#like I only stopped sharing a room with my brother in late high school

[sassycheesecake]

Osamu walks out of Physics class, happy that his classes are over and all that is left is volleyball practice.

He walks down the familiar path towards his twin brother’s class, basically collecting him on the way to the gym hall.

When he gets closer, he hears multiple sounds of something banging against the lockers and when he gets closer to the noise, he squints his eyes before they widen in shock at the sight of Atsumu Miya, second-year high school Setter of the Inarizaki volleyball club banging his forehead constantly against his locker door.

Now, he has two options.

One, move along and pretend he didn’t see any of this and make it to practice on time without his brother. But the big downside is that Atsumu would probably be late for practice if Osamu doesn’t say anything to him, which will end up in Osamu getting an earful from their mother later on at home.

Or option number two, ask what Atsumu’s deal is and hopefully they both still make it on time for practice.

Since Osamu doesn’t want to get yelled at later on by their mother, he begrudgingly chooses option two.

"Tsumu, if ya keep smashin' yer head against the locker, yer gonna lose the two braincells ya have left." Osamu says when he walks closer to his brother.

For a split second, Atsumu looks at his brother through his peripheral vision with a pissed look and then continues to bang his head against the locker.

'Wow, not even a comeback.' Osamu thinks while he continues to watch him.

"Stop it." Osamu barks as he is getting annoyed by the noise.

"'M tryin' ta forget bout earlier. Ya remember (Y/N)?" Atsumu stops and just leans his forehead against his locker door, a sorrow expression rests on his face.

Osamu frowns in confusion and looks to the ceiling for a second before returning his gaze back to his twin.

"Ya mean (Y/L/N) (Y/F/N)? The one that shared her lunch with ya and ya sweared ya tasted heaven?" Osamu raises a brow.

"Yes." Atsumu confirms.

"What about her?" Osamu doesn’t get it, if Atsumu looks so miserable, surely something devastating must have happened.

"I wanted ta confess my feelings ta her, so I made her favorite dessert and when I went ta see her, yannow what I saw?"

"What?" Osamu sighs.

"She was talkin' ta Riseki!"

"Is she suddenly not allowed ta talk ta other people besides ya? Tsumu I don’t know if yer brain registered it yet but this is a high school. There’s more people than ya she can talk to. And so what if Riseki was talkin' ta her? What’s the big deal?!" Osamu is getting impatient since he doesn’t understand Atsumu‘s point of view.

"That’s not the point dipshit! Riseki asked her out and she said no because she said she is in love with another guy." Atsumu almost wails.

"And?… Does your story have an ending or is this it?"

"Be patient asshole, I was gettin' there. So after I heard that, I was devastated….an' I didn’t realize (Y/N) came outta the room seconds afterwards an' I was so mad that I squished the dessert outta anger. She was confused an' asked if I was alright and I replied 'Shouldn’t ya ask yer crush?' and then I just left!" The Setter explains and gets angrier by the second, talking to his long-time crush in such a tone was just childish and rude as hell. You didn’t deserve that at all but Atsumu just felt his heart shatter at that moment, so he was angry and let it out on you. Now he is just highly disappointed in himself on how disrespectfully he talked to you.

On the inside, Osamu facepalms himself at the sheer stupidity of his brother‘s unawareness of your affection towards the blonde.

The signs are all there that you like Atsumu and vice versa but of course something complicated like the shit Atsumu pulled just pulled moments prior ruined his chance of confessing his feelings towards you.

"Well, (Y/N) finally talked ta ya. That’s sorta awesome."

"No Samu! Not 'awesome'! I ruined ma only chance at talkin' ta (Y/N) and I ruined it. RUINED IT!" Atsumu slams his head against the locker and the whole locker clutters by the force of it.

Osamu can’t help but feel bad for his brother, knowing Atsumu has been having a crush on you since the first year of high school.

Students who pass them are giving them weird looks but the gray-haired twin is not fazed by it.

"Tsumu, yer startin' ta get looks. Quit yer dramatic act and move alon'. There’s pleny of fish in da sea."

The Setter was quiet for a few seconds and Osamu was quite worried Atsumu got a concussion from all that banging of his forehead against the locker.

But then he speaks again, in a voice so sad and soft, it sounds like Atsumu is truly heartbroken.

"But I don’ wan' other fish. I want (Y/N)." He is actually getting teary-eyed.

Osamu gives out a big annoyed sigh and knows he is already regretting his words.

"Want me ta help ya win (Y/N) over?"

Atsumu whips his head in his brother’s direction, a hopeful gleam in his hazel-brown eyes.

"Yer not screwin' with me?"

"No. Twin promise, cross my heart and all that shit. Come on, let’s find (Y/N)." Osamu starts to move to the gym for volleyball practice and he hears a locker door shut and a rushing steps of feet follow him.

A/N: You guys want a part 2?😊

Here’s part 2

[obae-me]

Hello! I love your writing! Especially your sick fics. Would you be willing to write one with mammon? Possibly just forcing a very sick/stressed reader to rest. Or if you want to go further the fever getting high enough for reader to hallucinate and they keep trying to get up and he's trying to stop her. Either would be very appreciated 😊

Yeeessss, I will always write a good sickfic! It’s one of my favorite tropes, it’s just too good! Thank you for the request, anon! I hope you enjoy!

_____________________________________

Let's Go Home

---

"...This isn't good..." Whispering, you looked into the mirror, not that you required a reflection to be able to tell. The facts were simple. You were coming down with something. There was a dark corruption stirring and settling inside your body. It felt off, and you could easily assume why. It didn't help that your throat was sore either. A telling sign if there ever was one. Of course you would have the luck to catch something just before a big assignment was due. Now you could spend the next few days being sick and stressed. Yay for you. The dread and anxiousness did little to ease the symptoms that seemed to slowly creep up on you the more you woke up. As much as you'd like to throw yourself back into bed, you couldn't afford to miss these next few days of classes. So, tugging on your uniform with harsh irritated movements, you headed downstairs.

Breakfast was already done for the most part, the sounds of the table being cleared and the last few munches of Beel could be heard from behind the dining room door. You'd given up food this morning for that last little bit of rest. You'd need as much as you could get right now. You could only hope the brothers didn't find your absence suspicious. If they knew you weren't feeling well...you could only imagine the kind of hovering they would do. They meant well, truly, you knew as such, but sometimes they never knew how to let you breathe. Plus, they did have a tendency to overreact, and you didn't need seven different worried voices buzzing through your head when it felt like it was buzzing enough already.

Adjusting your school bag, you twisted the handle to the entrance hall open, ready to make the journey to RAD on your own. That had been the plan, but a demon-shaped wrench was thrown into it. Mammon went through a short series of varying emotions, all of which could be seen plainly on his face as his eyebrows danced up and down. He had been pleased to see you, then confused, then panicked as he looked over his shoulder to ensure none of his brothers were following him out before shutting the door behind him. After that, he seemed rather smug about the fact that it seemed you two were going to head off to school alone together. "Mornin'!" He spoke softer than he normally did, trying to keep this little moment a secret. He slipped out of the main entrance you'd already opened and pulled you outside by the sleeve around your elbow. As the door shut behind you both, he stretched, his arms straight up above his head. He pulled them tightly before his hands dropped back to his sides. "Missed ya at breakfast--I mean, I didn't miss you, I just meant I didn't see ya there," he proclaimed, a little flustered but apparently getting more adjusted to sharing his feelings with you. "Stay up a little too late, huh?"

You remained silent for a moment, focusing on trying to sound as normal as possible. Although, as you attempted to reply, your throat squeaked out the answer. Clearing your throat in an attempt to sound clearer only made the pain in your esophagus worse. Instead, you just nodded your head, hoping that it would suffice.

Suffice it hardly did. Mammon already seemed suspicious, nearly making you sweat under the pressure. Or perhaps that was caused by something else... "You alright? Something seems off with you today.

"Mmhm," you hummed affirmingly, giving him a smile to show that you were fine. With any luck he'd just write off your strange behavior as lack of sleep. Before he could investigate any further, you took rapid steps down the path towards RAD, feeling his eyes track you while you did so. But for now, it seemed you were safe.

--

Classes at RAD had hardly ever felt so grueling. They were always difficult, seeing as how they were all about subject material you didn't even know existed until you'd been dropped down here. Now that you were sick, focusing almost seemed impossible. But you had to. You had to pay attention. There was a test coming up, and if you got another bad grade... You couldn't stand it, the look on the other's faces whenever you did. With pity. Or even worse, like they expected it. Like you were nothing more than just a human who couldn't hardly be expected to do well. Is that why you had been pushing yourself so hard these last few weeks? Of course you had to fall ill right when all that hard work was supposed to pay off.

The bell for lunch rang cacophonously through the halls. Other demons grabbed their bags and scrambled for freedom. You remained seated till the herd thinned, slinging the bag over your shoulder. Just a little longer...Just a few more classes. You could do this. You would do this. While a demon would've given up already out of temptation, you would show everyone a human's determined spirit!

Outside seemed like a nice place to spend the break. Fresh air might do you good, not to mention it would be quiet. As for lunch...Hm, what would you do? You didn't pack anything this morning...and Devildom food wasn't exactly easy on a sick human's stomach. Maybe you still had some snacks for Beel packed away somewhere in your bag. You stepped through the halls as you rummaged through your things, eyes straining to look into the darker depths for something that might provide you temporary sustenance. If you tried to skip a meal, Beel would know. Somehow he always knew, and a disappointed Beel was ten times worse than a disappointed Lucifer.

"Oi! Watch it!" Two hands quickly grabbed your shoulders, tugging you backwards and slightly off to the side. You raised your head as it happened, able to glance forward at one of RAD's stone pillars that occasionally adorned the walls. You were about to face whoever grabbed you only to be turned around against your will. Mammon's hands lowered, trailing down to your upper arms where he firmly grasped them. "You're kiddin' me, right? Are you really that stupid to be walkin' face-first into the walls?" He sounded astounded. Exasperated. You knew that he had the tendency to sound like that when he was simply just concerned, but somehow the tone still dug into you anyway. You looked away from him, shrugging off his hands and heading down the hall again. "Wait!" Mammon lunged, reaching out and grabbing the nearest part of you. Your hand.

The action had you stop, but you stayed where you were, looking away from him partially out of spite but also because you didn't want your secret to slip. Mammon grasped your hand a little tighter, his palm moving against yours till he seemed to find where his hand fit perfectly. He was warm. Hopefully he would be too distracted by his embarrassment to notice that you were almost warmer. And not from the embarrassment. Perhaps you were worse off than you figured.

"I didn't mean to come off so harsh, You know I didn't mean it that way," he spoke, his voice softer than usual. You still looked away from him, waiting for a real apology. You could hear him shift on his feet, uncomfortable with the silent treatment, although most of it was due to your throat. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to raise my voice like that." Better, but not all. You tugged a little on his arm to tell him to try again. "And for callin' ya stupid. I know you're not." You sighed, taking the apology and turning to face him once more. "You're weirding me out today. Somethin''s been bothering me all day-- actually, this whole week-- but I didn't know why. What's going on with ya?" He looked deep into your eyes as if he could pull the answer out from there. It was hard to look at him with such a genuinely concerned face. He almost looked wounded that you would work so hard to keep something from him. Maybe somewhere in his mind, he felt as if he did something to deserve your actions.

You sighed, head drooping a little. "I don't...feel great," you whispered, your voice weak, coming out still a little scratchy despite the low volume. "I'll be okay."

"Not great?" He raised an eyebrow, dropping his hold on your hand to raise it up, approaching your forehead. "Like sick or somethin'?" Suddenly his eyes widened. "You're warm! Freakishly warm! I'll go get Lucifer--"

"No! That's not--" You pressed a hand to your throat as you swallowed, the pain making your fingers tremble. You had raised your voice a little too much. "I can make it through the day. Don't bother him."

He shook his head a bit at you, eyes narrowing. "Ya don't look like you can make it that long, we should get some help and go home."

"I can't, Mammon. I have to go to class. I can't let my grades slip lower."

With that, he actually huffed, almost scoffing in a sort of confused laughter. "Screw grades! This is you we're talkin' about!" One hand settled on his hip, the other gesturing as he talked. "Who cares about a few grades?"

"I do!" Your voice raised again, emotions as well as pain brought a few tears to your eyes. "I'm one of the exchange students. Everyone already looks at me like I'm destined for failure, like I'm not cut out for the Devildom, like it's only to be expected because I'm nothing more than a simple human. I'm going to prove them wrong. So if I have to suffer through a few classes while I'm sick, so what?" You stood your ground, mouth a tight frown.

Mammon took a step back, a bit stunned at your tone, but he seemed to understand. Although you could tell he was beating himself up a little on the inside. Had he looked at you like that? Had he made you feel that way? "So you've been stressed, huh? It's worn ya down." You couldn't quite deny that statement. The demon of Greed shook his head a little. "Hey, can you promise me something?"

Exhausted by your small outburst, you pressed the back of your own hand to your head, shoulders sagging. "Depends on what it is."

"Can you forgive me?"

You could only raise an eyebrow at that strange question. "Forgive you for what?"

All the sudden you felt yourself being swept up, body off the ground, your vision a blur of colors. Mammon's arms held you close, preventing you from falling in your small struggle. "Grades might be important to you, but...you're important to me. Let's go home." He watched your head fall against him dejectedly before rushing down the halls.

---

Your head had felt light the entire way home. Everything was filled with that dreary fuzziness that came with dreams. You didn't pull yourself back together till you felt Mammon follow a familiar path. Sounds of home flooded your ears. The common squeak of the House's hinges. The echoing footsteps against the Entrance Hall's marble floors. The sound of Mammon's comforted sigh that he unconsciously made anytime he entered your bedroom.

