreling over to your table. Normally Choso was ecstatic to see his little brother, but he couldn’t have picked a worse time to interrupt. You were sure Yuji didn’t notice his brother pouting in his booth, the neglected noodle hanging at the corner of his mouth. As Choso sat, brooding with his arms crossed, you couldn’t help but find the timing hilarious. While Yuji was none the wiser that his brother was about to kiss someone, you were sure that Fushiguro noticed because his face was tomato red and avoiding your gaze while Kugisaki gave you a thumbs up and a wink. You shook your head, a light chuckle tumbling out of your mouth.

“I take it you had a successful shopping day?” You eyed the bags that the kids hauled over and were now strewn across several unoccupied tables.

“Of course! I love shopping. I’m very good at it,” a smug Kugisaki replied.

“Are you good at shopping or overspending on things you don’t need?” grumbled Fushiguro while Kugisaki flicked the side of his head. While they dealt with each other, you pulled out your phone to check the time. The mall was about to close! It didn’t feel like you had been here all day but time flies when you’re having fun.

“I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the mall is gonna close in like, 10 minutes and I should probably head home.”

Choso perked up at the sound of your voice while Yuji turned his conversation to his friends.

“I didn’t realize it had gotten so late, I was having such a good time with you. Can we walk you home?”

You beamed at him.

“I would love nothing more.”

The kids rounded up all of the bags as your eccentric little group headed to the train station. The entire time, Choso’s hand had found its home in yours and you couldn’t be happier at how today went. What started as a normal day ended with you potentially finding love. Even as you waited outside, sweat beginning to bead on your forehead and palms, Choso never let go of you. When you made it to your apartment door, you reluctantly let go of each other’s hands.

“I had an amazing time today with you, y/n,” said Choso, with the sincere look on his face that you had come to adore, “Would you like to go on a second date with me sometime soon?”

“I had a great time with you too, Choso. I’d love to go on another date with you.”

You both had huge smiles on your faces as you exchanged phone numbers. Before he turned around to leave, you caught his attention.

“Wait! Your hair got messed up on the train ride over here. Can I fix it for you before you go? I am an expert at this style, you know.”

He obliged, sitting on the steps so you could reach him easier. You couldn’t help but relish the feeling of running your fingers through his hair and he was equally just as happy getting his hair played with, letting out a content sigh. You twisted the hair into the right shape and got the ends to spike up to match the other bun. When you were done, you pulled out a Hello Kitty hair clip you had bought at the mall and placed it on the side of his head.

“Something to remember me by,” you explained as he stood up.

“I don’t think I could ever forget you,” he said earnestly. You leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek goodbye and Choso didn’t know if his poor heart could handle any more love from you without it going into overdrive. As you entered your doorway, Choso bid you farewell with a lovesick grin on his face. Hurrying back to the others, he couldn’t wait to debrief with them everything that had happened and get advice on what to do for the second date. When their train arrived at the station, Choso sat down and immediately slapped his palm to his face, groaning.

“Yuji?”

“Huh?”

“I forgot the fans.”

[passionateseadruid]

Snake King’s Bride

Warning: Profanity (The F bomb), unhealthy relationships, human sacrifice, deals with the devil. (Why tf am I writing this 😭(because I had an idea and it wouldn’t get out of my head that’s why)) Other warnings may be added.

Part one The Exchange

You were so excited to move out and go to college. But in this economy everything is expensive, so you got a roommate and a job at this adorable little thrift store. (Employee discount for the win). 

“Bye, Lilian! I’m off to work!”

“Okay! I’ll be home late, so don’t wait up!”

“Alright! If you feel unsafe or if you want to leave the concert early feel free to call me!”

“Okay!”

You made your way to your job and entered the shop.

“Kaitlyn I’m here!”

“Oh hey! Come in come in! I was just reorganizing some stuff.” She stood on a chair as she swapped some things on shelfs, next to her lay a bag of flower petals (fake ones most likely).

“Anything new or interesting get dropped off?”

“My step-sister Regan dropped off a ring earlier today.” She said hopping down.

“Ooh! What does it look like?”

“It’s gold and it’s shaped like a snake coiled around your finger. And it’s eating a little ruby in the shape of an apple.”

“Can I see it?”

“You’re… interested?”

“I guess you could say so.”

She smiled, almost exited and relieved at once. “I’ll go get it.”

She left and after a few minutes you were worried so you went to find her and you heard her talking in the break room.

“…

I promise she’s perfect

…

Trust me! Rea Rea doesn’t have to get hurt

…

See?!

…

Oh thank you!” She walked out of the break room and you hid behind a clothing rack. 

You pretended to be coming back from the bathroom. “Hey, I just want to say that I hope you know I’m here for you if you need anything. Like I know this is out of pocket but I thought I’d tell you because we’re getting close.”

“I’m fine. Here’s the ring.”

“This is beautiful!”

“Put it on!”

“What? Why?” You laughed.

“Why not? I won’t tell. Just do it.”

“Okay but only for a minute.” You slipped it on. “Okay that’s enough… why won’t it come off?”

“It’s… not coming off?” Kaitlyn asked nervously.

“I’m going to see if I can loosen it with maybe some soap or something. Where did your sister get this ring by the way?!” You yelled from the bathroom. The shop was usually empty on weekdays so you didn’t really care about how loud you were being.

“Um… my little sister said that it was a family heirloom to be passed down to the first woman born into that family on her 20th birthday.”

“Okaaaay…”

“I’m not finding anything; but while you have that ring on why don’t we have some fun!”

“What do you mean by that?” You asked cautiously.

“Why don’t we just pretend that you’re getting married?”

“What?” You laughed.

“Come on! It’ll be fun!”

"Why not?" You smiled.

You pulled out an old wedding dress and the matching shoes. She arranged the flower petals from before in a circular pattern and placed some candles around. "I think this dress might be a bit big on me."

"I'll grab some safety pins." Kaitlyn smiled.

You changed into the dress and when you went to zip it up it felt like the dress shrunk to fit snuggly on you. It was a white ballgown dress with a sweetheart neckline and long sleeves. She then changed into some white close toed wedges with faux gemstones dangling from the strap. It felt like the shoes were expanding as you slipped into them. "Huh, everything is a perfect fit." You then slipped on a chocker that had two rows of pearls and a big diamond in the center and finally placed the veil that came with the dress on top of your head.

Stepping out Kaitlyn had adjusted the veil to cover your face and lead you over to the ring of flowers. "Okay stand here for a second."

"Kaitlyn, something doesn't feel right about this." You said as you stepped into the circle.

"Shut up."

"Excuse you!"

Kaitlyn starts speaking in Latin as you try to step out of the circle. "Kaitlyn stop! You're scaring me!" A forcefield stopped you from leaving the circle. "What the fuck? What the fuck is this? Let me out!"

A fiery rift slices through the air and a dark demonic voice calls out.

"Please, Dark King of hell take her as your bride in exchange for Regan!"

"Deal now leave me be."

"What NO!" You screamed as the floor erupted from under you.

[masonmiamor]

tell me you love me - - mason mount x reader.

stfu bc why is this gif so cute 😭🙏🏻 💕

Part two to my last fic! You can find that here!

feedback is appreciated! request are currently open so feel free to send ideas and or concepts 🫶🏻

Three weeks passed and still no sign, you felt like the damage was already done and there was no hope left. You could feel yourself lingering and wanting to reach out but you couldn’t find yourself with enough courage to pick up the phone and communicate with him.

Three weeks later and you had enough, you were angry with yourself and him. Mostly yourself because you knew better and had better value to yourself. You weren’t just going to be used over and over again to not get the same energy back?

The temptation to call, to hear his voice was so bad, and it hurt you more than it should’ve. But you weren’t going to make the first move, it was always you. You initiated the conversations and you were tired of having to be the bigger pants.

The only things that helped you forget were reading or watching movies. You went out with your girlfriends but ended up having the worst time. How were you letting this all consume you in the worst possible way?

Work helped you distract yourself, not having to worry about what went inside your head rather being focused, and tasked to finish your job. Today was one of your days off after having worked for three weeks straight, so you decided with a little self care day.

Taking a longer walk in the morning, passing by to buy some new clothes and makeup, shoes, and even a new small purse. Before you went home to your flat, you had two more locations to attend, the bookstore and grocery store.

You loved walking around taking glances a new and latest books or those that came up on your recommendations on social media. You had a few you wanted to buy, so after ordering an ice coffee of your preference, you grabbed a small basket and strolled over the store. Grabbing books, reading the titles and small summaries, flicking through pages to see if it grabbed your attention.

“Buy it.”

You glanced up to see the one and only Mason, leaning against a shelf, you looked over at him, seeing his disheveled hair, his now longer beard, him wearing an all black outfit. You looked around and saw no one, it was almost empty, you took one last glance at the book in your hand before putting it back.

“I-I-I, How did you know I was here?” he looked at you for a minute before shaking his head. “I was here already… This is where you spent most of your time, and I wanted to get something from here as well…” he said shyly, his cheeks burning red. You furrow your brows together, “You? Buying something from a bookstore?”

“Yes, it was for you,” he took his hand from the back showing you the romance book you had talked to him about a couple of weeks ago. Your favorite trope, with a happy ending. You look up and attempt to read his face, but he just stares so attentively to you. “I remembered you talking about it before we went to bed, and-”

“You were actually listening to me?” you say surprised. Mason looks taken back, almost shocked, “Don’t get me wrong, I just didn’t think you were listening to me that day, especially about a book,” you say, attempting to explain. Mason looks down and fidgets with his hoodie strings feeling guilty.

Mason steps closer, you can immediately smell the cologne and aftershave on him, reminding you he was actually there and not just your imagination playing with you. “I always listen to you… About anything and everything,” he confesses. Your mouth slowly gapes open and you try to mutter a response out.

“I read the back, and a couple pages… The characters remind me of us, and what we have, that something special can’t be easily forgotten,” Mason hints. “That when love hurts you but overall makes you happy, it’s real,” he continues.

“I want to talk,” he deadpans. You continue searching and analyzing the book, so confused about what was going on, not trying to confront him just yet. Were you ready to suddenly open up again and talk with him? No and yes. “We’re talking…” you whisper. He cocks his head to the side giving you a “are you serious look”.

“Y/n,” he says seriously.

“Mason,” you challenge, crossing your arms over your chest. You sigh and return the book back to him, “You can’t just buy me a book and expect everything to be okay you know? It won’t work like that,” you say, trying to keep your voice smooth and not reveal the nervousness. “I know it won’t work, I wish it could because I know how happy books make you feel, anything to see you smile again… I would do it. That’s why I'm asking to talk.”

“What if it doesn’t fix things and makes things between us worse?” you find yourself asking, rubbing the side of your arm. Mason was still yours, and you were still his, but thinking about the fact it could no longer be that way scared you. It hurts already but that would be more than painful. “We will never know unless we talk,” he says honestly, taking closer steps.

“I’m just as scared as you are. The same thoughts,” he admits. You jump at the opportunity to escape when you hear a person coming by, reminding yourself you still had errands to run. You quickly blink and clear your throat, “I need to go buy groceries still. How about I meet you in mine in about an hour and thirty?” you say shyly.

Mason nods, “Thank you Y/n.”

When you get into your car, you blink fast, still trying to process seeing him again, and what he said to you. After you calmed down you made your way to the store, played some music, and just looked ahead to the destination. Your mind went back to him, almost bumping into someone as it distracted you.

You bought many snacks and drinks to have more in stock. But you also did buy the missing vegetables, meats and fruits that were missing from your fridge. You planned to make something on the easier side today so you quickly grabbed bread and some cheese from the bakery and deli.

