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dcxdpdabbles · 8 months

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Congratulations! It's Triplets. Part 3

@unadulteratedsoulsweets said: In Congratulations! It's triplets! As much the entire thing is so wholesome I wanna see some bit of angst. Imagine dis the entire family is out in public.Includes the Batfam, Jazz and the triplets for a huge family bonding activity. Some random person( a karen) commented on how Jazz is a teen mother, an irresponsible person, a whore... Etc (you know the usual comments of being a mother too young) and the Batfam reaches the conclusion that the Pit Rage transfers onto the kids as two of the triplets have already green glowing eyes with rage filling it by the second and ready to tackle/punch the person who made the comment but the last of the triplets have their other "siblings" by their collar but despite holding the two back they too have their eyes switching from blue to eery toxic green and was one second to join them to murder whomever bad mouthed Jazz

It's not that Jason didn't think that the Pit would only have repercussions in his life. He just always assumed it would only be his life.

He never considered the possibility that it would affect his offspring in any way. (Besides having a father that was completely mad in Pit Rage)

Maybe it was a pipe dream to think that or maybe it was just having hope that his messed up second life had already been hard enough so the universe was going to give him a break on this one.

The three small children currently growling at a reporter, eyes flashing in and out of green, told him that wasn't the case.

It had started off as a fun little day out. Jazz and the kids mainly kept to themselves in Wayne Manor. Bruce had housed them in the west Annex, a place usually only used when guests of high importance would stay in the Manor's history.

It came complete with its own kitchen, bathroom, sitting room, seven bedrooms, and three bathrooms. It even had its own entrance that usually stayed out of sight of the main gate- a compelling feature for Jazz, who didn't want her kids in the limelight until everything legal was settled.

The distance between the two buildings was one acre, giving the family of four the privacy they needed and keeping them close for Jason to get to know.

As far as Jason knew, Jazz had not revealed the father of her children to anyone.

As far as the world knew, Jazz had recently moved to temporary housing until her insurance could help her rebuild her house or, if she was at a total loss, find new housing.

Thankfully, no one thought it strange as they weren't the only ones displaced. Poison Ivy's latest Save the Earth stunt targeted overpopulated neighborhoods guilty of destroying the land to build upon (in her own words).

She returned the favor and broke down the buildings to give back to the Green. Never mind the people inside the buildings or the livelihoods she destroyed in progress.

Ivy had gone through five streets before the Bats stopped her and returned her to Arkham Asylum.

It's been a week since the incident. Jason hasn't seen much of his kids, not for the lack of trying, but it was hard to fit their schedules. The three were in school most of the day, and when they got out, Jason usually had to run to prepare his "nightly" job.

He couldn't just slack off- doing so would mean those scum bags that didn't directly work for Red Hood would think that they could get away with breaking his rules.

He had slowly been dividing his responsibilities among his men- drug dealing, weapon dealing, illegal car races, prostitution, and protecting kids and street workers- so that he could have one night off without worrying.

That didn't mean he didn't see his kids at all. Jason usually had two hours a day with them, where he tried his best to connect to his kids, but the triplets seemed weary of him.

He could tell they didn't feel comfortable with him invading their space, so he tried to stay outside the annex. As someone who worked a lot with street kids, he knew never to break the sense of safety their hiding holes were to them.

Instead, he decided to meet his children in the open space between the Annex and the Manor.

The four-five with Jazz casually reading on the Annex floating balcony. Jason pretended not to notice she was doing so to keep an eye on her kids- would sit down at the garden table to have an after-school snack, enjoying the multiple rose bushes nearly as tall as him that Alfred cared for.

It was always one of Jason's favorite Wayne gardens because it often made him think of magical castles with giant mazes and lovely scattered flowers.

He noticed that his eldest- Dan- might have felt the same, given how the boy would sometimes spread his arms and run through the rose bushes pathways. He even picks up sticks and plays knights against invisible enemies.

(Jason pretended he was a knight in these gardens when Bruce first took him in.)

Danny, his second, seems more interested in lying underneath the rose bushes and reading about the stars. If Gotham had clearer skies, he think his boy would be a cat napping in the sunlight and sitting around at night to glance at the starlights.

His daughter seemed even more adventurous than her brothers. She often would test Jazz's patience because she wandered away from the Annex garden to explore the others. Jason had seen her climb statues and trees to get a better viewpoint, marking whatever she saw on a little map.

He got a look at her map and felt his heart swell at the childish little drawings- Damian's painting corner in the east Garden was now "Artist Alley", the south garden had a dragon fountain so Dani had decided it was "Dragon Keep" and she had found the north floating balcony where Bruce liked to go practice his not so secret love of singing.

