#realized i really needed a 2nd full rest day

[yelena-bellova]

Twenty Years Later: Joel Miller x F!Reader - Chapter Six

Chapter Six: Road Trip

Plot: Joel, Y/n and Ellie continue to make their way cross country, and Joel and Y/n’s truce is heavily tested.

Warnings: tlou ep.4 spoilers, language, insinuation of killing, mention of a p*rn magazine, guns, (16+)

Word Count: 7.1k

A/N: This chapter feels like filler, but there’s still lil’ nuggets that will come into play later. Thanks to HBO for throwing that curveball of a Friday episode, now I gotta hustle to get the next chapter out within two days 😂

As always, this series is 16+ and I will not be tagging anyone who does not have their age in their bio. Gotta look out for younger eyes 👀

I hope you all enjoy this one and prepare for the next one because….anyway, enjoy!

———————

June 2nd, 2002. Austin, Texas.

——————

Joel and Y/n had gone out for three weeks, equaling a total five dates. Between their respective work schedules and Joel being a parent, they had to get creative if they wanted to see each other. They’d meet on their lunch breaks or, if they were too busy, Joel would stop by the hardware store in dire need of help finding something and only Y/n could possibly help him. It gave them a good twenty minutes or so to wander the aisles together.

On a particularly slow Tuesday afternoon, Y/n was doing inventory. Joel and her had made plans to grab coffee on his way home and she was counting down the hours till he came through the door.

A small voice broke her out of her daydreams, “Excuse me?”

Y/n turned and met the face of a girl, no older than maybe thirteen. She had dark skin and a head full of curls pulled back with a scrunchie. She looked slightly out of breath, but determined.

“How can I help you?” Y/n asked curiously.

“Are you Y/n?”

She confusedly furrowed her brows, “Yeah…”

The girl huffed with a grin, “Okay, good. I asked, like, three other people where you were and they had no idea.”

Y/n awkwardly smiled along with her, “C-can I ask how you know my name?”

“Oh,” the girl snapped back to the current conversation, “I’m Sarah.”

“Sarah…” Y/n repeated, wracking her mental index of high school friend’s kids, before it hit her. Her eyes widened, “Wait…Sarah…Miller?”

She nodded, “Yeah.”

Y/n’s body locked up, to say she was surprised was an understatement. Joel had told her that he wanted to wait a while before introducing her to Sarah. He hadn’t had a serious girlfriend since Sarah’s mom and was trying to figure out the best way for them to meet. Y/n hadn’t taken any offense, she’d supported it, actually. She’d never dated anyone with a kid and she wanted to do everything as close to perfect as she could.

“D-does your-“ Y/n braced herself against her inventory cart, “Does your dad know you’re here?”

Sarah’s mouth twisted, “Not exactly.”

“Uh-huh,” Y/n replied, suspicious, “And not exactly means…?”

“Not at all,” Sarah nervously smiled.

Y/n gathered the little oxygen left in her body and laughed. “How did you get down here if you’re by yourself?”

Sarah shrugged, “I took the bus.”

“Ah,” Y/n nodded, “And you ride the bus alone without your dad’s permission a lot?”

The girl gave a guilty smile and balanced on the heels of her Converse. It was all the answer Y/n needed.

“So, why are you here?” Y/n asked, feeling like she was doing something wrong.

Sarah sighed, “I got tired of waiting for my dad to introduce me to you. I’ve asked him, like, ten times and he keeps saying no. I knew you worked here so…I figured this was the only way I could meet you.”

Y/n couldn’t help but be a little touched, and also terrified. She was more nervous about impressing Sarah than she had been Joel.

“I mean,” Y/n rubbed her forehead, “Yeah, I knew your dad was waiting to introduce us but…I didn’t realize his daughter was a secret mastermind.”

“Oh, you have no idea,” Sarah smiled, resting a hand on Y/n’s cart, “So…you’re dating my dad.”

Y/n nodded, “Seems that way, yeah.”

“Well, he really likes you,” Sarah replied, “Like, really likes you. He’s in a way better mood than usual.”

“Is he now?” Y/n inquired.

“He’s smiling all the time, he’s cooking,” Sarah’s face turned serious, “Which never happens ‘cause he kinda sucks at it. He’s even singing.”

Y/n raised an eyebrow, “Singing?”

Sarah nodded, “Uh-huh. Just under his breath, but still…”

Y/n was trying hard to restrain her grin, but Sarah was making it difficult. It was nice to know Joel was as uplifted by their short time together as she was. She’d practically been floating down the aisles.

“He’s just never this happy and…” Sarah shrugged one arm, “I really wanted to meet whoever was responsible.”

“Well,” Y/n smiled, “Your dad’s pretty great. And he loves you, never stops talking about how well you’re doing in school and in soccer…”

Sarah’s posture visibly improved upon hearing the compliments.

“Look, my dad’s never going to work up the nerve to let us all hang out together,” Sarah began to explain, “But the county fair’s on Friday night, me, him and Uncle Tommy are gonna go and it would be really fun if you came.”

Y/n inhaled deeply, a family outing. Was she ready for that? Were her and Joel at that point?

“I don’t know, Sarah,” she hesitate, “I should really talk to your dad first.”

“No,” Sarah urged, taking hold of one of Y/n’s hands, “He’ll just get all squirmy and frown and say that it’s not time yet.”

Y/n thought for a second, “He does frown a lot.”

“A lot,” Sarah chortled, Y/n joining in soon after, “Just think about it. Please?”

Y/n was between a rock and a hard place, or rather, the guy she was dating and his crafty daughter. She wanted Sarah to like her and they were already a step in the right direction. She didn’t want to blow it.

“Okay,” she relented, “I’ll think about it.”

“Yes,” Sarah cheered under her breath, still holding onto Y/n’s hand. “I gotta go, the bus is gonna be back any minute.”

As she moved to go, Y/n took a step forward. “I-I really don’t like the thought of you on the bus by yourself,” she objected, “Why don’t I drive you?”

“But you’re working,” Sarah replied.

Y/n gestured to the empty space around them. “I think they’ll survive without me for twenty minutes.”

Sarah gave a small smile, she was getting to spend more time with the woman she had a million questions about. Sneaking around had paid off substantially.

“Come on,” Y/n removed her apron, draped it across her cart and pulled her keys from her pocket, “You can tell me what your dad’s been singing on the way.”

The two girls headed out of the store, giggling to themselves as Sarah did an impression of her father humming old country tunes to himself while washing dishes.

—————————

Later that afternoon, Joel arrived to pick Y/n up for their quick coffee. When he arrived, she was nowhere to be found. After asking around, and finding out she had stepped out momentarily, he decided to wait at the empty checkout line for her.

Y/n walked back into the store with a new spring in her step. Sarah had not only spilled a lot of dirt on Joel, but she had talked about herself a lot. Y/n felt like she’d already been able to make a connection.

Joel spotted her before she did him, waving a little to catch her eye.

“Hey,” Y/n greeted, apprehension taking over.

“Hey,” Joel replied, his smiling fading the closer he got, “What’s that look?”

“What look?” Y/n asked, unaware of how nervous she appeared.

“You look like a kid with their hand caught in the cookie jar,” Joel smirked, taking her hand lightly into his, “What’s going on?”

Y/n sighed, she’d been trying to figure out how to broach the subject of Sarah all the way back to the store. Joel’s gentle touch was only heightening her nerves. “Why don’t I drive us to coffee?”

Joel squinted in confusion, “Okay…”

The two of them drove off in Y/n’s old Toyota, but she waited until they had their drinks in hand and were walking down the main street to start talking.

“So Sarah came by today,” she blurted out.

Joel nearly choked on the sip he’d been taking, “My Sarah?”

“Uh-huh,” Y/n nodded, anxiously holding the cup close to her chest.

“H-how’d she get down the-“ Joel began to ask before pressing his lips together and shutting his eyes, “She took the bus, didn’t she?”

“Yep,” Y/n answered.

Joel sighed, he was already starting to find grey hairs across his head. Sarah was going to turn the whole thing silver before she was 16.

“She said she was tired of waiting for you to introduce us so she was going to do it herself,” Y/n retold the story.

“Yeah, sounds like her…” Joel replied with a loud sigh, “Look, I know you wanted to meet her-“

“Yeah, but I was perfectly fine with waiting,” Y/n was quick to say, “You said you wanted to do this the right way.”

“Yeah, well, the right way was decided for us,” Joel sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “So what’d you two talk about?”

Y/n smirked over her coffee cup, details of the conversation still fresh in her mind. “Girl stuff,” she answered, quickly taking a drink.

“Why don’t I believe you?” Joel asked with an eyebrow cocked.

“She, uh, she invited me to the fair this weekend,” Y/n changed topics, “With you guys.”

“Ah,” Joel nodded, he didn’t know whether or not to thank Sarah for speeding his relationship up. Lord knows, he was too nervous to do it.

Y/n held a hand up to Joel, “But I didn’t give her an answer. I wanted to talk to you first.”

With the obstacle of Sarah’s approval out of the way, there was nothing to stop him from saying yes. And he didn’t want there to be, he was just used to using excessive caution around his family that anything else felt unnatural. 

“You should come,” Joel answered, turning to Y/n with a shy smile.

Y/n inched back a little, placing her hand on Joel’s arm, “Are you sure? Joel, I don’t want to insert myself anywhere.”

“How can you insert yourself somewhere you were invited?” Joel replied, settling his hand over Y/n’s, “Come.”

Taking a deep breath, Y/n knew that this was a big step for them. Joel’s daughter was his world, and Y/n was being given the privilege of being a part of it.

She blew out her cheeks, “Okay.”

Joel’s smile was earnest, rubbing his thumb over the back of Y/n’s hand. 

“If all goes well, I won’t have to hide you so much,” he said.

“Yeah, I don’t think you’re doing that great a job,” Y/n chuckled at Joel’s confusion, “Johnny Cash?”

Joel’s face turned sour, “Can’t believe she told you ‘bout that.”

“Hey, I thought it was a cute story,” Y/n held her hands up in surrender, “Your daughter thought it was a laugh riot.”

Joel lightly rolled his eyes, letting them rest afterwards on Y/n’s face. A stray bit of hair had fallen in her face, thanks to the breeze, and Joel brushed it away, cupping her cheek.

Joel and Y/n had made the decision that they wouldn’t take their relationship any further without having Sarah’s approval. They had yet to even kiss.

“If this works out,” Y/n started, “You’re not gonna be able to get rid of me.”

“Who says I want to?” Joel muttered, their close proximity allowed him to lower his voice.

They both knew if they stayed in the moment a second longer, their wills could cave. Y/n shoved her coffee cup between their mouths, allowing them both a breathy laugh.

“Come on,” Joel reached down and clasped Y/n’s hand, “I gotcha for a little while longer.”

The two of them walked off into the Austin evening, savoring every short second they got together.

—————

2023. Somewhere in rural America.

Joel, Ellie and Y/n had been driving for one day and no one had yet to end up in a body bag. A win if ever there were one.

That wasn’t to say they hadn’t come close. Joel and Y/n’s truce was an uneasy one and with the promise made to Ellie that they’d get along, their arguments had phased to thin lipped smiles barely concealing their disdain for one another. Still, their guns had stayed in the holsters. That was progress.

Joel pulled over at an abandoned gas station somewhere, needing to refuel. Ellie headed off to the bathrooms while Y/n and Joel went about setting up the siphon.

As Y/n handed Joel a rag, she noticed the state of his hand. It was still healing, and after using it so much in one day, it was beginning to shake.

48 hours ago, she would have let him suffer, but in the interest of a truce…

“Here,” she scooted closer, taking the siphon into her hand.

“I got it,” Joel protested.

“I know you do,” she placated him, gently prying his hand off the device, “Now move.”