Truth to be said your hands were full when you walked into your flat, you never did have patience to make a double trip, so with much strength in you, you only made one trip when bringing in groceries.

Mason wasn’t here still, so after putting everything away, you arranged the new bouquet of flowers, the living room and your office, well more of a room where you could escape and just read away. Your doorbell ringing startles you, but the sight of Mason has your pulse raising quicker than before.

“Come in,” you say, hearing him thank you. Mason carried a small white bag on his right hand and a smaller bouquet of your favorite flowers on his left. “It’s a small something but I had to buy them when I saw them. They’re your favorite,” he says chuckling. You look up and smile, seeing his smile grow wider at your sight.

Mason attentively watches as you grab a separate vase for his flowers, but makes notice of the freshly new ones on the dining tables. Did you or someone else get those for you? If someone did, then who? He thought.

He follows you into the office room or more of your safe space in your home. You set the glas vase on your desk, opening the white bag to find the two books you talked about that night, along with some chocolate and cookies from your favorite bakery. He clears his throat, walking over to you when you put the new books on the shelf.

it was now or never, the two of you thinked, without knowing it. Your body shifted straight towards him, bringing him into the long and anticipated hug. He felt warm and so perfect between your arms, you didn’t want to let go, it was capturing and a feeling of safety overwhelmed you. When you pull away your foreheads rest against each other, your arms dropping to your sides.

Mason rubbed his nose over your cheek, his hands softly gripping just above your elbows. Your hands remained by your sides, not knowing what to do, he whispered again, “Forgive me.”

You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding in, your face slightly leaning into his, “I can’t, I-I-I don’t know,” you let out, but you know deep inside the man here pleading for you is the one. He always has been since day one.

“Forgive me… please,” Mason says again, the sincerity in his voice is laced with a tint of begging you. You slowly bring your hands to grip his sides, and he lets out a small groan, “Jesus… Your hands are like silk Y/n…”

“Tell me what’s running through your mind baby, it’s the only way we can help each other out here,” Mason says along the crook of your neck. “Be brutally honest with me, even if you think it may hurt us, or me. Say what you have to say.”

“I have so much to say, because at the end of the day, I’m still hurt by your doings. I won’t blame it all on you, because there are always two sides of a relationship, but you hurt me and I'm scared to let you back in after three weeks.,” you sob out, suddenly back away creating space between you. You can see Mason close his eyes sadly.

“I was there for you mentally and physically but when I asked that from you, I never received it back. It wasn’t fair Mason, it was always me. ME! Who had to fix us always when something went down. Me who had to put the pieces back together even though they weren’t properly prepared.”

“I know you from the back of my hand Mason. We got so close to a point where it was lust and love combined. I was so consumed and convinced you would maybe one day realize what you were doing affected me, and us. But it never came, and I don’t know when it will,” you let out wiping the tears away from your cheeks.

“I’m losing hope here Mason… I’m doubting your love for me and it’s making me feel useless and unwanted. I understand you history and respect what you went through but I don’t know if you’re waiting for the first opportunity where I fuck up to leave or if you’re stuck believing i’m like the others… I can barely read you-”

“You consume every single thought that runs through my mind. Every single one. I get it, I know i fucked up. I know I should’ve committed and communicated with you better but you have to believe me when I say I'm madly in love with you Y/n. How could I not love the woman who hasn’t left my side even after I hurt her?” Mason cuts you off. His words sound as if he were confessing his love to you all over again.

“How could I not love the woman who no matter what stayed by my side during my difficult moments? The one who brought me breakfast in bed excitedly, the one who would kiss my head gently before I left, the one woman who no matter what will prioritize you over herself. I’m so inlove with you Y/n, I can’t make that up…”

“You're the women of my dreams. Always have been, and always will. I know I have given you the opposite of what you expected but that was due to the constant overthinking I did and insecurities taking a toll… My biggest fear was becoming a reality that night I left. I can’t bear the fact of one day losing you and not having you in my arms again Y/n.”

All the talking drags you to sit on your couch. Covering your face when you hear footsteps approaching you and kneeling down facing you. “Let me prove it to you how much you mean to me, let me prove to you I can be the man you need. Let me prove to you just how much I love you, even if it means buying you all the books in the world you dearly love,” Mason says, dragging his hands from the soft carpet to the sides of your legs.

“One more chance please? There’s so much in store for us still, and I only see myself doing them with you,” he says, his brown bright eyes pleading you. The glossy look on his face tells you he’s being for real, not like those past times where he would promise and not live up to his word. Your hand softly meets his cheek, his eyes gazing from your bracelet to your teary face. Mason leans his head on you hand, relishing the feeling and closing your eyes.

“You have to talk to me, Mason. I can’t know what’s going through your head when you shut me out. You can’t plan and do something just to not stick with it and finish in the end,” you say, Mason nods, a small smile spreading on his face. His tears now dried on his freckled skin, “I love you. Forever. I don’t know how you’re so strong to do this, but I will make things right from now, I promise.”

For the first time in forever your heart races and butterflies spread across your chest when you hear him say I love you. The tingly sensation that spreads to your spine declares the effect he has on you. Mason was the one for you, and it will take time to slowly gain back to a stronger relationship. You weren’t so quick to give up but he wasn’t either. Only fate knows how things will end, but in your mind the brown eyed and haired boy was for you.

“I love you Mason,” you lean down grabbing his chin and kiss his lips softly. He sucks in a breath and brings his hand to the back of your head deepening the kiss. He would never get tired of how your lips molded into his, the way you tasted across his lips had him in a daze, it was never enough. When you pull back your thumb pulls his bottom lip down. “This is just the start,” you recall.

“It is a start. But it’s the start to a happy ending for us.”

[hsdiaries]

chapter five

4.3k words

Fifth chapter of eight count.

The morning after with her felt like I was in a different dimension of my life. We fixed her bed with new sheets, I rolled my eyes as she insisted that we fix the bed completely. I let her know I never did, that I found it pointless before jumping in and messing up the neatly made up bed we had just spent twenty minutes arranging. She eventually jumped in too, her laughter mixing with mine as we wrinkled the covers and knocked down some pillows. Her body shifted towards mine, lips brushing mine gently before pressing a kiss onto them. 

We went to a small bakery for breakfast that I came to every once in a while, making sure it was in the opposite direction of Birmingham’s. She was too nosy when it came to my so-called job there and I wanted to avoid it at all cost. Our breakfast was spent sharing two different pastries as she couldn’t make up her mind and cups of coffee each. She surprised me then, insisting I get a key to her apartment so that I could let myself in while she was at work. It was strange to me, knowing her less than a week but feeling like I didn’t want to be anywhere else.

We walked to a local hardware store after, quickly making a key before heading back to her place. She was talkative the entire time, almost as if she never had someone to express all her thoughts too. I learned she liked to snack on white cheddar popcorn, always had a bowl ready to quickly reach into. We attempted to play blackjack on her coffee table, but ended up building paper houses out of the cards. Some two stories, others single story homes.

“I always wanted an entire loft like building for myself. I make enough to probably get something like that…but now the space would seem too empty and big for just me,” she smiled, starting to add a third story to one carefully.

“I’d follow you there too, we could call it the house of broken hearts,” I bit my lip, a soft peach blush on her cheeks.

“What makes you think I have a broken heart?” She said softly, eyes locked on mine.

“It’s a hunch, if everything else of you, is as similar to me as the things we’ve shared, I’d say we share a broken heart too,” I shrugged and she nodded, looking down to her paper houses.

“Hmm, maybe you’re right, bashful, maybe you’re right.”

—

I hadn’t seen her today since she placed a kiss on my cheek before leaving for work. She had done this the past two mornings before work and each time I wished I could pull her against me; hold her there the rest of the day. I had been sleeping on the couch as well these past two nights, trying to keep some decency in our newly formed friendship. I didn’t want her to think she was just a sexual fixture in my life, I wanted her to know I was able to make this more than just that.

Packing up my gym bag with everything I needed for tonight’s fight made me jittery. It was both my ego and nerves trying to take over my mind. I needed to win this fight to make bills for the next month, I also needed the win to not feel like the weak bastard my father thought I was. 

Throwing my shoes in my bag, I looked around the apartment making sure I didn’t leave a mess. I didn’t want Emilia to come home from work stressed out and cleaning. Once I made sure everything was in order, I threw my bag over my shoulder and made my way out, locking the door behind me. 

My body moved toward the elevator but my feet stopped me, eyes glancing over to my apartment door. I licked my lips as they went dry, wondering if he was okay. We had heard his drunken movements at night as we settled, but I hadn’t been back. I bought clothes with some of the extra money Brad had given, knowing if my father needed groceries, he would sober up enough to get himself bread, cheese and more beer.

I closed my eyes, shaking my head continuing my way off of this floor and to the lobby. When I got to the bottom, Richard whistled, catching my attention instantly.

“Rich! Good day!” I smiled, gripping on tighter to my bag, walking over to him as his eyes narrowed, “Or not good day?”

“She’s special, Harry. She’s smart, responsible, and incredibly kind. Her heart is too big for her own good,” he said sternly, eyes burning into mine.

“I know that. I see it. She’s been good to me with no real reason to be,” I said, watching as his eyes trailed to my gym bag.

“She know about that?” His chin pointing in its direction.

“No. I don’t want her involved in that. You know it’s probably best she doesn’t get involved in it,” I swallowed, until eventually he gave a soft nod.

“I know you’re a good kid, Harry. She is too. I just don’t want broken hearts all over my lobby floor,” he raised an eyebrow and I couldn’t help but chuckle nodding my head.

“I don’t have enough heart left for that. I’m afraid she’d leave a black hole and nothing else,” I raised both eyebrows before turning on my heels, “Bye Rich.”

I pushed my way through the apartment doors, quickly heading towards Birmingham’s. Brad and I had done so much work for tonight’s fight, I knew I could take him down in one round easily, two if I wanted to make a show out of it. I would have my title back from this dumbass and that was all that truly concerned me.

As I finally walked in the doors of Birmingham’s I was greeted by Jacob and Brad hanging at the bar.

“Well, well, well it’s our champ! You ready to knock him the fuck out tonight?” Jacob quipped, Brad laughing.

“Fuck yeah. Get him out of this bar for at least a month,” I snickered making Jacob roll his eyes.

“Don’t exactly appreciate you scaring away paying customers,” he tilted his head at me and I sat next to Brad.

“I bring in about half of the people on fight nights, I can chase away one,” I shot back, Brad pointing at me with her drink.

“His point is valid lad,” Jacob narrowed his eyes, tuning to grab a small glass, filling it with some cherries and handing it to me. I smiled, glancing down at my usual, normally topped off with some cold Coca Cola if it wasn’t a fight night. I grabbed a cherry, popping it off the stem with my teeth.

“Yeah, well, you better not start sucking then. They’ll stop coming around if all you do is lose their money. Even today, most bets on the table are in favor of you winning,” Jacob said, sliding over his bet log. I glanced over it quickly, looking at how much I would make from the entry fee alone if I won.

“Don’t worry. I ain’t losing anymore. Not in my nature,” I winked, eating another cherry.

“So, did you finally grow the balls to tell your girl about tonight?” Brad elbowed my arm, my eyes narrowing at him.

“She’s not my girl…not like that anyway. I don’t want her involved in this world. She’s too good for this, trust me. Plus, the legality of it all, I’m sure it would mess with her job,” I ran my fingers through my hair, twisting the strands and pulling at them tightly.

“You gotta tell her eventually. What’s she going to think when you come home with a couple bruises tonight or those stitches opened up again?” Brad shot back.

“I’ll deal with it when I get there. Right now, she doesn’t need this, so let’s just drop it,” I said, biting two cherries at once, “Let’s talk schedule, what are the fights looking like tonight?”

