#plus id miss some of my coworkers :

[rainbowgothdisaster]

so when i first started working at dg i knew they were anti union, as most corporations are, but its whatever bcuz im working for fun. i know my rights and i know my closest allies will always be my coworkers (note for later)

then i watch the cbls and actually cackle at what they're saying. most of the "we want a personal relationship" crap is whatever, thats pr so i brushed by it and was mostly listening to how they they lied and their fearmongering tactics ("[. . .] they forced me to strike and march the picketline, how is that looking out for my best interest?"). it was genuinely funny to me and like many ppl told me that if union organizers come by i should absolutely join or sign or whatever.

but generally i considered my store manager seperate from big ppl in the company bcuz of how friendly she is. i knew she still wasnt like. 100% trustworthy so i refuse to explicitly disclose that im disabled or if i do then only vaguely. ive only had little problems not worth bringing up to me, and genuinely want to help out as much as i can to keep the store open since were a bit short staffed. the paycheck is definitely a plus but i wanted a job to consistently get out of the house and beat back seasonal depression with a stick.

but i realized today i may have been a bit too accomodating. i rushed to work after a therapist appt, i covered for the manager, and i even came in early this week and had a 9hr shift, this is my first job and im having fun even if its a lil taxing on me. im not giving more than im getting (yet) but im def giving more than im used to.

i made plans for tomorrow knowing ive had a day off for several days, and i know that she changes the schedule around but id only noticed her changing what hours ppl come in. so i genuinely didnt expect my day off to disappear, esp when i covered for her last week and didnt have my sat/wed off for 23 and 27 since the store is closed right in the middle for christmas day.

it was fine at first, i was upset id miss my plans (it would go on without me) but while getting ready for work i progressively got more upset until i was ready and ate some food, felt better, got to work, had my two alone hours rushing thru the line and trying to work totes as much as i could where i again just got progressively more upset. but at that point i was kinda resigned to it. id begrudgingly accepted it, i know i have to get used to that kind of thing bcuz i cant always take off for events and event cant always be planned around my schedule. besides i had been having a lovely day aside from that so it was almost okay.

my coworker showed up and i vented to her a bit and she straight up told me she shouldnt do that and that if she were me shed tell her she couldnt show. it kinda went on like that with her gassing me up, so i just texted her and let her know i would not be able to work bcuz i had plans i made before the schedule change that i didnt tell her about bcuz it was on my day off so it shouldnt have been a problem.

she said she also had plans, i repeated myself that i wouldnt be able to work and she repeated herself and said i should contact the district manager and that she was on vacation and turning her phone off for the next two days. at this point i was on break and i did genuinely start crying, i said im not giving more than im getting but im still an autistic with chronic pain, severe depression, severe anxiety, and chronic fatigue syndrome. doing things like learning how to take a truck over the phone, learning how to sell propane over the phone, working our busiest hours (3-6) by myself, and general customer service bullshit is like. like mentally im better than i could be but goddamn this store is a nightmare.

i got the district managers number from my coworker and messaged her, and my coworker let the assistant manger know what was going on.

the store is closing early tomorrow unless someone steps in bcuz we cant close alone. my coworker has no problem getting an early start to her vacation (that has been planned since before i even started working!!!!!) and i am going to have a lovely time tomorrow.

you forget how ppl help you realize when you're being mistreated until ppl step in and have your back. we had someone transfer out of the store bcuz of this exact same scheduling bs, and our assistant manager was about to quit over this store manager.

but shes been demoted (seperate thing) and is transferring so were all staying right where we are :)

[trendfag]

ok the REASON i needed a drink is that ok im going to arizona flying into phoenix well i had a layover in kansas city but there was bad weather in kc today so my first flight got delayed like an hour and so i missed my connecting flight and you know i had a really stressful week filling in for my mom like have you ever been an autistic trans girl filling in for an office manager of a dentist office? that shit is stressful!!! AND i met with an advisor at a community college to enroll in some classes on wednesday and NO ONE knew i was even in the process of enrolling in classes except for my therapist…i told my boss who is my moms best friend because she was talking to one of my coworkers about going from working mon tue wed to tue wed thurs…and so i was like wellll i just enrolled in classes for tues thirs…i was kind if implying like “please keep doing mon tue wed because i just enrolled in classes for tues thurs and i want to keep working here” but she said like after being like omg thats so great bc shes my moms best friend and so she cares about me as a person she was like “well dont worry about it you can come in just whenever youre free dont worry about it” which is very nice i do love my boss she is really so great i cannot rave enough about my boss like yes she is my moms best friend but i see her like fighting herself because shes caught in the whole “i need ti charge more because i have a family i need to support” vs “i am in dentistry because i want to help people feel good about their teeth and im very empathetic and i want to just do everything for everyone but also if i do that then i wont be able to send my children to the schools i want them to go to including my son with a learning disability but who loves the school specifically for kids with learning disabilities that i decided would be good for him after seeing how he didnt do well in the school his brother goes to” like you know i love my boss sorry i dont remwbwr what this was all about uhmmmmmmmmm…………ok but anyway i like chose my classes so id still be able to work most of the time theyre open but its fine its whatever also im sure my mom will probably talk her out of it….if im being completely honest i dont remember what this post was originally supposed to be about im drunk off two shots of tequila + a can of redbull sorry…i still have like an hour and a half before i start boarding! im going to eat like a chicken sandwich there is one that has avocado yayayayayayayayay

ok basically i was saying ive been really stresseed all week because i had to answer phones and make calls abf basically be the face of the practice (except all my coworkers are soooooo nice and considerate and think about me it wasnt like THAT bad) but it was still stressful like even watching my mom do her job is stressful sometimes much less doing it MYSELF!?!?!! so i got a drink because of my work and also because i missed my connecting flight so now im drunk…like that feels so stupid to be like yeah im drunk off two shots of tequila plus a redbull red (watermelon flavor it literally didnt cover the tequila at all) i think i might text my friend from college…anyway im here at my gate i still have like two hours before boarding im going to watch drag race lol…i thi k i’ll go to the bathroom first anf maybe get something to eat well i am hungry…i should text my cousins as well

[stellamancer]

For your ask game:

5 + 29, enlightenmeat

:D

even you anon.... i wonder who you are. i have two ideas LMAO.

anyway more selfship stuff I GUESS.

enlightenmeat (niku/gojo) -> bar/restaurant au + wedding fic

this is one of those ideas i actually wanna turn on it's head. hehe

bar/restaurant aus involve... working at one right? so let's say i work as a bartender at one. it's a high end/nice restaurant and so it's not often that there are wedding receptions there. plus it's pretty small. so this particular wedding reception is maybe at most 20 people, that's including the happy couple.

everyone's drinking a lot except one guy (gojo); he keeps ordering shirley temples. at some point i ask if he wants something alcoholic and he refuses. doesn't care for alcohol. he honestly looks kind of bored at the wedding the reception and i wonder if maybe he doesn't want to be here? i think about asking but decide not to and instead i end up making him a coke float with some ice cream from the kitchen. he's instantly fascinated by it and i tell him it's like a melon cream soda. he slurps it up and once he's done he asks for another. and another. and another.

it's work so i can't really tell him no, but i'm wondering about his teeth lmao. i ask if there's anything else he wants and he asks about more mocktails. he spends the rest of the reception sampling basically every sugary mocktail under the sun.

when the reception is over i figure that's the last i'll see of him and that it was a fun experience.

but then he keeps coming back. he misses me sometimes, but i hear about him from my coworkers. the guy who only orders desserts and non-alcoholic drinks. at first i don't realize it's him until i run into him myself. he seems extra happy to see me for whatever reason. maybe no one else will make him the coke float but me. so he starts coming to see me specifically for the coke float. eventually i learn his name and eventually he cons his way into getting my LINE id so he can annoy me off the clock. but i really don't know too much about him. sometimes he shows up with teenagers?? there's one in particular that comes with him a lot. thought it looks like he's been dragged.

i actually don't know where else to go from here. for a fic i think i'd want to involve more of a plot. maybe i get involved with a curse and he's gotta take care of that because. idk maybe they are somehow affecting the taste of his beloved coke floats.

[send me a ship and two fic tropes and i'll tell you how i'll mash 'em up]

[alsjeblieft-zeg]

311 of 2023

made by @bitterstardust  

1. Do you find any of your fellow survey-takers attractive? 

I don’t really know any, I just steal surveys from them.

2. Have you ever worn a tiara? 

Yeah, just for lolz. We’ve been taking silly pictures for fun.

3. Would you rather have a week long stomach virus or a week long sore throat?

Sore throat, even though it’s annoying like hell.

4. What do you miss eating / drinking the most when you have a sore throat? 

Anything that tastes good.

5. If someone offered to take you out for your birthday, where would you decide to go?

My husband did it last year, he took me to the restaurant.

6. If you plan to have kids, what will you tell them about Santa Clause?

I don’t plan to have kids.

7. Do you prefer pants with buttons, strings, or zippers? 

I hate clothes with butons, so zippers there is.

8. Do you think that pet stores are cruel for keeping animals in small cages? 

In small cages? Yes.

9. Is there ever a time where you are actually thankful that your nose is stuffed to the point that you cannot smell? 

No, I can still smell things even with a stuffed nose.

10. Are your prone to break things? 

Yes, but no.

11. Do you ever avoid talking to specific people, whether it be in person, on the phone, or on your preferred social networking site? 

Yeah, there are some people who are just annoying to talk to.

12. Of all the electronics you own, which one is the least used? 

ID card reader. Yes we use these for identification.

13. Have you ever been given a glass at a restaurant that had a lipstick smudge on it? 

No, but does it actually happen?

14. When was the last time you pretended to be something / someone you weren’t?

When I was a teenager lol. To this day I use photos of my favourite musicians as avatars on forums and I find it hilarious when someone thinks it’s me.

15. Are any of the windows in your house open? Are any of them missing the screens? 

Nope, it’s too cold outside, plus they’re cleaning the underground holding tank (or is it called soak pit?) and the whole street stinks like shit, literally. By the way, what are window screens??

16. If you have ever been employed, have you ever been attracted to your boss? What about a co-worker?

All my bosses are cool, but I’ve never been attracted to them. I married my coworker, though.

17. Do [would] you avoid kissing your [possibly hypothetical] significant other when you or they are ill? 

Nah we don’t. Sharing is caring lol.

18. Has anyone ever confused you for an employee at a store? 

Lol no. It’s hard to do it since they wear the shop logos.

19. Are you more inclined to buy the cheapest shampoo, or do you go for the more expensive stuff? 

More expensive because cheaper is not good for my hair.

20. How quickly would you spend 10,000 dollars if you were given it right now?

I wouldn’t because I live in the euro zone and dollars have no use here.

[the-silent-hashira]

SPIDER WEB, for the ask game?

SPIDER WEB - How intertwined would you say you and your partners lives are?

that depends! i know some of them are far more attached than others.

Cross? Cross could go weeks without talking to me and then send me a 10 page letter about everything hes been doing and seeing, maybe a few little pictures here and there. he probably wouldnt talk about me much, and i dont care about what he does out there because i know that he loves me. we do work for the same organization, but our relationship isnt something many know about.

Clef probably could go a few days, he would talk about me occasionally but if you pointed out how much he did it he would make an effort to not talk about me as much. he likes being private, unless hes actually with me. again, work together, but some people very much notice his attachment to me.

GHB... he talks about me a lot, he likes getting my advice on things, and often will make the excuse of 'lemme ask my matesprit- he says no.' without messaging me at all. he values my opinions and wants me involved in the things hes doing. cant really go without working for the Highblood when youre a purple, and he is obvious, so everyone knows. (i like fucking with people though by making it a jumpscare)

Lucifer couldn't go a few hours without feeling sad that im not there. he will probably skip or cut meetings short if he misses me too much, he'll ask me for advice on many things and will often beg me to join him for things. if you didnt know i was married to him, you are either under a rock, new here, or just an idiot.

I feel like nobody would know Ozma even has a partner, full separation from his public life and i respect that as long as he still cares about me.

Bob is like Lucifer, hes a lost puppy and since i share him with my girlfriend if one of us wasnt around he could deal, but he starts getting sad after a while. plus, without me hes basically stuck in the house or he might genuinely get arrested and/or kill someone and get caught. nobody would really know about us and Bob, but thats because we do that on purpose. he is a wanted murderer after all.

Wally would love to involve me in anything, but i honestly like it when he pays more attention to my girlfriend since we share him too. everyone knows, its very clear.

Ozzie and Fizz are up. my. ass. if they get the chance it is puppy dog eyes. please pay me attentions. would talk about me if given the chance and will sometimes make situations where they can. kinda funny that most of my Hazbin/Helluva f/os are just straight up dependent on me most of the time lmao.

recently started shipping with Valentino, who would probably never involve me with work but likes being seen with me. its good for publicity, and he kinda values my opinions because i dont take his shit and can throw back just as much as he gives me. could be mistaken for coworkers or just fwb.

Diavolo and Satan... Diavolo would talk about me pretty frequently im sure, he gets excited when people ask him about any relationships he might have, and likes asking me what i think and being seen with me.

Satan and i like doing things together, and admittedly i really like doing silly things like going to plays and pretending to be in a mystery novel sometimes.

with Diavolo they would probably know because he would just say 'did you know my girlfriend, Uriel, says-' and Satan doesnt really talk about me but thats because he wants me to himself(and begrudgingly shares with Diavolo)

and recently i decided id say something about it, but i also ship with Eda, Lilith, and Belos/Philip from The Owl House. of which im not sure yet, but i know that none of them would necessarily talk about me much since my s/i with them is a fucking recluse that also hates being talked about in general so thats more a boundary on my side. my Belos/Philip is also way different from canon so 😅

wow this became long but this question interested me and i hadnt really thought about my impact on some of their lives honestly.

[peanutbutterandoreos]

<3

[robinofgothamcity]

♡ scenario: you meet roy harper for the first time

♡ pairing: roy harper ( arsenal ) x fem! reader

♡ note: not checked for grammar or spelling mistakes / look, finally a fic that doesn't have anything to do with the Super family LMAOOO. i was listening to fun by coldplay and tove lo while writing this fic so it kinda goes based off that song in a way.

you were a successful adopted daughter of Bruce Wayne. you went to college, graduated, got a job in your fathers company, and helped with vigilante work on the side. not to toot your own horn but although you had the privilege of your dad being the Bruce Wayne, you were living a lot more comfortably than people your age.

"coming down to the manor for brunch tomorrow? your brothers are attending it," Bruce asked he put a few things away into his bag. you nodded excitedly, "I'm actually crashing at your place tonight. don't really feel like going home and having to drive all the back up to uptown Gotham tomorrow in the morning," you explained. Bruce shook his head before murmuring that he was heading home.

you still had a few things to put back in files before going back to the manor. you really didn't want to have to do it first thing Monday morning so you walked back to your office, blaring some music in your headphones while you got the filing done. this was the first weekend in what felt like years that all of your siblings were attending brunch. someone was always missing and that usually happened to be Jason. your favorite brother.

"what're we doing here again?" Roy asked Jason as the two of them walked inside of Wayne Enterprises. Jason rolled his eyes, "I have to talk to the bat about something and I don't wanna wait till tomorrow."

Jason walked right in, not bothering to even get an ID checked as the front workers knew all of the Wayne kids by heart. he and Roy made their way to the top floor, passing yours in the process before barging inside. the office was dead silent as the only noise coming in was from the clocks in the hallways. Jason rolled his eyes before going down the hall and reaching your office.

your front door had your name on a gold plate. he always felt a bit envious that you, Tim, and even Damian already had their foot inside of the WE business. he didn't want to work a regular nine to five like all of you did but he did envy that small bit of normalcy you had. outside of the vigilante business, you were a normal person with their life together. he just always wondered why you hadn't brought anyone home yet. you did have your few share of high school boyfriends but nothing that screamed marriage or settling down.