Dani had marked her map as "Siren's Side" with a cute little drawing of Bruce singing.

The more he learned about his three kids, the more Jason loved them.

Jazz wasn't kidding when she said she didn't mind him in their lives- she was just worried that he would try to take them, and with his money and connections, she wouldn't be able to stop him. Her worry bled into the three children, and with intelligent eyes that belied their five years of age, they would watch him with guarded caution.

The moment they would finish their snack, the three would make excuses to run off and do their own thing. Jazz would continue reading, but Jason wouldn't be a Bat if he didn't see the way she relaxed whenever the kids left the table.

It was rough....to want to be accepted by them but also understanding why a random man wanting a family connection would be difficult to establish.

That's why Jazz's suggestion that they all visit the zoo had been such a shock. She gave Jason a strained smile, but her eyes were soft. For a moment, Jason felt his heart skip a beat. "It would be nice for the kids to see the zoo with their...dad."

The five had headed to the zoo- with Bruce and the rest following behind in disguises because they are all nosy assholes. He had gotten so used to the clicking of Tim's camera- as his brother was over-excited to capture his nephews' and niece's first zoo outing- that he hadn't realized a second camera was following them.

They had just finished watching the penguins swim when Danny tugged on the leg of his pants. "Mr. Dad, sir. Can I tell you something?"

Jason's heart jumped. Is Danny starting to like him? Sure, he put Mr and Sir, but he called him Dad! Grining widely he kneed down to get to his level.

"What up, bud?"

Danny leaned in to whisper in his ear. "There is a man taking pictures of me in the bushes."

Usually, Jason would have told him something like, "Tim is weird, but he's harmless." However, he knew for a fact Tim was on the roof of the Penguin exhibit and that meant some random man was taking pictures of his kid.

Green bleeds into his vision slowly, and Danny jerks back, surprised by the sight. "Go with your mother-"

"Pervert in the bushes!" Dan's voice cuts Jason off. They both turn to the little five-year-old throwing stones into the surrounding bushes and a man stumbling out of them with a shout. "Pervert in the bushes"

Danny facepalms, which is not the reaction his son should have. How in the world did Dan even know the word pervert?

"Dan! What on earth are you doing!?" Jazz screams alarmed. She raced back, a tray with four ice cream cones in her hands, and Dani, not far behind, also carrying her own cone. The girls had gone to get some frozen treats for everyone not too long ago.

The man turns to her with a very familiar predatory glint in his eye. Shit, Jason knows who he is. He is a paparazzi and one of his kids called him dad in front of the stranger.

The man takes Jazz's picture, momentarily blinding her with the flash, before firing questions and taking more pictures of her reaction to each one, "Miss, are you the baby momma of Bruce Wayne? Or one of his many kids? How did it feel to be a mother so young? Were your intentions to get pregnant to have access to the Wayne Will? How much money did the Wyanes pay you for a night?"

What?

Jazz's eyes go wide, her face drained of blood, and she looks frozen in fear. "I don't-why would- I'm not!"

"Not a whore or not a gold digger?"

"Neither!" Her voice wabbles like she's about to break into tears.

Jason sees green. He is about to beat the disgusting pig to the ground but his children are faster. Dani races forward, little arm pulled back and throws her whole body into a jab at the paparazzi's manhood.

The man drops his camera in a wheeze. Dan smashes it with another stone, hitting the lens five times just to make sure it is broken and starts to advance at the man.

Dani is currently yelling at the top of her lungs, swearing, and punching the man with her belt buckle wrapped around her knuckles. It's satisfying to watch- his kids beating down a full-grown man with no training, just vicious righteousness to protect their mother.

That is, until Danny- the apparently more level-headed triplet pulls them both off by the back collar of their shirts. Jason sees it for the first time.

The kids eyes are glowing green.

Horror creeps into every part of his mind, and he doesn't even realize the creep is screaming about suing them or Tim and Bruce's fantastic entry to get a handle on the situation.

He is distantly aware of Steph and Cass, helping a silently crying Jazz walk away, and that Dick, Damian, Duke, and Harper form a protective circle around the kids, but it's Cullen that realizes Jason is frozen.

"Jason? Are you alright?"

No, he is not alright.

Pit's madness ruined his life. It left blanks in his memory. Left him lashing out and killing quickly. It makes him attack Tim and others. It made the child Jason used to be, feel sick and revolted.

It made it hard to look in the mirror and not be disgusted. It was everything that was wrong with him since the Joker took all his innocence away with his blasted crowbar.