Jacob, flipped around the bet book, looking for the schedule running his finger down the order of events, “We have two fights before you, you go on at 12, near closing time. Best spot.”

“Perfect, Hopefully Louis’ ass can stay sober enough to stand through it, if not, Brad you’ll be the stand in manager and coach,” we both nodded at each other.

“We got this, bruv, winners,” Brad patted my back as we got lost in conversation.

“God, just one more hour,” I sighed, rubbing my eyes from how tired I was. Today had been long, no major losses in the ward, just pain and struggle. Jo didn’t look any happier with today, but we held on to the knowledge that tomorrow was our last shift before a four day break. 

“Watch it be the hour from hell. You know I could use a drink tonight. I wanna go home, get dolled up, look sexy as fuck and well - get fucked,” she smirked and I couldn’t help but chuckle. My thighs clench slightly at the thought of having Harry in my bed tonight. He had been so respectful since the first time we slept together, but I wanted nothing more than to hear him call me pretty girl in my ear.

I bit my lip, running my tongue against it, “Let’s do that! Let’s go home, get dolled up, you can meet me at my place and we can go to Birmingham’s and get drunk. You can meet Harry, he’s working tonight!” I smiled brightly, like the idea of having someone important to introduce.

“I can meet the man that has my best friend on a whole different planet? Sign me up. Plus, Jacob always gives me free drinks!” She shimmed her shoulders, winking at me. I laugh, shaking my head as I close up some files, turning to the computer to log information in, “So he’s just been there this week? And hasn’t try to put a move on you at all?”

“Well..,” I sucked my lower lip in between my teeth and giggled, my eyes glancing over at her. I cleared my throat and whispered so only she could hear, “we hooked up the first morning after he stayed over. We just got caught up in the moment, but since then, nothing has happened. I think he’s trying to be respectful, because we kiss and touch. Just hasn’t been sexual.”

Jo’s jaw dropped, she took hold of my arm, rolling her chair over closer to mine, “You got laid and didn’t share. You know I live through these moments, it’s why we share!”

“I honestly thought you would be upset at me! You told me to be careful, and here I am, having him in my apartment and fucking him!” I exclaimed quietly, making her laugh. 

“Did you use a condom?” She said, my eyes widening as she hit my head softly with a file, “That’s not being careful!”

Scrunching my nose, I giggled, “I took care of things, I just - God Jo, it was so fucking hot. I didn’t want him to stop. I needed him to just keep touching me.”

I breathed out, Jo stomping her feet playfully on the ground, hugging me close to her, squealing out “God, I love sex.”

Bursting into laughter, I smacked her arm until she finally freed me, “He’s friends with Jacob you know? We could have a double date!” 

“Jacob and I don’t do double dates. We fuck. That’s where that ends, but, for you, I guess,” Jo said rolling her eyes, even though deep down I knew she wanted nothing more than to make it more than just casual sex. 

“You’re so generous,” I smirked, shaking my head a bit, “Okay, so it’s set then, Birmingham’s after work. We will wash off the day, get cute and get drunk.” 

She watched me as I clapped my hands in excitement, laughing and pushed back to her area of the desk and continuing her work.

— 

I smoothed on a layer of a mauvey lipstick on top of my favorite brown liner, blotting my lips against each other; my signature peach blush on my cheeks. Jo was five minutes away, we would pregame with some shot for courage before heading to Birmingham’s. It was silly, needing liquid courage, as if Harry hadn’t made my home his - but he was always so quiet about work. Secretive almost, not embarrassed, just…secretive. A knock on my door snapped me out of thoughts and I quickly closed my lipstick, moving to open the door for Jo. 

“I bring Don Julio and Patron. Options!” She exclaimed, bringing in her scent of cherry vanilla with her, dressed in a black jumpsuit that hugged her just right.

“Patron is the only option!” I snatched the bottle from her, quickly making my way over to the kitchen. I pulled out shot glasses and quickly served us shots.

“So did you tell Harry we were coming? I told Jacob we would be stopping by,” she smiled as we clinked the shot glasses and down them quickly. I scrunched my face at the burn of the tequila, shaking my head.

“No. I figured I would surprise him looking like this,” I winked, twirling to show off my loose gold satin dress, and dainty strappy heels.

“You know what, it’ll be the best surprise of his life, and I won’t blame you if you sneak him away,” she smacked my ass before serving another shot.

“Oh hush, alright, I made us sandwiches, two more shots and then we are out!” I said, gliding over to my fridge and pulling out the two sandwiches I had made us earlier. She reached over and began eating as we chatted about what our days off would consist of. We agreed to go shopping the day after tomorrow just in case tonight ended with both of us with me in our beds.

Once our sandwiches were done we took our final shot then quickly grabbed our purses and headed out. I was thankful Birmingham’s wasn't too far off, both because of the cold and also because the shots were starting to course through me. I was as nervous at the thought of surprising Harry, but excited all at the same time.

We pushed through the bar door, Jo squinting her eyes until she spotted Jacob and squealing, “Sugar!” She loosened her grip on my running towards the bar, Jacob rounding the corner and smiling at her.

“Baby face, look at you,” Jacob smirked at her, drinking her up as I approached the bar sitting next to where Jo stood. Jacob’s eyes landed on me, “Hey E, how’s the night going?”

“Good, in need of a good ranch water with a extra twist,” I winked and he chuckled.

“Alrighty and you Jo?” 

“Tequila. Straight,” she smirked and I couldn’t help but snicker at my best friend’s straightforwardness.

He chuckled and nodded, my eyes rolling as Jo took her seat, “Alright, coming right up. Make sure to keep the freaks away until I get back.”

I saluted at him, before biting my lip and tapping my fingers on the bar top. I couldn’t help but let my eyes wander around, trying to spot the unruly hair that I loved tangling my fingers in.

“You see him?” Jo said, her voice snapping me in her direction.

“No. I mean, I see a bar back, but it’s not him. Maybe he got off already? But..he said he would be home late. So - I don’t actually know.”

She nodded as Jacob made his way back, placing our drinks in front of us, “Here you go, I gotta work the bar, I’ll be back.”

“Wait sugar! Question, where is Harry?” Jo said confidently, my cheeks flushing. 

I watched as Jacob’s brows furrowed, looking around quickly then back at us. He crossed his arms in front of his body, leaning forward on the bar, “How do you both know about that?”

Jo and I quickly glanced at each other then back at Jacob, “Know about what?” I said, tilting my head.

“Harry, the boxing…that’s what you're asking about right?” He said, eyes narrowed, but before I had a chance to speak, Jo spoke quickly.

“Obviously, we just didn’t get the full details,” she smiled, reaching up and running her fingers through his hair.

“Alright, normally there is a twenty dollar buy in, but I’ll swing it for you both. Take your drink, these tickets and head down that back door marked employee entrance. You’ll reach the stairs, you’ll hear the crowd, just follow the noise. He already started so, hurry, I’m sure he’s going to be done with that pus quickly.”

My mind tried to wrap around everything Jacob had just said, Jo’s hand wrapping around my arm and pulling me up. I followed her in a daze, drinking in hand as we followed Jacob’s directions. As we approached the stairs and made our way down, I could hear what sounded like a crowd, cheering and booing. Voices overlapping more than just those at a bar. 

As we reached the bottom of the stairs, my eyeline fell on a boxing rink, surrounded by drunken men and a couple of women. In the rink was a tall slim blonde, ducking to avoid punches coming from a curly haired brunette. My curly hair brunette, Harry. My hand quickly came to my mouth, seeing Harry throw a punch and miss, followed by a quick punch to his stitched up eyebrow.

Harry lost his balance slightly, moving back until he found his footing, moving so quickly none of us including the other boxer expected it. He threw three quick blows, before they both moved into a hug, the makeshift referee approaching to seperate them.

“Uhm? This is a unique bar back?” Jo yelled into my ear, my face turning towards her brows furrowed.

“I can’t believe he lied,” I shot back.

“Hey, maybe he had a reason,” Jo quickly said as I shook my head.

“This is so stupid, beyond dang—…” I was interrupted by the crowd's screams and yells, the bell indicating the fight had ended ringing in my ears. Harry’s arm was held up by the referee, two other men running up and hugging him, lifting him up on their shoulders.

“I gotta go,” I said quickly, moving through the crowd to the ring, trying to find Harry in the haze of things. I could see the top of his head, his dimples imprinted on his cheeks coming into view. I swallowed, pressing my lips tightly together before finally calling out to him, “Harry.”

I saw his shoulders tense, his face turning to glance over his shoulder before completely turning around. Confusion seemed to be his primary expression before it softened into his sweet smile. His sweet smile that I needed to go away and not distract from the anger I felt in my chest.

“Emilia…what are you doing here?” He said, almost hesitant to step towards me.

“Thought I was going to surprise you at work, maybe hang out after you were off,” I chewed on my lip.

“Did you…do you see the entire fight?” He said softly, his hands moving to his hair, he was nervous, it was obvious.

“Caught the end it seems…so this is what you do? This is your job?” I said sternly, straight to the point.

He studied my face, my eyes not leaving his as he did, “Yeah. This is how I get my money. It usually covers rent and the bills, plus some savings.”

I bit my lip, shaking my head, “Do you know how dangerous this is?”

His face pulled back slightly, “What?”

“Yes, there is no proper medical team, your wound is open again which can be dangerous on its own, not to mention completely illegal. This is so stupid, Harry. And you lied to me.”

“Of course I did! Look how you’re reacting! Fucking shaming me, for trying to make a living the only way I know how,” he scoffed, biting his lip and shaking his head.

“This isn’t the only way! There are so many other ways to make a living, to get a good—…”

“….a good what?! Job? Job that understands my father is a drunk who will make me miss work more than days I can physically attend? That will pay me in one day what I can make here in one night. Not all of us are privileged, Emilia!” He growled at me, eyebrows knitting together, arms crossing in front of my body.

“Excuse me?” 

“Privileged. Things handed to them if you need a clearer definition,” he smirked, arrogantly chuckling under his breath.

“Things have not been handed to me! I have worked hard for every bit of the life I have!” I yelled, finding myself moving closer to his face, trying to match his towering height, not letting him make me feel small.

“Yeah? Nothing at all? And when you went to school? Did daddy pay for that? Or the government because you lost your father in service?” He shot back, words stinging like a dagger straight to my heart. I felt myself shrivel back down to small, tears welling up in my eyes, threatening to fall.

I back away slowly, chewing on my inner cheek and lip, “Fuck you, Harry.”

He moved to close the distance between us, face so close our noses lined up, “You already did,” he smirked, looking from one eye to the other before walking around me and leaving me in the wake of a crowd I didn’t realize had stayed behind to watch the argument.

Looking around desperately, I felt Jo rush into me, arms wrapping tightly around my body, “Come on, let’s get you out of here.”

I pushed past her quickly, cursing myself under my breath for handling everything the way I had. I felt cornered, attacked, I reacted the way I normally would with my father - only making bile crawl up my throat. I reached the small changing area for the boxer, pushing to the sink in the back, allowing my entire body weight to rest on my hands as I held on.

A hand gripped at my shoulder, my eyes peeking up in the mirror to see Jacob. I shook my head and looked down at the sink, “What’s up?”

“First…I didn’t realize that was her. She knew of you, so I just sent her down. I thought it was part of the plan to come see you,” Jacob said, Brad and the guys obviously having informed him. 

Or Emilia herself.

“It doesn’t even fucking matter, I just met her, don’t mean shit,” I said, further amount of bile forming, clearing my throat to make it go away.

Jacob nodded small, “And secondly…Percy Maddox was here tonight. Saw you fight. He’s waiting for you upstairs, made me empty a booth out for you. A meeting with Percy Maddox is a big deal, Harry. He doesn’t come to Birmingham’s often.”