Jason opened the door to see you singing into your phone as you put files into a manila folder. Roy had never met his best friends sister. sure he had heard stories about you from Jason but there was no face to the stories. the two of them chuckled at the way you were dancing as you still hadn't realized that you were being watched.

"ahem!" Jason practically screamed. you felt yourself jump at least fifty feet in the air as you heard the clearing of someones throat. you whipped your head around and nearly felt yourself want to punch Jason for scaring you that way, "fuck you, Todd. at least knock before scaring the shit out of me," you yelled, a few of your coworkers pulling their head inside of your office to make sure their bosses daughter was okay.

you turned to Roy and smiled, "oh, nice to meet you Roy," you said, pulling your hand out for him to shake. Roy's eyebrows fluttered in confusion as he wondered how you knew him, "it's my job to know who my brothers are friends with plus, my dad doesn't really know how to keep his computers closed," you added on.

"speaking of your dad, where's Bruce?" he asked. you jiggled your car keys, "on his way home. I had to stay back to put back a few files but he should be home by now if you wanted to talk to him," you explained. Jason nodded as Roy pulled his head out of the clouds, "so, why is it that this is the first time I'm meeting you?" Roy asked, placing himself in front of your brother.

you giggled, "I work in the vigilante business but I don't actually fight. why? do you think I'm cute or something?" you asked, not really caring that you were full on flirting with Roy. Jason stared at you and Roy with absolute disgust, "if you're going to flirt with my sister and vice versa, at least have the common decency to do it while I'm not here," he said through fake gags.

Jason grabbed Roy by the hair and dragged him out of the office, "see you tomorrow at brunch," you waved bye to Roy who tried to pull himself back to the office to say goodbye but Jason quickly pulled him away from the door again to make sure that he didn't have to hear your flirting with Roy.

the night crawled in as you had made it inside of the manor and up to your childhood bedroom. you were a bit disappointed to see that Roy hadn't shown up with Jason when he finally arrived. you had heard of his past from Bruce. his fight with addiction and the situation with his daughter Lian. you knew Roy had it rough but that didn't take away from his looks or his seemingly funny personality.

you were playing on your phone, scrolling through Jason's social media to see if maybe Roy had some kind of account somewhere but much to your dismay, you couldn't find any trace of Roy on any app. that was until you heard a tapping of rocks at your door. you grabbed one of Damian's katanas's and braced yourself to fight.

"Roy?" you whisper-yelled as you saw the familiar red hair. he gave you the shit eating grin as he motioned you to come down, "are you insane? I'll kill myself if I jump," you exclaimed. he waved you off, "not if I catch you! I felt like your brother was cock blocking us today," he replied. you couldn't help but laugh. it had been years since you've snuck away but thankfully, Alfred had kept the small ladder next to your room so you could crawl back inside when you were done talking with Roy.

you pulled yourself onto the ledge of the window before jumping down. you felt the embrace of Roy's arms on your upper body as he laughed, "told ya I'd catch you!" he said as he placed you back on the ground. you shook your head dismissively, "well, you got me down so what're your plans with me?" you asked, realizing that it was colder than you had expected.

"Wayne Manor has a Burger King near here so I'm figuring like midnight food run?" he asked, shaking his wallet. you agreed as the two of you walked away and jumping the Wayne Manor fence. "Jason would kill you if he knew you snuck me out of my house," you laughed as Roy shrugged, "Jason wants to kill me for something every week, what else is new."

you knew the Burger King was a bit farther down the road but with Roy keeping the conversation light hearted and playful, it felt like only a few mere minutes. "so, what did you mean by you working in the vigilante business but not actually fighting?" Roy asked. "I help Bruce and Damian locations and coordinates when they're on patrol. I'll even help Dick and Tim when they need it," you explained.

Roy nodded, a bit disappointed that you hardly worked with Jason. he could get used to seeing you around. maybe even settling his crazy ass down if you could. "do you think you'd ever work with the Outlaws?" he asked, playing with his fingers. you shrugged, "Jason never asks for my help. he claims he doesn't want his favorite sister being tainted with the gruesome work y'all do," Roy couldn't help but agree. the work Jason and the Outlaws did was a lot different compared to what Batman and his Gotham family did and he doubted that you have seen any kind of bloodshed the way they have.

"I guess your brother maybe has a point," Roy responded as the two of you saw the huge Burger King sign coming your way. for knowing Roy for only a few hours, the two of you got along great, "not really. it's not like I haven't seen bloodshed before. seeing your parents getting shot in the head really traumatizes someone," you half joked. Roy stared at you, mortified, "okay...maybe Jaybird doesn't haven't a point," he tried to say without sounding insensitive.

you both entered the building and quickly ordered piles of food, much to the dismay of the workers. you figured since no one was inside of the building, you could eat inside rather than on the sidewalk. after you got handed the food, you and Roy sat at the table farthest from the workers and dug into it, "if I had known Jay had a very cute sister, I would have stopped by a long time ago," Roy joked.

"I mean, what's stopping you now?" you playfully said, giving the red head a wink.

the following morning, you had the pleasure of being waken up to Damian and Tim arguing from his bedroom as you tried to catch even a few more minutes of sleep. you didn't get back inside of your room until the crack of dawn and had told Roy to crash in your room for the night but he ultimately refused, saying he'd try to catch you tomorrow or even Monday after your shift ended.

Roy hadn't had a night like that in what felt like forever. he had constant karma with bullshit hitting him left and right and for the first time, being with you felt like nothing was wrong. the last time he had felt true happiness like this was when he finally had Lian. his only problem was that he felt like he didn't deserve you.

you had your life together, you weren't constantly running from the police, and that was something Roy wasn't but he couldn't shake you off.

"why the fuck did you get in so late?" Jason asked Roy as he could see the small under bags beneath his eyes. Roy bit his lip, not replying as he texted you back, "on a date," was all he managed to murmur before going back to his room. Jason gave his friend a look, shrugging him off before going to his cycle.

by the time he arrived, you were dragging yourself down the stairs, your eyes locked on your phone as Alfred set everything down on the table. "what's so entertaining?" Dick asked, peering over your phone to see who it was you were texting. before you could even try and cover it, Dick stared at you, surprised, "really? HIM?" he exclaimed, catching everyone's attention.

"wait, who?" Tim asked, suddenly interested. you instantly tackled Dick down as Cass took the chance to grab your phone. you pushed Dick off and ran towards Cass who then handed the phone to Damian, "don't you dare say a word you gremlin," you threatened, trying to snatch your phone. Damian gave you a smirk as he cleared his throat, "it's the one and only Roy Harper!" he yelled.

Cass and Steph stared at you, shock written across their face as Dick, Tim, and even Bruce stared at Jason right away. if you were properly trained enough, you would have grabbed Damian by his stubby legs and dragged him away but much to your dismay, you weren't, "no wonder Roy wouldn't stop looking at his phone this morning," Jason replied. you tried to hide your face as they all questioned you over brunch but nothing stopped them. even Alfred tried wrangling them in a few times but they couldn't fathom that the token Wayne sister was dating someone far out his league.

Roy on the other hand shrugged in relief. at least that beat having to tell Jason later on. all he feared was having to face Jason later today but you had messaged him, telling him you were heading back to your apartment after brunch if he wanted to stop by for dinner.

as you were getting ready to leave, Jason saw the way you were constantly laughing down at your phone. he had no idea that Roy had that much of an affect in such a little time that the two of you were together but maybe it was a good thing that Jason didn't know about the little hangout you and Roy went on last night. it would save you a lot of time than having to explain it to them.

you got out of your dads house, screaming to him that you'd see him on Monday as Jason followed behind you, "were you ever going to tell me?" he asked as he watched you get into your car. you smiled, a bit nervously, "I wasn't but Roy was," with that, you quickly started your car as you left a very uninterested Jason in the parking lot. you figured that if you and Roy got farther into a friendship that turned into a relationship, you'd make him do the talking to everyone.

Roy was waiting outside of your apartment building, in absolute awe of the place that you called home. he was holding a few grocery bags, claiming he wanted to help you out with making food but you knew that Roy did not look like the type to know how to cook...at all. it made you wonder how he even did it with Lian when she got hungry or if they just constantly went out to eat.

"so was your brother mad?" Roy asked, as he stared at your very lavish apartment. you shrugged, "not really? he was just surprised that we got along so well for the few minutes we were around each other," Roy laughed, "so you didn't tell him about last night?" he asked, playing with your hand softly.

"he'd murder you then me if he found out you snuck me out last night," he agreed knowing that Kori would probably have to be the one to break up the fight if Jason found out his favorite sister snuck out to meet his best friend, "well, what he won't know won't kill him," you winked as you headed towards the kitchen to start on a few preparations for dinner.

Jason had the gut feeling that since Roy wasn't home, he had probably snuck away early enough to make it to your place before he got home. Jason didn't mind the fact that you were seeing Roy, a part of him was glad that he met someone that could keep him grounded but that didn't mean that he was going to let Roy go off easy. hell, you were still his little sister.

"really? you snuck all of us out to see if Roy was with ( your name )," Damian asked as Dick agreed. Jason shushed them as he took out his binoculars. he just wanted to confirm his feeling before leaving, "he's with her," Jason murmured, seeing the way you and Roy were sitting down on your couch, laughing about something as Roy was holding you onto his side.

Dick and Damian stayed quiet as they watched Jason continue to peek into your apartment. they had no idea what he was thinking but they knew he wasn't as mad as they thought he would've been. maybe this wasn't a bad thing after all?

[agent-whiskeys-sweetheart]

Meant To Be (ii)

Pairing: Hotch x F!Reader

Summary: Over a year after your first interaction with the BAU, it is finally time for your first day as an official team member. Even with all the excitement of the day, the biggest thing you look forward to is seeing Aaron Hotchner again. However, your perfect first day quickly turns out to be not at all what you had imagined. 

Warnings: None, some angst? 

Word Count: 5,585

A/N: Just know that I promise things are going to get better lol.

NOVEMBER 2007

QUANTICO, VA

For the first time in your life the sound of your alarm is a very welcome one as it rouses you from your light slumber. The whole room is filled with light as the sun streams through the cracked blinds. You had been in this apartment for two months now. It had taken some getting used to but it was starting to feel like home. That was very important to you seeing as Quantico was where you were going to be for the foreseeable future. It took you no time at all to sit up in bed, throwing off your blanket. When you got up to start getting ready, everything was exactly where it was supposed to be. Your clothes draped over the chair at the end of the bed, your go-bag on top of the dresser, and your entry paperwork out on the kitchen table. As always, you had thought out every minute detail. You are determined to make sure that your first day at the BAU is perfect. It had taken excruciatingly hard work and dedication to get to where you are now. Nothing and no one is going to spoil it for you.

After getting dressed in record time you grab your go-bag off the dresser and head out to the living room. You set it on the table next to your paperwork and make your way into the kitchen. Scrambled eggs and toast sound like a good way to start the morning so you get out a skillet and a few eggs. Before you even have a chance to turn on the burner the sound of your phone going off in your bedroom causes you to run back in to check it. As you pull it off the charger you immediately smile widely at the name that flashes on your screen.

“Hey there Miss FBI Agent. God, that sounds good doesn’t it? FBI agent. Or maybe BAU agent. Didn’t I hear you say SSA once? What does that mean? Is it good? It sounds pretty powerful.” 

“It means Supervisory Special Agent. And anything you call me that means I’m not hallucinating this whole thing is fine with me.”

“I like that. SSA Y/N L/N. Sounds official. Which is exactly what you are as of today! How are you feeling right now?”

“Excited. Prepared. Kind of like I’m on top of the world.” 

“As you should! It’s been a long journey to get here, you deserve to enjoy every step. I still can’t believe my little sister is in the FBI.” 

Your sister has been your biggest support system for as long as you can remember. No matter what path you choose, you know she will always have your back. It had been heartbreaking to leave her when you moved but you knew it would be worthwhile in the end. Today is when it finally pays off. She has called you almost every day so even though you are states apart, she is never truly absent. Hearing her voice now, getting the chance to share this moment with her, is more important to you than you know how to express.

“I can’t believe that you’re awake before noon.” This earns a scoff.

“I will have you know that I set an alarm for 5:30 so I would be awake in time to tell you good morning before you head off to work.” 

“That’s very sweet of you. I’m really glad you called.”

“Hey, there’s no way in hell I was gonna miss your first day!” 

“I appreciate that. It means a lot to have your support.”

“Of course! I will always give it freely. Besides, this is too cool not to talk about. You get to catch bad guys. You now have special government access. Plus you can basically read minds. You’re a real life superhero. How totally awesome is that?”

“Oh, I know. Why do you think I wanted the job? I’m glad you’re able to see its merits. Most people find it very morbid. Or boring.” 

“Well most people aren’t us.” Glancing over at the clock, you can’t help a small sigh from leaving your chest. Your sister of course catches on. “Do you have to go?” 

“Yeah. I only have about 15 minutes. Thank you so much for calling though! I always look forward to hearing from you.”

“Well I don’t have any patients today and I expect you to call me later tonight so we can talk about everything, okay?”

“Okay, it’s a plan. I love you.” 

“I love you too. Have a great first day.” You hang up quickly, making your way back into the kitchen to put away what you had gotten out. Instead you pull out a few granola bars to eat on the way. Even though this isn’t quite what you had planned you don’t mind one bit. Talking to your sister is more important. You briefly wonder if she took today off just so she could be there for you or if it is just a coincidence. If it was on purpose, you wouldn’t be surprised. It had always been kind of funny to you what careers both of you had chosen. She is a therapist. You are a profiler. While the two do have distinct differences there are also a lot of striking similarities. It’s just funny how life works out sometimes. Never what you expect. 

You head into the bedroom to grab your go-bag, making sure everything you need is in there. Picking up the paperwork from the table, you head out the door and downstairs to your car. After loading your things up, you turn on the radio to the most uplifting station you can find. This is the kind of morning where nothing less than radiant positivity is welcomed. It’s the first day of your new life and you are going to make the most of it, even if it kills you. 

The drive seems to go by in an instant and soon you find yourself in the parking lot of the BAU headquarters. There is still confidence bubbling inside of you but seeing the building right there in front of you causes the nerves to kick in as well. It seems so much bigger to you now. With a deep breath, you realize you need a little boost from your good luck charm. The small compartment on top of your dashboard opens with a click and you pull out the piece of paper inside. It feels good to have in your hands and you read the name at the top over and over again. Aaron Hotchner. His business card had stayed in your car all these years and whenever you felt nervous or unsteady, you pulled it out and for some reason it always calmed you. You were grateful to have it now more than ever. 

Feeling renewed, you set the card back in its cubby and get out of the car. Things in hand, you stride right up to the front doors and let yourself inside. Once inside the main lobby you head over to the front desk, where a man asks for your ID. Reaching into the front pocket of your go bag you pull out the badge you had collected weeks in advance. A feeling of power washes over you when he clears you, much like a year and a half ago when you had stepped inside the Fort Worth precinct. However, it was a much more intense feeling now. 

The journey towards the main offices of the BAU feels like a dream. The elevator carries you to the right floor and you float towards the glass doors that lead into your new workspace. Inside, it is bright and full of life. People move past you with such fluidity that it seems almost like a dance and baby, you are ready to tango.

Soon your attention is being commanded by a friendly voice you recognize very quickly. “Well, look who it is!”

Morgan makes his way towards you, a wide grin on his face. He looks just how you remember. You are glad the first person to greet you is someone you know. Now standing in front of you, he raises his arms and his expression changes as he silently asks for your permission. With a nod, you reach out as well as he pulls you in for a hug. 