You were sat on the side of your mattress, shoes being tugged off you and haphazardly and frustratingly tossed aside like they had been the source of your troubles. With two hands on your shoulders, you were quickly pushed down into a laying position, the covers being pulled over you and tucked around you so tightly it felt like you could hardly breathe. Or maybe that was just due to the sickness constricting your lungs. Everything was warm, every breath a wheeze. But worst of all was the feeling of defeat. Of the shrinking pride of Mammon being right. You were too weak to make it through classes.

"Hey, forget about RAD," Mammon spoke up suddenly, shaking his head at you. Somehow he had those moments where he knew exactly what you were thinking. You had never thought yourself that transparent, but maybe it was a pact thing. More than likely though, Mammon was just good at this sort of thing. "Your grades ain't gonna change the way we all feel about ya."

"You know what Diavolo and Lucifer expect of me. If I let them down, I'm ruining the image of the program. And I'm not like Solomon, or Simeon, or even Luke. I feel like I have to work ten times harder then the rest of them only to just barely pass. I..." You hesitated with your words, not expecting yourself to become so emotionally vulnerable, but here you were. Almost in tears, crushed under the weight of unbelievable expectations. "I can't take much more of this." Your nerves felt like frayed burning wires, the tips of your fingers trembling.

Mammon fell silent for a long while, glancing at some random spot on your floor. Finally, after you had both marinated in the silence, he lifted his chin, looking directly at you, rubbing the warm and pounding spots of your temples with one of his thumbs. "Forget about all that for just a little bit. Thinkin' about all that stressful nonsense won't do nothin' but make you feel worse." He suddenly stood up, rubbing the back of his head in thought. "Lemme get you somethin' to eat." Before you could say anything otherwise, he was gone. You stared up at the ceiling, a few tears leaving your eyes now that you were alone. This...sucked. But at least...you were no longer alone. Crying did nothing but exhaust you further, so by the time Mammon returned with some food, you were convinced you wouldn't even have the energy to eat it. He used one hand to help you sit up while the other placed a plate in your lap. It was a simple meal, but one that would probably help. Just a sandwich he had made with simple sliced meat and veggies. He even cut them into small little squares for you. His eyes were shining, like he was proud of himself, that he was glad at least that he got to do something like this for you. Then he suddenly looked at the watch on his wrist. "Crap, lunch is about over already." His mood tanked, apparently not intending to stay which surprised you a bit. You had assumed he'd give anything for an opportunity to skip classes with you. "Eat as much as you can, and then sleep long enough so it won't even seem like I'm gone, okay?" He tried to flash a signature smile, but it was filled with worry. "Call me if you need me. And make sure you call me and no one else, got it?"

You let out a breathy sigh. Just sleep and forget about it all, huh? Sure. "Okay." It's not like you could do much else. Plus, this demon was giving you some serious puppy eyes, and you had no idea if he was even intending to do so or if it just came naturally. Before he left, you took a few of the finger-sandwich squares and handed it to him, so at least, even if he was leaving, it was like you were having lunch together. He took them gently, that giddy glow that usually formed around him returning. He took a munch of one before running off, giving you one last glance before he shut the door. You looked down at the plate and tried a bite of your own. It was pretty light as to not upset your stomach, but filling enough to stop the slight hunger pains you were already feeling. How precious of him to make you lunch like that. It was a short time before they were all gone, the empty plate resting on your nightstand. Lying back down, you turned over in bed, groaning under your breath as you did so, closing wearily eyelids. With a full stomach and a sore body, sleep seemed to barrel into you like an overdue train. You might've been hearing things, but you could've sworn you heard Mammon's voice muttering something to you before you drifted off to sleep.

----

The sound of a sharp breath had you open your eyes. You stared at the ceiling of your bedroom blankly. It took you quite a while to realize you were even awake. Slowly turning under your covers, you tried to figure out what or who had woken you up. "Mammon?" You called out, voice weak, throat dry. You knew you felt warm but you couldn't help but shiver anyway. Shaky and weak hands gripped your bedsheets as you pulled yourself out of bed, your head swimming from the movement. You noticed a shadow flash across your eyes. Something moved right outside your door. "Who...is it?" A few trembling steps and you were at the door, swinging it open. You craned your neck to look down the hallway. Nothing was there. Some sort of hum filled your left ear. It was hard to discern what it was, but maybe whoever had been outside your door went in that direction. So, you left your room, turning left to wander down the hall.

How long had you been sleeping? Were you still sleeping? No, everything felt too real to be a dream. And yet, everything in your mind was hazy. Thoughts were hard to keep ahold of, slipping from your brain almost as soon as they were manifested. You were too preoccupied with the pain in your body, and whoever was in the house apparently. You continued to shuffle past windows and doors, trying to keep an ear out for another noise. Something caught in your peripherals. As you turned to look out the window you were standing by, you caught the last bit of a blur running past the frame. It jolted you back, almost causing you to fall, but you stumbled into one of the hall's little dressers.

Now you were irritated. You didn't feel good enough for games. You were going to find who had just scared you and give them a piece of your mind. You marched the rest of the way through the House, ending up in the entrance hall. You only mildly regretted your decision when you opened the door, the cold air outside almost making your teeth rattle. You took a few steps outside anyway, glaring as you scanned your surroundings. There seemed to be nothing out here. Just as you were about to turn around to go back inside, a hand grasped your shoulder. You jumped, smacking the hand that had touched you as you swirled around.

Mammon looked dumbfounded, only to then turn his expression into one frighteningly close to Lucifer's. "What do you think you're doin' being outside like this? You have a death wish? I said to stay in bed!"

The shock rattled your lungs, a few coughs shaking your frame. "What the hell, Mammon? Why would you do that to me? You think skulking around the House is funny? Some caretaker you are!" You pressed your palms to your throbbing temples.

"Whad'dya mean?" His eyes went a little wide, looking wounded, but mostly confused. You straightened your posture, glancing behind him to see the front gate slightly ajar. Had he just gotten here? Then you spotted the papers he was holding under his arm. A large stack of them. "No one should be home but us. Even Levi was dragged to classes today." You raised an eyebrow at him, trying to go over the details in your brain. Before you could try to figure out if you were crazy or not, Mammon took your arm and led you back inside the House, dragging you along till you were back in your room. He was clearly worried, hardly able to stand still on his feet, his heels tapping against the floor as he helped you into bed.

"Where did you go?" You couldn't help but wonder. You didn't want to outwardly say you had wished he stayed here, but...maybe his tsundere nature was rubbing off on you.

He moved to settle the papers he was carrying onto the table in your room before coming back to you. "I had somethin' important to do is all..." He didn't seem to be very forthcoming with information at the moment. Well, when did he ever? You didn't have the energy to press him on anything. His hand suddenly cupped your cheek as he cursed. "You're even warmer than before..." He got on his knees by your bedside so he could be level with you as you rested. "How do I help you feel better?"

"Some water might be nice, and maybe a cool rag," you shrugged a little. There weren't too many remedies for humans easily accessible down here.

He shot up to his feet. "That's easy! I'll be back!" He dashed off, moving so loudly you could hear him move all the way to the kitchen. He came back just as quickly as he left, putting a cup of water on your nightstand and holding the rag in his hands. He suddenly turned a bit sheepish, slowly getting back down to his knees on the floor, glancing away from your gaze. He was fidgeting with the rag in his hands for a moment before briskly placing it on your forehead. "Why'd you have to go and get sick, huh?" He asked in a huff, pressing the cooler parts of his hand against your burning cheeks. "I can't stand the way you look right now. Hurry and get better, dammit..."

"If I could will it away, I would," you assured him. He stayed by you in a bit of silence, looking down at the floor as he fretted, muttering things about 'finding a magical cure' or something of the like. You couldn't help yourself. He looked a bit like a bruised puppy. Your hand found it's way into his hair, causing his head to snap up and stare at you, embarrassed, but clearly not backing away. "Thank you for being here with me. I always feel a little better when you're around."

It was his turn to feel warmth in his face. "Don't say stuff like that! No gushy stuff! 'Cuz then..." He quickly went silent, enjoying the feeling of your fingers in his hair. "I...uh..." The subject was suddenly changed. "I know you've been stressed out about classes and stuff, so I...went to all your classes for ya and took notes." He took a moment to relish your pleased look. You could only imagine the confusion of your professors. "But I'll only give them to you on one condition!" He shook his head firmly, letting your hand fall back to the bed. An accusatory finger pointed sternly in your direction. "You can't get burnt out like this again, okay? I'm serious. Deadly serious." He leaned forward, flipping the rag over on the now-cooler side. "Nothin', and I mean nothin', ever takes priority over you, okay?"

A little hum left your throat, almost cooing over him. A little tease left your lips. "Aww, so you do care for me."

He sighed, looking a little annoyed before his eyebrows softened. "Of course I do, ya dummy. That's why I'm here, right? Me and no one else...I won't let anyone else take care of ya."

[abbysimsfun]

Sims In Bloom: Generation 2 Pt. 36 (Home Renovation & A New Routine)

The first thing Heather did with the Landgraabs' money was hire contractors to add a second story to her home. Her son was small enough for now and his crib still fit in the living room, but their one-bedroom home would only get smaller as he grew, so she added two new bedrooms (one for Ash, one for guests) and a second bathroom.

She didn't really have an eye for design, but she knew she liked green and yellow and decorated accordingly. The money from Malcolm was meant as an investment in their son’s future and this home expansion certainly qualified, but she was determined to grow her business and raise the rest of the 175,000 on her own. Even though she was a long way from independence, she began to dream of the day she could rebrand the clinic under her own name.

Per Heather and Malcolm's agreement, Heather would keep primary custody, but Ash would spend some weekends with his father in San Myshuno, and the first weekend crept up on Heather with so much to do at work. She dreaded being separated from her son, least of all so he could spend a weekend under the influence of Nancy Landgraab.

"It's fine. This is healthy even though it's hard." She gave herself a pep talk before she left for the city with her son, then stopped in to visit her family at Fountainview Penthouse before they were due at the Landgraabs.

Her Uncle Karl and his husband Mortimer greeted them warmly. "Ash looks like you," said Mortimer kindly, but Heather thought she heard a hint of relief in his voice. Was it because of the curse? The less he looked like a Landgraab, the better?

Catching her mind wandering about the old tale, she admonished herself for taking it so seriously. It's just a name, and curses aren't real. She forced herself to repeat the thought like a mantra.

Holly was still wearing her deep-sea fishing uniform when they arrived after her workday. She talked excitedly about the job she loved as her nephew bounced to Mortimer's old school records in her arms. "The catches in the bay are so huge they could eat the fish swimming through the River Bagley! And Kris' work as an art critic is beginning to get attention. Every piece he writes is better than the last!" Ash wriggled from her arms to wiggle on the floor.

"He loves music, I guess," noted Holly's husband, Kris. "Didn't you say Malcolm was a music fan."

Heather nodded, anxious to imagine her son inheriting more traits from his father. Music was one of the many interests she and Malcolm never shared. Even though she listened to music growing up, she always preferred quieter surroundings.

(I like when my sims pick their own faves. Eventually I just had to give her a favourite -Focus Music fyi- because I waited until YA to see what music she ended up liking, and the only music preference she ever developed was that she hates alternative.)

The only time she ever sought out music was to focus on projects for school, and her brother always said ambient sounds weren't really music, anyway. Heather was fine with that, but Malcolm never understood why she didn't know anything about all the hottest new bands and singers. "He used to say I grew up under a pretty little rock in our tiny little hometown."

"Malcolm's a jerk," said Kris, and Holly nodded in emphatic agreement. "But your son's pretty cute. Maybe we should have one, Hols."

Holly beamed. "I've already reached the top of my career, so I'm ready whenever you are. I've been ready!"

Heather knew her generous sister and her high school sweetheart would make wonderful parents when the time was right, but for now she had to leave them. "Ash and I have to go. Nancy will be such a pill if I'm late."

Despite her fear, Heather knew she had no choice but to adapt to this new routine with the Landgraabs. ->

<- Previous Chapter | Gen 2 Start | Gen 1 Summary | Gen 1 Start

[writingsofwesteros]

Social Media AU

Chapter 2

They left their family’s estate three days early, to drive up to St. Baelor’s and settle back into their dorms at school. It was not as if there was much keeping them at home even before the incident. That night when Viserys returned back to the estate, he scolded them all, and Nora stormed out of the room, her siblings following her, and angrily told Alicent she was going back to school before term was to start. Which was why the four Targaryen siblings were mostly alone on the private high school campus that any passerby would think was a mediaeval castle, but was simply where the elite of the elite sent their children to attend high school. All Targaryens had attended the school since it was erected- Aegon the Conqueror was one of its founding members, after all, when their family was a monarchical dynasty before it became a corporate one. Every Targaryen, Baratheon, Lannister and Tyrell attended, the richest of the rich, amongst others who strived to send their children to high school with the country’s future Presidents, politicians, and  businessmen.

The school was built in the rich countryside of the Reach, with a few towns surrounding it and the main city, Highgarden, was a ten minute drive. Helaena’s favourite spot was the huge gardens that surrounded the school and it was most of the reasons why she was late to class; Aegon being the other. 

“When’s Sienna coming down?” Aegon asked Nora as the four siblings were lounging around Nora and Helaena’s shared dorm. Helaena’s drawings scattered in a neat chaos that she was only aware of as Nora’s designer clothes were neatly hung or folded. Their personalities shine through with ease; both sisters exist peacefully. Nora tossed her phone on the dresser as she sat on Aemond’s lap. His hands instantly moved to rest on her hips. “In a few days.” Nora replied. Sienna Lannister lived just down the street, or rather, in the same vicinity of the Targaryen estate just outside the city. She had become a childhood friend of Nora and Hel’s since they were little ones, but she and Nora had a penitent for getting into trouble together as they got older. “Mother called,” Aemond told them. “To apologise for Father again.”  