Pit Madness is a curse that he has to live with sometimes where he claws at his own skin in a pathetic attempt to get away from it. But he could never escape its taunting whispers, its controlling green, or its presence sitting somewhere behind his eyes that turned him into a monster.

A curse he gave to his children.

He truly is Wills Tod's son, isn't he?

#dcxdpdabbles #dc x dp crossover #Warning: bits of self-hate #Paparazzi are scum #Jason trying to connect to the kids #The kids: You shall not succeed #Jazz thinks Jason is sweet #In a strange turn of events it's Danny the voice of reason among the triplets #Congratulations! It's Triplets #part 3 #angst???

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youcancallmeelle · 1 month

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Are we on the same side?

Rating: 18+ (Minors DNI!!!)

Word count: 8K

Pairing: Separated husband!Joel Miller x wife!reader

Summary: Joel and you are trialling temporary separation due to repeated arguments with one another after nearly twenty years of marriage.

He returns to the marital home to do you a favour, flirting ensues and the sexual tension gets out of hand because of course it does.

You may need some clarification on what you are…

AO3

You put up the hearts, and I'll put up both my aces Not very far apart Still on different pages

Before having kids, you used to take every moment of your life for granted.

You were just a kid yourself back then, when you had two babies with a boy who shared your class and you were so in love you couldn’t fathom a life without him. For years you were Mama, the person who fed them and changed them, bathed them and rocked them to sleep. You worked night shifts while the love of your life worked in the day, all so food could be put on the table and an apartment could be kept to keep you all warm and safe. It wasn’t until a few years ago when your kids gained their own independence that you slowly started to regain your own life back, now you were nearly forty and working a job that gave you more freedom even if the stress levels have gotten to you more than once and your marriage… well that’s a separate issue on its own.

You’d spent the morning doing things you wanted to, thanking whoever that your kids were teenagers who could do their own breakfast and helped with chores without coaxing. You’ve been to pilates and the salon and had your infills done, your nails a glossy shade of pillar box red in an almond shape and your toes the same colour. You’d even managed to grab a Starbucks and sipped it languidly as you people watched from the safety of your car, enjoying your chosen playlist on Spotify without the bluetooth getting hijacked. The icing on the cake though? The fact you got to shower at home without someone barging in to ask for foundation or to borrow your strapless bra or your new Adidas Superstars.

It’s mid way through Saturday afternoon that your relaxation comes skidding to a halt in the form of your jaded lover knocking heavily against the pane of glass on your front door, the irritating noise makes you scowl and you drag your feet to answer it.

You crack it open, familiar brown eyes stare at you and yours narrow back.

“What are you doing here?” You ask flatly, the male on the other side picks up on your terse mood and his shoulders rise defensively. If it wasn’t for the little disagreement you’d had a few days prior on the phone over something as mundane as renewing car insurance, you’d have probably been more excited to see him but the way he can sometimes undermine you really grates on your nerves, you hate that he gets so swept up in work that he comes home and talks to you like he’s your foreman.

The minute he’d started questioning your choice like a fucking know it all, you’d merely hung up in irritation, refusing to answer when he’d called you back twice to apparently try and patch it over. You’d read the I’m sorry and I love you more than you’ll ever know text he sent after over and over, trying to figure out how things had come to this.

Nearly two decades together, married, with children and a house. You and Joel Miller have been torn apart by too many petty arguments that end with you sobbing and him walking away, you’d had to call it and come up with a possible solution with the marriage counsellor before it was too late.

He huffs and lifts his hand, showing you the toolbox you’ve seen many times with its contents strewn about somewhere in your house.

“A little birdie told me that you’re in need of a repair.” Joel’s lip twists at the side when your mood seems to perk just a fraction, there’s multiple things that need a little TLC right now but he can certainly worm his way back into your good books with a good old fashioned repair. You can only assume the little birdie was Sarah or Ellie.

You open the door fully and step backwards so all six foot something of him can meander through your front door, he wipes his feet on the welcome mat and toes his sneakers off, nudging them into the neat space where a tattered pair of Vans have been kicked off hard enough to scuff the wall and a pair of spotless ankle boots have been nicely placed beside your shoes.

“Where’s the babies?” He frowns, looking around and noticing the lack of noise.

You smile as you shut the door behind him as he refers to the girls as his babies, despite Sarah being eighteen and Ellie just turned fourteen.

With them both being girls, he’s soft anyway but Sarah is his first born who made him a father and Ellie’s still his tiny baby who he’s soaked up every second of when she was a newborn because you both knew you weren’t having any more children.

“At the movies together watching Twisters, Garret backed out on Sarah so Ellie went instead.” You inform him, sneaking an appreciative glance from the corner of your eye.