She inched him out of the way and took over attaching the device. Joel crouched next to her in the dust, he felt useless if he wasn’t working.

Footsteps signaled that Ellie was coming back. She glanced over the abandoned car at Y/n and Joel.

“We have to do this every hour?”  

“Gas breaks down over time,” Joel answered, “This stuff’s almost water. Back in the day, we’d drive 10, 12 hours on one tank. You could go anywhere.”

“So where’d you go?” Ellie asked.

Y/n continued working, bouncing the memories off that threatened to stick in her mind. 

“Pretty much nowhere,” Joel answered, it was technically the truth, but so there was unclaimed life resting in his ‘pretty much.’

Y/n huffed a large breath into the siphon, the gasoline dripping into their canister.

“Nice,” Ellie complimented, “How does that work?”

“It’s a siphon,” Joel explained as Y/n monitored their levels, “It’s when liquid…travels against gravity because pressure-“

Ellie nodded smugly, “You don’t know.”

“I know it works,” Joel quickly replied.

Y/n smirked and looked over her shoulder, “Please teach us more about physics, professor.”

Joel frowned at his ex before turning his attention back to a walking Ellie, “No wandering.”

Ellie thought a moment, “Okay,” she went into her backpack, “This is your fault then.”

She whipped out a small paperback that made Y/n shut her eyes in exhaustion. “Oh, sweet Moses, not that book…” she muttered.

Joel started to speak, “Wha-“

“‘It doesn’t matter how much you push the envelope,’” Ellie recited, “‘It’ll still be stationary.’”

Joel blinked, Y/n let her forehead rest against the car.

“‘No Pun Intended: Volume Too’ by Will Livingston,” Ellie held up the book to Joel, “Volume Too. Look, you get it? Too? Like t-o-o?”

Joel mumbled something under his breath and got up.

“‘What did the mermaid wear to her math class?’” Ellie asked her captive audience, building tension in the silence, “‘An algae bra,” she laughed, “Like algae bra. ‘I stayed up all night-“

“No,” Joel shook his head, like that word carried an ounce of power with Ellie.

“‘Wondering where the sun went,” the girl continued, “‘And then it dawned on me.”

“Feel free to wait in the truck,” Joel suggested, crossing his arms across his chest.

“Well, Y/n thought it was funny,” Ellie retorted, she’d tested the jokes our on her watcher back in the QZ.

“I laughed at one out of, like, fifteen, Ellie,” Y/n grunted as she got to her feet, “That’s not the win you think it is.”

“Okay, but just know,” Ellie held up the book again, “You can’t escape Will Livingston. He’ll be back. There’s nothing you can do to stop him.”

Ellie took her backpack and her jokes and walked back to the Chevy, leaving Joel and Y/n by themselves.

“You get that book,” Joel started, trying to break the silence, “I’ll roll down the window.”

“Oh, that’s not even the worst of ‘em,” Y/n replied, wiggling the toe of her boot into the ground, “But they make her smile. Like I’m in any position to put a stop to that.”

Joel glanced over at Y/n, taking a temperature reading of her once again. It was hard to see so much of the person you’d once loved with your whole heart mixed with who they’d become. Every once in a while, he got flashes of his ex-girlfriend in the light she used to radiate. But something inevitably came through and blew out her flame. More than often, all it took was his mere presence.

“We should be good,” he said, changing his train of thought and kneeling down to pack up the siphon.

Y/n took the gas they’d collected and carried it back to the truck. Heavy as it was, she wasn’t about to ask Joel to help her. She’d lived through twenty years of their dystopian hell-space, a gas can wasn’t about to best her.

Once the truck was filled up, Joel and Y/n hopped in the front seats with Ellie sitting in the back.

“Must’ve been some truck,” Ellie commented, staring out the back window at the fleet deserted vehicles.

“Yeah, they used to stick big-ass plows on them and clear the roads for their tanks and such,” Joel said.

Ellie spun around in her seat, “I wanna see a tank!”

“You will,” Joel replied, “Tanks, choppers, all that stuff. But they’ll fight the wrong enemy. Just scattered around now.”

By now, Joel was background noise to Ellie as she dug around the back of Bill’s truck.

“I got somethin’,” she announced proudly, waving another cassette tape in between Y/n and Joel. “Here, does this make you all nostalgic?”

Joel took the tape from her, it was Hank Williams. Y/n and him shared a sideways glance, if Ellie had any musical knowledge, they’d have been insulted. 

“This is actually before our time,” Joel handled the cassette.

“Great,” Ellie settled back in her seat, unamused.

“Doesn’t mean it’s not good,” Y/n stated, watching Joel pop the tape into the player and adjust the volume.

The speakers flooded with the warm sounds of the country legend. Something about it made both Joel and Y/n relax into their seats a little more.

“Oh, man,” Joel mumbled to himself, briefly closing his eyes and letting the music wash over him.

“Yeah,” Y/n absentmindedly replied, staring out her window.

“Got somethin’ else,” Ellie announced, the sounds of magazine pages flipping behind Joel and Y/n, “It’s, uh, light on the reading, but it has some interesting pictures.”

Y/n and Joel peered into the dashboard mirror, catching a graphic cover. Their protests overlapped.

“Oh, no, no, no, put that back.”

“Ellie, don’t read that.”

“That’s not for kids, Ellie.”

“There’s nothing you need to see-“

Ellie opened up the centerfold of the x-rated magazine, her jaw dropping at the sight, “How would he even walk around with that thing?”

“Ellie,” Y/n unbuckled her seat belt, flipping around in her chair and stretching into the backseat, “Put it back.”

The girl slid to Joel’s side of the truck, too far away for Y/n to reach. “Hold you horses,” she argued, “I wanna see what all the fuss is about.”

While Joel watched nervously through the mirror, Y/n was not so easily defeated. She kept clawing at the air, trying to rip the magazine out of Ellie’s hands. Ellie turned away just enough so Y/n’s fingertips barely touched the paper.

“Why are all the pages stuck together?” Ellie asked.

“Uh,” Joel elongated, unsure of what to do, “The-“

“I’m just fuckin’ with you,” Ellie burst into laughter, reaching past Y/n and slapping Joel’s shoulder with the magazine.

Y/n slid back into her seat, moving as far away as she could from Joel’s shoulder.

Ellie unrolled the back window, the whipping winds blowing through the truck. She tossed the magazine out with a grin, “Bye-bye, dude!”

Y/n sighed and put her hand to her temple, nearly laughing at the absurdity of the moment.

They drove for most of the day, answering Ellie’s occasional question, but mostly sitting in silence. Somberness would fall over the truck whenever they passed by some piece of the old world, ruined and rusted by time. They drove by an abandoned amusement park, a rickety coaster still standing. A sign for what used to be a Love’s truck stop. A bridge that had collapsed at some point in the last two decades. To Ellie, it was a lost future. To Joel and Y/n, it was the world they didn’t know if they’d ever see again.

When the skies grew began to grow dark, there wasn’t much driving left for them to do.

“All right,” Joel announced to the truck, “That’s enough for the day.”

One part of their agreement was that Y/n would trust Joel’s ability to get them to Wyoming. Her rebellion against his every word made her want to argue that they could go a little longer, but she was trying to keep up her end of the deal.

Joel pulled off the main road and drove them into the nearby forest. They set up camp deep enough that they were hidden, but close enough to the road to escape quickly, should the need arise. Joel and Y/n took care of preparing dinner, using a portable stove and cutlery they’d taken from Bill’s house.

Eventually, they all sat down to a lukewarm meal of ravioli. Ellie practically inhaled it while Joel and Y/n tried to make it last.

“Slow down,” Joel cautioned.

“This is slow,” Ellie replied with a full mouth, “What am I even eating?”

“That is 20-year-old Chef Boyardee ravioli,” Joel answered.

“That guy was good,” Ellie complimented, stuffing another piece in her mouth.

Joel stared down at his meal, “I actually agree.”

Y/n swirled a piece around her plate, “It’s technically food.”

“How long are we staying out here?” Ellie inquired.

“I figure I sleep tonight,” Joel answered, “And drive tomorrow, all day, all night, and get us to Wyoming by next mornin’.”

“You know I can take a shift, right?” Y/n asked, Joel’s stony silence served as his reply, “Ah, so you do know and you’re choosing to ignore it.”

“In the interest of gettin’ us there the quickest, it’s better I drive,” he stated.

“Yes, navigating a highway,” Y/n retorted, taking a sarcastic tone, “That’s men’s work.”

“What happened to getting along?” Ellie smirked as she watched the exchange.

Joel and Y/n glanced over at her and backed down. They had to watch themselves.

“So can we start a fire?” Ellie changed the subject, “I’m freezing.”

“Now, why am I gonna tell you no?” Joel replied shortly.

Ellie shrugged in defeat, “Because Infected will see the smoke.”

“No, fungus isn’t that smart,” Joel said, “This is too remote for Infected, anyway.”

“People?” Ellie came back with.

Joel nodded.

“So what are they gonna do? Rob us?”

“Oh, they’ll have way more in mind than that,” Joel answered, never once looking up from his plate.

Y/n had lived a vastly different life than Joel had, post apocalypse, but she knew the horrors people willingly committed against each other. Being cold for a night was the ideal.

Once the sun set, the three of them rolled out their sleeping bags, another courtesy of Bill and Frank, and set up for the night. Y/n laid her head next to Ellie’s, while Joel stayed on the complete opposite side of them.

Ellie took a whiff of the inside of her bag, “Actually smells kinda good.”

“Well, that would be Frank’s then,” Joel quipped.

“If mine smells like gunpowder,” Y/n held her sleeping bag up, “I’m gonna assume-“

“Bill,” Joel took no time in answering.

Y/n nodded, “Copy that.”

Before they could lay down for the night, Joel and Y/n made a point of each checking their shotguns and laying them at their sides.

Ellie and Y/n nestled into their accommodations beside one another, Ellie pulling something out of her backpack before switching the lantern off and turning on her flashlight. Y/n’s back was turned, or else she would have put a stop to what was about to happen

“Joel?” Ellie eventually called out, “Y/n? Joel?”

“What?” Joel jumped to attention, he still moved with the urgency of a father. 

Y/n turned over, “What is it?”

“Can I ask you a serious question?”

“Yeah,” Joel said for both of them.

Ellie sighed deeply, “‘Why did the scarecrow get an award?’”

Y/n and Joel both looked over at the same time to shoot Ellie a glare. She kept a straight face as if she really needed the answer.

“Because he was outstanding in his field,” Joel answered.

Y/n groaned, “Oh, God, there’s two of you.”

“You dick,” Ellie laughed, “Did you read this?”

“No,” Joel turned over, smirking only to himself, “Now go to sleep.”

Ellie victoriously smiled, having successfully chipped away at a little bit of the ice man’s exterior.

“Admit it,” Ellie whispered to Y/n, “You like them.”

“I will smother you in your sleep,” Y/n mumbled into her pillow. She’d never admit to cracking a smile.

They had just settled back into the sleepy silence when Ellie spoke up again, this time truly serious.

“Those people you said…there’s no way anyone knows we’re here, right? No one’s gonna find us.”

Joel and Y/n both stiffened, they could only guarantee so much. Where they were was as close to safe as they could get. But that wasn’t something you told a scared kid who wouldn’t admit to being scared. You gave them hope, confidence.

“No one’s gonna find us,” Joel confirmed.

“Okay,” Ellie accepted the answer and flipped over. 

Y/n lay on her back, staring up at the stars. Her paranoia had softened the longer she survived, but laying in the middle of the open woods with a big flashing red sign above that read ‘FREE KILL HERE’ was resuscitating it.

A few feet away, Joel was feeling the same thing. He couldn’t pretend like he was fearless leaving himself completely vulnerable. And now that he knew Ellie was nervous, it only woke him up further. He eyed the shotgun, calculating in his head how little sleep he could make the drive on. If he counted on Y/n to take one of the shifts, they could still make good time…

They both unzipped their sleeping bags at the same time, turning to one another in the dark. No matter how hard they tried, they were on the same wavelength.