Nora rolled her eyes. “If the old bastard wanted to apologise he’d do it himself.” She had long stopped giving her father excuses. “Nora,” Hel sighed. Alas, it seemed her sweet sister had not learnt that lesson. “What? It’s true.” Nora idly began to braid Aemond’s hair, his silver locks much straighter than Nora’s curlier ones. It was an act that would calm her brother down as much as it did for herself.  “Enough about him,” Aegon grumbled. “We’ve got the whole campus to ourselves for a few more days before everyone else starts coming down. We should do some fun shit before the semester starts.” “Aegon’s right,” Nora said. “I mean Aemond’s the only one who enjoys school itself, but- I just like being away from home and Father and his shit.” “Maybe that is a good idea,” Helaena agreed softly. “Nice,” Aegon grinned. “You three come up with some ideas,” He got up, and kissed Hel, then Nora. “I’m gonna go walk into town and get some food. They said the dining room won’t open until the semester starts, so.” 

Aegon walked the ancient stone halls of St. Baelor’s an hour later with takeout bags; after three calls to make sure he got Nora and Aemond’s picky orders at the Dornish takeout place right. Gods, they were so peculiar whereas Aegon would eat anything and everything. As he turned a corner Aegon spotted an unfamiliar girl walking through the girls’ dorm area. “You lost?” Aegon asked as he came up to her. She smiled nervously and shook her head. “Oh, no, I know where my dorm is- I just- I just wanted to look around a little.” She spoke with an accent, he noted- it sounded like somewhere in the Free Cities. She radiated a certain humility that was foreign to the girls that went to school here- even his own sisters, he had to admit, even though he loved them to death. “Are you new?” He asked curiously, setting the takeout bags on the bench in the hall. “Yea, I am, I- I just came up a few days early to kinda get used to the place. It’s just- It’s so huge,” She gushed and he couldn’t help but smile. “Yea, I guess. Never really noticed like that before,” He replied with a shrug. The castle hardly caused him to blink with the richness he had been surrounded by since birth.

“Gods, how could you not?” She looked up at the stone architecture on the ceilings. “It’s amazing, the stone carvings, the history in this building alone is crazy. Imagine just the history these walls have seen, the people who might’ve lived here, and made a life in a place like this-” “Sorry- I don’t mean to ramble,” She said shyly. “It’s just that I never thought I’d be here studying, and now I am.” 

“No, it’s fine. I have three sisters, believe me, I don’t mind,” He told her and she giggled. “Wow, three? Do they go here?” She asked, and he raised a brow. Did she really not even recognise him? “Uh, two of them do, yea- they’re here right now, actually. The other one’s at a different school down in Oldtown.” He looked at her for a sign of deception, even though admittedly Nora was way better at reading people than him. “Wow- that’s lovely,” She smiled. “I never had siblings- do you have any brothers?” She asked curiously. Shit, he thought- she really has no idea who he is.

“Yea, just one- he goes here too.” “It must be so amazing to have a big family,” She told him. He remembered the other night- Aemond and Jace fighting, their father shouting at them, Nora shoving her bags in the limo as they all got in to leave, their mother helplessly apologising for their father who never even told them goodbye. “My siblings are great,” He told her. “The rest- well, depends on the day, I guess.” She nodded. “Oh! I’m Charlotte, by the way.” She introduced herself. “Charlotte,” Her name felt right, on his tongue. Like he’d known it far longer. “Nice to meet you. I’m Aegon.” “Aegon,” She smiled, not a flicker of recognition behind her eyes upon hearing his name. “It’s really nice to meet you, Aegon.” 

“Where’s Aegon?” Nora asked Helaena when she got back to their dorm, tossing her coat onto her chair. “I think he and Charlie went down to the polo field,” Hel told her as she coloured in the picture of the caterpillar she sketched that morning after class. Nora flopped onto her sister’s bed beside her. “She’s taking up a ton of his time lately,” Nora commented dryly, and Helaena set down her sketch pad. “Nora,” Hel spoke gently. “She’s very nice, you know. You’d see it yourself if you didn’t scare her off every time.” She shrugged. “I don’t know her. I don’t know who her family is, where she comes from- how can she afford to come to a school like this? Why Aegon? Why not some other rich guy, Seven knows there are a ton on this campus.” Trust didn’t come easy to her, people had been trying to worm their way into their lives since they were children, to latch onto their family’s name, and money. 

“You jealous?” Hel gave her a small smile, and Nora fished through her bag for her pack of cigs. “It isn’t about jealousy, Hel, it’s about being careful- like, for example, that helpless social climber Cassandra Baratheon,” Nora huffs as she finds the cigarettes but not her lighter. “Nora,” Hel pouted a little. “You promised you’d stop smoking.” “I’ll smoke outside,” Her sister relented, as she left her sister with a quick peck. Though she wore the uniform, her styling of it showed not only her privilege and the influence she had, but her lack of care for the rules. The skirt was hemmed to be shorter, instead of sensible loafers she wore knee-high boots, her blazer discarded, and her white blouse was tied off at her abdomen, her tie loose around her neck. And she got away with it, because of her last name. Of course, many of the girls ditched their loafers for knee high boots within the first week of the term. But they didn’t always get away with it like she did. She found herself down by the greenhouse- she’d poached Aemond’s lighter when she bumped into him on his way to her and Hel’s room. Nora lit her cigarette as she watched in the distance people hanging out by the polo field, walking around campus since official classes were over for the day. She took a drag, and her moment of solitude was interrupted by a voice that, annoyingly, had become familiar. “Daenora?” She looked up to see Charlotte- Charlie, as Aegon had taken to calling her. She wore her uniform like an image out of the school’s rulebook. “Charlotte.” Nora barely glanced at her. “Shouldn’t you be busy with my brother?” She exhaled a puff of smoke. “Oh- Aegon’s got polo practice, so I thought I’d get some reading done.” Charlotte said, sitting beside Nora. “I-um, aren’t you scared of getting in trouble? With…you know,” She gestured to the cigarette in Nora’s hand. Nora chuckled and took another drag. “We both know I won’t.” Nora replied. “Aegon smokes too, you know,” Nora told her. “If that’s something that bothers you.” 

“Oh, I know,” Charlotte shifted beside her as they watched the polo field in the distance.”I just wouldn't like for you guys to get in trouble, that’s all-” “Why? I mean, we won’t- we both know that, even though you pretend you don’t know why- why do you care about people you don’t even know?” Nora asked, more harshly than she meant to. “Aegon’s my friend, and I- I know how much he cares about you guys-” Nora scoffed. “Honey please, you have no idea just how much. Do you really expect me to believe that you don’t have some underlying motive? This place is filled with a bunch of vapid, self serving social climbers.” “Nora-” “Don’t call me that. We hardly know each other- look, Aegon can be fucked up, but he’s also someone who loves deeply, and goes over the moon for people he cares about. He’s my brother, and I know that if you’re just using him for money, or to boost your status, it’ll hurt him. And I can’t stand people who hurt my siblings, okay?” Nora crushed her cigarette. “He might choose to see the best in people, but I’m a realist. And trust me, I’m really good at making people’s lives hell when they get on my bad side.” Nora stood and stalked off, leaving Charlotte sitting there, stunned, tears brimming in her eyes.

That night Nora was alone in her and Hel’s dorm, since she and Aemond went for a walk down to the gardens. She was flipping through the TV when Aegon burst through the door. “What the hell did you do?” He stormed over, and Nora sat up in her bed. “I don’t know what you’re-” “Don’t do that, Nora- I know you said something to Charlie. She won’t even talk to me, and she won’t tell me why.” Aegon folded his arms across his chest, his jaw clenched. “She came up to me, okay? Not my fault if-” “She was trying to be nice! Because ever since she and I became friends, you’ve been a bitch to her! But she knows how much you mean to me.” Aegon cut her off. Nora huffed and snapped, “Look, Aeg- you’re too trusting, okay? We don’t know her, and we both know that people love to latch onto our name. That girl could be using you as a step to climb, and you wouldn’t even know until she just abandoned you, or something! I’m trying to protect you!” 

“You didn’t even give her a chance! She’s not like the rest of vapid cunts in this place, Nora! She’s the first real friend I’ve had in a long time that didn’t like me because of money, or whatever.” The door opened, and Aemond and Helaena gauged the argument going on and Aemond murmured to Hel, “Come on, love- let’s go back to my dorm instead.” before shutting the door. 

“Apologise.” Aegon demanded. “No.” Nora replied stubbornly. “Dammit Nora- you’re being so fucking unreasonable right now-” “And you’re being naive!” She held her head high stubbornly, as was her way- it was equally her worst and best trait.  Aegon stormed out, slamming the door behind him without another word. It was best to leave before words were said that they didn’t mean.

Nora hated fighting with her siblings, but soon he’d see it was for his own good.

[road2nf]

I thought this story was worth sharing, and whether it is read by none or one or twenty five, I’m glad I wrote it down, and I’m glad my brother read DFTBA from a bumper sticker on the highway. I hope someone smiles at the words on this page, before they are swallowed by the deluge of love and care sent by people all over the world with stories just like my own.

To be up front about it, your videos saved my relationship with my brother, Donovan.

He was my absolute best friend growing up, the person that everyone else had to live up to in order to be even considered a decent person.

He was my hero.

He’s three years older than me, and he was a protector as I went through the struggles that “high potential” kids have which aren’t always understood by those in authority positions.

All my teachers wanted to move me up a grade, which ruined the friendships I had cherished as ten-year-olds do. Fast forward six years, and my brother and I grew apart pretty quickly.

I was president of a couple of clubs at school and he was off to Vanderbilt that fall. We stopped telling each other everything, and I didn’t know what to do to keep talking.

We were driving to visit our grandmother who lived an hour away, and it was getting late.

We were keeping each other awake, blaring music and singing at the top of our lungs.

It was one of the best memories I had with him, and then it got better.

As a car passed us on the highway, my brother (pointing, reading a bumper sticker) yelled, “DFTBA!” And looked at me expectantly. I thought he was crazy, and he just kept repeating,

“Don’t forget to be awesome!...Vlogbrothers...John... Hank...none of this rings a bell?”

When I still didn’t understand, he just told me to go on YouTube on my phone and search “John Green pennies” because he couldn’t remember any specific title.

That was it.

Three minutes and fifty seven seconds, and I was hooked. We sat in my grandma’s living room until past 2:30 that morning watching any video that came up.

The most popular, related to the current one playing, and all of Hank’s songs. Since that day, we would run into each other’s room and talk about the videos for hours.

I also have a (totally healthy) obsession with Jane Austen, and watching all the Pemberly Digital projects with him has been second only to reading them in the first place.

We have read John’s novels together, and cried for hours.

This Christmas, my brother made a donation in my name for the P4A and it was the most amazing thing anyone could have ever done for me.

Without ever watching a video, our parents soon picked up on who we were speaking about when ‘John and Hank’ were mentioned, which is astonishing when they can’t even remember the names of our closest friends. I could list off one hundred other things about being a Nerdfighter, but most importantly is saying thank you.

Thank you for doing this and putting yourself out there which is so difficult to do.

Thank you for leaving your children something to be proud of when so many are left with nothing.

Thank you for turning Nerdfighters into Nerdfighters by decreasing world-suck.

And thank you to your wives and families who support you as you change lives on a daily basis.

Thank you for inspiring me personally, and showing me how easy it is to be passionate about writing and words. I thought this story was worth sharing, and whether it is read by none or one or twenty five, I’m glad I wrote it down, and I’m glad my brother read DFTBA from a bumper sticker on the highway.

I hope someone smiles at the words on this page, before they are swallowed by the deluge of love and care sent by people all over the world with stories just like my own.

Many good wishes and blessings.

-Kate Elizabeth

[im-just-a-br0adway-baby]

Charlie and Vaggie were dragged by their twin daughters, Lucille and Lillian, to their first day of kindergarten. They were counting down the days since they went to their kindergarten orientation a month prior. The days leading up to the first day were filled with shopping for school supplies, new backpacks, and new outfits for the big day. All Luci and Lilli could talk about was how excited they were about their first day at their new school, and to get to meet their new teacher and their new friends.

“C’mon, Mommy! We don’t wanna be late!” Luci exclaimed while still pulling on Charlie’s arm.

“Okay! Calm down! We still have fifteen more minutes until the bell rings!” Charlie laughed.

The twins ignored their moms and continued pulling on their arms until they made it to the door of their new classroom. Luci and Lilli ran into the classroom to find their names on their desks. The twins hugged each other before separating and finding their names and saying hi to the classmates next to them. But before they could leave, their teacher, Ms. Alvarez, stopped Charlie and Vaggie to talk to them.

“Good morning! I’m Ms. Alvarez, and I’m going to be Luci and Lilli’s teacher this year! I still can’t believe I’m teaching the daughters of the Princess of Hell! You were the one I spoke to on the phone last week, right?”

“Yes, I was just kind of concerned because it seemed like they were going to be the only ones in the class with two moms,” Charlie explained.

“Well, I can guarantee they’re going to be in good hands. I had plenty of children with two moms and two dads in previous years, and we have plenty of books for me to read to them. They’re going to have a great school year!”

“Thank you, Ms. Alvarez; we’re also really excited for the twins,” Vaggie thanked.

Charlie and Vaggie left the school after talking with Ms. Alvarez a little bit more and said goodbye to Luci and Lilli. Once they left, more children began trickling into the classroom and the twins got to know their new friends that were sitting next to them. Before they knew it, it was time for the first day of kindergarten to begin. Ms. Alvarez wrote her name on the board and gave the class their special clap signal to start the day.

“Good morning, class! My name is Ms. Alvarez!”

“Good morning, Ms. Alvarez!” Luci, Lilli, and the rest of the class chorally responded.

“Welcome to your first day of kindergarten! To start, we will get to know each other by drawing pictures of our families on the papers I gave to each of you on your desks. Then, we’re going to show our pictures to the class. Take out your crayons so you can start.”

The class took their crayons out to start drawing their family pictures. Luci and Lilli loved drawing and coloring, so their faces lit up once Ms. Alvarez announced their first activity. Both twins were so engulfed in their family pictures that once they were finished, they wanted to add more details to them. Once Ms. Alvarez did her special clap signal, Luci, Lilli and the rest of the class put their crayons down to look at her.