I closed my eyes, exhaling through my nose before standing up and rolling my shoulders back, “Where’s Lou and Brad?”

“Already buying him a round.” Jacob said, my tongue licking my dry lips as I nodded.

“Right, just gotta clean up.”

—

Looking around, I spotted the boys sitting at the back booth, Lou calling me over with his hand. I ran my fingers through my hair, tugging at my curls as I walked over. As I turned the corner to sit next to Lou, I took in the great Percy Maddox - heart instantly dropping into my stomach.

He was well dressed, almost too overdressed for a bar like Birmingham’s. Shiny gold watch on his wrist, matching the chain around his neck. He smiled, taking me in as he sipped his drink, thumb coming up to wipe at his lips.

“Harry Styles. Did you know everyone in mainstream boxing has heard about you already? Some up and coming boxer, illegally making his name in a bar - sounds like the story of a legend,” he shrugged, making me laugh a bit.

“I wasn’t aware of my impact. This just pays the bills,” I said shortly, not really sure how I wanted this meeting to go.

“You could be paying the bills and more, with my help obviously. PR, best matches, traveling the world, strong team behind you.” 

“I already have the best team, these two have obviously gotten me noticed by the likes of you. Which obviously means something impactful,” I said, glancing over to Lou and Brad, nervous smiles on their faces.

This moment meant everything to Brad, I knew it. I didn’t want to sabotage anything for him, but I needed it to be known they were my team. Even dumbass, Lou.

“You make valid points, Harry, and I wouldn’t remove them from your side. It’s obvious this came from the work of three not just one. I’ve had many boxers come under my wing with a team, and we’ve managed.” 

“So you want me on your team?” I said carefully.

“I want you to show me you deserve to be on my team. Two weeks. I pick the opponent, you prep for it, come ready, show me you can be a Maddox Management boxer,” Percy proposed, our eyes steady on each other.

“And when I prove I am?” I countered making him laugh.

“Contracts will be drawn up, for the three of you,” he took a long sip of his drink, my hand moving to tangle into my curls.

Licking my lips I nodded, “Alright. Lou give him your number and set everything up. If you’ll excuse me, my pops needs my assistance tonight. Good night.” 

I stood up, holding my hand out to him which he took and we shook. 

“Looking forward to seeing you on my ring,” he winked, my head nodding a bit before turning and walking away.

[trivialbob]

Last night the four of us went out to play pickleball. The Lucky Shots club in Northeast Minneapolis is pretty cool. It's in an old, brick warehouse that's been repurposed with pickleball courts. Whenever I'm in old buildings like this I think of the people who built them. They are all gone but their work is still standing more than 100 years later.

Sheila plays pickleball often because she teaches lessons. Matt and I have played a few times. Michelle had never tried it. We had a nice time.

Would we have to rent or borrow paddles, I wondered. Then Sheila opened her bag. It was a clown car of pickleball paddles as she kept handing them out. I think she gave some away to the people in the next court before she realized she could stop. She gets some for free or heavily discounted from a store that also gives her plenty of business cards to hand out. She lets her students try different ones. But still, she had a lot of paddles.

Then I noticed her footwear. Oh, those are some nice, new court shoes. Look how bright they are! When we started playing she was wearing different shoes. So apparently there are special shoes just to wear to the pickleball courts, then you change over to (what I assume are very expensive) actual court shoes. Who knew!?

Today we're celebrating Christmas at our house. Over the years, with several in the family who have been in law enforcement and EMS, we often celebrate on a different day, when most of the people can make it. Making lemonade out of lemons, I see it as I get to open presents more than a week early.

Jack and Ali will be here with their dogs. My dad is coming too. Sheila's making a Thanksgiving style dinner. She and Michelle are baking cookies right now. (We strictly enforce gender roles here.) I can't wait to eat. Excuse me now, I need to go move some clothes from the washer to the dryer.

[xgummibearx]

All Might x Reader

((As requested by @mandaplace ))

Toshinori  comes home to find that you’re completely spent. 

TW: burnout, stress, angst, seasonal depression. 

(--) insert name 

---

The winter snow rolled in relentlessly. The sky was grey, the dull grey trunk of trees stretched their bare branches over the windows. The countryside was relaxing, far from prying eyes and flashing cameras. The perfect place for the number one hero. (--) rubbed her eyes, turning over as the chilly morning air seeped in. Her body felt numb, her limbs felt too heavy. She was tired, so tired and she didn't know why. When (--) opened her eyes she traced her fingers were Toshinori had been sleeping only hours before, his warmth long gone. She lost track of time, taking a deep breath before finally rising out of bed to look at the dreary sight outside. The skies grey, and the only sound to accompany her was the wind.

"Okay...let's just get through today." She stood, and meandered towards the bathroom. The warm water on her face helped wake her up a little, the fresh clothes helped too. (--) sat on the couch, a hot cup of coffee in hand as she pulled open her laptop. Typing away, answering emails. She was thankful to have the option of working from home in the colder months, the commute was such a pain. (--)'s stung as she rubbed her face, realizing the only light in the room was from her computer screen. Lawsuits, forms, all sorts of paperwork was necessary when you were the number one hero's secretary. Her printer was almost steaming, the hum of it preparing sheets was almost comforting as she sorted everything into piles all over the livingroom. The hours passed, and she felt like she was somewhere else entirely, her body ached, her head spinning as she found herself getting slowly more frustrated. (--) must have skimmed, and reread the same paper three times but none of it was sinking in. Something about damages to a baker's store front or something like that, she put it down and covered her face. There were still dozens of others to go over. She felt her heart racing, everything screaming at her at once.

The sound of the papers were rhythmic, her heart pounding in her ears as the papers piled so high on the print tray they began to cascade to the floor but the papers kept coming. She had forgotten to wash last night's dishes, when was the last time she ate? (--) could feel tears filling her eyes. The newsletter for the fan signing...yes, yes that would take her mind off things she loved preparing for those. She wondered if there were still any pens left over? Yagi loved to give out his special pens at the signings...the fans adored them. (--) went down the hall towards the storage room, checking the pens, tears still rolling down her cheek as ahe counted the small boxes. Pens with little comical faces of All Might on the ends. She went back to the livingroom, repeating the number in her head, now where was the signing...it was in an email somewhere, which one? She typed up the news letter, and selected print, her hands shaking. She suddenly looked up at the sound of her printer beeping, the indicator light was bright red and flashed for a moment before the whole thing went dead.

"no! no no no..." She smacked the side of it, kept trying to turn it on but nothing. (--) took a deep breath, and started sorting out the papers she had forgotten to pick up earlier.

---

He felt like he was able to exhale for the first time all day, Yagi stepped into the door and he could see the lights on in the livingeoom. It was almost ten, that wasn't too unusual. "She's been working such long hours lately...is everything alright?" He wondered, then looked up to see a few papers on the floor. "Strange..." He thought, removing his jacket as he read them. Something about merch sales in Canada, and high demands. "Honey?" He called, taking off his track shoes. "I found this in the hallway, was it import-" His voice trailed off, there she was. Sitting on the floor, her morning coffee only half drank, and her eyes...he had never seen her so weary. "Honey?...(--) are you alright?" He asked, stepping into the livingroom.

Yagi's soft footsteps made her look up slowly, her heart aching at the sight of him but also heavy with embarrassment. "Yagi...I...well, the printer gave out...I still have so much to do..." He smiled, leaning down.

"I'll send someone to take a look but we can just replace it..." He held her face, his own concerned. "That's not what this is about...(--) you're shaking..." She could feel the tears fighting for release.

"I'm just overwhelmed...I, I know what I need to do...and I can get it done, I will!" She added, why was she so scared? "But I just feel like I can't...I don't want to let you down, and you have so much on your plate..." She was hardly coherent after thar as she leaned in to him and sobbed. Yagi picked her up gently and they sat on the couch. He held her close, rubbing her back.

"You don't have to try to explain...or even make sense of what you're feeling, just get it out first...we'll think of something together don't worry." She held onto him, her sobs making her entire body shake. It amazed her, how he always knew just what to say.

[l3m0ncyan]

New at Life | Chapter 2

Steven Grant/Marc Spector x latina!teen!reader

Masterlist

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———————

The sun poured through the window of the studio, easily waking Y/N up from her sleep. Her sleep schedule was terrible, usually she would find herself waking up in the after noon, but not today. Still, she struggled to get up until the alarm she set last night began to go off a second after.

As she sat up from the couch, she could feel the bones in her body pop. A groan escaped from within her throat while she continued to sit on the brown sofa. It seemed like it wasn’t going to be the best place to sleep, making it her goal to get a mattress as fast as possible.

Squinting at the window, her eyes were blinded from the bright light of the morning. God, did she miss her old room, but there was no point to sit and wallow. Standing up, she made a mental note to buy curtains as well.

Y/N proceeded to begin her day, cooking a small breakfast meal with the groceries she bought from yesterday and then heading to the shower to wash off the grogginess still left in her. Now she found herself rummaging though her luggage, throwing articles of clothing out to make things easier for her, “I swear I packed it,”

With her hair still dripping from the shower, the collar of her t-shirt began to get damp. She rushed herself, trying to save herself from ending up with a wet shirt. After rummaging, she finally found what she needed and held it up, letting out an ‘Ah-hah!’.

It was a cotton, long sleeve, burgundy button down, one that she found in a thrift store. Actually, most of the outfit that she’ll be wearing were thrifted. She put on the long sleeve, tucking it into her clack slacks after buttoning. Since she didn’t have any professional looking shoes, she went with black boots. Her hair was a disaster trying to be held together; she had no idea how to style it without looking like a suburban middle-aged woman, so she just brushed it out and added volume.

She walked up to the mirror, turned, twisted, and even performed a small dance to see if she would be comfortable. "That's all they're going to get from me," she slouched. She grabbed her bag from the wooden dining table, plus the 6 copies of her resume that she printed out yesterday. Locking her door, her feet automatically walked her to the elevator and out to society.

——

Usually she would have just applied online, but she really needed a place to work. Additionally, she heard you get a higher chance of getting hired if you asked upfront. Making the mall a goldmine, she walked to one perfume shop that had a ‘Hiring’ sign at the front. Again, she believed it would be easy until she located the manager and asked about the position, only to be met with the manager’s scowl and a rude, “The spot has been filled,”. Lord, did she feel so much rage from that encounter. With a quick mutter of “Fuck you too”, she walked off, she didn’t need to worry about it, she was barely starting, and she still had a long way to go. – After hours, Y/N had no luck with any of the five other places she went to. She even went to some other places of business on her way out but nothing. The sun was starting its first phase of setting and she was just sitting on a bench with her elbows on her knees and hands holding the bottom of her chin. She wasn’t alone though, next to her was a man in gold clothing while he was painted gold himself. He had a gold suit that reflected in the sun, almost blinding Y/N. He was motionless, only holding a simple pose. It seemed almost humiliating to do, but Y/N found herself able to pour out all of her frustrations.

“I dressed the part, printed my damn resume, and you’re telling me none of them wanted me?” she vented, her voice laced with exasperation. “Like they ask for experience when they are the reasons some of us can’t get any. They think they are so superior, like yeah right. Working at a convenience store and sex shop makes you so elite,” she muttered between bites of her hotdog, staring at the people passing by with envy.

Lost in her thoughts, Y/N's contemplation was interrupted when two girls approached her, requesting a favor. She sat up and rose from the bench, "Oh, sure," she responded, taking the phone from them. Motioning the girls to stand by the golden man, she instructed them to say something cheesy like "golden." They complied, and once she returned their phone, they thanked her and began to walk away. But Y/N couldn't let them leave without reminding them of one thing. “Oye! You guys forgot to tip him!” she called out, pointing at the golden hat on the floor.