Joel makes a noise at the mention of Sarah’s boyfriend, never having liked him for whatever reason, you think it’s because they’re eerily alike so therefore clash.

“Little prick will be back hangin’ around here next week.” He grumbles, placing his toolbox on the bottom step.

“She’s just going through the universal thing of falling for a country boy.” You tease.

“Well as long as he don’t get her pregnant before graduation then we won’t have a problem.”

“She’s smarter than us.” You say.

“I know.” Joel agrees, you sneak one more glance at the country boy who got you pregnant before graduation.

He’s wearing slim fitting black sweatpants with a worn grey t-shirt with a faded motif on, the chain of his St Christopher barely noticeable beneath it and his thick rimmed glasses are perched on his nose.

You miss the hungry look he shoots you when you turn away, chestnut coloured eyes drifting low to the denim shorts you wear that he’s sure you’ve had since you were in your twenties. They fit snug and are contoured perfectly to the shape of your ass, your cheeks barely peeking out. What really makes his dick hard is the fact you’re wearing one of his sweatshirts, an old Dallas Cowboys one that you’ve always been particularly fond of.

“Nice flowers. Who got ya those?” He nods with a smirk towards the vase on the side table that’s filled with blooming peonies and baby’s breath.

The beautiful arrangement of flowers had arrived the morning after your petty argument with Joel, a gift from the universe if you will when you needed something bright and blooming to drag you out of the despair you were frantically becoming encased in.

“Oh.” You hum and feign ignorance, reaching out to gently touch the edge of a baby pink peony. “Just a friend.” You smile vaguely, Joel rolls his eyes. “Beautiful, aren’t they?”

“A guy sent them?” He presses, shifting his weight, your grin turns devious.

“Mmm.” You coo, feeling thrilled when that lick of annoyance flickers across your husband’s face at your flippant tone.

“Who?” He grins back.

“I’m not telling you.”

“Come on, I just wanna talk to him, I wanna know why he thinks it’s okay to send my wife flowers.”

“Ex wife.” You snort, Joel glares at you.

“We’re separated, not divorced. Y’know what, we’re barely even separated.” He disagrees, you bite the inside of your cheek in amusement.

“Apparently you’re here to fix my shelves and you’re doing a whole lot of yapping, very unprofessional of you.” You goad, stepping backwards when he begins to saunter towards you with a certain look in his eyes.

“I’ll fix your shelves, I’ll fix anythin’ you want.” Joel mumbles, stalking you.

“Big promises.” You taunt, lifting your chin defiantly. His hands grasp your waist, pulling you to him and you let him, leaning up to wrap your arms around his neck.

You love this, the playful behaviour and flirting since you decided to live apart for a while. It feels new and exciting, a rush that you felt when you first got together as youngsters just before your world flipped and you were pregnant before your frontal lobe had developed.

He smells delectable, you can’t stop yourself from nosing at his bearded jaw where his cologne is the strongest. Joel’s throat bobs, his fingers drift upwards under your borrowed sweatshirt to feel the bare skin between your shorts and bra.

As his structured jaw slides across yours and his nose just barely brushes your own, you feel his breath hit your lips and you know he really wants to kiss you but is waiting for you to make the first move.

You want to, you really do but you’re scared of falling into a false sense of security when you haven’t even scratched the surface of your underlying problems that the marriage counsellor suggested needed to be covered before you could get back on track.

Joel enjoys the way your head fits against his collarbone, loves the sweet smell of your hair and skin.

“Fix my shelf.” You huff into his skin as you retreat, he sighs deeply but picks up his toolbox and begins to follow you up the stairs with his eyes glued to your backside.

It almost feels strange for Joel to be back in your shared bedroom after three weeks away, he hasn’t been back for any extra clothes or personal items. If he’s come over to see the kids, then he’s stayed downstairs or in the garden with them.

Everything looks the same which is a strange observation given that really you’ve barely been apart for any time at all but it’s comforting to be back.

The bed is made in its usual dress up of plain white sheets with useless throw pillows stacked neatly, there’s a pile of clean laundry resting on your vanity chair but also clothes tossed on the floor where you’ve been indecisive.

Joel whistles when he sees the closet door open and the fallen shelf leaning against the door, there’s a scrape on the inside wall where it’s collided and taken the paint off. It looks like a fairly simple job, the wall plugs have probably come loose over time and needed replacing, it’s not as if IKEA is known for making indestructible furniture.

“You want the step ladder?” You question as he surveys the situation, rubbing the wall with his fingertips to see if the scrape will alleviate some.

“I think so.” He replies. “They in the garage?”