“Who wants to share their picture first?” Ms. Alvarez asked.

Luci and Lilli shot their hands up as high as they could, with several other hands shot up until Ms. Alvarez called on a child sitting across the room named Liam and he walked up to the front of the classroom with his picture.

“This is my family. That’s me, and this is my mommy, and my daddy, and my big brother, Joseph. He’s eight years old and he’s in the third grade,” Liam explained.

“And who’s that next to you?” Ms. Alvarez asked.

“That’s our dog, Hank. My mommy got him when Joseph was two,” Liam replied.

“That is such a great picture, Liam! I’m sure your mom and dad will love it when you show it to them when you get home. Who wants to go next?”

Luci and Lilli raised their hands as high as they could, along with more children in the classroom. Ms. Alvarez called on both twins, since she figured both of their pictures were going to have the same people in them. The twins excitedly made their way to the front of the classroom and showed off their pictures.

“This is our family. This is me and Lilli,” Luci started.

“And these are our mommies. One of them is the Princess of Hell,” Lilli continued.

“And this is our grandma and grandpa. Grandpa’s the King of Hell and I was named after him.”

“And I was named after our grandma and she’s the Queen of Hell.”

One child raised her hand when the twins finished presenting. Ms. Alvarez called on her to ask a question. “Where’s your daddy?” the child asked.

Luci and Lilli looked at each other before answering. “We don’t have a daddy,” Luci replied.

“You’re missing out; my daddy taught me how to ride a bike.”

“Well, my mommy taught us,” Lilli added.

“Okay, how about someone else can show their picture to the class? Thank you, Luci and Lilli, for presenting. Olivia, I need to talk to you before lunch,” Ms. Alvarez interrupted before Olivia could ask more questions.

Luci and Lilli went back to their seats and watched the rest of their class present their pictures. They all had a mommy and a daddy in their pictures. While Hell was filled with same-sex parents, the fact that there were no other children in their class with them made the twins feel out of place. While they tried their hardest to not think about it for the rest of the school day, that one question still lingered in Luci and Lilli’s heads while they were learning their letter sounds and new math concepts.

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

Once it was time for dismissal, Luci and Lilli found Charlie and Vaggie near the front of the crowd with the rest of the parents picking up their children. They ran up to their mothers and gave each of them a hug as Charlie and Vaggie picked each twin up in their arms. They put their daughters down and started walking through Hell.

“How was your first day of kindergarten?” Charlie asked.

“It was fun. I like Ms. Alvarez and we met a lot of new friends,” Luci explained, trying to hide what just happened that morning.

“I’m so happy you had a great time today. Your aunt Niffty will be helping us with dinner tonight, so you can play upstairs with KeeKee until it’s ready,” Vaggie said.

The mothers and daughters continued walking until they got back to the hotel. Once they entered the lobby, Luci and Lilli ran upstairs to see KeeKee on the edge of the top step, asleep, and began petting her gently. They wanted to get their mind off of what happened that morning, and playing with the animals in the hotel was one of their favorite things to do when something was upsetting either of them. Once KeeKee woke up, she made her way in Charlie and Vaggie’s room and Luci and Lilli followed her.

Once dinner was ready, Charlie made her way to her room to see Luci and Lilli still on her bed, laying down and twirling around KeeKee’s fur with one finger each. Charlie slowly walked over to her daughters to see them looking at KeeKee upsettingly.

“Luci? Lilli? Is there something wrong? Did something happen at school today that you want to talk about?” Charlie asked as she sat on the edge of her bed.

“Mommy, I wish I had a daddy,” Lilli started.

“Lilli, why would you say that? You still have two mommies that love you very much.”

“Well, we drew pictures of our families in school today, and one girl asked where our daddy was, and that we needed a daddy,” Luci explained.

Charlie opened her arms and the twins made their way around their mother’s arms. They wrapped their arms around their mother’s waist and Charlie hugged her daughters back as tightly as she could before she could answer.

“Luci, Lilli, you know that there are so many different types of families. Families that have a mommy and a daddy are only one type of family. Some families only have a mommy, and some families only have a daddy. There are even families that only have their grandma or grandpa, or their aunt or uncle. There are even families like ours, that have two mommies, or two daddies. Remember that one friend you had in preschool whose mom died the week after graduation and now only has her daddy?”

“I remember; Mia’s mommy died, and we went to her house that one day and made ‘feel better’ cards for her,” Lilli replied.

“Well, I’m sure she understands that she’s not alone, and that she has such great friends that support her, like you two, even though you go to different schools now. And besides, our family is very special. You don’t just have Vaggie and me. You also have your uncle Alastor, your uncle Angel, your uncle Husk, your aunt Niffty, and your aunt Cherri. And you know your grandpa Lucifer comes to visit all the time and your grandma Lilith visits every other weekend. You have so many people in your family that love you very much.”

Luci and Lilli smiled as they hugged Charlie until Vaggie came into the room and noticed the cuddle puddle. Vaggie sat with her wife and daughters and joined in on the hug. Luci and Lilli noticed their mother with them and hugged Vaggie.

“Are you girls okay?” Vaggie asked.

“We are now; the girls were kind of upset because someone at school asked them where their daddy was and it made them wish they had one,” Charlie explained.

“But mommy told us how special our family is, so now we don’t feel sad anymore,” Luci added.

The mothers and daughters hugged each other again before letting go of each other. “How’s this? I can call your teacher to see if I can come into your class on Friday and read a book to the class about different families,” Charlie explained.

“We would love that!” Lilli replied.

“Okay, well let’s go downstairs; dinner’s ready,” Vaggie said.

All four girls got up from the bed and made their way downstairs to have dinner. They continued talking about Luci and Lilli’s school day and what Charlie wanted to do for their class on Friday. The twins could not wait to tell the rest of the hotel crew about their first day of kindergarten and the conversation they just had with Charlie.

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

Ms. Alvarez agreed to have Charlie come in on Friday afternoon to read a book to Luci and Lilli’s class. She decided to read a special book about a family with two moms, just like their family. That Friday afternoon, near the end of the day, Charlie came by the door of Luci and Lilli’s classroom and was greeted by Ms. Alvarez.

“Thank you so much for coming, Mrs. Morningstar! I’m really sorry again about what happened on the first day of school. But I’m so glad you offered to read a book to the children about different families,” Ms. Alvarez explained.

“It’s okay, Ms. Alvarez; when Luci and Lilli told me about what happened on the first day of school, I thought it would be nice to read this book to the class,” Charlie replied.

Charlie followed Ms. Alvarez in the classroom and they both stood at the front of the class together. “Class, we have a special guest reader with us today. One of Luci and Lilli’s moms, Charlie Morningstar, wanted to read a book to you about their family. Let’s give her a warm welcome!” Ms. Alvarez introduced.

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Morningstar!” the class chorally responded.

Ms. Alvarez gave Charlie the chair that was in the Calm Down Corner to let her sit in it. “Good afternoon, everybody! My name is Charlie Morningstar; I’m the Princess of Hell and one of Luci and Lilli’s moms, and I have a very special book I want to read to you. It’s called ‘Our Family is Special,’ and look at that! It’s written and illustrated by me, Charlie Morningstar!” Charlie opened the book and began reading.

“Our family is special, our family is big. No other family is just like ours. Our mommies, aunts, and uncles are important parts of my family. They are all special in their own way. We have two moms. That means we get double the love everyday. Our mom is Charlie Morningstar. She’s the Princess of Hell and the founder of the Hazbin Hotel. Our other mom is Vaggie Morningstar, she manages the hotel with Charlie. Charlie and Vaggie take care of us, and are sweet and friendly to everyone they meet. 

“Our uncle Alastor is a radio host. He’s the first to take care of us when our moms need help. Our uncle Angel and aunt Cherri are always there when we need to be cheered up. Their jokes and silly voices make us laugh and smile. Our uncle Husk gives the best advice when we need help with something. He helps us with our tough feelings and gives us hugs when we’re upset. Our aunt Niffty tells us silly stories and takes us to the park. She also loves to play with us when we want to play.

“Sometimes our grandma and grandpa come to visit and give us lots of fun gifts. They are Lucifer and Lilith, who are the King and Queen of Hell. They also take us to LuLu World every summer. Our family is special, yes it is. No other family is just like ours. We love our family very much.”

Luci, Lilli, and the rest of the class clapped for Charlie when she closed the book. Ms. Alvarez walked back up to Charlie as she got up from the Calm Down Corner chair. “Thank you for reading for us, Mrs. Morningstar. We loved hearing about your family and how special they are to Luci and Lilli. Can we all say thank you to Mrs. Morningstar?”

“Thank you, Mrs. Morningstar!” the class responded.

“Thank you for letting me come, Ms. Alvarez. I hope I got to teach everyone something today.”

After the school day was over, Luci and Lilli ran over to Charlie and gave her a hug. Their smiles were much brighter than they were the past several days, and they jumped up and down as they held hands. Vaggie was waiting for them at the front of the building to see Charlie and the twins smiling brighter than ever.

“How was today?” Vaggie asked as she held Lilli’s hand and the four of them started walking down the street. 

“It was great! Mommy read her book and everyone loved it!” Luci explained excitedly.

“The class did love it. They especially loved seeing us in the book and pointed to everyone and smiled throughout the whole read aloud,” Charlie added.

“I think we’re gonna love kindergarten!” Lilli said.

Charlie, Vaggie, Luci, and Lilli continued talking about the day and Charlie reading aloud to their class as they walked back to the hotel. The twins did not think they were going to have a good year after what happened on the first day, but now, Charlie felt like the class learned something and Luci and Lilli will be more accepted by her class, even if their family was not traditional. They will always remember how special their family really is.

[lostdreamr-blog1]

Double Trouble Seresin Sister Part 2

Warnings: swearing, mentions of the past, typical Hangman

Pairings: Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Reader, Jake “Hangman” Seresin x Sister Reader

Word count: 1.6k

Summary: Y/N “Nyx” Seresin is called back to the one place she never thought she’d go back to, Top Gun. You had zero idea what was so urgent that needed not only you, but the other best pilots to come out of the academy. Mixed feelings came about when your brother, Jake, is also called back. Being MIA the last year put a strain on your relationship, but a certain pilot is there to help you through it all.  

A/N: Hi everyone! Apologizes for the delay in getting part 2 out. I have so many ideas for this story and cannot wait for you all to read it! As always, my inbox is open for requests, questions, or a simple “hello”. Thank you so much for reading!!!

Part 1

Bradley met you outside the locker room and one look told you he knew exactly what went down out there. You brushed past him, narrowly missing his shoulder, “I don’t want to hear it.”

He threw his hands up in surrender, “Didn’t say anything.” While he was technically correct, you could read him like a book. It was day one and you and your brother were already going at it. Something he told you to avoid.

You went to open the door of the women’s locker room, but stopped and asked, “Can we go for a drive?”

His face softened at the request, and he nodded his head, “Of course. I’ll be right out here.”

Back when the two of you were stationed together, you found yourselves going on drives regularly. It first started out when you had a particularly rough day and he wanted to get you out of there before you started swinging at people above your rank. But it slowly morphed into an activity the two of you shared.

Good days and bad, being on the road with Bradley cleared your mind and it was something you were eternally grateful for.

 After changing out of your flight gear and taking a quick shower, you found yourself walking out of the base and into the old Bronco.

“How is this thing still running?” A simple question you knew would rile him up.

“I will drop you on the side of the road if you continue to dis my car. You know I keep her in perfect condition.” It was true. You knew men liked their cars, but Bradley took it to a whole new level.

The pair of you drove in silence for a good while, but you knew you had to break the silence eventually. Bradley was giving you time to work whatever it was out but knew he would be expecting an explanation soon.

“I didn’t think it would be this hard seeing him again.” Your focus was out the side window, but you saw his head turn towards you at your sudden admission.

“The two of you were close before, right?” You sighed at his question and nodded your head.

“We used to be best friends.” You knew his next question without him having to ask.

“What happened? You never did tell me much about your family when we met.” You turned and smirked at him.

“I didn’t think you would want to hear about my brother.” He chuckled and shook his head, “Well now something is clearly bothering you and I want to know how to fix it.”

Your heart swelled at what he said, and you had to turn your attention back to the window to hide the blush that crept up.

“I’m not the socially perfect southern bell my ma wanted me to be. The high-class social events were never something I wanted to be a part of. Don’t get me wrong, she supportive of my job and anything I did growing up, but she doesn’t get it. Not like my dad does. But at the same time, my dad is very old school and even though I’m his little girl, I’m in a man’s job and that caused a few issues between us. So, between my sisters being what my ma wants and Jake being what my dad wants, I’ve always been on the outside. But Jake was always there for me. He always made a point to include me in everything he did and even when I got into the Navy, he helped me through my rough patches. I can’t even begin to tell you the number of late-night calls he got due to me freaking out over something so small. But he never once made me feel like I was below him.”

You stopped to take a deep breath, trying to find the words to explain this next part. “You saw what happened last year. If Jake ever found out, I feel like his view of me would change. His baby sister went through hell, and I don’t know if it would lead him to hurt or disappointment.”

Bradley shook his head, “Why would he be disappointed? It wasn’t something that was your fault.”

You closed your eyes and leaned your head onto the seat behind you. “Because I’ve changed. I’m not the same person I was before that mission, and you know it. I just don’t think I can deal with my brother knowing that fact as well.”

Bradley huffed out a breath, “So pushing him away is the answer?” It wasn’t the best option, but how can you deal with disappointing someone when you don’t give them the chance to? You were already an outsider to the rest of your family. You couldn’t live with yourself if Jake distanced himself on his own terms. This way you save yourself some of that hurt.

You were pulled out of your thoughts when a hand grabbed yours and squeezed. “Let me ask you one more question and then I’ll drop it. Do you think your brother is going to let you walk away from him?”

You knew he wouldn’t let you. No matter how hard you try to keep him at arm’s length, he was going to keep pushing forward.

