#it took me about two seconds to go full 'if anything happens to my beloved casper i'm killing everyone in this town and then myself'

[supjello]

"Your son?" "My apprentice, but I think of him like a son."

[shurisneakers]

unsolved (i)

Summary: Bucky doesn't even believe in the paranormal. So who the hell thought it was a good idea to stick him in a series about everything haunted for the internet's amusement? With his loose-canon of a teammate who has no concept of subtlety or any shits left to give, to make things even worse. (Buzzfeed unsolved AU)

Warnings: swearing, frustrated bucky at his little shit supreme, Very Loud reader, images and memes that all have alt texts.

A/N: yes this is literally harmless in a different font. do not ask me if anything doesn't make sense. i cannot explain. i resurface every 3 years to present you with ideas born from menty b's. ANYWAY shout out to my beloved ryan and shane. pls enjoy <3

Bucky doesn’t appeal to the youths.

Apparently. 

On God, he cannot fathom why.

He had definitely left the house in the last six months, maybe. Smiled in at least two pictures that existed on the internet. He even knew what Discord was. Sort of.  

By all accounts, he should be treated as the modern day icon that he was.  

“The youths?” he repeats, the word so foreign on his tongue it felt odd to even say it.

“Your numbers are the lowest of the whole team.” The latest tech-dude, with a tablet twelve models ahead of the one Bucky had in his room, tells him monotonously. “Wilson, Romanoff and Barton score the highest. Everyone else lies around the middle. You are dead-last.”

Bucky has the audacity to look offended. 

“Anything to say?” Their PR head, Maya, asks him, amused. 

He stares, formulating the wittiest one liner he could in three seconds.

“I don’ care,” he mumbles. 

Maya sighs. “Look, the team took the decision together. As far as I’m aware, you are still a member. You need some PR if you guys want to stay in the public’s good books.”

“No one’s gonna listen to me.” Bucky wasn’t exactly the poster child for American values. He couldn’t even vote until three years ago, and that came only after the full wrath of a Steve Rogers descended on the email inbox of the DMV. 

“That’s why it’s important to get them to like you,” Maya emphasizes. “Or the idea of you at least. A very sanitized, corporate friendly version.”

His eyebrow twitches unintentionally.  

“And also you signed the contract.”

Well. Shit. 

Truth be told– and he has openly and rather loudly stated this on numerous occasions even especially when no one asked– he doesn’t understand why they need a PR team. The world has calmed down significantly over the last few years. Bucky hadn’t really been out crime-fighting as much as he was people-watching. There hasn’t been an earth-shatteringly dystopian-level event in the longest time, and there seemed to be a group of spandex-clad teenagers who seemed to do a good job at taking care of them when they did threaten to occur. Go kids.

Even if they needed PR, he could arguably understand the appeal of Sam and Nat and why the people would want to see more of them. Bucky, on the other hand, looked like he crawled onto Earth most days of the week. 

“What do I have to do?” he asks ultimately, knowing there was no way to get out of this. “Interviews?”

The intern shares a look with Maya. Bucky shares a look with the ceiling. 

“The team agreed to do a series of videos, each focusing on a different niche,” she begins, “Crash courses on science, pointing out mistakes in spy movies. Once a week.”

Bucky nods along. He can pinpoint Bruce and Nat for those.

Maya stares at him.

Bucky stares back.

“So,” she says slowly, like he’s a moron, “you would–”

“No.” 

The intern sighs heavily like they discussed that this was going to happen. Bucky was getting predictable. This annoys him even further, for some reason.

“Only once a week, and it doesn’t have to be anything crazy–”

“I’m not doing videos,” he interjects. “I’ll tweet a few times. I’ll even go outside. But ’m not doin’ videos.”

A big step was to get the Avengers off Twitter after the regular shit-storm that occurs every time they’d quote-tweet another politician calling them shitheads. Getting them back on seems counterproductive. 

“Fine,” Maya relents, looking at the intern. “We'll work something out.”

Bucky leans back in his chair, and meditating on ways he can weasel his way out of those too.

So they stick him in a couple of interviews.

Bucky, as the recluse extraordinaire that he was, does unsurprisingly terrible at them.

Variety does a piece on him that was supposed to take up 2 pages. They send back half a page worth of usable material and Bucky gets a lecture on how monosyllables don't count as answers.

He grunts in return. Maya’s itch to smack his shoulder with the rolled up draft increases.

They set him up for pap walks. Just him getting fast food for the team, or sitting in the park.

They don’t take into account that Bucky was trained professionally for years on how to hide, sneak in and out of places without a soul knowing he was ever there. 

The paparazzi spend three hours waiting for him outside the pizza place, while he’s been home for two hours with two demolished pepperonis and an order of mozzarella sticks. 

They give him access to his Twitter. 

He tweets some dumb shit and gets shadow banned by that evening. 

Maya is sick and tired, and the interns have shifted three times since the whole ordeal started. Bucky honestly feels a little bad. Maybe he should try to be like Scott, who not only wrote a book, finger-gunned at photographers, did an interview a week, but also agreed to a podcast and a video series about literally anything they suggested. 

“Play nice,” Sam tells Bucky one evening. 

It’s an off-hand comment, not even really looking at him while he says it. 

Bucky doesn’t need to ask what he’s referring to, but he thinks that maybe he has gone too far.

He begrudgingly agrees. 

Therefore, it begins. 

They stick him in the background of a few videos. Just to interact, add his commentary on what was going on, suggestions. 

Then the jokes really start.

“I just don’t got anything to add,” Bucky tries, in a failure of an attempt to justify his lack of contribution. 

Maya only stares at him, but Bucky swears he can hear her curse quietly, even though her lips don’t move even a millimeter.  

He is not put in another video. 

And so he finds himself here. 

In a meeting room that he’s convinced is barricaded from the outside so he can’t slither out the door again. Another intern with pink-tinted glasses that took up half their face.

Maya’s in the midst of explaining to him that sure, his numbers had gone up by a decimal, but that was because people had started editing him into the backgrounds of other pictures for other users to find in a perplexing take on Where’s Waldo.

“Videos seem to be working,” she ties it together. “But we need more than you just standing silently behind Captain Rogers.”

“But it’s working,” Bucky objects. “I don’t see why it has to change.”

Maya sends him a glare. Bucky decides then it’s good to shut up. 

“Are you on the internet a significant amount?” the intern asks. The glasses on their face have changed colours to green. Bucky’s eyebrow furrows. 

“No.” 

For the next thirty minutes, he is subjected to a pop quiz about too many words ending with ‘core’, ‘coded’ and ‘eras’. He’s surprised that he knows what cottagecore is. He definitely doesn’t fucking know what a tomatogirl, nor does he want to. 

“What do you like doing?” the intern enunciates, pulling up a spreadsheet of niches that had built a dedicated community around themselves over the years. “Makeup? Cleaning? Parkour?”

Bucky wonders if they’d really create a montage of him just micro cleaning the kitchen every week. It doesn’t sound half bad. 

Beyond that, the only thing he can think of is woodworking, which Sam introduced him to. While he spends time creating little figures, he wouldn’t say it was– 

“You really are dead silent,” the intern breaks his train of thought, tone almost that of wonder. “Guess the whole ‘ghost story for seventy years’ is more true than I thought.”

Bucky throws him a weary look, and works on unclenching the fist that tightened involuntarily. 

“Was that necessary?” Maya’s voice comes coldly. “Take fifteen. Go find the other one we were supposed to meet.”

While sheepish and somewhat apologetic, the kid still looks relieved to be out of there. To be honest, Bucky isn’t really offended– he’s grown a thick skin over the years. But he also thought the guy was a little shit now. 

Maya turns back to him, but Bucky finds that the table contains wonders far more interesting than the conversation at hand.

“Back to what we were talking about.” She ruffles through something on her laptop. “Puppets? History?”

He wordlessly shakes his head. 

Been the former, seen too much of the latter.

Maya’s head tilts abruptly. “You like ghosts?”  

He wonders if the prior conversation had anything to do with this insightful question. 

Bucky shrugs. “Don’t exist.”

“Really,” Maya deadpans. “Aliens and multiversal baboons are fine, but no ghosts.”

“I’ve seen aliens and multiversal baboons. Never seen a ghost in my life,” Bucky argues right back.

“Other people have seen ghosts.”

“Good for other people.”

The door swings open right as Maya’s eyes narrow at him. Guess it wasn’t padlocked. 

“Whatever it is you think I did, Maya, I didn’t. I think,” you announce in a volume too much for a closed room, stopping when you see Bucky sitting cross-armed and looking delightfully disgruntled. “Oh hey, Barnes. Fancy seeing you here.”

Bucky had met you. The newest addition to the team that had made a grand entrance a couple of weeks ago. He thinks you stay on the floor below him, but he has nothing backing this hypothesis other than the disco funk music that had started appearing at odd hours of the night. 

“Please sit,” Maya cracks a smile at you that Bucky had yet to earn. “Sorry, I know our meeting is scheduled for later, but I figured we could kill two birds with one stone.”

You look between her and Bucky, who hasn’t moved an inch since you got here, much less even said hello.

“You must be really bad if Maya had to call me in,” you tell him outright. “I’m usually like, her last option.”

“Thanks,” Bucky replies dryly. 

“Look, here’s my final pitch.” Maya sighs, before turning to you. “You’re new, and we need something to introduce you slowly to the public.”

“Oh, am I finally getting hard launched?” You grin, and Bucky doesn’t know what that means. “Just imagine me kicking my feet, giggling or whatever.” 

“And he needs… an upgrade.” Maya’s thumb juts out towards Bucky who simply rolls his eyes.

“Right.” Your sight lands on him from across the table. “I’ve seen the memes.”

“What memes?” he grunts, because while the team had definitely seen them, it didn't occur to anyone they should show it to him. He loves them. Really. So much. Die for them. 

You only look too happy to pull out your phone and start typing.

“Do you know what skinwalkers are?” 

“No.”

“That’s what they say you look like, lurking in the back of all your friends’ videos,” you continue, swerving around your phone to show him.

Bucky doesn’t look impressed. He can’t say he blames them either, which makes him inexplicably maddens him.  

“At least they’re calling you their boyfriend,” you add, entirely unhelpfully. “That’s gotta count.”

“Right.” Maya clears her throat. “The both of you–” 

“Are getting paired together, I suppose,” you hum. 

Bucky’s eyebrows pull together. 

He barely knows you. Just a little bit on how you ended up here, that you enjoyed hanging out with the team, figuring out your place in the compound, and were seemingly doing a great job at it. 

You were… loud. And open. 

Bucky feels the compulsive need to compensate for that by doubling down on how silent he could get, as if the two of you couldn’t co-exist in the same space in equilibrium. 

Maya pointedly raises a finger at you. “Do you believe in ghosts?”

“For the right price, I will believe in whatever you tell me to.”

Her face lights up brighter than Bucky's ever seen.

“Great.” Maya slams her laptop closed. “See you later.”

Bucky’s left staring as she exits, not even throwing the both of you another look.

“That was quick,” your voice cuts through the silence. “What was that all about?”

 “Don’ ask me,” he grumbles, with a sinking feeling that he knew exactly what was about to follow. 

“Ghost hunting?” Bucky echoes a week later, as expected.

“Yes,” Maya tells him simply. “Two of you. A series based on paranormal activity.”

“I don’t even believe in them,” he reiterates. 

“That’s the point,” she emphasises. “Skeptic and believer. It makes for a good contrast.”

“Why us both?” He hopes it doesn’t come off as offensive. He just doesn’t see why he can’t do this with Sam. Even Clint, if a gun was really pressed to his head. 

“I’m new, no one gives a shit about me,” you say brightly and full of promise. “Yet.”

“Exactly. It’ll be low key. Not an overwhelming number of viewers, no expectations. It’s perfect for launching one Avenger and re-launching another.”

“Sounds rad.” You grin, leaning back as your feet rest on the chair in front of you.

Maya looks relieved for a moment that at least one of you was on board. “No promises on anything. We shoot one video, and if it does well, we stick with it.”

“What if I don’t want to?” Bucky argues. 

“Then you have until tomorrow morning to give us another feasible idea,” Maya dishes back.

Bucky retreats into his seat, arms crossed over his chest. 

Truth be told, he considered himself to be the most boring person in the team and though he had made his peace with that, he was sure thar bringing that up now would entail Maya shooting him in the foot.

“Fine,” he agrees and the sighs around the room are loud. 

He scoffs. So fucking dramatic and for what.

“Put her there, partner.” You stretch ungracefully over the large table, sticking out your hand.

Bucky eyes your hand. “Do you even believe in ghosts?” 

“I do now, yeah.” You nod seriously. “Love ‘em. Can’t get enough of them.”

“One video,” Maya reminds him as a balm. “And if it doesn’t work, you’re off the hook forever.”

Off the hook? Forever? For Bucky?

Yay. 

“One video,” he reiterates.

You roll your eyes before smiling when he leans forward to grab it. You yank it up and down clunkily. He blinks at you, letting go slowly. 

“Thank fuck,” Maya groans, head dropping onto the table. 

Your smile is wild. “Guess we’re doing this shit together.”

He doesn’t even have to look very deep in his soul. He already knows he’s going to suffer.

here’s my ko-fi if you’d like to support my writing!

to keep up with updates for this fic and others, please follow @shurisneakersupdates and turn on post notifications!

also i'd absolutely love to make this a community led fic like how harmless was! if you have memes or any paranormal ideas or just any prompts in general, please please send them my way <3

Next part

[druigs-wife]

IN AMADO || NAMOR X FEM!READER

MARVEL CINEMATIC UNIVERSE || ONE SHOT

summary: after months of separation, namor visits and shows you how important you are to him.

warnings: MINORS DNI, smut, penetration (mxf), oral (f&m receiving), slight angst, wakanda forever spoilers

word count: 2.2K

A/N: translations: in yakunaj ~ my love, in lool ~ my flower, in reina ~ my queen, in amado ~ my beloved

Every six months you and Namor meet on the beach nearby your house. It was already your tradition. No matter how much he wants you to come and live with him in his kingdom and be his only, it wasn't possible.

Yesterday he didn't show up for unknown reasons, as you two had agreed half a year earlier. You did the same as the day before, you sat down on the soft sand in the light of the full moon and patiently waited for your beloved one to come to the surface. Seconds, minutes and hours passed. It was midnight and there was no sign of him. He was never so late. Something must have happened. What if he was hurt in some way? What if you won't see him again? With those dark thoughts a single tear ran down your cheek, but you wiped it immediatly. He could give at least some sign that he is okay, that he is safe and that he still loves you. Why didn't he do that?

It was getting colder on the beach. The waves in the Atlantic Ocean were getting bigger and the wind stronger, sweeping your hair back. Your body started shaking but you were stubborn. This time, you won't let go and keep waiting, even until the dawn. You got up from the ground and started walking towards the cabin where you lived to take a blanket with you back to the beach to cover yourself and warm up. However, as you turned your back to the ocean, you heard a familiar and calm voice.

"In yakunaj, wait..." you immediately turned towards him and looked into his cholocate eyes. At a distance, you could sense that he felt guilty.

Without overthinking, you started walking faster towards him. Thanks to his wings he reached the sand and opened his arms where you found yourself a moment later. He could only hug you even tighter so that you wouldn't be able to run away from him.

"I thought something happened to you. I was losing my mind." you got out of his grip and cupped his wet cheeks in your hands. Your gaze traveled all over his face, but you couldn't find a single scratch. Namor just remained silent and watched you. "You should have let me know you weren't coming, give me a sign, anything." you started shivering more from the cold, he noticed it and started rubbing your arms to keep you warm. "I was worried."

Namor was acting differently than usual, as if something was bothering him. He looked at you with great sadness and regret, but also love and care. You've known each other long enough that you could tell when something was wrong.

"(Y/N) you need to warm up, you're trembling." you nodded slightly, he put his arm around you, and you went home together.

You sat on the wooden floor by the fireplace covered with a blanket and stared at the bright flames. A few moments later, you were awakened from your trance by the sound of creaking panels. Namor joined you, holding cups of something to drink in both hands. He brought you hot tea and for himself only water. He sat down next to you that your bare knees were touching. For the next hour he explained exactly why he hadn't visited you yesterday. The whole world can learn about the existence of the Talokan. You knew how much his kingdom and his people meant to him. Everything. So you weren't surprised what next steps your beloved one would have to make to keep it all a secret from the greedy world.

"Tomorrow morning I will sail to Wakanda with my entire army and put an end to this war." you stared at the already empty cup while listening carefully to what Namor had to say. "I can't let anything happen to Talokan..." he took the cup from you, put it on the ground next to him and wraped your palms together "...and I can't let anything happen to you." you looked at him and a small smile appeared on your face.

"I'm not a threat to them, they don't even know I exist, do they?" he nodded slightly, "So what are you afraid of, in amado?" he smiled gently at the nickname. Only you could call him like that. He brought your hand to his lips and kissed it tenderly.

"I'm afraid that through this stupid war I might lose you, that they can take you away from me, just as I took their queen from them." you sighed heavily amd closed your eyes, leaned a little forward that your foreheads touched.

"And what about you, hmm? Will you come back to me safe and sound? Nobody knows about us... I won't know if you survived or not." you said. You didn't get any answer for the next few moments. All Namor did was leaned back and placed a kiss on your forehead and then on your temple. He put his arm around you and came closer to you than before.

"I give you my word, when I am done with this, I will come to you as soon as I can." Namor gave a few more kisses against your temple. "But if... if anything happens to me, you'll find out just as quickly. You have my word in reina." you looked deep in his eyes. His promise was everything to you at this point.

You finally decided to get closer to him. The tips of your noses touched gently, and your lips was only inches apart. Finally Namor brushed yours hungrily but tenderly. You felt like you hadn't seen each other in ages. You wrapped your arms around his neck and his various necklaces. He, on the other hand, began to run his hands over your hips, waist and higher. As the kiss grew more passionate, you pulled away from him to catch your breath.

"Will you stay with me?" you whispered in his ear and brushed it lightly with your lips. The very gesture made Namor shudder. It was his sensitive point. Taking the opportunity that your neck was more exposed, he didn't waste a single moment and started peppering her with kisses, leaving tiny hickeys on it.

"Only if you want it." your foreheads and eyes meet again. You both were breathing hard. "Do you want me to stay?" you nodded immediately. "I need words in lool." before you spoke, you touched his left ear with your fingertips, then slowly took off his earring and set it on the floor. You did the same on the right side and put your hands on his chest keeping eye contact.

"Stay. Stay with me." Namor smirked broadly and kissed you lovingly, but you quickly broke this gesture because you wanted to get rid of the rest of the jewelry that he didn't need at the moment. With slow movements you removed the necklace after the necklace from his neck. He just watched your every single move carefully. Next were the arms, one jewelry on each of his biceps and on both forearms. You had to move away from him a bit to be able to take off the next ones on his calves "accidentally" touching the wings at his feet. They were also his sweet spot. Namor groaned softly at the contact. He needed you. Right now.

