#she left it at my place bc we run different temperatures usually she was so fucking cute she was like 'i left it on purpose :3c hee hee'

[lizbethborden]

I'm exhausted so taking tonight "off" bc the weekend sucked and was horrible and draining, but........................ guess how this post concludes............................I miss my girlfriend!!!!!!!!!!

[edna-skiffens]

The Best Medicine

Summary: You are in the hospital, but you can never sleep in hospitals. Good thing you have a very attractive night shift nurse who is willing to help out.

Word Count: 4.5K

Warnings: hospitals, light med talk, bad medical writing, fluff

A/N: Please ignore the plot holes or the fact that this isn’t the most realistic and also I know this isn’t how discharge works at the hospital.. It’s called fiction for a reason, darling. Also, I left the reason the reader is in the hospital open ended bc some of us may have medical conditions/reasons that we can attach to this, but if not I tried to keep it vague enough on purpose so that you can imagine whatever. Also if you like Nurse!Tom and have requests for him lmk bc i’m happy to write for him.

Toss and turn. Toss and turn. The routine was getting old. This was your third night in the hospital and sleep just wasn’t coming to you.

Maybe it was the medicine they had you on. Maybe it was the constant symphony of sounds and people passing in the hallway. Maybe it was because you weren’t at home in your own bed.

Maybe it was just because you were in the hospital.

You couldn’t be sure. What you were sure of is that you weren’t falling asleep anytime soon.

Feeling another presence in the room, you looked from the ceiling to the doorway where you saw Tom, one of the night shift nurses, standing cautiously.

“I didn’t wake you did I?” He asked as he eased his way inside.

“Nope.”

“So no sleep again, huh?”

“Nope.”

“Sorry darling. Let’s go ahead and get these vitals over with.” He took your blood pressure, oxygen levels, temperature and wrote it down in your chart. Putting the clipboard back on its hook at the end of the bed, he looked up at your tired face. “Okay. So now about that sleep. What do you think will help?”

“Not being in the hospital.”

He chuckled lightly while walking back towards your bedside.

“I know. You hate it here. You’ve made that very clear and I try not to take too much offense to it.” You let out a slight laugh and held back the fact that he was the best part of this whole experience. He almost made it worth it. “I’m sorry we can’t give you any sleeping medication. Do you think it’ll help if I talk to you?”

“You mean tell me bedtime stories?” You couldn’t help but tease him at the adorable suggestion, though it sent a swarm of butterflies off in your stomach.

“I was thinking more like bore you ‘till you fell asleep. But whatever works.”

“You’re the nurse. If you think it’ll help.” You both sat there smirking at each other for a moment. Something unspoken floating in the air between you two.

“Well, I need to finish my round of vitals first. I’ll come check on you when I’m done and if you’re still up we’ll see about those stories.”

“I’ll be here.”

About fifteen or twenty minutes later you heard a light tap on your door followed by “Still awake?”

“Always.”

“You up for a chat?” Tom asked as he made his way to the stool then rolled slightly closer to your bed.

“Got nothing better to do.” You teased again.

“Okay. Well you should probably lay down.”

“Oh. It’s going to be that kind of story, huh?” His laugh was so beautiful and you were happy you were the cause of it.

“No.” He corrected in between laughs “The goal is to get you to sleep. So sitting up won’t help.”

“Right. Right.”

“Well.. anything in particular you’d like to talk about?”

“Why did you choose to become a nurse?”

“Ahhh. Good question. So I actually went to an art school.” You couldn’t help the brief expression of surprise that crossed your face. “I know. Shocking. I did training specifically in dance and gymnastics and I loved it.”

“Wait, so what happened?” You asked, turning on your side to face him more comfortably.

“Well one day we were rehearsing for a show and I fell. Ruined my knee. Had to do physical therapy for months. I tried to get back into it, but it just wasn’t the same. However, through that process I learned a lot about medicine and the health side of things. It really turned me on to it. And when my Plan A got a bit messed up I thought ‘hey, this could work’. So far it’s treated me pretty well.”

You smiled at Tom, admiring his passion for his career and the determination he had to keep pushing after his accident. You enjoyed hearing him talk about it too. If you didn’t know any better you would say it was helping you relax.

“My story that boring?”

“Obviously.”

“Your sarcasm has no end.”

“Oh… goodness.. you thought that was sarcasm?”

Tom only laughed and shook his head the way he often did with you.

You may just have been his patient and he may have just been your nurse, but you both bonded. He kept you company and gave you comfort. In return, you kept him entertained during the quiet night shifts.

“I’m not going to sleep. I'm just resting my eyes. But still listening.” You told him as you nestled further into the hospital bed, trying to find a position that would make it comfortable.

“Okay, darling.” He grinned at you.

“Tell me more. What kind of-” You had to stop to yawn, “What kind of art stuff did you do?”

“Oh. Well, I was in a few musicals. I really enjoyed dancing. I did ballet ever since I was young and I love the control I have over my body. The tricks I can do with gymnastics or the turns and leaps. I mean I can’t do them to that level anymore, but I try to stay active.” He glanced up and noticed you hadn’t moved, “Are you still with me?”

“Mhm.” You barely respond.

“Okay. Well it was a performing arts school so we really were trained in many areas. We had classes in acting, singing, dancing, all of it. It was a lot of fun and I met my best friends there.”

Tom began telling stories about his time at school. Before he knew it, he lost himself and track of time. He looked back at you, quiet and still.

“Y/N?” You were finally asleep. “Goodnight, darling.” He whispered as he gently made his exit.

Because Tom worked the night shift, you never saw him when you woke in the morning. Instead, Tanya, a sweet nurse that felt like a big sister, or Linda, Nurse Ratched in the flesh, came in for morning vitals and meds.

You counted down the days until your release. Life in the hospital was pretty uneventful with the limit on visitors and limited activity. There’s only so many sitcoms one can take in a given timespan. The only thing that you really looked forward to each night was when Tom clocked in.

“Hi Y/N.”

“Hi Tom.” You would smile at each other.

“How are we feeling today?”

“Better. Ready to get out of here.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear you are feeling better and still ready to jailbreak.” He smiled while writing something down on your chart. “They should be bringing up your dinner tray soon and then I’ll bring by your evening meds after that.”

“Okay.”

“If you need me you know what to do.” He called to you before walking out the door.

You were disappointed when Shelley brought your evening meds by later. She was a nice enough nurse. She just wasn’t Tom.

You’d grown accustomed to mainly having him as your nurse during the evening shift. At first you weren’t sure if it was coincidence or on purpose, but after a few nights of staying up and talking, you grew closer to him. You saw less of the other nursing staff and more of Tom.

You tried not to build anything up in your head. You were sure everything he was doing was in his job description and a part of being a good nurse.

He would sneak you extra pudding cups from the cafeteria and bring you an extra heated blanket because you could never stay warm. If you needed a new IV, he held your hand to ease the anxiety. He kept you company and made you feel less alone in such a sterile and intimidating place. And when he noticed you had trouble sleeping he chose to sit with you to help you fall asleep. You couldn’t help the butterflies that built in your stomach.

It became a sort of routine. He checked on you during evening vitals, even if someone else was doing them, and you were always still awake. He would then come and sit with you and chat for a bit, telling you different stories until you eventually fell asleep.

Some nights when you were extra restless he would help you walk the halls.

“The doctors have to see you’re stable enough before you can be discharged. Plus, maybe it’ll tire you out.” He suggested.

He would help get your IV pole ready so you could walk with it. He helped you into your slippers and eased you out of bed after passing you your robe.

Walking the hall slowly, Tom knew he had to remain professional, yet he found a few excuses to graze his hand across your back to ‘steady you’ when you turned corners or he thought you were looking tired.

“It might take me a while to get back to my usual jogs in the park, huh?” You laughed in spite of yourself.

“You’ll get there. Baby steps.” He encouraged, as you turned around the Nurse’s Station. You missed the faces the other night shift nurses were giving you both, but Tom was sure to subtly flick them off. “So, do you like running?” He asked as you headed back towards your room.

Throughout your late nights together, he told you of his three younger brothers and his dog named Tessa. You spoke about what you would do when you were out of hospital. He talked about his friends and flatmates and the adventures they had. He told you many stories, but each morning when you woke up he was clocked out and the day shift nurses were there.

Tonight was your last night. You’re set to be discharged tomorrow and while you are ecstatic to go home, you’re going to miss one thing about this place.

“I bet you’re too excited to sleep tonight. I don’t know if my stories will even help.” Tom said as he sat down next to you.

You smiled up to him sweetly.

“What are you looking forward to the most once you get out of here?”

“Sleeping in my own bed.”

“Well that’s no surprise.” Tom laughed, a contagious sound making you giggle as well. “Isn’t there anything you’ll miss about this place?”

“Yeah.” He smiled “There’s one thing.”

“What’s that?” He asks.

“The pudding cups.”

“Ahh the pudding cups of course.” You giggled while fiddling with the IV line.

“They just don’t taste the same in the outside world.”

His smile grew wider as you giggled.

“No, but really. As much as I give this place grief and say I’m ready to get out of here - which I am,” You gave him a pointed look to which he held his hands up in mock surrender, fully believing you, “it hasn’t been too terribly awful I guess.”

“Oh, well, I’m glad we could make your stay not too terribly awful.. I guess.” He teased. “Do you have anything exciting to look forward to once you’re a free woman?”

“Nothing huge planned, really. The doctors did say to take it easy.”

“That’d be wise.”

“Yeah. I’ll just lay low for a while. My sister said she may try to come visit me though so that would be nice.”

“Oh that would be nice. She’s your older sister right?”

“Right. She moved away last year to be closer to her boyfriend.”

“Ah. Do you like him?”

“Sorry?”

“This boyfriend. Do you like him?”

“He’s alright, I suppose. He makes her happy.” Tom nodded along.

“And do you have a boyfriend that makes you happy?”

“N-No. No I don’t. Not at the moment.” You began fiddling with the IV cord again.

“No boyfriend or not a boyfriend that makes you happy?” He asked.

“Neither.”

“Well that’s a shame.” If the heart monitor was connected you would’ve been screwed. “I just mean someone needs to look after you once you get home. I hope this sister comes through for a visit. You’ve got to take it easy.”

“Oh I’ll be fine.”

“I’m sure you will be.” He smiled.

“How has your shift been tonight? Busy?” You asked, fighting back a yawn.

“A bit busier than usual. There was a slight emergency earlier which is why Shelley handed out meds tonight. Sorry I didn’t come around.”

“It’s alright. I know you have other patients.”

“Yeah, but none like you.” You were sure he said that to all of his patients. After all, you’ve heard similar lines ever since you went to the pediatrician as a child. But it still gave you butterflies.

“Are you getting sleepy?”

“A little. But it’s okay.” He gave you a pointed look but continued to talk anyway. “It’s the last night. One final request for storytime. Make it a good one.”

You thought for a moment before asking your question.

“Do you ever wish that life turned out differently? That you never had your accident and you could’ve followed your dreams to be a dancer?” You asked while turning on your side and getting more comfortable.

“Sometimes. At least, I used to. But I think I’ve accepted it now. And I really can’t see myself doing anything but this.” You nodded taking in his answer “I look at it this way. If it wasn’t for my injury then I never would’ve changed my career path and found my love for medicine. I never would have made so many of the friends I’ve made or the memories I’ve made. I never would have met you.” He finishes with a sweet smile.

“That’s a very positive way of looking at it.” You told him. “Be honest, are you a therapist during the day?” He laughed out loud.

“No. I’m not. I guess I’m a big believer in ‘everything happens for a reason’.” You nodded while covering a yawn.

“So I’ve been curious to ask you,” He began, “Do you usually have this much trouble sleeping? Because you can get help for that you know?” You smiled at him.

“What? I thought a night nurse talking to you was the cure?” Tom smirked and shook his head. “I’m kidding. No, I normally don’t. It’s just the stiff sheets and hospital sounds I think.”

“Darn hospital.” He rolled his eyes and joked. “So this time tomorrow you’ll be sound asleep in your own bed then?”

You knew it was meant to be a happy statement, but you were a little sad at the thought of not having any more late night chats with Tom.

“Yes. Thank God.” You forced a smile.

You felt another yawn coming and tried to hold it back. It was already past the usual time that you fell asleep.

Tom could tell you were exhausted so he launched into a story from nursing school, hoping to lull you to sleep.