Y/n sighed, “You take the first shift?”

Joel’s nod had a heaviness to it, “Yeah.”

Y/n settled back onto her side, this time facing where Joel was heading to take up his post. She fell into an uneasy sleep, only after keeping watch over Joel until her exhaustion forced her to stop.

——————

It was a few hours later, Joel eyelids were beginning to droop. His ears were beginning to ring. He needed sleep.

After doing one last scan of the area, he walked back to their campsite. He came over to Y/n’s sleeping bag, ready to wake her, but stopped.

He stared down at her, her lips slightly parted, her hair framing her face and her lashes fanned across her cheeks. The frown she carried throughout the day faded in sleep, softening to a content expression as if she was between the bliss of unconsciousness and the evil of the waking world. It was the most at peace Joel had seen her in the last few days.

He couldn’t bring himself to wake her up.

She’d be mad at him in the morning, he knew it. She’d berate him for thinking he didn’t need her and probably make a crack about him falling asleep at the wheel. That was fine, he thought as he went back to his post, he’d take it. Anger and nostalgia were waging a battle within him, and right now, he was allowing his wistful memories to win.

——————

Y/n woke up to the smell of coffee brewing and the rustling of something in their truck. Seeing that Joel wasn’t in his sleeping bag, she grabbed her shotgun and bolted upright. The barrel of the weapon found Joel, packing up the truck, cocking a brow at her.

Y/n exhaled and set down her gun, running a relieved hand over her face. “You didn’t wake me up,” she said when she came to fully.

“I had it covered,” Joel said softly, not wanting to wake Ellie yet.

“I didn’t ask that,” Y/n replied as she stretched, already annoyed with him. She rolled out of her sleeping bag and got to her feet. “Well, I’m driving this morning. I’m not ending up dead just because you’re stubborn.”

Joel didn’t look up as he tied his sleeping bag up. Right on cue.

“Coffee’s on,” he changed the subject.

Y/n felt like Joel knew that would distract her enough to move on. He wasn’t wrong. She reached over to grab her backpack, feeling around for her travel mug. Her hand graced the plastic butterfly she’d taken from Joel’s apartment, freezing as she did.

Grief, much like heartbreak, had to be danced around. If you got too close, self destruction would swallow you whole. Y/n collected her thoughts and led them back to where she was, quickly finding her mug and zipping the pack up again.

Ellie rolled over, awake finally, and sniffed the air. She scooted over to where Joel had the coffee boiling and carefully opened the lid. 

“Ugh,” she gagged, “What the fuck is that?”

Joel turned to her, “You don’t like coffee?”

Ellie grimaced, watching the bubbling brew a second longer before throwing the lid back down and rolling back onto her pillow.

“Uh-uh,” Y/n shook her head, nudging Ellie with her boot, “Up and at ‘em, come on.”

Ellie stuck her middle finger out, “Fuck you, man.”

“Up,” Y/n repeated, tugging on the bottom of Ellie’s sleeping bag.

The girl moaned and sat up, glaring at Y/n, who went to pour her mug of coffee. Whether it was the first sip of caffeine shifting her mood or she simply was making an effort, she wasn’t sure, but when Joel walked over with his mug, Y/n poured it for him.

“Thanks,” Joel mumbled, “Why don’t I drive for three hours, you take over after?”

“Two,” Y/n countered, “Those bags under your eyes make you look like you’re in a fucking Tim Burton movie.”

Joel sighed, remembering the truce. “Fine.”

Y/n and Joel finished packing up their supplies and the three of them were back on the road in minutes.

“Is that what the Starbucks in the QZ used to sell?” Ellie asked, eyeing Joel’s mug.

“Well, there’s was a lot fresher than what Bill saved up, but yeah,” Joel answered, “This is what they sold.”

“The world used to run on this stuff,” Y/n added.

“Smells like burnt shit,” Ellie mused, smirking over at Joel.

Joel, straight faced as could be, raised his mug and took a big slurping sip. Y/n bit down on her lip to keep from rewarding him a laugh. 

“Eyes on the map,” Joel ordered.

“76 west and then 70 west for, like, ever…” Ellie read, Y/n had taught her how to navigate directions and she was still getting the hang of it.

“Where in Wyoming did you say your brother was?” Ellie asked Joel.

“Last contact came through a radio tower close to Cody,” Joel answered.

Ellie scanned the map, “Cody. Cody…Cody…ah, man. That is deep up in there.”

Y/n peekd over Ellie’s shoulder to take a look, “Do you know where he would have gone other than there?”

“Odds are he’ll be near a settlement,” Joel answered, “Probably close to another city out there. Ain’t too many of ‘em in Wyoming.”

The second part of his reply was meant more for Ellie. She was getting a crash course in geography.

“Chee-Yen,” she read off.

“Cheyenne,” Joel corrected, he’d studied that map so intensively that he could have found his way around the state blindfolded.

“Chey- really?” Ellie double checked before reading again, “Cheyenne…Laramie…Casper? What’s his name?”

“Whose name?” Joel asked, avoiding the question another five seconds.

“Your brother,” Ellie replied.

Joel paused, “Tommy.”

A wave of nostalgia crashed around Y/n, hearing his name made her think of cheap beer and belly laughter.

“Younger or older?” Ellie continued to question Joel.

“Younger.”

“Why isn’t he with you?”

Joel sighed, stretching his neck out slightly, “A long story.”

“Is it longer than 25 hours? ‘Cause I think that’s what we got,” Ellie asked, turning around to Y/n, “Do you know?”

“No, I don’t,” Y/n clocked Joel in the dashboard mirror, “And if I’m risking my life to find him, I think I deserve to know.”

Joel met her eyes in a fleeting glance, she was backing him up against a wall.

“Tommy’s what we used to call a “joiner,” he began to explain, “Dreams of becomin’ a hero. So he enlisted in the Army right outta high school. A few months later, they ship him off to Desert Storm,” he allowed for Ellie’s confused gaze, “That’s what they called that war, it doesn’t matter. Point is, bein’ in the Army didn’t make him feel much like a hero. Cut to twelve years late, outbreak happens. He convinces me to join a group makin’ their way up to Boston, which I did…mostly to keep an eye on him, keep him alive.”

Y/n’s stomach turned, she wasn’t just hearing about what had become of Tommy…she was hearing about what had happened to Joel after they broke up. Gaps she’d wanted filled for twenty years.

“It’s where we met Tess,” Joel continued, breaking for a sip of coffee, “And that whole crew, we, uh…well, for what it was, it worked. And then Tommy meets Marlene. She talks him into joinin’ the Fireflies. Same mistake he made when he was eighteen,” Joel’s tone turned bitter, his voice quivering an almost undetectable amount, “Wants to save the world. Pipe dream. Him. Fireflies, all of ‘em…” he didn’t dare meet Y/n’s eyes, “Delusional.”

Y/n lifted her feet up and hugged her knees, she knew the remark was meant for both her and Tommy. And while her anger with Joel hadn’t lost its momentum, she let him continue. He needed to get it all out.

“‘Course last I heard, he quit the Fireflies too,” Joel went on, “So now he’s on his own out there, and…I gotta go get him.”

The car was washed in a somber silence. Only one of them was brave enough to break it.

“If you don’t think there’s hope for the world,” Ellie said, “Why bother going on? I mean, you gotta try, right?”

“You haven’t seen the world,” Joel said, a little wistful, “So you don’t know. You keep goin’ for family. That’s about it.”

The five words pierced through Y/n’s heart, the wooden arrow splintering inside the chambers. Each syllable was like taking a knife to the carefully placed stitches around her soul.

“I’m not family,” Ellie said, blissfully unaware of the situation surrounding her.

“No,” Joel agreed, “You’re cargo. And I made a promise to Tess. And she was like family.”

Numbness set in and Y/n rested her head against the window, focusing on the rolling fields of rural America. If Ellie wasn’t in the car, she would have let herself go off on Joel, but it wasn’t the time.

“What if you don’t find him?” Ellie asked the man.

“I will,” Joel replied,

“How do you know?” 

“I’m persistent,” Joel stated before switching gears, “You got up pretty early, if you wanna grab more sleep.”

Ellie scoffed, “I’m not even tired.”

Within a few minutes, Ellie was beginning to doze off. Y/n gently tapped her shoulder, gesturing for her to climb into the backseat. She helped pull her through and Ellie settled against the opposite window.

Joel drove them for an hour in silence before Y/n couldn’t stand being still anymore.

“Pull over,” she told him, “Let’s switch.”

Joel was tired enough to listen to her, stopping the car in the middle of the road. They unbuckled and got out, meeting at the front. 

“You’re wrong, you know,” Y/n said once they were face to face, “About Tommy, about the Fireflies…all of it.”

“You wanna prove me wrong, have at it,” Joel replied, disgruntled by the whole idea.

“Tommy wanting to be a hero is him wanting to help people,” Y/n kept going, “To fight. To do the right thing. When has that ever been a bad thing?”

Joel nearly scoffed, “Maybe when it gets him killed.”

“If he’s still here after all these years, maybe you need to stop looking at him like he’s some idiot kid. You don’t get to judge the people who are trying to get some of this,” Y/n spread her arms out to the wide open space around them, “Any of this back. It’s a hell of a lot more than you seem to be doing.”

Joel rested a hand on the truck’s hood, “Maybe I don’t feel the need to waste my time on a pointless cause. Last time I checked, that was all the Fireflies ever accomplished.”

“At least I’m doing something,” Y/n fought back, “I’d rather spend the rest of my life on a pointless cause and go to sleep with what’s left of my soul than sell it to the devil and not recognize my own damn reflection.”

Joel felt the last part of her sentence push into his gut like the tip of a spear. She was hitting too close to home without knowing it.

“‘Keep going for family,’” Y/n repeated, practically spitting the last words, “When was the last time you fought for anything?”

Joel reached out, grabbing Y/n’s arm roughly as she turned away and spun her around. If she hadn’t dug her boots into the asphalt, she would have fallen right into him.

“You don’t know what I’ve fought for,” he growled, his eyes boring into hers.

Y/n’s chest rose and fell rapidly with rage, inching her face closer to his to show him she wasn’t afraid of him. “Neither do you,” she seethed.

Their breaths mingled in the few inches left separating their mouths. Neither one of them were making any real threats, there was simply too much tension between them to ensure a safe car ride. They needed to let it out.

Joel realized his fingers were digging into Y/n’s arm, it had happened when she had moved closer to him. Habits were tricky to break, but the body didn’t hold grudges like the mind.

The close proximity wasn’t lost on Y/n, but she was able to free herself from it before muscle memory took over. She yanked her arm out of Joel’s grip and took the keys from his other hand, stomping around to the driver’s seat and getting in. Joel unhappily followed, and their wordless journey continued…

—————————

Joel caught maybe thirty consecutive minutes of sleep while Y/n drove them. It wasn’t that she was a bad driver, he just wasn’t used to not being in control of a situation. He gripped the map tightly as they drove into downtown Kansas City.

Surrounding them were rusted abandoned vehicles, but the tunnel in which they needed to go through was blocked entirely by a semi. Y/n brought the car to a halt, glancing over at Joel knowingly.

“Wait here,” she told Ellie, who had just woken up.

Joel and Y/n got out, Joel grabbing their shotguns from the backseat. He handed hers over and the team took calculated steps towards the tunnel. Joel crouched down to get a peek at the open road waiting on the other side of the mess. The semi was parked that way deliberately.

Joel walked back to the truck, Y/n only a step behind him. They got back in their seats seat, Ellie squeezing over the glove compartment. 

“Where are we?”

“Kansas City,” Joel answered quickly, taking the map from her. The three of them studied it.