"No se hagan culeras," she added. *Don’t be assholes

Wide-eyed, the girls hurriedly contributed to the hat before scurrying away. Y/N scoffed, a playful smirk tugging at her lips. "Maybe you should hire me as your manager or something," she mused, before continuing to take a bit of her hotdog.

Grabbing her hotdog again, she continued to eat before a flyer landed on her foot. Her chewing stopped as she looked down and picked it up. It had Egyptian hieroglyphics in the background, and a sarcophagus in the front, with the words 'NOW HIRING' in large white letters.

Her eyes widened, pushing the flyer to the gold man’s view, she exclaimed, “It has to be a sign right? Does it have an address?”. She looked closer and it did with the qualifications. It seemed like they were hiring right away. Checking the time on her phone, she had enough time to go check it out before retreating.

She stands up to leave, opening her wallet and taking out two pounds, placing them into the tip hat. “Once I am working, I will come back with more,” she smiled before she dashed away to the Ancient Egypt Museum.

As she approaches the museum, banners flutter in the breeze, displaying some of the exhibits. Aside from that, the museum is a pale white being held with white columns, almost a resemblance to the hall where the statue of Abraham Lincoln is located. Large stairs lead to the front doors of the museum which scare Y/N due how her energy has depleted.

As she fights the journey up the stairs and takes a quick break to catch her breath, she walks in to see numerous exhibits. Glass-encased statues and tombs, Egyptian art, and a small gift shop. She can't remember the last time she visited a museum, but she remembers being interested in the topic thanks to her grandfather who would go on and on about history and archeaology, Ancient Egypt being one.

Since the flyer offered a job position in the gift shop, she heads straight there. However once she gets close, she sees a familiar neighbor at the register.

Steven waved goodbye to a boy he had been speaking to, "Take care of Tawaret, alright?" As he resumed organizing the items that had been knocked over, the corner of his eye caught sight of Y/N standing in an awkward stance. Intrigued, he paused his task and greeted her with a warm smile. "Well, if it isn't my dear neighbor, Y/N."

Y/N approached him, her voice laced with a playful tone. "And if it isn't my locksmith," she replied, her steps bringing her closer.

Continuing his task, Steven maintained a light-hearted demeanor. "Indeed, that's what I am. So, what brings you here today? Are you a fan of Egyptian history?"

"I mean it’s cool, but i’m actually here because of a flyer,” Y/N shrugged casually, fishing out a flyer from her pocket and handing it to Steven. He brings it close but then moves it back when he tries to read it, something that Y/N has seen her parents do. "You want to work here?" he asked, squinting at the words on the flyer.

"Yeah, if it’s cool, so far no one has tried to give me an interview or even a handshake," she says, leaning against the front desk of the gift shop, looking down as she is reminded of the rude managers from earlier.

Steven looks at her with pity but gives her an encouraging smile, "Of course, it's alright. Tell you what, why don't I put in a good word for you here?"

Puzzled by the unexpected offer, Y/N tilted her head slightly. "Why?" she inquired.

"Well, it might just speed up the process for you and help you land a job here," Steven explained, his eyes reflecting a genuine desire to assist.

"I mean, I get that, but why are you going out of your way to help me? We've only known each other for less than an hour," she stated, her voice tinged with a mix of surprise and skepticism.

It was true, if she was in his position, she wouldn’t bother to help her neighbor. Let alone interact with them.

"True, I suppose," he mused, "but it doesn't feel right to withhold a helping hand. At least, that's my take on it." Y/N's gaze remained fixed on him as he offered a smile. Having the skill of a people watcher, she was able to tell if someone exuded goodness and those who were terrible. And in this case, he had gold splashed on him with how he radiated warmth and kindness.

"Not to mention," he added with a shrug, "it would be nice to have someone else working the shop with me."

She nodded in understanding, grasping his situation. "Well, if you're open to it, then sure—"

"Stephen! "The sharp voice sliced through their conversation, causing both Y/N and Steven to jump. Y/N turned to her left, finding the source– a woman with bleached blonde hair and eyes that were capable of making children cry.

Once the woman approached them, she crossed her arms and locked her gaze onto Steven, completely disregarding Y/N's presence. "Are you selling to our customers or babbling on about nonsense?" she spat.

Steven’s demeanor seemed to delfate with the way his cheerful character became gloomy. His shoulders slumped, the twinkle in his eyes extinguished, leaving behind an almost stoic expression. "It's Steven, once again, Steven," he emphasized, tapping his name tag for emphasis.

"I don't bloody care. If you're not pulling your weight, your role in the gift shop will be taken away," she declared, waving her finger at him as if scolding a child.

While the woman continued to bicker Steven, Y/N took the chance to sneak a glance at her name tag, revealing the name 'Donna.' It seemed to match her demeanor perfectly.

"Understood," Steven replied, but then turned to face Y/N. "However, I was actually talking to my…" He paused, his lips thinning as he formulated an answer. "…cousin. She's interested in applying for the position of gift shop associate. I highly recommend her," he stated, placing a reassuring hand on Y/N's shoulder.

Y/N tensed at the sudden spotlight being cast upon her in their conversation. Donna's scowl mirrored the other managers that Y/N has encountered. It must be a cultural norm in England.

Glancing up at Steven, he subtly directed his gaze towards Donna. "Oh, um, nice to meet you. My name is Y/N," she greeted with a smile, extending her hand. Surprisingly, Donna accepted the handshake, though her expression remained one of confusion.

"Your cousin, huh? How can I be certain you won't disappoint me?" Her gaze shifted to Steven, one eyebrow raised in doubt.

"I assure you, she would never deceive you. She's a dedicated worker, always eager to learn and grow," he said as he looked at Y/N, almost as if he was referring to yesterday when they were both learning new phrases.

Seeing that Steven was the only one trying to make her shine, she got rid of her daydreaming and spoke up, “Yes! I thrive on being busy and I almost never complain. Plus I learn real quick if you teach me,”

Donna's suspicious gaze intensified as she questioned Y/N's American accent. A sense of urgency washed over Steven as he realized the glaring inconsistency. He looked over to Y/N who seemed to be piecing together a story in her mind.

"Well, I actually grew up in the United States," she confidently stated, ensuring that her words sounded truthful. She just hopes that Donna won’t ask about the family tree. She swiftly changed the subject to the interview, “Over there, I learned to multitask and the importance of respecting my superiors." This however, was a lie; first of all she didn’t believe in the phrase “respect your elders” and secondly she never worked a day in her life. But it seemed like lying is what will help her if she really wanted work there.

Donna's gaze lingered on her, as if scrutinizing every word she said. After a pause, Donna relented, her tone laced with resignation. "Alright, fine. Consider yourself hired. It's only because this one," she gestured towards Steven, "has been giving me a headache." Steven arched an eyebrow at the insult but accepted it to stay away from arguing, and potentially losing his name tag.

"You begin today and then–" Donna started to explain before she was abruptly interrupted.

"Wait, today?" Y/N's voice held a hint of surprise.

Donna responded with an aggressive and rude tone, making it clear that she had little patience, "Yes, today. Is that going to be a problem?".

Shaking her head in response, Y/N chose not to engage in further confrontation. Donna then turned her attention to Steven, delivering a cutting remark, “You will train her today, I expect her to be far better than you". With that, Donna walked away.

"My first job and my boss is a complete bi–" Y/N began to vent her frustrations, but before she could finish her sentence, Steven interjected, "I know she's an absolute tosser, but trust me, you'll get used to it," he said with a reassuring smile.

Y/N nodded in agreement. There was a pause before Steven realized his new task and exclaimed, "Oh right! As it turns out, I will be your mentor, for which I am grateful". He made a small bow with his palm on his chest which Y/N couldn’t help but chuckle at his action.

For the rest of the day, Steven spent it by teaching Y/N the basics of working in a gift shop. He started by familiarizing her where each product belonged and taking inventory. As they moved on to the cashier duties, Y/N couldn't help but feel a nervous flutter in her stomach. However, Steven's presence by her side made her nerves flatten thanks to Steven being by her side, giving her a thumbs up. Even after making countless mistakes, Steven never raising his voice or belittling her efforts.

"I believe that's all the time we have for today. Tomorrow, I'll show you the stock room and all that buzz," Steven announced, beginning to tidy up as the museum visitors started to depart. With a nod of understanding, Y/N followed closely behind him as they headed toward the locker room.

Inside the locker and break room, a few people gathered their belongings , ready to leave. The lockers, arranged in a row toward the back, were rather small. On the opposite side, there were two tables accompanied by a handful of chairs, positioned next to cupboards and counters. A microwave sat on the counter, while a whiteboard displayed the day's assigned duties on a white fridge.

"Well, here's the break and locker room. It's not the most extravagant, but it's better than nothing," Steven remarked, opening his locker to retrieve the familiar satchel Y/N had noticed earlier. He continued, "I'll give you the door code tomorrow."

Once Steven closed and locked his locker compartment, a sudden realization seemed to dawn upon him. His head shot up, causing Y/N to instinctively take a step back. "Have you had your lunch? Now that we're on the topic," he asked, concern evident in his voice. Though Y/N hesitated, not wanting to burden him with guilt, her silence confirmed it for Steven.

“Well," she began, her voice trailing off, "I ate earlier today." "Oh, bollocks! I was too caught up in training you that I completely forgot about the most basic needs," Steven exclaimed, running his hand from the top of his face down in frustration. Looking around, he pondered for a moment, searching for a solution. "Well, let's get you some dinner then. There's a place down the street that might still be open," he suggested, eager to go.

Her eyes widened, and she waved her hands dismissively. "No, no! It's alright. I bought groceries yesterday, so I'm pretty sure I have something to eat," Y/N assured him. Steven raised an eyebrow, not fully convinced. "No offense, but I'm sure the moment you get home, you're going to knock out in bed," he remarked knowingly.

He was right. Y/N was exhausted, and all she craved was a good night's sleep. She pursed her lips, contemplating whether to accept his offer. She didn't want him to spend more money on her, considering all he had already done. Letting out a sigh, she relented, "Alright, but let's go for something cheap.”

They both exited the museum and strolled along the street, heading towards a nearby bus stop. Steven came to a halt, but Y/N continued walking, oblivious to the fact that he wasn't following. With a quick call to get her attention, she turned around and hurriedly made her way back.

"We're taking the bus?" Y/N inquired a hint of surprise in her voice.

"Of course! If we go on foot, it'll probably be closed by the time we get there, and it would be past your bedtime," Steven replied with a playful smile.

She rolled her eyes, retorting, "I'm 18, you know that, right? Besides, I don't think I have any change for the bus fare." Y/N took out her wallet and opened it to confirm her lack of change. As expected, she was right.

However, Steven waved off her concern, insisting that he would cover the cost. Y/N opened her mouth to protest, but it was difficult to do so earlier, so she nods. Plus she might give her legs a break from running around in the gift shop. —— The small restaurant had a handful of patrons, with white tiled floors and pale yellow walls. The rhythmic sounds of the grill and utensils filled the space behind the front desk where the kitchen was located. Y/N glanced up at the menu, feeling overwhelmed by the variety of noodles and drinks on display. Unsure of what to choose, she shifted back and forth, thinking of her options. Sensing her dilemma, Steven stepped in and recommended a few dishes, highlighting his personal favorite with tofu.

"If you're not a vegan like me, the Classic Thai is also popular," he shrugged, noting its meat content.

Nodding in acknowledgment, they approached the cashier to place their order. Steven took charge and ordered for both of them, and once it came to pay, he handed the cashier a bill. As the cashier reached out to receive it, Y/N's eyes caught sight of a tattoo on their arm.