“No, Ellie’s room, she was trying to hang some fairy lights earlier but only got halfway before she threw a fit about the command hooks.” You chuckle, wandering off to go retrieve them for him, already certain he’s made a note to finish the job for her before he leaves.

When you get back, he’s got some tools ready, his drill in hand already. He steps onto the bottom rung of the step ladder, groaning as he stretches.

You observe for a moment, knowing it irks him, he hates being watched on a job.

“Jesus, it’s fuckin’ dusty up here. You’re a terrible housewife, neglectin’ your duties.” Joel pokes, knowing you won’t take a blind bit of notice.

“You wanna know why we really separated? Because you neglected your duties as a husband to satisfy your wife.” You reply easily, Joel chuckles and looks down at you.

“Oh spare me the dramatics, you’ve never been unsatisfied by me in your whole entire life.” He sings, infuriatingly he isn’t wrong.

“I’m telling the kids you were being sexist to me.” You threaten, chewing on a sinister smile. “Ellie will beat you up.”

“She won’t.” Joel grins, you mumble out a complaint. “She’s a daddy’s girl, maybe try your luck with Sarah, I’m sure she’d give me a lecture.” Not that you think he needs one, he’s the biggest supporter of you and his girls.

“They’re both Daddy’s girls, the little traitors. Nine whole months carrying them and giving birth after what felt like days and days with no fucking pain relief and this is the thanks I get? Not to mention my nipples being sucked raw.” You grumble to yourself, kicking some laundry into a pile at the side of the wall, Joel makes you jump when he groans suddenly.

“Just sayin’ but your tits were amazin’ when you were breastfeedin’ - shit, they’re still fucking phenomenal.” He sighs dreamily, closing his eyes. “Fuck, you were so hot carryin’ my babies, I’d have kept you pregnant if I had my way.”

You bite your cheeks to hide the satisfaction that your husband still wants you.

“You can’t say stuff like that to me anymore.”

“Why? We separated or somethin’?” Your husband frowns comically. “Show me your tits.”

“No.”

“Come on, just one.” He grins boyishly. “The right one is my favourite.” You stick your middle finger up at him.

“Asshole.” You sniff, walking back to lay on the end of your bed.

You pick up your phone, mindlessly scrolling through Facebook posts made by the PTA at the girls school while Joel complains about wall fixings or something equally as dull.

In the end, you get bored and toss it away, instead opting to enjoy the eye candy in the form of a senior (essentially) gentleman on a stepladder cussing about how IKEA can suck his balls.

“Piece of fuckin’ shit!” He complains when the shelf slips again in your closet, he takes a calming breath and contains his frustration, you snicker at him. “How did this even break, sweetheart?” Joel huffs, changing out for a larger wall plug.

“Dunno, it just did.” You answer vaguely, looking at your ceiling.

“Bullshit.” He quips. “Did you put too much shit on it?”

“No.” You hum, shaking your head.

“You’re a liar.” He states plainly, equally unamused. “What did you put on here that was so heavy it collapsed?”

“Nothing, maybe it was just your shoddy workmanship to begin with.” You quip, not looking at him though you desperately want to because you can imagine the outrage on his face but you won’t be able to not laugh.

“It wasn’t me that put it up.” He glares.

“Sure, whatever you say.” You smile sweetly at him. It’s quiet for a minute, then Joel speaks again.

“You put filled shoeboxes up here, didn’t you? After I told you nothin’ heavier than a few sweaters? ” He asks knowingly.

Silence and then…

“Yeah.” You nod, he sighs loudly and turns back to drill in a screw now that he seems happy with the stability.

You watch him as he works, angling himself to see better and be able to use his drill at the correct angle.

The muscles in his back move and his shoulders look unbelievably broad beneath his t-shirt, it hugs his biceps and rides up when he shifts to show a slither of his boxers and bare back.

Your mouth almost waters and you press your thighs together but it obscures your view so you part them again to peek at him through the gap in your knees.

It’s well known that your husband is an attractive man, he always has been. You’ve watched him grow from the gangly teenager with a backwards baseball cap practically glued to his head you were first besotted with to the almost middle aged and greying man that now works before you.

Most nights when it’s dark, quiet and the house is still, you pleasure yourself beneath the duvet thinking of him, hips moving frantically against the whir of your vibrator. It can be any scenario of the long time you’ve been together, two decades holds enough memories to fill books upon books with pictures and anecdotes, some that you keep stored away just for you.

Sometimes you dream about the three day honeymoon in Nashville you had when your parents forced you to get married before Sarah was born, back when you first lived in Arlington in a shitty apartment you could barely afford with you both working instead of attending college. Then there was that night just under four years later with sex so explosive that you’d had the fleeting thought you’d immediately gotten pregnant again, only to actually find out you’d been right two weeks later when you’d presented Joel with yet another positive pregnancy test before twenty five.