“How far back do we have to go to get around this?” Ellie asked.

Joel traced their route with his fingertip, Y/n tugged the map closer so she could study it too. There weren’t a lot of options if they had a prayer of getting to Wyoming within their time frame. They could either go back, costing them a few more hours, or take their chances passing through the city.

Y/n sighed, everything she was about to say went against what she wanted to say….

“It’s your call.”

Joel was honestly surprised that she had relented so quick. “Screw it,” he muttered, “Head back ‘round the tunnel, get on the next ramp. We’ll be back on the road, minute tops.”

Y/n put the truck in reverse and backed them up, swinging around a shoulder of road that would take them into the city.

“You guys are my eyes,” Y/n said as she navigated the first set of streets, 

“Tell me where to go.”

“Look for any signs,” Joel instructed while Ellie read the map.

They drove for about five minutes, having gotten no closer to finding the open road.

“Where the fuck is the highway?” Joel complained.

“I can’t tell from this,” Ellie let her hand fall against the map, “I’m all turned around.”

Joel was trying to help Ellie navigate while also keeping an eye peeled for potential threats. “Well, don’t look at the state map, look at the inset,” he directed.

Ellie groaned, “Well, I don’t know where we are in that either! This is my second day in a fucking car, man. I mean, I think we’re heading north?”

“I don’t even see any fucking signs,” Y/n mentioned.

“It’s gotta be the right,” Joel said, shaking his head, ”What the fuck?”

“Y/n stop,” Ellie exclaimed.

Y/n threw on the brake, bringing them to a halt in the middle of the street.

“Is that the QZ?” Ellie asked, her eyes wide as she peered over Y/n, “Where the fuck is FEDRA?”

Joel and Y/n got a look at where the Quarantine Zone should have been, zero military presence. That was unfathomable.

“Hey,” a voice called, their attention was drawn to a man limping towards their truck, “Please help.”

Y/n and Joel’s blood ran cold, they knew exactly what was about to go down.

“Put your seatbelt on,” Joel told Ellie, throwing his on as well.

“Aren’t we gonna help him?” Ellie asked innocently.

Y/n said a silent prayer to anyone who was listening for survival.

“No,” Joel answered, looking to his ex, “Drive. Now.”

Y/n pressed her foot down on the gas pedal, the “injured” leaping out of the way. The man cried something out she couldn’t hear over the blood pounding in her ears.

“Y/N!” Ellie screamed.

Y/n was too busy driving to see what Ellie and Joel were watching, but the message was received when a large object got dropped on their windshield. Y/n swerved, Joel reached over to steady the wheel as she regained control. In their mad dash effort, they didn’t notice the strip of nails ahead of them. The truck shook as its tires began to deflate. 

“Fuck!” Y/n yelled, “What do we do?”

“Hard right into that building,” Joel shouted, there was another guy in their path, “Now!”

Instincts ignored, Y/n pulled to the right, holding her breath as they smashed through the glass windows of the nearest building.

——————

TYL Taglist: @bachiracore @stolenxkissess @kayleezra @the-wistful-reader @allthesesonsofbitches @goth-detectives365 @trippovert @rh1nestonecowg1rl @emiliaserpe @khaleesihavilliard @frietiemeloen @gracie7209 @dorck26 @thegirlnextdoorssister @alanis-altair @mariwinns16 @whosscruffylooking @endofthexline @alexiaricciardo @eonnyx @pedrosmexicangf @scarlettequinn @ao-sleepy @toinfinityandbeyonce2 @deanlovescassie @turmoil-ash @sorrowjunky @kpopslur @xxlilyxx90 @midgetpottermills @presidential-facts @scoopsnini @tubble-wubble @jamesdeerest @burninggracesandbridges @star-wars-lover @lucyhotchner @cococola-cocaine @witheringhqarts @fall-writes @alwaysdjarin @xxmoonn @emilia-the-artist @wand-erer5 @boneyarrd @lizard-zombie @itwasallinmyhead1 @cassidylea123 @paleepeaches @mxltifxnd0m @kettlekatie @ultimate-cinephile @gloryekaterina @caramelkatsukis-bitch @whovianayesha @memeorydotcom @deadunicorn159 @get0ut0fmyr00m @siriuslymooned @emmyeed @superbreadsoul @hellu-people1 @ourautumn86 @inas-thing @noraapple05 @givemylovetoall @luvwanda

[cupcakeslushie]

So it seems like Leo and Donnie get pretty close fairly quickly in your au so I was kinda wondering if that's something the rest of the other brothers/family would be jealous of? Like just the fact that these two click so well while maybe some of the others are struggling with that?

At the start Raph might be a little jealous of Leo’s relationship to Donnie and Mikey but after Leo’s rescue their relationship changes a lot. All in all though Raph and Mikey aren’t really jealous of the twins’ relationship, cause they all each have their own special kind of bond with each other.

Raph and Mikey are the Lou Jitsu, skateboarding, and comics lovers duo. They both enjoy the more traditional stuff that teenage boys like, so they probably spend the most time hanging out doing those, just the two of them. Especially seeing as Leo and Donnie can prefer their solitude by way of the dojo and lab (though the whole keeping their distance thing is worse mostly in the beginning and they do get better).

For Leo and Donnie it’s like…two chaotic, but wholesome puzzle pieces finally slotting together to make a full picture. Raph and Mikey can tell how much their brothers benefit from something like that, so they’re happy to see it.

For Leo and Raph, (post 2nd rescue at least) they bond over being the two oldest, and help each other deal with the stress that comes from that. They both have issues dealing with their anger, so they have a space of time each day where they work on either mediation or sparring in the dojo. And since they co-lead the team, they spend time coming up with ideas for training, or patrol routes.

For Leo and Mikey, their relationship is close to canon. Where Mikey clearly, really looks up to Leo, and they certainly become a very…special kind of lovably dumb when they’re together lol. But the biggest difference is Leo’s way more overprotective of Mikey, thanks to the whole mess of Leo feeling like he failed to protect Mikey when they were younger.

For Donnie and Raph, Don puts Raph on a pedestal and admires him a lot, both for traits Donnie has sorta created in his head, and actual real stuff he sees from his big bro, but then, the more Donnie learns about Raph, the more he realizes Raph is even cooler than anything his brain could come up with. When Donnie needs a break from working in his lab, they’ll spend lazy afternoons just playing video games and eating junk food.

For Donnie and Mikey, they cause max stress to their big brothers any time they decide to do anything together outside the lair. Also they are the best for info-dumping to each other. Mikey will sit in the lab for hours while Donnie rambles on about his ideas, or any future designs. Alternatively Donnie will bring a small project with him into Mikey’s art studio while Mikey talks a million miles an hour, jumping between subjects with no warning. Each has no trouble keeping up while the other talks.

[lionlena]

His Curls (PedroPacalxreader) part 3

You are sick, but Pedro comes to the rescue. It's just sweet and fluff.

3.

It was Friday and you were supposed to spend a wonderful weekend with Pedro, but everything was going wrong.

You've been feeling bad since morning. You had a headache, you were cold and you were coughing. You barely made it all day at work. Even holding the scissors required unearthly strength from you.

When you got home you realized you were sick and you had to cancel your meeting with Pedro. It really broke your heart. In a week he was supposed to start filming the 2nd season of "The Last of Us". You knew it meant a long separation.

Pedro answered on the first signal.

"Hola, princesa!"

You almost sobbed heared the joyful tone of his voice.

"Pedro... We have to cancel..." You had to take a cough break. "...our weekend. I'm sick."

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry," you whispered.

"Shh, it's not your fault. Do you need anything?"

"No" you lied.

You knew you had an almost empty fridge. You were supposed to do some shopping after work, but you were too tired.

"Okay. Take care baby."

"Bye, Pedro."

You groaned and laid down on the couch and curled up in a ball. You felt bad. Not only because of the disease, but also because of Pedro. You wanted to see him so much. You sighed heavily and turned on whatever TV show came your way.

*

An hour later you heard the doorbell ring. You had no idea who it could be. You barely made it to the entrance. You opened the door and...

"Your personal doctor has come to the rescue!"

You were so amazed. Your boyfriend, Pedro Pascal, stood in the doorway with two shopping bags.

"But how?"

You let Pedro in. He put the bags in the kitchen and walked over to you. He took your face in his hands.

"Honey, I literally heard you crying over the phone and... I know when you're lying. So I assumed you needed everything."

He started emptying the bags.

"I bought orange juice, I got noodle soup from your favorite restaurant, I bought a thermometer and medicine for fever, cough medicine... And... Close your eyes."

You obeyed his command and felt him place something soft in your hands. You opened your eyes and saw a green hoodie with Grogu ears on it. You squealed satisfied. You'd be jumping for joy if you were healthy. Pedro was clearly pleased.

"I was going to give you this before I left, but I figured now was a better time."

You cuddled up to him and sighed as he wrapped his strong arms around you.

"Thank you, but... You shouldn't be here. You might get infected."

"Don't even say that. I won't leave you." He kissed the top of your head. "You will now eat the broth, take your meds and go to bed."

You groaned in dissatisfaction.

"I hate lying in bed."

Pedro shook his head.

"That's why I'm here. I'll be your personal warm blanket and pillow. What does that sound like?"

"Much better."

*

Once your stomach was full, you took your pills and headed for the bedroom. As soon as Pedro lay down next to you, you climbed onto his chest and started stroking his hair. Pedro chuckled and asked:

"I don't know why you're so obsessed with my hair?"

"Because I'm a hair stylist? And your hair is sooo soft and beautiful..."

More shivers ran through your body and Pedro pulled you closer to his body. You rested your head against his chest and sighed. Your fever was still high, and it made you mumble.

You always haved that. When you had a high fever you would start saying stupid things like you were drunk.

So it was also this time.

"I'd like to dye your hair pink? Yeah... Piiiink" you whined. "You would look sooo good with pink hair."

Pedro laughed slightly. Well, he was still worried about you, but your sleepy mumbling was so sweet.

He ran his hand across your forehead and murmured.

"Pink? Okay, honey, but why don't we get back to the pink thing when your fever drops."

"And purple..."

Pedro kissed the top of your head.

"Okay. Whatever you want."

Satisfied that she is so close to you and agrees with you, you finally closed your eyes and fell asleep.

*

Two hours later you woke up and Pedro was lying next to you, leaning on his elbow and looking at you. You stretched and rubbed your eyes.

"How do you feel?"

"A little better... A lot better, actually."

"That's good, but I'll stay with you all weekend anyway and look after you ."

"Thank you."

You were so happy to have someone so wonderful and loved by your side.

"As for the pink hair..."

You opened your eyes wide and Pedro laughed.

"Did I say that out loud?"

He nodded.

"I promise I'll let you do it someday. Just not now. I doubt they'll let me play Joel with pink hair... Hmm, maybe when I be filming The Mandalorian. After all, I wear a helmet anyway."

You started laughing and hugged him. He was gorgeous and... He'd really look good with pink hair, or purple, maybe blue? You had so many crazy ideas in your head.

*

Part 1: His Curls

Part 2: His Curls 2

[wintervalewritersecond]

harvest festival - rowan laslow

requested: yes! Hiiiiii hi hi I have a request ! It’s like best friend brother!rowan like that would be just adorable idk or best friend!rowan if we keep it simple 🤘🏻🤘🏻 thank u again ily <3

words: 1,606 warnings: rowan might be ooc, she/her pronouns, written in 2nd person, made up character (rowans sister), your power is growing and controlling plants, fencing scene, harvest festival scene

Your best friend tries to convince you that her brother, your crush, likes you, but you don't believe her. Yet.

Another hour of class had passed before the bell rang. You immediately packed your bag, following your classmates out of the classroom and towards the very center of Nevermore to finally eat lunch. You had texted Lola, your best friend, about saving you a spot at the table. She always does, yet you still find it nice to ask.