"Hey, I like your tattoo," Y/N commented, flashing a smile.

The tattoo depicted a scale, intricately detailed with crocodile heads on either side. The cashier returned the smile and glanced down at their tattoo. "Thank you. It's a sign of a miracle," they shared.

Y/N nodded slowly, her brows furrowing slightly, “I see, it’s nice,”

Feeling a shiver crawl up her spine, Y/N glanced back up to find the cashier's gaze fixed on her, still wearing that eerie smile. Her eyes widened, feeling the hair behind her neck stand. The cashier's unwavering stare seemed to penetrate her very being. Seconds stretched into what felt like an eternity, until the jarring ring of a bell shattered the tension. The cashier finally averted her gaze, retrieving a bag with their drinks. Breathing a sigh of relief, Y/N couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of unease as they made their way towards the exit.

As they approached the door, a nagging thought tugged at Y/N's mind. Her instincts screamed at her to keep moving forward, but an unsettling curiosity lingered. She refrained from glancing back at the cashier, trying to leave fast. However, she thought she heard a "goodbye" reached her ears with the mention of her and Steven’s last names. —— On the bus once again, Steven and Y/N settled into their seats, with Steven cradling the bag of food on his lap and Y/N holding the drinks. With about ten minutes left before their next stop, Steven took the opportunity to strike up a conversation.

"So, what's your take on London so far?" he asked, breaking the silence.

Y/N, still mulling over the unsettling encounter at the restaurant, was caught off guard. She paused for a moment before responding, "Well, I've only been here for two days, but most of the people I've met were assholes, except for you, of course."

Steven chuckled, but quickly reprimanded her for her choice of words. "Oi, mind your language. But you're not wrong, not everyone here has been great."

Momentarily forgetting about their previous topic, Y/N smiled in confusion. "I didn't think you were so sensitive about cursing," she remarked, before correcting herself, “Nevermind, you do look like it,”

A hint of amusement danced in Steven's eyes as he raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to offend me? I just think someone your age shouldn’t have a vulgar vocabulary."

Y/N let out a scoff. "Well, you'd probably faint if you met the people I went to high school with."

Intrigued, Steven tilted his head and asked if she was currently attending college. Y/N nodded, and his face lit up with genuine excitement. "Congratulations! That's fantastic!" he exclaimed, offering his warm congratulations. Y/N returned the smile and expressed her gratitude for his enthusiastic response. Despite the ups and downs of the day, she couldn't help but appreciate Steven's positive attitude.

She mentions how she was accepted to a university near London, which is why she moved there in the first place which brings out more questions.

"Well, I'm not too familiar with the US, but aren't there universities closer to where you live? Why fly thousands of miles?" Steven inquired, genuinely curious.

Y/N hesitated for a moment, only providing a superficial answer. "Well, there are some nearby, but I just wanted to…," she trailed off, not delving deeper into her reasons, "Make my aunts and cousins jealous."

Steven nodded, sensing that there was more to her decision than mere family rivalry. However, he didn't pry further. Sensing the lull in the conversation, Y/N decided to change the subject.

"I think it's my turn to ask about you," she said, turning her attention to Steven.

"Alrighty, what do you want to know?" he replied, gesturing for her to unleash a barrage of questions.

She started by asking about his age, and he chuckled in response. "36," he revealed.

Y/N clicked her tongue playfully. "Dang, so I was close."

Amused, Steven raised an eyebrow and teased, "You were guessing my age? Taking offense, are we?"

"I said 40, but I guess you're younger than you look," Y/N shrugged nonchalantly. Steven dramatically placed his hand over his heart, pretending to be deeply wounded.

"Do I really look that old?" he asked, feigning shock. Y/N locked her gaze on him, tilting her head from different angles to see if she may have overestimated his age.

"Well, not anymore, but honestly, it might be true," she replied, sitting up straight. "Your aging is sped up because of Devah."

"You mean Donna?" Steven corrected her.

“Whatever," Y/N rolled her eyes dismissively. Steven couldn't help but laugh at her attitude towards their boss. He can’t blame her. Maybe he should have warned her about her before he tried helping her land the job.

—— "So, anything creepy ever happened here before I continue unpacking my apartment?" Y/N asked, her curiosity piqued as they waited for the elevator doors to open on their floor.

Steven looked at her, slightly taken aback by the question. "Are you talking about paranormal weird or people weird?" he clarified.

“Both”

The building, for the most part, was relatively quiet. Occasionally, heated arguments between couples could be heard echoing through the halls. There was that one incident when the electricity went out for the entire complex, forcing everyone to open their windows until it was fixed. But overall, not much out of the ordinary. "Not really, just the occasional flickering lights, but this building is quite old. I wouldn't worry too much. Just be cautious around people in general," Steven reassured her.

Y/N nodded, but her mind wandered as she observed the mirrors inside the elevator, noticing how they were positioned to face each other. She remembered seeing how mirrors facing each other could be used to create a portal. The flickering lights suddenly took on a new meaning in her mind, and she couldn't help but wonder if there was more to it than just faulty wiring.

Once they reached their floor, Steven unlocked his door but decided to wait and see if Y/N would be able to open hers this time. "Just nudge the key to the left, right?" she asked, seeking confirmation. He responded with a simple "mm-hmm." That's exactly what she did.

Left. One nudge. Two nudges. Three nudges. Four. And click!

The door swung open, and Y/N stood there in shock. "I did it," she muttered to herself, then turned to Steven, unable to contain her excitement. "I fucking did it!"

"You did it!" he exclaimed, sharing in her joy. They continued to celebrate, their voices echoing through the hallway, until a neighbor shouted at them to quiet down. "Will you two just shut it already?! People are trying to bloody sleep!" The sound of a slamming door silenced them.

"Pinche—" Y/N began, but immediately stopped when she heard Steven clearing his throat.

*Fucking–

"Sorry," she quickly apologized, raising her hand in acknowledgment. Steven gave a nod, accepting her apology, and bid her a simple "goodnight."

Y/N sat at the table and unpacked the takeout food. She examined it closely, revealing a dish of fried noodles topped with chicken. The aroma wafted up, enticing her senses. Unable to resist any longer, she eagerly took a bite, savoring the burst of flavors. Her eyes widened in delight, and she leaned back in her chair, fully appreciating the deliciousness of the meal. The thought of returning to the restaurant already crossed her mind.

———————————

Slowly trying to make Y/N talk to Steven more.

[jimblejamblewritings]

little situation | part 2.

Summary: For years, HYDRA had been trying to use the samples of Steve’s DNA to make another super-soldier. They finally succeed and when S.H.I.E.L.D. breaks her out, Cap is forced to come face to face with his kid and figure out parenting on an Avengers’ lifestyle.

Warnings: maybe potential childhood trauma but nothing really

Pairing: Steve Rogers x blackdaughter!reader, avengers x child!reader 

Word Count: 2.0k

Previous Part | (Series Masterlist) 

Steve didn’t realize how small his couch was until he had to sleep on it. He tossed and turned until he found a semi-decent sleeping position. It felt weird when he woke up, not at 6 a.m. S.H.I.E.L.D. had given him a week off for the new adjustment with you and he thought it’d be best to forgo his usual routine until you both had adjusted.

So instead of going for a morning run, Steve got up and quietly slipped into his bathroom to get ready. As he stepped out of the bathroom, you rose to life. Steve waited for you to stretch and put your hearing aids back in before speaking.

“We’ll get breakfast and then go shopping.”

“Okay.”

He left so you could get ready. You stepped out in a different zip up hoodie and the same leggings. The only shoes you had were the ones that the random agent gave you, still too big no matter how tightly the laces were pulled. Steve noticed the change in hair color after you came out of the shower, having shampooed and conditioned more times than probably healthy for your hair, but he didn’t say anything. When the two of you reached the street, Steve realized he had already messed up and the day hadn’t even begun.

You had taken a taxi home from the airport because he had been taken to the airport by a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent to fight the Battle of New York. Now this morning, looking at the street he saw his mode of transportation. A motorcycle. That didn’t even have a sidecar or helmet. He didn’t need Clint to tell him this was absolutely not safe for a child. He opened his phone to call Natasha.

“I don’t have a car.”

“Can you drive one?”

“I… no.”

“I’ll tell Nick I can’t come in today.”

You and Steve looked comical as you both sat on the curb waiting for Nat. He was already trying to think about how he was going to rearrange his schedule. He had to find some time to learn to drive, and then get the license… and learn sign language from Clint, and take care of you, and find a babysitter when he went on missions, and… Steve shook his head. The list was getting longer and longer and he was starting to question if twenty-four hours was enough in a single day to do even half of the list. He also had the growing realization that he now had to catch up to the twenty-first century quicker than he had planned.

Nat finally showed up and Steve opened the backdoor for you to climb in. The three of you stopped at a cafe for breakfast. They watched you take small bites and not talk as everyone ate.

“You changed your hair,” Nat commented. “It’s pretty.”

“Thank you.”

“Did you do it this morning?”

“Unh-unh. Last night. Ste— Da— He did it.”

You pointed your fork at Steve. They both saw how you tried to figure out what to call him but none of the words seemed to fit right in your mouth. And Steve was no help because he didn’t know himself what sounded right. So for now you both seemed to accept the vague word of ‘he’.

“Good work, Rogers,” Nat said.

Breakfast was finished and the first place it was agreed that you would stop was the clothing store. You got fitted for a couple pairs of shoes and clothes. Nat and Steve let the store clerk lead you around and find things that you liked. They hung a ways back so they could talk.

“It’s blonde.”

“Yeah, definitely mine then.”

“You ready for this?”

“Not at all.”

“Everyone would understand if—”

“Nat. She’s my kid. I’m not adding onto her problems by giving her away.”

“Alright. You know they’re going to train her right?”

“What?”

“Steve, this isn’t a normal child. If Nick just wanted to tell you she was yours, you might never have actually known. She’s a mini super-soldier and trained by HYDRA. The agency isn’t going to let it go.”

“They can train her all they want, she doesn’t fight.”

“Steve…”

“No. That’s a child. Normal or not. She doesn’t fight.”

“Okay, Captain. But when the time comes, I don’t know if you’ll have much of a choice… oh that jacket looks nice.” Nat’s voice changed so quickly as you approached them.

You frowned and looked at Steve, pointing to the flowers on the jean jacket. “I can’t tell—”

“Light purple.”

Steve quickly answered, sensing how you were growing frustrated. He used to be like that when he came across certain shades that made it damn near impossible to try and guess. He relied on Bucky usually to subtly tell him which color he was looking at and would always just say dark or light because using the specific color name meant nothing to Steve.

“I want blue but light like this.”

Steve nodded and walked with you to where you had found the jackets. He sorted through until he found the pale turquoise flowers decorating one. You nodded and shrugged out of the other jean jacket to put it back on the rack. The bags were reasonable, you only bought enough. It was two loads of laundry at the absolute most.

The furniture was even quicker than clothes. You lived a simple life but Steve wasn’t sure if that was your actual personality or if it was because that’s how HYDRA forced you to live. It was just a bed— mattress ordered for delivery— a dresser and bookshelf. Steve had to convince you to buy a singular nightstand and lamp.

“Do you guys have dinner?” Nat asked as the car pulled up in front of the apartment building.

“We still have some leftover pizza.”

“I hope you’re not going to feed the kid pizza every night.”

“We’ll go grocery shopping after we put up the stuff. The store’s a five minute walk… oh, be careful Sarah, or not.”

Both Steve and Nat looked in surprise as you lifted the two large boxes that held the pieces that made up your dresser and bookshelf. It shifted a little and Steve grabbed the bigger of the two boxes from you, handing you the smaller nightstand instead. You weren’t as strong as him having only half of his serum-jacked genes but you were clearly stronger than the average twelve year old.