You yawned your way through listening, trying to soak up every last moment with Tom. In the morning he wouldn’t be here. You’d leave and likely never see him again.

When he finished, your eyes were half open and he wondered how you were still awake. Or maybe why.

“Why are you fighting it? The point is to sleep. Give in.” He told you gently after another yawn.

You looked up at him, half asleep and rubbing your eyes, not finding the confidence to tell him the true reason you were trying to stay awake.

“I’m happy right now.”

He smiled down at you.

“I am too. But you need your sleep, darling.” You weren’t sure what to say and you didn’t have much energy left in you anyway. “How about this. I’ve probably been in here too long as it is. Let me go check in at the Nurse’s Station and then I’ll come back and check on you soon and see if you’re still awake okay?”

The thought that he was leaving gave you a sad feeling in your stomach. You tried to remind yourself that he was just your nurse. Nothing more.

“Okay.” You smiled at him, sleepily, while settling further into the bed.

He stood up and instead of walking towards the door he walked closer to you. He grabbed the thin, white hospital blanket and pulled it closer around your shoulders.

“Goodnight, Y/N.” He whispered before he walked to the door.

“Tom?” You called out just before he opened it. He turned around with an expectant look, “Thanks for everything.”

Even though the room was dim you could see his smile.

“You’re welcome, Y/N. Get some sleep.”

You don’t remember much after that. You don’t know if Tom came back to check on you. You just remember falling asleep with a smile on your face.

When you woke up the following morning it felt like any other morning in the hospital.

The hallways were much louder. Beeps, chatter, and phones were constant. The lights were brighter.

But you were quickly reminded that it wasn’t any other morning. You were going home today.

The door creaked open and Tanya, one of your regular daytime nurses, poked her head in.

“Oh good you’re up.” She made her way inside and over to the gloves. “How’d you sleep?”

“Pretty good. Thanks.” She gave you a smile, something hidden behind it.

“I’m sure.” She said quietly to herself. You gave her a questioning look. “Oh I just mean I’m sure you’re excited to get out of here.”

You nodded as she took your vitals one last time.

“Everything looks good. What do you say about getting this IV out?”

“I say that sounds amazing.”

She took it out and bandaged up your arm while informing you of how the morning would go.

“Dr. McCoy is making rounds now then he’ll be by soon to go over your discharge. You can get dressed whenever you’re ready. If you need help, buzz me. You’ll still have a breakfast tray come, but you don’t have to eat it.” She gave you a wink while taking off her gloves.

“Thanks Tanya.”

“Of course, sweetie. And in case I don’t see you before you go, you’ve been a wonderful patient. Take care of yourself.” You smiled at her as she left you to change into some leggings and a sweatshirt.

You were packing your remaining things into your bag when your doctor walked in.

“Y/N! How are we doing today?”

“We’re doing great because we’re going home.” You smiled while taking a seat to rest for a few minutes.

“I know you’re excited.” He laughed before explaining the conditions of your discharge. You had medicines to take, a follow up appointment, and strict instructions to rest for the next few weeks. After signing some forms he left you with a stack of papers. “Is someone coming to pick you up?”

“Yeah my neighbor should be here within an hour.”

“Sounds good. Don’t hesitate to call us or come back in if you have any trouble or questions.”

“Will do. Thanks.”

A few minutes after he left a nurse brought in your breakfast tray. There wasn’t much of a point for it but since your discharge wasn’t technically until 10:30 am you were still a patient during breakfast.

You took the pudding cup that you requested with every meal off the tray before sliding it away. Smiling to yourself, you tucked it away in your bag. All you had left to do was wait for 10:30.

Tanya came in to check on you again and told you to buzz the Nurse’s Station when you knew your ride was here. At 10:27 you had a text from your neighbor that they were out front in the pickup zone. So you hit the call button.

“Yes?” Linda, the scariest dayshift nurse, answered.

“Um hi. Tanya told me to buzz in when my ride was here so I could go down.”

“Okay we’ll be right in.”

Not even a minute later you heard your door open. Expecting to see Tanya or maybe even Linda you looked up.

An audible gasp left your lips when Tom stood in your doorway with a wheelchair.

“I hear someone needs a ride?” He smiled as he made his way closer to the bed.

“Tom. What are you still doing here?”

“I pulled a double.” You wanted to ask why, but decided against it. You were still in a little bit of shock from seeing him again. “If you’d rather I can go get Linda to walk you down?” He pointed back towards your door.

“No! No.. I’m just surprised s’all.”

“Well come on. I thought you’d be running out of this place once the clock hit 10:30.” Glancing up you saw it was now 10:34. Your neighbor is probably tired of waiting already.

You grabbed your discharge papers and reached for your bag when you heard, “I got it.” Smiling at him, you sat down in the wheelchair. Tom placed the bag around his shoulder and kicked the brakes off the chair. “Ready?” You nodded up at him.

He rolled you out of the room that felt so small for a final time. You passed the Nurse’s Station and waved bye to the staff. He turned by the elevators and when you looked up at him in question, he read your mind. Looked down at you he said, “We’re taking the staff elevators.”

When you made it there he hit the button, turning you around and backing you in once the doors opened. He hit the button for the Lobby and leaned up against the wall of the elevator, briefly glancing at you, as you rode down together.

“Well you made it. You’re a free woman.” He smiled shyly.

“Yippee.” He met your eyes for a moment before looking back to the floor. The dynamics felt different. It wasn’t like your late night talks together.

“Listen, Y/N.” Tom began as he stood up from the wall and faced you. He was about to continue when the elevator ding cut him off, signaling you had reached your destination.

Maybe that was what was different. You had reached your destination.

You had a fun time talking with Tom and entertaining each other when you were both up late at night. He was fun to get to know and you enjoyed having someone care for you. He was easy to banter with and certainly easy on the eyes. But your time at the hospital was up. You knew it would be eventually. You wanted it to be.

Tom was a nurse. He was just doing his job. He was helping take care of you. He was being nice. He was trying to make your stay more comfortable. There was nothing to read into.

Your time being his patient was up and your time with him was up.

You tried to remain realistic, but the sadness still crept up as he rolled you closer to the door.

Once outside, you saw your neighbor exit the car and wave you over. Tom steered in the direction and slowed before rolling to a stop and hitting the brake locks on the wheels.

“Hi, I’m Taylor.”

“Tom.” They shook hands as Tom passed off your bag for Taylor to put in the backseat.

“I’m sorry for the circumstances, but it really has been a pleasure having you as a patient and getting to know you, Y/N.” Tom admitted as he walked around to face you. He grabbed the papers from your lap. “Take care of yourself, okay?” You had shared many smiles with Tom, but this one felt sadder.

“I will. Thank you for everything, Tom. I mean it.” You reached up and squeezed his hand. He gave you a light squeeze back while smiling down at you. Taylor returned from the backseat of the car and Tom turned to them.

“These are her important papers about follow up appointments, medications, what to do at home, all of that so please make sure she doesn’t lose any of them.” He emphasized the point.

“Got it. Thanks.” Taylor held onto the stack while Tom turned back to you.

“If I can’t handle a few papers on my own, then maybe I shouldn’t be going home yet, Tom.” You laughed.

“I know, I just wanted to make sure they made it home with you.” He walked closer. “You ready to get in?”

“Yeah.” You nodded. He helped you up, supporting you just as a precaution. Once seated, you took a moment to catch your breath as you pulled the seatbelt down. He met your hand, taking it from you to buckle you in.

“You good?”

You nodded with a smile, “Just a little tired. No biggie.”

He looked you over before returning your smile, though his didn’t quite reach his eyes, “If you need us, call us. Otherwise go home and rest.”

This was it. This was goodbye.

“Thanks, Tom.”

“Goodbye, Y/N.”

He shut the door. He walked back to the wheelchair, released the brake locks and headed inside. He looked back only when your car was driving away.

“Here’s those papers that are so important.” Taylor handed you the stack after they got in.

“Thanks.”

“So how are you feeling?”

“Better. Thanks.” You felt them looking at you as they joined traffic.

“You sure? You sound like you feel awful.”

You try to remind yourself to forget the sweet and attractive nurse and start moving forward.

“Yeah. Yeah I’m okay.” You decide to distract yourself by reading through your discharge paperwork, when something caught your eye. On top was a sticky note with the hospital’s letterhead. You were sure it wasn’t there before. Looking closer it read,

Y/N,

In case you need someone to talk to when you can’t sleep.

555-5555

P. S. I have a connection to some pretty good pudding cups too.

Tom

The smile that grew on your face was undeniable. All the feelings you suppressed came flooding in. He wasn’t just being nice. He actually liked you.

One thing you knew for sure was that even though you would be in your own bed tonight, you still would be up, talking to a very special nurse.

Lmk if you want to be on my tag list

[unstoppableforcce]

going home — part one

pairing: Poe Dameron x CMO! reader

how wonderful series | next part | masterlist

a/n: this takes place approximately after the fight miniseries, I’ve been working on it for a while but I’ve finally got the first part ready for y’all so I hope y’all enjoy! it’ll be angsty but as always, soft in the end bc I love these two

also WARNING: a little bit of vivid description, nightmares and throwing up

It didn’t matter what you did, you couldn’t catch your breath.

All you could see was the pouring rain washing the blue blood from your hands into a diluted stream down the metallic ship beneath you. All you could hear were the wailing screams of the surrounding group, the pained screams of the body beneath you, and the terror in their voices as they called out. All you could feel was the phantom pumping of the chest beneath you, beating rapidly and then not at all. All you could smell was the rotting stench of infection and antiseptic burn of disinfectant.

You were in too deep, reliving the memory in violent flashes and burning tears, you couldn’t catch your breath.

Not until two hands grabbed you from behind with a searing touch, jolting you awake and out of your wrecked thoughts.

“Shhh you’re okay…”

You were most certainly not okay, no matter how calming Poe tried to make his voice. There was nothing he could do that could calm anything about this. His touch was suffocating, his voice blurred into the wailing and it all just got worse—

Launching out of bed, over his warm body beside you in spite of his protests, you fell into the refresher just a few feet away, finally pulling your eyes open to the aggressive fluorescents in hopes that the bright lights could shake you out of your own head. But with both hands holding you up over the sink, sweat dripping down your head and back, the screams sounded off louder and louder between your ears.

And now the screams were pulling an uneasiness out of your stomach. You tried to swallow it down but in the same instant that the door reopened behind you, you fell to your knees in front of the toilet. Two hands pulled at your hair to keep it back but that was the last thing on your mind as your throat began to burn and your stomach turned over itself.

“Babe…” Poe sighed as he settled on his knees behind you, keeping your hair our of the way, “Are you okay?”

Spitting into the bowl, you were finally able to calm down enough to catch your breath and lean back into where he sat behind you, his hands finally releasing your hair and moving for a towel to wipe off your lips.

“Babe…”

“I’m okay…” you released on your exhale as he began gently wiping the sweat off your brow. “I’m okay…”

“Let’s get you into the shower, okay?”

You shook your head as he tried to move beneath you, so he immediately froze, holding you against him with every breath. “Give me a minute…”

“Okay… you’re okay…”

His lips pressed down onto your forehead, gauging your temperature even as he expressed his affection, just like his gentle hold on your body ensured he could keep a feel for your pulse beating against him.

“Poe?”

“Yeah, babe?”

“I’m sorry…” You coughed out, “they aren’t usually this bad, this… I don’t know…”

“It’s okay, I know…”

He didn’t really know though. He had nightmares, he was pretty sure everyone with a stake in this war did, anyone who lived through some of the things you all encountered on a regular basis would have them… but he didn’t have them like you did. And you didn’t talk about them.

He didn’t blame you.

You woke up traumatized, shaking and hyperventilating, and when it was really bad, you got sick like this and he couldn’t fathom what you must have been reliving in your mind to throw you so far from your typically composed form. And he also knew it wasn’t his place to ask. Whatever it was, you would have told him if you wanted him to know and he was okay with that.

He just wished he could help. He wished his presence behind you in bed, arms wrapped over you, would be enough to remind you that you were safe from whatever was haunting you, but he knew that wasn’t how it worked.

So he didn’t blame you. He just wanted to help.

And after a few cool minutes against the icy floor of the refresher, your back pressed into his chest, you caught your breath enough to have him help you to your feet, pull your sweat-soaked clothes off your body and move you into the shower.