You chew your lip, lashes fluttering and you’re sure he notices you ogling him in the mirror that puts your reflection in his eye line by the smirk you see.

God, he pisses you off so much sometimes. He makes your cunt wet and your teeth grind all at once, you never knew that was possible.

Rolling off the bed and onto your feet, you casually turn so that your back is to him on the ladder but you’re in the perfect position in the reflection of the mirror in front of him. He doesn’t notice at first over the sound of the drilling but when it stops and he goes to test the stability of the shelf, he freezes and the arm holding his drill drops limply to his side.

He sees you begin to strip down in the mirror, shimmying your shorts down and then yanking off your oversized sweater. Joel freezes, gulping when you turn away to unclip your bra, the expanse of your back is smooth and if he thought your backside looked good in those shorts, the high cut panties you’re wearing hit on a whole other level.

“What are you doin’?” He asks when your fingers hook into the sides of your panties, they flex within the material and you peer over your shoulder at him, big doe eyes the opposite of fucking innocence.

“Just taking a shower, I’m filthy.” You titter, holding his piercing gaze through the mirror.

“Funny, you’ve done nothin’ but sit on your pretty little ass and watch me inhale dust that’s been here for the last fifteen years.”

“Well, you could always join me.” You shrug, finally slipping your underwear down your thighs, Joel’s mouth goes dry. “Only if you want to, of course.” You beam at him and then sashay away into the en suite, Joel’s resolve breaks very quickly (immediately actually) and he’s yanking off his glasses and tossing them onto the dresser and plucking his t-shirt over his head in an instant.

Maybe the solution is to fuck it out and he’ll gladly go as many times as needed, you always did need to be fucked hard when your attitude started to test him.

The shower has been switched on and you’re naked under the stream as he finishes yanking both his socks, sweatpants and boxers off. He admires you through the glass, kicking his clothes into a messy pile before climbing in there with you, the air tight and hot.

His big hands enrobe you from behind, long dexterous fingers gripping at your waist and pawing at all the exposed skin it’s been weeks since he’s seen.

You tilt your head back from the water, resting it against his shoulder and pushing back into him, holding onto his forearms and digging your nails into his flesh.

“Look who couldn’t resist, you bad boy. Whatever will the therapist say?” You mock, pouting those pretty lips.

“You’re a goddamn tease, you know that?” He growls, nipping at your jaw and earlobe, holding the weight of your breasts in his hands.

“If you say so.” You breathe sexily, dragging him by the back of his neck to meet your lips in a hungry kiss.

His cock is trapped between his soft stomach and your lower back, smearing a pearlescent gleam as he anchors himself to you.

You moan into his mouth when he teases your nipples into tight peaks, plucking them and roughly cupping your tits.

“I want to lick your pretty little pussy until you cum on my face.” He admits into your mouth, barely letting you breathe past the fierce kisses. Your clit throbs at his confession and you grab hold of his hand, guiding it down your body to between your legs where he teases your lips.

Your back arches prettily into him, the free hand holding your breast now grips your throat, forcing you to tilt your head back.

“Ah.” You whine when the roughened pads of his fingers stroke your clit. “Mmm, there.” You hum, pushing into his fingers. He entertains you, dipping his fingertips to your honey slick hole and back up again, dragging the gooey wetness to smother on your clit until it’s hardened and desperate to be sucked on like candy.

“Bet you could cum like this.” He says gruffly, beard scratching at your shoulders and neck, wherever he greedily kisses your dewy wet skin.

“Wanna cum on you, Joel.” You whine, reaching behind you to grasp his thickness. He ruts into your hand, smearing more stickiness that you want to lick away from his tip.

You absorb him similarly to a plant and the sun, the bulk of his form plastered against your back so big and strong, skin sun kissed and warm. He’s safety to you, every single thing about him, everything familiar that you know.

“Needy little slut.” He whispers, your core becomes aflame at the debauchery, you nod in confirmation. “Oh, you agree? You just need a cock to sit on and your shitty attitude will be right as rain?”

“Only your cock.” You whine, flicking your thumb against the underside of him, tracing out a vein you’re very familiar with.

“Yeah, baby. Only mine, I know, I know.” His sweet breath is hot against your cheek as he pants, fingers strumming your clit faster. “You wanna cum for me, baby? Show me how good you can be?” You hum and nod, knees almost buckling, this is the fastest you’ve approached orgasm since being separated.