As you arrive, you indeed see a spot open next to her. You smile and walk over, placing your tray down before greeting everyone at the table. Xavier, Ajax, and Rowan had joined her as well.

"Hey, Y/N! How was your day?" Lola asks, her mouth still full of food.

You let out a snort before taking a bite of your sandwich as well.

"It was pretty good. I had Botany from Thornhill which... Couldn't really be easier. Opposite of fencing after this break. That's going to kill me."

You wish you could say that you were good at it, but that would be lying. Fencing is not at all something you are good at, but once you heard Lola mention that that was what Rowan was going to be doing. Weems wanted you to pick another class, so the choice of fencing then came easy.

Xavier subtly elbows Rowan in his side, clearing his throat before looking around, trying to act like nothing happened. Rowan blinks for a second before realizing what Xavier meant.

"If you eh- If you need some fencing training, I could help you out? The teacher always compliments Xavier and I so... Only if you want!"

A bright smile forms on your face as you quickly nod, thanking Rowan for his offer.

"I would actually really appreciate that."

Xavier and Lola share a look, a sneaky smile on their faces as the rest just keeps eating.

The break passes fairly quickly as all the food trays get put away and people start leaving for their classes. It leaves only you and Rowan at the table as he looks at you with a smile.

"Ready for fencing?"

"Uh," you laugh. "Have I ever been?"

Rowan also laughs, shaking his head before slinging his bag onto his shoulder.

"I don't think you're that bad. You should have seen Xavier when he started out. I don't think he even knew how to hold the blade."

The two of you keep talking all the way to your class. Picking fencing was worth it, even if you are horrible at it. Every Tuesday and Friday, you and Rowan would walk to fencing together, but today was the first time he offered to help you out.

Usually, you would pair with Yoko or Enid, but you are sure they won't mind you pairing up with Rowan for once. The blonde would probably be ecstatic to see the two of you together as she knows about the crush you have on him.

Class starts and you walk over to Rowan in your fencing attire, your mesh mask in your right hand, the blade in your left.

"You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

You place the mask on your head as Rowan instructs you on how to stand.

"Alright, move your feet apart just a bit and bend your knees."

You do as he says, looking at him for approval as he just nods and smiles. Just as he was about to continue, someone walks into the classroom. The new girl, Wednesday Addams. Her suit contrasts the rest of the group, as it is dyed a deep black.

"Seriously, Coach, when am I going to get some real competition?" Bianca sneers. Her opponent is on the floor, even though the match started only mere seconds ago. "So, anyone else wants to challenge me?"

"I do."

Rowan sends you a look as you shrug, a questioning look on your face. No one dares to challenge Bianca. You do not have anything against her, you helped her out when she broke up with Xavier, but you are not best friends.

"Are you sure about that? Because last time someone dared, he ended up on the floor reaching for his inhaler."

You frown before looking from Bianca to Rowan. You had heard of it, but it happened weeks, or even months, ago. Since then Rowan trained hard to improve, and you would say that he might even be better than Bianca at this point.

"Bianca, you don't have to shit on-"

"Rowan doesn't need you to come to his defense. This is between me and this... Psychopath."

Rowan steps closer to you, shaking his head before placing his hand on your shoulder. You just raise your hands as you keep silent. No need to fight if you don't even know how to hold the blade, especially not if it's against Bianca.

"Are we doing this or not?"

The girl has some courage to ask Bianca that. You just stay close to Rowan, Enid, and Yoko, not daring to take a step closer to the mat.

Two points, one for Wednesday and one for Bianca, which is when Wednesday proposes the military challenge. No way that Coach would allow that, right?

"Well," Bianca grins. "Let's see if you bleed in black and white."

She didn't. Bianca scraped her forehead, resulting in a crimson red streak on Wednesday's face. Note to self, never challenge Bianca.

After some more pointers from Rowan, you decide to test out his tips, but class soon ends. Luckily, this was the last class anyway, so now you could finally relax. Out of the heavy fencing clothes, and back into your own, more comfortable outfit.

"Hey, Y/N! Rowan!" Lola runs up to you and Rowan as you walked out of the fencing room. "Are you going to the Harvest Festival?"

You raise an eyebrow before nodding. "Yeah, attendance is mandatory, right?"

Lola opens her mouth for a second, almost forgetting about that.

"So... You will hang out with us! Rowan, you have to leave, Y/N and I have a lot to discuss!"

Rowan protests for a second, but he is not the only one with telekinesis. With a big grin, Lola pushes her brother back, grabbing your arm before running away.

The two of you laugh before running to your shared dorm. You are a bit out of breath once you finally reach it, but Lola still ushers you in before closing the door behind her.

"You will never guess what I heard?"

"Is it about Bianca messing with Wednesday?"

Lola shakes her head, a mischievous grin on her face.

"Well... Rowan told Xavier who told me that he has like, a huge crush on you! I don't know why he wouldn't tell me as I am his very own sister, but besides that-"

"What? Lo, are you sure about that?"

"Duh! Besides, why wouldn't he?"

She keeps babbling on about Rowan's crush on you, but you're not sure if you believe it. You just stare at the small plant on your desk as it moves and grows while you are too occupied with thinking about what your friend said. Does he really like you? What if he meant that he liked you as a friend? Or maybe Xavier just didn't understand what Rowan meant and just made this off of it? Or what if-

"Uh, Y/N?"

Lola taps your shoulder, pulling you out of your thoughts as you now look at the huge plant, almost heavy enough to break your desk. You quickly make it return to its small version before sighing.

"I appreciate it Lola, but I think Xavier just didn't understand it correctly. We'll see."

-

It is the weekend of the Harvest Festival and you and your group decided to stick together for the evening. Xavier and Lola have been whispering the entire time, sometimes glancing at you and Rowan before chuckling. You just act like you don't see it.

Rowan walks back from the small food stand, holding donuts in his hands. He gives them to Lola and Xavier, before handing you one as well. Vanilla with chocolate sprinkles.

"Oh, Y/N, look at those bunny plushies over there! Those would fit perfectly with your room decor!"

Lola points behind you, making you turn around. She then tries to give subtle hints to Rowan, pointing to the plushies while mouthing something to him.

"Ah, those are really cute! I can't throw darts, though."

"Actually," Rowan grins. "I might have a solution for that."

He stands up from the table, holding out his hand for you to grab as he takes you to the stand.

Every single dart he throws hits the balloons, and after only some moments he hands you the bunny plush.

"Telekinesis is good for something, huh?"

You let out a laugh before intertwining your arm into his, holding your prize in your other hand. When you look back, you see that your friends are missing from the spot. So much for sticking together.

But, you didn't really mind. You hung out with Rowan, although it felt a bit different than before. In a good way. You talked about everything, and it was nice.

"Do you want to watch the fireworks?"

You look at Rowan who seems to be staring off into the woods. He then averts his gaze to you before nodding with a big smile. His arm is on your shoulders as he holds you close. Guess that he only needed a small push. When he looks back, he sees his sister and Xavier. Lola grins before sending him a wink as Xavier just gives a thumbs up.

Guess Lola was right after all.

[jaysbookofnothing]

|ᯓ ᡣ𐭩Sick Days|

ᡣ𐭩 Sick Alaric x Venus

[Timeline: Venus and Alaric's 2nd year at Oakenshield]

His body was on fire, his head was filled with so many thoughts that it hurt, and as much as Alaric wanted to fight Emmitt's orders, he knew that Emmitt would continue to persist so he decided on surrendering and is now lying in bed with a damp towel over his forehead. His vision was getting blurry as the tiredness crept in. Before he could nod off to sleep, Alaric heard a familiar set of footsteps enter his room.

"Venus?-" The demon tried to speak, but ended up in a fit of coughs. He was quite surprised when Venus had entered the room, and tried to sit up, despite feeling the aches across his body.

"Hey!..." The fae scolded as she made a swift motion with her hand, pushing her magic into the demon in an attempt to make him feel better.

Alaric could feel Venus' magic coating him like a cool blanket as he felt even more tired. Alaric was barely holding onto consciousness as Venus tried to sooth him with her magic.

"Sleep for now, we can always talk later," Venus shushed Alairc, before closing the door behind her and walking towards his desk. Despite how much Alaric wanted to protest, his eyelids were getting heavy, and his heart was repeatedly telling him to trust the fae.

As Venus explored Alaric's room, she couldn't help but feel as if she was in her childhood bedroom again. She was being covered by a sense of tranquility. 'I never thought his room would be this light.. Certainly not expected as he's a demon...' Venus wondered as her eyes focused on a shelf, which was full of family photos. A snicker escaped her as Venus recognized what looked like a baby Alaric covered with mud.

The fae soon started to feel guilty for peeking and shuffled to the demon's desk once more. She softly sat down and started to go through his papers. This is something Venus would have felt guilty about if she hadn't been assigned to help him with his work. As much as she wanted to curse God for making her the demon's nanny, she really was glad that Alaric was okay.

—

Alaric opened his eyes to find a green-haired fae sleeping by his side. When he processed that, his face quickly flushed as he realized how close they were.

"Good to see you looking better, young master." A voice called out from where Alaric's desk was.

"How long-" Alaric tried to speak. He felt that his throat was feeling a little better than before. "Half an hour so far. Apparently you had a nightmare so Lady Alerion exhausted quite a bit of her magic to send you to sleep since you kept waking up." Emmitt calmly replied while turning around with a stack of papers in hand.

"She also finished your work for the day, so continue to rest for the rest of the day. We'll see if you are good enough to continue to work tomorrow." Emmitt informed Alaric.

The demon responded with a small nod and turned his focus back to the sleeping fae. Alaric knew better than to wake her up.. Only the saints knew what she would do to him if he had tried.... Decided to do something productive, Alaric reached over to his bedside table and picked up a book he needed to finish for his English class. As the demon opened to where he last left off, he scoffed as he recalled where he was reading. 'Of course, it's a confession scene,' Alaric amusingly thought as the irony of the situation set in. He continued to read the book in silence as he subconsciously enjoyed the fae's presence.

The sun had already set by the time Venus awoke. She had almost screamed as she realized what position she had fallen asleep in, as she was holding Alaric's hand. The fae gently let go of the demon's hand and took a breath, trying to calm her racing heart and the blood in her cheeks. As Venus' heart calmed down, she slowly got up from the chair she had pulled to Alaric's bed and gathered her things. When Venus got to the door she hesitated before opening it and glancing back at the sleeping demon.

"Get better soon, Alaric..." Venus softly whispered to no one as she walked out the door, determined to get the day's memory out of her head. No matter what Alaric thought of them.

[socially-awkward-skeleton]

🌈, 😚, 🍁, and 🖐 for kit/jake and sia/sam???

Thank you so much for the ask <3

Kit x Jacob

🌈 - What were their first impressions of each other? 

The “first” first impressions they had for each other were built on the very brief moment in the church during Joseph's arrest. Jacob just saw her as a Junior Deputy, new to the job, though that was quickly changed the more she cut through John's region and his chosen were called in to deal with her and their lives were quickly ended. For Kit, she saw the giant in the room with his arms folded and knew he was ready for a fight. Her impression of him started to change after the first speech she heard of his at the lumber mill, that's when she realized they have more in common than she thinks.

A lot of what they first believe about each other is based off reports of the other, Jacob sees her as another target, something that needs to be studied and understood to get the tactical advantage only to become more interested in her the more he read.  Kit knows only of the brutality of what happens in the Whitetails, the stories about the Judges, but upon being scrutinized by him during the presentation she starts to see his mind for what it really is and part of the reason why he does the things he does.

😚 - When one gets sick, what does the other do?