His touch wasn’t burning into your skin anymore, it wasn’t something you flinched away from, it was something you were leaning into, especially as the water began to flow over the both of you. Your face fell to his chest, the water hitting at your back and the screams finally stopped.

“Better?” He hummed as he stroked over your skin in the water.

“Yeah…”

“Do you want to talk?”

You shook your head and he nodded. He was okay with that, he just wanted you to be okay.

And for that night, just being okay would have to do.

Everything was different the next day though.

You hadn’t really gone back to sleep after the shower. You closed your eyes shut and buried your head into his chest, but he could tell you didn’t really go back to sleep.

So when you’re dataPAD started buzzing, you popped up for your shift in an instant, crawling over top of him (he always slept on the outside of the bed, you up against the wall, he practically insisted on it, being closer to the door) and began looking around for your uniform. He didn’t have to be up for another hour, so he just laid back and watched you like he always did.

But this wasn’t the typical morning for the two of you.

There was no talking, no banter, no nothing. You just bent over for your uniform and began pulling it on, sitting back on the bed by his feet to pull on your boots, and somehow not saying a single word the whole time.

“Maybe you should take the morning off, babe…” He groaned out as he sat himself up behind you. You hadn’t really gone back to sleep and he only knew that because he hadn’t been able to either, not with the feeling of you tense underneath his grip, incapable of relaxing.

“I’m fine.”

“Just the morning, we can get some food in the mess, try and go back to sleep for a little—”

“I’m fine Poe, I’m okay.” You sighed, tying your hair up and getting back onto your feet. “I’ve got to go.”

“You can message me if you need anything—”

You leaned down to press a kiss to his cheek and nodded, “yeah, I’ve got to go.”

And without even saying goodbye or saying anything else at all. No “I love you”, no “I’ll let you know when my shift ends”, not even a “have a good day”… he understood but he couldn’t help but be worried. He didn’t know what he could do to help, and he didn’t want you going through this alone but he had his own work to get to, his dataPAD ringing for him to get up not long after you left.

He figured he would hear from you at some point during the day, he normally got a quick message or the two of you had a meeting that overlapped…

But the whole day had passed before he was on his way back from the hanger, finally receiving a message. And it wasn’t from you.

Can you meet me in the med bay, Commander? – Rep

Your second in command, Rep?

Having never received a message from him before, he couldn’t help but let his mind wander to the worst possibilities imaginable. And the whole walk over he spent his time trying to talk himself down from there.

If you were hurt, he would’ve gotten an emergency message. If there was a real problem, he would’ve gotten an emergency message. If it had anything to do with you and something to worry about, he would’ve gotten an emergency message, so he didn’t really need to worry.

If only it were that easy.

Rep had never messaged him before, whatever this was about, he was worried, all the way down to the med bay.

“Do you want me to get the CMO, Commander?” The pink-skinned nurse at the desk up front asked the second he walked in.

He just shook his head, giving the relatively empty bay a scan, “No, I’m looking for Rep actually.”

“I think he’s in his office, it’s next to—”

“Yeah, I know where it is, thank you.” He nodded, trying to keep his head down as he navigated down the hall but lifting it back up when he noticed the lights were off in your office and he didn’t have to be nervous about running into you.

But if he thought he was nervous, he had nothing on Rep as he pulled the door open, having spotted Poe before he even got the chance to knock.  

“Commander, come on in…”

Rep was a tall man, recovering well from the failed mission a few weeks ago, but for as long as he had been your second-in-command, Poe had never seen him so wrecked by nerves. Sweat slicked his brow, his hands fumbled in front of him and he paced back and forth, looking out the window as Poe shut the door behind him.

“What’s going on, Rep?” He hummed, nervously looking over his own shoulder as Rep paced back to the windows and flipped the switch to make them opaque. “You’re kind of freaking me out—”

“I’m worried about the CMO…”

His mouth went dry as his hands lifted to his hips, “what’s going on—”

“This is probably inappropriate, me and you don’t know each other but I know that the two of you are something and she sleeps in your room and wears your ring around her neck—”

Poe waved both of his hands, shaking his head as he took a step forward, “that doesn’t matter, what’s going on Rep?”

“Ever since the General came over to talk to her the other day, I’ve been noticing some mistakes. Small things at first, mislabeling a file, putting supplies in the wrong bin, I just thought she was being spacey, you know, mind somewhere else—”

“What did the General come over for?”

He would have known if there was something going on, wouldn’t he? Something to stress you out… he thought it was just the nightmares…

He thought it was the nightmares shaking you up, he never thought that something having shaken you up would be responsible for the nightmares. The other day? That was when the nightmares started…

“She wanted to discuss a mission for next week, I don’t know, she only wanted the CMO.” Rep explained but shook his head towards the end, “that’s not the important bit though, today, she’s been a lot worse. Not spacey, she’s been somewhere else entirely and I’m worried.”

Poe blew out a breath, rubbing his hands back through his hair, “you talk to her about this?”

“I asked earlier, after she misdiagnosed an easy injury… she blew me off, she’s been like that all day today.” Rep continued, trailing off to a mutter as his stare fell to his twitching hands. “I didn’t know who to talk to, you know?”

“Yeah, coming to me was good…” Poe sighed, resettling his hands at his hips, “what does her schedule look like tonight?”

Rep shrugged, reaching for his dataPAD on his desk and scrolling for a few seconds before turning back to Poe, “She is on the clock until morning but it’s been a slow night, if you can convince her to leave, we can always page her for an emergency.”

“Okay, let me talk to her.”

Poe reached back for the door, but Rep stepped up again, “I don’t want to get her in trouble, I’m just worried. They aren’t big mistakes but—”

“Coming to me was good, Rep, you did the right thing.”

At least, Poe was pretty sure he did.

He wasn’t your superior, but he had been worried this morning, anyone else looking closely like Rep was going to notice something was up and he much preferred handling it with you than someone reporting you. Reaching behind himself, he grabbed the door and gave Rep one final nod. He’d find you and convince you to talk, or at least convince you to sleep.

And maybe once you were sleeping, he’d figure out what mission Leia had gone to talk to you about because the last time he checked, as in twenty minutes ago before he left the hanger, there were no new missions on the books. He didn’t think any planned missions would knock you so far out of form anyways, but the nightmares kicked back up in intensity a couple days ago, and by Rep’s timeline, that was the same day the General talked to you.

There had to be something to that, whatever the mission was—

“Poe?” You were turning down the hall for your office as you nearly ran into him exiting the same hall, mouth hanging slightly open as your brow furrowed. “What are you doing down here?”

“Looking for you… I hadn’t heard from you all day and—”

“You came to check on me?” You nearly scoffed, glancing over his shoulder to find Rep standing in the doorway of his office trying to look inconspicuous and majorly failing.

“No, I just wanted to talk to you.”

“I’m busy—” You tried to brush past him, but he merely followed, “Poe—”

“Just two seconds.” He held up his hands in surrender and you had no choice but to accept, letting him follow you into your office.

“What do you want?”

Rep really wasn’t lying. You had been short with him this morning, but this was different.

You always welcomed his quick visits, at least gave him a quick kiss behind closed doors or a hug or really any show of affection at all. But this was short. You were being short with him and you weren’t ever short with him out of anger or annoyance, maybe because you were actually busy and rushing but you weren’t right now.

Rep was right to be worried.

“We didn’t get much sleep last night, I was just hoping you could go on-call for the night shift, come back to the room with me?” He asked hesitantly, hanging by the door as you bent over your desk, trying to make yourself busy on your dataPAD.

“I can’t—”

“Rep said it wouldn’t be a problem.”

You scoffed, shaking your head, “Yeah, well, he doesn’t control my schedule—”

“Babe, there’s something going on with you, come on.”

That got you to stop where you were, shut off your dataPAD and slowly turn back to him, “there’s nothing wrong with—”

“I’m not saying there’s something wrong with you, but there’s something going on. I know Leia came to talk to you, but I don’t know what—”

“This isn’t about that—”

He knew you well enough to know that you practically meant the opposite the way you said that and it only worried him further.

“If I ask Leia and she tells me what the mission is, am I still going to think this isn’t about that?” He cut you off, forcing his voice to dip into a level of authority and sternness he typically reserved for his cadets or strategy meetings. He didn’t like it, you didn’t like it, but it got you to stop fighting back.

You crossed your arms over your chest and leaned back against the desk, but you were done fighting him.

“She had some questions about Bracca.” You let slip quietly from your lips as your stare found the ground.

Poe took a step forward carefully, “Bracca?”

“She needed some intelligence for a mission, it’s not a big deal.” You shook your head and shrugged your shoulders, putting your front back up even as he took another step closer, close enough to see straight through it.

“Babe, you’re not sleeping and you’re having bad nightmares again, it’s a big deal.”

“Poe—”

“Go on call for the night and come home. Talk to me…” He urged, taking a final step closer.

And this time, you couldn’t say no.

He didn’t understand yet. He just wanted to help and you finally wanted to let him.

—

tags: open for story and the whole how wonderful series

@itsamedeemoney @mandoren @mistermiraclee

[tsipasce]

Same Difference Ch. 13

A/N: sorry for the late upload for anyone following, I’ve been pretty lax on uploading on here bc of the low interaction with these posts (I think like 3 people read this, maybe lol). But I’m going to try and upload them here just in case. 

Chapters: 01  |  02 |  03 |  04 | 05  | 06 | 07 | 08 |  09 |  10 |  11 | 12

AO3 | FFN

 “We need to talk. Now.”

“Yes. That’s why we’re on the phone.”

“We don’t have time for games today. You need to come to the base immediately.”

She’d recognize that “not now, Nanami” tone anywhere. Whatever it was, it was serious. Switching gears mentally to brace for the impending shitstorm, she exhaled,” Give me 30 minutes.”

“20.”

“What? That’s not even realisti—” she stopped, hearing the phone click. Rolling her eyes, she watched her friend exit the post office and walk over to the car.

“So, I say we go to that new brunch place first and then—wait what’s wrong?” Hitomi pivoted recognizing her friend was much less enthused than when she’d left. Nanami turned to her, an apologetic look on her face. “The hospital has you on-call again, huh?”

“Duty calls, sadly.” She felt bad about lying, but knew she’d feel worse if Hitomi got caught up in her mess. “Though I don’t know how long it’ll take so we might be able to salvage the day.”

“No, it’s ok, I understand. Take your time, we can always hang tomorrow or later in the week. When do you need to be there?”

“… in 20 minutes.”

“That’s unrealistic.”

“That’s what I tried to tell hi—I mean them, but it’s an emergency. Mind dropping me off at my house?”

“You got it. I’ll drive, you watch for cops.” Before Nanami could protest, Hitomi screeched out of the parking lot and back down the road they came.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 Waving bye to her friend, Nanami hurriedly grabbed her keys and work bag just in case the talk carried over to lab work. Running down to her car, she sped over to the base, basically rolling out of the car when she arrived as there were only 5 minutes to spare. Hearing a noise, she reflexively turned to look but continued running forward. Suddenly she felt herself run into a solid figure as she bounced back, falling onto her soon-to-be-late keester. Regaining her bearings, she looked up and saw an older gentleman in traditional attire, his hair slicked back and his face serious.

“Oh my gosh I am so sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going,” she apologized, giving him an earnest look.

He paused for a beat before giving her a kind smile, offering his hand to help her up, “That’s alright miss, no need to apologize. Where are you off to in such a hurry anyway?”

Crap, how do I get out of this one… she strategized inwardly on how to answer the question discreetly without sounding rude. “Oh nowhere, I just have to… make a house call! I’m a doctor, and my patient’s a massive germaphobe; very needy, you see.” She laughed awkwardly, hoping he bought it.

At her last comment, she could’ve sworn she saw a look of recognition flash across his face, but figured it was her imagination. “Oh, I see. Well he’s a lucky man to have you. As such an attentive caretaker, I mean. I won’t hold you up any longer, have a nice day Dr… what did you say your name was?”

“I didn’t.” She smiled, “You have a nice day too!” She said as she continued her jog to the base. She looked back to see him waving, returning it as she rounded the corner. Well that was close.

Once at the front gate, the door opened before she knocked, an irritated Overhaul waiting on the other side. “What took you so long. I said 20.”