You both arrived back at the dorms well after the sun went down and parted ways. While being back at TopGun opened some old wounds, being back with Bradley was something you weren’t going to take for granted. No matter how short of time it may be.

You managed to slip back into your room without running into anyone from the team and you sent up a silent prayer for that. After the day you had, you didn’t have it in you to keep your walls up. It was one thing living up to your last name on a normal basis, but having your brother here meant you needed to work harder. An exhausting task to say the least

Rushing through your nighttime routine, you were able to get into bed before midnight, having sleep take over in seconds. And as much as you were thankful for the quick onset, you were awake a few hours later.

Nightmares were a normal occurrence for you this last year. But waking up drenched in sweat, gasping for air was not something you would ever get used to.

You fired off a quick text to Bradley to see if he was awake. After your accident in Guam, the two of you were stationed together during your recovery. Which allowed you to quickly find comfort in the pilot. You wouldn’t admit it out loud, but Bradley was home. And in this moment, you were craving any kind of comfort you could get.

A few minutes went by, and your phone showed no signs of life. You knew if you called him, he would wake up. But with training starting so early, you figured it would be too cruel to do that to him. No matter how many times he said it was okay.

Resorting to plan B, you got out of bed and headed out of your room to the kitchen to find any sort of warm beverage. At home, you always kept tea packets with you for these exact moments. But with the last-minute call back, you didn’t have time to pack any, leaving you to hope that someone brought a box.

You searched through the cabinets as quietly as you could but came up empty handed. Your anxiety was starting to creep back in from your nightmare and knew you needed to do something soon or else you would have a full-blown panic attack. With little to no options, you found yourself walking back down the hall, knocking on a door that was a few down from yours.

It didn’t take long for the person to open it and find you standing there, puffy eyed and trembling.

“Y/N, what happened? What’s wrong?” Your brother looked absolutely terrified in that moment, not knowing what to do.

“I-I just need a distraction. Or to not be alone.” His panic slowly changed into understanding as he opened the door for you to walk in. The second he closed the door he pulled you into a tight embrace.

It didn’t take long for the pent-up emotions to work their way out. Tears started flowing down your cheeks and you clung onto your brother for dear life. One of his hands was in your hair, holding your head against his chest while the other one rubbed slow circles on your back.

“Let it out, sweetheart. I got you.” It was those simple words that made your heart ache. Growing up, you always went to your brother when you were hurting. Whether it was after a nightmare or a bad day, you always went to him for love and support.

You stood there and cried over many different things. The nightmare you can’t ever seem to run away from. Selfishly pushing your brother away for the past year. And the possibility of causing irreversible damage to the relationship with the one person who has always been there for you.

What if things didn’t go back to how they were before the accident? What if after opening up to your brother, he resents you for not telling him sooner? In your moment of weakness, you managed to either take a step in the right direction or start the downward spiral of losing your brother for good.

Thoughts? Comments? Thank you for reading!!

-Chelsea

Tag List: @mrsjobarnes

[hvghes]

constellations tz!sister x j.drysdale

song rec:

The school day was over for the youngest zegras. and it was yet another horrible day. prom was coming up soon and everyone but her had a date. She always had to live in the shadows of her brother so the only time anyone ‘liked’ her or was her ‘friend’ was only to get closer to her brother. The only person she could go to was Jamie. He would sit and listen no matter what, he'd be there for her always. She was on her way to jamies house hoping Trevor wasn’t over. Once arriving she did their special knock and Jamie immediately answered, “hey pumpkin what brings you here today?” which she didn’t answer just hugged him tightly and that was enough for jamie to know it was a bad day. he quickly hugged her back picking her up and shutting the door before going to his room and sitting down on the bed with her next to him cuddled into his side. “I hate high school, I hate this stupid prom, I don't even want to go anymore. it's all so stupid-""hey woah slow down, start from the beginning what happened today?” jamie cut her off rubbing her back softly. “Everyone was talking about prom today and how everyone has dates and they would look at me when they would say ‘except some’ there were so many promposals and I hate it. I have never once been asked. no guy ever liked me and i don’t even have friends at that school they just want trevor it's always trevor this trevor that.” she grumbled moving, hiding her face more into his side as she let a few tears fall. “I'm sorry you feel like that pumpkin, but I promise you, you don't wanna miss out on this, not with it being your last one ever. make memories even if it's by yourself because in the end you won't even remember these people, only the memories you chose to make. plus i think you’d look beautiful in your dream dress, remember how happy it made you?” he said while pulling her face away from his side wiping her tears away but more began to slip after his speech and she hugged him so tight, which he returned. “thank you j, you’re the best ever i'm glad you’re my best friend.” she said while standing up. “I should get going though before Trevor throws a fit that I ‘got home late’ again” Jamie let out a soft laugh before walking her to her car. “Get home safe. and text me when you get there take care of yourself.” Jamie said and she smiled, “Will do. same to you, I'll see you later.” and with that she was gone and Jamie ran to his room continuing his plans.

once arriving home she texted Jamie to let him know she got there safely. upon entering her shared home with Trevor she forget to make sure it didn’t look like she had a breakdown and trev caught her stopping her from going up the stairs “what happened, why were you crying?” “it’s nothing i swear just stress.” she said trying to push past him but he moved and blocked her way once again. “no i'm tired of you shutting me out what's going on, we barely talk anymore.” he said looking at her only for her to look away, guilt filling her eyes. “yeah well that's nothing new anyways, we barely talked before we moved here so what's the difference now.” she snapped, pushing past him going up to her room. “melody rose zegras get back here now!” Trevor yelled chasing after her blocking her from her room. “I am sick of this melody. What is going on? Why don't you talk to me? i'm your big brother i want to hel-""you can't help Trevor when you are the reason why. Just leave me alone. please.” and with that Trevor moved from her door and she quickly went inside shutting the door and locking it. Trevor didn’t know what to do. his baby sisters pains were all because of him? but why. he decided to leave the house for a bit and go on a drive to try and clear his mind.

Somehow Trevor ended up at Jamie’s house. He was his only hope to find out what's going on with his sister, Jamie was the only person she’d ever talk to since the move to Anaheim. With a quick knock Jamie opened the door welcoming him in, “hey trev whats up?” Trevor walked inside taking a minute before turning to face his best friend “me and melody got into an argument, she said that im the reason why for her pains and i just don’t understand has she talked to you about it?” He questioned while sitting down on the couch. Jamie takes a minute and sits next to him. “She doesn’t have any friends at school, they all use her to try and get close to you. She’s living in your shadows trev.” Jamie told him calmly hoping he won't be upset but he just sighed. “Why wouldn’t she tell me though..” “Because trev she doesn’t like arguing and didn't want to risk an argument with you, your guy’s relationship is already rocky” and with that Trevor broke. he broke down crying and Jamie pulled him into a hug. He didn’t have any words, only guilt. “you’re a good friend jamie. Thank you for being her friend. Just promise me you’ll never fall in love with her'' Trevor finally calmed down and Jamie just nodded and Trev decided to part ways heading back home.

On the way home Trevor stopped to pick up his baby sister's favorite food. Arriving home he knocked on her door softly. “I’m sorry petal, Jamie explained to me about how you feel and i’m so sorry people treat you like that. you’re very special in your own way and i wish people would see that. Please don’t be mad at me. I miss you and I wouldn't be where I am in my career without you.” Melody was quick to open her door and hug her big brother tight. “I’m sorry for lashing out on you, I was upset and wanted to be left alone.” She shakily said while tears dropped down her cheeks. “I know petal. I know it’s okay, I'm here.” He said while wiping her tears away and helping her to the bed. “I got your favorite, figured you didn’t eat yet.” “Thank you trev.” The night went on and the two siblings finally caught up, no tension whatsoever. for now.

@drysdalesv @shy4jamie @sweetestdesire

[cyi-can-you-imagine]

Long fic writing project

Ok, so I’m seriously considering revitalizing one of my old longer fics. Three are mostly written and have been posted here or on AO3. I’m going to take them down (not delete them!), really focus on the editing and storytelling rather than quickly posting.

These are all angsty!wincest. It’s all hurt!sam and caretaker!dean, protective!dean. Tragedy-comfort-love stuff. Lots of fluff. But it’s gonna make you cry, too, cause tragedy happens, too. And some have happy endings, and the others are left up for interpretation.

I am absolutely still writing my fluffy daily wincest short stuff, this is just an additional project because I want to get into my writing again…I’ll tag everything and give warnings about everything so you can skip if it’s not your jam… 🙂

So if there’s one anyone would like to see worked on, lemme know. Otherwise, I’ll just pick one and I’ll post it anyway, so….

Starved/Skin and Bones - this has had 2 different titles and, same story. Sam is kidnapped and not rescued for several years. When John and Dean finally find him, he is a shell of who he was and has lost several pounds. The boys had discovered they were in love with each other only three months before Sam was taken, and those feelings return. But Sam has a long road to recovery. He’s developed an eating disorder through his torturous experience, and of course, has some psychological damage too. The story is one of love, loss, despair, hope, tenderness, terror, grief, and love.  They have many obstacles to overcome. Including John. What happens when he finds out about his sons true feelings for each other?

The Choice - this a story about a sixteen year old Sam living in a motel with his brother. But something horrible has happened, and Sam makes a decision that affects his whole life. Dean’s too. Soon after, Dean starts noticing things have changed recently, and Sam’s acting very weird. They don’t touch as often as they used to. Dean’s used to his brother craving his touch, but now Sam seems to wince in fear around him. John is gone so often now, that Dean doesn’t think he knows anything at all.  Sam comes home late from school, he’s been getting into fights, and he’s more withdrawn. When Dean finally finds out the truth he is livid. He then makes his own horrible decision, and finds out too late the reason behind Sam’s choice. Can he fix this before the damage is irreparable?

The Fire Pit - John and the boys have settled in a small town for a very long term hunt. John’s rented a small house where the boys share a room. This proves difficult for Sam since he’s started to have feelings for his brother. He can’t stop thinking about him.  Sam attends high school there while Dean works. But the thing John is hunting? It’s a Djinn, and it’s kidnapped Sam. Of course, Sam doesn’t know he’s in a dream world. Here, Dean loves him. Treats him with tenderness, it’s everything Sam’s wanted. But when he’s rescued after 3 days, he realizes it’s all a dream, and that Dean doesn’t and never did love him. Sam’s in pain, both mentally and physically after the torture by the strange group that took him. But John’s in deeper than anyone expected, and what Dean finds out while helping Sam heal might just tear him apart. But the way Dean feels about Sam? Maybe it’s not a dream after all. And John? He does something that Dean never expected him to do. And now he needs to get Sam as far away from their dad as possible, or Sam could be lost to him forever.

Sick - Teenage Sam is really really sick. He’s been hexed by a witch and in a lot of pain. He’s alone for over a week while Dean looks for a cure - and gets worse. Much worse. When Dean returns, he discovers a little brother that has experienced something no one should ever face. Not only had he been hexed by a witch, he had been tortured by demons in Dean’s absence. Dean struggles to care for him as he blames himself for not getting back in time.  Love grows between the two boys once Sam is on the path to healing. But when John comes back from an extended hunt and finds out what happens, he takes Sam in the night, blaming Dean for “destroying” his brother. Overcome with grief and rage, Dean sets out to find the love of his life and save him from their father’s abusive hands.

Anything stick out to anyone? Which one should I work on first?

[gregorygerwitz]

The Platt Gerwitz Siblings

“You’d better behave while we have that girl in the house.” “Why do I have to live with some little sister I’ve never met, exactly?” “Because your father decided to screw around and make her.” “Then why am I the one being punished?” “Gregory, you are not being punished for your father’s behavior.” “Really? Because it feels like I am.” “It’s only for a few months until the media finds something else to focus on. I’m sure she’ll be out of our hair again by the start of the school year.”

When the whispers began around the city about Gregory Gerwitz III and his affairs, enough people dug a little deeper than the surface. Within days, the articles and blog posts were everywhere, sharing theories with plenty of evidence that there was more than one child in the Gerwitz bloodline. In a desperate attempt to save his reputation and his marriage, Gregory made the decision to bring one of those children into his home, offered a nice house, paid for an expensive education, and that was enough for his lawyers to negotiate for full custody of a daughter.

The girl, Kimberly, was the perfect addition to the household. She was a few months away from starting high school, one signed check away from being accepted into her first year at one of the best prep schools in the city, the perfect age to be taught everything she might need to know for her future, and now every family picture would have every key component - father, mother, son, daughter. She was the perfect solution to all of his problems, and he hardly had to do anything at all - just sign a couple checks, and the paperwork that would legally change her last name to Gerwitz, and one of the extra rooms could easily be converted into any teenage girl’s dream bedroom.

The thing was, Kim didn’t want to be a Gerwitz. She didn’t want to go to an expensive private school with a uniform. She didn’t want to move into the big house. All it held was a father she didn’t even know, a step mother who ignored her existence, and a half brother who would rather scowl at her than actually give her a ride school. It was miserable, and isolating, and she spent all of her free time hidden away in her bedroom with headphones and school books. If she could make it through the next four years until she was a legal adult, she could take the money in whatever bank account her father had set up for her and get out, as far away as she could.

At least, that was her attitude through the summer and the first months of the school year. Then, things started to change.

“Look, Kimberly, I-” “I know you don’t like me, Greg. You don’t have to explain it all to me.” “What? No, I wanted to say... I know my mother can be a lot. She has a lot of high expectations, and a plan for everything. And if anyone deviates from her plan...” “Like her husband moving his child into her home? That’s a pretty big deviation.” “Yeah. Like that. It’s nothing against you, personally, I’m sure.” “Right...” “Do you want to do something today? I have to stay late for practice, but after that?” “What, exactly, would we be doing?” “I don’t know. I didn’t think this far ahead.” “Fine. But your mother will kill us if we’re late for dinner.” “Oh, believe me, I know.”