Kit doesn’t get sick very often, and if she does she forces her way through it. Generally, she’d prefer if her symptoms are just ignored. That changes however when she gets pregnant, and when she gets sick Jacob very much coddles her in his own way, as they both fear losing the baby since her getting pregnant in the first place never should have happened to begin with.

When Jacob has one of his bouts of illness due to GWS, she steps up and makes sure he is resting when he can. She also gets on his ass about smoking. He can’t stand the coddling but he appreciates that she looks out for him.

The grandest gesture either will really do if either has the cold is heat up a can of chicken soup and tell them to tough it out lol

🍁 - How was their first kiss? 

Their first kiss was an interesting affair, taking place not too long after the baseball incident at the wolf's den (set after her 2nd trial) What starts out as a wrestling match quickly turns into something more steamy as he has her pinned to the ground (cut to the comm from redre) and that also turns into their first time knocking boots as well.

so I guess all in all it's a pretty good kiss for them both 😉 and certainly one they won't ever forget. It’s bloody, violent, and all in all, very them

🖐 - Who can’t keep their hands to themself? 

It's a bit touch and go for a while with them, both want to touch the other but then that means vulnerability and that isn't something either is exactly comfortable with.

In the grand scheme, Kit's likely more handsy than he is. She's not afraid to stroke his hair or his scars in their more tender moments. Though, he can get carried away when the mood strikes and “stress relief” is called for.

Sia x Sam

🌈 - What were their first impressions of each other?

Answered this one here

😚 - When one gets sick, what does the other do?

When Sam gets sick Sia is very quick to step in and make sure he’s actually looking after himself. She usually cooks the meals, but she goes full on Irish mother on him and won’t let him get out of bed.

If Sia is sick, he’s happy to go to the drug store and pick up cold meds and lay in bed with her keeping her entertained.

🍁 - How was their first kiss?

Their first kiss takes place during the only one bed incident. They have several close calls leading up to it, and then finally Sam makes his move.

It’s not some long make out session, it’s just a very gentle kiss on her lips, after they’ve spent the entire day annoying each other. But it’s enough to get the point across. He even made sure not to smoke right before doing it. 8/10 experience for Siobhan lol

🖐 - Who can’t keep their hands to themself?

Sam, whether its just wrapping his arms around her while she’s cooking dinner, or giving her a massage while she’s working, the man is always trying to touch her.

Sometimes it drives her nuts, most times she appreciates it but she won’t let him know that otherwise he’d have even more reason to do it.

[tarn-ati0n]

Champion Lance, second try

Ok, 2 things

1. The past two days I was just rushing through the elite 4 with the coin amulet on to afford a bunch of healing items

2. Knowing that he starts with Gyarados I put Chocolate in front so that she could paralyze it and lower its defense

That being said, this time I fully intend to beat this guy

- I forgot the Gyarados also has Intimidate, but that doesn't really matter since I don't plan to attack with Chocolate. Let's hope Glare hits and she doesn't flinch

- she flinched

But Waterfall did only do a bit more than half of her hp, so she can take another one. I try Glare again

- Glare hit! But Chocolate has just 9 hp left so I either have to use a potion or switch her out.

I still want to lower it's defense, so potion it is

- Paralasys hits and I could heal without getting damage, I think I can get two or three Screeches in before switching

- 1st Screech hits, but so does Waterfall.

She can still take one more though, so I try it another time

- 2nd Screech also hits, but since the Gyarados could land another Waterfall I have to switch Chocolate out. She did her job though, Gyarados's defense is comparable with a wet piece of paper now. Switching into Pidgeot.

- Pidgeot gets in and IMMEDIATELY gets a critical Waterfall in her face. She's still standing, but in the red area. I'm going for Fly and hoping that it kills, because I don't want to waste all of my potions on his first pokemon

- FUCK it survived with just a small bit of it's hp left. A Dragon Pulse takes out Pigeot, and knowing that Lance will use a full restore I send Chocolate back in to Paralyze it again

- yep, used a potion and Paralasys went back on afterwards. He basically only has his hp left. Chocolate still has only 9 hp left, so I'm healing her and then revive Pidgeot

- Chocolate heals and the significantly weakened Waterfall really doesn't do much damage anymore. I was thinking about using Screech again, but I'm getting sick of seeing it's stupid blue face already and am just gonna Crunch it to death.

- two Crunches later and Gyarados is down. Lance already sends out his first Dragonite and I KNOW that thing has Earthquake. I wanted to switch into Pidgeot and realize that, Genius that I am, forgot to revive her.

It's at this point that I would like to formally apologize to my Pidgeot. For everything I put this Bird through.

Moving on, knowing that an earthquake is coming I choose my second best option, Sylt.

- Dragonite didn't use Earthquake and instead chose Outrage, which Crits and immediately takes out Sylt. Fuck this, I'm just gonna send in Atlas and let her handle it

- Ashley is in, I'm hoping she's faster but I highly doubt it. I'm taking a risk and use stone edge

- it hits and kills instantly. If fortune is on my side this is how the rest of the battle will go

- second dragonite, second time using stone edge

- second time hitting stone edge and defeating it easily

- last Dragonite, hopefully third time hitting stone edge

- wow, that's the three Dragonites done. I should probably feel a little bad, but considering what he did to me the last time we thought I think this is fair

- Charizard. Buddy, that thing is 4x weak to rock. Rock slide.

- now that Lance is on his last pokemon, Aerodactyl, ending it just like that is too anticlimactic for me. I'm healing Chocolate, as the unofficial Maskot of the team she deserves another spotlight.

- healed Chocolate, and the Aerodactyl used rock slide against me. It seems like it doesn't have any good moves against me.

I can't just switch into Chocolate like that though, someone needs to sacrifice themselves so I can get a clean switch.

My Choice is on Ashley, since Rock is super effective against her.

- Ashley got sent in, and the Rockslide kills her almost instantly. I use focus punch so she doesn't do damage to Aerodactyl. Chocolate can have this one

- Ashley is out, Chocolate is in.

As always I plan to use my usual bullshit, Glare-screech-crunch

- Glare hits but the rock slide did over half of Ashley's hp. I'm switching her out against Tectra, heal her, that switch her back in so I can get another Intimidate

- Tectra gets a slash in, and the Aerial Ace does almost no damage.

What if....

I use Rollout and see if Tectra can beat it? I mean, I love Chocolate as much as the next guy but I would also love to see Tectra win this battle.

Fuck it. Rollout. Now it's time to wait and see

- 1st rollout - critical hit and the Aerodactyl couldn't move

- 2nd Rollout- almost there

- 3rd Rollout - Lance uses a full restore

- 4th Rollout - Aerodactyl lands a critical Aerial Ace and defeats Tectra. But if Chocolate can land her Crunch she can win this.

- I send in Chocolate and immediately go for Crunch.

- unsurprisingly it's faster, but it's rock slide doesn't really do much damage. And now it's dea-

Huh?

Oh come on.

Fine. One more Crunch I guess.

- nope, Lance used another full restore. But at least this Crunch lowered its defense. Another Crunch

- Chocolate avoided the Rockslide. I'm not sure if one more Crunch can do it

- CHOCOLATE SURVIVED THE ROCK SLIDE WITH 7 HP! CRUNCH KILLS! THE FUCKER WITH THE RED CAPE IS DOWN!

[kithtaehyung]

Okay window is probably my new favorite (I’ve already reread a couple times). Yoongi being so determined to show her how much he’s hers is just chef’s kiss tbh, like where do I get one? Lol. Brat reader is my new fave, even if I think she barely scratched the surface of that Pandora’s box. And I can’t wait to see more because that will be fun. (And this may be me realizing that I also enjoy being a brat whoops) Let’s not even talk about how this is Grammys Yoongi because that look is SO killer. Though I am still reeling about Yoongi at the Lakers game. Sports Yoongi is also something I can barely handle lol.

You really had me screaming at their interruptions. Though the 2nd interruption scene may be my new favorite snippet of 3tan. The tension and release and them finally thinking they’re alone. Which omg Tae’s reveal remains hilarious. And Dom, I love her we all need a bestie like her and like the way she read them to FILTH. Sometimes all it takes is someone else laying out. Since we don’t know where exactly this sits in canon I think it highlights that we saw in flutter and forfeit even more. But damn if that type of behavior isn’t relatable unfortunately. Their communication has gotten so much better and that’s so important, personally I think it’s the key to all relationships (platonic or not). If or when brother finds out, it’ll be very very interesting.

Anyways before I ramble even more, bravo on a fantastic new piece. Get some rest and as always, I am ready to read more whenever you’re ready. Hope you have a fabulous weekend! Sending all my love 🤍 - 🌷

AHHH flower! window's your new fave? that's impressive i love that. writing this one was a ton of fun and the few more days i got to work on it made a huuuuge difference in quality, for sure. yoongi on a mission? we know to watch tf out when he's got something to prove. which makes me excited for other things he's setting his mind to i mean what-

i fcking love brat reader<3 what a fcking bEAST like seriously!! ugh deserving of all the praise it's so damn exciting to think about what they could do with no limitations and full comfort.

HELL YEAH BABY you act up :)) it's fun for everyone when it happens ahahaaaaa. but yeah. i was thinking the situation over and figured.. why not make it even more devastating lol grammys yoongi rolling up his sleeves it is! and the second interruption was the scene i was itching for y'all to read the most! when it happened i slapped my hand over my mouth so fast and just laaaaughed. lmfaooo

dom and tae in this one?? fck. i love them both. as far as reader's behavior, it's definitely showcasing that they aren't perfect and still have things to work on. but that's all of us, you know? none of us are perfect, so my characters don't get that pass to be the ideal person. we're all gonna fail at times, and so will they. it's about the learning process and how they handle things, which i think was handled very nicely by the both of them when they finally spoke.

thank you for the wonderful commentary! i loved this review and you had so much insight. sending all my love back<33

[juncojunk-o]

2024 Update

Hello everyone. Being the first day of a new year, I felt obligated to post an update on things given that I haven't posted in some time. I realize that this concerns very few people - perhaps it's a little arrogant of me to believe such a thing is warranted, yet here I am after all.

The year was a quick one, wasn't it? Or maybe it dragged on, don't you think? Paradoxically it was both as far as I'm concerned. I wrote a lot and despite my commission campaign being rather lacklustre, I drew quite a bit this year. I stumbled in some places, but pressed on in others. I look back at all the half baked ideas and flights of fancy I fumbled, but presently I am as I am. The future and its mysteries await.

For an unemployed individual, I find myself strung out and wishing I had more time. I finish one task and slot out 'its time' for something else. And for what? I really am a hopeless fool when I think of it. I digress, however; I'm full of melancholy and mingling emotions that have me ruminating on what lies ahead.

I ought to get to the point, oughtn't I? I guess I want to talk about my plans for this year.

My book is coming along well. I'm quite behind on posting as I'm becoming increasingly embroiled in its creation, but I intend to update soon enough.

Before that, I intend to unveil a secret project of mine. It's far from completion, and I ask for your patience. It is tied to my book in many ways - going forward, I think it could be a great way to foster a community around my work as a whole. I hope to have the various components of the project sorted out by the end of the month to have a surprise reveal at the beginning of February.

It should come as no surprise that the rest of the year will be largely dedicated to my writing; my New Year's Resolution was to have a 2nd draft completed by 2025. This will take a lot of effort, but I shall press on come Hell or high water. Or both. It's the least I can do for Teal.

Once I have a handle on this project of mine, I hope to complete any outstanding commissions and return to regular illustrations. I'm of the opinion this is ridiculous - unless I draw Aggretsuko fanart, my work is never well received - but I will strive towards improvement of my craft come Hell or high water. Or both. It's the least I can do for myself.

Should I have time, I possess a craving to produce music and restore the flame in my heart for 3D modelling. These are back-burner desires, but they are wants I've held for years now. Clearly I should pursue them, I just need to find the time. It's always about time, isn't it?