“It’s nice to see you again sweetheart. I was starting to wonder if you were ever gonna show up.” Laughing lightly at this, you feel yourself relaxing. “Look at you, all professional. How does it feel?” 

“Completely liberating. It feels like it took me a lifetime to get here and now that I am, I can’t wait to get started.” 

“Well, you’re gonna get your chance sooner than you think. We just got a case this morning. They called us in a little early to debrief us. We’ll fill you in on the jet. It’s go time baby.” He lightly pats your arm with a smile as he leads you over to where the rest of the team is, all sat at their desks. Spencer and JJ you recognize but there’s one face that you haven’t seen before. “Look who finally made it.”

JJ stands quickly to give you a hug, patting your back. “Leave her alone. She was doing a lot of hard work to get here. She doesn’t deserve to be teased in her first ten minutes on the job.” She says to Morgan, shooting him a playful glare. “Welcome. We’re really excited to have you here. You’re going to make a wonderful addition to the team. If you ever need anything just let me know, okay?” 

“I will. Promise. Thanks.” Spencer is the next to stand, extending his hand to you. Taking it in your own, you nod respectfully. You don’t linger, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. 

“Hi. Sorry, I’m not much of a hugger.” 

“Oh, no need to be sorry. I definitely get it. It’s nice to see you again. I know we didn’t really get a chance to talk the last time we saw each other but I’m hoping to change that now that we’re coworkers.” 

“Of course. I would like that.” There is still a slight awkwardness in the way he smiles but not nearly as much so as when you first met him. He’s the only one of the three that you don’t feel much of a connection with but you are determined to change that. These were your peers now. Your new family. It was important to you that you get to know all of them. It was jarring at first seeing how familiar they are with you already but it doesn’t take long for you to become comfortable as well. However you quickly remember that there is one person you still haven’t met. Turning to her, you extend your hand. 

“Hello. I’m Y/N L/N.” She shakes your hand.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Emily Prentiss. These guys seem to have the advantage here. How do you all know each other?” 

“Oh, I shadowed them about a year and a half ago now while I was still a student. Today is my first day as a member of the team.” 

“That’s wonderful! Well, I’m excited to get to know you as well.” She offers a welcoming smile, one you appreciate. As you look around the bullpen you take note of the fact that Elle is nowhere to be found. At the moment you feel it isn’t your place to bring this up, so you simply smile at the people who are with you now. 

“So, I hear we’ve got a case.” You begin, desperately wanting to learn everything you can now so you can fully prepare yourself.

“Yeah,” JJ answers. “It’s a string of high level armed robberies in Los Angeles. Nobody has been able to identify or apprehend any of the unsubs. There are five of them. All of the robberies were almost identical except for the last one. Someone was shot and killed. That’s when the authorities invited us to work the case.” 

“Sounds like fun, huh?” Derek chimes in, jabbing you with his elbow. 

“I don’t know if fun is the right word. Interesting sounds better, I think. I’m ready to get started though.” 

“Yeah, I see that,” He gestures to your go-bag. “Good thing you’re all packed. That was a smart choice. They don’t always tell you to bring a bag on the first day. You’re all over it though.” 

“Well, you only get one shot at a first impression. I wanted to be seen as professional. Plus I am very rarely unprepared for things.” 

“Good. That’s a pretty good philosophy to hang onto, especially in this profession. The more prepared you are going into it, the better equipped you are to handle the stressors of the job. There’s a lot of tough things you’re gonna have to deal with but if you charge head first with a clear sense of where you’re going and what you’re doing, it’ll take a lot of the anxiety out of it.” You listen intently as he speaks with a tone of sincerity you have not yet heard from him. When he sees you staring at him, he chuckles. “First tip is free but next time I’m gonna charge you. Good advice like that doesn’t come cheap.” 

“Okay, good to know.” You laugh, looking towards the others with a smile. “How about you guys? Any free tips for the newbie?” 

“Yeah,” Emily chimes in. “Don’t listen to anything Morgan says.” This causes him to roll his eyes jokingly. “Although here’s a real piece of advice. No matter what happens, no matter how hard the job gets, don’t forget who you are. Don’t let this work compromise your beliefs and your morals. There are going to be times when you rethink what you know but don’t let the awful things you see harden you and turn you into someone you’re not. I can already see that you have a real light and kindness about you. Never let the bad people take that away from you or else they win.” Hearing this, your expression softens. For only having known you for a few minutes, Emily already seems to have bonded with you. Enough to give you such important advice. Her words linger in your head for a moment.

“I’ll definitely remember that.” JJ places a hand on your arm. 

“Can I add something?” You nod eagerly, wanting to soak up all of the knowledge that you possibly can from these people. “My advice would be to talk to your loved ones as often as you can. Trust me, you’ll definitely want to after some of the stuff that we see. Talking to someone outside of work and grounding yourself in those relationships will help keep you sane. You’re going to be really grateful for a strong support system later on.” 

“Luckily I do have a really strong support system in my sister. She basically raised me. She’s my best friend. It was hard to leave her but I know she still supports my decision.” 

“That’s so great. I’m really glad you have someone like that.” You nod, feeling a small tinge of sadness when you think about how much you wish she was here with you. However, it passes quickly when Morgan puts his hand on your shoulder as a sign of comfort. The gesture is simple but calming, almost as if he’s telling you that he is a part of your support system now too. You know the people surrounding you will have your back. That thought lifts your spirits immeasurably. 

“What about you? I’m sure I could get some good advice from a genius.” You say to Spencer after clearing your throat. 

He chuckles lightly and thinks for a moment. “I guess I would say don’t let your age stop you from reaching your potential. You and I are the same age so I think I know to some extent how nerve wracking all this must be. Just know that even though you are young you have a lot of skills and abilities to bring to the table. Chase after what you want and soak up everything you can now. I’m obviously a strong believer in the collection of knowledge so the more you learn the better off you’ll be later. And you have as much right to be here as anyone else. You’ve done the work so believe in your own skills.” The three of you watch him for a moment and he looks between you. “But, hey, what do I know.” His joke makes you laugh.

“No, that’s really good advice. Thank you.” Before you have a chance to say anything else, a voice from behind causes all of you to stop.

“What’s all the commotion out here?” Turning around quickly you see an older man with dark hair standing on the walkway that wraps around the bullpen. His eyebrows are raised as he begins making his way towards you. Upon seeing him you put on your best professional face but the others seem to stay relaxed as he walks over to you. Once he’s standing next to you he offers you his hand. “Hello.” You take it quickly, shaking hands with him as you maintain eye contact. Unsure of who this man is, you are afraid to make a bad impression. As you look into his eyes there is something so strikingly familiar about him but you aren’t quite sure what it is. “Who might you be?” 

“Sorry, sir. I am Y/N L/N. Today is my first day as a member of the BAU. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” His dark expression immediately lightens as he gives you a small smile. 

“Ah. It’s nice to meet you as well. Sorry to scare you. I just have to keep these trouble makers in line from time to time.” Seeing him smile causes you to grin as well, beginning to relax again.

“Of course. It’s not a problem at all sir.” 

“Well I’m David Rossi. Welcome to the BAU, I guess would be an appropriate introduction. I promise I’m not always so scary.” 

“Just most of the time.” Derek adds, causing David to give him a look.

“Please ignore him. I like to think I’m a nice man. I don’t want to scare you off on your first day.” At this you can’t help but laugh. 

“Oh trust me sir, you won’t. I’ve worked really hard to get here. There’s no getting rid of me now.” This causes him to laugh. 

“That’s a good attitude to have. It’ll get you pretty far in this career. Keep working, keep putting the bad people away. It may take a while but it’s a gratifying feeling. In the meantime, just keep your chin up and you’ll be just fine. You seem like a bright kid.” 

“Thank you, sir. I appreciate that.” 

“Please, you can call me Rossi. Everyone else does.” 

“Okay. Rossi. Thanks.” With a warm smile he pats your arm. 

“If you want a prime example of working hard to get ahead, look at Hotch. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that man not at work. That’s why he’s the boss.” Derek says. His words make your breath hitch. Just the mention of his name makes you nervous. It’s been such a long time since you’ve seen him and you only spent time together for one day but even so he has been such a huge inspiration to you. And seemingly for good reason. You already know that Hotchner is going to be the man to impress around here but you don’t mind that much.

“Speaking of, have you spoken with Hotch yet today?” Rossi asks. 

“No. I actually have some paperwork that I need to give to him before we leave, clearing me to travel and all of that. Could I possibly see him now?” You try not to sound too desperately hopeful.

“Yeah, of course. His office is right up there.” Rossi points to a door across the room. With a deep breath you nod in gratitude and then begin making the walk over to his office. It seems like an endless journey as you remind yourself over and over again that he’s just a person and you don’t need to be so afraid. Or nervous. Excited? Infatuated? Whatever the feeling is, it’s overwhelming. Once you’re outside his door, you close your eyes and breath before knocking. His voice is clear coming from the other side as he tells you to come in. 

Opening the door cautiously, you step inside with paperwork in hand. Hotch is sitting at his desk filling something out, not looking up.

“Good morning sir.” Upon hearing your voice he looks quickly up at you. His eyes are just as dark and intense as you dreamed, fixated completely on you. The two of you maintain eye contact for a moment and the world is nothing but him. Suddenly realizing what you’re doing you force yourself to snap out of it, reminding yourself that this man is your boss and you’re acting like a lunatic. 

“Good morning.” He says simply, not moving as he watches you intently. Willing yourself to gather up all of your confidence, you walk over to stand right in front of his desk. 

“It’s really lovely to see you again. Being here is like a dream. At the BAU, I mean. I’ve been looking forward to it for so long, I almost can’t believe that I’m here. Now that I am though, I’m ready to work. I plan to earn your trust now just like I did the last time we worked together. I won’t let you down.” With a sudden flush of embarrassment, you grip the papers tightly. You have only been in his office for a few seconds and already you have completely exploded in excitement. Taking another breath, you calm yourself. “Sorry sir. I’m just very excited to be here. If you couldn’t tell.” 

There is another moment of silence as Hotch’s eyes stay locked on yours, scrutinizing your expression with calm intensity. For a second you can almost see him thinking, as though he’s working something out in his head though you aren’t quite sure what that is. After a moment he stands up, putting you both on equal footing. Everything about him commands your focus and attention. A quiet prayer hangs on your lips as you wait for him to say your name again after all this time. Just once is all you need and then you’d be happy. No more daydreams, no more delusions, no more distractions. Just once and you can do your job. If only he’d quit staring at you so deeply and tell you exactly what you want to hear.

“I do appreciate your heartfelt words ma’am but I’m afraid I’m at a loss. I’m not sure I know who you are.” With that your heart drops. Of all the things he could have possibly said, this was the most disappointing. It’s such a small sentence but it is a mighty blow.

“I’m sorry?” You inquire, hoping that maybe you misunderstood.

“I’m really very sorry ma’am but I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not sure we’ve ever met.” Nope, you had understood what he was saying perfectly much to your dismay.

“My name is Y/N L/N sir. We did meet a little over a year ago now. You came to my hometown to work on a case and I spent the day shadowing you. I was a student at the time. Today is my first day here as a team member.” Hotch says nothing in response for a time, his expression exposing what seems to be a deep sense of regret. 

“I apologize. We go through a lot of cases, it’s difficult for me to keep track of all the people that come and go in my life.” That is all you need to hear to shut down any further fantasizing. You had come and gone from his life a long time ago. Frankly you feel foolish for indulging these thoughts anyway. It was one day a year ago. There is nothing to look into. He is your boss now, not some high school crush. This is a professional environment. This would be for the better anyway. At least those are the sorts of things you tell yourself. “I really don’t mean any offense. It’s nice to meet you. Needless to say we’ll get to know each other now since we’ll be working together. Welcome to the team.” He tries to soften his expression but there is still a severity to it that doesn’t ease the knot in your stomach. 

“It’s really my fault, sir. I shouldn’t have expected you to remember me. It was a long time ago and you’re a very busy man. No offense taken. I’m excited to work with you.” Trying to change the subject, you extend your paperwork towards him. “Here’s all of my entry paperwork. It gives me authorization to travel, my medical and professional history is there as well. All I need is your signature and I will be clear to begin working.” Looking through it quickly he nods before signing each of the necessary lines. He hands it back to you and you nod awkwardly before deciding to merely head towards the door. “Thank you sir. I’ll take this to the front desk really quickly and I’ll be good to work this latest case. I’ve already brought a go-bag.” 

“Oh, you won’t be needing a go-bag.” This stops you in your tracks.

“I won’t?” You ask, turning to face him. 

“No, you won’t. You’re not travelling with us for the case.” Every dream you’d had about your first day at the BAU is crumbling around you with every word that comes out of his mouth. 

“Can I ask why, sir?” Leaning down to open a cabinet, he pulls out his own go-bag and unzips it to check its contents. This simple act of dismissal is enough to make you feel an inch tall. 

“It’s only your first day, I don’t hardly know anything about you. I don’t feel comfortable taking an agent into the field that is practically a stranger to me and to the rest of my team. It will only compromise your safety and the safety of others. When I get back, we’ll have a discussion and see where you’re at when the next case rolls around.”

“But sir,” For a second your own words ring in your head. You’re the boss. No explanation necessary. You are not the kind of person that questions authority. You never have been and you thought you never would be but hearing your new boss say this to you makes your blood boil for some reason. It’s like Spencer said. You have as much right to be here as anyone else and you have not gone through seven years of grueling work to be put on the sidelines from day one. “I have studied and trained for a long time. I put in the work, the same as the rest of you and that’s why I’m here. I didn’t just show up on accident, it’s because I’m good at what I do. I have all the paperwork and I am prepared to put in the effort on this case.” His movements have stopped now and his eyes stay locked on yours, unable to look away as you speak. Once you’re finished he breaks away and sighs deeply. 

“I am not disputing any of that but I am responsible for the safety of my team and now that includes you. It would make me feel much better if I could talk with you before sending you to the front lines. I’m on your side here even if it doesn’t seem like it. But at the end of the day I am your boss and I have final say. The answer is no. I want to like you, Y/N. Don’t give me reason to distrust you on your first day.” 

“Yes sir,” Is all you are able to mutter as you feel yourself deflate. “I didn’t mean any disrespect.” The shift in your demeanor must have been palpable because his expression suddenly softens and a hint of a smile ghosts over his lips as he walks over to you. 

“I know you didn’t. I’m sorry to disappoint you but you’ll have your chance soon enough.” With that, he grabs his bag and walks out of the office. In no more than ten minutes all of your big hopes and dreams for your perfect first day at the BAU were crushed. Everything has been happening so fast that it still seems like it might not be real. It’s all you can do to walk back out into the bullpen. Derek is the first one to notice your mood shift. 

“What happened?” With a forced smile you shake your head.

“I’m not going to be joining you guys. The boss doesn’t feel comfortable letting me into the field just yet. I guess it makes sense.” Hearing this, Derek, JJ, and Spencer all three share a confused look.

“It actually doesn’t make that much sense. If you’ve got the paperwork, you are clear to go in the field. Everything should be in order. I’m not sure why he would wanna keep you behind. You’ll learn more in the field than you will sitting here.” Emily and JJ nod in agreement and you shrug off his questioning.

“It is what it is. I’ll just have to make the most out of it.” You quiet down but he can see that there is still something upsetting you.

“Okay, come on. What else happened?” The expression on his face is one of determination as he stares you down, waiting for an answer. 

“It’s nothing really. It’s just that he didn’t remember me and I was a little disappointed. That’s all. It’s not really a big deal.” 

“No, that is definitely a big deal. Hotch is not a forgetful man. Especially when it comes to people. If he worked one on one with you a year ago and he knew you were going to be a future member of his team, he would have paid especially close attention to you. That just definitely doesn’t seem right to me.” As much as you agreed with him you decided now wasn’t the time to push the issue. 