“And I was going to say that was unrealistic before you rudely hung up on me. Besides, I would’ve actually gotten here on time if not for your friendly neighbors. I don’t know how the HOA of this neighborhood decided to let you of all people in. Everyone else seems so nice.” She pouted.

“What are you rambling about?”

“Your neighbor? I ran into an old man outside—I didn’t tell him where I was going or why I was here, obviously—but he seemed nice, if not a tad nosey.”

At this she saw him pause, “… What did he say to you?” The question much meeker than the last.

“Uhm, I bumped into him by accident, so he just asked where I was going, told me to have a nice day... oh! Also, how lucky you are to have me. You know, obvious stuff.” His brows raised before she quickly clarified the last statement, “As a doctor! I told him I was your doctor. He was pretty nonchalant about the whole thing.”

Though he donned his usual mask, she could tell his features had softened at whatever he was thinking. She’d even bet there was a small smile forming, but at what she wasn’t sure, “Hm, I see. Well, there’s no use in loitering around, let’s go.”

“Well you’re the one that stopped but ok” she said under her breath. He turned, giving her a warning look as she shrugged, raising her hands in faux surrender.

They continued down the usual pathway in the underground base before reaching his office and passing it, going down a hallway she wasn’t familiar with. It gradually became much darker the further they went, and the air temperature felt as though it had dropped at least 10 degrees, almost causing her to shiver. After what felt like an indefinite amount of time they arrived at a door, but before Overhaul could reach the handle, it opened, a panicked Kurono standing in the doorway.

“He had a pill.”

Looking past him, Nanami could see the assailant from the night before. Though he was savagely beaten, it was apparent he’d killed himself with whatever pill was hidden in his mouth as foam was formed around it, his body still going through its final convulsions. Working in a large hospital, she’d seen her fair share of people dying, but to say it got any easier would be a half-truth. The vision was familiar, but it was still unpleasant, no matter who it was. In contrast, Overhaul seemed irritated for a second before realizing something and returning to his stoic expression.

“No matter, we got all we needed from him anyway. Follow me,” he directed at her as he left the room and Kurono to dispose of the body. Nanami somberly followed, mentally giving the man a moment of silence. Whatever happened, she knew the importance of remaining objective in the presence of death. There might come a time when she’d make some bad decisions herself—to put it ever so lightly— and she hoped whoever was there in her last moments wouldn’t relish in her death either. They arrived at the door of his office, the clicking of the handle rousing her from her thoughts. He sat down across from her on one couch as she sat on the other, now feeling a bit out of place in her casual attire.

“It seems you have a price on your head.”

“Hm?” Nanami squeaked, her face that of disbelief.

“The lackeys that tried to take you were sent by the head of the Okumura clan, a rival organization. He seems sure you have a unique ability and learning of our partnership only seemed to confirm this.”

“Bu…But I was so careful. I don’t talk to anyone about us, I take weird routes every time I come here, I always use the burner ph—“ she began frantically before he cut in.

“You were not at fault for this. One of the new recruits was abducted. He didn’t know much, but he gave enough information to pique their interest.”

“And what happened to him?”

He was surprised at the question, but answered anyway, “He was set free after the questioning.”

“Well where is he now? Maybe he can tell us something useful about them and what else they want.”

“He’s no longer with us.”

“… Like he quit?”

“…”

“Overhaul.”

“… As I said, he’s no longer with us.” They stared at each other, Nanami now knowing the “snitches get stitches” saying to be only half true. Something tells me stiches wouldn’t help him now… She sighed, his blank expression unwavering as he continued, “Also, there is no ‘us’ when it comes to you and I and the Okumura. You will stay here until this problem is solved.”

“I’m gonna do what now?”

“You heard me. Your apartment is no longer safe. Considering they probably expected to see their men return last night with you captured, they will undoubtedly send more to finish the job.”

She opened her mouth to speak before closing it again. She knew it wasn’t safe to stay at her place, but staying at the base was just a lot, especially if her assumption about not being able to leave was correct. “Ok, but I have work and a life. Am I just supposed to hide here and put all that on hold?”

“Would you rather put it on hold or have it all end?”

“…That’s not fair.”

“Most things aren’t.”

She shifted in her seat biting her lip, realizing she was losing the argument. Every counter she came up with she mentally shot down before speaking it. I could stay at Hitomi’s house? No, they’d just follow me there and attack her too, or worse… I could stay at home and defend my place? Except they wouldn’t stop coming. My place would be trashed and then the neighbors would find out...I could...

“I could go in myself and get them. It’s my head they’re after, I’ll just have to convince them it’s not worth the trouble.”

He gave her a pitiable look, knowing the suggestion was equal parts blind bravery and desperation, “Your training with Rappa has made you a capable fighter, but are you really prepared to kill another person, permanently? Dozens of them? Simply maiming them wouldn’t be enough, they’d keep coming until…” He paused as he saw her look down in defeat, her fists clenched in her lap, her jaw tightening. She was angry—mad as hell—but she knew he was right. She was a fighter, not a killer, and no amount of training could change that overnight. She knew the logical solution to the problem, but her nature wouldn’t allow her to solve it. Seated across from her, his head tilted as he gazed at her pensively. Overhaul couldn’t figure out why but seeing her so upset was… unpleasant. He wanted nothing more than to make it stop, though the motivation behind the action remained a mystery. “Dr. Watanabe,” He continued slightly softer than before, her fists unclenching for a moment at the change in tone, “Your strengths lie elsewhere. Strategically, it makes the most sense for you to be here. It will only be for two weeks.”

“Two weeks?” Nanami could tell he was trying, but the frustration with the situation lingered. Attempting to calm herself and accept reality, she finally managed to respond,” Can I at least get my stuff first?”

“Yes, but let’s be quick about it.”

“’Let’s?”

“You didn’t really think you were going alone, did you?”

“No!... Well, yes. Fine, let’s go.”

[letters-from-the-three-houses]

ahh I love your blog!! could I have a dimitri sickfic please, if you're taking requests? he seems like the type to overwork himself (to me, at least :(

he really does!! the poor boy should take care of himself :(

ft. the rest of the blue lions (silver lining for the long wait?) bc they all care about their house leader

enjoy!

edit: every time i publish a request before i go to the school, the moment i arrive to class i always spot typos lol. and this one had a looot. fixed them up!

When the coughing first appeared, he thought nothing of it. They always came and went with a good night’s rest, and he had no reason to think this one would be different.

He was wrong.

Voice hoarse, he kept clearing his throat as he tried to help Annette with her homework. She always had difficulties explaining things properly, and their teacher docked marks because of her lack of coherent thought. So he took it upon himself to tutor her and help boost up her grades. “Imagine the gaits as beats,” he said. “A walk is four—going in the pattern of left hind leg, left front, right hind, right front, and so forth.”

“Left hind…front… Wait, could you repeat that? Which leg then what? This? This? This?”

They had drawn a nice, simple horse illustration on Annette’s papers, her pencil pointing at each stick leg to show which one she was referring to. Dimitri was having trouble differentiating them. He repeated his explanation. “Legs of the same side are back to back—left, left, right, right—while the halves interchange—back, front, back front.”

“So beat one is back left, beat two is front left…”

He nodded, then winced. Okay, that was a mistake. That just made his head hurt. “Yeah, just like that.”

She beamed. “Oh! I see! I think I get it now. Thanks!”

“No problem. What else do you need me to clarify?”

“Nah, I think that’s it. I’ll try to do the rest myself.” Motioning to her notes, she added, “Besides, you’ve helped me a lot! I’ll figure it out eventually.”

“Sure thing.” He rose from the seat, careful not to make any sudden movements. “I’ll get going then, but let me know if you need more help.”

“Yep! Thanks again, Dimmie!”

He stumbled away from a waving Annette, making sure to stand upright and walk in a straight line.

Now I have to feed the horses, go to lance practice, catch up on the assigned readings… Ah, I also promised Ingrid I’d try her new tea. She’s been making good progress with—

Cough.

He sighed. Hopefully this would stop soon.

But as the days went on, the more it took for him to resist barfing.

Placing a hand on the wall, he took a deep breath. Gods, it felt like his skull was cracking open. Everything hurt. Everything was hot. He didn’t even know where he was anymore.

“Common room?” he said to himself. “I think I’m near the common room.”

He had just come from the armoury, hands heavy with all the papers and materials he needed for the task. Felix didn’t realize it, but he sometimes broke the training swords faster than the monastery could replace them. Dimitri had taken up the slack in order to keep it well-stocked, so his friend could continue practicing without hassle.

“…Milord? What are you doing on the wall?”

He turned around. It was Dedue. “Oh, it’s nothing. Just thinking to myself.”

Dedue didn’t seem to believe him, and he bent over to study him with a frown. Or, Dimitri figured it was a frown. He couldn’t see it properly, but he was still conscious enough to realize Dedue wouldn’t be smiling. “You look sick.”

“I’m only taking a breather,” he insisted. He had to get to the library to find source materials for the essay Sylvain has having trouble on. If he left the books on Sylvain’s desk later, the boy would be able to finish his essay on time. “No need to worry.”

But as he tried to pat Dedue’s shoulder in assurance, his vision blurred and he hit the ground, things scattering around him.

“Milord?!”

“No…I’m okay…” He struggled to keep his eyes open, but the sudden fall and the yelling made his head hurt. “Just…tired…”

He felt Dedue lift him up, his arm hanging loosely around the other’s neck. Feet dragging,  breathing ragged, his mind was beginning to shut down.

“Really…it’s nothing…I still have to…”

“Milord,” he heard Dedue say. “With all due respect, be quiet.”

The last thing he saw was a group of people running towards him before he passed out.

He woke up on something soft. It took him a second to realize he was staring at the ceiling.

…Wait, where was he?

Jolting up, he surveyed the room. White walls, beds, sterile sheets. The infirmary, if he had to guess? His head hurt noticeably less, his throat was less clogged, and he could actually count how many fingers he held up before his face.

“Oh? You’re awake?” He turned to see Manuela in her chair, brows raised but otherwise nonplussed. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” he said after some deliberation.

“Any headaches?”

“Yeah, but it’s not as bad as before.”

“Stuffy nose?”

“Less stuffy.”

She stalked over to take his temperature, noting it down on a piece of paper. “Your fever is breaking. And it looks like you’re not coughing as often. Good signs. Take it easy though. You’re still sick.”

“How long was I out for?”

“Nineteen hours.”

“Nineteen?!”

She gave him a reprimanding stare. “With how terrible your condition was, I’m surprised it wasn’t longer. You gave us quite a scare, looking as pale as you did. Your housemates were panicking when they brought you here.”

Thinking back to what happened, guilt set in. The last people he saw must’ve been them. “Where are they now?” he asked.

“The mess hall, having their lunch.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

He began to swing his legs over the bed before Manuela tutted, walking over to push him back on the pillows. “Hm? Who said you could leave? You’re stuck on bed rest for the rest of the day. Doctor’s orders.”

“But—”

“No buts. I don’t want you fainting in the hallways again.”

“Professor—” he tried again.

“Another word from you and the prescription will change to two days.”

He pursed his lips.

She glanced at him, smiling. “Focus on recovering, won’t you? Your housemates will feel better if you’re back to normal sooner than later.”

He nodded, not knowing what else to say. Or do, for that matter. Knowing he slept for nineteen hours straight, he wasn’t sleepy anymore. But he had a feeling if he asked the professor for something to keep him busy, she’d make him stay here longer than he needed to.

He could count sheep, he supposed. Try to reach a thousand, or something.

As he was about to begin, there was a knock on the door. He couldn’t tell who it was, but Manuela seemed to be expecting it. As she answered the door, she said, “You all ate quickly.”

“Yes, we couldn’t sit still.” His ears perked up. The voice was familiar. Mercedes? “How is he doing now?”

She thought about it, then motioned towards him. “I think it’s easier if you take a look for yourself.”

Someone gasped. “What?” That was Ashe, who slipped under Manuela to peek inside. “Does that mean it’s gotten worse? Is he—? Oh! He’s awake!”

And with that, the rest of the Blue Lions clambered into the room.

“He is?”

“Thank the gods…”

“I told you he was going to be okay!”

“Yeah, but if he wasn’t being an idiot in the first place—”

“Quiet. His headache just got better.” That shut them up. “You’re more than welcome here,” Manuela said, “but don’t aggravate him. Else I’ll kick you all out.”

“Yes, Professor.”