“Gonna cum, Joel.” You say huskily, hips bucking into his hand until it’s only been two seconds since your revelation and you’re cumming - wet and sticky - into the palm of his hand. His mouth is on yours, you’re moaning and moving erratically, Joel’s cock is dribbling a steady stream of pre cum into your hand where you’re gripping his shaft.

“Sexy little thing.” Joel husks into your ear, biting the lob as you heave for air, slowly undulating your hips as you ride the last wave of your peak against his hand. “Good girl.” He praises, taking his hand away when you weakly push at his wrist. He lifts it in front of you, fingers webbed with your cum, runny and clear. You catch his hand, slipping his index and middle finger into your mouth, sucking them clean as he groans and ruts into the hand still around him, the cool palladium of his wedding ring bumps against your cupids bow as you suckle.

You slip his fingers out of your mouth, letting them drag down your chin and back to your tits. “Fuck me.” You demand haughtily, eyeing him.

“I’ll fuck you, baby.” He confirms, softer than you were expecting, he meets you for a kiss and you suck on the plumpness of his bottom lip before turning away. Joel slicks his hair back under the spray and then begins to trace out the curve of your waist and the fullness of your ass, you feel his hand bump you knuckle first where he fists himself to complete mast and then he runs the length of himself through your pussy, hissing at the wet heat that awaits him but he pauses, retracting back unsure.

“You want me to wear a condom?” And you freeze, looking over your shoulder in distress.

“Have you been with other people?” You frown, your heart suddenly sinking into your stomach, making your guts twist with nausea. Joel frowns down at you, blinking away the water clinging to his lashes.

“Course not.” He answers, you relax. “…Have you?” Joel presses.

“Absolutely not.” You state firmly. “So get inside me.” You demand, turning away to place your hands on the tiles. You feel him press kisses to your shoulders as the tip of his cock brushes your ass again, you sigh and push back into him. “Please, baby.” You beg, feeling him smile into your skin.

“I think you’re tryin’ to baby trap me.” Joel says playfully, pulling your hips against him so that your back arches just so.

“You had a vasectomy after Ellie, idiot.” Your hips press insistently against him and you reach back to tug at his length, your fingers barely wrapping around the girth. “Now get your dick inside me, Joel.” You demand.

“Yes, ma’am.” He leans down a fraction and slicks himself up, the entire length of him slipping against your pussy lips once more and nudging your clit. “Fuuuuck.” Joel groans when he does it again and the head of him catches on your hole, slipping inside just a fraction.

“Oh my god.” You pant, your forehead dropping to rest against the cool tiled as he fills you completely. It’s a tight fit, after over three weeks of no sex with him your body is near to combustion.

You wonder if the lack of sex has attributed to the arguments, both working long hours at your respective jobs and not having the time for the normal intimacy you usually share.

This is exactly what you’ve been wanting in the weeks you’ve been apart; a carnal desire to have your husband close.

His grunt in your ear sets something off in you, the relief he feels directly felt by you.

You whimper at the first thrust after he’s settled within your velvet lined canal, body pressed between him and the wall.

It won’t ever be like this with anyone else, you think to yourself - the way Joel fits within you, around you and alongside you.

“Like that.” You pant, pressing back. He grunts into your ear in such a manly way that you reach back to yank on his hair, he growls into your neck and fucks into you harder.

He’s so strong it makes your head spin, this gorgeous man with a heart of gold that loved you when you were young, married you and gave you two babies, helped you create a comfortable life for your family.

It’s overwhelming; that sensation of being full and enveloped within the heat of his radius.

You’ve missed everything about him; his smell, his voice, the way he tastes. You’ve ached for the things you’ve harmlessly bickered about before, such as underwear outside of the hamper, smudges of toothpaste on the bathroom mirror after a deep clean, crumbs on the island.

You don’t mean to let your emotions get the best of you but your eyes well and your throat tightens, your chest constricts something fierce.

The sob that erupts out of your chest can’t be disguised by the noise of the water hitting the floor at your feet or the soft groans of Joel, not the breathless whines from yourself either.

It’s a raw noise, jagged at the edges so much that it hurts leaving your throat.

“Honey?” Immediately Joel has stopped moving and withdrawn, spinning you around to cup your cheeks. “Why are you cryin’?” He presses insistently, thumbs trying to swipe away your tears. Your cheeks are aflame, embarrassed to have spoilt such an intimate moment after so long.

“I just - I just missed you.” You whimper, tucking your nose into his bicep. He cradles you to him softly beneath the spray, hushing you gently. This makes you cry more, thinking about how he’s held your babies like this; tenderly like they’re the most fragile beings made entirely of glass. “Everything feels wrong! And… and…” You sniffle wetly. “And I can’t sleep properly without you and your dumb old man snoring!”