He rose a little and grasped your thighs tightly to be able to lift you up from the floor. Once he was standing on his feet, you wrapped your legs around him on the way to the bedroom. Namor kissing you passionately placed you carefully on the edge of the bed. This time it was he who took the initiative. He began to remove parts of your clothes from you, revealing more and more of your skin. You only stayed in your panties. Without taking his eyes off you, he got up from the bed to take off the last parts of his clothes. He threw his belt and shorts on the floor, freeing his cock and climbed on you again. He kissed your neck and sucked it alternately covering it with hickeys. For a few seconds you felt his cock brush against your thigh. With every second he was getting lower and lower. After a few moments, his lips were on your breasts, he worshiped every inch of your body. He started caressing your nipples, making circles around them with his tongue and sucking them as well. You were already a moaning mess, but you still wanted more. You wanted more of him.

You ran one hand through his black hair, and the other you placed on his shoulder and dug your nails lightly into him. He moaned against your breasts and began to go down. He placed wet kisses on your belly, until he finally reached your thighs. He adores them, so he also left a few hickeys and love bites on them. He looked up at you.

He reached for the fabric of your panties with his fingertips, they were already wet. Namor was waiting for your permission.

"Please..." you moaned softly. With one smooth movement, he pulled the last part of your clothing off you and your whole beautiful body appeared in front of him. Namor was enjoying this view as well as the first time he saw you in all your glory.

"May I?" he asked politely being inches from your folds, putting one leg over his shoulder for better access to your entrance. You felt his warm breath against your skin.

"Yes, in amado. Make love to me, please." at these words Namor immediately began to lick the wetness from your folds, teasing your clit with his nose. You rolled your eyes back at the sensation and lay down completely on the freshly laundered sheets as he dived deeper into your pussy while he was on his knees.

You missed this and couldn't wait to suck his dick until he goes wild. You groaned loudly as his tongue was slightly higher on your wet and aching clit. You were so close, but you wanted this moment last forever, so you tense your muscles and dug your nails into his hair. Namor brought his free hand to his mouth and dipped two fingers in his saliva, then sliding them inside of your pussy. When he felt that you're close, he began to curl them in your sweet spot, to which you replied with more uncontrollable moans of pleasure.

"Cum for me in yakunaj, let me feel you" at his filthy words you came so hard that you arched your spine and your body was shaking with the pleasure your beloved just gave you. When he cleaned your folds, he climbed on top of you and placed a long kiss on your lips. You could feel your own taste. Namor pulled away from you and then you touched his cock and started pumping it slowly.

"Let me worship you, my king." taking the opportunity that he didn't pay enough attencion, you turned the both of you that he was now on his back and you were on top. You did exactly what he did to you. "K'uk'ulkan..." you sighed marking every inch of his body, you slide lower and lower until your mouth was on the tip of his cock. You took it in your hand pumping, licked off his leaking precum and sucked gently on the tip. He propped himself up with his hands so he could see what you were doing to him. He groaned softly and closed his eyes with the excess of pleasure. Namor put his hand on your head and started fucking your mouth. At first he kept the pace that you set, but with each passing second he was closer and his thrusts became faster. When he felt that he was about to spill his cum inside your mouth, he stopped his movements as well as you.

"Up, in reina. Up." you did as he told you to. You stood up and pressed your lips together in a passionate kiss. Namor moved you with his arms to make you sit on him. You've been waiting for this moment for a long time. His wings began to flutter, brushing against your bare skin. You touched one with your fingers and Namor let out an innocent groan. You weren't admitting the thought that you might lose him. He directed his cock towards your entrance and in one move he was inside you. You both moaned loudly. You wrapped your arms around him, and he took your nipples in his mouth again and savor them while thrusting his cock against your g spot.

When Namor was making love to you, it felt like it was your first and at the same last time. He was rediscovering your body, every inch of your soft skin, your reactions to his actions, and your beautiful sounds again. Everything was perfect.

You have never believed in what the other people have said about him in legends, because what he is like right now, in your arms, fascinated by all of you, is a complete opposite of what is said in all those fairytales.

When you both reached your climaxes, you lay down on the bed together, Namor wrapped his arm around you tightly, and you put your head on his chest listening to his heartbeat. Until you both fell asleep in each others arms, he whispered sweet nothings into your ear and rubbed your nude and soft shoulders.

"In k'áatech, in yaakunaj.

Teech le in yóok'ol kaaba'."

"I love you, my love. You are my whole world."

𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 || 𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓

[luluia]

New Years With One Piece Men

Includes-Monster Trio and Ace

Warnings-Make outs, Kissing, and suggestive towards the end

A/n-Second work. PLEASE IM RUSHING THIS

Luffy

It was New Years Eve and every was getting ready. Whether it was Sanji preparing the food, Brook practicing his music for tonight, or Usopp and Franky touching up an extra special surprise for midnight. You and Robin happened to be in charge of all the decorations since Usopp was busy.

“We did it!” You said as all the New Years lights you and Robin set up turned on as you high fived Sanji brought you girls some drinks before delivering one to Nami

“I’m not really in the mood for a beverage right now,” You said yawning “Don’t fall… asleep…” You heard Chopper say to himself barely able to keep his eyes open you were glad you weren’t the only one.

Eventually once it was around 10 pm you guys started to have fun as Zoro was drinking, Franky and Usopp were doing a dance as Chopper joined in, Brook was playing music, Robin and Nami were talking, Jimbei was eating having the time of his life as he gave his thanks to Sanji for the food, And Luffy? He was shoving his mouth full

You decided to step out for some fresh air as you leaned against the balcony staring into the ocean. “Y/n. Why are you out here?” You heard a familiar voice say as you turned around to see your beloved Captain

“Just needed some fresh air. Shouldn’t you be inside having fun with everyone Pirate King?” You asked he wrapped his arms around you “It isn’t fun without you” He said as you felt your cheeks get red you immediately looked away

“I-I’ll go back inside in a few minutes so you should go-“ You said until you felt his head shake back and forth he didn’t seem to want to leave you

“Wanna hangout and talk for a bit?” You asked he nodded as you both sat down on the deck, Luffy’s head resting in the crook of your neck you smiled as he was falling asleep

“Love you. Happy New Year” You kissed his head

“Love you too, Y/n. Happy New…” He snored as you smiled

Zoro

It was New Year’s Eve as you and the other Straw Hats were at a small island celebrating the new year.

“Mind pouring me some?” You said talking to your best friend on board the notorious Roronoa Zoro he didn’t say anything and just poured some do his drink into your cup with a tiny growl

It seemed pretty clear you had a thing for the marimo but you knew he wasn’t one for romance so you never tried anything.

“You didn’t have to if you didn’t want too” You said he rolled his eyes as it was 10 minutes to midnight as some people starting clinking their glasses

“To a new beginning!” You heard some people say as it was now 5 minutes to midnight some people started making out you gagged a bit

“I don’t get the point of a New Years kiss” You heard Roronoa say

“Maybe I could show you” You flirted he scoffed as the clock struck 12 you both clinked your glasses and took a shot and right as you were about to swallow you felt a pair of lips on yours as the wine swished around between both of your mouths

You were shocked before slowly easing into it your arms making it’s way around his neck as his rested on your waist before you both pulled away to catch your breath

“You did show me the point” He said tucking your hair behind your ear as you both continued

Sanji

It was New Years Eve and as tradition you and Sanji always prepared the food together. Much to Sanji’s dismay every year.

You guys have been inseparable ever since you met on the Baratie. Whether it’d be you serving tables or making some food you guys always seemed to be together it was kind of a known thing.

“Hey pass me the onions!” You said as he handed you some you started chopping them into mini squares

“Of course Y/n my sweet!” He said helping you in anyway he can while he prepared his own dishes you two were working hard for the feast later tonight as Sanji also made drinks for Nami, Robin, and of course you

“Sanji can you test the Pasta I can’t tell if it needs more sauce” You said as he took one and bit it

“This is amazing sweetheart!” He said you smiled he had given you that nickname a while back when you two were still at the Baratie.

“I think besides the pastries in the oven we’re good to go” You said washing some plates and Sanji dried them he nodded with a cigarette lit in his mouth you took it and put it in yours

“Been needing a quick smoke” You said finishing washing the dishes but not before the cook’s nose was bleeding like a fountain as he passed out “Chopper! I accidentally did it again!” You yelled as Chopper came running in

Ace

It was New Year’s on Whitebeards crew as everyone celebrated Ace had other plans on how to celebrate…

“Happy New Year Marco!” You said he bowed his head slightly “Happy New Years to you too N/n” He said as everyone was giving hugs so did you until Ace was your last hug of the night

You two hugged “I wanted to be your first but everyone held me back” He whispered into your ear as you blushed a bit he smiled before leaning in to kiss you.

As both your lips connected like a puzzle piece everyone seemed to be celebrating the moment but you could barely hear them. You could sense anything it seemed as if you two were the only ones on Earth at that very moment.

As you both pulled away for air Whitebeard raised his cup “To a new year. And a new couple!” He said as everyone yelled celebrating congratulating you two

“I hate you sometimes” You weren’t too fond of parties so he smiled nuzzling into your neck tired and hung over you sighed before he started kissing your neck sucking on it

“A-Ace. We’re in public-“ You said as he stopped taking your hand and leading you to his room as you both sat on the bed

“I don’t know whether I hate or love you for doing that” You said as he wrapped around your waist “Mmh I’m fine with that if it means getting to have you to myself for the rest of New Year’s” He said you shrugged agreeing as he slowly undid your blouse

[c0s-lettuce]

heart - nikolai lantsov x reader

gender non-specific, reader is grisha (sort of)

a/n: had this idea for a while, so i thought i'd finally finished it. even though season 2 came out a while ago now. thanks for reading! <3

word count: 1323

The sea was calm. The night was peaceful. And the wind meant no squallers were on duty. The deck was a perfectly private place for you to mope.

You are the beloved healer of the Volkvolny. At least you were before you lost your powers, hence the moping.

You had gotten injured. Badly. You barely remember anything from the incident, only that the whole crew took on the joint responsibility of nursing you back to health.

There was irony in that, you thought.

You've been up on your feet for a couple of days now. It didn't take long for you to realise your lack of healing abilities. The crew quickly came to comfort.

"You just need more rest."

"We'll find a way to fix it."

"What matters is you're ok."

Their sentiments were kind. But it didn't stop the unease you felt. You couldn't sleep because of it. So there you stood, leaning over the ship's edge and watching dark waters pass by.

You hear footsteps approaching. You recognise them. Nikolai.

"What are you doing out here?" he asks.

You turn to look at him. You notice the effects of Sturmhond from the day are gone. Tonight, he is simply Prince Nikolai, adorable and dishevelled as he is.

He looks angelic in the moonlight.

You look back at the sea, stopping yourself from staring at him further.

"Just getting some air," you reply.

Nikolai joins you by the side of the ship. "It's freezing out here, love."

"It's not too bad," you say.

A moment of silence passes. You feel Nikolai's gaze on you while yours stays fixed on the water.

"Alright, tell me what's wrong," he says.

You look at Nikolai again. He is indeed looking at you, waiting expectantly.

"Nothing's wrong," you're quick to reply.

"Is this about everything that's happened?"

When you hesitate to answer, he continues. "You know you can tell me anything."

Alright, you think. Nikolai's not going to let you get out of this.

You take a breath. "It's just… everyone here has a purpose. I had one too. And now I don't. So you can imagine how I feel."

A second of silence passes.

"Need I remind you that you almost died?" Nikolai replies.

"Yeah, but I should be better now," you argue.

"You've been through a lot lately. You can't blame yourself for anything that's happened," Nikolai says, "And besides, you are so much more than just your powers."

"How do I know you're not just saying that?"

"I swear to you I'm not," he tells you, "You're gracious and thoughtful, both to me and the crew. And you're the kindest companion anyone could ask for. I really mean it."

You look at him, unsure of what to say. In your silence, Nikolai takes your hand.

"And your powers aren't completely gone," he places your hand over his chest, "You still heal my aching heart."

You're glad the dark somewhat masks your reaction, "That's really corny, Nikolai."

"Yeah, I know," he smiles, "But you love it."

"Well, I suppose you're not wrong," you say, smiling too, "Thanks, Nik."

Nikolai pulls you into a hug. His arms, full of intent, wrap around your shoulders. You reciprocate, finding comfort within.

You know he means everything he has said to you tonight. The way he holds you now proves it.

"You're most welcome, love," he replies.

A few moments pass before you two separate, and you finally notice how cold it is.

"Hey, there's something I want to give you," Nikolai says, "Come back to my room with me?"

"Oh, sure," you say.

Nikolai smiles as he takes your hand and leads you inside. You liked seeing his room. As Sturmhond, he doesn't get to have many possessions, so it's interesting to see what he keeps around.

After much anticipation, he stops at the dresser. "Ok, close your eyes and hold out your hand."

You do as he says, only slightly sceptical of what might await you. A heavy metal object is placed in your hand.

"Alright, now open," Nikolai says.

You open your eyes. A golden compass with intricate patterns and royal blue highlights sits on your palm. The shine it radiates tells you that it's still very new.

"Saints, it's beautiful!" you say, admiring the delicate craftsmanship.

"I was planning to save it for your birthday or something, but I don't want to wait any longer," Nikolai tells you.

"I'm glad you don't. Where did you get it from?"

"I saw it at the markets the other day. It reminded me of you, so I knew I had to get it."

You laugh, "That's two for two on corniess, Nikolai."

"I'm sorry, I can't help myself," he smiles.

"Well, thank you, it's lovely."

"Maybe I could get a kiss in return?" He faces his cheek towards you.

He really is adorable, you think. Without much deliberation, you step towards him, turn his head to face you and kiss him on the lips.

It's heaven.

You're unsure how much time passes before you realise what you are doing.

You pull away. Nikolai's smiling.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me," you're quick to say.

"No need to apologise," he says.

You take a second to evaluate. Nikolai's arms are around your waist. And you definitely remember him kissing you back.

"So," he continues, "Does this mean you like the compass?"

You laugh, "Yes. Yes, I love it. Thank you."

"It's my pleasure," he says.

The two of you stand for a moment longer before you take a small step back. You notice Nikolai doesn't loosen his grip around you.

"I should probably head back to my bunk," you say.

Nikolai's expression falters.

You're about to ask him what's wrong until he asks you, "Would you maybe like to spend the night here?"

You're slightly taken aback. "Oh, are you sure?"

"Only if you'd like to," he smiles sheepishly, "But yeah, I'd appreciate the company."

You smile. "You know what, the company does sounds nice."

Nikolai breathes a sigh of relief. "Ok, great. Make yourself at home, alright?"

"Sure," you smile.

Nikolai finally lets you go, and you both get ready to sleep. You walk to the bed and place your new compass on the side table.

You've shared beds with Nikolai before. They were usually during expeditions where there wasn't much of a choice. Even so, it would never be awkward or uncomfortable. You always took that as a good sign.

Tonight, as always, it didn't take long for the two of you to get comfortable. The effects of the cold night can no longer be felt. Now, it's just you and Nikolai.

As the two of you lay side by side, you say, "You know, Tolya's been watching me like a hawk. If he sees my bunk empty in the morning, he'll freak out."

"He's a big boy. He can handle it," Nikolai replies.

"Are you sure about that?" you ask.

"Well, no. But we can deal with it tomorrow," Nikolai says.

Tomorrow. The idea of tomorrow unsettles you. You're suddenly reminded of all that upset you earlier. Nikolai notices your silence after a while.

"Hey, come here," he says.

He opens his arms to you. It's an invitation you accept instantly. You relax into him as he embraces you once again.

"Everything will be ok. I promise," Nikolai tells you.

"I believe you," you say.

"Good. I need you to know you mean the world to me. No matter what happens. Alright?"

"If you say so."

"I'll say it a million more times if I must."

"Thank you, Nik. But if you say one more corny thing, I just might explode."

Nikolai laughs, "Alright, I'll stop. Let's get some sleep then. To prepare for Tolya."

"Yes, that's a good idea," you say.

You bury yourself further into Nikolai as he holds you tighter.

"Goodnight, my love," Nikolai says.

"Goodnight, my prince," you reply.

➸

[emillyverse]

Some warnings + Chapter 1 Progress!!!!!

HELLO MY LOVELY STARS!!!

You didn't expect to see me updating KoW so soon, did you???

I usually post updates on Saturday or Sunday, but I'll be traveling so I decided to leave the previews today.

In fact, this trip is the warning I have to give. I will be away from my work desk and my materials for a few days (I don't know exactly how many but between one and two weeks), therefore I will not be able to make progress on the Comic during this period.

This is sad I know. But look on the bright side, I'm going to get a lot of rest and return to work with renewed energy!!!

✨YAYYYYYY !!!✨

Anyway, without further ado, let's get to what everyone wants to see:

THE CONTINUATION OF THE OUTLINES OF CHAPTER 1 OF "THE KINGDOM OF WISHES"

( Written by @annymation , design by @uva124 )

Check out part 1 here.

"The two brothers grew up and, with their father's teachings, became powerful sorcerers."

"But when the big day arrived, Florian was crowned king, as Magnus still didn't feel confident and claimed that something was missing in his life; something that gave him strength and courage!"

"It was then that Magnus met Amaya."

"The most beautiful maiden he had ever seen had been found adrift in a boat and taken shelter in the castle by order of King Florian."

"As a form of gratitude for the hospitality, Amaya began to serve the court as a royal alchemist and, as the days went by, she ended up winning Magnus' heart, finally making him feel like he could do...anything".

"Encouraged by his new love, Magnus decided to travel in search of adventure, leaving the kingdom to prosper in Florian's hands."

"But then, a tragedy happened. When Magnus returned to Rosas he discovered that his brother had passed away due to illness. A painful loss for the entire kingdom, which was made worse by Florian not having legitimate heirs"

"Magnus was moved. He could not let the magnificent legacy of his beloved brother and predecessors end like this."

"Feeling confident with Amaya by your side, Magnus took over the throne and changed the way wishes were granted monthly, doing dozens of them a week, making them float back to your Wish Makers, during the night"

The Kingdom was so happy and grateful that they began to name their new rulers with nicknames that reflected their magnificence and passion, thus making them known as King Magnífico and Queen Amable.

"The end".

Sabino: "I admire your taste in complex stories, Asha, but... Hmm...Don't you think this is too complicated for you?"

Asha: "I thought it was a fantasy book, but it's just romance. Yuck!”

Sabino: "Never judge a book by its cover, darling! What you have here is a history book."

Asha: "But he doesn't explain things very well.Where does Queen Amaya come from? And the king's staff?What disease did Florian die from?"

Sabino: "Well, Asha, let's see..."

"First, the queen is very private about her past, we have to respect that."

"Second. That staff is just a souvenir the king got on his travels."

Sabino: "And third. Sometimes bad things just... happen... without explanation."

"And there's nothing we can do about it."