She shook her head, letting out a short laugh. “As long as you understand. Well then, children, I’ll be in my office. Call me if anything happens. And remember: no noise.”

As soon as she left, Ashe turned to Dimitri and stage whispered, “You sure you’re okay, Chief?”

He nodded. This time, it didn’t make him feel like throwing up. “Positive.”

“You should’ve told us you were sick,” Mercedes chastised. “What would have happened if Dedue wasn’t there to find you?”

He shuffled in the bed. “Well,” he muttered, “for starters, I wasn’t planning on fainting.”

“That is besides the point.” She sighed. “Please, we all care about you. Take better care of yourself.”

“Why didn’t you tell us about all those chores you do?” Sylvain chimed in. “We didn’t realize you did them all by yourself. You’ve done a lot for us. We want to do something for you too.”

Everyone nodded. He opened his mouth to respond, but stopped when he saw the earnestness in their eyes. It reminded him of himself, how he felt when he worked for the sake of his housemates. So he stared for a moment before saying, “Okay.”

“…Okay?”

“I admit I overworked,” he said, “taking in all those responsibilities at once. I guess I’ve gotten used to doing everything by myself. But you’re right. And I do trust you. As the leader of the Blue Lions, I’ve seen how hardworking and disciplined you all are.”

They looked at each other.

“So does that mean…?” Ingrid asked.

“Yeah. No more pushing myself to the limit. I’ll ask for help.” He cracked a smile. “I’m proud to have you as my friends.”

The solemn atmosphere broke out into exuberance, as they all expressed their relief in different ways. Mostly, through excited chatter and tight hugs. The wind rushed out of his lungs as they gathered in for a group hug.

“H-hey, having said that, I’m still sick.” He tried to speak up, but his words were drowned out by everyone else as they began splitting responsibilities between themselves. It didn’t help that his voice was still weaker than usual. “Can you all settle down a bit? It’s getting noisy. Guys? Guys?”

Omake:

From inside her office, Manuela could hear them as clear as day. Footsteps thundered People cheered. Laughter echoed. Did they forget her warning already? She wouldn’t be surprised if they broke something in the chaos.

Still, listening to them and all their enthusiasm—"rock, paper, scissors for who gets to help tend the stables!“—she shook her head and chuckled. I guess I’ll let it slide this time.

[asks are open!]

[baekibi]

Jaehyun | Cherry Tree

Words: 2138

Written: a while ago lol

Pairing: Jaehyun x Reader

Genre: Fluff

➺

It was another of those boring days;

- you know those days where the only source of entertainment is drawing on your hand in black ink and conversing in sign language to your pals over at the other end of the classroom,, one of those days.

This day like any other was not passing very quickly, the heavy atmosphere of stressed and angsty teenagers was unpleasant and the temperature was above boiling, my head felt as if it was melting under the pressure of math.

I prayed the lesson would tick by swiftly, my pencil gripped tightly in my fist, my eyes swaying from the teacher to the clock, teacher to the clock, teacher to the- *brrr, brrr*

crap.

The familiar ring escaped my backpack, the sound whirring around the class making a public humiliation of myself. Eyes grasped shut, i gritted my teeth and bit my lip as silence struck through the whole room, even catching the teacher off guard completely.

I could feel the hundred eyes focused on me at this moment, including those of the piercing glare my teacher produced. "Kim Kyungha". The echo of his voice harpooned in my direction. The fear of opening my eyes now was a level I'd never felt, however I knew it was the only option I could take.

"I-I apologise, s-sir" I stuttered, trembling in my seat, my feet making rhythms as they tapped nervously on the ground below.

"Detention tonight, 5000 sentences." His sharp spoken words cut straight through me.

ugh. Second detention this week because I forgot to turn my phone off.

The first was for being two minutes late; but that was only a short 30 minutes detention now adding another... however long it will take to write that much.

I was used to detentions but never because I was particularly disruptive or a bad student~ usually just due to coincidences like my phone ringing during class or something as small as forgetting that one piece of homework. I usually used the time to continue some extra work which was handy but knowing it was detention seemed to make it more tense.

I reached inside my bag and almost crushed my phone with the rage that slowly brewed in my body, I took a peak at who had called to see it was my best friend Jaehyun.

One thing, he's in the same. Class.

And you know what's coincidental? He. Also. Has. A. Detention. Tonight.

I wanted to scream. I could see his plan from this moment, but the one question in my mind of wether or not I should snitch on him was the only thing that stopped me from letting go of my voice.

Instead I turned my back, where Jaehyun was sitting and sent him a glare of defeat and hurt to which he just giggled.

-

It was finally the end of the day, I walked over to my locker with Jaehyun who's was right next to my own. His arm was now bruised to a purple colour from my fist meeting his flesh at least ten times in the past thirty minutes for what he did during math.

He leant onto his locker next to mine, and faced me with a smirk. I carefully opened my locker, still eyeing on him. Once the door fully opened a few papers which I'd never saw before fell onto the floor below.

"You still haven't found out who's sending you those letters, have you?" He sighed, watching me gather them.

"What they said this time, eh?"

I mumbled to myself, flicking through the scattered sheets in my hand.

"Oh this is a new one" I hold it up to Jaehyun, displaying a really badly drawn kitten holding a piece of paper which read,

"You're perfect n cute n adorable n you mean so much to me. Don't ever let anyone tell you any different bc you're cute and deserve the world. I know you may be sick of these letters but think of it as a spark of confidence and support for your day and the challenges you decide to take. I hope you'll find out who sent you these letters one day and accept me, as I accept you. But for now I'll remain your secret admirer and as long as it doesn't scare you I'm happy to hide behind my messages to you. Have a nice day. Hope we can talk soon. xx"

I read it out clearly, Jaehyun following my finger along the paper as I drew strokes guiding me along each line.

I have to admit, the letters were cute and the badly drawn cat was even cuter. I wouldn't say they creep me out because it has never been anything scary or remarkably insane written on the papers like it's a stalker graphically describing how he or she is going to climb into my window and watch me as they order me to suck to their toes.

...like that would ever happen anyway...

"Well, does it ever weird you out?" He asked, sounding muffled in his tone.

I shook my head quickly, a smile even crossing my face as I recited the words on the note. It was quite encouraging actually.

"Well we got detention now, so hurry idiot" he straight up said beginning to walk, sliding his palms into his tailored trousers. His head turned to me as he walked, gently resting on his shoulder as he hurried me with his glances.

I ran after him willingly.

-

I turned my phone on silent, but not don't disturb so I would still receive calls but instead they'd be a small buzz which the teacher wouldn't be able to hear.

It was just me and Jaehyun in the After school detention which I assumed is why he got me in trouble, so I could join him.

Just after spending approximately ten minutes in the detention classroom, I could feel a vibration at my feet which were leaning against my bag. Whilst the teacher wasn't looking I faked dropping my pen so I had the perfect excuse to bend down to look at my phone.

"Sir, can I please go to the restroom?" I heard the familiar voice of Jaehyuns speak abruptly, raising his hand.

"Sure. But be quick. You have five minutes."

Jaehyun stood and walked passed me, nudging my shoulder as he walked signalling me that he was obviously up to something.

I continued for my phone, noticing a message left by him. He must have did the same thing as me, to get to his phone.

=

Jaebunny

I'll get us out of here ;)

Kyungha

Jae I stg DONT you dare-

Seen ✔

=

I sighed at this moment, whatever Jaehyun was up to, I wasn't looking forward to it.

=

Jaebunny

I'll be back in a minute, sir will be leaving the classroom in a second too, once he leaves I want you to run over to his desk and grab the keys.

Kyungha

Excuse me?

Jaebunny

Sweetie cakes just do as you're told

Seen ✔

=

It had been about a minute since I'd left the chat, just as Jaehyun told me sir took a call and was immediately needed at the heads office.

"Kyungha, I'll have to leave you here alone for five minutes. Don't dare move and wait till I come back." He said as he stood nearing the door.

As he left the door slammed, I sensed whatever Jaehyun did was not good.

I could hear his screams in the hall as I assumed he ran into Jaehyun.

The muffled conversation was only just loud enough for me to make out, it's either this school has incredibly thin walls or Jaehyun is really being screamed at.

However I did what Jaehyun said to do, although my mind was hesitant my body seemed to take control.

I searched his desk and picked up the keys, as if perfect Jaehyun walked in at this exact moment.

"What the heck are you doing?" I shouted at him, to which he quickly shushed me, placing his hand on my lips.

He swiped the keys from my hand and locked the classroom door. Continuing over to the window, as he passed, grabbing my hand to take me with him.

"Come on." He guided me over, opened the window wide enough and edged me to jump out. Throwing the keys at the floor, he insisted I got out first. Luckily the classroom was on the first floor so it wasn't a long drop. For some reason I seemed to obey him. My hands moved on their own, gripping the sides of the window frame and launching myself over quickly followed by Jaehyun who shut the window on his way back.

"Why are we doing this? Can't we just ride out the detention? What did you do? Why has-" the questions flew out of me, making Jaehyun get slightly aggressive. He pushed me to the wall and clasped my mouth completely shut as he pressed his lips onto mine. A moment of silence fell upon us.

He was quick to move after he disconnected his plump flesh from mine. He looked straight into my eyes, I was now heavily breathing, my mouth dropping.

He reconnected his hand to mine and ran quickly in a direction I'd never gone before.

-

"What was that about?" I question out of the blue as we finally stop under a row of cherry blossom trees.

He didn't say a word but rather pinned me gently against the tree and repeated the kiss again, this time going deeper and lasting longer. I was shocked but I didn't want it to stop, something inside me clicked, I wanted this to happen and felt it had to. I began to participate in giving, making the kiss more heated and passionate. I could feel it making him happy as he smiled in between exchanges of tongue. His hands made their way from the tree to my waist, he held me tightly as I began to play with his hair.

But my questions hadn't changed. I was still curious and confused. So I stopped.

His face was now full of shock and disappointment that I had pulled back so soon.

"I still have my questions." I smirked.

"L-look I- I'm sorry something just came over me-" Jaehyun attempted to apologise. As much as I wanted to shut him up and kiss him again I had questions to ask.

"Why?"

"I- I don't know."

"You were the one sending me those letters weren't you?" I smiled, my hands still resting on his shoulders.

He slowly shook his head, now looking embarrassed at the grass beneath us.

I felt something crawl up my back, assuming it was Jaehyuns hand to which I soon found was a spider which had made its way from the tree, to me.

I jumped in shock, almost screaming as it stood on my shoulder. I dead ass karate chop the little shit off my shoulder, and continue by flailing my arms all over to assure it was off of me now.

"You okay?"

I was suddenly snapped back into reality. Remembering what the heck I was doing here and why.

"No. Don't ask me questions."

My statement didn't make any sense, making Jaehyun raise a brow.

"What exactly did you tell the principal?”

I asked, puzzled.

"Remember when He lashed out on our class mate yesterday during our exam?"

I nod. "Yeah and almost broke the poor kids phone?"

"I videoed it and showed it to the principal"

He confessed, now having the biggest grin on his face.

"He deserves it, people like him shouldn't be teaching."

-

We spoke a little more about what was going to happen when they go to school the next week, most likely they'd get even more detentions but at this point they didn't care.

-

"So how was it?" Jaehyun asked as he was about to let me go to my bus stop.

I glance quizzically. "How was what?"

He answered my question by kissing me on the cheek. To which I answered with a shrug.

"I-it wasn't good?" He said, stuttering as if he'd just been heart broken completely.

"I didn't say it was bad. Just next time don't do it after we've just escaped a building and possibly ruined someone's career." I say to which he nods agreeing,

"So... next time? Jaehyun inched.

"Next time. We'll go on a date and you'll kiss me in a proper place and ask me things properly."

"So its a date? Tomorrow. 12am. Be ready. Sweetie cakes." Jaehyun declared, passing me a grin flirtatiously.

I gently slapped his shoulder and continued to my bus stop as he watched. Giggling on the way home, I couldn't stop thinking about what just happened and I assumed neither could he.

➺

oof

Master list

[topimagines]

Inferno

Gluttony

Summary:  Where do people go when they die? Well, for the least lucky people in the world, hell is waiting. But what happens when these people do go to hell? And how did you end up there?    