“Well, I’m sure he just had a lot on his mind. It doesn’t matter. Anyway, good luck guys. I’ll see you when you get back.” The look on Derek’s face indicates that he wants to continue the conversation but he doesn’t. The three of them grab their go-bags and head to the door. Following them you smile when Derek gives you a side hug.

“We’ll all go get a drink when we get back. I promise.” You nod. 

“I’ll hold you to that.” Before he can walk out the doors with the others you stop him. “Hey. Thanks. I know we still don’t know each other that well but I appreciate you making me feel welcome.” 

“No problem, kid. You’re one of us now. We have to protect our own.” With one last smile he disappears through the main doors. Stepping out after him you stop when you see Hotch standing right outside the doors. With a small breath you walk over to him. 

“You’ll be working with our technical analyst, Penelope Garcia. Go down to the bottom floor. Her office will be the third door on the right when you get off the elevator. She’ll introduce herself. She’s very friendly. We’ll speak when I get back.” With that, he too disappears. 

In little more than thirty minutes, your perfect day is ruined before it has even really begun. Thoughts spin inside your head faster than you can comprehend. It feels like your fault for letting your expectations get so high. There is no way of erasing it. No matter how many good days you have from here on out, your first day at the BAU will always be a sad memory. It hadn’t been all bad of course. It had been nice to talk with the other team members for the short time that you had. However, that feeling was quickly ruined by your interaction with Hotchner. He was one of the main reasons you were so excited to begin working. You were sure that he would have some inspirational words of advice for you but all he had done was make you feel belittled. There was no way of taking that back. Now you were side lined for your very first case and it was completely out of your control. You really wish you had your good luck charm right about now. Something tells you you’re going to need it now more than ever. The Hotch that exists within that business card is the one you want to linger in your memories. The respectful and professional agent who had made you feel so respected and appreciated. That is the Hotch you need right now but that isn’t the man you’d spoken with today. That is what broke your heart more than anything. With one last longing look at the main doors you gather yourself up and head down to meet Penelope Garcia. 

Tags:  @talesfromtheguild @lannister-slings-and-arrows @gamingaquarius @gryffindorwriter @nopeforyou @sheerfreesia007 @roxypeanut​ @ssahotchie​ @ohpedromypedro @ithinkhesgaybutwesavedmufasa @readsalot73 @the-mechanical-angel @races-erster @maxlordd @pascalisthepunkest @paintballkid711 @hotchafterhours @h0tchner @ssahotchswife @ssahotchhner @technotic-prophecy @klinenovakwinchester @hotch-stufff​

[happys-crazy-queen22]

Hometown Hero

Gif credit @marcusfeniix

Requested by @nocturnalherb16. I hope you like it. Thanks for the request.

Taglist @nocturnalherb16 @jesseswartzwelder. @writerwithasoul

"Everything's going to be okay. I'm here now". You put pressure on the womans head waiting for an ambulance to arrive. This wasn't something you immediately wanted to walk into when coming home from deployment. But you were glad to help.

"Is my husband okay"? The woman asked, you looked around and saw that he had been thrown from the vehicle. He wasn't moving. She was bleeding badly and you didnt know what she had hurt so you didnt want to give her bad news.

"I think someone is helping him". You didn't lie, there was someone checking his pulse.

"What's your name"? She asked weakly.

"Sergeant First Class Y/N Y/L/N". You said with a smile. The sirens started to fill your ears as they got closer.

"Glad to meet you". She held onto your hand as the paramedics took over.

"Glad to meet you as well". You squeezed her hand to let her know you were right there.

While the paramedics took over the cops decided to show up. Clearing the way so the ambulance can get out as a crowd was forming.

"Hey,  are you a witness? Did you see what happened"? A younger man, about your age came up to you with his note pad.

"Yeah, I was walking past when a truck hit them".

"Can you talk with my Sergeant on what happened"?

"Sure". He led you to a man that was giving orders to every cop there.

"This is Sergeant Hank Voight. She's a witness and she helped the victims". The young guy told him.

"Nice to me you". Sergeant Hank Voight stuck out his hand for you to shake. You gladly took it.

"Nice to meet you as well. I'm Sergeant First Class Y/N Y/L/N".

"Can you tell me what happened"?

"I just got off the plane and started walking down the road. Got to the stop sign and bam. A truck plowed into the car. The husband was projected out of the car. The truck backed up and left".

"What kind of truck was it"?

"A newer model. Had a logo on the back of the window. License plate was A7X BATC. It was a black and silver truck. Male driving.  No passengers".

"You got all of that"? Voight seemed impressed.

"In my job sir, I have to remember a lot of things. So I got pretty good at remembering numbers".

"If you had to could you remember what the guy or truck looked like"?

"Yes, probably".

"Okay, give me your information and we'll call if we have anymore questions".

"Yes, sir". You smiled taking his pen and paper.

"Welcome home, soldier". Hank smiled widely.

"Thank you, sir. It's good to be home".

After filling out your information, you got released to head home. By this time you were really tired and jet lagged.

Entering your place, nothing had changed. Just the pile of dust that had formed. But this was home and you were happy to be home. Even if it was a short period.

Forget about unpacking, you threw off the bed spread and jumped into bed. Moaning into the soft sheets. Slowly drifting off to sleep.

Ring ring. Ring ring.

"Hello"?

"Miss Y/L/N"?

"Sergeant First Class Y/N Y/L/N, speaking". You corrected him.

"This is detective Jay Halstead, we spoke yesterday. We have a few more questions and a possible ID of the suspect. Could you come in and verify"?

"Sure. I'm be happy too".

"Thank you. See you soon".

Hanging up the phone, you groaned getting out of bed. This was the longest you slept in forever. It was 0700 hours. So you headed for the shower and jumped in. Quickly getting dressed. Heading out to the police station.

"Excuse me, I was a witness yesterday in a accident. Detective Jay Halstead called and told me to come in". You told the woman at the desk.

"I'll call him down for you". She said and got on the phone. Hearing boots coming down the stairs you turned to find Sergeant Voight in Detective Halsteads place.

"Sergeant Voight".

"Sergeant First Class Y/N Y/L/N, glad to see you again. Come with me and I'll show you some people that may have done this". He nodded to the stairs and you followed.

"I hope I can be of help. How are the couple"?

"The wife made it. But her husband passed on impact".

"That's awful. Hopefully you catch this guy".

"With your help. We can". He said leading you into a room with a two way mirror. "Do you recognize anyone that could be the driver"?

Looking over the men, some were short and some were tall. Some had hair and some were bald. But as you got to number three he looked awfully familiar.

"Number three. He's the driver of the truck. He had a red baseball cap on but that's him".

"You're a hundred percent sure"?

"A thousand percent sure. I'll bet my rank on it".

"Okay. Thank you. Now will you look at some pictures of trucks to see if you recognize any of them"?

"Sure". You followed him out of the room and to his office. He pointed to the chair and you sat down.

"Here's a few trucks see if any look familiar". He handed you a black book.

"So how long are you on leave"? Hank asked clearing his throat as he sat down.

"Six months. I just got back from an assignment. Then I stupidly signed up for a one year mission".

"Oh. Stupidly you say"?

"Yeah, my friend is in my unit and she said let's join the mission. Theres cute boys. I'm far from looking for boys. I dont have time for them". You chuckled.

"Oh yeah. That's understandable. You know, with your job and everything". Hank nervously chuckled.

"Yeah, plus the boys I'm with are totally mamas boys. They just joined to get chicks and kill things. I like men that know that not everything is fun and games. They know how to take charge and take care of business". You grinned, looking up at Hank. Who blushed.

"This truck right here. I remember the logo on the back". You pointed to the picture, handing Hank the book.

"Great. Thank you". He cleared his throat and got up, walking to his door. He called for one of his coworkers and gave them the book.

"So was that the guy"?

"Yeah". He said coming back to sit down.

"He's going away for awhile, right"?

"Oh yeah. He's not going unpunished for this. You did good".

"Thank you, sir. We should celebrate". You offered.

"We? Um, yeah". He twitched around in his seat.

"Great. I know a great restaurant that makes killer tacos and drinks".

"Sounds wonderful. Pick you up around seven"?

"Perfect. See you later, Sergeant Voight". You smiled and went o walk out.

"Call me, Hank". He said.

"Okay. Hank". You bit your lip and walked out. Hank sat back into his chair his arms over his head and a smile on his face.

[joontier]

Subliminal in Scrubs | V1;  report viii

pairings: dr. jeon jungkook x female reader

chapter rating: NC-17 | genre: humor, romance

warnings: someone will be leaving...temporarily....

word count: 2.3k

g/n: sorry for posting this late sdfasdfa

[taglist]: @nottodayjjk @ditttiii @zeharilisharaban @btsbunny07 @turquoiseandplaidinautumn @aamxxrii @codeinebelle​

Subliminal in Scrubs (the records) |  navi. | m.list

There’s a knock on your door, one you instantly recognize as it’s a catchy beat you exclusively share with one person alone: Ayoung. “Mind if I came over?” she asks from the other side of the door. You roll your eyes, chuckling as you walk to your doorway, “I don’t even know why you even bother asking, honestly!” 

“Unlawful entry happens when a private person enters the property of another without consent from the owner. The same shall be punished by…” 

Ayoung pauses her sentence midway as you open the door. “And does that count when said owner had long given such private person the passcode to her door, Attorney Shin Ayoung?” 

It’s Ayoung who fondly rolls her eyes this time. She raises her hands, fingers turning white as she clutches onto two bags full of food. Your face lights up at the sight.  Whoever said that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach was severely mistaken - that, or he or she hadn’t taken a woman’s true source of wellbeing into consideration.

“What’s on our menu today?” 

“Oh you know our go-to review food. Seori halmeoni’s jjajjangmyeon house special!” Your mouth falls agape, astounded at how she even managed to get those when halmeoni’s special dish always sold out in the middle of the day. 

“Please don’t tell you lined up for hours for these...” 

“What if I told you I didn’t have to?” Ayoung winks while she takes her shoes off.  You grab the food from her hands and start setting the table. “What do you mean you didn’t have to?” She chuckles at your creased forehead, knowing you’re talking about the minimum one-hour waiting time of halmeoni’s stall - and that’s on off-peak hours.

“I think the landlady might’ve mentioned me moving to a new apartment, so when I was coming home from school today, she called me over to her stall and handed me these care packages.” 

“Awh, that’s so sweet of her!” Your chest warms at the thought and the reminder that your lovely neighbor was going to move away. Not to mention Chohee has similar plans too. 

Ayoung lets Netflix pick out a random movie, adjusting the lighting of your room enough for you to eat your dinner while watching. “Right, speaking of, won’t the hospitals be sending out acceptances for your post-graduate internship?” 

Pushing your laptop to Ayoung’s side of the table, you show her the screen of your mail - the same page you have been refreshing for hours now. “Well, let’s just hope for the best then, shall we?” 

Forty-five minutes into Miss Congeniality, a notification from your mail app lights up your phone screen. You see the header display that it’s from Woocheon, and it’s as if your heart drops to the ground, and your fingers are simply glued to the side of your phone, leaving you staring at it until the screen turns black again. 

Ayoung notices your silence and pauses the movie. “You okay?” the sweet girl places a comforting hand on your shoulder, shaking you gently to wake you from your trance. Gulping, you look at her expectantly. “It’s an email from Woocheon.” Her eyes widen along with yours. “Well, aren’t you going to open it?” 

“What if I didn’t make it?” 

“Unnie, you wouldn’t know unless you do.” 

With one eye closed, you turn to your laptop and click on the new mail. “Besides, they’d be a fool if they didn't accept the application of the same woman who topped the exam now, wouldn’t they?”

Just then, Chohee’s caller ID lights up your phone. 

“_____________!!!!!!!!!” Your best friend’s voice rings in your ears, your barely comprehensible name loud and clear with Chohee’s shrieking.

“I’m already positive you got accepted to Woocheon because I had this gut feeling and you know my gut never lied to me - plus I had it confirmed by a fortune teller…” Chohee starts, then takes a breather, “BUT guess what? I also made it to Daegu Medical Center!! GAH _________ I’m literally crying right now!!” 

“I’m so proud of you Chee, I really am,” your voice wavers, and you bite on your lip to keep yourself from pouring out all your feelings. “Don’t go me emotional right now, young woman! I’ve got makeup on, and my parents and I are going out to dinner, and I can’t ruin my cute outfit with tear-stained cheeks now, can I?” 

Typical Chohee. You smile. “Of course, Chee. I know. We’re gonna be actual doctors! You go ahead and enjoy your family time. Young-ie has come over with jjajjangmyeon.” 

“It’s jjajjang-night and none of you even bothered to send me an invite?! So much for our so-called friendship huh!” 

“Well, if you’re willing to drive three hours all the way from Daegu after you have dinner with your parents, you’re free to come. Otherwise, we’ll have to finish halmeoni’s recipe all by ourselves.” 

Chohee sighs from the other end of the line, while Ayoung watches your conversation with your best friend with the fondest of smiles. Chohee doesn’t stay long after that, declaring that she has to go. As soon as you put down your phone, Ayoung asks about your best friend, “If you don’t mind me asking, why did she choose Daegu Medical Center? I thought Woocheon was like the most sought after hospital for internships?” 

“Actually, DMC is being managed by Woocheon too. If I’m not mistaken, it’s also equally as hard to enter Woocheon. Plus her parents work there too, so DMC was the only hospital for her.” Ayoung nods her head in acknowledgment, then presses a button on the remote to continue the movie when an unknown number sends you a text.

Out of all people, you weren’t expecting Soomin to send you a text. You’d been meaning to hear from her so you excitedly send her a text back. 

Just the same as the last time you went here with Chohee, the tiny bell dings when you open the door to the cafe. Soomin instantly hears the sound and waves you over to her table. As you near, she rises from her seat with a big smile on her face. 

“________! Long time no see!” she exclaims, extending a hand outward to offer you the seat across hers. 

“Soomin! It’s been some time, hasn’t it? Would you believe it’s been months since we were reviewing our notes under strobe lights and loud music? Out of all the places to review though!” you laugh, setting your bag down. While Soomin goes through the menu, you take the opportunity to look for Jimin if he was around so you could introduce them to each other too. After all, there’s no harm casually meeting your workmates before meeting them formally as coworkers right? 

“You know, I was really looking forward to this day - especially when you had invited me to this lovely place for brunch…” A smile graces Soomin’s youthful features. “I actually know someone who world here...I’m not exactly sure if he’s working today though…” Once more, you glance over Soomin’s shoulders, hoping you’ll catch a glimpse of Jimin’s golden locks. Ah, yes. Speaking of goldilocks. 

“Wow! Just in time.... He’s actually here today! Jimin!” Your calling his name surprises him, immediately causing him to look for the source of the voice. He’s sporting a wide grin when he recognizes you from the counter, until he sees who you’re with then diverts his attention somewhere and walks away quickly. 

Absolutely taken aback by his reaction, you sit there for a moment with your mouth agape until Soomin clears her throat discreetly. “Um...o-okaayy, that was awfully strange...I’m sorry - he’s not usually like that.” You discreetly hide the disappointment in your voice, wondering if Jimin just literally pretended to not see you when you had even waved him over. 

“Oh really?” 

“Yeah...um...I’ll try to approach him later…” 

“Perhaps he’s uncomfortable meeting strangers?” 

Highly unlikely. Not when Jimin had no problem interacting with the other oath takers that he managed to get the whole group and your families away from the maze they called the convention center. Plus, he’s really good with the customers too who generously fill up the tip box after experiencing Jimin’s exemplary customer service. Jimin’s ability to handle social interactions is out of the question. 