"Unless you move on..."

To be continued...

FORGIVE FOR ENDING WITH AN ANGUISH DRAWING 🥺🥺

BUT DESPITE THAT, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT!

And understood. Remembering that, like Anny, I'm Brazilian, but unlike her, I don't understand English and I'm always using Google translate, so maybe there are some mistakes. But Anny and you are always welcome to point out mistakes and correct me!

That's it for today and until after my little vacation Lmao 😅 I'll still be online to answer any questions or curiosities you may have, or simply to see posts and rewrites in which they mark me. I love interacting with this fun and tight-knit community of Wish Concept Art fans!

Anyway, goodbye!!

Kisses full of light and stars!

~Emy

[save-the-villainous-cat]

Ayo pls do write this if you can, I've yet to see this happen in literally any fic:

MAKE ME CRY MY EYES OUT CATANA

“You stay right behind us, kid,” the villain had said, smirking at their sidekick with full confidence. The end of the world wasn’t supposed to be a personal issue that depended on the villain’s relationships. But apparently it did.

The protection of their sidekick was their priority. For someone so young, they were witty and funny. They were clever and annoying. The villain loved them like their own sibling. Someone who was just as fucked up as them, just as traumatised and hurt. And somewhere there, they could heal each other with jokes and the dream of another future.

It wasn’t like the kid had changed them but…somehow, they had made them a better person.

They’d been so sure. So incredibly sure they were invincible with the hero beside them. Finally fighting together, having each other’s backs — the villain’s and hero’s powers being perfected to a point that let them fight in sync with grace and a simplicity that made them feel oh so secure. It was heaven.

The hero was a reliable ally, a strong one that made the villain wonder how on earth they were enemies. When they fought like this, the villain felt somewhat complete. In combat, they were made for each other and the villain had enjoyed every second of it.

Both protected the villain’s sidekick whenever the situation got out of hand and both shielded each other when it started to look rough.

They’d never felt anything like this before. A connection that made them think they were soulmates. They felt so…strong. Letting them hope they could actually beat this ancient threat.

No wonder the villain had been cocky once the supervillain was their last standing enemy. A snarky comment was all they’d managed as they’d looked around the destruction of the city, ready to kick some ass.

But as it turned out, the supervillain was obsessed with the villain and apparently, they were ready to sacrifice the world to prove it.

In a last sick attempt at controlling the villain, they’d laugh-screamed their demands into the night. They’d destroy themselves and with that, this planet if the villain didn’t kill one of them. Their sidekick or their hero.

Which led them to this. An impossible decision.

“What?” the villain asked. Their voice died somewhere along the word, breaking when they least expected it. A moment ago, everything had been fine. Everything had gone according to their plan.

The supervillain’s expression wasn’t mad. It was calm. Cold. Like a salesman talking about a deal.

“I need you to kill one of them.” The villain’s head whipped around, their gaze boring into their sidekick and then their beloved hero. Both terrified beyond measure, both not sure on what the villain would decide.

Hell, not even the villain knew if they were actually going to decide.

“You’re insane.”

“Your precious hero is your only chance to save this world. And your sidekick? Like a sibling to you. So, what are you choosing? The world that always resented you? Or the family you found?”

“I will kill you,” the villain said, promised it but there was little weight to it. The supervillain could kill all of them easily. But they toyed with the villain, made them decide something like this just to see them suffer.

“Destroys the whole planet,” the supervillain said. “I’ll turn myself in after one of them is dead. Choose.”

“No.”

“I have killed thousands here, millions on other planets. I can kill these two for you, if you want to.”

“No.” The villain looked back at the hero and they realised how much they were panting, how much they were sweating.

“It’s okay,” the hero said. Fucking liar. “You can kill me, it’s alright.”

They took a step forward and the villain took one back, afraid that if they touched them, the hero would wilt. This wasn’t happening. This wasn’t happening.

“I know you can find a way to beat them. You don’t need me for this,” the hero said. “It’s alright.”

“No,” the villain repeated for what seemed to be the hundredth time. Their heart was beating in their throat as panic got a grip on them and squeezed until all their adrenaline was gone.

“Choose,” the supervillain urged them. “You have one minute.”

The villain’s eyes widened and they wanted to sob. No, this couldn’t be real. This was a dream, some nightmare they couldn’t get under control.

The tears came without a command. With a blurred vision, they stared at their sidekick, a 17-year-old.

“I can’t,” the villain said, nearly wheezed the words. “I can’t do this.”

“Come on, show me what you are,” the supervillain said. They leaned back on the throne they had built out of ash and destroyed concrete. “30 seconds.”

“I don’t have a family,” the sidekick said suddenly. “You’ve been the only one in my life that has been kind to me. But so many others do have one. You have to save these people.”

It hurt. It fucking hurt to hear this. To look into the kid’s eyes and see the pain and the fear and yet, they decided to be brave and do a heroic thing.

“Please,” the villain said. They looked back at the supervillain. “Please, I am begging you. Don’t make me do this. I can’t do this. This is…this is madness.”

“Ten seconds.”

Suddenly, the sidekick grabbed their wrist and pulled them towards them.

“Do it. I want it.” The villain shook their head frantically.

“Please—” Everything was blurry.

“For once in your life, be a goddamn hero. I’ll stay with you until it’s over,” the sidekick promised but there were tears in their eyes. A yearning for a long and good life, for a family and a future that was worth something. The villain squeezed their eyes shut but the sidekick wasn’t planning on giving up that easily.

They looked at the shocked hero who was definitely going to sacrifice themselves at any given moment. However, the sidekick was faster.

“Take care of them, will you?” they asked the hero.

And with that, they gave the villain their own dagger, hands closed around the villain’s as the metal broke clothes and skin, opened flesh and gnawed on bone in a cruel, horrible way that woke up the villain from nightmares decades later.

[kurtie4life96]

Hi!! My fiancé of nearly 4 years cheated on me and I have two kids with him. I’m in need of comfort. Could you possibly write something with Eddie telling reader that she’s enough for him and he’ll never do that to her?

This has become top of my priority list instantly.

You are BEAUTIFUL, you are ENOUGH, and it was HIS loss. I am so, so sorry babe. I'm positive that you're perfect and your kids are lucky to have such an amazing mother. I know, because I have two LOs too.

Enough ♡ E.M. x Fem Reader

Summary: Eddie's one and only beloved needs some reassurance. He's more than happy to give her just that.

CW: soft!Eddie, nervous!reader, established relationship, fluff, hurt/comfort, ramblings, just so much fluff, lil blurb

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

You were seated on the old, well-loved couch in Eddie's trailer with a stooped posture, your elbows resting on your thighs, your right leg bouncing up and down involuntarily, as you stared off into space in the dimly lit living room, worry, concern, and anxiety aching deep in your chest as negative thoughts flooded your brain.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Despite being in a long term, loving relationship with Eddie, it was always hard for you to not fear the worst while in a committed relationship.

You took deep, shaky breaths, battling with yourself in your mind, trying to convince yourself anything but the worst.

He loves me, I'm happy, so why do I feel like this, why do I always have to feel so scared-

Eddie interrupted your thoughts as he opened the bathroom door, finished with his shower, smiling ear to ear as he headed towards the living room.

"Hello, my sweet angel, I'm all done, ready to watch that movie now? I'm so excited we finally get to watch Beetlejuice, I heard it's hilarious-"

He stopped dead in his tracks, his smile fading from his face and a look of concern replacing it at the distressed sight of you.

He quickly hurried towards you, sitting on the couch and placing a gentle hand on your back, his voice soft.

"Baby, what's wrong? Are you okay, did something happen?"

You shook your head, pushing your hair back from your forehead, giving him a strained smile.

"No, no, nothing happened," you stammered, a shake in your voice, "I'm okay, really, I just-"

You sighed, clasping your hands, sweating with nerves as you bowed your head, eyebrows knitted together.

"Hey, look at me," Eddie held a hand to the side of your face, turning it towards him, gazing at you with a sad, half smile.

You pursed your lips, then glanced at him, shifting your body to face him, crossing your ankles together to sit directly in front of him, Eddie doing the same.

He took both of your hands into his, intertwining your fingers, his soft, understanding eyes looking into your own.

"Tell me what's going on." He insisted, giving your hands a gentle squeeze.

You stayed silent for a moment, swallowing hard as you struggled to find the words.

"Go on," he insisted kindly, "tell me everything that's on your mind. I won't talk until you're finished speaking. You have my full attention."

"Thank you." You mumbled, grateful for his support.

"Whenever you're ready." Eddie nodded.

"Well," you began to explain, "it's just that, sometimes I feel scared, you know? Like... I just have this anxiety that's eating away at me. And I know you've reassured me about this so many times, so I'm sorry. I'm just terrified. I'm terrified that you'll leave me, find someone else better than me, prettier than me, smarter than me, you know? I just don't wanna get hurt again, like I did in my last relationship. I just wanna be enough for you. I'm just scared, Eddie," you looked into his eyes tearfully, "I'm just so fucking scared."

You finished your rambling with a shaky exhale, worried that you were annoying him, that maybe he thought you were overbearing, or having second thoughts about you. You glanced at him, your heart loudly beating against your chest as you waited for his response in nervous anticipation.

Eddie softly smiled at you, leaning over and pressing a kiss to your forehead gingerly before speaking.

"Babe, you have every right to feel the way you do." He assured you quietly.

You perked up, confusion on your face.

"Really?"

"Yeah, really," he insisted, "the last guy you were with is a total piece of shit. He made you feel so bad about yourself, so it's understandable that you have these feelings."

Eddie let go of one of your hands, brushing your hair behind your ear, and let out a breathy chuckle.

"But, as I've told you before," he reminded, a grin on his face, "you are absolutely perfect, the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on. Shit, I can't believe I was able to woo a girl like you! Sweetheart, I can assure you, I would never hurt you. I would never find better than you, because you are the better. You're the best. No one can compete with you. You're more than enough. You're so damn beautiful, inside and out. You make me laugh everyday. You're so god damn smart, you're always so nice, you've put up with all my shitty antics, you've been through hell and back with me- fuck, I'm just rambling now, but the point is; I would never leave you, I would never cheat on you, and I love you more than anything in the world. I know I can be pretty stupid, but I'm not stupid enough to ever do something that would make me lose the best thing that's ever happened to me. And if I have to reassure you that, every second of every day, I'm more than happy to do so, as long as I get to be with you... okay?"

You beamed at him, tears glossing over your eyes, your nerves disappearing and being replaced with joy, love, adoration- every happy emotion that exists, you were feeling it. And it was all because of Eddie.

"Okay?" He repeated himself, squeezing your hands earnestly.

"Okay." You nodded, letting go of his grasp on you and quickly lunging towards him, hugging him tightly, giggling with relief.

Eddie hugged you back, embracing you into his chest as close as possible, your hair tickling his nose, him chuckling against your neck and kissing you all over the side of your face for what seemed to be a hundred times.

"I love you, Eddie," you whispered into his hair, still squeezing him, "thank you."

"I love you more, angel, queen of my life, woman of my dreams," he exclaimed, "but never, ever thank me for that. Deal?"

You let go of him, leaning back, now sitting in his lap.

"Deal."

"So," Eddie started, "how's about that movie?"

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

[missrown]

— In which, Jake Kim has a love rival, and to win he proposes???

° Disclaimer: Reader is compared to Shirin, Layla, Juliet, but is not female. There are no pronouns used. Reader is also called "Darling" (i didn't want to use y/n i don't like it djdj) ° VERY MUCH OOC IM SORRY

A/N: if someone proposed to me like that I will die of happiness :") I was watching a movie and the first part is kinda the same—

[Navigation]

Jake sees an unacceptable sight. As unacceptable as a friend's betrayal is. The most absurd thing he saw. Like an awesome movie which ended in a cliff hanger without a second part.

(Not really, he is just dramatic)

He sees a scoundrel flirting with the object of his affections. Someone who has a place in his heart. Someone he wishes to marry one day.

Truly unacceptable.

He has a love rival, and he himself didn't know that. Not that it bothers him.

He is gonna win anyway.

So he walks forward.

In few steps he is right behind you.

And he hears the scoundrel.

"You said you are trying to crack the civil services exam right? I bought this reference book. It has more than thousand questions."

Poor guy.

He doesn't know anything.

It's time for a flashback.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

It was the first date he took you on.

A nice café.

He was asking about your goals.

"Well I'm studying for civil service exam soo haha."

"Is that what you want to do?"

"Well, not really... I just want to do it so no one can say anything bad to me. All I want is to chill at home, go on a vacation sometimes."

He too wants to chill at home.

"What about you?"

He was a bit startled. But nothing he can't handle.

"I want to save someone."

"Ohh...what would you do if you are unable to do...so?"

"I would rather die."

Ok— maybe he shouldn't have said that.

Too long. The flashback went too long. Back to present.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey Darling! Why do you even need this book — " He swifly takes it from your hands and throws it back at the boy. " — when you don't even want it?"

The look on the boy's face is priceless.

"What the fuck are you doing? Jake?"

Even the look on your face is priceless.

"Oh come on? Why don't you say the truth? Or you changed your mind?" He motions his left eyebrow to the boy behind you now.

"I haven't..."

"There we go! You want to chill at home, and I want my beloved partner to chill at home too y'know."

Jake - 1, the boy - 0 (forever)

---------------------------------------------------------------------

"Is this how you were going to propose to me?"

Honestly, he was not. It happened.

"Well I prepared a small speech..."

"Oh! Well I would like to hear it..."

He smiles.

"Alright, I will do it in the way I planned, I just don't have a ring."

"It's fine, don't worry about it."

It was the night of a new moon when Jake first met you.

It was the night of a full moon today.

The stars are like garland for the moon.

He is on his knees. For a deity who is not worshiped, not yet.

"You are Shirin and I'm Farhad, You are Juliet and I'm Romeo. Let me be your Majnun to your Laila, let me be possessed by your love."

"All...of them got a tragic end, Jake...." You laugh, they may be 'true love' but they never got a happy end.

"So? No matter, it's you and me instead, let the poets in this era write about us. They will never be able to end our story in a tragedy."

"Oh that's, that sounds pretty...."

"I'm not done yet, I'll carry all of you, I swear that I will hang the moon in your window. And the stars to be your jewelry. Just say those two words. I may not have a ring now, but I will get one. I promise."

"Ok then, I will."

[iwyzz]

My eyes are not full of our future anymore

♡pairing: neteyam × f!omaticaya!reader

♡warnings: crying,

♡: angst, no comfort

♡notes: english is not my first language, so I'm sorry for any mistakes.

♡translation: yawne - beloved

Enjoy! ♡

It has been a several months since you and the Sully's arrived at the Matkeyina clan. At first it was amazing and you loved it here. But then you started to notice how your boyfriend Neteyam started to get close to one of the metkeyina girls Awun.

She was so beautiful to you. Her long black hair falling down her back and her big blue eyes sparkling on the sun. She had the most beautiful smile that could lit the whole clan.

You weren't surprised when Neteyam walked to you asking you to talk. "Hey, Y/n can we talk?" He asked. You were making a bracelet for Tuk that moment. You looked up at him and nodded your head "Yeah, yeah. What's wrong?" He sat in front of you and took a deep breath "So uhm. You know Awun right?" You nodded your head again and smiled "Well she is really good friend of mine" you furrowed your eyebrows at his words. "What are you trying to say?" He looked at his hands for a second before looking in your eyes "She is maybe more than a friend of mine"

Your heart skipped a beat. "What?" You laughed hurtly "It is some joke Lo'ak told you to do?" Your eyes were starting to well with tears. "Y/n..I'm so sorry. I just..I can't stop my feelings, I can't change them" Were you dreaming? "So i guess its not a joke" you said looking away from him "Y/n you mean a lot to me okay? That's why I dont want to lie to you" you nodded your head. "You wanted to mate with me like five months ago." You looked at him remembering the last night in the forest.

You were sitting in a cave you and Neteyam found when you were kids. Your head was on his shoulder while his hand was caressing your palm. "Nothing will change yawne. Everything will be the same except the place." He confronted you "But what if there will be some other girl you will find more pretty and interesting" the tears in your eyes didnt go unnoticed by him. "Hey, hey" he placed his hand on your cheek and made you look at him "You are the most perfect girl on this planet and noone can replace you I promise you.." You smiled "I see you Y/n." And before you could say anything he continued "and i want you to be my mate. I want you to be mine forever. Because I see our future in your eyes."

You saw in his eyes that he was thinking about the memory. You wiped your cheeks. He wasn't saying anything just looking at your crying figure. "I'm glad you told me." You stood up "I hope she will treat you right" And then you walked away from him. After 5 minutes of walking around the beach you sat down and started crying even more. Why would he do that? Wasn't you enough?

You were asking these two questions even now, six months after you and Neteyam broke up. You were looking into the mirror. When Neytiri walked in "Are you ready?" You nodded "yeah i will be there in 5 minutes" she smiled sadly and walked away. You turned to the exit looking at the ocean remembering another memory.

You were standing in the same spot looking at yourself in the mirror. "You ready?" You heard familiar voice. You turned around faicing them. Neteyam "You look beautiful, yawne" you smiled. "Thank you. You don't look bad yourself." He chuckled "thanks. So are you ready?" He asked again. "Yeah. I am. Lets go".

It was memory from the night everything changet. It was memory from the night where Neteyam met Awun. It was memory from the night you and Neteyam started drifting apart. You were crying on the spot. You were realizing what was about to happen. Neteyam and Awun becoming mates. It's okay. You walked out of the hut being welcomed with Kiri. "Hi Y/n" you smiled at her "Hi Kiri" Then you heard Jake say "We need to go"

It..It hurted. Your heart was being teared apart in the spot when you realized they are mated for life now. But now it was even worse. Seeing him that happy with her was making you question yourself Was he even that happy with me? Maybe not. Maybe yes. But you didn't know. And you maybe even didn't want to know. You were looking at him seeing him laughing at hers joke. Did he ever laugh that much with me? That was when he looked at you. It was more that 5 seconds that you were looking at each other, neither of you being able to look away. Your eyes started watering when it hit you. Your eyes weren't full of yours future anymore.

________________________

Hii!!!