Warnings: I actually dunno if there are any warnings? torture by mud? obviously death bc its hell, but not really much

Authors note: Shout out to my friend carol for helping me think of ways to add angst. She doesn’t have a Tumblr but I'd totally tag her. She's the best

Part 1// Part 2// Part 3// Part 4// Part 5// Part 6// Part 7//

"They don’t care about anyone walking through here, they just want to continue their game of chess," Tyler said, noticing you looking at the group of occupied tables, "admittedly, the most boring circle unless you like chess."  

"I never learned how," you said absentmindedly, "Tom didn’t either. We were gonna learn eventually."  

"I never cared for it."  

Tyler forgot there was only one bed in the room, and offered to sleep on the small red couch in the corner, not wanting to pressure you into anything you were uncomfortable with.  

You had just met two days ago, after all.

However, Tyler felt as if he’d known you for years, and he probably had, considering how time passes on earth compared to hell. It was a dice roll how much time would pass after one day in hell, one day could be five minutes, or three months.  

You forced him to sleep on the bed with you, insisting that it was alright and that you trusted him.  

That’s a first, was all he could think while he laid under the blanket next to you. You had fallen asleep long before Tyler, who stayed up later than usual, thinking about the day ahead and behind you guys. You were going through the third circle, Gluttony, tomorrow. We're gonna need umbrellas.

-

You woke up feeling more tired than you did when you fell asleep, another night full of nightmares that made you wish you could just die all over again and not come to this place. Tyler was up before you, showered and changing into the same outfit he wore the day before, but cleaner. He wasn’t lying when he said he had stayed there before, multiple versions of the same exact outfit were in the closet.  

"You can change into the clothes I laid out in the bathroom," he said to you. He was drying his hair with a pastel pink towel, only wearing a simple white t-shirt and his black pants unbuckled. He was stood in front of the body length mirror at the back, right-hand corner of the room when you slipped into the bathroom.  

The mirror over the sink was heart shaped and the sink was white porcelain. You noticed a fresh toothbrush sat out for you, still in its wrapping, and a pastel pink towel, the same one as Tyler was using, was laid out neatly next to it. The outfit laid out for you was different than what you thought, a nice black jacket, a white t-shirt, black leggings, and rain boots. He even included a fresh pair of underwear, a tank top for some breast support, and socks for your boots. They looked warm.  

You slowly stripped down before getting into the shower, pulling the magenta shower curtain back, you stepped in. There was a small cubby hole with a neatly folded wash cloth and a fresh bar of soap waiting. To control the water, were two knobs, one for the hot water and one for the cold water. They were both adorned with small love hearts, red and blue, helping differentiate the two knobs. You adjusted the temperature, finding the perfect one for your body, before taking the pink washcloth and lathering the soap on it before thoroughly washing yourself with it.

The lukewarm water cascaded down your body to wash the soap off, and after all the soap wash off, you stood still. The water was soothing, compared to everything you just went through.  

"What're we gonna do if something happens to one of us?" You asked Tom, the day after he asked you to move in with him. You were currently sat on the couch in your studio apartment between Tom's legs.  Your back was against his firm chest, scrolling through your phone as he watched television.  

"Well, I hope nothing does happen," he answered, running his hand soothingly up and down your right arm, "I love you, and nothing will happen to us."  

"I love you too," you sighed, turning your head and puckering your lips expectantly. Tom laughed and kissed you lightly on the lips before going back to watching the TV show.

You were dried off before you knew it, and dressed in the monochromatic outfit that was left for you. When you were finally finished getting ready, having brushed your teeth, and brushed your hair out, you stepped out of the bathroom.  

Tyler was sat with his feet up on the red couch, waiting patiently for you to be done getting ready. As soon as you made yourself known, he stood up and fixed his clothes before leading you toward the door wordlessly.

"Before we get outside, why did I have to leave my shoes?" You asked, looking down at the rain boots you now wore instead of your vans.  

"Gluttony, the ring of rain and sludge," he answered. He handed you an umbrella, that you didn’t know he was holding, and led you out of the bright pink halls of Ashley's sex hotel, "Admittedly, it's not my favourite ring of all time, but it's not as bad as some rings. We’re gonna have a blast.”  

You internally groaned and followed him silently. You had to admit, you never liked rain and mud when you were alive. It was good for the ecosystem, and led you to amazing lazy days with Tom, when he was home, but you never enjoyed running around and getting dirty for no other reason than the sake of rain.  

Tyler grabbed hold of your hand and you decided to pay no mind to it, you were too busy wanting your fiancé.  

“It’s raining,” you said to the picture if Tom on your computer screen, “and you’re not here to cuddle with.”  

“I know babe, but two more days before press tour is over an’ then we can cuddle all we wan’,” he answered. You saw a mischievous glint in his eyes, but before you could ask him what he was up to, there was a knock on the front door of your studio apartment, “someone at the door, love?”  

“I’m not expectin’ anyone,” you said, “should I answer it?”

“I dunno, maybe you should jus' in case,” he said, “I’ll let you go s’you can answer it. Love you.” Before you could reply his face was replaced by the Skype home page and the person knocked again. You groaned and rolled off of your leather couch to answer the persistent person on the other side. You opened it slowly and was greeted by the smiling face of your, at the time, boyfriend.  

“Tom!” you exclaimed, jumping into his outstretched arms and wrapping your legs around his waist, “I thought you had two more days?”  

“I lied so I could surprise you,” he said before burying his face in your neck, letting out a muffled, “I missed you so much.” You felt wetness growing on your neck and realized he was crying, but you didn’t care because you were going to cry too.  

“I missed you, too.”  

-

Tyler had led you out of Lust, and before you knew it, the sky had darkened with clouds. The red sun was no longer visible behind the dark gray puffs in the sky. There was a solid hundred yards before you saw the rain dumping out of the sky with so much force, you would think it was a hurricane.  

“Might wanna open your umbrella now,” Tyler said, “we have to walk through all that.” He pointed to the storm clouds and whatever was ahead of them. You assumed he had another friend somewhere in this ring based on how many he seemed to have already. Although, he never did mention taking a detour for sleep and food. You complied and opened the pink umbrella. Not surprising, you thought. Tyler already had his open, it was a dark red colour that matched the couch from your room earlier that day.  

You didn’t notice the mud that had you sinking slightly into the ground until you were closer to the rain. You had sunk at least an inch into the ground once you'd felt the rain hitting the top of your umbrella with a soft pitter patter.  

"You're gonna have to hold tight to me because the damned sink into the mud," Tyler explained, "I honestly don’t know how it works, but when a demon nabs a human from the mud, they can stand with no problem, so just keep close to me and you won't get covered in mud."  

"Nice to know," you muttered bitterly, lifting your feet from the slop on the ground. It didn’t look pleasant, and smelled worse. Needless to say, you felt for the people stuck sinking in the substance.  

You looped your arm with Tyler's and let him lead you farther into the circle of rain and disgusting, smelly sludge.  

-

You didn’t pay much attention to how long you and Tyler were walking, but you knew you had to be almost out of that rain. You tried to just focus on the semi-trail ahead of you, although it was just a slushy gravel path that even Tyler's boots sunk through, but you couldn’t help but look at how the damned souls were tortured there. From the looks of it, a person was to hold an umbrella over their demonic captures as they play chess with one another. Meanwhile, the person sunk lower and lower into the ground until they could no longer hold the umbrella over the demon, and when that happened, the demon took the person by the hand and pulled them out to restart the continuous process.  

"They don’t care about anyone walking through here, they just want to continue their game of chess," Tyler said, noticing you looking at the group of occupied tables, "admittedly, the most boring circle unless you like chess."  

"I never learned how," you said absentmindedly, "Tom didn’t either. We were gonna learn eventually."  

"I never cared for it."  

You and Tyler continued walking in silence, arms looped.  

-

A few hours later, the rain was letting up. You glance over at Tyler, who hadn't talked since he first explained the chess games. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, but it was odd. Yesterday you two talked like you had known each other for years, but you didn’t mind. You saw him staring at you with his red eyes filled with something you didn’t quite recognize. You smiled his way, and he quickly looked away.  

"Um, we're about to come up on a camp, if you want to take a break," He said after clearing his throat. He was very obviously flustered, but you didn’t draw attention to it. That would embarrass him more.  

"Yeah, I could use some sleep and food," you answered. He finally looked back at you and met your eyes. He flashed you the smallest smile, someone inobservant would miss it, but you saw it and you felt butterflies in your stomach before returning it.  

Then, you slipped in the mud, out of Tyler's grasp.

[rebeebit]

Chutes & Ladders: the Selkirk Mountain Experience

Last year, our friends Carrie and Dave abandoned the worst ski season in Colorado for whiter pastures in our Neighbor to the North. They came back with tales of amazing powder skiing, eye-popping terrain, and a very intense ski guide and his family who live for most of the year in a helicopter-accessed chalet at the foot of the Durrand Glacier in the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia. They had a blast, but were thinking how much more fun it would be to have a crew of friends with them to enjoy the trip. Andy and I were lucky enough to be included among the invitees. So, on February 9, 2019, we assembled in the lobby of the Best Western in Revelstoke, Canada to begin our week of backcountry touring.

Below, you can see us  at the top of the Ruth Glacier, one of the hair-ball descents of the trip (read on...). Ruedi, our guide, is at left. In no particular order, we are Joe, Tryg, Heather, Peter, Carrie, Dave, Andy, Me, Erica, Bo, and our tail guide Nicole. Ruedi’s daughter and co-guide Florina took the photo.

The day-to-day of this trip was as follows: get up at 6 AM, pack yourself a sandwich and snacks for the day’s tour. Pack your ski pack and put on your ski clothes. At 7 AM, eat a monster breakfast: usually oatmeal AND eggs AND toast, and excellent Mokka-style coffee. At this point, you’ve gotten the directive regarding whether it’s skins on or off, and if you are not ready to leave by 8 AM you will be left behind. Ruedi, who established Selkirk Mountain Experience in 1985, is Swiss, and everything runs like a Swiss watch. On time, efficient, and exactly how he wants it. Then we set off for the day’s adventure of touring and fantastic skiing in the huge and wild Selkirks. We returned to the chalet each day by 3 PM (except for the two nights of hut-to-hut skiing, more on that later), where Chef Tommy had happy hour snacks ready for us. After some snacks, it was time for a sweat in the sauna and a shower. Dinner was the only event that didn’t occur at a precise time - but was usually around 6:15 - 6:30. Dinner was a gourmet affair: soup, salad, main course, and dessert. After dinner, we tried to rally and socialize, but usually didn’t make it much later than 8 or 8:30 before we all disappeared to our rooms to do it again the next day.

Ruedi & Florina, his daughter, were with us for the whole trip!

Dave, making lunch for the day’s tour.

The wacky Canadians, Jake and Gavin, convinced me to do a couple of snow rolls after sweating in the sauna. It was surprisingly refreshing!

I have only one other experience with guided skiing, but I think ski guides do try to push you to the comfortable edge of your limits. I certainly thank Jim and Peter in Japan for dragging me up Kurodake, where the butterflies in my stomach nearly had me vomit, but I had the best ski run of my life (at that point). Ruedi was no exception. After our first lovely full day of skiing, in which his powder-hound nose took us to the few closely-accessible powder stashes, he had made a decision about what our group was capable of. I would find out later that his idea of his client’s edge is a little different from mine!

One of the descents from day one. Fun! If you look carefully, you can see our tracks coming from the saddle to the right of the peak at left.

We received the pronouncement after Sunday dinner that our group would be embarking on a two night, three day hut-to-hut trip. Over the years, Ruedi has built two outlying huts on his land lease from the Canadian government: the Moloch (1988) and Empire Lakes (2014) huts. We were to assemble our gear for overnight (silk liner bags and headlamps, and a package of perishable food for dinners) and be ready to go in the morning.

The morning of our departure was a balmy -20 Celsius. A polar front had settled over BC, so we had all been skiing in every layer we brought - we were already a ripe-smelling crew by day 3. Our tour took us up the Durrand Glacier and to the top of Hidden Peak for a warm-up lap. I was heartened by the mellow skiing: the day before had provided some acrophobic thrills at the top of Tumbledown Mountain and a couple of steep ski pitches, so I thought perhaps our hut tour would be more relaxed. How wrong I was. At the bottom of Hidden Peak, we put skins back on for an easy tour to the top of Ruth Glacier. After a photo op, Ruedi gave us a directive for skiing the next line:

“You can ski right or left of my track. But when I make the traverse, do not short-cut in or out of it, because there is a crevasse.”