“This Jimin guy,” Soomin starts, pointing a thumb towards the till, “how did you get to know him?” 

You pause for a moment, recalling your memories. “Honestly, I just realized it now, but I actually met him the same night I met you. He was in the same club we were dragged into, and when you convinced me to approach the cute guy at the bar, he actually saved me from a spiked drink - from the dude I was supposed to hit on. The next time I met Jimin was when Chohee and I went here for brunch too and we saw him working here, so I guess that’s how we all came to be friends…” Jimin’s cold-shoulder just moments ago appears in your thoughts. “....I guess...at least that’s what I thought.” 

You figure this apparent ‘friendship’ with Jimin wasn’t exactly as real as you thought it was.

It’s all the more surprising that Soomin seems to be the least interested in your meeting, or, that she already knew who Jimin was. She was simply nodding her head as you talked, occasionally sneaking a few glances at Jimin while he was serving orders to the other customers. 

You start patching things up, trying to put two and two together to see if it would all make sense. No way. Could it be? That these two had history? 

Just then, Soomin stands to excuse herself and heads over to the toilet. The moment she disappears from your sight, you hastily call Jimin over. “Are you okay? Was there a reason why you couldn’t come over earlier? I wanted to introduce two of my friends to each other, but one doesn’t seem to be so willing....” You cross your arms over your chest, murmuring your hurt feelings loud enough for Jimin to hear. 

“I’m sorry, ________. But your ‘friend’....she’s not really just someone uh…” 

“Was she your ex-girlfriend then?” Pursing your lips, you egg him to go on with a raise of your eyebrow. Jimin’s eyes widen and he shakes his head back and forth. “No! No...it’s not like that...she’s actually my boss.” 

His hesitant explanation doesn’t convince you one bit. Surely, there’s all the more reason for him not to blatantly ignore you when his boss was seated right in front of you the whole time, wasn’t it? 

Jimin sighs as he watches your reaction, knowing his clarification didn’t suffice. “Well she isn’t my boss, per se, but she is the daughter of the woman who owns this cafe. Wait, they own the whole building, really.” 

Oh. 

“And uh…” Jimin gulps. Hard. “....the other day…” He looks around warily. “...I might have spilled coffee all over her dress...which was white…” 

Oh. 

Shit. 

“Why didn’t you just quit? It would have been easier.” 

“I couldn’t. Not when Woocheon’s results weren’t out yet. I need my allowances too!” 

Just as if on a terrible cue, out of nowhere, Soomin appears beside Jimin. You weren’t about to abort from your original mission though. “Hah! Perfect timing! Um, Soomin, this is Jim…” Before you even finish your sentence, Jimin bows quickly, apologizes, then turns on his heel, declaring that he still had to get back to the kitchen to do stuff. 

Soomin remains silent, getting back to her seat quietly. You suddenly feel bad for her, seeing how Jimin makes every attempt to ignore her, and gets away with it every time. 

Unfortunately and unlike Chohee, you are unable to get out of an awkward situation in a snap of a finger, so you apologize in Jimin’s stead first. “I’m so sorry, uh, he can be really shy at first…” Hopefully that wasn’t a complete lie?

Much to your surprise, Soomin waves it off with a smile. “It’s no worry, really. He’s probably still bothered with him spilling coffee all over my dress but I assured him a couple of times that it wasn’t that big of a deal. And that I always have extra clothes stashed in my car.” 

Soomin shrugs as she takes a sip of her lemonade. “I told Jimin it was nothing afterwards, but he wouldn’t stop apologizing...and now he won’t look at me too.” You’re at a total loss, amazed at how she calmly and easily handled that situation like a true boss. 

“Besides, dwelling on such a small thing won’t be worth it. Not when we’ll be spending an entire year together…” 

You go over her statement again, partly confused. An entire year together? She meant the internship, probably? And above all that - she knew about Jimin too, even when the boy won’t even let himself get five meters close to Soomin?” 

“Ah yes, I’m sure Jimin has told you about Woocheon as well right?” 

Well, you were aware of that, but you weren’t so sure about how she knew about yours and Jimin’s applications. “Yeah...um, but….I’m sorry, was there a list online that mentioned all the chosen applicants for the internship program?” 

“Oh right - I sort of know some people from Woocheon who have told me about those who got accepted...It still feels like it was just yesterday when I was registering my classes for med school and now we're finally here!” 

The two of you toast the future, clinking your glasses of lemonade together. Nothing could get better than having your friends become your workmates too. Surely, it’s a sad fact that Chohee won’t be going to the same hospital as you would, but you’re beyond elated that she got into DMC where she’d always wanted to work at. 

At least you’ve got Jimin and Soomin by your side now, and hopefully, new friends you’ll meet along the way.

© joontier 2021

[redrobinfection]

(16) Graveyard

SociallyAwkwardFox’s Spooktober (2018) - Day 16 “Graveyard”

Tim & Damian | Implied JayTim | Implied DickDami | College AU | No Capes | Crack | actual discussion of literature | Dick Grayson was adopted by the Drakes instead of the Waynes | Want to write/create with me? Find the prompt list here!

~*~

"How about four out of seven?" Tim asked with a shrug, winding up the toilet paper roll again.

Damian, his fellow barista, threw his roll at Tim's head, missing wildly. He glared. "You cheated, Drake!"

Tim rolled his eyes as he retrieved Damian's roll and began winding it up too. "How could I cheat at coffee cup bowling, ‘Wayne’?"

"You wind your roll too tightly. It doesn't unravel as much when you pitch it and thus has more mass by the time it hits the cups."

Tim raised his eyebrows. "What are you now, a physics major? That just sounds like strategy, dude. You are free to roll your roll as tightly as you'd like. That isn't against the rules."

Damian fumed. "The rules you made up! This is why I said we should use the rice crispy ba--customer."

Tim whirled on the spot, seeing that, indeed, a paying customer had entered their little, semi-enclosed coffee shop. Outside, a few students sat or sprawled over the sectional couches that filled the large basement of the university student union in which the shop was located.

Tim turned and vaulted over the counter. He heard a quiet "-tch-" from Damian as he walked to the hinged raise-able section of the counter and let himself in.

Tim straightened his apron and stepped up the register with a smile. The customer stood about five feet from the register, head tilted back, studying the menu board over Tim's head with bleary eyes. The guy was like a zombie, he was that exhausted. Tim cut his eyes over to the clock on the wall. 3:45 am. Hell of a time for coffee.

Tim glanced over his shoulder at Damian, who was reawakening the cranky espresso machine with deft fingers. Seven hours and forty-five minutes with Damian "the Demon " Wayne down, only four hours and fifteen minutes to go. Tim turned back to their customer and sighed. This was going to be a loooooooong morning.

At second glance, there was something familiar about the guy, but Tim couldn't put his finger on where he knew him. The guy had pretty teal eyes, but they were reddened and dull, like he hadn't closed them except to blink in way too long. He was also pretty well cut, Tim noticed, with clearly muscled arms and pecs so defined that Tim could clearly see them through the man's sweater. Maybe that's how Tim knew him? Maybe he'd seen him in the UREC weight room?

The guy's most eye-catching feature by far was the white forelock that curled down over his forehead. He was the third person Tim had met to have a whitened forelock like that; the other two were fraternal twins who had had small patches of albinism right at their widows peaks which affected both the skin and hair. Tim idly wondered if this guy's white lock was natural too. In any case, it looked frickin' cool, a lot cooler than his own; the best thing he could say about his own hair was that he could pull off the 90's curtain cut plus semi-mullet well enough that he could go an entire semester on a single haircut.

Tim was drawn out of his thoughts when dude finally stepped up to the counter and began to speak.

"Uh, hi, could I get a large, double-shot caramel latte?"

"Absolutely. How many pumps of caramel do you want?" Tim asked cheerily.

The guy looked up from digging through his overly stuffed messenger bag. "Uhh…the normal four should be fine."

"Okay, that will be $6.47. Can I get a name for the order?"

The guy didn't look up this time. "Uh, Jason. Gimme a sec', I know my wallet is at the bottom of this thing somewhere."

"No problem, take your time. It's not like we have a line, anyway," Tim joked.

This guy looked so dead right now--inside and out--that if he didn't find his wallet, then Tim would probably just buy the coffee for the guy himself. He understood better than anyone the sudden need for caffeine at odd hours of the day. He's not sure how he would have finished half his computer science projects this term without a much-needed double-espresso every couple of hours, to be honest.

The guy--'Jason' apparently--finally fished out a small money clip then handed over a student ID card. "Put it on my Dining Dollars, please."

"Yeah, no probl- wait a minute!" Tim cut off, staring. Suddenly, it had hit Tim where he knew this guy. "Aren't you that kid who always sits at the front of Professor Hyatt's nine-fifteen, Tuesday-Thursday, Modern European Literature and answers all the questions?"

The dude raised an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah. Why…? Wait…" He squinted and leaned in. "Aren't you the kid who once tried to sit all the way back in the AV booth, since, and I quote, 'the back wasn't far enough back'?"

Tim grinned as he swiped the ID card through the register. "Haha, yeah."

Damian moved as if to step up to the counter, the guy's drink in hand, but stopped dead about a foot away. He stared.

"Wait. Aren't you the guy who always comes in, gets tea, and sits in the window over there and reads romance novels?" Damian asked, eying him appraisingly.

The dude huffed. "Yes. My name is Jason--by the way--and they're not romance novels, it's classic lit. Now can I get my coffee?"

Damian handed the coffee over the counter, but raised an eyebrow skeptically. "You mean to tell me Rebecca is not a romance novel?"

"Wait, what!? Do you mean Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca?" Tim asked as he handed Jason's ID card back over the counter.

Damian nodded wordlessly. Tim snorted, then said, "That's not a romance! That's a totally a murder mystery! You must be confusing it with Jane Eyre. I get those mixed up too."

Jason nodded in agreement, tucking his ID away before taking his first sip of coffee. He moaned, his eyes fluttering for a moment as he savored in the sweet bliss of piping hot caffeine at 3:49 in the morning, then he looked at Damian and said, "Well, actually, I'll give you that one, uh…" --he paused to squint at Damian's name tag-- "...'Damian'; Rebecca is a modern romance novel by classification, but it's also a crime thriller just like--whazzatsay?--'Tim' said."

He turned to Tim. "I'm not surprised you'd confuse it with Jane Eyre, considering that a lot of scholars believe du Maurier adapted it from Jane Eyre."

"Wait, really?" Tim said with a laugh. "I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking that! Rebecca is like the less boring version of Jane Eyre."

Jason froze halfway into sitting down in one of the arm chairs that lined the wall closest to the door and looked up at Tim as if he had just suggested burning down the library or something similarly unthinkable. "Whaaaaaat?! I can't believe you just implied that any of the Brontë sisters' works is boring!"

Tim laughed again. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I was only twelve when I read Jane Eyre, so maybe I'd enjoy it more if I read it again now--with a mature perspective--but I remember Rebecca being a blast for thirteen-year-old me so…" He smiled, then shrugged.

Jason stared. "Twelve? Thirteen? Jeez. What else were you trying to read that young?"

"I mean, I read Moby Dick the year before that, in sixth grade," Tim admitted, shrugging until his shoulders hit his ears.

Jason gave him a flat stare. "Moby Dick? Moby fucking Dick? You've gotta be kidding me. And lemme guess, you also thought Herman Melville's masterpiece was a load of crock?"

Tim laughed, but shook his head and waved his hands placatingly. "No, no, no. I only understood, like, every fifth word--so.many.whaling.terms!--and it took me four months to get halfway in only to realize there was no way I was going to finish it by the end of the school year--I ended up skipping to the end and guessing for a lot of the AR test questions--but I definitely got the sense that it was a seminal work and that I was just too young to appreciate it. I've always meant to go back and try it again, but I still haven't gotten around to it."

"Why the hell were you trying to read Moby Dick at the age of twelve?" Jason asked incredulously, leaning back in the chair and taking a long sip of his coffee.

"Eleven, but, ah, well, my mom was convinced I had to be The BestTM in everything, so she pushed me to max out my Accelerated Reader level by the end of sixth grade and demanded that I always get the most AR points of anyone in my class, so I read a lot of the 20 point-and-up books." Tim tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I think Moby Dick was 47 points...Rebecca was 25...Jane Eyre was 33..."

Jason stared, shaking his head slowly. "So…what? You're fine with Moby Dick, a romance of the American Renaissance, but a gothic romance of the British Victorian era like Jane Eyre isn't good enough for you? Next you'll try to tell me you think Wuthering Heights is a snooze fest!"

"Well, I mean, I never could get into it, so…"

Jason slammed both hands down on the arms of his chair, incensed. "Okay, Mister, get your butt over here and sit down, we need to have a talk about Victorian Gothic and why, hands down, it is some of the best literature ever written."

Tim laughed again, then bit his lip, considering the offer. He glanced around the nearly empty coffee shop. Then he leaned over the counter and looked out into the lounge--there were exactly four people there and only one of them wasn't completely asleep in their books. Yeah, he could probably afford to humor the man.

He turned to Damian. "Hey, Dames, I'm going to make myself a coffee and take my break. You good to hold down the fort?"

"I told you not to call me that," Damian snapped, but there was no real heat to it; he liked to pretend that he hated the guts of all his coworkers, but Tim knew that he was Damian's favorite. "However, yes, I think I can manage. Go take your damned break, but when you come back I fully expect a rematch in bowling…and don't you dare cheat this time!"

Tim rolled his eyes and groaned, then turned toward trying to coax Ol' 'Spressolino--their affectionate name for the cantankerous espresso machine--into spitting out a double-shot for him. "It's not cheating, but fine, we'll do it your way," Tim replied. "But I'm telling you, you have to buy those rice crispy balls. I definitely don't want to have to explain to Barbara why some of the food on sale looks like it went through the spin cycle in a dorm washer."

Damian grinned smugly. "My pleasure. It will be a small price to pay in order to ensure your swift defeat."

Tim shook his head, grabbed his espresso in one hand and two biscotti off the front counter in the other, ducked under the counter drawbridge, then slid into the armchair across from Jason. He offered one of the biscotti to the other man and Jason accepted the free food with an appreciative smile. He already looked ten times less zombie-like, thanks to the caffiene, and he was honestly pretty damn attractive.

"Okay," Tim said, peeling the wrapper off his own biscotti and dunking it into his bitter cup of joy, "Educate me."

Between sips of coffee and bites of biscotti, Jason began explaining his thoughts on the romantic period of literature, but barely a minute into his lecture, a plastic-wrapped, ball-shaped rice crispy treat about the size of a cantelope whizzed by their feet and crashed into the ten extra-large paper coffee cups arranged in a bowling triangle at one end of the coffee shop, scattering them in a definitive strike.

Jason jumped in his seat and looked around wildly. "What the fuck?"

Tim sighed. "Daaaaaaamiaaaaaaan…"

"Shut up, Drake! I'm practicing. I need to hone my skills and adjust my form so I can thoroughly crush you in our next round," Damian called back. He marched from the counter to the end of the shop to retrieved his plastic-wrapped projectile.

Jason blinked in confusion. "I repeat: what the ever-loving fuck?"

Tim sighed again, then explained, saying, "It gets pretty boring in here during the graveyard shift, so we invented a game, coffee cup bowling. Normally, we'd sleep or study, but Damian finished his exams two days ago and I don't really study for exams, per se-"

"And sleep is for the weak," Damian finished, nodding as he walked past them carrying his sweet, gooey ammunition.

Tim nodded sagely, in agreement. "Sleep is for the weak."

Jason glanced over Tim's shoulder at the coffee cup bowling 'pins' and then over his shoulder at Damian as he lined up another throw. "You guys are insane," he declared.