“We’ll be fine Nat, thank you. I’ll see you next week.”

“Thank you, Ms. Natasha,” you said before walking up the stairs to enter the building.

Steve gave a final waved to his friend before rushing to follow you. The mattress arrived just as you two came from the grocery store. You put up the groceries while Steve started to set up the furniture. It had been a day and even though the kitchen was now fully stocked, both you and Steve agreed on finishing the leftover pizza.

“Your mother, Elise. What was she like?” Steve asked, tentatively. He didn’t want to upset you like yesterday.

You looked at the pizza and then Steve, before sighing in resolve. There wasn’t much you could remember about her now. Her face was even starting to become fuzzy, they killed her the day after you had turned seven. She was your teacher and only friendly face. Big hair, she had big hair.

“She was nice.”

The DMV lady was also nice. She let you sit in her office while Steve was learning to drive. He had a week. He really had all the time in the world but Steve felt he needed to learn as quickly as possible and was determined to do it before going back to work. So Nat dropped you two off at the DMV and the nice lady let you sit in her office. You were watching TV in the break room, intrigued since you had never been allowed to watch TV before.

“You’re doing good, Captain Rogers.”

Steve almost laughed, even the DMV people used his title.

“Not quite a motorcycle.”

The lesson continued for another hour, Steve picking up everything quickly— minus his slightly too wide turns. He thanked the instructor and they both exited the car and stepped back into the building. The office lady directed Steve towards the break room where you still were. He heard the workers whispering to themselves as he walked by, people tended to forget he had super hearing not just strength.

Most of it was about you, trying to figure out who’s kid it was because no one believed it was Steve’s. The most funny but incorrect one was that you were related to Happy Sam Sawyer— one of his former Howling Commandos and the only black one— and had no family left or maybe were just visiting and that’s why you were there.

“Sarah, we’re all done.”

You looked over your shoulder to see Steve in the doorway. You jumped up from the couch and followed him out the building to the bus stop. Nat couldn’t pick you up since she actually had work. Steve and you got off two stops early to your confusion.

“Your apartment isn’t on this street.”

“Your file said your mom taught you a lot. I figured you’d want some books.”

Even after watching your eyes light up in the store, Steve noticed the two of you walked out with only three books. One fiction, two not. He came to the conclusion that the simple life wasn’t your style but the only way HYDRA had allowed you to live.

You sat at the table while Steve cooked dinner. He was pretty sure snacks weren’t supposed to be before dinner but he gave you one of those weird popsicles in a plastic tube. You munched on it while reading a textbook.

“Anything interesting?” Steve asked, in attempts to make some form of conversation.

You looked up at him, mouth stained purple.

“The Romans used to make dodecahedrons out of bronze mainly. And Tomoko Fuse made an icosidodecahedron out of a single sheet of colored paper which seems impossible.”

“Icosidode… what?”

“Icosidodecahedron. A polyhedron with thirty-two faces, not all the same shape. Polyhedrons are 3-D objects made of polygons since polygons are only two dimensional and the icosidodecahedron uses triangles and pentagons as its poly— I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to. I wasn’t trying to sound precocious, you just asked me to explain and, and…”

Steve set the spoon down and rushed over to where you were crying. What did HYDRA do to you?

“Woah, woah, woah, Sarah. Calm down. Calm down please.” Steve placed a hand on your knee. “Hey, hey, come on, doll don’t cry please. You’re not being precocious. You like this stuff and I asked you to explain.”

“They didn’t like it when I sounded too smart.”

“Well we’re not with them anymore are we? You’re smarter than me kid, that’s cool, okay. Whenever you want to share some smart thing with me, don’t hesitate. So icosidodecahelion?”

“Hedron,” you whispered.

“Hmm?”

“Icosidodecahedron.”

“Same difference, right?”

Steve smiled when you made a face as if he was dumb. That was the reaction he was looking for, something other than crying. He wiped at your tears and returned to the stove, asking you to finish your explanation from before the tears had started.

“Can we make one?” you asked as Steve set down the plate of pasta.

“Um, sure. What do we need?”

“I want to make it out of straws and ribbon.”

“Okay. We’ll get it tomorrow? After my lesson?”

You nodded and began to eat dinner. After you bid him a goodnight, Steve climbed into his bed thankful to not use the couch again. He groaned and rubbed his eyes wondering what he just agreed to make. He wasn’t sure if he was even going to remember the name by tomorrow afternoon.

More importantly he was worried about you hitting a breaking point. This was the second time in only three days something he’s done had made you cry. He was unsure about what caused a negative reaction and reminded you of HYDRA. Steve sat up again and grabbed his laptop and opened it up.

“Hi, Clint.”

“We’re learning emotions today, Cap. Do you remember the alphabet?”

(Part 3)...

[groty-codi-dolls]

I didn't realize how much I missed repainting (or making my progress collages) until I got back to it today.

So, this blog is very rarely active as it is since... *vaguely gestures* but I'm happy to say I have a new contribution for it tonight

Waaaaaaaaay back in Spring (or maybe even late Winter) of 2022, my stepdad and I were talking about making a proportionate Snow White doll to go with his 6" Dwarf dolls (we figured they're around 1/3 her height in the movie, thus she'd have to be an 18" doll). The base was an easy pick: DC Superhero Girls's Action Pose Harley Quinn is 18", pale and articulated, which was the baseline for the requirements I had for a doll to transform into Snowy.

Aaaaaaand then my mental health went kaplooey for a couple months 🤷

I'm happy to say I've been slowly rebuilding my drive to create, thanks to inspiration from various doll and craft YouTube channels(with the overwhelming majority of my watch-time going to MyFroggyStuff -- I'll upload some of the crafts I learned how to make to this blog at some point), and I've essentially been building back up to put my hands on my dolls for the first time today.

I was initially gonna just learn and focus on rerooting with yarn(which I figured out how to do, despite usually being clumsy with needles! Yay me!), but then my brain told me to just focus on Snow White and get as far as I could with her... and, apparently, I was able to finish her in one (11-hour-long) take!

Her hair actually isn't rooted in -- her head is hard as a rock, and I broke a needle trying to shove a piece of thread in(it was a day of all sorts of milestones); I opted to make a yarn wig and glue it to her scalp instead, which was a good call in my opinion. I tried to get the face as movie-accurate as I could, despite Harley's face shape being notably different, and I even tore up an 18" Disney Store Snow White plush to rip up for her clothes, shoes and hairbow.

I am still very new to the world of actually being hands-on with creating dolls(I just don't have the money to keep up with the ideas I've had over the years, hence why I often dump them on this blog), so all I request is a little mercy if you're wanting to comment/critique. I honestly don't care who dislikes it, because this is the biggest project I've accomplished after months of dealing with a straining mental health; I can't not be proud of it.

If you don't have anything nice to say about this work(or "honest" or however you wanna put it), my block tag is "Codi don't look", so you can freely insult it there.

Thank you and goodnight ✌️ ✨️

[yoyoslumodernau]

links awakening

This is quite long :[l]

It was an early summer morning, Legend had quickly been put to work by Malon who had wanted him to feed the horses and to water the plants on the porch.

Of course, his brothers were doing other things as well. Wind had been in charge of sweeping the floor of the deck and cleaning the bathrooms while Twilight did some heavy lifting around the ranch.

“Hey kiddo, your mother wanted me to ask you if you wanted to go to the store with her. Do you want to?”

Legend looked over and saw Time leaning against the door, putting his weight on his hand. “

Yeah, tell her I need a few minutes.”

Time nodded and was about to leave when,

“Thanks, dad.”

Legend quickly went to put the watering can away, embarrassed at the fact he finally mustered the courage to address his new father correctly.

Now he was going to be held to that standard for a while, that title was going to take some time to get used to.

He grabbed his shoes and made his way to the car.

“You ready to go? I was just wondering if you needed anything for you and Thief. If you want you can get some new clothes or just something that tickles your fancy,”

Malon said as legend hopped into the seat next to her. Legend looked around the store. Apparently you could find anything here, so he decided to look for some rabbit feed.

“Hello stranger, how can I help you today?"

Legend jumped a bit at the sudden voice, he turned to see a boy around his height wearing a purple rabbit hood, covering his face.

“Oh, I'm ok, just looking for some rabbit feed.”

The hooded boy nodded,

“Oh! Another pet owner, I have a bird named Sheerow. He's such a sweetheart, let me take you to that food.”

With that he grabbed Legends wrist and led him to one of the isles.

“Here we are, rabbit feed. My personal suggestion is this one since it has all the good stuff but costs way less. The trick here is that they hide all the best items where you don't look so you buy the expensive garbage.”

Legend nodded, “thanks, but why are you telling me? If you work here, shouldn't you be trying to not help me?”

He then noticed the lack of a name tag, weird for someone who works at a store like this.

“Oh no, I've gotta hide. Quick! Pretend you don't know me.”

With that, the purple hooded boy dashed behind a large sale sign, his shoes still visible and quite noticeable. Legend quickly kicked a crate in his direction to hide the rest of him.

“Hey kid, have you seen a boy around your age ‘round here? Wears purple, black hair? Super annoying and tries to sell you stuff?”

Legend looked over to see a large man standing over him.

“No, I haven't. Why do you want to see him anyway? If he's my age he's probably not that bad.”

The older man scoffed, “well, for one he keeps driving my customers off. Two, he's a lorulean.”

Legend wore a confused expression, “what's wrong with loruleans? I took a trip to lorule once and they are great artists and have quite an interesting culture.”

“The only kinda art they do is con art. All those Loruleans here are only interested in stealing important things and stuff. Nobody can trust them, that's why none of them should have a future in a place like this. They almost destroyed their home, who says they ain't trying to destroy ours.”

Legend gave the man a cold stare, “I am.”

His icy blue eyes cut through and the older man backed off, “Alright, if you do see him though, I'll get you a good discount on your items.”

“Fat chance.”

The man left and legend heard a sigh of relief come from the sign.

“He's gone. You can stop hiding now” Legend affirmed, watching the purple rabbit hood pop out from behind its hiding spot.

“Thank you so so much. How can I repay you mister hero!”

“Um, it's Legend. You can start by telling me your name. I wanna know who I just stuck my neck out for."

The boy removed his purple hood, revealing a pair of emerald green eyes. His hair was as dark as obsidian and sat in a wavy mop on top of his head.

“My name is Ravio. I really mean it when I say thank you. Not many people will stick out for my kind of people. Not after they stole your relics.”

“Don't worry about it. I shouldn't matter where you're from, we're all people and we're all alike.”

Ravio smiled, “here, I've been saving this for someone and, well, I thought I could give this to you. I think you'll take good care of it.”

He handed Legend a gold bracelet with a pink jewel in the center.

“Thanks, it's really nice. Hey, it kinda matches my hair.”

Ravio nodded, “that's what I was thinking! We should meet up again, mister hero. I still owe you a ton for saving me from that guy.”

With that, Ravio left the store, waving at Legend through the window. As legend reached his hand out to wave back he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Did you find everything you were looking for ok?” Legend turned around and saw his mother with a full shopping cart.

“Oh yeah, here's Thiefs feed. Should last him a few months.” Malon nodded, “who's your new friend?”

“His name's Ravio, he's really nice.” Legend smiled a bit, “yeah… I mean, not really.”

He was desperately trying to fix his little mistake, feeling his face turn the same shade of pink as his hair as malon started to laugh.

“It's ok sweetheart, I have a husband and a son with a girlfriend. I think I know when a guy likes someone. Don't worry, your little crush is safe with me.”

Legend's face held a amused look, knowing shee probably tell her husband, “alright, thanks mom.”