This year will be a busy one too. Many of my friends chose 2024 to get married. Money will be tight because of this and the ongoing economic crisis no one seems to want to deal with. If I'm lucky I can stay afloat financially until I can publish my novel (An incredible investment in itself, but I'll deal with that when I get there). While I do not exactly want the book to succeed financially - I would much rather people actually like the book and be inspired by my work than to 'succeed financially' - we live in a world where one requires capital to merely survive. Alas, I'll be staking my livelihood on this project of mine. A harrowing thought, isn't it?

I suppose that's enough rambling. If you made it this far, I can't thank you enough for reading my prattle. Keep your eyes peeled for future posts and I hope everyone enjoys my surprise project. Maybe a sneak peek would help? Let's see..

Here's a sketch! I'll leave you all with that.

Happy New Year, everyone. All the best in 2024.

[inthiseternalmoment]

Reflecting on rest days and watched Kung Fu Panda 3

Today was a rest day, but it was still full of messaging, emotions, and thought-provoking conversations. Slow/rest days are not me being lazy, they are me becoming more of myself. Just like every other day!

10/25/2023

Today was another slow, stay-inside day. But I realized today that I was still harboring some guilt about having slow days. Especially when it is multiple slow days in a row.

I realize that there was still some programming from my mom that was telling me I was lazy for having no motivation to be productive on any given day. I’m in my own safe environment now, so there is no need for me to continue this narrative.

We even talked about how “being sick” was received by our parents growing up, and how the neglect that happened there carried over to how we handle being sick now.

I believe that nowadays, sickness is your body forcing you to rest because you were ignoring the gentler signs telling you to do so.

I’m still unlearning so much, and I no longer view having multiple slow days on end (even if it was months or a year) as lazy.

…

We finished Kung Fu Panda 3 today (since we watched the 2nd one yesterday) and I cried so much at the messaging of the movie.

Po was searching so much for a sense of identity only to realize he was everyone. Him meeting up with Oogway at the end felt like the reuniting with the higher-self/spirit guides/angels/soul family. It was so light and carefree, as well as open and full of possibility.

This was a trilogy that felt completely intentional. Following Po’s journey through all three movies feels so much like watching someone walk along the awakening and ascension path.

…

It’s funny – I said today was a slow day when it wasn’t really. We watched movies, talked about so much, and I cried! Which yes, crying has become the norm for me nowadays, but it’s still significant every time I do 🥴

With PR around the corner, I still have no idea what being there will be like. I’m incredibly excited and I hope to uncover more of myself as my journey unfolds.

Just like Po!

[baileyblues]

Sick Day: Venus & Sick! Alaric (ft. Emmitt)

[Masterlist] [Mini Stories] [AO3] [Wattpad]

Written by @thelonelyreaderr and edited by me :3

[Timeline: Venus and Alaric's 2nd year at Oakenshield]

His body was on fire, his head was filled with so many thoughts that it hurt, and as much as Alaric wanted to fight Emmitt's orders, he knew that Emmitt would continue to persist so he decided on surrendering and is now lying in bed with a damp towel over his forehead. His vision was getting blurry as the tiredness crept in. Before he could nod off to sleep, Alaric heard a familiar set of footsteps enter his room.

"Venus?-" The demon tried to speak, but ended up in a fit of coughs. He was quite surprised when Venus had entered the room, and tried to sit up, despite feeling the aches across his body.

"Hey!..." The fae scolded as she made a swift motion with her hand, pushing her magic into the demon in an attempt to make him feel better.

Alaric could feel Venus' magic coating him like a cool blanket as he felt even more tired. Alaric was barely holding onto consciousness as Venus tried to sooth him with her magic.

"Sleep for now, we can always talk later," Venus shushed Alairc, before closing the door behind her and walking towards his desk. Despite how much Alaric wanted to protest, his eyelids were getting heavy, and his heart was repeatedly telling him to trust the fae.

As Venus explored Alaric's room, she couldn't help but feel as if she was in her childhood bedroom again. She was being covered by a sense of tranquility. 'I never thought his room would be this light.. Certainly not expected as he's a demon...' Venus wondered as her eyes focused on a shelf, which was full of family photos. A snicker escaped her as Venus recognized what looked like a baby Alaric covered with mud.

The fae soon started to feel guilty for peeking and shuffled to the demon's desk once more. She softly sat down and started to go through his papers. This is something Venus would have felt guilty about if she hadn't been assigned to help him with his work. As much as she wanted to curse God for making her the demon's nanny, she really was glad that Alaric was okay.

—

Alaric opened his eyes to find a green-haired fae sleeping by his side. When he processed that, his face quickly flushed as he realized how close they were.

"Good to see you looking better, young master." A voice called out from where Alaric's desk was.

"How long-" Alaric tried to speak. He felt that his throat was feeling a little better than before. "Half an hour so far. Apparently you had a nightmare so Lady Alerion exhausted quite a bit of her magic to send you to sleep since you kept waking up." Emmitt calmly replied while turning around with a stack of papers in hand.

"She also finished your work for the day, so continue to rest for the rest of the day. We'll see if you are good enough to continue to work tomorrow." Emmitt informed Alaric.

The demon responded with a small nod and turned his focus back to the sleeping fae. Alaric knew better than to wake her up.. Only the saints knew what she would do to him if he had tried.... Decided to do something productive, Alaric reached over to his bedside table and picked up a book he needed to finish for his English class. As the demon opened to where he last left off, he scoffed as he recalled where he was reading. 'Of course, it's a confession scene,' Alaric amusingly thought as the irony of the situation set in. He continued to read the book in silence as he subconsciously enjoyed the fae's presence.

The sun had already set by the time Venus awoke. She had almost screamed as she realized what position she had fallen asleep in, as she was holding Alaric's hand. The fae gently let go of the demon's hand and took a breath, trying to calm her racing heart and the blood in her cheeks. As Venus' heart calmed down, she slowly got up from the chair she had pulled to Alaric's bed and gathered her things. When Venus got to the door she hesitated before opening it and glancing back at the sleeping demon.

"Get better soon, Alaric..." Venus softly whispered to no one as she walked out the door, determined to get the day's memory out of her head. No matter what Alaric thought of them.

[cakejerry]

Like you (maybe? You had put a question mark) I am jm biased as well. The reason I got into bts was because of his unique tone. I can admit that, yes, jimin has times and days where his vocals aren't up to par, but I believe that it started happening when Bh led him down that higher voice road. I am in love with jm's lower register, it's always been my favorite but the higher tone .....for some reason I don't think it's his actual voice, if it was, he would've started out with it.

I like jk as well, jk on a vocal level is good but his performances.....🥴. My time is the most cringe performance I have ever seen. I get second hand embarrassment everytime and I can't watch it fully through. The world cup performance was lack luster as well. Jk as a vocalist is good, he's stable and he has that pop boy voice but that's it. There's no flavor. There's nothing about his voice that makes me want to listen to a full album.

And I know it might seem like I'm hating...I'm really not. Like you, I voice my opinions, even if others disagree, which I know you might since it seems like you're jk biased as well. Though it seems like you're more jk biased than jm's 🤭.

Then I saw you talked about jm's stage presence.....I must say I disagree. I'm confused, honestly.

What makes you jm biased cause you don't like his stage presence, and it doesn't seem like you like his vocals......so what is it that you like about him? Is it the jikook ship or something? Maybe I'm missing something 😭

Anon you might as well dm me so we can talk 🤭 I'll try to answer every part of this

1. The lore is that I was a hardcore jimin biased army from i need u to dna, and then switched sides to become a bts hater due to an avalanche of reasons (not writing that essay here). But through that time I would occasionally check up on them or find myself thinking hmm.... Bts sure do suck, but Jungkook has done nothing wrong ever and he is the Best and most talented kpop boy in the world and I hate bts but I love him. In fact i can tell you the exact time and date this switch started happening. I was already one foot out the door at this point.

Which I guess turned out to be true 🥴 I'm in my 2nd bts era rn, I plan to catch up with everything, and the second I started consuming content again it was apparent Jimin is my actual bias, not Jungkook. (i never resented jimin but liking him and the rest of bts was very cringe. I could write an essay on this.)

2. I think jimins voice does naturally fall in the higher range. Korean karaoke machines have tone settings, to switch songs by girls to a male register and vice versa, and in in the soop they made a point that Jimin switched to a higher range and Tae was like nooo. But just because that head voice comes natural doesn't mean it's usable anywhere besides heavily processed studio adlibs. He has never been able to sing any one of his 'high notes' live and im tired of pretending he did. I do love his lower register as well, as you might've seen in my posts about 'ma city' and 'danger'. I'd love if you sent me some more examples of your favourite of his vocal moments

6. I switched to jk because of his talent but I was jm biased because of his personality and that imo is way more important when it comes to idols. It's just that some people will act fake and be like "noo jimin totallyyy sung live!! No his voice didn't crack you're an anti!!" but im straight up about it. Idc about talent (i mean it doesn't hurt that hes the second best dancer but if he danced like jin i don't think it would change my mind). I first fell in love with his fat ass and thighs, his thick lips and chipped tooth and tiny pinky finger, then realized he's a fairy angel gangyangi baby boy, the self-proclaimed fake maknae, i think he's a person born to receive love and imo the only one who seems comfortable no matter who they're paired up with in the group? Maybe that's eering into delulu teritory but I'm a big 'soft cute jimin being doted on by everybody' truther. He's mochi to me. Jikook has nothing to do with it and I only started shipping it when they MADE me ship it, with adult ceremony and saying shit like 'i want him' in that one seasons greetings dvd

3. I watched my time just for you anon, and it's not that cringe!?? Maybe bc I opened a version with eng subs and immediately clicked out and found one without, so idk the subject matter but his vocals and stage presence are great? You'll have to tell me what you dislike about it. Dreamers is just.... The "of bts" is bigger than "jungkook" and that's obvious. He definitely wouldn't be able to make it without a group, but I don't think any of them would.

4. You're absolutely right that he's flavourless!! And posting your opinions is good, you should absolutely do it publicly!!! That's the problem with being a jack of all trades- he's a master of none. I get the appeal of any of the rest of the tannies vocal tones. And literally every time there's confusion about who is singing, jungkook the chameleon is at the crime scene. He's just a blank slate in life too, it's insane. He's the only idol who can genuinely go from cutie bunny to sexy sangnamja and pull off the edgy pierced tattoed look as well as the innocent flower boy vibe. And I'm saying that sincerely. There's a reason his stereotyping in fanfic ranges so wildly, from jock to nerd and from alpha to omega. I get what you mean about not desiring a full solo album from him but I'm in the majority boat of 'as long as the song is good idc who sings it' and that's why he has the potential to do well internationaly.

5. About stage presence.... I just watched 6 hours of fancams trying to formulate my point and ended up more confused than I was before 🫠. I'll try to sum it up.

Hoseok performs like he was born to do it. His facial expressions are an equal part of his dancing as his body, and he dances like he would die of he couldn't. He's an entertainer, a performer, he's energetic and electric on the stage, and in my mind's eye I cant even imagine him slacking off the way I'm about to describe for Jimin. I wouldn't say he owns the stage, but he definitely owns the largest part of it while still working in harmony with the rest of the team.

Jungkook is an idol group Center. And I specifically mean the jpop senbatsu model, where they all dance the same dance, no formations, but there is one fixed Center for every single. Jungkook is that. He's the one who will stand in the middle, represent the group while people dance and rap to the left and right of him. He's the one who will do the basic choreography so that the rest can add their flares to it, the one who will sing the whole song in the studio so that others can give their adlibs and harmonies. He will face the public head-on and he does it great

And here is the main difference between both of them vs jimin, and in my view the most important measure of stage presence: Eyes.

Specifically, where are your eyes when the camera isn't on you?