He drew a little picture in the snow to elaborate on where, exactly, we could die if we didn’t follow his directions.

I did not feel like the glacier was easy skiing, regardless of certain death awaiting me if I didn’t follow his instructions. It was quite steep (at least 40 degrees), and the snow was DEEP. With my heavy pack, I managed to bungle it pretty well, but only took two tele-barrel rolls. However, the group all made it down, and we traversed above some cliffs to the base of the Angel’s Crest. From here, Ruedi put in a series of kick turns up the steep slope. Just as I was thinking I didn’t need to have ALL the fun in one day and was wishing I was at the hut, we topped out. The turns down were absolutely worth it. See below.

This was fantastic skiing - 30 perfect turns on a consistent not-too-steep pitch. Ladies skied on looker’s right. The boys on the left made a big ol’ mess.

Of course, you don’t get anything for free, so the exit from this amazing ski involved a side step down a 45 degree couloir. 

No pictures of the actual couloir (I was a little busy), but Andy snapped the picture above of some of our group coming out. I was so grateful for the presence of women on this trip, and for Ruedi’s daughter Florina as one of our guides. It definitely takes a lot for me to face up to my fear of heights and scary things in general, and it was so helpful to have Carrie, Heather, and Erica to lean on when I got scared. Also, Florina was amazingly encouraging about everything - she was a great foil to her dad!

We were rewarded for the final slog up the Dismal Glacier (it’s really named that) to Moloch Hut with a fine dinner of risotto! Below you can see Ruedi, cooking away.

At breakfast the next morning, Ruedi wasn’t sure about the prospect of good skiing on the tour to the next hut, so he asked if we wanted to see the ice cave. Since the cave provided a brief respite from the frigid temps, we all agreed enthusiastically to the brief side trip. The cave is, unfortunately, forming due to climate change, but was a fascinating diversion.

We left the cave and set out across the top of the Dismal Glacier. The direction we were heading was straight into a rocky headwall, but to our left was a gentle slope. I was skiing right behind Ruedi, so I asked optimistically if we would be heading left.

“No. We go there.” Points straight ahead with ski pole.

I comforted myself once more with my friend Matt’s expression that “the trail always finds a way,” and surely there was a sneaky way to skin to the top of the cliffs I saw in the distance. Well, that thought at least quelled the butterflies for the half a mile it took to get to the cliffs. As we approached, I saw ladders attached to the rock. You read that correctly - LADDERS. Having spent two weeks in the Dolomites last summer, my heart sank. I knew exactly where Ruedi was taking us, but I had to ask anyway. Ruedi, I said, are we going up the ladders?

He stops. Looks at me. “You look very serious.” Keeps skinning.

Shit.

I’ve been practicing meditation for two years, and it really came in handy. My admonitions to myself to breathe and not think about anything else got me to the top with minimal panic. But still some panic.

Thus I learned that sometimes the ski tour is more intense than the skiing. That day and the following days, I experienced several moments where I had to go to my happy place during the tour and pretend I couldn’t see all the ways I could die, only to be rewarded with thousands of vertical feet of absolutely blissful turns. On the last day, we were to ascend Woolsey Peak, which Carrie, Heather, and Erica assured me was mellow and not scary at all. It was snowing that day, so we set off with warm (-5 celsius) temperatures and milk jug visibility. Most days started with 2-3 hours of touring, and this last day was no different. Up we went on a relatively gentle grade. We started to traverse a slope on which I was grateful for the lack of visibility: traversing steep slopes makes me nervous, but see no evil, fear no evil, right? We reached a narrow saddle, left and right of which looked like nothing I wanted to go up. Ruedi went up the steep slope to the right, and stood on a narrow perch. He knocked off a bit of cornice. Two of the guys had followed him up. I looked where he was standing and hesitated - why did we ALWAYS have to ski from the highest point? What was wrong with the saddle? Ruedi saw me balking.

“Get up here. You don’t have time to shit your pants!”

With those kind words of encouragement, what could I do but go up?

Once again, we were rewarded. The last big run of the trip was 3500 vertical feet of powder. Yes, we had to climb back up it, but it was absolutely worth it.

Above Nicole is leading the charge up Grizzly with part of our group. She was a fantastic tail guide! Loved being around so many tough women on this trip.

Andy and I went into this trip looking forward to spending a week with Dave and Carrie. Our trip to Japan two years ago with them had been so great, we were excited to take another ski trip with them. We hoped for good skiing, but knew that one has to temper one’s expectations on ski trips, or be sorely disappointed. Our expectations were exceeded, to be sure. Quality time with good friends filled my heart, as did the week of deep belly laughs with our new friends that we met through Carrie and Dave. It felt like a week of Adult Camp / Slumber Party, topped off with outrageous skiing. We will be back!

A few more pictures for your enjoyment. Below are Heather and Tryg, as we head back up Forbidden Peak after a stellar first lap of the day from the Empire Lakes Hut.

Carrie and Erica, bundled up to start the day’s tour from Empire Lakes Hut!

Left to right: Nicole, Bo, Andy, Jake, enjoying a few moments at the transition to touring. You had to watch Ruedi like a hawk during transitions. As soon as he puts away his sandwich and thermos and takes off his puffy jacket, you know you only have moments to be ready to skin before he admonishes you for taking too long!

All smiles on the first day!

Andy coming out of the chalet! That’s a LOT of snow.

Pow turns and more pow turns!

By the Numbers:

February 9-16, 2019

Saturday: beacon school, 4 miles, 2000′

Sunday: 10.5 miles, 5000′ (ish). Climbed Tumbledown Mountain and Glarona; skied the Swiss Meadows, Ricoletto and Tumbledown Gully

Monday:11.5 miles, 5500′. Climbed Hidden Peak, skied Ruth Glacier and Angel’s Crest

Tuesday: 7.5 miles, 3500′. Climbed Fang Peak, skied the Magic Flute

Wednesday: 11.2 miles, 6600′. Climbed Forbidden Peak, Snow Cap Peak. Skied the Snow Maiden

Thursday: 12 miles, 6000′. Climbed Symphony Peak, skied Centrale.

Friday: 10.3 miles, 5500′. Climbed West Woolsey, skied Grizzly, Boogie Basin.

[fireinclined]

capella worldbuilding

capella’s closing off

about 47 years before capella’s destruction, the coup on ioavis occurred, which lead to it becoming a condemned planet. at the same time, there was a revolution on capella itself, as the government was nearing the end of what is called the “capellan cycle.” capellans have embraced the idea that no government remains uncorrupted forever, and so every 500-750 years, a revolution will take place where the old government will be torn down and a new one will be put in its place. however, the revolution failed, but was incredibly destructive, and it was this and the events on ioavis that led to capella pulling back all of it’s ships from wherever they were. no one was allowed to leave capella, and no one was allowed to come into it. this had a lot of effects on the rest of the galaxy, considering capella was like. a galactic superpower. the economy of pyrrah collapsed since capella wasn’t trading with them anymore, the situation on ioavis deteriorated more and more…and so on. a lot of people felt that this decision was not only unjust but also a betrayal of capellan values- they eat, breath, and sleep exploration, and to trap them on one planet? it was against everything capella stood for.

the language

the capellan language is just song. the vocabulary and grammar is easy enough to learn but the musical aspect makes it super hard to learn, because if you’re a half step off a note, then you’ve either changed the meaning entirely, or you’re saying with a very different tone that what you intended. because music is tied to phrases, instrumental capellan music can be used to suggest certain phrases or ideas. this could be used to communicate as well in a pinch. instead of speaking, one can whistle a tune and imply a certain phrase or command

what planet capella would be in real life

we humans know capella as kepler-442b! it’s an exoplanet orbiting kepler-442, which is located in the lyra constellation! it’s a k-type main-sequence star, which is actually really good, because they emit less ultra-violet radiation that harms dna and stuff.

the gravity on kepler-442b is 30% stronger than that of earth’s, which jives nicely with how capella has stronger gravity than earth’s. the temperature on kepler-442b is 233K, or −40 °C; −40 °F. which…admittedly that’s very low, even for how cold i wanted capella to be, but…i’ll take what i can get. another thing that irks me is that kepler-442b was discovered/identified as a planet that might be able to sustain life in january of 2015, and the way i write it, cassandra already knows about what humans call capella when she gets there.

ANOTHER thing that doesn’t match up is the distance from earth- in “in the morning” and perhaps even on this blog, i’ve said that capella is 10,000 light years from earth. kepler-442b is only 1,120 light years away. but this is something i can easily change- the important thing about capella’s distance from earth is that it has to be far enough away so that capellans really don’t give a shit about earth, and that it has to be greater than 30 years or so, so that capella is still visible from earth when cassandra gets there.

biological differences from humans

second eyelids- they’re to protect the eyes but also allow the capellan to see through it

four lungs, and larger chest cavity in general. ribs round out in the back a bit

more muscle mass

bones have a smaller radius and are denser

capellans can just barely float in water, since they are heavier than humans without necessarily being much bigger and their bones are denser. 

they’re fucking giants- cassandra is 6′5 and average height for a capellan. tall for a capellan is 7′5.

their blood is almost rusty looking bc there’s more oxygen in it

can grow back lost teeth

very high tolerance to alcohol 

capellans are very auditory based creatures- for example, hearing is to them what smell is to humans, taste wise. so the food has to be noisy when eaten to taste good

capella’s sun was either smaller or farther away (or both) than earth’s sun, so capellan eyes are more sensitive to  the sun’s rays, and cassandra (and all other capellans) have to use special eyedrops as well as wear sunglasses on particularly sunny days to protect their eyes.

capellan art

capellan art is usually 3d stuff- very rarely do capellans just sit and paint on a normal canvas. this is because of their inclinations! many famous capellan artists utilize their inclinations to create art, or create art based off their inclinations. fire inclined capellans will typically use their powers to melt and shape metal, or do something with pottery. ice inclined capellans will typically make huge ice sculptures- or really small and intricate stuff. they can also freeze off bits of rock- like how potholes are made?- and create sculptures that way.

light inclined capellans usually create huge structures or hanging mobiles made of glass that reflects light just so. and…unfortunately, life inclined capellans get the short end of the stick, since their inclination doesn’t really affect the environment the same way the other three do. however, life inclined capellans get a lot of props for being able to create amazing works without using an inclination.

anyway- this is why cassandra does like sculptures from the renaissance, but not really paintings. the only earth paintings cassandra really enjoys are more abstract ones or very colorful ones. cassandra does adore vincent van gogh, both for his subject matter and the colors and techniques in his paintings. but cassandra has a particular fondness for 3d art because that’s simply what art was on capella.

touch

since i just read a post about touch s.tarvation, i got thinking about capellans and touching. and thinking on how physically affectionate cassandra’s relationships with other capellans are, i’ve come to the conclusion that capellans are just very physically affectionate. like it takes less time for them to feel comfortable being physically affectionate with someone new, and platonic cuddling and kisses are super duper common. sharing a bed is something that’s often done by close friends or roommates, especially for comfort.

surviving off world capellans

it’d be silly if every single capellan in the universe was on capella while it was shut off- there are entire societies descended from capellan explorers on other planets, and when they settled on other planets varies. some groups have diverged pretty heavily from capellans born on capella, and some groups had kids with other species, creating new, hybrid species.

so there are groups of capellans or people descended from capellans sprinkled across the galaxy- cassandra runs into a few of these groups on her travels.

capellan merfolk

after my hc that capellans aren’t the best at floating & considering capellan seas are so stormy…capellans had to work with merfolk to survive on the seas. and i don’t know if i’ve mentioned this here or in my fic, but capellans sailed their seas before they sailed the stars.

capellan merfolk have huge 10 foot long tails and webbed hands with razor sharp claws on the end. they have super sharp teeth and tusks- honestly, capellan merfolk are kinda walrus like? and they have to be! to survive such frigid waters. they have a thick layer of fat to keep them warm, and the most beautiful voices. they originally came up with the capellan language, and taught it to capellans.

capellans and merfolk were very close, with a team of merfolk staying near capellan sailing ships to make sure everything went well, and capellans in turn providing merfolk with things that could only be found on the surface. the two species viewed each other as sisters on capella, and for a very long time, they were tight knit and everything was hunky dory

as capellans started to travel the stars, however…merfolk were left behind. without a lot of modification to capellan ships, merfolk couldn’t be brought on board. more and more, capellans turned away from merfolk  and the sea in favor of the stars.