[lovemesomesurveys]

When’s the last time you ate bread? I'm about to eat a sandwich.

What’s the last movie you watched on your own? I watched Mrs. Doubtfire earlier and now Freaky Friday is on.

What about the last movie you watched with another person? My mom and I watched some of Avengers: Endgame last night before bed.

How many coats do you own? I have a few. I kinda feel ready to go through my clothes again and try to get rid of some more.

What about shoes? I have 6 pairs of shoes.

One word to describe your most recent ex? Funny.

Where, in your current country, would you like to live, other than where you do now? I'm honestly not sure. I know I don't want to stay here forever. I'd love to move in the very near future, but that probably won't happen.

Do you like snow? Yes.

Do you like sheer clothing? No.

Have you ever seen anyone famous in the street? When I first saw the Jonas Brothers early on I did actually see Joe and Kevin behind the building near their tour bus. I acted like the awkward weirdo I am and waved at them like a giddy idiot, ha. I was too nervous to actually go over there, though. Trust me, I kicked myself forever after that for not going up to meet them and getting a picture. It was the perfect opportunity.

Are you hungry right now? I am, so I'm gonna take a break from this and eat my sandwich.

Are you regularly tired? Yes. In fact, after I ate my sandwich I ended up taking like a 3 hour "nap." So, this is now being done much later, ha.

What was the last thing to upset you? I've been been extra irritable and sensitive again lately, which is something that I actually felt my depression med I started taking last year was helping with. I was also prescribed Rexulti in additon to what I'm taking, but I haven't taken it as consistently for different reasons and I'm wondering if that has something to do with it. I'm also on an anti-anxiety med, which had been helping with that as well so I don't know. And I already know I won't be able to get an increase in the dosage for any of those. Sigh.

How’s the weather been today? I didn't go out at all, but according to the weather app it was like 93 F today. Not fall weather at all that's for sure.

What was the first tattoo you got or what would be the first tattoo you’ll get? I don't have any, but since I was a teenager I've wanted to get 'free bird'.

What was the last store you went into and did you buy anything? It's this store called Daiso, which is kinda like a Japanese Dollar Store or a little more. It's got a lot of cute stuff. I always get a little carried away whenever I go in there.

Have you ever been late for school or work? Yeah. I hate being late so it wasn't a common occurrence. I used to be really anal about that.

Do you prefer to shower in the morning or at night? Always at night.

What is your favourite kind of fruit cobbler? Not a fruit cobbler kind of person.

Is there a basement in your house? If so, what is it used for? No.

Have you driven a car today? I don't drive.

Do you have a small, medium or large bedroom? It's too small. I've definitely outgrown it. Or maybe I have too much stuff but no it's just small okay shhh

Where was your first job and how old were you? I haven't had a job, yet.

Have you eaten soup this week? No. That doesn't sound appealing still it still feels very much like summer and I hate it.

Are you a fan of The Office? I just couldn't get into it.

When was the last time you started a new medication? A couple months ago.

What is your favourite type of nut? I very rarely eat nuts, it's been quite awhile since I've had any like I don't even remember. But anyway, that being said I do like a few like peanuts, cashews, pistachios, and season (not plain) almonds.

Do you know anyone who doesn’t have a middle name? Yeah.

Have you put your phone on silent today? No. The only time I do that is when I'm at the theater, and admittedly not always then. Not like my phone is blowing up with notifications.

Can you name all 50 US state capital cities? No, but I can name all 50 states in alphabetical order.

Do you read John Green novels? I only read a few.

Have you ever been to Universal Studios? I went once when I was like 7 and don't remember a whole lot to be honest. We also went to Disneyland after that and that I definitely remember.

Can you tie balloons? I can, but it can be hard sometimes.

When was the last time you were at a pet store? It's been a long time.

[pbandjesse]

Today was a pretty good day off. I felt happy because I got to be with James. And my lip is not swollen anymore! Still split open but not painful anymore. So I'm I feel a lot more positive about stuff.

I slept okay last night. I woke up before my alarm and felt a little weird but I was fine. I went to get dressed and found that James had opened our medical tape. And I went to find them and ask what was up. And they showed me that they did break their toe last night!! It was all purple!! I was so upset. Unacceptable!! Right before our trip! They are limping a bit but are mostly okay if I chose to believe them. I only mostly believe them.

After I got dressed I got myself together and worked on my embroidery for a while. Not to long because soon me and James were going out to do our errands.

And it would be fun. James forgot where we were going and started driving the wrong way but it was fine. We weren't in any rush. I was just happy to be out and about.

We went to lush first. I was hoping they would give us samples but not today. Ah well. I enjoyed smelling all the things. But I only got the two things I was a really there for. My shampoo bar and the argon oil bar. The cashier asked James if there was a baseball game today because of how they were dressed and it was very funny. No this is just how James lives their life.

We would get over to Canton crossing and I should have taken a picture but we saw the most ridiculous wrapped car with dragon ball z characters all over it. It even had a sticker that said you can take a picture. But I did not. James said it is a thing that needs to be found in the wild.

My foot split open again and James was limping so we made our slow walk to five below. We found a few things we needed. I carried around a plush slug but I did not buy it. Restraint. I did get gum and some candy for our trip. And after we dropped that off at the car we went to target.

I have a running commentary to James about things I saw. And we found almost everything else we had been looking for. I still can't find the travel size of the one I wanted but it's fine. It's like the smallest thing. I was still a little disappointed. But we both got new folding tooth brushes and James got a new body wash that smells so nice. And we just wandered around the store. It was fun.

I would end up trying on a dress that I thought was so pretty. James said I looked very pretty in it. It's funny though because it's much more lilac in person. But it makes me feel so good so the $20 as worth it.

We paid and left. Deciding to go to shake shack. Where we got sandwiches and fries to share. We also got a creamsicle flavored milkshake which was a little bitter but was fun to try. I was really enjoying James's company.

We went home after that. I got a little tired in the car and wanted to lay down.

I did not sleep right away. Mostly just hung out in bed. I would work on packing again. Got all my new toiletries in there. Labeled stuff. I put in the clothes James has washed yesterday. And I am still very not sure about shoes. But that's alright. I have time.

James went for a bike ride to see if their foot could handle it. And while they were gone I just rested. But I didn't sleep.

Once they got home I was very cold and they covered me up. And I was able to fall asleep.

While I was sleeping James worked on packing their own stuff. I wish I had been awake for that but I trust them. And we talked through anything I thought they might have forgotten. Like I'm not sure if we need bathing suits but I want to have them just in case?? And also pajamas.

We talked through a lot more things. And soon they were making us dinner. I had fake fish and broccoli and it was great. And I kept working on my embroidery commission.

I would spend most of the evening doing that. And it's almost done! There's a few places that I'll need to go over again because the threads are long. And then I'll have to trim the paper and wash the rest away. And then I'll add a backing of some kind to protect the work. I hope to have this done by Friday. And if my mental schedule goes well it will be and I'm thrilled.

James gave me a gift! They got me a new cheezer beanie which is such serendipity because me and Jess were just saying how I hadn't found one in so long. That I must have all of them on the east coast. I was thrilled to get a new one. James helped me move the collection to a new shelf and I made a little TikTok about them. Love my on cheezers and my husband.

James had an interview for their podcast. And it is always nice listening to them. Though at one point they were talking about "Manet's" but I thought it sounded like "mayonnaise" which I thought was very funny. Also fun to tease James about.

I would take a bath. And Sweetp came with me in the bathroom and would pat at me and was being real silly. And then I was getting ready for bed. I used my new face oil bar. And I moisturized my lips which are healing really well.

I hope I can sleep well tonight. Tomorrow I am working at camp on a program I've never done but I'm excited about! We are going to use dip nets to try and catch lizards and frogs? So cool. I hope we find stuff.

James is driving me there tomorrow because they are taking the car to Philly. So I will be at camp a long time. And after my program I'm going to set up for my Native American program on Thursday and then start organizing my art building. I hope it's a great day.

Sleep well everyone. Be safe. Take care of each other!!

[audiovisualrecall]

A list of things I want or need to do.....

Schedule driving lessons

Work on unicorn painting

Work on illustrations for steph book

Work on 'cinderell' comic rewrite/update

Laundry today

Dishes+ run dishwasher today

Schedule dentist appt

Schedule vet visit for Edison- he has a cold or allergies or something, also a growth on one of his toes??, and I want to really in-depth discuss a plan for his weight bc ive had no success. Also he's due for annual vaccinations presumably, so. (Wish blue pearl was not so expensive bc they now have Fear Free vet visits and the difference in his behavior when we went there last time compared to other vets weve gone to was just amazing. He was able to wander around the room and it didn't feel like a typical exam room for pets so he wasn't scared and hiding, he allowed the vet and assistant to poke and prod him and manhandled him even if he wasn't thrilled, he didn't cry or hiss or scratch anyone! But for regular vet visits they're really pricey :/)

Work on Eitan and Zahav story/comic

Work on iron man/dragonriders of pern au story

Buy parts for pvc watering system for garden (need to go with dad) and set up

Work on bookcase (with dad)

Window-shop/buy stuff for steph bridal shower (with ma or on my own, but the best store to go to is far enough I'd rather go by car, and it's more fun to go with someone else and discuss ideas and also less likely to impulse buy everything?)

Go to DSW to get new sneakers (with ma, access by car travel only and easier to have a second opinion on shoes. My current pair I have a hole in the top by my big toe...oops)

Work on website: photograph artwork professionally, edit photos, design website layout and complete that. Add artwork to portfolio gallery on the site, add my photo and about me info. Request refund for the dumb add-on I didn't realize was useless. Make the website what I want it to be. May need to learn coding. Need to slim down choices for artwork to include to only the best stuff it makes sense to include, not just things I like.

Design pride plants stickers/pins

Plan for rainbow enamel or just hard enamel autisticat pins. Also, keychains?

Rework/update etsy listings/items available...

Come up with additional ideas for products. Stickers/prints/pins...keychains?

Fulfil current etsy order - soon

Organize my room - try on clothing, go thru piles of stuff, figure out what to do with certain things and if the new bin will help what to put in it, decide what to put back into drawers and which ones for what items, go thru some other stuff like bank statements, organize receipts, etc

Put shelf above window above curtain rod for displaying some stuffed toys (need dad's help)

Hang up new Queer pride flag (need help, also it's way bigger than I expected so may need to fold some of it behind and stitch it to itself to fit on the wall, need help to pin it up on the wall and probably a second step stool at least)

Look for vases for bridal shower for flowers (with ma or solo)

Go thru and organize stuff on breakfast bar

Plan out a budget - figure out how much I tend to spend on different categories of stuff per week or every 2 weeks or monthly, figure out how much I earn in that time period (if it's weekly it's half of my pay bc I'm paid every other, if it's monthly gotta double that amt, also gotta average it out/pick a general usual amount since depending on how much OT I do my pay is more or less lol). Consolidate that info together to decide on a basic budget for each category/ overall spending for the time period.

make list of things I need/want to buy or tend to buy, marked with priority or how often for repeat purchases, compare with budget for what impulse items/wants I can acquire in a given time frame and which to save for the next etc

Get a new bike or get mine fixed...

Spend time outside/go on walk

Water plants

Draw for fun. Draw tony or stevetony or dragons or cats

Read...

Get ice cream at some pt like tomorrow night if I'm off Thursday or on Thursday if I'm off Friday 🥺🥺🥺

Plan days to do activities! Kayaking/beach/farmers market/street fair/museum. With steph?

Plan to do something fun w work friends outside of work

Pride fest: who is going with me?

Renfair when it's time???

Pay for tallis!!! Today preferably! Write check and take it over to shul?? (Or give to ma to take to services this evening or go with her?)