Tim made a dismissive gesture. "I mean this is my third graveyard shift in a row and Damian here is almost 20 hours into a 24-hour stint. After that much sleep deprivation, you'd lose your sanity too."

Jason tilted his head in acknowledgement. "Fair enough."

"If you want, you're welcome to join us after we finish our coffee and literature talk," Tim offered amiably.

Jason watched as Damian threw another strike, sending one cup so far it landed in the pot of the ficus in the corner, and raised his eyebrows. "You know what…why not." He turned back to Tim with a grin. "I could use a bit of fun before I go back to work on my Native American Lit paper."

"Are you a lit major?" Tim asked curiously.

"I am."

Tim nodded. "That makes sense."

"And you?"

"I'm a CS major--computer science."

"That makes sense," Jason echoed, grinning.

Tim grinned back at him and waved a hand. "Okay, so as you were saying…?"

"Yes, as I was saying…"

Jason continued his little lecture while they continued sipping their coffee and nibbling on the biscotti. When they had finished--the coffee, not the discussion, because Tim was pretty sure Jason would go on for hours about literature once you got him started--they joined Damian in a game of "ten-cup."

It was in the middle of this heated battle of cups and marshmallow-bonded puffed-rice cereal balls that their next customer found them fifteen minutes later. The man, dressed in flower printed leggings and a black hoodie with "Gotham University Aerial Arts" printed across the chest in blue, took one look at them and grinned.

"Oh, hey! Coffee-cup bowling! I love that game! Do you think I could interrupt you guys for just a sec to get some hot chocolate?"

All three of them--the two baristas plus their customer--turned and stared.

"Hot… wait, what?" Jason said, laughing a little. "Man, it's like 4:30 in the morning. Why are you getting a hot chocolate at 4:30 in the morning?"

The man laughed, too, shrugging before he explained, saying, "I don't like tea or coffee all that much, but I just finished a 20 page paper on ethics in police enforcement and I need a pick me up. I need to get my warm fuzzies going again."

Tim rolled his eyes and sighed, moving back toward the counter to get the man his drink. "You're going to end up being the cuddliest cop on the street, Dick."

"You know it, Timmy!" the man--'Dick' apparently--exclaimed, pulling Tim into a bear hug when he made the mistake of passing too close to Dick on his way to the counter. The hug escalated into a full on octopus hug as he lifted his legs to wrap around Tim's hips. Tim, for his part, ignored the grapple, opening the leaf in the counter and hobbling over to the drink bar with the human cephalopod still attached.

Damian and Jason stared. Damian cleared his throat and eyed Dick with poorly disguised interest. "Wait, do you know this man, Drake?"

Tim blinked dully as he turned around, a cup in one hand and a packet of instant hot chocolate in the other. "Yes. He's my brother." Dick made a squeeing noise and nuzzled his head into Tim's neck. Tim sighed. "My adopted brother," he amended testily.

Dick laughed, dropped his feet back onto the floor and stood up. He nearly wrung Tim's neck as he tried to hug him around the shoulders. "Awww, don't be like that, Tim. We haven't seen each other in two whole weeks and I needed my Tim-hugs! Gotta meet my cuddle-quota."

Tim shook his head and handed the hot chocolate back over his shoulder. "You're insufferably, insatiably clingy when you're this tired, Dick. Go home and sleep."

Dick finally released him to take the drink. He took a sip of the hot chocolate, sighing in appreciation. "Thanks, Tim, and yeah, but, only if you do the same. You're just as bad as me when you haven't slept, if not worse."

"Can't. Working," Tim answered curtly, vaulting the counter to escape before Dick's grabby hands could reach for him again. His brother wasn't wrong; Tim was always up for a good cuddle after a long stint without proper sleep, but he didn't like public displays of affection.

Dick took one look at the nearly empty coffee shop, the three of them, their game, and then laughed out loud. "Ahhh, the days of getting paid to drink coffee and make up games at 4:30 in the morning. I kind of miss it."

"Would you care to join us," Damian asked abruptly. Dick brightened.

"Absolutely!"

And so that was how the four of them ended up bowling for empty coffee cups with rice crispy treats the size of spaghetti squash while blasting ABBA’s greatest hits--Dick's terrible, wonderful idea--until the sun rose and their shift ended, at eight AM.

By the time the four of them walked out the door, Dick was trying to convince Damian to join him in the aerials gym before breakfast, and Damian, clearly eager to do anything with the handsome college senior, accepted readily. Jason and Tim, on the other hand, were back to discussing literature over coffee--now focused on the merits and downfalls of contemporary science fiction and fantasy as an art form--and making their way to the East Campus Dining Hall, so they could continue their discussion over breakfast.

Tim snorted softly as he listened to Jason list all the ways Dune defined an era of sci-fi/fantasy, then smiled at the way Jason took his hand--without seeming to realize it--to pull him forward after the crosswalk light changed out of Tim's line of sight. Oh, yeah, this one was totally gay/bi/pan and he was definitely asking him out the minute he saw the opportunity, Tim decided.

He smiled. Who would of thought he'd come out of last night's graveyard shift not only having seen his demon coworker and his older brother hit it off--of all things!--but having met someone for himself too! He laughed, thinking, you never know what crazy things you might see, or the people you might meet, at the campus coffee shop at 4 o' clock in the morning!

[hematomes]

awe thank u bubs ): yeah it’s been snowing like crazy here too, and i don’t do so well in cold weather. a co-worker got me sick, they knew they were sick but didn’t say anything until after two other people and myself caught it—honestly a little bit frustrated.

ahhh omgg gamba!! 🥺 i have all of the characters listed for rerun except for shenhe and whoever is going to be released for 2.5 (yae, ayato) at least i will have some time to save, but now i am kinda torn because i heard rumors that vortex vanquisher is coming with zhongli and i’d like to get his weapon, same for raiden (but that’s a lot of pulls) 💀 so i’m not sure what to do + with still no news on scara and i’d like to get his character if he becomes playable (maybe sumeru?)

tbh i headcanon ayato to have a similar body type as zhongli, with the kamisato clan attire, and a high pony-tail. although i’m not too against short haired ayato either. i saw this amazing concept fanart of him—here, and he looks 😩 i wish you luck on your pulls and become the haver you deserve! <3 honestly i am cursed with diluc.. don’t get me wrong i love this king. this man, but he came home ONCE and now he won’t leave me alone TwT i have lost most of my 50/50’s to him. i was pulling for itto and he ruined my 50/50 (he’s now C6 and at this point i decided to give diluc the weapon of shame, the bell) LMAO but fortunately itto came home… 78 pulls later 😭

and enkanomiya does look amazing! i am so excited for more content and this new realm. tbh it gives me khaenriah vibes, i wonder if we will get another dains quest there or sometime in 2.5

ah yes the perfect time to not warn your coworkers that you're sick /s people are SELFISH like come on just it's nor that hard to say have a cold and be cautious

thanks!!! i had to skip raiden for kokomi on her 1st run so sadly i didn't have a choice </3 but this time hopefully she'll come,,,, i had to pour everything i had on itto and c6 gorou + the redhorn too so im BROKE but it should be ok as long as i skip 2.4 zjdkz

hhhh yeah vortex vanquisher will probably rerun along with zhongli </3 ans weapon banners are hellish so,,, good luck 😭 plus raiden's weapon is so good too.... sigh

scara is getting some crumbs these days, but yeah the latest one i saw was someone on nga (suspected to be one of the regular leaker uncles) stating that he wouldn't be there until 3.0 and even then he might not be released until 4.0 zkdkzk im torn between wanting him as quickly as possible and the misplaced pride id feel if he turns out to be the fontaine harbinger

yeah i saw some amazing fanart about him with a high ponytail...... he looks amazing HOWEVER THAT FANART,,, SIR wowie- i think he has the same cn voice actor as otto in honkai? so people think he'll look like him but with ayaka's hair color 👁️ which. im not against tbh. im already sold with his jp voice actor anyway,,, akaza,, gaara,, sigh

ZNDKZ WAIT YOU HAVE C6 DILUC........ im gonna scream ive been trying to get him since day one and i still didn't manage to get a single copy of him,,, tho i can totally understand how tiring it must feel LMAO but the bell </3 ouch

omg i didn't even think about dain,,,, please sir come back i miss the insane amount of lore you always give us,,

[sanutopia]

Reacquainted [F,A]

jeong yunho (ateez) x reader

Request: Hi can I request a yunho scenario where it’s been a year since your break up and somehow you guys end up meeting and getting back together

word count: over 1500?? i think

a/n: im sorry if this plot seems overdone or if it seems a little rushed towards the end, i’ve been having super bad writers block but i wanted to finish this before i studied for a final im taking this weekend :( other than that i hope you like it!! also i thought id let you know i miss ateez more than anything and need to see them immediately bye 

fluff, angst

“Seriously y/n? You have to get out more!” 

Your coworker, Collin, has been trying to get you to go out after work with him almost everyday for the past month. Sure, you could say yes just so he’ll be quiet, but he’s always been the wild type and that just wasn’t your scene. You used to have things to do after you got off work, like snuggle with Yunho, watch stupid movies that both of you could quote line after line, and eat all the takeout in the world (plus a whole bottle of red wine). But after you started this job about a year ago, your stress levels were at an all time high and work was catching up to you. The movie nights stopped, your happiness was dwindling, and although you didn’t mean it, the frustrations regarding your job were taken out on Yunho. You came home agitated and tired, and Yunho felt day after day the distance growing between you both. You both cared for each other and had each others best interest in mind, which is why you decided to break up. Since then, it’s been the same thing everyday; you wake up, go to work, come home, and go to bed. You only started getting closer to Collin a few months back, considering your desks are right next to each other. He was distracting, which was what you needed to get your mind off of Yunho.

“By ‘getting out’ do you mean going to the club and getting drunk with you? Not my thing.” You continue finishing your last report of the day, too concentrated to listen to what Collin was saying. 

“Well you need to meet some people! I feel like I’m the only person you’ve spoken more than 3 words to since you started working here.” 

He turns around in his chair and scoots it closer to where you’re typing away on your computer. You roll your eyes and scoff, finally turning your chair around to face him. 

“If I say yes, will you shut up?” he smiles when he hears your answer, “Yes, actually, I will.”

“Me and a few people are getting together on Friday night for dinner. You can bring a date if you want. Casual thing, you in?” 

You sigh and roll your eyes once more. “It’ll just be me, no date.” 

“Cool, then I’ll introduce you to one of my old friends. Don’t think he has a date either.” 

For the next couple of days you contemplate this whole possibly meeting a date thing. It’d be nice to enjoy some time out of the office with some work friends and to meet some new people. At the same time, you can’t stop thinking about Yunho. You weren’t sure that you wanted to get introduced to another guy, seeing as you still weren’t over him even after a year. It just didn’t feel right. Regardless, you go the next few days looking forward to this weekend. 

Come Friday, you get ready for dinner, dressing casual since Collin made you promise to not get too dressed up. You still looked classy, though, because God knows what guy Collin brought to introduce to you. Collin texted you the location of the restaurant and it turned out to be a few blocks from your apartment. It was the restaurant right next to the little diner where you and Yunho used to get chocolate milkshakes every Friday. The memory hits a soft spot and you contemplate bailing, but you wouldn’t hear the end of that at work on Monday, so ultimately, you decide against it. 

You enter the lobby where people are standing waiting to be seated and look around for Collin. You wander around the lobby and decide to stand against the wall, pulling out your phone to ask your co-worker where he is. As soon as you unlock it, you hear a laugh that is oh-so familiar along with a tone of voice that sends shivers down the expanse your back. 

“Oh, there she is- y/n!” you hear Collin shout. You slowly turn around and pray that he isn’t with him. Not that you don’t want to see him, you just hadn’t mentally prepared yourself to see his bright, smiling face again, or what you would say to him if he were in front of you. 

He’s towering over Collin like he does everyone, his hair is a darker shade of brown now, and if anything, he’s cuter than you remember. He looks just as nervous as you do, maybe more. Collin stands in the middle of you two and tries to make conversation. 

“Well, now we’re just waiting on the other two. They’ll probably be late... no shock there. Anyway... y/n, this is one of my friends from college, Yunho. We haven’t really talked but a few times since we graduated, so I figured we could catch up and get reacquainted. Yunho, this is y/n.” 

He softly smiles, as if he’s happy to see you and reaches to shake your hand. It’s warm and so much bigger than yours and you realize then how much you missed holding it and feeling it on your skin. 

“Nice to see you, y/n.” In a way, you’re surprised he’s acting like he’s never met you, but that would be a hell of a backstory to explain over dinner with your annoying co-worker, so you play along. 

Your other two co-workers eventually come, late as expected, and you all get seated at a huge circle table in the back of the dining room. Yunho sits next to you, partly because Collin basically forced him; not that he was complaining. It was awkward for the first fifteen minutes or so before everyone ordered drinks. The waiter got to you for your order and before you could say anything, Collin ordered for you. 

“She’ll have a glass of white wine. She needs to let loose a little.” He smiles at you as if he did you a favor, but you decline and ask for water instead. After seeing Yunho, you won’t be able to handle wine, because then you’ll be a crying slob on the floor. 

Yunho leans over slightly giggling, “You hate white wine.”

You finally let out the breath you didn’t know you were holding and giggle with him. “Red wine is so much better.” 

The rest of dinner consists of your three co-workers chatting about how they despise your boss while you and Yunho are at the other side of the table catching up. His voice is soft and gentle, sort of how it was when things were going smooth between you two. He looks genuinely happy, and that is your greatest wish come true. 

“You look beautiful as ever. It’s great to see you happy and not stressed. I’m taking it the job is going well?”

“I’ve gotten used to it now. Not as overwhelming as it was at first.”

You both spend the evening laughing about old memories while the other 3 slowly get more and more tipsy. The night ends with Collin and the other 2 going to the dive bar across the street so they can have some more beer. As you’re walking out, They invite you and Yunho to join. 

“Actually, I’m just gonna head home, I’m feeling a little tired.” 

You start to walk down the sidewalk until Yunho catches up to you. “Are you gonna walk by yourself?” you nod in response to him to which he scoffs and stays next to you. You know better than to think he would let you walk in the dark alone. He cares about you to much. He’s swaying as he walks, hands in his pockets since he’s not used to holding your hand. 

“Did you go out with anyone after-”

“No. Did you?”

He shakes his head no. That gives you a slight feeling of relief. You couldn’t imagine any other human loving Yunho aside from yourself. He was your first love and you thought he’d be the only one. You just didn’t know if he felt the same way. 

You get to the stairs of your apartment and fish the key out of your purse. You can feel Yunho’s presence behind you, but it almost seems as if he’s nervous. You hear him suck in a breath and then sigh. 

“Would you... wanna do dinner again sometime? Just me and you though?” 

You turn and look at his face. His cheeks are slightly blushed and his ears give away the fact that he’s flustered. He looks more nervous than when he asked you out the first time. 

“Are you asking me on a date, Yunho?” he nods slightly, and when you don’t respond immediately he starts panicking. “O-Or not.. If I got the wrong idea from tonight, or i-if you don’t want to give this another sh-”

You cut him off with a gentle kiss to his cheek which he swears electrifies his whole body. He always rambles when he’s nervous. His cheeks are even more red now, but his bright smile returns when he sees you pulling away, smiling back at him. 

“Does that answer your question?” 

“That’s one way to put it.”

The door is opened and you’re standing inside now staring at Yunho, who is standing on the doormat almost looking sad he has to leave you now. He goes to tell you goodbye and slightly starts to turn away from you. 

“I missed you, Yunho. A lot.”

“I missed you too. More than I could describe.” 

You open the door a little wider and motioned him to come in, to which obviously he accepts. You place your hands on his shoulders and reach up to delicately kiss his lips. He welcomes you and wraps his arms around your waist, then moving them up to cradle your head. As you pull away, his thumb brushes your cheek. 