there are plenty of planets that are completely covered in water, and on those missions, merfolk would be brought along to help however. and maybe a bunch of those merfolk stayed, or merfolk just…left capella. capellan merfolk do still exist on these aquatic planet, but have no real interest in going to new capella.

capellan griffins

capellans do have something akin to a griffin, except instead of being half eagle it is half owl, and is actually (ironically) quite small. it’s about the size of (normal earth) dog, and has snowy white feathers and fur to blend into it’s surroundings. they usually live by lakes and eat fish and small game. griffins, like most capellan birds, will move to be close to capellan people when they make their nests and lay eggs- this is in hopes that the fire inclined capellans will help them keep their eggs warm. because of this age old bond between species, there are huge nesting areas in most capellan cities. huge, glass domes with easy to access entrances for griffins and birds flying in, and a beautiful park inside. capellans are free to walk around and visits, so long as they don’t disturb the animals. fire inclined capellans will frequently volunteer at these parks, though the temperature is usually high enough on it’s own inside. griffins do imprint, so that’s something capellans have to be wary of, lest the griffins imprint on them.

volume

how loud you speak is determined at least partly by your air stream, and therefore the more air you can put behind it, the louder you can speak. so capellans, who have four lungs, can speak much, much louder than a human when they needs to.

i’d imagine cassandra already speaks a bit louder than normal, but i’ve always hc’d her as being a naturally loud person. but yes, when cassandra yells, it’s extremely loud and powerful.

the suffix -ndra

-ndra is the orphan’s suffix, but more specifically…its the suffix of the unwanted. only children who are given up at birth, are completely disowned from the family, or choose to cut ALL ties to their families have this suffix.

the reason that the suffix -ndra has a negative connotation to it is because…well, if a kid is born with the suffix -ndra, that means they were given up at birth, and while adults aren’t going to being mean about it- just the opposite, adults regard -ndra kids with a great deal of pity (which boils cassandra’s blood btw)- it’s kids that will tease and bully and make fun of. and this is…sadly frequent.

as they get older, however, the reason why they have the suffix -ndra isn’t so apparent. the other way to receive the suffix -ndra is to be disowned by your family and stripped of your family suffix. you have to REALLY fuck up to be disowned. but anyway- people will start viewing those with the suffix with suspicion. were they born with it, or were they stripped of their family suffix? most capellans with the suffix -ndra will take their partner’s suffix when they get married.

capellan war songs

there is such a thing called capellan war songs, and they work like this- you know you can sing-speak something in capellan only a certain number of ways. it’s a variation or small edits to the same musical phrase. in capellan war songs, what the music that the capellans are singing and the words that they’re saying don’t match up. so the music is what’s really important- they’re using that to suggest a specific phrase, but the words that are coming out of their mouth are inconsequential.

only someone who is fluent in capellan would be able to pick up on this, which is why it works so well when at war with non-capellans. no one wants to learn capellan

singing vs. speaking

capellans, as their language might suggest, adore music. the difference between speaking and singing in capellan in generally found repetition of phrases, and be a lot…smoother than regular speech. there is a particular…emotional component that separates speech from song, and this is generally the biggest factor.   this means that passionate speeches can quickly transform into powerful music if the speaker gets swept up by their emotion, and love confessions are generally considered to be song by default. it should be noted that because capellans are singing anyway, the transition into song isn’t…weird at all to them. it’s completely natural to them.

capellan festivals

at least three holidays celebrating the different inclinations

i say three, because the ice and fire inclinations are largely regarded as two halves of one whole, or at the very least, sister inclinations. they’re celebrated on the same day. 

i feel like this would be on the same level as mother’s day & father’s day? like “it’s time to appreciate your local life/light/fire/ice inclined capellan.”

you just take the time to let them know you appreciate them.

a capellan’s inclination is a huge part of their identity, and the four inclinations are a huge part of capellan culture and society 

a festival in the darkest, coldest part of winter

this is capella at it’s worst, and came about as a way to provide hope and light in the darkest part of the year

it’s four days long, and is a time to come together and share warmth and food and love

note: these are just the barebones. more will be added as i develop them.

not meant to live alone

i don’t think i’ve said this but…capellans aren’t meant to live alone. like humans, capellans are meant to live in groups and rely on each other. cassandra is very much an anomaly with regards to her situation - fire inclined and ice inclined capellans in particular need each other to balance themselves. so the way snowball will damn near give herself hypothermia when she uses her powers without her suit? not supposed to happen. the way cassandra brushes with death every time the center of her inclination shifts? not meant to be that way. their powers are not supposed to put themselves at risk because they are not meant to be living alone.

[thecloudlight-blog]

New Post has been published on Cloudlight

New Post has been published on https://cloudlight.biz/a-wine-tour-of-canadas-beautiful-okanagan-valley/

A wine tour of Canada’s beautiful Okanagan Valley

Ven to someone acquainted with going spherical wineries, Mission Hill is just jaw-dropping. The 40 in particular commissioned sculptures, the 12-storey bell tower, the collection of ancient Greek amphorae, the Chagall tapestry … that is as grand as a wine experience gets, but it’s now not in the Napa Valley, however, one thousand miles to the north in Canada’s Okanagan Valley.

Wine is booming in the Okanagan. Twenty years in the past, there had been best 31 wineries within the location

Now there are over one hundred thirty. The vicinity is ruled through the spectacularly stunning 135km-lengthy Okanagan lake, which runs from Vernon inside the north down to the semi-wilderness location of Osoyoos. It’s even reputed to have its very own equivalent of the Loch Ness monster, the Ogopogo.

Although not that famous to distant places travelers, it’s a fave summertime excursion spot for Vancouverites and a shelter for Canadians from states which includes Saskatchewan and Alberta escaping the brutal iciness temperatures of the midwest. “As quickly as you come out here, you experience as if you’re on holiday,” my manual instructed me. “There’s a lot to do on the lake – cruising, boating, kayaking – or you just pull over and go for a swim.”

Ambitious wineries which include Mission Hill and Quails’ Gate have been fuelled by using a tech enterprise boom that has delivered more and more nicely-heeled millennials to the vicinity. Wineries have always been a plaything for wealthy marketers like Mission Hill’s Anthony von Mandl however much less flamboyant estates, which include LaStella and Hester Creek (which has its very own chef’s desk and cookery faculty), are attractive places, some modeled on Tuscan farmhouses.

The Okanagan, like components of the neighboring US states of Oregon and Washington, became till recently an undeveloped rural region, dotted with ranches and fruit farms, and this lifestyle may be witnessed at first hand thru farm-to-plate experiences on estates consisting of Covert Farms’ sprawling 650 natural acres.

What a Tour Broker Is and How to Become One

A character who operates a tour company is a dealer. A dealer is an intermediary. Brokers buy or arrange items or services and sell those items or services to the cease purchaser. Some examples of agents are:

Independent coverage marketers. These sellers do not offer coverage; they arrange insurance for you from an insurance organization. Insurance dealers typically get a fee from an insurance business enterprise.

Stock agents. Like coverage dealers, inventory agents assist you to buy and promote inventory. They don’t own the inventory. These brokers additionally get hold of a commission based on the amount bought.

Real estate broker. Again, these brokers do not personal the houses they promote and they get a commission based on the cost of what they sell.

There also are excursion agents. Tour agents serve a diffusion of clients. This article is set what a tour brokerage is and the basics of this business.

Here is a superb description if what a tour is: A trip with visits to various places of interest for business, satisfaction, or preparation.

Here tour is defined: To pass from one region to some other, as on a trip; journey.

A tour, then, isn’t most effective tour however it is travel with the purpose being pleasure or hobby. You might imagine of a tour as prolonged tour with the object being to peer and enjoy an area. Travel, on the other hand, is commonly best approximately shifting from one vicinity to any other.

A tour broker works with people on a continuous foundation. If you are going to get involved in this type of enterprise you need to like running with human beings – you have to be a human being’s character.

Tour brokers don’t journey agents. Travel retailers arrange for the travel desires of their customers.

Usually, a tour agent will best paintings with individuals or small companies (households, for example). Travel marketers additionally constantly buy something this is already in location (air tour, vehicle leases, lodges, and so on.), they do not originate whatever.

Tour agents originate – they set up tours, they arrange the transportation, they arrange the lodging, they arrange the food, and that they arrange different services for their customers. A tour broker plans on what kind of excursion he/she wants to perform.

Next, the tour booking makes preparations for the diverse components of the excursion – transportation, meals, accommodations, points of interest, etc.

There are many styles of tour companies. Some offer guided excursions of a local vicinity – tours of a metropolis or an enchantment, as an instance. Some offer excursions in a herbal putting – guided tours through the Grand Canyon fall into this class. Some provide excursions to numerous countrywide and nation parks. Some offer excursions via a massive location, a multi-nation tour is a superb example.

What You Do, The Way You Think, Makes You Beautiful

Although splendor may be in the eye of the beholder, the feeling of being beautiful exists handiest within the thoughts of the beholder. Being beautiful isn’t the entirety. Sometimes it’s an awful lot exciting to show how you experience at the interior simply with the aid of expressing yourself.

It’s no longer what you have a look at that topics, it is what you see. Confidence is the sexiest thing a woman could have. It’s a great deal sexier than any body element. To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the finest accomplishment.

Beauty is how you experience inside. It reflects in your eyes. It isn’t always something bodily. It method being yourself. You do not need to be commonplace through others. What you want is your self-attractiveness due to the fact true splendor is pondered in your soul. It is the worrying which you lovingly provide and the compassion which you show to others specifically for your own family irrespective of what your situation is.

The most lovely element about a person isn’t his/her appears, however, his/her coronary heart and character. Beauty isn’t always about having a quite face. It’s about having a quite mind, quite coronary heart and pretty soul. There is splendor within each people which a capability for goodness past our creativeness.

There is even beauty in suffering. It comes at a rate and you every now and then lose a part of yourself within the enjoy.

The lesson that comes along with suffering is one so that it will stick out and be your anchor of electricity. The burden that one contains with them can absolutely break their lives, their self-esteem, and their relationships.

It takes a variety of effort for a person to move past the ache and sacrifices experienced and nevertheless be capable of re-set up himself/herself. It is an intense adventure in getting themselves out of the darkest days and upward thrust past lifestyles’ trials. Sometimes it seems so not possible to rebuild your lifestyles while there appears to be nothing left. But it truly is in which splendor is. Your willingness to upward push again after your difficult situation.

When human beings circulate ahead and triumph over their sorrows, they have a real experience of appreciation for existence and the way valuable lifestyles genuinely is. God will in no way give all people trials that they couldn’t manage and in understanding this fact of life, these sort of humans show us that regardless of something occurred, we are able to still be affected, person, we can nonetheless display compassion for others, we can still select to grin and still type and still locate reasons to grin and be an idea to others. Okanagan Canada Ski Vacations – Affordable Family Ski Vacation Ideas at British Columbia Ski Resorts

The Okanagan Valley, in British Columbia, is surrounded by the coastal BC mountains, which give protection from the cold arctic weather. Not only does this create warm and dry summers, it additionally makes for superbly mild, ideal for outside activity, winters as properly. If you are searching out locations for Canada ski holidays, keep in mind the lovely Okanagan inside the south significant Interior British Columbia.

The Province of British Columbia covers nearly 1,000,000 rectangular kilometers, which makes it about ten instances larger than the United Kingdom. In addition, approximately 75 percent of BC is protected in mountains, and thanks to the westerly winds that blow in off the Pacific Ocean, it snows tough right here all winter lengthy.

Vernon BC, Kelowna, and Penticton are all located inside approximately 2 hours of each different. And within that region are some of the ski regions, and resorts that accommodate family ski holidays very nicely. Although the Okanagan Valley is in the main a summer season holiday vacation spot, it is frequently unnoticed whilst considering winter ski holidays.

Ski lodges within the Okanagan Valley include:

Silver Star Resort: Located close to the city of Vernon, BC, Silver Star gives world-class snowboarding and skiing in a picturesque, own family orientated mountain village. With an annual snowstorm of over 23 ft., 6 lifts, one hundred fifteen runs a tube park, and go u. S . Terrain, Silver Star has absolutely everything one should ask for while considering Canada ski vacations. The sunlight hours temperatures common -three C (27 F)!