Thank you for reading!♡

I hope you like it!♡♡

[jujywrites]

Unheavy

oh my GOSH this WIP has been in my folders for so long............. I had a lot of fun finally finishing it. brandy-new fresh fic starring my most beloved trio~

AO3 (with art!!! By others I commissioned not me ahaha)

FF.net

or keep reading

~~~

Tohru felt unnerved when she couldn't read Kyo's eyes, even after the years she'd spent with him. It had taken him so long to let his emotions fully out so they were visible in sideways glances and half-lidded stares, visible in the myriad ways his irises changed shade. When he'd felt safe enough to do that it had been such a fragile gift, one she had to treat gently lest it disappear.

She had other things to read now. His body language, his touch, his voice. She had that intangible trusting bond with him. Faith in all of that had to be enough now.

Wasn't it?

"You're worrying again," he said next to her in bed that evening, voice sleepy-slow. "I can hear you."

She turned on her side to face him, curling her hand around his. "I'm thinking about what you said today. That I should go talk to him. You said you were ready, that you want me to, but I…"

"You still aren't sure I meant it?"

She had gotten better at reflex apologizing, but she offered a small one with her smile. "Your eyes didn't seem to match your words."

"Oh… I see." He kissed her forehead, inhaled against her skin. "Maybe some part of me isn't ready. But if that's true, I can't feel it." When he pulled back into her field of vision, he had a sunset smile. "I'm as eager to see what happens next as you are. Please, please go ahead."

A weight dissolved from her chest. With an answering smile, she shut her eyes and cuddled into his chest. "Kyo-kun."

"Tohru."

"Tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you. Sleep well."

###

Yuki was too old for this kind of thing. What full-grown adult turned into a high-schooler whenever his old crush came around? When they were quite firmly and comfortably friends, at that? And when his best friend was her fiancé?

Him. Unfortunately. Every time he saw Tohru, another piece fell from the wall keeping certain words contained, and today the wall took another hit. A big one. Because here she was at his apartment, unannounced, with a basket of freshly-made mochi for no reason other than she wanted to bring him some. Well, the sweets weren't unusual, but the rest certainly was.

"Please come in," he said when his brain broke through the fog of pleasant spring smells from the breeze behind her.

"It's been a while!" Tohru smiled as she said it, removing her shoes and stepping inside.

He couldn't help a small laugh. "We had lunch last Thursday."

"Ah, well—" She laughed too, cheeks coloring. "Kyo and I have been so busy, it feels longer than that. Oh!" She reddened further. "I, I don't mean to keep you long..."

"Not at all. The bookstore closes early on Saturdays."

"It's Saturday! Of course. I knew that." More laughter, flailing hands (he took the basket gently from her arm).

"How's Kyo?" he asked as he set the basket on the table. A nudge toward familiar ground.

"He's wonderful! This week was much better. He had a breakthrough with Fudou-kun, you know, at the dojo? They really connected, and Fudou-kun's technique has improved so much…"

He listened intently, asking questions here and there, only briefly distracted by her eyes or how she seemed to have absorbed the perfume of the outdoors.

He could listen to her talk forever. (He could listen to her talk about Kyo forever.)

"Here." She pulled two mochi from the basket and handed him one. "I've been talking so much we haven't tried these yet!"

He bit into it to avoid thinking about the crinkle around her eyes as she took a bite.

And then he couldn't think about anything for a few seconds, a sweet strawberry filling lighting up his taste buds so strongly he barely held back a noise that would have been embarrassing. The surrounding mochi tasted like something complementary—basil, maybe—and was the perfect consistency. He finished it swiftly and reached for another while he tried to think of what to say.

"Delicious…!" Wiping her mouth delicately, Tohru smiled at him in a way that made his pulse speed up just a bit, then said, "Kyo made those."

Heat on his neck; he couldn't blush, he wouldn't. "Really?"

She nodded, taking another. "He was so nervous, but he really wanted to. He remembered how much you love strawberries, Yuki-kun."

Yuki paused, mochi halfway to his mouth. The air changed, pressing in on him. "They are delicious." He finished that mochi, then said, "I need to thank him when I see him again."

She made an assenting noise, hands clasped on the table. "He'll be very happy you like them!"

He could still smell flowers around her. The air was still heavy. He sat up on his knees and reached across the table, sweeping Tohru's hair back from one shoulder.

Her eyes widened, pink creeping into her face. "Yuki-kun, I—"

Her mouth, too, tasted like strawberries. Her lips moved against his after a moment, and he thought her hand was on his shoulder—then all of a sudden, the hand bracing him began shaking up through his arm, and he pulled back breathing shallowly.

He stared, she stared back, and his heart sank. "Tohru." His voice was reedy; he tried again. "I'm, I'm sorry, I don't know what—"

But she stood and moved to his side of the table, hands spread placatingly. "Yuki-kun, Y-Yuki, no, it's all right." She spoke quickly, kneeling beside him. She put a hand over his shaking one. "I need to tell—"

A sharp gasp cut her off; she bent double, forehead hitting Yuki's shoulder, a pained "oh" escaping her.

"Tohru?!" His hands flew to her shoulders, but he didn't know whether to hold her or prop her up. "What's wrong?"

With a groan, she straightened and met his eyes. She'd gone pale. "I think… O-Ow." She winced.

Blinking, he followed her gaze down to see her arms wrapped around her belly.

"I mean, I didn't think—" She hissed and leaned against him again. "Oh, Yuki, I'm sorry. I need to go back to mine, Kyo has— there's— it hurts, Yuki, please…" Her voice was steady despite the broken words and her trembling body.

"Of course." He stroked her hair, willing his heart rate to calm. "It's okay, sweetheart, everything will be fine."

(He realizes he said the endearment out loud far too late.)

###

Kyo didn't expect Tohru to come back being carried bridal-style by Yuki, but maybe things had gone well.

One look at her pale face told him they had not.

"She just collapsed," Yuki said, barely out of breath from the stairs, voice calm but eyes full of panic. "I didn't know what else to do."

Kyo's stomach clenched while he took Tohru gently from him; she felt overheated even though she was shivering. "Shit. Was something wrong with the mochi?"

"N-No." Tohru blinked up at him. "Kyo, I need the heating pad, a-a-and—" She moaned weakly, hiding her face against him.

Oh. "Oh, okay." Face flushing more from Yuki's possible secondhand embarrassment than anything else, he made a path to their bedroom, saying to Yuki, "You can come."

"Let me walk, please," Tohru said when they entered, and Kyo let her down despite his misgivings. She wobbled toward the bathroom. "I need to get a, um…"

He coughed and told Yuki, "Heating pad's in the hall closet." Then he detoured to her underthings drawer and followed Tohru, getting her aspirin and a glass of water while she equipped her armor (an offhand joke that had stuck).

Yuki had plugged the heating pad in by the bed when the two of them came back, and pulled back the bedcovers without being asked. His anxious fluttering nearby was oddly comforting, after Kyo settled her in.

"I'll set it for half an hour," he said, handing her the pad to adjust. "When was the last time you looked at the calendar?"

"It came early, I think." She gave a wan smile.

"Well, I figured that much."

She giggled and immediately winced, breathing raggedly.

"Okay, baby, just lie down." He stroked her forehead when she did, watching her carefully, laying his other hand feather-light over her abdomen. "Would more pressure help?"

She shook her head; he took his hand away.

"Temp's good?"

"Yes." She sighed, eyes closing.

"Good. You're home and comfy, you're gonna feel better really soon."

He felt Yuki close by him while he waited for her to fall asleep, and held back the urge to take his hand.

When her breathing deepened, when it had evened out for some time, he sighed softly and slowly got up from the bed. "Come on," he said to Yuki, taking a few steps to sit on the floor at the foot of the bed.

"Shouldn't we leave?" Yuki followed anyway, sitting beside him.

"Nah. She'll sleep through anything for a while now." He tilted his head back against the bed with a sigh, closing his eyes. Just a few moments.

"Your mochi's still at my place," Yuki said, quiet voice sounding loud in the silence.

"No problem." He grinned, feeling warm when Yuki smiled back. "They were for you, after all. How were they?"

"When are you going to make more?"

This guy. "Whenever you like." And he took Yuki's hand before he thought anymore. "I hoped you'd like 'em." Then, because he was internally panicking, he changed the subject. "So what did you do to her?" he said, in a lightly ribbing tone.

Whether Yuki's blush was from the hand-holding or the comment was (thankfully) impossible to tell. He looked down, maybe at their hands. "I… well, I…" Then he looked up, directly at him, and said so softly Kyo wanted to lean in, "I kissed her."

"You… kissed her." He kept his face neutral and his breathing even. There was a chance he'd misheard. Then again, if things were moving faster than he thought…

"I kissed her," Yuki said a bit louder, his hand clenching in Kyo's. "Kyo, I'm sorry, I said that to her too, but she'd been looking at me and I just felt— something and I really didn't mean to but she wasn't upset, at least I don't think so, she tried to say something before s-s-she…!"

"Hey." He clapped his other hand to Yuki's shoulder, squeezing. "Breathe easy, idiot. I'm not gonna kill you."

Yuki shook his head with a weak laugh. "Now I know why she was in pain. I seriously thought I'd caused her harm."

"You could never. Besides, sometimes her cycle gets thrown off by stress she's causing herself."

"If I made it worse, then—"

"Nope." He squeezed Yuki's shoulder again and lifted their joined hands, contemplating for a moment before gazing at Yuki again. "Stress can happen because of good things too."

He saw that blush returning and purposely waited. At least part of Tohru's instinct had turned out to be correct, so maybe he could… Well. He wasn't planning to bust the guy's ass too hard, but what was the harm in a little bit of fun?

"She did have something she wanted to tell you," he said more softly, leaning in just a bit. "And she was excited to tell you. She'd been wanting to for days, Yuki. The mochi was an excuse and a reason."

Yuki opened his mouth to speak (and Kyo wasn't going to, he was not, he'd wait for—).

"So you'll have to wait until she wakes up." He allowed a half grin. "I'm not taking it away from her just because her uterus decided to be a brat."

The grin grew full at Yuki's desperately stifled laughter. "Kyo—"

"I literally do not care, and you shouldn't either, especially since Tohru doesn't. I mean, it took me a while until I realized I felt weird about it just 'cause I figured she felt really weird about it, since ninety-nine percent of dudes are like, actually weird and really stupid about it. Not buying tampons or whatever, or flipping the hell out seeing or hearing about tampons, for fuck's sake. It's her period, it's normal, fucking grow up."

He blinked then, taking in Yuki's expression; it was the smile that showed everywhere but on his mouth. His own face felt warm suddenly. "Okay, so I didn't mean to rant at you, specifically? I just have… opinions on this shit."

"You're really good for her," was all he said, a few beats later than Kyo would've liked.

"I mean. It's basic human decency…" Oh my god, shut up. Idiot.

"Either way," Yuki said, and then he smiled with his mouth too, and Kyo saw for the millionth time why 99% of Kaibara High had been in love with him, and that hadn't even been the real Yuki. He almost smirked, realizing. This Yuki was all theirs. His and Tohru's.

"Do you think some tea would help her feel better?"

From the floor, Kyo blinked up at Yuki standing, at his held-out hand. The train of thought had disoriented him. "Uh, well, if you're offering…"

He'd swear Yuki sparkled at him. "Oh, tea is one of the few things I've learned how to make properly."

"My god, the prince figured out how to boil water," he intoned, taking Yuki's hand and rising to his feet. "Fuckin' miracle."

Yuki just grinned.

In the kitchen, he tugged Kyo around with him rather than dropping his hand. Damn it, waiting for Tohru was going to be tougher than he thought.

"Where do you keep your… oh, wait, I remember." Yuki needed both hands to retrieve the teabox (one of many) from its upper cabinet. "And then…"

Honestly, he moved around their kitchen like he lived there (had he really been over that often?). Kyo stood and watched, hands behind his back, fighting a hiccup-y feeling in his chest.

"Please, sit," Yuki said. "I promise I've got this."

So Kyo sat on the cushion at the living area table, just outside of the kitchen. It was a funny feeling that he could probably turn his back and Yuki would still be fine, but he faced the kitchen anyway, not wanting to look away from him.

Watching Yuki gave room for other thoughts to crowd Kyo's brain. For instance: no, he wasn't theirs, yet or ever; even if he wanted to be with him and Tohru, nobody belonged to anybody. And really, she hadn't even asked yet. Maybe this secrecy wasn't for the best in the first place… But no again. It was Tohru's idea, her plan, and he trusted her to know what she was doing.

When it came down to it, she knew both of them better than anyone.

Kyo knew him pretty well too, though, and he wouldn't even think about teasing him if not for the... vibes he'd been giving off, today and in the past. For all the clichés about animal instincts, it still held true for the two of them. And Kyo's instinct was giving him a kind of hope he'd be afraid of if it weren't for Tohru.

What he meant by theirs wasn't ownership, of course not. More like… all for each other, in a way that no one else knew or understood but them. Yep, he was a hopeless romantic. And he'd kill anyone who found out, besides Tohru.

And besides Yuki. He wouldn't mind Yuki knowing, eventually. Because— because Kyo really…

He sighed and laid his head on his arms.

###

Making tea was a form of meditation for Yuki. Teen Yuki, or even the Yuki of two years ago, wouldn't have thought such a thing was possible. But he always liked drinking it, and gardening, and one time he brought home a stack of library books devoted to cultivating, planting and brewing so-called tea plants. He'd become determined, all of a sudden, to be at least moderately less of a menace in the kitchen, and making tea seemed a good place to start. Every so often Kyo or Machi or Tohru would help (mostly by ensuring nothing caught on fire), but he had insisted on doing as much as he could on his own.

He had quite the repertoire now. Knowledge about brewing bagged tea and pre-made loose leaf mixes, yes, but he'd also gained the courage and ideas to create fresh mixes of his own (taste-tested first, of course). If he had planned this visit to Kyo and Tohru's apartment, he would've brought some mixes with him. They had only tea bags, though a nice variety. He selected the chamomile after brief consideration.

"Oh," he said under his breath, a verbal lightbulb. He'd bring some next time as thanks for Kyo's mochi. She might like that ginger-mint mix. Kyo… maybe blackberry? Or maybe…

The kettle whistled, shaking him out of reverie. He moved on autopilot; three cups, on to the tray, lift. "It's ready," he announced as he turned, "but maybe Tohru is still…"

He trailed off; Kyo had essentially face-planted on the table. Blinking, he traversed the distance, set the tray down, and was lifting a cup when Kyo lifted his head. "You look like you could use yours now." He held it out. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, no, it's—" was he blushing? "—just the adrenaline draining, I guess. Didn't know what happened to her at first and all." He took it, took a sip, mumbled, "Thanks. Thought you were just making it for her."

Yuki sat with his own cup, though he wanted to check on Tohru; he'd let Kyo lead on that. "I made a full pot, there's three of us, why not." After a brief drink, the warmth almost burning, he asked, "Do you like blackberries?"

A blank stare. "I guess so. Why?"

"My latest tea is blackberry. I could bring you the mix if you'd like." Feeling vaguely nervous, he jiggled one leg under the table.

Kyo brightened (Yuki stopped fidgeting). "Oh, nice. Sure. Tohru likes those fruit and flower teas, too." One long drink, a sigh, and then he continued, "I should probably make more mint tea for this part of her cycle. Help her stomach. Or, like, ginger or something."

Belatedly realizing he'd basically been staring at Kyo the entire time, Yuki said (with only a little stumble), "Ah, w-well, I'm actually working on a ginger and mint tea, I don't know if it'll combine well but I—"

"No kidding? We'll try some." With a flash of a smile, Kyo added, "Hey, maybe you can give us some tips on brewing our own stuff. But, I mean, not like we have much room for a garden here…"

Completely unprompted?! He tried to keep his rising happiness inside. "You don't need much room. Even just a windowsill is a fine starting place." Half of him dearly wanted to expand on plant types, the amount of sunlight, and everything else; the other half was deeply embarrassed and also aware of the third untouched cup of tea, so he stopped himself.

"Tohru's ahead of me, then," Kyo was saying, "with her window herb gardens and stuff—"

Does she grow rosemary? That's great with lemon. But lavender tea!!!

"—let's bring her tea before it cools too much."

"R-Right." He stood, reaching for the cup at the same time Kyo did, brushing fingers. He couldn't stop a nervous chuckle, cursing his again-warm cheeks when he said, "After you."

But Kyo was also, most definitely, blushing this time. "Sorry."

Yuki let him lead the way, hovering in the bedroom doorway while Kyo entered.

He had to hide a smile that would have been much too wide when Kyo told him to come in too.

###

Eyes closed, Tohru could feel herself rising out of sleep. Kyo and Yuki's voices were a distant, comforting noise; she lay still and let the sound roll over her while awareness seeped in.

The bed was warm and soft. Her cramps were gone. Her head… felt a little… too big? Bruised? Not a headache, yet, but something to move carefully with. She was thirsty. She wondered what the boys were talking about. An unstoppable yawn welled up and with it, she opened her eyes.

She felt her smile moments before actually recognizing what she saw: Kyo at the foot of the bed, trying to move quietly to her side. A steaming cup of tea in his hand. And behind him, in the doorway…

"You're up," Kyo said. "Unless I woke you." Then he looked over his shoulder, said, "Come on in," and Yuki entered.

Her body didn't mind sitting up despite the odd fizziness settling into her veins, but shaking her head still felt like a bad idea, so she just said, "You didn't." She took the cup he held out to her and inhaled deeply— chamomile— before taking a careful sip; almost instantly her general unwellness faded somewhat. "Thank you."

"Sure. I just brought it to you, though. This guy—" he jabbed his thumb at Yuki, now standing beside him, "made it."

Yuki nodded, cheeks slightly pink.

"Thank you too, Yuki-kun."

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Oh, much better! Thank you for—" Memory flashed over her then, everything that had happened from when she stopped on Yuki's doorstep; she cut herself off with another sip. "...I'm so sorry I worried you."

"No, please," he said, stepping forward, "I'm sorry you were in such pain. And I'm glad you're feeling better."

He was close enough for her to reach for his hand. She didn't. "This will help," she said into the teacup. "It's been a while since I had chamomile."

"I forgot it was in there, to be honest." Kyo, laughing drily, scratched the back of his neck.

She smiled at him. "I bought too many boxes last week. I suppose that was some kind of premonition," she said to Yuki. Then she finished her tea and set it aside, stretching her arms above her head.

Kyo made a noise. "You sure you're ready to get out of bed?"

A giggle left her; her reaction to how did he know-of course he knows. "I think I'd like some air." She slid carefully out from the covers and straightened her dress, a brief blush passing over her as she did.

She walked past the boys in bare feet–that's right, Kyo had removed her shoes–and left the room, making her way to the small balcony off the living area. In her peripheral vision, Yuki went toward the kitchen with her teacup.

Outside, the sky was darker now, a light breeze scented with the promise of rain soothing her too-warm skin. It was easier to breathe out here, and the headache threatening at the back of her skull receded with each inhale. Had it been like this when she got back home? She could only remember Yuki picking her up when the pain made it impossible for her to stand, let alone walk. She had leaned into his chest and shut her eyes, listening to his heartbeat, part of her worried over his lungs with the spring pollen. But his breathing stayed strong the whole way back, and his grip on her had never wavered. His body heat had calmed her chills.

He had kissed her. She remembered that, too.

"Hey, you."

Kyo was so quiet. How long had he been out here? She half-turned, a smile getting halfway out. "Hi."

Eyes warm, he put his hands on her shoulders. He gazed out at the sky as he spoke. "You wanna talk to him alone? He told me what happened when you visited him. I… didn't tell him anything back."

"I thought he might." Looking up at him, she leaned back against him, laying her hands over his. "That's a good plan, I think. He might be very confused." And she laughed quietly, even though the situation wasn't (that) funny.

"Okay. You can come find me when you're done."

She nodded; he stepped away. "Wait, Kyo-kun."

At the threshold, he turned back to her, one eyebrow raised.

"Kiss," she said, reaching for him.

Smiling, Kyo caught her up and leaned to meet her lips.

She kissed him hard, delighting in the gently surprised noise he made, but pulled away regretfully when his tongue flickered along her lips. I love you. "I love you so much."

"Love you too, baby."

In the few minutes she was alone again on the balcony, Tohru thought about what to say and how to say it. She hadn't planned every word but she'd had a plan, and the cramps and everything else had disrupted it.