“Feeling you kiss me again makes me not wanna stop.” 

You put your hand on top of his, “Stay the night...please...” 

He kisses your forehead, “I’d stay here forever if that’s what you asked.”

That night, you were finally reacquainted to the feeling of Yunho cradling you as you slept on his chest, and you swear you’ve never slept so sound until now.

-----END-----

[joon-ipersgirl]

O2 - the bloody build-up

genre: mafia!au, angst, fluff, slow burn, mystery-thriller

pairing: namjoon x reader

summary: charismatic. beautiful. fearless without question. the ambitious team of seven young men in charge of spiral, downtown district’s hottest new club, go above and beyond to provide 100% satisfaction to their clients.

after an eventful night out, you have no choice but to join the team for property damages greater than your intern salary. challenging a series of events that can no longer be left to coincidence, secrets threaten to burst at the seams as your professional and private life collide, and another - more sinister - debt is added to your total. 

how far are you willing to go to pay back your pound of flesh? remember, nothing is ever as it seems...

word count: 4.6k

warnings: cursing, some mentions of blood, mentions of guns (someone does get shot, but nothing super crazy), some violence, mentions of alcohol consumption 

a/n: thank you guys so much for the love on the first part! i really appreciate it. i hope y’all aren’t confused about their nicknames and stuff, like which member is which, but let me know and i’ll clarify 😭 this part might be a little far-fetched towards the end, but stay with me lol. i’m still working on my masterlist, but please check out my updates page which includes my works-in-progress. i’m actually pretty excited about what’s coming up next. as always, feedback is always appreciated and encouraged. thank you again to @alversia​ for reading this and supporting my writing. pls enjoy! 

full masterlist // series masterlist // previous // next 

“You expect me to head to Spiral tonight? Dressed like this?” You look down at your white button-up and black pencil skirt. Laura was out of her damn mind.

“Oh come on! It’ll be fun. Just some coworkers getting together after a hard week’s work. You haven’t been out with us in forever!” she exclaims, standing up from her desk.

“You know Amani doesn’t like us like that, Laura.” Paul does have a point. It wasn’t that you didn’t like them as people - well, that would be a lie. You didn’t. It’s just, who would want to spend their Friday night drinking with their coworkers when you could be at home, curled up with your cat, and tucking into whatever delicious dinner your roommate had prepared?

“I never said that I didn’t like you guys -”

“Out loud,” Paul says, interrupting you.

“- I just wasn’t planning on going out tonight. I’m not even dressed for the occasion,” you continue.

“It doesn’t matter. It’ll be dark anyway,” Laura tries again. “You said you had a good time the last time you went,” she reminds you.

You remember your brief run-in with Suga and the sleazy man at the bar. It’s been three weeks since then and the bruises on your arm have faded. Aside from that minor incident, you did have fun. The music was good, the bartender was attractive, and the drinks weren’t too pricey. In fact, Suga did say that the next time you came, drinks were on the house.

“Plus, you missed James’ birthday celebration 2 weeks ago.” You resist the urge to roll your eyes.

“Alright, alright. Fine, I’ll come,” You tell them.

“Great! Let’s go!” Laura squeals and grabs your coats.

It was going to be a long night.

The small group of you huddle together in front of the door to Spiral like penguins in the dead of winter. The wind is harsh but expected on a cold December night. You pull up the collar of your wool coat to shield your face as you wait in line and wish you had remembered to bring your scarf. Spiral was fairly new and you assume that more and more people were coming to experience the place with its modern goth vibe. Your feet hurt from the 4-inch heels that your manager, Mrs. Kim, insisted on young women wearing to “keep the spirit of professionalism going”. Honestly, you just thought she wanted to see you suffer the way she did all those eons ago. A rite of passage, if you will. After fifteen minutes, you’re finally at the door where the bouncer and two other men stand talking.

“Is everyone here ridiculously attractive?” Laura whispers to you. You glance up to look at her.

“Who are you talking about?” She points at the three men by the door.

��Ah,” you say, acknowledging them. It was on second glance that you realize Min is one of the men in the group. You groan as you remember your brief conversation the last time you were here.

“You okay there?” Paul turns to ask you over his shoulder. You nod. “Just making sure you weren’t thinking about bailing on us,” he says with a grin. You roll your eyes and punch his shoulder as you wait to get your IDs checked. It seemed as though security had increased.

“Well if it isn’t my little snack?” You groan again as Min grins at you. His silver hair stands out among his dark-haired companions, though he’s shorter than the other two.

“Your who?” the man next to him asks, confused.

“My snack,” Min emphasizes. “Suga wouldn’t let me have her though,” he says with a pout as he turns to you again.

“I wouldn’t let you have me,” you mumble and shift closer to Laura who’s watching the scene unfold with wide eyes.

“What was that?” Min asks, his grin growing again as he steps closer to you.

“Min, leave her alone,” the bouncer says as he waves through the first half of your coworkers after checking their IDs.

“You guys really never let me have any fun.” Min’s laugh rings through the air as he steps back next to his friends.

“Do you know him?” Laura asks you. You shake your head. She doesn’t need to know that story.

“I’ve only seen him once and very briefly at that. Come on,” you say nodding towards the entrance after taking back your ID.

You brush past her and the three men and head down the stairs ignoring the eyes that follow you. The heat from the club hits you like a brick wall and you immediately pull off your coat. You follow Paul’s tall figure through the mass of people on the edge of the dance floor. The music is just as loud as you remember and you welcome the thumping bass music as it pounds through your veins and echoes in your chest. You slide into the booth next to Paul and Laura follows closely behind you.

“This place is so cool! We have to come back!” Laura yells over the music into your ear. You wince at the sound.

“Laura, we just got here,” you tell her while putting some distance between you though there isn’t much room as seven of you have squished into a booth probably meant to seat five.

“I know, but this place is awesome!” she yells back with more enthusiasm. This was going to be a very long night and you could not do it sober.

“I’m going to get a drink from the bar,” you say, excusing yourself and squeezing past Laura to exit the semi-circle shaped booth.

“Why don’t you just wait for the server?” Paul asks while holding up a menu from the stack placed on the table.

“Because I need something strong before I can sit down and socialize with you guys,” you reply with a sourly sweet smile.

Paul shakes his head and you head off to the bar ignoring his judgemental stares. You take the long way, bypassing the dancefloor to avoid any prolonged standing on your already aching feet trying to shuffle through the thick crowd. Though there are more people here tonight than the first time you came, you’re able to squeeze through relatively unscathed. Sometimes being small did have its perks. You find an empty barstool close to the spiral stairs that led to the second level and sit down.

“What can I get for you?” the bartender asks. You narrow your eyes at him. This was not Jin.

“Where’s Jin?” you ask him.

“He’ll be here later. Do you -”

“And Suga?” you ask, cutting him off. How were you supposed to get your free drinks when this guy didn’t know who you were?

“Who’s asking for him?” he retorts, his eyes narrowing at you. His tall frame takes up most of the room in front of you as he leans across the bar, inches away from your face.

You try your best not to cower as you stare each other down, but his presence is powerful. His platinum blonde hair shines purple under the fluorescent colored lighting and his brown eyes are dark. His lean muscles sprawl taut under his skin and his black t-shirt stretches across his broad shoulders. Your hypothesis was right: everyone who works here is fucking beautiful.

“A valued customer,” you tell him. “He told me the next time I came in, drinks were on the house.”

“Suga said that?” the blonde asks incredulously. He lets out a boisterous laugh. “Now I know you bumped into me pretty hard a few weeks ago, but I didn’t think my chest was that hard,” he says while slapping it.

“Bumping into you? I don’t know what you’re talking about. If you don’t believe me, why don’t you ask him?” You cross your arms. “While you’re at it, you can make me an Old Fashioned.”

“Bossy, aren’t we? Honcho!” He waves his arm to someone. You turn and see the other man from outside walk over with a tray in his hand. Of course, he works here too. The all-black uniform should have given it away. Apparently, all the attractive men who live in this city did.

“What’s up?” he asks while passing him a ticket most likely filled with drink orders. He isn’t as tall, but his build is athletic and you can tell he works out.

“This young woman says that Suga told her next time she came in, drinks were on the house,” the bartender tells him, a teasing tone in his voice. The second man turns to look you up and down.

“Suga told her that? Babe, I think you’re thinking about the wrong man. Maybe it was Min? I know we all kind of look alike in the dark,” he suggests.

“That’ll be $10.50, sweetheart. Definitely seems more like Min’s type,” the bartender agrees, giving you a once over. He sets the Old Fashioned down in front of you. You scowl at both of them.

“Are you fucking kidding me right now? You think I’m making this up? Fine,” you say, hopping off the stool. “I’ll prove it to you. I’ll go get him myself.”

You hate most people and you hate most clubs, but one of the things you despise the most is being called a liar. You pride yourself on being a woman of integrity and you would not let these assholes paint you to be something you’re not. As you turn to head up the stairs, you feel someone grab your wrist and you whip your head around.

“Where are you going?” Honcho asks, his dark eyes sizing you up.

“Let go of me,” you tell him and yank your arm from his grip. You weren’t doing this again, not tonight.

“It’s okay, Honcho. Let her go,” you hear the bartender say as you walk away.

You climb the stairs and strut across the walkway. Below you, the blonde bartender and Honcho, arms crossed, watch you as you make your way to the office. Motivated by their doubt, you walk a little more confidently towards the office door. You stop short, take a deep breath, and then bang on the door. There’s no answer. You knock again. Nothing. Just as you go to knock for the third time, the door flies open.

“Who the fuck is -?! Kid? What are you doing here? You can’t just walk up here!” Suga yells at you.

“Your employees are being assholes and don’t believe that you said I could have free drinks for some reason,” you tell him, ignoring his outburst.

“You came all the way up here to tell me that?” he asks, eyes wide. “Do you even know - You know what? It doesn’t matter,” he finishes.

“I don’t like being called a liar,” you state.

“You’re bold, kid. I’ll give you that.” He shakes his head and shuts the door behind him, locking it.

He walks past you and heads down the stairs. You turn and follow him back to the bar. Though Suga is short and you are in heels, he moves much quicker than you expect. By the time you make it downstairs, he’s already leaning against the bar and signaling for the bartender to come over. Your Old Fashioned is sitting right where you’d left it. The bartender walks over and grins at you.

“I see you found him,” he says with a smile.

“Moon, why are you patronizing our customers?” Suga sighs. The bartender laughs.

“Always gotta check orders, boss,” Moon chuckles. Suga narrows his eyes at him.

“Look, just give her what she wants okay? You know I have other things to look at right now and I can’t have you fucking around.” You grin smugly behind Suga’s back, your short stature barely visible over his mint-green head. You didn’t like to think of yourself as cocky, but most times, when you were right, you were right. You saunter towards the bar and climb back onto the barstool you’d previously vacated. Moon’s eyes narrow and he glances over at you.

“Alright, Suga. I’ll stop fucking around and get the job done like you asked,” Moon spits. You survey Suga’s face as it falls and you feel the mood shift drastically as unspoken words pass between the two men.

“Can I have a new one? You never know what crazy people will do around here, you know?” You ask and add the please at the end, smiling sweetly at Moon, drawing the attention back to you.

“Y/N!” You barely hear Laura yelling your name over the music. “Y/N, are you okay?!” she screams over the music. You watch her hobble over to the bar with her drink in her hand. You know her feet hurt just as much as yours do and it shows in the way she walks.

“Paul and I saw you go up the stairs and I wanted to make sure everything was okay,” she continues when she gets closer.

“Everything’s great. Hey, do you want another one of those? Moon was it? Could you make her a strawberry daiquiri along with that Old Fashioned?” You ask. You shouldn’t enjoy this as much as you are.

“She’s real bold,” Moon says, turning to Suga, the mood seeming to return to its previous vibe though you can sense the tension between the two of them.

“That’s what I said.” You grin at Suga.

Moon sets your drinks down and you take a small sip, savoring the taste of the brown liquor. Observing Moon and Suga over the rim of your glass, the two of them have hushed words in a corner. Though Suga supposedly owns the club, it seems as though Moon is calling the shots based on their body language. Laura sits next to you and interrupts your examination as she starts talking about work-related issues. Laura is a sweet girl and as much as you want to be an active listener, paying attention to her drone on and on about Paul asking Melissa to lunch every day instead of her can only be so interesting after 20 minutes of the same story.

“Look Laura, I’m gonna go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back, okay?” She nods and you leave her at the bar after finishing the last bit of your drink.

It wasn’t a surprise to see the line to the ladies’ room outside the door, soft chatter filling the hallway as you wait. This was one of those times when being a woman wasn’t fun. At the rate this line was going, you would have permanent blisters on your feet. The heat isn’t as stifling and you’re grateful you remembered a hair tie as you scrape your curls into a low messy bun. You shuffle forward with the rest of the women as the line advances and you thank the sweet gods when you can finally see the stalls. A few more minutes pass and then it‘s finally your turn. You practically run into the stall, slamming it behind you. Once you’ve finished and flushed, you exit the stall and hear screaming.

You rinse your hands quickly and peer around the propped open door. The line had disappeared and the small hallway and rest of the restroom was empty. This was not regular partygoer screams of fun. No, this is something much more gruesome. You peek quickly down the hallway again from your hiding spot. The music is still blaring, but now it sounds eerily quiet for a Friday night at one of the most talked about clubs in the city. Something is wrong.

You slip off your heels and tuck them under your arms. You sigh softly as the blood rushes back to your toes. If it came down to it, they could be used as a weapon, but only if you had the element of surprise. Sneaking a look around the corner, you immediately draw back. A gun. Fuck. You turn back and quickly hide in one of the stalls on the left hand side of the restroom and crouch over the toilet, holding onto your heels with one hand and using the other to stay in place. You shut your eyes and try to even out your breathing. How the fuck were you supposed to get out of this?

The sound of a walkie talkie alerts you to the second presence in the room. Their steps are even as the person systematically checks the stalls. There are five stalls between yourself and the first door and you need to figure out something fast. The person had checked the second door and was moving onto the third. Taking a chance, you balance your shoes on your lap and shift your weight gently so you’re holding one foot in your dominant hand. Just as whoever is pushing open the third stall, you throw your shoe diagonally across the room under the stall next to you and hear it skid across the floor.

“What the fuck?” A man. Fuck. You pray that he hadn’t been looking too closely to see the initial direction the shoe had come from and was only focused on its destination.

Peeping through the small crack between the stall wall and the door, you see that his back is towards you. You take your second shoe and slide it in the direction of the main door of the bathroom. Through the small crack, you watch as he turns toward it again.

“Where the fuck are these shoes coming from?” You knew you only had a few seconds before he would forget about the shoes and resume his search. You take your chance.

As quietly as you can, you hop off the toilet seat and bolt out of the stall. Before he could fully turn after hearing the banging of the stall door against the wall, you jump on his back and wrap your arms around his throat as tight as you possibly can. He lets out a strangled cry as he drops his gun where it clatters to the floor. You press on his throat harder using the muscles in your forearm to apply more pressure. His hands are desperately clawing at your own as he stumbles around the room. Your grip around his waist falters when he slams you back into the glass mirror mounted on the wall. You hope the music is still blaring as the shattered pieces fall to the floor. The force of the blow has you slipping to the ground and you feel lightheaded. You know you can’t give up if you want to live.

“You fucking bitch!” he yells out hoarsely while clutching his throat. He turns to retrieve his gun from across the room and you grab the longest shard of glass from the ground that you can find before you launch yourself at him again.