By the time the first snow of the season started to fall, there was a new energy in the house. Instead of scowling, Greg smirked across the dinner table when certain comments were made. The morning drives to school weren’t spent in silence anymore. Once a week, after they were let out of school and he was done with his fencing coach, they took the long way back to the house and stopped for ice cream. It probably ruined their appetites for dinner, but they both preferred to spend an extra hour together than sit in a quiet house for all that time.

They were pretending less, when it came to family photos, and Greg knew the best hiding spots at the winter charity gala so they didn’t have to mingle and make small talk. He even wove through the crowd so smoothly that he could swipe two glasses of champagne from a passing tray without anyone batting an eye. For the first time, in a dim back office with a little too much alcohol, they were free. There was no family pressure when no one could see them, and there was nothing to do but talk, especially when the champagne ran out and neither of them wanted to risk sneaking out to get more.

Tipsy discussions just happened to lead to secrets and confessions, and a stronger bond than any member of the family could have foreseen.

“Wanna know something else? I think you disrupt my mother’s plans less than I do.” “I doubt it. You’re perfect, and she hates me.” “She doesn’t hate you. She hates what you represent. And I only pretend to be perfect.” “You have a perfect GPA, you spend weekends with homeless animals, and you won all of your matches last year.” “Yeah, I’m perfect, for now. After I graduate next year...” “You’ll be perfect at college?” “She wants me to get a business degree here in Chicago and have an equally perfect girlfriend where all the cameras can see.” “So? You get to take over the family business and have a perfect wife and perfect kids.” “What if... what if I don’t want that? What if I want to go to MIT and have a boyfriend, instead?” “Oh...” “Yeah...” “...welcome to the disappointments, Greg.”

They probably should have known from the very beginning - those first four years weren’t an obstacle to everything she wanted. They were the easy part.

[let-me-love-you-loki]

Too Late to Be Too Late--Ch. 4

Part 4: Mattie

           One moment, it was just us—just Nicole and Lee and me. My baby brother and sister trying their best to keep me together. It was just them. Momma was in her bedroom—the one she shared with Dad. I’d barely seen her since the day Papa told us what happened. That those stupid kids at school had made Dad leave. That I had made him leave. Aunt Denise was there. She’d been the one to cook our meals and make sure everyone had clean clothes and lunch for school. Nicole refused to go, even after we didn’t even go to the same one. After the first day, Papa and Denise stopped trying to make her. By the second, Lee had boycotted, too.

           One moment, it was just us. Just the three of us clinging to something. To the hope that when Papa came home, he’d bring Dad with him.

           One moment, I had my head hanging over the trash can, vomit and bile burning up my throat as my eyes burned with tears and I struggled to breathe.

           And then the next… the next there was something—someone—else. Big and buzzing and smelling like caramel and alcohol. He’d stopped drinking a long time ago, but I would always associate the warm scent of whisky with Uncle Mox.

           I knew he was there—I registered it—but in the next moment, it was gone. All that remained was the empty, gaping hole inside me. I wanted to run away from it. But more I just wanted to crawl into it and never come out. Maybe then I would be able to forget what I’d done to our family.

           Somehow, I slipped off into a twilight darkness that flowed around me like water.

***

           I felt gross. Grimy and sticky. Like my skin had been painted in salt water. It felt tight. Almost painful. My eyes ached. They hurt like they’d been rolled in sandpaper. My throat was raw. Every little bit of me was tired.

           The feeling had gotten worse after Uncle Mox had me take some medicine. He hadn’t told me what it was, but it made my arms and legs feel heavy. I tried to open my eyes and lift my head, but I couldn’t. My heart beat slowly, thumping hard. It made it hard to breathe.

           “Get up.” The voice was low and rough. There was a faint sense of anger beneath the surface. “I said, get up.”

           My whole body hurt. The world shook and thundered beneath me. My stomach turned upside down and inside out. Like going through the same loop over and over again on a roller coaster.

           “Cookie—” Only Uncle Mox called me that. “Either you get up your way or mine. And I swear, yours will have way fewer bruises.”

           “’M still tired, Mox.” The sound was my own voice, but I didn’t recognize it. It was pitiful and whiny.

           “Don’t make me ask again,” Mox said as a jar ran through my bed. My stomach tried to claw its way up my throat as the world shook violently. “Now get the fuck up.”

           Before I could move, the world tipped sideways. I went tumbling, crashing hard against the floor. The breath rushed out of me, throwing the room into sharp focus as the shock cut through the leftover haze of the drugs.

           Motorcycle boots appeared in my vision. Uncle Mox let out a grunt as he sank into a deep squat. He balanced on the balls of his feet and gave my shoulder a shove. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to make me look up.

           “You know I love you, Cookie. And I love your momma too. But you and Cupcake gotta stop all this mopey bullshit.”

           “You don’t—”

           “What? I don’t get it?” He snapped his fingers right in front of my nose. With every word, he thumped his fist against his chest. “Broken home. Projects. Got the shit kicked out of me daily. Dropped outta high school. Booze and coke and just about anything you can possibly imagine and definitely things you can’t.”

           The feeling of being sick hit me again. I toppled forward and pressed my forehead against the carpet. “Stop, Uncle Mox!”

           His boots disappeared, but I could hear him stomping away. The door banged against the stop as his voice roared down the hallway. “Nacho, open the door!”

           Almost immediately, my sister’s voice replied. “Which one?”

           “Patio!”

           Nicole called out for Lee, and within a few seconds I heard the locks clicking. Uncle Mox wrapped his hand around my ankle and practically dragged me backward. I clawed at the carpet, tried to get my hands on the post of my bed. My free leg kicked backward. I hit Mox in the shin at least once, but he didn’t stop.

           The carpet burned. It felt like being raked over sandpaper. I screamed as a sudden anger and rage surged through me. “Let go of me!”

           When he’d dragged me all the way into the living room, Uncle Mox leaned over and hefted me over his shoulder. I thrashed and flailed, beating my fist against his back. “Put me down!”

           “I warned you, Cookie,” he growled. The heat of Southern California slammed into me as he stepped out onto the patio. “It’s time for the bullshit to stop.”

           “Daddy left us!” Tears burned against the backs of my eyelids. “Daddy left me!”

           Nicole let out a faint gasp at the moment Uncle Mox yanked me back over his shoulder and practically dropped me to the ground. I swayed as the blood rushed back out of my head. The stone patio was hot, burning against the soles of my feet.

           “Your Daddy is a coward who ran out when things got tough,” Uncle Mox growled at me. His face was calm as he pointed over my shoulder to the house. “And your Papa is an ignorant dick to leave you and Cupcake when you need him!”

           Anger roared up inside me. I felt it start at my toes and burn it’s way through my whole body. Before I could stop myself, I reached out and shoved my hands into his chest as hard as I could. He barely flinched. Barely moved a single centimeter. The scream tore at my throat as it ripped out of me.

           “Shut up!” I shoved him again. “Shut up!”

           I took a step forward, wanting to punch my Uncle Mox in the face. It hurt so much to hear the things he said. It was like a knife slicing between my ribs to think about my Dad as a coward. My eyes burned. The tears fell in a torrent.

           “Mox…” Nicole’s said from somewhere over my shoulder.

           He made a noise that sounded like a hiss. I felt his roughened fingers settle on my wrist. With gentle pressure, he pulled me toward him. For a split second, I thought that he was going to hug me. But a place in the back of my mind registered the way he held my wrist. I knew that feeling. I knew what it meant.

           My heart dropped into my stomach as Uncle Mox whipped me past him. I couldn’t stop myself. Water rushed into my mouth and up my nose as I hit the water, sinking fast through the warm top and down into the cold bottom of the pool.

           I dragged myself toward the surface, my soaked clothes weighing me down. I broke through and sputtered. Water came through my mouth and nose as I tried to breathe.

           “What the fuck!” I yelled, coughing. “Why’d you do that?”

           Uncle Mox crouched down at the edge of the pool just out of reach. “First off, watch your fucking language. You know better.” There was half a smile somewhere in his voice, but it was still buried beneath a quiet sort of rage. “Second, it’s time for you to stop wallowing and grow up.”

           “Mox!” Nicole snapped, stalking up behind him. “Don’t talk to her that way!”

           Without even looking at her, Uncle Mox said, “Stay out of it, Nacho. Go back inside.”

           “No! You’re not gonna be mean to Tea!”

           Treading water, I looked up at him. Uncle Mox stared right back at me. His face was steady and blank in that way that only he had. “It’s my fault,” I said softly.

           “No, it isn’t,” he replied. “It’s your Daddy’s fault.”

           “If I hadn’t gotten into that fight…”

           He shook his head without looking away. “Wasn’t a fight. That was a beat down.”

           “If they didn’t know about our family…”

           Uncle Mox sank back, plopping down on his rear. “Your family is what it is. Ain’t nobody else’s business. And those girls are little punks with bitch ass parents who haven’t taught them shit.”

           I swam toward the edge of the pool. My clothes kept dragging me down, making it harder to move. I pulled myself up onto the patio, water streaming off me, hair sticking to my neck and cheeks.

           “Is there something wrong with me, Mox?”

           He scooted across the patio to sit behind me. He tugged me back against his chest, ignoring the water that immediately soaked into his clothes. “No. Not a goddamn thing. Be exactly who you are, Cookie. And anybody who doesn’t like it can fuck off.”

           For just a moment, my chest ached. And then it felt as if part of the weight on my shoulders lifted. As long as Uncle Mox was there, I could be okay. I could make it. But I was afraid of what might happen when he left. When I was all alone again and left with the thoughts and memories of what happened.

           “I’ll be here as long as you need me, Mattie. I’ll camp out in a hammock out here if that’s what it takes.”

           My body ached. My heart ached. I felt the tears again. Mox hugged me tightly.

           “I’m right here, Cookie. No matter what.”

           I burrowed back against him, holding onto his arms with every ounce of strength I had. “Thanks, Uncle Mox.”

______

Tag List

@not-that-kinda-gurl08

@lilred91

@imagineall-the-fandoms

@maelleoute

@librathepheonix13

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@ryantaylorgirl

@mrsmatt​

@rollynchwhore​

[acknowledgetheabsurd]

It has been snowing since yesterday, my darling, tirelessly. Today I thought that the bus, which carries the mail, would not reach Cabris and that I would have nothing from you. But the postman came by, though very late. And you tell me that you are cold, my little ice cube, and that you envy my beautiful country, flooded with sunshine! But no, the sky here is made of bad wadding, the valley is white, and the olive trees look like cold ghosts.

It's true that winter is beautiful here and it's awful in Paris. It is true that your house is an absurd fridge while this house is crackling with bright lights. Ah! How happy we would be here, even in winter. Warm up, my little flake! I'd like to melt you in my arms. Just now the radio announced - 8 in Paris. And a warm tenderness came to me, the desire to warm you and protect you, to tell you at least, with all my heart, as I do here. This morning after working a little, I put on my ski boots and pants, a high jumper, and my dear jacket. And I went for a walk on the mountain through the snow. The air stung, my blood was pounding, and my yesterday's sadness was slowly fading away. Everything was white and the silence wonderful. I made good resolutions; to ignore everything except you and my work, not to let me be confused by anything and enjoy only you and my work, etc., etc., etc. I returned home with my eyes flickering with the brightness of the snow, my cheeks fresh, and a new courage in my heart.

I had lunch, read my Delacroix in bed and waited for your letter. She arrived, I was happy, I answer her and then I'll work, so I'll answer you: Good news about Jean and Catherine going to school. It's true that they see mostly movies and puppets. From my time! Good news about my mom. My brother* writes to me, talking about her and her kindness: "This is bread. And what a loaf!" I'll go to the doctor in about ten days and we'll take an x-ray. But yes! Proust was homosexual. I thought you knew that. Go on. You can talk more about it. Bad news, George Orwell is dead**. You don't know him. A very talented English writer, with about the same experience as me (although he was ten years older) and exactly the same ideas. He had been fighting tuberculosis for years. He was one of the very few men with whom I shared something. But let's leave it at that.

The snow is coming down. I don't know how to get this letter to the post office in time. The wind is blowing too. You can't see ten feet in front of you. God! How cold your room must be! Don't curl up too much. Don't disappear completely. Stop at the point. When you're just a dot, I'll still love you and I'll take you in my pocket. I love you in the winter too, you know that, since we've had so few summers to ourselves. But the summer, truthfully, the one we shall live, will come again. And he'll find us full of a new love. I hold you close to me, I warm your hands against my chest, I cover all. See you tomorrow, darling!

Albert Camus to Maria Casarès, Correspondance, January 25, 1950 [#146]

* Lucien, Albert's elder brother, born January 20, 1910 in Algiers.

** The English writer and journalist George Orwell, author of Animal Farm and 1984, died in London on 21 January 1950. His intellectual and personal commitment to social justice and against all forms of totalitarianism brought him closer to Albert Camus.

[yawpie]

Shooting star

{NOT INOSAKU} {BESTFRIEND AU}

"Mango ice-cream is way better!"

"No! strawberry slaps as always!"

"Strawberry ice cream taste like my cough medicine!"

"Have you ever tried it Sakura? Besides, it matches your hair as well"

"No, but have yo—!"

Before Sakura could finish rambling about how bad strawberry ice cream tasted, she was stopped when a spoonful of strawberry ice cream was jammed into her mouth. Her eyes widened when she realised what Ino had done. Her eyes widened even more when she noticed how good it tasted that her forehead muscles hurt.

"Like it billboard brow?"

Sakura swallowed the ice cream and wiped her mouth before she spoke "It tasted better than I expected" certainly not like the cough medicine she talked about "But I'll stick with mine, thankyou"

"Whatever"

Sakura and Ino were inseparable since childhood and did everything together. They shared storied, secrets, and laughed together. They were each other's support system, confidantes, partner in crime and everyone around them knew how their friendship was unbreakable.

Ino was the extroverted one, always ready to take on any challenge and make new friends. She had a contagious smile and a bubbly personality that drew people towards her. Sakura, on the other hand, was an introvert, quiet and reserved. She was content with a few close friends and loved to read books and watch movies. Ino brought out the best in Sakura, and Sakura grounded Ino whenever she got too carried away.