She was still thinking when Yuki walked onto the balcony next to her and said, "Kyo told me you want to speak with me."

She glanced at him, her hands coming to rest on the balcony railing. "Yes."

Time to do, not just think. Was he nervous? Anticipatory? Hopeful? She was. All three and more.

"Earlier today," she began, "I meant it when I said it was fine, when you kissed me. It was fine because of what I came by to talk to you about before… I got my period." This last part was mumbled; she didn't know yet Yuki's comfort level with talking out in the open about menstruation, and for all her (hard-won) ease with the topic, it still felt strange to say aloud to someone who wasn't Kyo, or Machi, or Saki or Arisa.

She kept going. "There isn't an easy way to say this, so… So I'll just say it. Yuki." A lump rose in her throat, a sharp ache, just from saying his name. Crying wouldn't do. She got hold of her emotions and tried again. "I care for you so, so very much. Kyo does too. We have for a long time now, and I know you care for us." The weight of what she'd waited to say for so long settled over her, a tingle at the base of her spine; she breathed in and out, wet her dry lips, tried to make herself look at Yuki and found she couldn't move. "And so, for the past couple of weeks we've been talking about… us. About you, and me, and him, a-a-and— Well, at first I felt guilty, and greedy, and I didn't know what to do so I hid it." She smiled briefly. "Kyo knows me well enough that I can't hide how I'm feeling from him for long, though. I thought he might be upset. But he'd been going through the same confusion I had, and then we talked, and talking made us realize that both of us had… we have… feelings for you."

Her hand had moved closer to Yuki's on the railing, she noticed suddenly; they were pressed close now, her pinky grazing his thumb. She wondered if he felt hers shaking. "Oh, Yuki, we love you." The words propelled her; she took a breath, turning her gaze from their hands to his face, warmth high in her chest. "I love you, Yuki. I want to be with both of you, I want you to be with both of us, because in every future I can imagine all three of us are there, always. No matter the feelings among us."

He blinked a few times, mouth parted. His hand didn't move from hers.

"S-So." She moved first. She had to look away, gripping the railing more tightly; her knees felt weak all of a sudden. "Th-That's what I wanted to tell you when I– when I came to s-see you today."

In the silence, she tried and failed to count her heartbeats. She'd done it, she'd done it, she'd done it, felt stripped raw and unbearably alive but what if she was wrong—

"Well. It sounded easy enough from here."

How she felt about Yuki's eyes was the opposite of how Kyo's eyes made her feel. Sometimes it was unnerving how much she could read in them. He had been closed off to her for so long, able to hide his true feelings far behind his irises, in princely smiles. It was better that he no longer did it, of course it was, she was proud that he'd found the courage; there were times, though, that the depth of feeling in them could overwhelm her.

Maybe after this moment, she wouldn't be overwhelmed anymore.

His steady voice, so ambiguous, made her look into his eyes, and he didn't look away. Happiness, relief, love; Yuki's eyes reflected all she felt for him and about him. And they were like magnets: she stumble-stepped toward him, hands coming to rest against his chest, even though he hadn't said anything, even though she should wait—

"I really… I never imagined I would hear something like that. Is this a dream?"

She couldn't help herself; her hands rose to touch his face, thumbs swiping gently at his tears. "I hope not," she said, her own eyes stinging, "because if you're dreaming then so am I."

He smiled like a summer sunrise, then leaned down until his forehead touched hers. "I love you," he whispered. "And I love Kyo. More than I ever thought I could. I want to be with you both."

"Oh…!" Tears slipped from her closed eyelids. "Oh, good. I'm— I'm so—" She was laughing and crying, and she put her hands behind his neck, and she pulled his mouth down to hers.

From somewhere very far away, she heard rainfall begin. She felt a light spray, carried by a gust of wind. All of it was eclipsed by Yuki's lips moving against hers, by his hair between her fingers, by his hands at her back pulling her into him.

Then she was laughing again, the kiss broken as he swung her into his arms, into a princess carry, just like before. "It's a thunderstorm," he said, laughing too, thunder rumbling above them just then. "Let's go in."

With the overhang keeping them dry— no, even in the pouring rain— Tohru could have kissed him forever. But she wanted to see Kyo equally badly. And so she looped her arms around his neck, and he carried her back inside, right to Kyo sitting on the couch, where he sat down too.

Dizzy with feeling, she let herself fall back into Kyo's lap, her legs stretching across Yuki. "Kyo-kun, Kyo-kun," she sang, smiling so wide it almost hurt. "I told him."

An impossibly soft smile rested on his face. "You told him, huh?"

"I told him!"

"She did." Yuki was smiling too.

"And!" It was a squeak; her feet wiggled with giddiness. "And I kissed him, I hope you don't mind, and, and so…"

"Oh, I don't blame you." He ran a hand through her hair, smiling wider. "Would've done the same thing if I were you. Well." He turned, eyes meeting Yuki's. His hand left her hair to touch his cheek. "Guess it's my turn."

Yuki closed his eyes, leaning in.

She watched them. Watched Kyo take hold of Yuki's face with both hands, fingers pressing into his jawline, like he never wanted to let him go. Watched Yuki lean into Kyo, fitting so perfectly, one of his hands clutching Kyo's shirt; the other was slack and shaking over her ankles. So she took his hand with both of hers and held it on her belly, not because she was in pain (blissfully, she wasn't at all) but because she needed something to hold her down lest she float away from pure joy.

It wasn't long before they pulled back, their foreheads touching like hers and Yuki's had been minutes before. Kyo's hand covered hers holding Yuki's (and Yuki gripped hers so very tightly), and he said, "Sorry we kept you waiting."

Yuki laughed, or maybe it was a sob, and he put his arm around Kyo's shoulders, pulling in. "Please treat me kindly."

Tohru would have laughed if she weren't already stunningly full of emotion.

As it was, Kyo did for her, snickering and hugging him back. "I'll do my best," he said solemnly.

That broke her, had her laughing until her stomach hurt in a good way, until she needed a tissue to wipe away (more) happy tears. After that she returned to the couch and wedged between them, their hands finding hers as they'd done for years. Except…

Except now they were all walking together on a new path, with so much to see and with so much time to explore, even as her mind thrummed with impatience to start right that instant. She settled that impatience minutely by kissing Yuki's cheek and then Kyo's. And when they returned her kisses in perfect sync– why, she would have melted into the couch if they weren't all pressed together, unmoving.

She wondered if her eyes looked as bright to them as theirs did to her.

[ofpineapplesanddawns]

how about ❛ i never planned to have you on my mind this often. ❜ for lucian and alec?

Vardy au, my beloved! It's been days!

This is post Hardy getting shot with a silver bullet, and shortly after these two decided to get together (without actually saying they were getting together.

On with the fic!

--

"You seem to be feeling a lot better." Lucian noted.

Hardy looked up at him from where he was sitting in bed, paperwork in front of him. Things for work, he had practically begged Miller to bring him some paperwork to do, he was tired of being a useless lump on his bed, he needed something to work on. "A lot better, and I don't need the blood transfusions anymore."

Thank someone for that, he was so sick of it. It's nice to have live blood in his veins again, but it also made him jittery, and frankly, that's not great for his shitty heart. It's like a caffeine boost injected directly into his veins.

Lucian approached and sat down on the bed, holding out a mug of tea. There wasn't a trace of blood in it, not that Hardy needed any of that right now, he was good for a day or two. He liked that, he liked... feeling mildly normal, not feeling like a dying vampire 24/7.

He took a small drink before looking at the lycan, who was still sitting there, looking slightly uncomfortable. "What's wrong?"

"Alec," Lucian started, "I think... we should talk."

"About?"

"Us."

Ah. Yes, that seems like the proper thing to do. Hardy set the cup aside and had his full attention on... well... what was Lucian to him now? They haven't said anything these past few days about what had happened, but there was something there. He had kissed Lucian a few times now, and held his hand in private, Hardy wasn't openly affectionate, but he liked what he had done with Lucian so far.

So, he decided to just start talking. "I never planned to have you on my mind this often." He said honestly. "Originally, I found you suspicious, but I've come to notice things about you, things I like. And I never said much, but I've come to like you, trust you, which you must know is very rare for me. I don't trust easily."

"Neither do I. And yet, I found I could trust you quickly. You're good a man, Alec."

"I try."

Lucian smiled at that. "I like you, Alec. A lot. And that's not easy to say, it's hard for me to... grow attached to people like this, ever since..."

Hardy knew who he was thinking of, and he understood. He had tried moving on from Tess, but it wasn't easy. And yet, here he was, willing to give himself a second chance at something, with a guy like Lucian. "I like you too, and I want to see where this will go."

"I'd like that too."

The detective nodded, then frowned. "Are we boyfriends now?"

"I thought we already were." Lucian smiled more, and Hardy gave him a light kick from under the blanket.

"You know what I mean. I just meant... is this official?"

"I think so."

"Good." Hardy nodded. "Very good to know." He picked up his mug, taking a long drink, not sure of what else to say.

Luckily, Lucian decided to speak instead. "So, anything interesting with the paperwork, or no?"

"Well..." Hardy started and was happy for the change in topic, though he knew he was smiling, he was happy, but he didn't want to address it or have it pointed out.

[themerriweathermage]

Wrath and Ruin: Chapter Four

Chapter Four: Silvanus

Morning came too early, and Lydia was up before I ever stirred. “I thought it best to let you sleep.” I shook out the kinks from sleeping on the ground. As much as I hated to say it, sleeping in the dragon form was almost preferable to sleeping in this wolf form, phasing up to stretch out protesting muscles. “Breakfast?” I shook my head. At this point, with what loomed in front of me, I wasn’t particularly hungry. I would need to eat again before I took my dragon form, but that could wait a little bit longer. My path to what I was looking for would have to be made on foot.

“I’m going to head out.” I murmured. “No sense in waiting any longer.” She didn’t press me not eating, even though for a moment I could sense the concern. Instead she followed me out. This unfortunately wasn’t the time for small talk. I needed to concentrate and we needed to make fast tracks across unknown terrain. The countryside was overgrown. The highway that had once been here was still visible in splotches here and there beneath moss and dirt. Even the solar farm across the road had been swallowed by nature, although that was something to consider. I might see if anything could be harvested and taken back to the Badlands.

Another brick walled church marked the path I turned down. From here it was just a matter of time. I couldn’t say that I was really prepared for what awaited me, if there was anything left. And if I had to look, look and see what had happened, I wasn’t sure that I could take it. My pace slowed the more we came into view of the graveyard. I remembered the last time I was here. It wasn’t a good memory or a bad memory; it was just a memory. I had gone to say goodbye.

I don’t know if Lydia sensed it, but something told my senses that the air here was off. As if to prove our conversation last night about other magic users existing in this world right, I realized that the graveyard was warded. The magic was... stale, as if someone had set it a long time ago and it had simply never been pressed against. I wondered... who would have cared so deeply enough to respect this final resting place? Was it someone’s act of compassion or did they have loved ones who were buried here?

“It’s untouched.” Lydia murmured quietly, walking the rows of gravestones. Time stood still here, unaware of the world that had continued to spin on without it.

“It’s magic.” I replied. “A ward.”

“Yours?”

“No.” She glanced at me sharply. “But it is old.”

“I thought you said wards would unmake themselves on the death of the person who made it.”

“My wards will.” I murmured. “But this isn’t my vein of magic. This is not druidcraft.” I searched the names, pausing down a row. Pausing because my family name was written on the headstone. No one in the Badlands knew me by that name; few people even knew or called me by my full first name either. I let my eyes wander down one, down two, and in the third spot was my dad. I studied the marker. The year of death wouldn’t have been terribly long after I had disappeared. And it came as no surprise that my mother’s grave was beside his. Even in sickness, she never wanted to leave his side. Truly a ‘til death do us part’ couple.

And then my eyes fell down to the plaque between the two gravestones, a memorial marker no less. The one thing that I’d been hoping wouldn’t be there was there, with a name that no longer reflected who I was carved into the ornate stone. I knelt, my fingers tracing over the letters.

Here lies the memory of a beloved daughter and sister, who disappeared without trace. May the angels guide her path back home.

I scoffed then. My touch against the stone had revealed all. The arguments that followed their choice to put this here. The words that had been said and the way they had hurt the one person who loved me most. They knew. They had known, and yet they buried the memory of me in a religious rite. 

In a split second, I saw red, letting the rage take over, lifting the stone from the ground without effort and hurling it against a tree. “I wasn’t your daughter!” Lydia started out of the corner of my eye. “You buried a false memory of me! You had a son! A son to carry on your family name! But you buried a daughter; well, let me tell you that that person died a long time ago!” I seethed, feeling the change come over me, taking the stone and breaking it in half with my bare hands, not that they were particularly hands anymore. “He told you the truth! And you spat in his face. You couldn’t accept me for who I was.” My shoulders slumped, tears brimming in my eyes.

“You were my mother. My mother! How could you not?!” The tears came then. “How could you not love me for who I was?!” I folded myself in, sinking to my knees. “How could you hurt the one person who loved me most?” I whispered. I didn’t even want to think about how much he had been hurt by their words, or how much anguish it must have been to see my memory so willingly be tarnished.

“I didn’t mean to go.” I started. “I didn’t have a choice. I did not leave; I was taken.” I didn’t know if they could hear me. Some part of me hoped they could. Some part of me hoped that they could see me broken, to see what their words had done. “If only you could see the man I turned out to be, but even if you could, would you call me your son? Would you call me who I am? Would you call me by the name that fits me most? Would you call me Brenior, the enduring one?” I asked, wanting to fight and run and just... My chest heaved and my stomach was turning and I couldn’t bear the anguish that felt like it was tearing me apart inside.

Everything that had happened since we’d been thrown here all came pouring out in one agonized yell, like a bottle with too much pressure that had finally exploded, and I couldn’t even begin to describe the feeling. It was almost as if there was a power within me, bursting at the seams to be let out. A power begging to be released that wasn’t my Wrath, that didn’t belong to my anger or my temper, and I couldn’t carry it anymore.

Within the span of a minute, it felt-- and looked-- like a hurricane had ravaged the area, as power exploded out of me. I didn’t even know that I had that kind of power inside of me, but it had taken with it some of the aches and pains. Breathing came a little easier as I laid back in the wet grass, sapped of my strength. The only consolation I had was that Lydia had been protected during the affair. Even in the midst of everything, she remained shielded, protected by a thin ward that was quickly fading in the aftermath.

“Well.” A new voice sounded and my head immediately snapped up, eyes on alert. “That was quite the show.” The man stepped out from beneath the branches of the oak tree that had sprawled across the yard, undisturbed in these last years, and my mind immediately recognized that there was a part to him that wasn’t entirely human. My first instinct was to tuck Lydia behind me, and this action didn’t go unnoticed. “Is she your mother?” He asked. It took everything I had not to bare my teeth and raise my hackles at this intruder, the animal instinct in me ready to fight. “Your bonds burn so brightly.” I narrowed my eyes. There was something familiar about that statement and only I would know why. So who was this stranger who would recite my own words back to me? “You would die for her. You would kill for her.”

“Who are you?” I asked. He tilted his head to the side slightly. “Who are you to recite my own words back to me?” 

“I wondered if you would notice.” He stepped more into the light, taking the form, almost as if he were shapeshifting, of a man but a man adorned in twisting vines and stag antlers, life seeming to swarm around him in an aura. “But seeing how you two are like, I don’t find it surprising. Kin calls to kin.” When he took a step forward, life sprang forward to meet him, flowers and clover sprouting underfoot. It probably would have been in my best interest to step back at his approach but I held my ground regardless. “Tenacity. Most wouldn’t stand to greet me.”

“Who. Are. You?” I asked again. 

“In the common tongue, I am known as Silvanus.”

“The Oak Father. The god of druids.” I realized. That would certainly explain the phenomenon happening around him.

“Yes.” He replied. 

“Did you ward this place?” 

“Perhaps.”

“Why?”

“You were called to it, were you not?” Silvanus asked. “Not a place warded with a different magic than your own, but a place warded with a much more powerful magic, strong enough that not even you would recognize it on first glance.”

“You... wanted me to come here.”

“I wanted you to come to me a long time ago.” Silvanus started. “But it seems your duty as baron has outweighed that call.” He didn’t come any closer and yet I could feel as if he was right next to me. “And you’ve paid a high price for it.” I knew he was watching me, trying to gauge me, trying to gauge my reactions. My eyes flicked to the side, because I knew he had to be talking about the bruises, but I hadn’t entirely told Lydia the truth about why we had been leaving the Badlands.

“I think I’ve spent enough time chasing after things that aren’t important to my barony.” Silvanus offered me a wry smile, and I wondered if he knew, but he seemed to know things about me that only I would ever know, so my questions were probably answered already.

“But this is, is it not?” Silvanus asked. “As important if not more.” His eyes flicked over my shoulder to Lydia behind me and then back down. “I assume you feel a little bit better after your outburst, now that the power inside of you isn’t trying to eat its way out of you?” He asked.

“A fluke.” I replied. “A gift that’s cost me double its worth.” Silvanus let out an incredulous laugh, shaking his head at me.

“This isn’t the magic of the mountains that brought you and your sister those gifts. This is the magic of nature and all her glory, of Gaia and the nymphs, of thicketed forests and those who would wander in them, of rushing rivers and rhythmic tides. You kept it in, when it was begging to be let out. And it damn near killed you.” I blinked. Sure, Nix had reminded me that often magic came at a price, that overusing my gift could be causing my own pain, that it didn’t come without sacrifice. But what Silvanus was telling me... was the complete opposite.

“You weave it in ways only you know how, but even experienced druids would have a hard time containing the magic you have. You warded a man’s entire crop, did you not?”

“And it cost me.”

“Not in the manner you think it did.” Silvanus replied. “You were betrayed. Your magic knows you were betrayed. Your ward was built from hope. It’s hard to protect something when you’re being pulled in two opposite directions.”

“But...”

“You have a gift, Brenior Ithilion. Don’t you think it’s about time you started using it?” Silvanus steamrolled my protests.

“A gift. A directionless gift. That comes with no instructions.” He chuckled.

“Get lost in the wilds of your barony. A place will find you where you can learn more.”

“A grove.” I realized. He was telling me to find a grove. For us to meet? I had so many questions.

“If that is what you wish to call it.” And just as he seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, he disappeared into the mists that still remained after my outburst. I let out a soft sigh, sinking back into the grass with a million thoughts running through my head.

“Bren.” Lydia’s voice sounded so far away to me. “Brenior.” I glanced to the side to see her standing there, her hand reached for my shoulder but not touching, uncertain. The look in her eyes read what she wasn’t saying. She coaxed me to the tree, offering herself for a hug and it took everything I had not to launch myself at her. I didn’t want to hurt her, not like this especially, but the need for comfort overpowered that. I all but threw myself to her lap, burying my face against her and just crying until there was nothing left but dry sobs and shuddering hiccups.

Her touch seemed hesitant but considering the form I was in, I didn’t blame her. Careful fingers traced across the matte metallic scales, across my head and down my back in soothing motions. I knew the half shift was tied to strong emotions, anger, fear, sadness, pain. She didn’t say anything; she didn’t need to. The fact that she was there was enough. The fact that she had stayed was enough. Long after the tears had stopped, she stayed, she kept her hands on me, as if to make sure that I was okay.