You stab him in between the joint of his right shoulder, praying you’ve shoved it deep enough to sever the muscles and ligaments holding it together, leaving him unable to use his arm. Blood pools in your palm and you bite my lip to stop yourself from crying out. His shout is loud and you dive past him to grab the gun while he tries to remove the glass. You flip over onto your back and aim at his left knee as he charges towards you, right arm hanging down at his side, limp. Missing, you hit him in the thigh as he falls on top of you, groaning in pain. You scramble from beneath him and stand as he clutches his bleeding leg wound. Your breathing is heavy as you realize you had just shot a man, the cut on the back of your hand evidence as the gun had kicked back and cut you. Granted you have every right as he was trying to kill you first, but you’ve never fired a gun before yet here you were standing over the body of a potentially dead man.

“Don’t move,” you tell him as he writhes around on the floor. “And shut the fuck up before I give you something else to scream about.”

You look down at your stained clothing and ripped stockings. Blood is splattered around the room and the stinging in your palm intensifies. You can’t have him calling for help. Tucking the gun into the back of your skirt, you remove your stockings and shove them into his mouth, creating a makeshift gag. His breathing is shallow and you roll him onto his side so the glass is no longer pressing into his shoulder. You grab the walkie talkie and realize your hands are shaking as drops of blood hit the floor. Your skirt is ripped and your hair has fallen out of its bun. Your adrenaline rush is starting to fade and you can feel the pain radiate from the back of your skull outward. The faint splattering of blood against your fingers makes your stomach churns slightly at the sight. Fuck. You were probably concussed.

Glancing back down at the man who now seemed to be unconscious, you walk quietly back to the main door of the bathroom and poke your head around. No one is in the hallway. You realize that the music is off but the strobe lights are still going. You assume that you shot the man while the music was still playing and that’s why no one had come running. Both hands on the gun and held at your side, you inch your way closer to the end of the short hallway. You’re trying to stay alert and keep your breathing even, but it’s becoming more difficult as time passes.

Crouching down by the entryway to the main floor, you try to scout the location of everyone. You can no longer see Laura, but Paul is across the room hiding under the table with some of your other coworkers. The rest of the partygoers are all laying down on the floor as the lights continue to pulse and flash. Min is by the door leading to the stairs to exit with the bouncer, a man pointing a gun to both of their heads. Honcho and the DJ are on their knees in front of the small stage below the DJ booth with another man holding guns to their heads too. The strange thing is neither Min, the bouncer, Honcho or the DJ look scared. In fact, they were staring at Jin, Moon, and Suga behind the bar, as if they were waiting for something.

“You guys mean to tell me that you know nothing about our loss of business?” the man in the center of the room asks. “Nothing at all?” You count three men pointing guns at the three men behind the bar, but know there are probably more upstairs.

“Nothing man. We’ve never seen you guys before,” Moon answers.

“Bullshit! That’s not what they told me,” he replies. He waves his pistol around aimlessly.

“Whoever gave you that information was wrong. We have no idea what you’re talking about. Just let the people leave and we can talk this out,” Moon says again.

The man in the center looks like he’s growing visibly agitated as he paces in the small open area of the dance floor. You can hear the soft whimpers from some of the people on the ground. You breathe out softly and try to keep your eyes focused on the man in the center. He’s tall and skinny with deep lines etched into his forehead as if he’s never experienced peace. His coat is thick and looks just as expensive as the suit he wears underneath it. You know there’s no point in taking any aim anywhere the coat covers because it would never make it past the first layer of fur.

“You little shits think you’re so smart, huh? As if I could let any of these people go after they’ve seen my face.” He chuckles. A horrified shriek echoes in the room.

“Shut up!” he screams and points his gun in the direction he thinks the sound comes from. Though he’s fairly young, you can tell he can’t hear very well as the shriek comes from the left side of the room and he was facing right.

“You fuckers moved to a big city and think no one would think to check you out and figure out what you’re really up to, huh?” You also realize he can’t see very well. Anyone looking at him would think he’s glowering at the three men behind the bar, but you can tell he’s squinting to try and see them better through the bright lighting; he’s nearsighted.

“Listen you crazy fuck, if you wanted to talk business, you could have walked in here nicely and asked about us instead of terrorizing our customers,” Suga spits. This was not going to end well.

“And who the fuck do you think you are?” The man roars, walking closer to the bar.

You watch as Moon’s jaw visibly clenches and unclenches as he tries to deescalate the situation almost in rhythm to the strobe lights. You know you’re running out of time before things potentially become bloody. There’s no way in hell you’d be able to hit a moving target; you’d figured that much out when the gunman charged at you and you shot him in his thigh instead of his knee. You try to stay calm and think of the best possible solution, but the lights are bothering your eyes. The fucking lights! If he could barely see with all the bright flashing lights, his range of vision should reduce with less light in the room. You have to shoot out the lights.

“Suga, shut the fuck up,” Moon grits out through clenched teeth. You squint and try to count the number of lights hanging from the ceiling.

“You gonna let him talk to you like that, sweetheart?” The well-dressed man cackles while holding his belly, his head thrown back. “Are you his bitch?” He sneers. Suga lunges forward and you hear guns cock. It didn’t matter how many lights there were, you just need to hit as many as you can.

“You think you’re tough kid? We’ll see how tough you are with a bullet in your brain,” the man says coldly, taking another step forward.

Just as he’s taking aim at Suga, you fire the first shot and miss the lights closest to Min. Your coordination is off. You feel seven pairs of eyes snap towards you and you make eye contact with Min from across the room.

“Fucking shoot her!” someone yells. You duck down as a rain of bullets fired toward your direction.

Screams echo around you as people try their best to get away from the danger. You ignore the guns pointing at you, firing, and stand up to take better aim at your target. You pray there are enough bullets in the chamber to get the job done as you squeeze the trigger repeatedly, aiming as best as you can. Your ears are ringing from the shots which are wild and you’re surprised as you manage to hit three sets of lights before you run out of bullets.

“Get down!” You focused back on the scene in front of me. You hear the shots fire and start to duck, but you weren't fast enough. With your arms still outstretched holding the gun, a bullet grazes across your upper arm. The skin burns and you cry out in pain. You drop the gun as Jin grabs you and pushes you closer towards the restroom, shielding you with his large body. Fuck, it was going to be a really long night.  

full masterlist // series masterlist // previous // next

ⓒ joon-ipersgirl, 2020

[maelyca]

I am super excited for today! It’s supposed to be a beautiful day with a high of 66° ☀️ — which is great compared to the snow we had a couple days ago ❄️😵 I’ve got errands to run and am meeting a friend for brunch a little later. I woke up way too early, so I’m watching Bridesmaids (one of the funniest movies ever) while drinking a cotton candy Bang energy drink. Exciting life, I know 🥱

I really want to start journaling again to get stuff off my chest (and sometimes just to ramble, I suppose), but since writing tends to hurt my hand, I’d like to try blogging. My only fear is that I’ll come off as complain-y if I’m venting. I definitely don’t want that to happen. After the recent situations at work I’m hesitant to open up to a lot of people there. Plus, more coworkers are annoying me these days, and I have no idea who I can trust anymore. I am honestly not sure I can trust even some of the people I thought I could. I hope I learn some lessons from this — watch what you say on social media (so this blogging stuff should be really entertaining since no one knows it’s me…yet), don’t add coworkers to your social media, and don’t open up to coworkers like I tend to do. Coworkers are not friends. I totally broke my rule on that when I started my current job 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

I’m also hesitant to open up to my boyfriend because he can be a total dick sometimes. He has very strong opinions on almost everything, and he likes to let you know what they are. I don’t feel I can talk to him about my current job because he worked for the same company for a couple months and it did not end well so he doesn’t have a high opinion of the company as a whole. I just want to come home sometimes, vent about my day a little bit and move on. He likes to focus on the subject, rip it apart, put it back together his way then tell me why it’ll work better. It’s no wonder I’m having more anxiety and depression lately 🥺 But I digress. I’ll save that for another post when I come up with a new name so no one knows it’s me 😉

I miss typing, too. Since I left the call center almost three years ago, I barely have a need to type anything more than my ID number and password at work. I’m typing on my iPad right now, and it’s not as easy as I thought it’d be lol My fingers are already cramping up. I may have to get one of those fancy keyboards that attaches. Or maybe just get a frickin laptop and save myself the trouble 🙄🙄

Writing again feels good. Getting my thoughts out feels amazing. Idk if anyone will ever even read this or if it will get sucked into the black hole of the interwebs, but it feels like such a release of pressure in my mind. Hopefully, this will help me become a bit of a better writer. I’m still a little dusty on my punctuation, but I’ll make it work. Honestly, I don’t even know what’s acceptable these days - one space or two after the end of a sentence?!?! I’ll probably do both because I’ll go on tangents and not pay any attention whatsoever 🤷‍♀️ Do people even use commas anymore?! I have a small grammar book somewhere. I may have to dig that bad boy up lol

Writing my thoughts will most likely help, too, instead of doing video rants. Here, I can proofread and stop myself from sounding like an idiot or an asshole (I hope!), where as in videos I talk to fast and get confused, or just plain forget what I was talking about. Here, I can backspace and delete before a thought gets put out there; videos don’t let me do that.

I’m going to end this, so I can get back to my movie before brunch. Today is going to be a good day 😎

Do good. Be good. Pay it forward.

[cela-astral-projection]

Fic Masterlist:

Pre-Plague/Character Establishment: 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190042013689/family-is-family-in-church-or-in-prison-you-get Celeste and Aedan’s origin/backstory. 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190082894844/they-cursed-my-brother-to-his-face-go-home Aedan and Lucio go on a “hunting” trip. (Quotes because Mercedes and Melchior are not good at hunting not because they do anything else together they’re cousins ffs) 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190311270529/this-particular-diamond-was-extra-special-and Celeste x Julian. Coworkers to Cuddle Buddies (then fuck friends but I haven’t written that yet because Julian is difficult) 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190320567309/one-day-someday-my-prince-may-come-but-it-doesnt Celeste’s first Masquerade. She meets Asra for the first time, and Muriel, too. Gets into it with Julian. 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190341492284/have-you-been-fast-asleep-and-have-you-heard Celeste officially meets Asra and he reads her tarot and wow okay

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190067442994/when-you-have-no-light-to-guide-you-and-no-one-to Aedan meets his future brother-in-law and promises to bail him out. 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/611214605743767552/once-again-she-steals-away-then-she-reaches-out Muriel is injured. Thankfully Celeste is a nurse. 

Post-Plague/Pre Canon:

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190384015114/i-rage-against-the-trials-of-love-i-curse-the – Ressurection Story 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190458665589/the-sun-fades-on-me-now-and-i-miss-you-like-words Asra bails out for a few days on resurrected Celeste, leaving her with Muriel. 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190472987084/see-the-west-wind-move-like-a-lover-so-upon-the Muriel comes around to the idea of having Celeste with him with a quickness. 18+

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190491986324/i-know-who-i-am-when-im-alone-something-else It’s just smut. Celeste is still with Muriel and Asra isn’t back yet. 18+

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190509030509/purple-clover-queen-anne-lace-crimson-hair Muriel is confronted by his Patron Arcana. Muriel, Asra, and Celeste are separated for the last time until the Prologue. 

During Canon:

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190582700534/you-saw-my-pain-washed-out-in-the-rain-broken  Travelling with Morga! It sucks. 

Post-Canon: 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/610958656942522368/dont-say-a-word-just-come-over-and-lie-here-with Muriel and Celeste go on a date. It doesn’t end super great. 18+

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/189801811349/i-drink-good-coffee-every-morning-comes-from-a Flashbacks to why Julian and Celeste officially broke things off but it’s hard to know where this should fall on the timeline. 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/189951843634/i-was-born-in-the-arms-of-imaginary-friends-free AsraxCeleste after Celeste gets back from traveling with Julian. They snuggle and fuck. Muriel is being mad so he’s in his hut being petulant. 18+

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/189941199294/im-still-mad-as-hell-and-i-dont-have-time-to-go Celeste and Muriel argue then fuck about it. My original Possessive!Muriel piece that people really seem to enjoy. 18+

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190248585519/all-i-want-is-freedom-a-world-with-no-more The Phantom of the Opera is Muriel Julian is Raoul that’s it send tweet. 18+ Sort of Possessive!Muriel 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190289302564/i-hear-you-calling-and-its-needles-and-pins-i Julian comes back from traveling and he and Celeste start working together and Muriel is less than thrilled so he and Celeste fuck about it. 18+ Possessive!Muriel

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190745800284/no-i-wont-bring-too-much-of-anything-maybe-a Celeste Climbs a Mountain 18+

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190784482169/my-one-true-broken-heart-pieces-inside-of-me-and Celeste loses a pregnancy. 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190005355709/id-never-want-once-from-the-cherry-tree-cause-my Muriel is at the tail end of a depressive episode and Celeste takes care of him. Muriel takes off his clothes so 18+ plus but there’s no sex just some dancing around the subject. 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190670502549/she-floats-like-a-swan-grace-on-the-water-lips Lemon tree! 18+

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/189726046699/overtime Julian and Celeste have feelings at each other at work. 

High Priestess Stories 1-3: What happens when Celeste drains all her magic trying to save a patient’s child. 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/189742268754/high-priestess-reversed

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/189746823779/high-priestess-reversed-pt-2

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/189751784379/high-priestess-reversed-pt-3

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/189771072979/ill-wake-up-my-body-and-make-up-for-lost-time Celeste gives Julian a birthday gift…kinda. 18+

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/189734513229/if-im-well-you-can-tell-shes-been-with-me-now Muriel Proposes. 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/189831954089/with-that-freewill-comes-the-burden-of-choice-it Julian meets with Celeste before her wedding and lets her go, and they both have some feelings. 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/189839281409/when-other-loves-are-gone-ours-will-still-be AsraxCelestexMuriel Wedding Ceremony/Handfasting presided over by Nadia and Portia. 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/189761082259/i-find-it-funny-that-youre-the-only-one-i-never Celeste tells Asra she’s pregnant. 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/189789342769/shes-the-history-thats-made-at-night-shes-my Muriel and Pregnant Celeste snuggle. Some throwbacks to Canon traveling with Morga. 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/189810937059/what-day-is-it-and-in-what-month-this-clock Asra foists very pregnant and nesting Celeste off on Portia so he and Muriel can have a little peace and quiet together before things kick-off. Short. 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/189895805254/ive-got-my-hands-on-a-miracle-and-there-aint-no Celeste goes into labor. Muriel has to go get Julian. 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/189914211199/i-believe-this-time-begging-for-sweet-relief-a Celeste gives birth to two perfectly healthy baby girls and it’s sweet and happy.

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190545859754/and-though-i-cant-guarantee-theres-nothing-scary Asra rocks his baby and has feelings about being a parent. 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190033429514/oh-i-wanna-see-you-again-but-im-stuck-in-colder AsraxMurielxCeleste have terrible cabin fever and their babies are bouncing off the walls in the midst of a cold snap so they go out for a bit. 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190116505314/and-where-was-i-before-the-day-that-i-first-saw Pt. 1 Nopal Vacation where Muriel and Cela go and reconnect by themselves. 18+

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190134347659/when-you-touch-my-weary-head-and-you-tell-me Pt. 2 Nopal Vacation with snuggles, domestic bliss, and dinner. Intro to “we’re gonna figure out your history Cela” 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190174948949/well-laugh-how-things-have-changed-you-never Pt. 3 Nopal Vacation where Muriel and Celeste whine Asra into submission and make him come to fuck them because they’re lonely. 18+

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190207916499/the-poison-came-in-liquid-it-was-all-between Pt. 4 of Nopal Vacation and they figure out of Celeste’s history and it’s a real bummer 

https://cela-astral-projection.tumblr.com/post/190226109284/i-thought-if-i-could-touch-this-place-or-feel-it Celeste’s cousin shows up and it goes pretty well all things considered. Nice!Lucio

UPDATED 3/6/20