They went to the same school and lived in the same neighbourhood. They spent their summers swimming in the lake, playing board games, and watching the stars. They had dreams of traveling the world together, becoming writers, and living in a cosy cottage by the lake.

From eating ice cream in elementary school, to random pizza dates in high school, to screaming their lungs out to their favourite music in their rooms, sleepless sleep overs and laughing till their stomach's hurt. Day by day, they only wished they would stay together as best friends till death do them apart.

"You're my best friend, you are supposed to feel the second-hand embarrassment"

Ino and Sakura were driving to college like the nineteen-year old's they were and Ino was singing her hear out with the window rolled down in the morning, and they had just been caught being ugly at seven in the morning.

"You'll be the death of me pig, plus it's seven am in the morning?!"

As they grew older, their friendship only grew stronger. They went to college together, took the same courses, and even joined the same sorority. They were each other's wing-woman, and they never let anything come between them. They had each other's back no matter what.

"Ino guess what?!"

"You finally found your man?" Ino said peaking from her laptop

"Yes! And I have a date with him tomorrow!" Sakura said jumping up and down squealing as Ino put her laptop down and went to do the same

"Dressing you up is my job! And was it that guy you were talking about? One of the Uchiha brothers?" Ino held Sakura's hand together looking into her eyes.

"Yes! The younger one!" Sakura said as Ino pulled her into a hug

"Sasuke Uchiha? You bagged that guy? Oh my we should already start preparing for your wedding. I'll be your bridesma—"

"Ino, it's just a date. Stop celebrating already, we dint find yours yet "Sakura cut her off.

"Tsk. Don't worry about me honey, I'll have a man when the right time comes up"

And so they moved in together after graduating university into a small apartment big enough for the two of them. Now getting a job was the main thing to pay off their rents and it looked like Sakura had one today.

"So how do I look?" Sakura said standing in front of Ino with her pencil skirt and white formals

"Banger my lady, show them who Sakura Haruno is!" Ino said balling her fists into the air.

"It's already getting late" rushed Sakura putting on her watch and grabbing her bag

"Ino, promise me something okay?" Sakura said picking up her train pass.

"Hm? Yeah yeah I'll buy you strawberry ice cream after your interview" she said not looking at her.

"Thankyou, but no, not that" Ino closed her laptop and turned towards her best friend raising her eyebrow and gesturing her to continue

"Promise me that you'll live your life to the fullest. Travel the world, write your stories, and fall in love. Don't waste a single moment. Promise me that you'll be happy." Sakura walked to Ino and gave her a warm hug

"That was sudden—ow! Alright I promise!" Ino said releasing the hug as she held her shoulders

"I promise, billboard brow"

-------

Ino was now pacing around their room, worrying and overthinking as every second passed by. Sakura was to return home two hours ago and she wasn't home yet. She grabbed the TV remote to divert her mind but it soon fell when she saw what was on the news

"Train caught fire on the way to it's destination in Tokyo this morning, 750 assumed dead and 30 unidentified"

Ino grabbed her purse and jolted off to the station Sakura was supposed have gone to, it seems that they had shifted all the passengers to the Konoha hospital, she quickly called a taxi and drove to the hospital, running her way to the ER

"Sakura Haruno, is there any patient here named Sakura Haruno?!" Ino tried to take a breath as she asked the receptionist.

"Please describe the patient" The nurse pulled out a notepad

"Pink hair, green eyes, was wearing a pencil skirt and a white formal" Ino said holding on to the straps of her bag tightly

The nurse looked up from her clipboard downhearted

No.... nononoonononono this can't be happening—

"Bed number 314, please take her to patient number 314" The receptionist said to one of the nurses.

"Please follow us ma'am"

And there she laid on the hospital bed, her white shirt now burnt and brown due to the fire, her arms and legs bruised with second degree burns as the nurse lifted up the white sheet from her face

"Is she the one you're looking for?"

It was as if the world had stopped, no way that was sakura right?! the person who i promised that i would buy her Ice cream after—

She let out one of the painfullest sobs the hospital had ever heard, clutching the white sheets on the bed and holding her best friend's hand as she kneeled down on the floor

"No.....not you Sakura" 

Sakura, her best friend had passes away, leaving Ino heartbroken and alone

-----

"Promise me that you'll live your life to the fullest. Travel the world, write your stories, and fall in love. Don't waste a single moment. Promise me that you'll be happy."

Ino kept her promise. She traveled the world, wrote her stories, and fell in love. But she could never forget Sakura, her best friend, her soulmate. She missed her every day and wished she could have her back.

Years went by, and Ino grew old. She never forgot Sakura, and she lived her life to the fullest, just like she promised. But her heart was always heavy with the pain of losing her best friend. She missed the laughter, the secrets, and the adventures they shared.

One day, as Ino sat in her rocking chair by the lake, watching the stars, she whispered to the wind, "I miss you, Sakura. You were my soul mate, my person, my wing-women, my best friend forever"

And as if in response, a shooting star streaked across the sky, lighting up the darkness for a moment, reminding Ino of the light that Sakura brought into her life. And then, it was gone, leaving Ino with her memories, her regrets, and her love for her best friend.

[loveforpreserumsteve]

Most Likely (high school reunion Stucky fic)

Two:

Holding the postcard in his hand, Steve wasn't sure what to make of the RSVP. To be honest, he hadn't given high school much thought in the past twenty-five years. Had it really been twenty-five years?

When he did take a moment out of his busy day to think of high school, he thought of Bucky. Bucky with his golden skin in the summertime and his frosted tips that he – and most of the boys in their school – thought was so cool. Bucky who never teased him for being scrawny in his youth, and who used it to his advantage to toss Steve into the Barnes' inground swimming pool at every opportunity. Bucky who had awful puns and terrifying scary stories to share around campfires. Bucky, who despite twelve years of friendship, ghosted him after graduation. It didn't even take a semester away from each other before he dropped Steve completely.

No, Steve shook his head. He wasn't doing this right now. He had things to get done. Things that were much more important than his pathetic, disastrous crush on Bucky Fucking Barnes more than two decades ago.

So, Steve set the postcard on the table beside the front door and headed upstairs. Clapping his hands as he reached the landing, he called out, "'You guys almost ready? We gotta be at the airport in two hours!"

Peeking into Harrison's room, Steve found the recently turned sixteen year old laying on his messy, unmade bed, the teen's suitcase abandoned beside him and containing a mountain of wrinkled clothes. But what did he really expect though? Harrison was staring moony-eyed at his phone, probably talking to his new girlfriend. His first girlfriend. And while Steve didn't want to be late, he still decided to give the teen a moment. After all, he remembered what that felt like, texting with that one person he couldn't get enough of. That one person that he'd move heaven and earth for.

A memory of Bucky's flushed face with tearstains from laughing at his own terrible puns came to the forefront of his mind. Steve shook his head. Even after all those years, it still hurt.

Leaving Harrison for the moment, Steve headed down the hallway for the three younger kids. First stopping at Mikey's room. The twelve year old wasn't any readier than his older brother. Sighing, Steve reminded all the kids, "You guys need to pack! And I mean, right now! We're going to be leaving soon!"

"You said we had two hours!" Maggie-Mae frantically yelled from her and Alice's bathroom.

Approaching the fourteen year old's bedroom, he further elaborated, "I said we had to be at the airport in two hours! We still need to leave in the next thirty minutes, so we can beat traffic."

"It's going to take that long just to straighten my hair!"

Rolling his eyes, Steve paused at Alice's room. Surprisingly, the ten year old was trying to close her packed suitcase. A little relieved that at least one of the kids were ready to roll out at any minute, he entered the vibrant lime-green room.

"Need a little help?" Steve offered.

Relief fixed on her freckled face, and she nodded. Explaining, "Moo-Cow and Ribbit don't fit."

Nodding, Steve crossed the room to her bed. Opening the suitcase, he found that her clothes were mostly all neatly folded – which was more than he could say for her older siblings – and the only thing in the way were the two stuffed animals. The incorrectly named pink pig, Moo-Cow, and the green frog, Ribbit, were going to be difficult to arrange for everything to fit.

Still, Steve tried his damndest to make them fit. After all, this wasn't just some trip across town to Peggy's. Oh no, this was a trip across the Atlantic to see their maternal grandparents.

And god, Steve couldn't get emotional now. Sure, it was just going to be for a month. But that was the longest that he had ever been away from his kids. In sixteen years, he had never spent more than a week – two tops – away from them. Not when they went to basketball camp, nor baseball camp, not even gymnastic camp. Not ever.

What was he going to do without them?

"Y'know," Steve cleared the emotion from his throat, "I'm gonna be awful lonely here by myself. Maybe one of them can stay here and keep me company?"

Alice looked up at him with those big blue eyes that she had inherited from him, and just studied him for a moment. Probably trying to see if this was going to be some trick. But she knew that her daddy wouldn't do that to her. So, she redirected her attention to the two stuffed animals. Then, she held up the old, ratty pig for him to take.

"Thanks," Steve smiled, wrapping his arm around her shoulders so he could pull her into his side. Leaning down, he kissed the top of her head, "I'll be sure to take good care of him."

She giggled at that and pulled away so she could close the suitcase. Deciding, "Moo-Cow will take care of you!"

Feigning offense, Steve brought his hand up to his chest, over his heart. "What makes you think that I need to be taken care of?"

When she turned to appraise him once more, Steve placed his hands on his hips and stood tall and proud, like Superman. And while his body definitely didn't come anywhere close to the superhero in his youth and teenage years, now, it did. It was hard-won and took some time to get used to, but Steve was glad that he had been able to shake some of his childhood illnesses.

"Moo-Cow will take good care of you," Alice reiterated.

Nodding, Steve carried the stuffed animal with him as he leaned against the doorway to the conjoined bathroom. Maggie-Mae's hair was a quarter of the way straight while the rest of it was frizzy and wild. It was clear that she was trying to speed through it, but that wasn't going to help any. And, well, Steve didn't know what to do to help her with that.

"Have you packed anything?" He asked the fourteen year old, hoping that he could at least help in that regard.

"Umm," Maggie-Mae started on a new section of her hair, "I was still deciding on what I wanted to bring."

Rubbing at his temple, Steve stressed, "You've known about this trip for three months. How do you not know what to bring."

"You know how indecisive I am! I have to look at the pros and the cons before I choose anything!"

Knowing that she didn't need to be worked up into an emotional ball of anxiety – that was Steve's being for today, lord knew that no other Rogers family member needed to be there with him – he held his hands up to appease her. Suggesting, "I'll help. Okay?"

Setting the hair straightener down, Maggie-Mae sniffled and nodded. Nodding, himself, Steve headed into her hot-pink bedroom. Her room was at least clean, which was more than he could say about her older brother. But he wasn't going to bug them more than he needed to. Not on their last day home for the next little while.

Seeing the large pile of clothes on the bed, Steve lifted two dresses. A pale pink lace and a teal polka dot. Making sure that the teen could see them in the mirror's reflection, "A –" pale pink "– or B?"

"Both."

Playfully, Steve narrowed his eyes at her, causing her to erupt into a fit of giggles. Trying to keep himself from laughing, Steve held up the dresses again, "C'mon, we don't have all afternoon."

"Fine," Maggie-Mae giggled. Moving onto another section of hair, she chose, "A. I look better in A."

"A it is," Steve removed the dress from the hanger so he could fold the item and place it in her suitcase. Grabbing two more dresses, he repeated the process. And again for another two dresses, wondering why she had so many dresses that she hardly ever wore.

With only half of her hair straightened, Steve's phone alarm went off. Their thirty minutes were up. Leaving the fourteen year old's room, he said, "You can straighten your hair when you land. For now, put the rest of it up and pack some underwear. I'm gonna bring the bags downstairs."

"But dad!"

"But nothing, Magdalena!" Steve left no room for argument. And, instead, took Alice's suitcase. Passing by Mikey's room once more, he spotted the twelve year old laying on top of his suitcase, trying to zip it. Shaking his head, Steve set down Alice's bag so he could help.

"Let's get a move on!" Steve announced, while handing Alice's lighter suitcase to Mikey so he could carry the older boy's heavier suitcase. Seeing that Harrison was still in his bedroom, staring moony-eyed at his phone, "I mean it, Harrison Joseph. You can talk to Katie in the car, now let's go!"

"Dad!" The sixteen year old protested out of embarrassment. Still, he got his butt in gear and followed his two youngest siblings and Steve down to the first story of the house.

Passing Mikey's suitcase to Harrison, Steve made sure that he had their plane tickets and passports. Calling out, "Magdalena Mae Rogers, I'm not gonna tell you again! Let's go!"

"Geez, don't have a cow, I'm coming," the fourteen year old carried her luggage downstairs and out the door.

Grabbing his keys and wallet, he glanced at the RSVP on the side table. With one last thought of Bucky Barnes, Steve exited the house.

[uzyplus]

1. December - 0:05 Rewrite+ VN There will surely be spoilers and I'm not gonna mark any of them, as this is more of a diary rather than anything.

At last, we're here. How long has it even been since I first started it? I watched the anime around December of 2017, probably picking the VN not that long after. The date would fall back to when I was still a first year, at most around the second year of high school. It took me five and a half years to read it from the start to the end. Truly impressive, a new personal best. Back in those years, I'd used to have my HDDs fail on me all the time, being my fault for using old shady ones, that I dug up from whoever knows where, and thanks to that I was reluctant to pick the game back up due to the lost progress. Little did I know that "progress" was in reality just the tip of the story, I'd reckon not even 1/5 into the common route.

Well, part of why it took me so long is that I'd feel embarrassed watching anime or playing related games when people could see what I was doing. At first, I had a room all to myself, with the desk placed next to the door, hidden from the line of sight. Later I'd change the position of the table, which looking back on the room layout, I'm not sure why I went with the most visible spot, but that doesn't matter, as I started playing osu! a lot anyway, forgetting Rewrite even existed. Lastly, I swapped rooms with my sister and now had to share with my brother, who's quite a bit annoying, so I stopped a lot of anime-related things altogether.