“Are you alright?” She finally asked, her voice low and measured. I had turned into hellfire and wrath personified and destroyed what had been left of a life I no longer had. Now the only memories were the memories that rested with the dead. I leaned back against her, staring off into the distance, eyes unseeing.

“I... I want to hurt myself.” I admitted lowly. Her sharp intake of breath told me she was concerned. “I don’t want to kill myself; I just want to hurt myself. I want to make the pain I feel on the inside show on the outside. Not for sympathy or for pity, but to know that it’s real, to see it be real, to see the blood as if someone’s twisted a knife in my heart because it certainly feels that way.” I replied.

“Is... that why you’ve stayed like...” Like this? With an armor that’s impenetrable by normal human standards? 

“It’s tied to strong emotion. Most shifts I can do without thinking; they come almost second nature. But this one? But wrath? Wrath has a short fuse and a long cool down.” I admitted. “I’ll come out of it eventually, when the feeling passes.” When I don’t have the urge to destroy everything I’ve worked so hard to keep. Even in a half dragon form, I could still see the scars. And I knew it was the subconscious reason that I kept myself so mostly modest to my barony, even though I didn’t have to be anymore.

I couldn’t put the hurt into words. It was strangely reminiscent of loving someone so much it hurts only to have that love be dashed against the rocks, which was also strangely reminiscent of what had happened with Quinn, but worse. Worse because they had been my family and because they hadn’t seen me for who I was or wouldn’t see me for who I was, even after I had been lost. Worse because I would have brought down the moon and stars for my mother and yet still I’d been laid to rest with rites I didn’t believe in, blessed even, in rites I didn’t believe in.

“When I realized that it probably wasn’t safe to come out to my folks, I... tested out a last name. Something that didn’t tie me to anyone in this world. Ithilion, I called myself, in the same language that Brenior comes from.”

“What does it mean?”

“Son of the moon.” I sighed softly. “I was born in the morning hours. Too small and too weak for this world.”

“And yet you endured.” A small smile edged to my lips, the shift beginning to fade. And yet, I endured. She got it.

“Through hell and high water.” I murmured. Silence fell over the area, even more than normal it felt like.

“Bren?” I made a low sound. “I know it’s not my place, but... if you want me to call you my son...”

“I couldn’t impede.” I murmured. “I... Ryder...”

“Was an adult who made his own decisions. I do not hold you responsible for his death. Nor would you be replacing him. But if you want me to call you my son...”

“I’d like that.” I whispered. “Mom.”

[ylincorporations2]

essex vol 2

This time around we only had to wait 2 weeks for our next encounter - the SECOND, yes you heard me right, second trip to Essex in one summer. What a time to be alive, huh. In those two weeks between camping and you coming to mine, nothing even remotely interesting happened besides some Pippa growth and your work stories. So lets get into the juicy stuff.

After getting the train all the way to Braintree, I greeted you at the station and we headed back to mine in our pre-booked taxi. As I've explained earlier in this blog, the first day at mine follows a ritualistic programme which was unsurprisingly abided by this time around. My mum was at work which meant that only my dad and Fern joined us for Posh Mac N Cheese outside. At the time of writing this, I genuinely couldn't imagine anything better than having some dinner outside in such wondeful company.

After a long lay in, we got ourselves up and ready for breakfast lunch at the strawberry farm. Although we missed out on fruit picking, we still got to have a nice walk over and a lovely (but expensive) lunch. I am going to take a stab in the dark here that this day may have been the one when we started a Handmaid's Tale. As I have not much left to say about these first two days due to their chilled nature, I wanted to give spotlight to some of the shows we've enjoyed this year.

Pretty Little Liars

Bridgerton

Breaking bad

The Crown

The Watcher

Handmaid's Tale

On the Friday, we made the first of 2 very important return trips. In contrast to the windy March day we experienced on our first visit, the weather at Frinton was much improved. Some mild traffic on our way there did not take away from the experience in the slightest. It was so much fun! After out picnic, we played on the beach and had a quick dip, before taking a walk up the coast to Walton. Here, we would spend our hard earned summer funds on amusements and a whirl around the Waltzer. Once we'd had our fill, it was onto the Fish and Chip shops to get the final treat of the day. With another small inconvenience on the way home (flat tire), this rounded off a brilliant day at the sea side.

I would be lying if I said that Saturday was not my favourite day. After an early start we headed out to the surprise water-based activity - Paddle Boarding! Although the surprise was ruined, its safe to say that the activity itself was a hit. I can't believe how much fun it was and how good we were at it. You're such a little superstar, so talented! I would love to get our own boards one day so that we could do it regularly. We could even bring our little doggy on board with us, but unfortunately our cat would have to stay at home :(

Once we got home, we cleaned up and had some lunch. In the evening, master chefs Luke and Yas made our famous pizza dough. Little Miss Rose then took over once it was time to design and cook our pizzas, with which we enjoyed a rather substandard horror film. But oh well, it was a really nice time and such a great day.

Now on the next day there were some very important events. First on the agenda was a visit to my beloved Nanny Janet. You managed to get a couple of laughs out of her which is quite the accomplishment. After our little call in, we headed home for some lunch to recharge. From there, we made our fated return to your favourite place in Suffolk - the small town of Clare. Here, we finally completed the traintrack walk we had originally attempted to do over a year prior. Its crazy how long I've been seeing you for Yasmine, like I can't even imagine my life without you. I'd hate it. We then sat back on OUR bench; whoevers name its in should be changed. After an unnecessary snack refill at the co-op for the second year running, we returned home (yes home, as thats wherever you are) for a big nights sleep.

Such a pretty girl doing a lovely pose (pointing to dino socks!)

On the penultimate day of your stay was the biggest family event you had ever been exposed to. Not only did you meet the full Reynolds tribe (Elsie included), you had the privelidge of exchanging pleasantries with great auntia Val and great uncle Rob. Now, I can't imagine how stressful this day might have been for you but you absolutely smashed it. From start to finish, you were on your A game and you left such a brilliant impression. As the first partner ever invited to a family event, you set the mark pretty damn high. I'm so proud of you Yas, and I love showing you off to my family because I have the prettiest, most amazing girlfriend going.

Our final night together is always filled with horrible stomach pains and regret of not having you stay longer. Luckily this time around there was such a small time until I would see you next for the highlight of the summer.

[rosieroseblossom]

Chapter Two It creeps back

At around about 5:00 pm and the sickle horned moon is directly overhead on Jared. He did not mean to stay overlay late after school, not realizing what times it was, how long where they going to bound him for? But as he burst through the large double door, heading him outside and the sky was black. When he finally was able to leave the school, Jared instantly started walking up to the path and came under some quince tress, the soft rustling leaves swooshes together in unison into the night air, as Jared, gazed up but, suddenly, a wave of worry wrapped around him. He pictured right at that moment what his mum would be thinking. Her trembling worry rection! would just be like at this split second and, even right now. Mrs. Donavan was a small, curvy woman, her fading jet-black hair rolls slowly to a shade of a silvery grey. He could see her now standing with fear and concern on the front porch, resting against the banister in a floral apricot apron, long velvet pants, and cosy suede mules’ slippers the ones she had since the day Jared was an adorable child. Then now, just anxiously wating for her beloved son to come home, but as he turned to the end of the street and detaching his faux leather backpack and settling it down on to the ground, meeting at the earth’s soil. Jared kneeled on the concrete and unfastened the zip and put his hand inside the bag, then withdrawing a clear plaster. He began peeling off the sheer stripes, with his fingers kept getting glued as if, on both sides of them but, as they slipped out his hands dispersing into the cold breeze of the vast night, ‘this has been the third one, that I had all week’ he thought grimly. Jared gawked unsteady at it, like as if two fulsome cruel eyes starting back at him, with a look of fear.

Then my legs went heavy like two large boulders being smashed together like a huge wave. Thrashing hit my heart in my chest, a cold sweat trickled down my forehead, then came unexpectedly a tear falling upon the side of his cheeks. Jared closed his eyes for a bit, as he was consumed into darkness and a brush of air blew against him. Quickly snapping them back open. Jared exhaled, in and slowly out calmy and after doing that once I felt all the late evening worries melting away all the thoughts of school had banished. Though, there is only one memory which that feels vivid, that one refuses to melt away at all, but suddenly I lifted my hand and stroked across the left side of my face and noticed on my cheek, a small crimson slash gash, but there is just a tiny leak of blood. How on earth could I have missed that, why did I not check when I was inside the men’s restroom, a thread of undetermined dreaded tangled up deep in his big brain. But once again, he feared the unknown. What could have happened on that cold dark and empty field tonight, he asked himself.

He felt all the hurt rise in his throat. Sometimes I wish I could, could, stay confident off it all, like as if a strong shield were protecting him. Clearing away the sadness and misery, but the flaring rage that had been punching inside myself for so many years I wanted to merely to release the bubbling anger, when I took a chance to stand up straight and say, leave me alone! Then, suddenly, I get shoved hard against the wall, as if a dagger stabbed through my chest but, if only I can close myself into perfect darkness. The types of blackness where its black, blacker than anything else, that would be a gloomy shelter to protect for myself. Though, how much I really want that to happen but, this is the normal world now. I exhaled, with the feeling all the night wind sweeps out through my nose, and then something else too, a sweet-tempered pumpkin spice aroma. Finally, breaking out of my dream trance and fell back to reality, and peeked cautiously around to a very dark corner in full blackness. A flash of a flickering milky blonde flare blazed, the sun kissing the dark cover, of the night and then shining all the way through those oval eyes, to a circle auburn pumpkin sat quietly still, being hold up against the white picket fence. Jared for a split second as he started firmly down to the jack o’ lantern, Halloween comes again, he whispered to himself.

Though, this hallows eve it is going to different, feeling gleeful with himself, he was obviously set out to have an amazing night tonight and that reason is his date with Eleanora Thornton. Just even thinking about it, beads of sweat cooled on both of hands. Wiping them off small drips over his black jeans, for the past few days Jared had been stressed and worried on what to do on the first date together. As if, having pill louds of school homework was not hand-pounding enough, but he is eagerly determined to make it perfect, and just yesterday right after school was over Jared sitting up in his room whilst texting Eleanora, she dropped the question, it was so very unexpected and, in that moment, he then immediately stops typing and gently pulls away. The white blurring screen of his phone beamed against his warm cheeks. Jared still had the phone in his both of his hands, staring worryingly at her message, I mean what could they do? He asked himself and then Jared dropped the phone on the bedcover and walked to his desk, switched on the lamp and beside it a big grey Dell computer, with a dark black skin. He stood there silently for a couple of seconds and then took the hold back of the chair, turned it right round, and seated, turning around again to face the computer still off. Jared pressed the lightly on the button and a beaming grey light came to life, after a few minutes for the lamp top to take get ready and when it did. Moving his mouse and clicking to Google Chrome double taping on the icon, appeared in front of him and types upon the black keys and enters, The Mariner, a classical seafood restaurant that he and his entire family have been going to for years now, and fell in love with the seafood, especially the roasted Oysters, so cooked to perfection, it could soften in his mouth that is how splendid the food is there. Jared pressed back against the chair, hearing a creak as he moved and crossing his arms, then burning them into his chest and thoughtfully stared at the screen with the restaurant name. Without any other thought, he scooted the chair over the bed, grabbed the phone, quickly returning Eleanora’s blazing question, she wanders what Jared’s intriguing idea he plans was for them.

‘Hey Eleanora, it’s me again, so sorry for answering, but how do you feel about seafood?’ He then finished typing and instantly sent the text back to her. Waiting anxiously and worriedly for her to reply, then to his surprise, ‘yeah, I love seafood too, so I guess seafood it is then.’ She replied, and then Jared smiled after months on thinking exhaustibly and tiredly about what they should do together, I mean this was their first ever date and he wanted it to be exciting, for both, but now a like a smooth blanket calm relaxation came over him. Jared stretched his full body across the bed and falling into the warmth of the soft crimson bedsheet, then he plumped his head on to the pillow, with the dark strands curling over it and soon fell fast asleep. His bed was so comfortable but soon, this will be the very last time, he will ever get the chance to sleep in that same bed, ever again.                                                                                        

Still, he could not genuinely believe he finally asked her out. At the age of just eleven years old, small with at the time and having noticeably short darkly curls, and when he first meets Eleanora, petite and having bright azure eyes and fiery golden flames, for her long hair. Although now, Jared is sixteen and a goth and always wearing black slim jeans, leather jackets he loved with his new style.

After all the years had only, he and Eleanora Thornton are about to trick or treat. Nonetheless though, Halloween is always a night for that, young kids wearing cute ghostly dresses like a masquerade ball court Dracula and Frankenstein monster have come and arrived in Mystic, all gathering up candy and chocolate bars, but the other slice themselves to hollows’ eve of warm pumpkin pie, watching horror movies, but, with the lights off, wrapped up in a blanket of darkness. Jared looked sharply at the lantern once more and turned then slowly starting to run. Sprinting fast back to get his bag. He slugs it over his shoulder, taking Jared the quarter of an hour to return home, he had lived on 48 Mariners Lane, Groton it was a very happy and quiet American household I’ve lived through these grey creamed wooden walls through my whole life, I could not remember just how many times I’d moved around bedroom it felt like a hundred times since I could remember so vividly, and I’m an only child. My dad is a local antique collector inside his little, dark emerald store, its heart was placed in the middle of Mystic downtown it was a sparkling gem of such beautiful history. However, he would leave down every once a week and he also loved to travel around the states, in the early active mornings when the sunlight glows through New London, Connecticut and later in the cool mid hours of the afternoon where the sky was the colour violet sweeping over Westerly but then twilight comes to Charlestown, my father always loved going to those parts of rich historic lands of Connecticut and as he always did, he’d discover like stumping on a treasure chest of something old and vintage no matter what the period it is! My father heart raced, and his eye would be glued to it, and the corners of his mouth would peek all the way up, unveiled his pearly white teeth they would always shimmer the way that they did when he discovered any type of antique, it was like a prize. Now, the only residence that occupy the house was me and my mother, I could not wait to get home, Jared thought miserably, he was not looking overly enthusiastic about coming home, late, the insides of my stomach gushing widely going crazy but as Jared halted abruptly at the end of the street. Jared then stared up and his whole tummy settled down. There was a beautiful lawn of lush green grass that looked recently trimmed, I think my dad had the grass cut before he left. Then a wind brushed and stroked my skin, the cool feeling was really refreshing but then, a cold ice chill breathed down my spine as if a ghostly hand touched my back. Jared shudder, he at once turned. For a few seconds Jared had gone left to right eyes moving uncontrollably over the dark corners of Jared’s Mystic Weigh neighbourhood! So, he could see if anything was behind him! However, it could have been the autumn wind, probably playing nasty tricks on Jared. Nevertheless, that strange breeze was like a frost bite, cold and cold, dead cold with that he stood still and walked along the path and walked right up to the door. He burst through the front door dropping his school bag down in the hallway and a swift sweeping inside his noise as he closed the door gently but the warm smell, felt welcoming and homely. I saw through the kitchen a white puff cloud floating in the hall and Jared instantly followed that rich fragrance and it was Mrs. Donavan, standing near the stove with a long wooden spoon inside her cupped hand, she must be preparing a late midnight snack probably, as the grey mist gushed from the long silver stock pot sweltering under a flickering blue flame.

“Hey mum, s-sorry, that I’m so, so late.” Entering the small light crimson red wallpapered kitchen and anxiously waited for an argument to explode.

Mrs. Donavan turned round the wisps of her long midnight black and moon grey curls fall past her right shoulder, the hot pot continue to shimmer, but as she faced him and expecting a frown but instead a…smile, that says thank goodness.  

“Jared, where in the world have you’ve been?” She asked with a long sigh. I had explained everything to her. I told her that I had stayed after school today, just only to do late homework and Mr. Dawn just given more and more homework to do, but it was a lie! How could I explain that! Even to her! Jared cannot believe that in myself that, I am lying to her, about where I have been the entire time, still I did tell a bit of the truth. Jared was inside the school but not alone, wanting to change the subject to his mum.

“I’ll probably be out late; I’d got a date” I finally said.

Then a sparkle of excitement glisten in her hazel eyes. She spurned round to face Jared and dropped her wooden spoon down beside on the grey countertop, the big sliver pot of beef stew steaming hotly around the room and a sweet tender meat cooking up, bubbling up. My stomach started to growl hungrily but, I had had to stop myself since I was going out tonight.

“So, who is the lucky girl then, she is…” she trailed off for a second.

“A goth too? Or an emo” smiling cheerfully and laughing.

“A goth, definitely not an emo, mum.” He confessed. Correcting her error since she does not know a lot about goths just yet, however though, has slowly accepted that I wear in a differently to everyone else around town. Which I am extremely glad about it to, but it taken at least Eleanora’s mum and dad five minutes adjusting to her wardrobe she must be so lucky but then again Mrs, Donavan was his mother who will love him and still accept him. After a few minutes, Jared sprinted fast upstairs to his room, quickly got out of his school clothes for today and got dressed in a brand-new soft vintage-wash denim ripped jeans and a black smooth cotton short sleeved oversized hoodie slipping his long arm into the soft, warm cotton top with silver accents hanging over the top, along Jared’s wrist revealed instantly a gorgeous black tattoo, it was of a cross bow. The lines where perfectly sharp with fine dry black ink edges. It’s always been tradition for centuries, that every male and female hunter or huntress to bare the mark. The mark symbols the strong strength and the warrior of a hunter, and it is a clever disguise for all immortal creatures. If they shall see this cross bow, they’re think it’s just a regular tattoo, but they were always wrong. If they shoulder ever set, they’re eyes on it, at that moment. it’s a death sentence! Jared closed the polished wooden wardrobe door and glanced at his narrow mirror and then slips into his white converse high-tops and put through his eyeholes two-sterling black cross stud earrings and clasped back both behind the ear lobes. He speedily brushed his hair flicking the side bangs over him and it curled, he dashed back downstairs. As Jared is about to exist the front door, but abruptly halted for a silent moment, standing at the polished mahogany door Jared put his hands inside the pockets at the back of the jeans and then after a second, releasing both hands he darted back into the kitchen and grabbed the car eyes on the table.

“Mum! I’ll be taking my car tonight, I’ll promise you I won’t be home late, I promise.” Jared said with a miserably sigh as he hates being a complete mummies boy at times, however, he did not want to overly fret about him again tonight.