Everyone talks about Jimin's sexy gaze. Sure, fine. He has his killer parts. He has the moments in the songs tailor made for the camera to zoom in on him and capture his sexy expression. But... When that camera leaves and moves on to the next member... The audience is still there. And that's what Jimin seems to forget.

His default seems to be looking at the floor. He often seems like he's there just to dance, like he's counting the beats in his head, just waiting for His Part, or hyping himself up to Make A Facial Expression. His face doesn't dance like Hoseok's does, expressing the emotions of each song perfectly- he doesn't look straight on at the audience like Jungkook does, cocky and confident. He has two moods- serious and goofy. He's serious most of the time. Which means most of the time he looks and acts like a very good back up dancer, who is occasionally VERY GOOD at posing for the camera. And that's my other point- his face doesn't dance, it poses. There's a reason why in my time in the fandom I always saved fantakens of him but never watched any fancams. He's good at Posing. And making that face. And raising that eyebrow, or winking, or splaying out that tongue (something he does A Lot). He's good at being coquettish and flirty and inviting. For a few seconds before he gets... Embarrassed. It's all so scripted. It's all pre-planned, never spontaneous like H and Jk seem to be.

As I said, I watched fancams up to dna + fake love and boy with luv. Reflective on my opinion on him as a whole, I think he does marginally better in concepts like bwl, where he doesn't feel the pressure of being sexy- he can play around a bit and be goofy. Nothing is more emblematic of this than his war of hormone era fancams, which I watched and literally GASPED because.. That's what I want from him!!! Always!!!! That playfulness, that flirting with the audience, not just the camera!!! If you're still reading this, please go watch a woh era jimin fancam. It will change your life.

So I guess you can say I'm being too subjective and some people will find his blank expression and dead eyes very sexy. Sure. But I will forever prefer him SMILING to him doing any other expression (which all seem to blur into nothing) and I sincerely hope in my journey through the rest of their career I will find more instances of him owning the stage. I'll update. But having seen snippets of like crazy and some other songs... I doubt it 😔

[raysofcrosby]

Okay so here's some backstory to help you understand things a bit better:

1. I work in the prep kitchen of a popular restaurant in a tourist town.

2. 90% of the workers here are seasonal employees so my work supplies housing

3. The full work season is 6 months. Most employees come back year after year

4. It's my 2nd year here, but 1st time as a prep chef. (I was a dishwasher last time)

It's a bit of a story so buckle up babes.

IM SO SORRY IM JUST NOW ANSWERING THIS BUT BESTIE PLS THAT WAS A ROLLER COASTER OF SUPRISES ALSFKLSD ((also your job sounds super cool)) BUT LIKE PLS i do not seeing this playing out v well at all 😭💀

((the rest of the story is beneath the cut, i just put my reply above it, but yall i s2g read ths 😭😭😭))

Alright now lets get into it, about halfway into the 2nd month a bunch of line cooks finally arrived. One of the cooks, let's call him O, when he saw me instantly started flirting. Very icky. But luckily another employee was in the same room and was like dude stop. I later found out that O is a fuckboy major player new girl every season kinda guy. So he kinda leaves me alone after that. A couple of sweeties and darling every once in a while -and even once called me mama- but that's really it, and he does this with every female employee and we all give him shit back. Once he realizes we aren't interested he won't continue to try anything so he's not as bad as it sounds, promise.

About halfway through the season when the last of the line cooks show up the pet names stop entirely for everyone. Strange, but you know whatever, then one day when I'm at the only grocery store in town I see him, holding hands, with the new fry cook (her first year here too). Let's call her A. Suddenly it all made sense. You see a couple days ago she came to the prep kitchen and asked my coworker to help her carry the bucket of oil up to the line he said yeah and as they're walking away I hear her say "thanks you're the only nice guy here, well you and O, Don't tell him I said that though!". So now they're together, mind you we only have 3 months left till end of season.

About half 3 weeks ago A came down to the prep kitchen and started talking to my coworker about how she was stressed and couldn't find a dress in time and how she needs some help with some paperwork...for the wedding. That she's having... In 2 weeks. I was not very discreet in my eavesdropping because I shit you not I was slicing onions and I cut my finger when she said that. Completely shocked. But hey I got to wear my first finger condom that day. They've been together for less than 3 months and now O and A are getting married (nice ring by the way, very big).

But about a week ago I heard her talking to another line cook in passing and they asked A what she was going to name the twins. If I wasn't carrying a case of avocados I would have totally stayed in the room longer. But I was in denial because I somehow convinced myself that I didn't hear what I heard. But two days ago when she was standing next to me having a conversation with my coworkers she said the line "sweets aren't good when you're pregnant". That pretty much confirmed everything for me. Now it makes sense as to why they were getting married so quickly. Today was their wedding and he came in for the evening shift when I was on my way out he says very quietly and dare I say a little melancholically to my coworker "aren't you happy for me" let me tell you I could not have left that locker room quicker.

So that's it. That's the drama going on in the back of house at a restaurant. That's one story of many, if you ever want to hear more I'm always down to share lol -🤭

[teathattast]

Full rest day ✅

Try new fall drinks from Starbies ✅

Buy new jeans for work ✅

Grab a few grocery items I forgot ✅

Interact with my favorite artist ✅

Flex my creative skills ✅

Be graceful with myself as I acclimate to my new healthy routine ✅

Realize I don't have to be so hard on myself all the time ✅

Set realistic goals and expectations ✅

Protect my energy ✅

[sat0sugu-angst]

My Faves & Cuddles

Once again I'm touch starved so I'm projecting hehe

All characters aged +22 minors DNI

cw: hella fluff, afab reader, some suggestive content

Yuuji is an ideal cuddle buddy because that's just how he shows affection. He's always cuddling w you. On the couch, in bed, in at your friends houses (which they hate because yall are too sweet and they're jelly). He loves being the big spoon because he feels like he can be protective in this position (and if things heat up, his dick is pressed right against your ass) but when he's exhausted after a long day or just needs support because life is rough, he loves laying on top of you with his head resting on your boobs just talking about yalls day. This man makes my heart so full UGH

Megumi is not a big cuddler, even after yall have been together for a minute. It's not that he doesn't love touching you, it's just not his instinct to show affection that way. I do think tho if you told him how much you loved hugs he'd remember that. Anytime you seemed stressed or down abt something he'd just hold you in his arms. You wouldn't have to talk abt it, but if you did he'd listen, or you could just press your ear to his chest and listen to his heart beat.

Yuta is lowkey clingy lmao. Like he'll cuddle with you any damn where. Sitting on the bleachers watching the 2nd year's train? You're in his lap and he's fully talking to you into your skin. Yuta gives me the vibe of like he wants to live in your skin.

Inumaki is obvi a touchy guy, it's such an easy way for him to show affection. But it's not necessarily cuddles, he loves braiding your hair or playing with the hem of your clothes. I feel like he'd find a way to touch you that is so specific to you two, two like running a finger along your jaw, which he does endearingly but immediately lights a fire low in your belly. I fully believe once he realizes the affect his touch has on you its over because he loves to tease you🥰

Gojo is a cuddle bug. He loves when you give him an excuse to turn off his infinity. I feel like gojo is perpetually touch starved bc he's put on a pedestal by so many people that no one ever really gets close to him (except you and probs yuuji lol cuz he's a kind boi)and he loves that you look at him like a person (cries in stsg) and he craves that intimacy bc so many people are either afraid of him or hate him (rip)

Bakugo is not a cuddly person until he is. Fully is like "don't fucking touch me" until yall are tangled up together after sexy time one night and he realizes how peaceful it is being in each other's arms. He likes the way your skin feels under his hands, how bumps rise along his arms when you skim your fingertips over the naked skin there. It's fully a tactile, engaged experience. Now some times yall don't even have sex you just lay there and learn each other's bodies.

Thanks for reading! If you wanna see someone who's not included lmk!! As always rbs/likes are appreciated!!

[shotthemessenger]

It Just Hits Different

Black reader x Toge Inumaki

Context: You get hugs from everyone around the organization that you’re close with because they know you’re a cuddle bug, but his hug hits different.

Sfw; Fluff; No warnings

Maki pats your head after letting go of your hug. Disappointed, you wave her off, kind of slouched. Then you realized there were other people you could hug. You run around campus getting hugs from elders, 2nd years, 1st years, random people, etc. You were so giddy with hugs and physical touch that you didn’t realize that it was affecting everyone else in a positive way.

Seeing you happy and positive was their daily dose of serotonin that they needed. Even Megumi admitted to feeling a lot brighter after giving you a hug. It was late now, and you were heading over to the front when you saw Inumaki’s door open. Last time you hugged him, he was confused, and you literally tackled him to the ground. You double checked and saw that he was fully awake.

After making sure you shout his name, catching his attention and you dashed towards him, not at full speed, just a cute lil run to catch up to him. His arms were wide open, and he caught you when you went straight into his arms, lifting you and spinning you around. At first, it just felt like a regular hug, but the longer you held on the safer you felt.

The indescribable craving for this kind of hug grew stronger as you melted into his body. You nuzzled your face in his chest and sighed deeply. Butterflies swarmed your stomach, along with a warm fuzzy feeling. I was amazing, and you needed more. Toge checked the time, seeing how late it was, he decided to just retire for the day.

He tried letting go, but you stayed latched onto him, not wanting to let go just yet. This poor man was so confused. Yet, his love language was touch (my hc) so he wasn’t bothered by it. He also liked you lol. He saw that you were tired, and offered to let you stay the night in his dorm. You immediately answered yes, and with that, you waddled into his room with him.

He picked you up and set you on his desk, it being the perfect height for you two to stare face to face with him. He traces his fingers on your skin, writing words on them since he couldn’t talk with his cursed tongue. You smiled sadly, not responding. He engulfs you in another hug, resting his chin on your shoulder.

You buried your face in his neck and hugged him back tightly, getting the butterfly feeling again. A shaky sigh escaped your lips now. Your heart ached slightly, and tears welled up in your eyes slightly. You closed your eyes, content in your action, and let the tiredness take over. Your sleepy mumbles reached his ears, which made him smile.

It was only after ten minutes did he realize that you actually fell asleep. Coming to this fact made him really soft for you. His heart skipped a beat, but he needed you to wake up so he could move you. “Slowly wake up.” He commanded, allowing you to wake up as if it weren’t commanded at all.

He seized this moment to pick you up again and set you on his bed, climbing in himself after you. Your heart skipped a beat slightly, seeing him soft for you like this caused you hidden feelings for him to regrow once again. He pulls the blanket over you two, turns off the light, then pulls you closer to him, stroking your hair.

A blush rose on your face. If it weren’t for him combing his fingers through your hair, you’d be up all night. The nice feeling lulled you right back to sleep, and he smiled, listening to your soft snores. He, in return, kissed your forehead and went to sleep after wrapping his other arm on your lower back. It was an amazing night for the both of you.

Bonus;

The next morning, it was quiet, and peaceful. You woke up to Toge staring at you. It was flustering to say the least, but you couldn’t help but smile. He moved a strand of hair behind your ear and caressed your cheek. This really felt like some couple shit. You were so lucky you two are close.

Normally you’d look at your phone but you just wanted that feeling back again. You nuzzled into his chest, and he immediately hugged you back, keeping you in his arms. This felt so right on so many levels and you weren’t uncomfortable in the slightest, and neither was he. But honestly? You should’ve checked your phone.

You were getting a ton of messages from Yuuji, Todo, Nobara and others. Panda came into Toge's room earlier with Maki, only to see the two of you asleep and cuddling. They took pictures and quickly left, not to disturb you. They sent it to their school’s gc, Todo getting it from Yuuji, along with Gojo. Nanami and the elders got it from Gojo, and so on. Miwa was especially betrayed because he was the one that made her lose the exam.

You two were so oblivious to what was going on, but ignorance is bliss as they say.