And so one afternoon I decided to give the game another go. Thanks to mainly using a laptop (Legion 5 Pro 16ACH6H), I could just sit on the bed, playing without being interrupted or anyone watching my screen. The starting date is 7.2.2022, about a week after the end of the exam period with one more week to go until the next semester. I had great fun with the common route, playing it for a big chunk of time for the next 5 days, and so school started and gameplay stopped.

Taking a look at the saves, looks like there were roughly 11 hours to go, which I then got done a whopping 7 months later, entering Kotori's route on 3.9.2022. And guess what? The next save is from August the next year :kekw: Classic Uzy, what a guy, batshit insane.

Just a bit of an observation beforehand, I just skimmed through the Rewrite first season of the anime, I must say, whatever drugs they were on while making it, I need to get my hands on some of that. To fit all of the routes into such a short time and on top of that to make up so much story that's nothing like the VN, wow, that sure takes a skill or something. I wonder what was going on with me more though, I didn't remember anything at all, so much info that was crucial in the VN, yet when reading it I didn't recall any of it.

But now seriously, from then on I played the game actively, until school started, finally finishing in small increments in late November. The first route I got was Kotori's. My memories at this point are a bit too hazy, having read it more than a year ago. Ranking it, I would have to say it was my least favorite, I found it very saddening, the burden and overall depression. I genuinely felt bad reading the story, seeing how there was no hope for a happy end. Being the first route, I went with Kotori on most selections, because of how fun it was seeing her always cheerful and so carefree, only to then see the opposite. As the first route, it left an impression on me, that all the routes in this stage will be nothing, but pain, displaying that there is no hope in them, but in contrast, the rest were so much better thanks to it. Out of all the stories, I somehow remembered the way Kagari dies here rather vividly from the anime. So strange that I'd remember a 3-minute section of S2E1 despite totally blanking on the rest, but oh well.

Some common story skipping later, I decided to pick Shizuru's route next, however consequently picking Lucia over her. I loved everything about it, just how I hated all of it. The story was a wild ride, making me overly happy the one moment, just to shatter everything the next. I simply wanted Lucia's story to go no way, but great, always thinking the story was finally reaching its end when things were beautiful and peaceful. Lucia made for a wonderful romance heroine, I genuinely wish to read more of Key's works that are focused on that later, but alas, I forgot to grab them during the Authumn same. There isn't a lot that can be said about this route than that. If only Kotarou wasn't such a dork, if only Lucia wasn't so easily manipulated or perhaps the story pulled some miracle. Anyway, in the end, I found the story very satisfactory, Kotaro and Lucia are together, despite all the complications, what more could I ask for? As far as the routes go, this one would be the most impactful. I was always either so happy or unfortunate, so much so that I had to brag a lot about it to my friend. Despite not being as informative as some other routes, I will look back on this one a lot more.

Next up Shizuru. First thing first, during the common route, I enjoyed her interactions a lot, leaving behind way too many saves of her and even more screenshots. I don't have a lot to say about this route. The change of storytelling was nice, Kotarou having lost his memories and slowly regaining them, and the story progressing from that viewpoint. Overall the route was quite calming and easygoing in contrast to the previous, Lucia's. It also introduced Chihaya's standing, which made me excited for her story. I'm not sure whether this was the route where I got to see Gil and Pani, probably. I was honestly amused when I saw them. What goofy ahh hell are these creatures?? I had a great laugh, I didn't expect them, I remembered nothing from the anime, what a joke. The two were a great addition to the story, I truly had fun interacting with them. Also one more thing, Miss. Nishikujou's voice when speaking in a happy tone, man I need more of that in my life, truly healing.

And now it's time for Chihaya. Other than Akane, I still have her fresh in my memory, since I played the majority of it just this week. In the early stages, I'd say I liked her the least out of all the characters. There was a certain front-facing sprite of her that I didn't like looking at for whatever reason, but overall I'm not sure why I disliked her character in the first place. My opinion changed to the point where I’m having a hard time deciding whether her route was my most favorite or not. Tennouji developed quite a bit in the previous 3 routes, but it was here, where I recognized his as well as the others' development the most. Instead of coming out as a foolish kid, who had his mind still focused on getting the club back together, he was now more focused on protecting the girl he had left, while still keeping his ideals, as can be seen later in the abandoned church. The story put him through hardships, which with help he conquered and built character. With Midow's message always on his mind, he was aware of the consequences of his actions and was therefore more serious. Other than Kotarou, I got to like Sakuya a lot. At first, I viewed him as an obstacle, always managing to one-up Kotarou in certain situations, I just couldn't see them ever coming to friendly terms, which made me cherish the relationship between them all so much more. The story was very informative, it led me to understand the path Kotarou will take in the Terra route, due to the similarities between him and Sakuya, and overall the end was happy.

At this point, there was one thing that however bothered me quite a bit. I'm not one to mind small details a lot, I mean if it's convenient for the story then so be it, but the fact that it made a big deal about Kotarou almost bleeding to death, because his old wound opened after Kagari is gone in Kotori's route not being reflected in the other routes did bother me. I didn't notice any other major disparities, a lot of the differences in the stories can be written off as Moon Kagari setting different variables for that individual branch, but it's just that one part that bothered me a bit.

And so we're at the door of the grand finale. At this point, I was getting pretty curious about my reading speed, but unfortunately, I haven't tracked the time I started for one of the days, so I could do that only in the final routes. Would you believe me when I say that I currently cannot recall absolutely anything about the route despite finishing it just 3 days ago? The route seems to be blending in a bit with the Terra, due to taking so much place in the Gaia environment. Let's see. Tennouji's character was very enjoyable in this one. Being able to let all the frustration out and steadily getting over his childish self was a refreshing sight. He was able to sully his hands with blood to fight for the one he loved, Akane. A whole new perspective overall, thanks to the story progressing way further, surpassing the timelines of all the other routes. I felt the downward spiral of events towards the end, but I was still surprised and fooled. I expected Akane to simply give up, I thought that was the end of the road, the Holy Woman steps down, the spiritual branch of the Martel Group disbands and leaves with a happy ever after. Except we got the song of Destruction, not quite the same thing, but it turned out quite the same I guess. I was more than happy to see Yoshino once again, seriously, it's characters like him, Sakuya, and Mr. Esaka I am really happy to interact with. As for the end, Kotarou forces Akane to live to repent her life for everyone she killed, I feel like I've heard those lines somewhere. Either the anime managed to fit those words in it, or it appeared in some other anime at some point in time. In the end, we got our happily ever after, an ending I can get behind.

If I were to order the routes by how much I liked each of them, then I wouldn't be able to do so on a ranking system. I certainly liked Kotori's route the least and Chihaya's probably a bit more than the rest, but in the end, all of the stories were different, good in their own ways, and bad in others.

I'll quickly jump over the Moon route, I remember a lot about it from the anime and I feel like it was adapted very faithfully to the VN. I found a few places that clarified things I missed in the anime, but nothing major. For some reason, my recollection of the events of Season 2 of Rewrite is very good unlike Season 1. I spent in total 169-minutes on the Moon route, which at 4044 lines (data from https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/2000121-anime-and-manga-other-titles/65843636) is about 23-24 lines per minute. A number that is pretty close to my estimation of 25 which I got a while back when I counted how many I could read in one minute. By this calculation, the whole game should've taken me about 72 hours, which it certainly didn't, but it's nice to know that my reading speed is around average. Terra took 445 minutes, 24.7 lines/minute.

As for the Terra route, I too remembered a big chunk of it from the anime, but a lot less. I didn't remember how Tennoji got to the Guardian training camp, only that he was there as well as some of the people he interacted with there. I'm pretty sure I knew about Imamiya, but not so much Nishikujou. Seeking her not happy makes me very sad :<, happily that got fixed around the half :>. Another thing is that I didn't realize for a while that the kids Kotarou saved were the ones from Chihaya's route. I only remembered Midow by name and only confirmed my hunch in the end scenes where I saw them next to Jasmine. I also didn't remember at all what the way Kotarou approached escalating the conflict between Gaia and Guardian, only that he was a double agent and messed them up from the inside. And lastly the ending. Getting there made me extremely happy, it's been a long journey and I'm glad I embarked on it. There's only one remark, for me, the ending scene in the VN couldn't possibly compare to the end in the anime. Come on, I'm just a dude brought up on watching Disney and whatnot romance movies, in which case the VN end felt a bit bland. I'm not one for deeper messages, nor digging any lore up or open endings, I simply yearn for a nice kiss end scene that I can look back to and remind myself of the story I went through.

One last thing, unfortunately, I wasn't able to port the cracked game's saves to the full game after I bought it due to some format conflict, so I had to finish it up on the cracked version, guess I'll never know whether there's any difference between the two. My Steam at this point is a graveyard of games I played cracked, then bought afterward, just to never put a single hour on, ~sigh~, guess I'll have to change that in the future.

I'm unsure what to read next, I still have WorldEnd EX to read and then pick up the unofficial translations, thanks to Yen Press never picking the SukaMoka and after that, I have Planetarian ready, which was another anime I really loved, so I'm super excited for it. Next on my list would Little Busters or Summer Pockets, but well, those will wait, mostly because I forgot to grab them during the Steam sale, and being a former FGO player, I'm really good at waiting, so no worries. Chances are, even if I had the games, I wouldn't pick them up for the next 5 years.

But that's really all from me. For this entry one picture simply won't cut it, so let me find a few of my favorites in the screenshots. Also, 2500 words, let's go.

[benjaminxjackson]

Title: Nightmares of the Past Trigger warning: Death, accident, blood mention

Ben’s eyes suddenly opened, his heart beating fast, his hair and shirt wet with sweat as he ran, his hands covered his face. He was shaking before he broke down crying. It was another night, a terrible one. His mind went back to that night, to the night that destroyed his smile and a night that he lost someone so very important to him.

“I am so sorry….” He cried out alone in his empty room as lightning struck the sky lighting up his room for a moment.

The past

It had been a beautiful day; the sun was shining bright. Ben was bored and convinced his best friend Erik to go for a ride and a trip. Both males had finished their projects and so he decided that driving outside town was a good way for both to have some fun. Erik had been unsure but did give in and agree. They decided to take Erik’s car and he drove. Ben and Erik did not really have a destination in mind, Ben just wanted to escape for a few moments with one of his best friends, one of the people that he cared about and someone he did love.

Ben had known that he had feelings for Erik for a long time, but the male kept it to himself, he kept that part of himself for so many reasons. He was unaware that Erik also shared that same feeling for him until he lost them. Ben had texted his siblings and his parents that he would be home late and his plans before they drove off. During their trip the two of them stopped at different shops and dinners, some of which were very terrible. Ben could always be himself around Erik, Erik brought out a social, playful, and childish side of Ben. Ben was someone who tended to have a serious look on his face. Often named it the resting serious face. Compared to his twin brother, Andrew was way more social than Ben, but Ben did have his moment when he was social and loved having fun.

The weather had taken an unexpected turn as they were driving back, there was a storm making the roads wet. Ben and Erik were in the car singing and talking, discussing their plans after high school since they both got accepted into their different programs but still in the same university. Everything was going okay and were just a few miles away from East Haven. Their laughter and smiles turned into fear when a massive bright light came to them. The roads were wet, and it was raining hard making it impossible and before they knew it their car was hit by a massive truck which had lost control due to the rain.

The sounds of a large crash and car losing control and the screaming of both Erik and Ben filled the road. Ben did not know how many times their car flipped and when it came to a stop. He had opened his eyes and could feel so much pain. Ben was bleeding badly and was unable to move. He did not know what he was feeling, he was a bit numb and not feeling any pain now due to his body in shock. Ben tried to move but he was stuck unable to do so. He looked over to see his best friend in very bad condition.

“Erik….” he called out, his voice weak. Erik did not answer. “Erik…” ben shouted again as more panic started to fill him before passing out again.

Ben woke up again and noticed flashing lights and he could hear voices in the distance above him and his friend Erik looking at him.

“You are awake….am glad” he coughed unable to move. “Am so sorry….I don’t I will be able to keep my promise Ben….” His voice was weak.

Ben had been losing a lot of blood and he himself was weak. “Please, please it’s okay. We will make it out, I can hear people. We will survive….” He spoke, his eyes filling with tears. “Hold on…”

               Erik only smiled as he listened, he knew that only one of them would possibly make it out. He was injured badly and did not know how long he could last on. “It’s okay. Please….don’t worry. You know, I wish I had told you this earlier, but I was always scared. I have always loved you Ben for years. I wish I had told my best friend that I liked him and….I know you don’t share the same feeling back…...but I wanted to let you know. Please don’t lose that beautiful smile. Please…...keep out promise okay. See the world for me. I will always be by your side. I know it will not be the same as we promised but….know that I will always be there. Thanks for being my friend….”

“No….you can’t go….Rik…...please…stay with me,” Ben cried and shouted despite the pain as he watched his best friend close their eyes.

Ben kept screaming and shouting, unable to do anything, he could not move and was filled with pain.

               A lot of things were a blur after that for Ben. Ben was found and freed but had discovered that his leg was broken in multiple places and needed surgery. The male had also lost a lot of blood. Ben woke up in the hospital with doctors explaining to his parents everything. Ben was zoned out and did not say anything for a few days nor react to anything. He did not sleep. Ben was in the hospital for months but in time slowly recovered. He still blamed himself for what happened to Erik and promised.

Present

Ben got up from his bed and slowly walked to his bathroom, turning on the lights and the taps. He looked at himself in the mirror. The cool water ran for a few moments until he flashed water on his face. His eyes were red and filled with pain. He had lost that smile he once had. He tried so hard before sitting by his tub and he finally broke. Crying, alone.

“I wish….you were here, and I have told you….am so sorry you are gone because of me…” he cried out. He was alone at his moment drowning in memories of the past that he blamed himself for.