“Jared, wait, wait hold up for a second.” Mrs. Donavan began and ran fast around the counter over across to Jared fully turning to him. She put her hands onto his strong arms.

“Just promise me this, that she isn’t going to be like the last one?” she let out a long exhale, Jared groaned a surge of dread pierced his heart. 

“What! No…of course not,” Jared replied, calming his mother’s spirits.

“Soo, she is not going to be a vampire?” She asked raising an eyebrow to him.

“MUM! I’d staked that last girl, I mean that was two years and keep in mind we had to bury her body in the woods, though, I did not know she was a “Jared paused for a calm moment like a flash back to a memory, and then instantly Jared snapped back to normal.

“Well! Let us not make that slip up again,” she glared at him and narrowing her dark eyes to look more serious, “remember the order,” Jared nodded, he has been told this what feels like over a hundred times. “Tells, us what to do with them, just as long she is not a wolf. I will not be okay with that too”, Mrs, Donavan’s face quickly changed. Jared still remembers that kill, like it was almost yesterday when he had caught his very first supernatural creature. “I could smell the dust even the oak leaves on her and the heavy scent of blood, too. “She then snorted angrily.

“MUM! I am obviously trying to tell you, Eleanora Thornton, is an ordinary human, HUMAN! not a vampire or a werewolf, even a fairy for that matter.” Jared stated. He knew certainly well to know that Eleanora, as he always imagined her to be, a large radiant phoenix bird of a dragon fire. Though she is nothing but just a regular girl. Jared moved across the table and grabbed for the keys again and Mrs Donavan then loosened her motherly hold, he finally said good-bye to her warmly. As soon as Jared closed the front door but then opened it just a crack and he started back for the last time at the corner of his round eye, Mrs. Donavan in a worrying state but she knew that Eleanora Thornton did not at all, that she is not a part of that, Eleanora did not truly belong to the world of the supernatural, though instead she lived in the land of daylight.

There is a sudden brisk change in the air. A crisp cold wind blew around the huge dark green elm trees, it was unusual especially around autumn where it is never this warm but with the soft twinkling rattle of jingling keys, hooked around his index finger. When summer break just started, he had been busy in the early active mornings Jared spent that entire break inside his parents’ old garage. Working on an important side project no English textbook or math book required. When he would enter back indoors after countless hours and days his hands are covered in ink oil stains and was caked in dust too, but, when it was finally completed. Jared is not a well experienced mechanic unlike the other guys down the Broadway auto but, learnt one or two things from his grandfather. Before he passed away last September and if he were alive today, right now, he would be extremely proud of Jared. I imagine seeing him now giving a hearted smile, the one he always gave him whenever we greeted. He stood outside the garage excitedly and started to grin gleefully. Jared then punched the code into his iPhone. Then at that very moment the massive and heavy garage door opens slow, automatic and stops up when it had reached the edged end.

Closing into a quiet howl of darkness, Jared ambled his way inside to the garage and flipped on over to click the light switch beside him, a big beam of golden yellow had glowed in the massive room. His eyes were looking straight forward at a large and wide object sitting still draped in darkness. It had an old dirty sheet over it, when Jared touched the sheet and pulling it all the way down. A white cloud of soot brushed off and sweeping in the calm air. Jared slowly glanced down, and as his dark hazel eyes broaden in happiness, but as his smile widens and the glistening pearly white teeth beamed joyfully, well old man. we worked hard on this gramps, you thought I would leave it here but not for this night’s special occasion, tonight I will be taking it for a ride. He simply thought, continue to gaze at Jared’s grandfather’s original 1969 jet black Dodge Charger car, a R T440. An American beauty and American muscle vehicle, too. Jared could not wait any longer anymore, like a chid waiting impatiently to get on the coolest theme park ride, finally Jared ran to the side driver door and opened it and claimed into the front seat then slamming it gently, he settled back and sunk onto the smooth black leather cover seat. Jared was instantly absorbed in the material of overwhelming comfort, they were extremely malleable, Jared certainly hoped Eleanora would be heading on over to the nearest haunted house in Mystic over his amazing vehicle. As the moon beams reflected against the sleek interior of the dark car. He put his strong hands around the steering wheel, putting the keys into the ignition and then revving sound pierced his ears slightly but, as the engine purred loudly. He gently pressed, with the ends of his toes, right on the clutch all the way down and moved quickly, with his left hand, to the gear stick that is beside him smoothly putting it straight to first. Steadily down slightly across on the accelerator and he hold his foot carefully. Finding that bite and lifting the clutch, until I had waited for the vibrations. Then squeezed down on the handbrake and lift off the clutch, I did not remove my foot off the grip too quickly or to apply too lightly either. Putting just a tiny bite on the gas and started to pull out the large door steered straight forward and onto the threshold and when he got the edge of his asphalt drive and slowly but gradually breaking. Reaching the end of my white picket fence, seeing if any fastmoving cars would come racing past but, I doubted that any oncoming automobiles would be out this late at night or they could be going trick or treating, but the students at Mystic school will be as expected on throwing a huge Halloween party which, me and Eleanora will definitely not be invited to, I mean why would they let us both cool awesome goths to their stupid party anyhow because, because we’re about to have an incredible hollows eve but sine it is Halloween after all, heading out trick or treating and while in Mystic are adorning in very wickedly spooky and outrages scary costumes going to parties that would be right outside of town.

With no sight of any other cars shooting out from the nocturnal darkness. Expect the dark dusk echoes of owl’s screech across the tress. Their call of tu-whit tu-whoo, tu-whit tu-whoo, tu-whit tu-whoo. I had merely forgotten that these furry small creatures were active only at night. Jared just shook his head, pushing back with both of his dark steaks of hair and focused back to the road and ready to go to leave and then began, turning, turning then quickly straight the wheel, Jared gently eased on the gas and hold down again the clutch and moving the gear stick to second gear and nimble and swiftly back on the gas. With that, the car speed into the dusk of the night. A blast of cool fresh air, as if exploded right inside my car. I found the cold gust refreshing against my pale skin and once when it dark enough outside the car windows a, flicker of yellow light just then brightens up the front seat, but behind is still looming dimly, taking short glances at the rereview mirror. I saw a small, white circle illuminating ethereally softy light as it drapes in between the thick obscure clouds.

It nearly taken him sixteen minutes to arrive in Stonington. This charming small town was so breath taking, especially in the fall. When every tress blushed in a colour of bright orange whilst the others stayed dark green and the other few were a golden bronze but in the sweep of darkness the outdoor light flowed, flowering into the wet maple leaves. Finally, I rolled straight into the road downtown and scattered here and there are placed under every lamppost that was outside the stores of circler pumpkins, the town centre declarations looked spectral. Halloween is thriving in Mystic. Then as I got close by, then my eyes beamed excitedly, just up head there are two stores, ‘whoa’, they are being invaded! For those who have a massive fear of prickly eight-legged, black beady eyes and sharp fangs creatures. Rather being small, instead. Giant dark spiders hanging against the high walls of the big, cream bookstore but. Next door, skinny pasty all white bony skeletons are crawling up the roof and along the side of the windows, as if they were attempting to break and entering inside. Jared braked suddenly. Getting a glimpse over to my left side of my car window, seeing the dark green flowerpots draped in silvery cotton webs and, little wanders sleeping almost inside the silk cobweb. Returning my normal speed but the roads tonight looked very bustling. With a lot of cars pulling in and out, moving carefully on to the next side of the street like bees buzzling but though it would not be this teeming as in Mystic Connecticut is a popular tourist site, defiantly in the hot spells of summer, people do see our village as a lovely romantic get away, but it would be very peaceful at winter, were business would be quieting down.

It was defiantly not peaceful on the roads this night. I began to get irritated. When an intense boom echo of very loud and screaming horns blared but started moving again and abruptly halting yet again. The cars on the road fell completely silent for a moment. If I am running late with Eleanora, she would one hundred percent kill me! Jared knees had suddenly buckled, his strong arms started loosening, his firm gripped remained gentle on the wheel. Ten minutes late and the other cars have seemed to ease off now, Jared instantly retuned to concertante back onto the road and began to drive fast with his foot still hovering on the gas again, once more he felt calmed himself and was ready to head on over to Eleanora house.

Driving straight keeping in his lane, no other cars appeared, and he then sighed and returned on the wheel, turning onto a curb this road was much cleaner, he is far away off the heavy traffic, the loud honking horns almost making Jared’s ears burst crimson but, it all vanished behind the back of his head, away, away, away. However, roaring engine still purred, then he drove past darkness and the pearly moon glistening dimly making a crisp outline of silhouette tress. Soon he saw two red, old, rusted blue and red trucks parked over on the charcoal grey road behind on each side where a row of houses. Jared drove past them, until he felt a little dazed and his eye slowly began to go obscure in a visible mist. A little and everything in the car started to feel very, very fuzzy. Trying to push that away focusing back on the dark road and his head eyes beamed. As he learns back, then, a light brush of low temperature air sweeps against him like a string of hair up against his head, and then I felt, something going up, up, up my hair, suddenly, Jared’s breath closes tightly, something is wrapping him like a noose around his throat pulling him, pulling him, tightly. That is when his heart sunk at the bottom of my stomach. Was there a fly, no wait I have not opened my windows, at that moment a feeling of dread came over him. All the hairs sprinkled up to life on the back of his neck. Jared instantly froze, he was paralyzed right in his leather seat, I cannot move, I cannot move, Jared thought in terror. Then he felt his left, still above the clutch, started loosening leisurely but slowly like somebody is controlling it and then it moved right off the break, Jared determined to move it go back up again, again on to it, but it was too late, both of his legs chill up. He glanced up slowly, staring straight out the wide car window, seeing and glancing at the starless night sky. The car continued to go down, down, down and then, Jared’s eyes cracked wider and wider, then a big and massive thud.

…. CRASH!

In pure total darkness and in absolute complete silence soaks through my ears. Whoosh, whose, a large gust of wind blows in and starts stroking against my cheeks with all the strengths I had manged to save breaking back open his eyes, he moaned and groaned. It had taken me almost a minute to raise myself. When he had got the strength to attempt on moving his eyes once again along the car, darkly, then carefully but slightly moved my arms are off the steering wheel and my whole body is all slumped up. Pushing back the black furry strands of dark brown hair and slipping them behind my ears, just for now I will have to fix it until later, once Jared could raise himself gently and easing up fully. Leaning forward. His board chests started to raise up and down rapidly trying to catch the fresh cold night air, it felt so refreshing and so cool. Finally, Jared lets out white puffs of steam smoke blew across the car window and swiftly relaxed. Without realizing that his head, was still bowed down starting at his dark ripped jeans, but he did look up, then he gasped.

…Where is the road?

…What was I looking at?

Staring blanky and with incapacitating glazed eyes. For a moment, Jared struggled not to drop his jaw to collapse onto the floor, Jared turned, and my heart rouse up into my throat. It stood at the edge of the car a massive cloud! Expecting to see a white haze flying past it, though, the colour was not white rather, RED and BLOODY my eye grew wide. He then whirled and all the sudden. All swamped in all directions encompassing sweeping through the thick dark branches with the twigs naked, but the road was no invisible as the red fog flooded. He froze almost paralyzed like stone, in his seat and then jolted back against it. Jared leaned forward quickly with his hands gripped across on the wheel the muck of sweat damped around my fingers. I quickly rolled down the thick window, seeing the dark night starless sky then he saw it- The red mist curling above the heavy mucky blackness, Jared peeked his head slightly up, then, he felt it, as the red smoke cloud came though Jared’s face it had hit him, but suddenly. He felt in an instance a huge clogged in his throat, then a horrible rising as if he was about to vomit when he felt a vapor, of rotting dead flesh. Jared then quickly coved his mouth and rolled back up the window after closing it. Jared shifted in back against the window, he let out a breath, heavy and dizzy at that moment Jared could even now smell the stench of dead along with the decaying scent was up his nose. It slithered down his stomach as if a cold shiver crawled down, then that feeling come back! Those cold lifeless hands touching him once again. I looked up back at the road and as my eyes scanned around all the way around, as the red mist brushing the branches and the twigs. My chest started to rise, rise, rise, up, up and down, down then down again, but abruptly Jared’s hand began to quiver, why was I shaking so suddenly? Is it this strange red fog? Was that why I’m feeling completely tense? because of this odd crimson mist? Abruptly, that decomposing stench had come flooding back!  Can I smell this awful? THIS DESTUSTING SCENT. Then I heard an, SNAP!

Jared turned his head to the left. A behemoth cloud of continuous crimson smoke flews from the tall dark slender tress. When, a crunching. It a low crunching at first, but then, the chewing crunching crumbled and cracked in the darkness. Jared moved his head back and forth thinking it’s just an animal flying past but, in this fog, why any nocturnal creature would walk in this crimson night however, if you were a bat they’d been so in love with this cloudless, cold, and chilly night. Jared turned his headlights, as the yellow beam cast a milky glowed the red cloud wiped away quickly. With his both of his hands still shaking uncontrobely, my eyes darting at corners when, the munching sound returned. My heart began to pound heavy and loud. A crunching echo of footsteps. Jared’s head wobbled a little as he then looked back forward again, then, he sees at that moment. Something emerging through the blood red fog stood a silhouetted standing dark and alone in the pitch blackness. My heart than sank. It was standing there in the middle of the road and the red cloud danced around the dark figure. Jared began to stare at it, as the figure remained solid but the more, he looked. He felt eyes watching Jared, like it could see through him. I then gradually moved back against my seat he tried to lower himself down, but, suddenly, it moved!  Very slowly, the arms swayed in the blackness and as it approached the two beaming headlights and then, halted in the front of my car. The toes touched the light, Jared started down and saw them, the toenails looked dirty, even the long nails were a nasty filthy lime green inside the nails themselves. Falling above was a white silky sat on top of the feet. White silk, where had he seen that before, was it from a magazine something in one of his best friends’ wardrobes, who so happens to have a gorgeous pale silk anywhere. A strange thought come to his mind, why had he seen that familiar satin before? It was so vivid, but then, the figure come closer to the golden headlights, and Jared’s jaw dropped.

NO, THIS CAN’T BE

HOW CAN IT BE

Y-YOU ARE ALIVE?

BUT-

SHE IS DEAD!

DEAD!

HEATHER IS DEAD!

DEAD!!!!

Jared’s head was flooding with wild words. He ran his hands through his messy black hair. The damp wet drips oozes through the rising hairs, he watched her for a long moment. Her curly long dirty blonde hair, Heather’s bronze skin and then Jared saw Heather Westbury’s stunning ivory satin dress at last he began to remember. That gown looked splendid the day she was last seen alive. The supernatural diamond white colour but now, caked in dirt and colour had gradually, like as if a rotting corpse had faded away. As Jared’s eyes scanned up the dress and then, he sees, BLOOD, punched in her chest near her heart a wooden sharp stake. Finally! Jared remembered it was such a long time ago, it was in the early night-time and a full moon beamed down on them, especially on Heather as her pale skin glowed ghostly pale with bright silver outlining the straw-coloured hair. Sitting close together under an enormous pine tree until, Jared discovered a speck of dry blood at the corner of her round sugar brown lips and, the look of dread and horror on his face that; she, was a vampire!

Jared is speechless and at that moment, he was watching her, the wind was blowing her dark blonde locks in the air, as the headlights flashed up on her face, she looked down on floor eyes catching on the long twilight grass, Heather then flinched and suddenly she pulled smoothly back her mouth and revealing her pearly straight teeth. That’s when he saw them, those white sharp pointy fangs! Heather shot up and raised her head and she darted those crimson eyes and staring right up at Jared, resembling two red laser beams striking through the thick glass. Jared’s chest grew tighter, and his hands continued to quiver but, he manged to thrust the fear, letting it rush through Jared’s whole body and then melted as like ice on a breeze hoary chill, heavy and deep it soon had render, but the hairs are even now shaking along his arm. Expect- His eyes stiffened. Watching Heather in her silk tight dress but not once had he seen her, looking up, instead she kept on staring down at the cold dark ground below the locks of golden hair sweep past her. The engine resumed to rumble slightly; his foot was hovering on top of the break he wanted to move! Far and fast, at full tilt where the soaking sludge had covered my clean wheels but, in the distance her haunting look still stiffened, then he took a huge gulp and, slammed hard on the clutch and as the engine thundered, moving over to second first gear, then thumped back on the gas, everything was moving fast. The car immediately rushed towards Heather. Jared griped his strong hands wrapped tight over the wheel, rising his elbows upward then he bit hard on his teeth. He was ready, to escape her all over again, it all had to be a horrible nightmare. Though, as the headlights started to grow near, Heather raised her head and at that moment Jared then stared back.

He saw straight away where her round amber eyes. It was like two golden rich honey stones, then abruptly, at the corners of Heather’s gold leaf eyes a bean began to fall I could not see it at first, was she afraid or scared but, as the headlight shined brightly, but she still did not flinch at the beaming yellow light. Those were not ordinary normal tears, but abruptly, Jared at that second Jared stopped the car, surprisingly, Jared manged to break gradually at the front of Heather. He saw; it, BLOOD, she was crying red tears then my eyes began to widen again, then widen. The streaming of crimson streamed down her pale cheeks not just one trickle but a flow of tears. Then there was a calm silence, in the tress all the leaves stood still and where no sound of animals, especially the crickets did not chirp in the autumn fields, but as the engine ceased though, my hands remind on the wheel.

I continued to stare at Heather. She stood in the cloak of darkness, it was as if it dressed her, I mean after all Heather was a predator, an immortal, and a creature of the nocturnal night that’s her home but, suddenly, he sees what Jared took no notice of in such a long time, after Heather’s death. Now, he realizes just then, was the tremendous and overwhelming sense of sorrow. That consumed her even in those gleaming amber eyes. As they glimmer and shined under the moonlight and he watched her for another moment, still speechless in the front seat, though the trickling of sweat continued to drool on the wheel, Jared brushed his hands off them, one last time, as Jared scraped the sweat onto his dark jeans but then, he only took his eyes off away from Heather. He rose his head up and back on the dark murky road, and a shudder shook him, all down his spine and as a cold rush of breeze but it was so ice cold and the dark hairs all stood up straight and then he heard a voice. A woman, it is very low but clear, but then mumbled a few times and Jared couldn’t make out the words that the voice was trying to make. Jared froze for a second and put his hands steady on the stirring wheel again, he scanned all around the dark red fog it swirled and danced into the dark of the night, however no voice, but suddenly. He stopped his gaze at Heather, Jared then slumped back over his seat and dropped his arms and started back at her, it was you, wasn’t it Heather, he thought and wasn’t he right. Then Jared leaned to the wide window his face close to the wheel so he could understand what Heather was saying and as her round cold pink lips moved with her white fangs curled and as they snaped together. Afraid, Jared’s heart continued to pound harder and harder and as he inched a little more. Although, when he did edge across and still could not hear her words. It’s like he had gone deaf! Against the solid glass, when, a muffled phrase sink into Jared’s ear, it said in a low murmur.

JARED!

At that moment he wanted to scream. Shriek thunderously until his voice box burst onto the car window. Instead, Jared remained close to glass and eyeing Heather, her jaw still shifted and muffled more remarks, but it was his name he can just pick up, repeatedly like an antiquated record player simply spinning and spinning. Then Heather’s mouth immobilises with no more unmoving words coming forth to him and as Jared stared, his shaky eyes trembling behind the solid glass, and for a moment, silence brushes across the dark hems of the Elm trees. He watched on from inside the car and Heather froze dead centre in the middle of the crimson mist, her pale emotionless face sustained gazed at him a look of horror. For no more than at least ten minutes, this very uncomfortable game of watching eyes just looking straight towards Jared, still his foot is hooked onto the break he wanted to merely push back down on to it but couldn’t. Her glowing amber eyes then suddenly he felt it again, a dead cold hand brushing up against his spine and all the hairs spiked up Jared’s arms trembled like a leaf. Slowly gazing down to his quaking limbs wobbling and shaking under the darkness of the night. His heart began to race like a hundred miles, boom, boom, boom, I raised my left hand releasing from the wheel and rested it over myself as I gently rubbed but, the loud pounding beats faster more repeatedly.

Then a flowing rush poured straight to his head and a powerful strike that smashed across him. In that split second Jared closed his eyes tight, as he collapsed into darkness and it dance a slow darkly midnight waltz, his strong-armed chest began to raise up and back down once more so that his heart could ease. After a minute, his stiffen crumpled chest had gone back to normal once again, he began to breath at an uneasy paste still his eyes closed, closed in pitch darkness but as of now Jared could not even for a moment to open them up, he was just too afraid! Afraid to see that bloody face of Heather stood out on to and standing the crimson mist. ‘I have to,’ Jared thought calmy, still thinking that this could just be all in his head, and after all it is fall of Halloween and a time to spooked was all just for entertainment. Finally! Jared feeling brave opened his eyes very, very gently…In the clearing of his vision, his hands laid across his legs and as Jared looked straight up and saw the red fog had got closer to the windows and as he leaned back, watching the enormous blood-soaked red clouds.

The mist grew thicker, heavier now, and then Jared noticed that Heather was gone. Jared broke into a cold sweat and frantically moving my head to side to side seeing where she had disappeared to, and not to forget that Heather is a vampire and can sprint normal than an ordinary person would instead, she can in a fast speed, maybe she ran off into the woods to catch some pray, maybe perhaps, maybe…Heather was still out the fog.

My entire body went clammy, and all the dark hairs raised also sprouting through my black hoodie. The night is still heavily silent no noise cracked, not even an animal any nocturnal creatures who had lived for the night, dared not to make a crack or a crash. My heart began pounding again, I horrible thought that I was going to have a heart attack, at any moment my red beating heart could rip out from my chest and splatter on the wheel and the dashboard, just the thought of BLOOD would be tasty for Heather. Jared still moved his head quickly to side to side the red haze made it very difficult to see past.

When Jared squinted his eyes hard onto the darkness, then he saw, two pairs of glowing eyes. Then a dark silhouette figure flickered from inside the large cloud of haze, and as the shadow stepped, I could then hear a clicking of heels tapping on the ground and then halting. When suddenly, my heads of my car shut off without warning. I peered over to see what had happened, why did that happen? A thought of dread trickled and as he glanced back and the shadowy figure still stood there, was this Heather or another vampire to drank and made this poor and unfortunate individual and turned into a blood sucking leach. Jared looked straight ahead and realized that it was, Heather.

She outstretches her arms to the side, the whole figure of her is completely jet-black. Blacker than anything else and as I’d watched in terror, I also saw that she had long, sharp, pointy nails. As Heather ambled her way past the mist of scarlet, smoked and when she got very nearer, I can see her flowering silk milky white dress as it bleezed slightly against the cool wind. I spotted her face, peering from the darkness over her smooth lips and on her face a stain a running blemish, of blood. She halted in her slow but elegant smooth paste walk and stared down to the ground and as I watched in fear. Still, I wanted to eagerly move but, my body began to tremble how could I, could I bravely leap and climb back up on steering wheel when as I gaze at Heather, who was supposed to be dead! Though on a dark autumn night, here she was, living, breathing very much. Now, I can feel my entire body relaxing again the breaking of cold sweat sunk back inside although, my hand still quivered nonetheless I put them back on the wheel and as Jared adjusted himself in his seat. I guess Jared was beginning to get some fearlessly, it tinkled down all the way and just as he was about to, his foot back on the gear…a big thump a thud, hit on top of his car and for a moment, Jared lifted his head up staring at the ceiling and then it was eerily silent. Then, I hear a rolling above my head, ‘what was something up there’ I asked myself and as I looked to my right side and on the other seat was a box of matches. Jared darted to grab the matches and slide the small pack open, reached for a match and lit it up a flickering light illuminated all around him, but it was dim and only small areas of the car are engulfed in pitch-darkness. Though, as I lifted the light above over my head still the hard, pounding, rolling I followed it, until it, it stopped. Jared waited but then the match went quickly flat, he reached over to grab another match, starching the side when the flame burst to life but, then suddenly a massive BANG which caused the spark to splatter, I jumped out of Jared’s skin and dropping the match on my jeans, I shakily looked up to see what it was…it was a jack’ o lantern lying on top the car, the biggest, round one he’d ever seen and as Jared stared at the pumpkin, the skin appeared to look decomposed, the eyes rotted and the mouth had been chomped around them and it gave him a deep, cold, cold frown. Submersed in complete darkness, I pushed myself forward, my hands on the wheel and glanced straight at it! When a cloud of the red mist glowed and shinned dimly past, Jared sees something odd about its empty hollow vacant sockets. That was when he seen it, a big shadow it was round too, but like a dart it had vanished back to the darkness, of the blank holes. I couldn’t to press my senses across on it, just for a few minutes but then, something breaks my gaze when an, loud.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK

My eyes began to shudder, I hesitated, at first to turn the strange tapping, as I reluctantly turned my head round to face the window only to see, just darkness and then the odd beating stopped! Instantly I’d snapped back when a slither, the moving of five pale hands, long, white razor-sharp nails over slicked down the head. Then suddenly, two arms sprouted uprooted upward and as they were as if long, tentacles of a sea monster and a mop of golden hair raised up too, and that’s when I saw. IT WAS HEATHER… Her face looked bloodied, eyes flaring red almost burning against the dark she even appeared paler and under Heather’s shadowy eyelids a line of cracks breaking on her lifeless skin, the wisps of her gorgeous blonde hair had a life of its own as it twirls and twists past her shoulders. She gave me an unnatural wide grin; even as her lids shut up and I can see the red blood shot.

Staring ahead in terror. I trembled like a leaf, now I really must get out of here! Still quivering under darkness, Jared moved speedily grabbing on the gear stick put it into second shift, placing my foot on the second gear and as Jared pressed down, I could hear the engine roar. Which caused Heather to flinch and suddenly her grin began to fade. It became an angary glare shoot through the glass, but as Jared moved to third shift and nearly, just nearly as I was about to reach for the gas and presses hard, but then.

“OOHH, Jared Donavan, you really think you can just escape, me now!” Heather shrieked to anger

“I am only getting started” Heather yellowed, but as I kept on pushing on the gas pedal but, the car didn’t even move an inch. As Heather must have used all her strength to prevent the car to move. Jared continues to push to pedal to urge forward but Heather still in front of me, I had to halt in my struggling getaway. As I could no longer feel that nothing could help to get me anywhere away her, once again, Heather standing in darkness and smiled triumphantly like she successfully got Jared where she had needed him to be…Alone and very afraid. She wanted nothing more in this very moment was to pray on Jared’s fear.

“What is it that you want?” Jared then cried almost crying in such horror. At that moment, Heather’s self-righteous smile fades once again, she almost seemed very sad! for just a second though, as I laid back not fully, not back over the leather. A serene and quiet ghostly silence breeze past the dark elm trees. Whoosh, Whoosh, Woosh. Jared breathed calmly, and as my shoulders rise and shakily down and their Heather stood unmoving, her face still as if frozen but then, she moved her head down towards the floor. She did this for a few minutes, a VERY LONG FEW MINUTES.

Then, as she slowly, slowly lifts her head, but I hear her laughing. Giggling almost Heather had burst into hysterical fits as she guffaw under the moon light. She just laughed and laughed then laughed. Jared sunk behind the wheel, he could nothing but watch her terrible wicked and rotten glee echo through the long endless woods of tall dark prickly tress and the shadows of blackness. At last, her amusement giggles stopped!

She glared right back at me…. An awful glare with such dread on her face just came over her.

“I thought you’d loved me…

Jared, the man I have returned to you.

I was hoping we could start again but, I feel this piercing pain in the middle of my chest, and then I realize. That, I’m dead and as for me…I felt, I felt this massive pain in my chest, and you know what it feels like, it hurts. A lot, a whole lot, and it hurt like a bitch!

You know what I want…Jared! My love! MY LOVE!

Nothing more, more for this Halloween…Is for you, too.

………………DIIIIIIEE!

AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAHHHHHA

Remember to like and comment about Chapter Two.

[prismatic-bell]

So the other day I said a thing about how I felt like a line could be drawn between antis, and the rise of 24-hour news networks. I’ve given that thought some time to bubble to see what, exactly, my brain meant by that statement, and here’s what I’ve got:

When I was a kid (back in Ye Olde 1990s), we had three major news stations in my town: Channel 12, Channel 24, and Channel 35. These corresponded to NBC, ABC, and CBS, but I don’t remember which one was which so don’t ask me. Anyway--you had a half hour of news at 8 or 9 am (depending on which station you watched), an hourlong program at noon in which half the program was stuff like “here are today’s beach closures and some recipes and also if you’re looking for stuff to do with the kids this weekend here are local promotions,” and half an hour at either 5, 5:30, or 6 (again, depending on which channel you watched). One of the three stations also did a half-hour capper at 10pm. So unless you were watching all three stations, and picking the news every single time, the max amount of news you were going to get was like an hour and a half. If you wanted more news than that, you read the newspaper. When my mom was a kid (back in Ye Olde 1960s), this would have seemed like an inordinate amount of news--for her, it was half an hour at 6pm and ten minutes at 10pm and then the station (there was only one station that did the news) played the National Anthem and went off the air until 6am, at which time you might get like . . . the weather and a traffic report.

For anything else, you read the newspaper.

Now with only half an hour to present a whole lot of news, what are you going to do? You are going to stick to the facts. You don’t have a choice. You have a very short time to fit a whole lot of information. “Notre Dame cathedral caught on fire today. French firefighters are working to get the flames under control, and authorities in charge of the cathedral are doing their best to remove relics, paintings, and other holy objects while it’s still possible. French President Mr. Somebody addressed the nation and stated every attempt to save the building, and to rebuild the damage, will be made. In local news . . . “ And that’s it! If you want more information, you’ve got to wait for the newspaper in the morning, and you’re going to have to get a copy of the New York Times or USA Today, because the local paper will only have a blurb, and that blurb will mostly cover what you just heard!

But then the news changed.

By the time I was a teenager, the non-cable news looked like this: All three channels had a morning show that started at 5 or 6 am (depending on your station) and ran until 8 or 9 (depending on your station). The station that ended at 8am then had a half-hour morning news show. The mid-day news at 11 or 12 was still an hour. Channel 35 did a half-hour news segment at 5 and another at 5:30, back to back. The other two stations simply did an hourlong segment. And then one station did half an hour at 10:30, and the other two did hourlong segments at 10pm.

What do you do with that much time? Well, you expand. Yes, you can fit more news, but you can also fit more about the news. “Notre Dame cathedral in Paris went up in flames today. The fire began in the famous historic bell tower, and spread to the roof. At this time, portions of the roof appear to have caved in, and there are concerns about the integrity of the medieval stonework in the cathedral walls. French firefighters have been working since 8am Paris time to get the flames under control, and authorities in charge of the cathedral are doing their best to remove relics, paintings, and other holy objects while it’s still possible. Some firefighters are also helping with this project, as portions of the building have become too unsafe to enter. French President Mr. Somebody addressed the nation late this evening and stated every attempt to save the building, and to rebuild the damage, will be made. Of the cathedral itself, Somebody said, ‘Our Lady has weathered worse troubles than this. Paris as a city, and France as a nation, will overcome.’ In local news . . . ”

Still facts, but a few more facts. At this point the internet as a public thing is just past its infancy, and in theory you could go look up some stuff on, like, AOL, maybe, about what was happening.

(Nina, you were talking about antis . . . ?)

(Yes, I was. Bear with me.)

But at this point you also saw the rise of Fox News and CNN.

Now up to this point, I could trust the news. That is important to know. “Nina, American news is full of propaganda--” Listen, you’re not wrong, but the point is, if Scott Brennan told me Notre Dame cathedral was on fire and priests were trying to remove the holy relics, I could safely assume Notre Dame cathedral was on fire and priests were trying to remove the holy relics. If Channel 24 told me “the blizzard of the century” had occurred the night before, I could look out the window of my snowed-in house and go “yeah, that seems legit.”

I grew up, in other words, in a world in which facts were facts. We didn’t waffle or wring our hands over whether or not Notre Dame was on fire. And this allowed me to take a similar approach to fiction: it is a fact that murder is wrong, and knowing this, I can read a book in which someone commits murder for very good reasons, but still know they did something wrong.

But now you have 24 hours of news to fill.

No matter how you pad it, no matter how many voice clips you play or retrospectives you do, you cannot find enough news in the world to fill 24 hours, seven days a week, 365 days a year. You just can’t.

So they started adding “opinion pieces.”

Notre Dame is on fire--is it worth saving? Notre Dame is on fire--but is it as big a catastrophe as it’s made out to be? Notre Dame is on fire--but France has been steadily calling themselves a secular nation, so is this the punishment of G-d? Notre Dame is on fire--

--wait, what was that?

Yep. You saw it, I saw it, we all saw it. But as the “opinion pieces” slowly took over the regular news and stopped being called “opinion pieces” and started being called “programs,” it became less and less clear what was and wasn’t fact.

Now obviously Notre Dame is on fire. But now we have to ask ourselves: is it worth it to save it or not? Is the financial cost outweighed by the history? Will those answers change depending on how bad the damage becomes? And you, lonely elderly person in your chair whose predominant socialization these days is at church, how does this make you feel about French people? These are questions that once would have been asked of the church caretakers and the French government. Now every single person is being asked to think about them, without being provided all of the context that is available to the church caretakers and the French government. And along the way, you get these nice, nasty little bits of prejudice and slanted thinking and bias sneaked in.

I told you I’d come back to antis. And here we are.

The vast majority of antis are very young. They grew up in a world where those “programs” were the norm. They were not provided with a cultural basis of “these are the facts.” They were provided a basis of “here is what I think about the facts.” They were provided a basis of, as Mr. Banks said in Mary Poppins, “kindly do not cloud the matter with facts.”

There are no facts! Who fucking cares! An anti who’s 15 years old today was eleven years old when we were introduced to “alternative facts”! Is it wrong for a 27-year-old man to pursue a relationship with a 13-year-old girl? Depends on which news channel, and which presenter, you ask!

They literally grew up in a world in which critical thinking was discouraged. Once upon a time, you would have seen on TV that Notre Dame was on fire, and at dinner--or whatever your family did for together time--you might say things like “going to be expensive to fix that, I wonder what they’ll do,” but you wouldn’t have been hit with six presenters telling you exactly why Notre Dame should/shouldn’t be rebuilt. And don’t forget--even if you, personally, do not watch the news (or read it on the internet, which is just as bad, because everybody’s after those elusive advertising clicks, everybody needs the “scoop” two seconds before it happens), you know people who do. You hear their opinions and their hot takes and their retellings all around you. And those  opinions and hot takes and retellings will be colored by which “program” that person saw first.

Watch the first thirty seconds of this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn2RjahTi3M

Walter Cronkite, a legendary news anchor, giving his opinion on Vietnam. You will notice that he states, very clearly: “it seems very clear to this reporter.” This is Cronkite’s opinion, nothing more, and he makes it clear that he is speaking only for himself.

Now skip to approximately 1:05, and watch him report the Kennedy assassination. You can see he’s emotional, but also keeping it under wraps as best he can because he has An Important Job To Do, and that job is twofold: to deliver the news accurately and concisely, and to keep the American public calm (you can see this when he hurriedly says Johnson is probably taking the oath to become President; a missing VP would be a crisis at this moment). This is a man who’s just found out the most beloved president in modern times is dead. And not just dead--murdered. It’s not like Kennedy had a heart attack, his damn head was blown off. This news is still coming in so quickly that you can see him glancing off the screen to get fresh reports. He’s one of the first to receive this absolute blow--and he’s still holding it together, barely wavering. (When I was a kid, this role would go to Dan Rather. He was no Cronkite, but he tried.)

Where is that kind of rock for today’s teens? Imagine--heaven forbid, in the state our country’s in right now--that tomorrow we get the news Biden was shot.

How would we get that message?

Would it be delivered by an even-keeled, just-the-facts reporter like Cronkite? Or would we get it from a bunch of half-hysterical articles and crisismongering “programs”? And would it be delivered to us straight, like Cronkite did, or would it be buried in three days’ worth of opinions on his “legacy” and policies and What This Means For America?

Now: how are you supposed to build any kind of strong convictions and moral compass on a world like that? Where anything can be true if enough people have an “opinion” on it? Where the facts get immediately buried in a wave of bullshit?

Antis are reacting to a world of “opinions” and “programs” being thrown at them 24/7 by trying to create a world they can control, where there are in fact things that are true, in a world that has actively refused them the opportunity to learn how to parse and process facts. And so what they’ve come up with is this grossly distorted version of facts, because gross distortions of facts are all they know. It’s all they’ve ever seen. They’re perpetuating a system they don’t even realize they’re part of, because they never experienced life before it existed.

They’re not lying when they say they were heavily influenced by fiction because the bounds between fact and fiction have been actively erased. On purpose. And it’s difficult to grok that, if you grew up in a world where you didn’t have to go seek out photographic evidence to be absolutely certain that Notre Dame was, indeed, on fire.

So what we need to be doing, first and foremost, is rebuilding that wall of facts, that line of truth. Otherwise, what we’re going to see is more of this, but getting worse daily.

We set them up for this, and now we’re paying the price for it.