“Oh, baby.” He chuckles into your hair.

“I don’t like the whole limited contact stuff either.” You mumble.

“Neither do I but it’s what was suggested and I think we need to try it, if we don’t like it then that’s a good sign.” He tries to pick your mood up, you pout and nod, leaning into his touch.

“I’m scared we won’t fix this and I’ll have to watch you start dating someone else.”

“I’m not gonna date anyone else, lady. I only want you, I’ve only ever wanted you.” He tells you.

“That’s not true.” You hiccup. “Brandi Neil wanted you and you were going to go to Homecoming with her.”

“Fuckin’ - that was literally over twenty somethin’ years ago and I went with you in the end!” He huffs indignantly. “Come on, let’s get dry and we can talk some more.” Joel guides you out of the shower with a gentle hand, turning off the water and handing you a towel. He leans over on more than one occasion to peck your lips, he smooths his thumbs beneath your eyes to wipe away the mascara that’s ran in the shower from the steam.

Once you’re both relatively dry, there’s an awkward shift in the air as you’re both naked still and Joel looks very much aroused, half hard cock swaying as he moves.

You saunter back to the bed, peering over your shoulder to see that you’ve captured his attention intently and he gulps as you climb onto the mattress, briefly resting on all fours for a split second, wet pussy drooling and exposed before turning onto your back.

You stretch out against the sheets not dissimilar to a renaissance painting, skin dewy with a look on your face that Joel wants to savour.

He climbs atop the mattress with you, pushing your thighs apart to settle between them. His warm mouth finds your nipples, sucking them and biting gently, you stretch and arch into him like a puppet on strings, the weight of your breasts fitting in each of his roughened palms. You feel the brush of his cock sway against your inner thigh and you buck against it, trying to encourage him closer, you huff when he ignores you in favour of worshiping your breasts.

“Calm down.” He murmurs. “We’ll get there.” He promises in that deep baritone which makes your purr. Joel shimmies down your body, palm dragging along your sternum and settling on your stomach where your fingers find his in a desperate squeeze.

The broadness of him fits between your thighs, one tossed over his shoulder to open you up. It’s erotic how he looks with his mouth on you, silver streaked hair visible and it’s not long before you’re clutching at it, writhing and moaning something pretty.

He parts your labia and licks slowly, using only the tip of his tongue, flicking over your clit and coaxing it from beneath the hood, sucking it between his lips and running his tongue repeatedly over it as you gasp and pull his hair, he suckles and there’s a lewd slurp thrown in there.

You purr like a kitten when his fingers enter you, moving steadily and brushing your G spot with such expertise that your eyes water. He knows what you like, having learnt your body and its responses for the better part of twenty years. A gush of slick aids the smooth movement of his ring and middle finger, stroking you from the inside until it proves too much to feel so far from him.

“Up, Joel.” You whine, tugging his tresses with more force than necessary which causes him to bite your inner thigh in retaliation but he allows himself to be malleable at the hands of you, kneeling between your legs and wiping the slick of you from his moustache and beard.

Rocking back onto his haunches, he fists his cock at the sight of you looking wrecked, that deep possessive part of him that’s smug because it’s him that makes you look like that; flushed and desperate.

“I won’t last long, honey.” He warns as he gets into position, wrapping both legs around his waist.

“Don’t care.” You state, reaching down to grab hold of him and guiding the blunt head of him through your lips, teasing yourself before you notch him just right. He eases himself in gentler than before in the shower, savouring that slow stretch as he feeds you himself until the wiry coarse hairs at the base are dampened by your wetness.

He drops onto his forearms beside your head, caging you in as he begins to move, the pendant from his St Christopher bumps your chin. You make pretty noises, clawing at his back in a way that leaves diagonal lines in various shades of pink and red. Chests pressed together, heart to heart, a rhythmic beat perfectly in sync.

“Tell me you love me.” You gasp.

Sitting up, Joel guides your leg over his shoulder, kissing your ankle bone, toying with the dainty gold anklet there that was an anniversary present some years ago. Your back arches against the sheets and you whimper sweetly at the new sensation of his hips fitting snuggly between your thighs and the weeping head of him nudging against the sponged wall of your cervix.

“I love you.” He groans, hands grappling your hip bones, forcing you closer like he can’t get enough, he looms over you. “I love you so fuckin’ much.”

“I love you.” You pant back. “I love you, I love you, I love you.” His nose nudges yours, lips hungrily searching to slot against yours, puffy and wet. “You remember night one of our honeymoon?” You press, exhaling hot and tone wanting.

“Fuck yeah I do, fuck - “ His hips snap harder and you keen. “Pretty as a fuckin picture, still in your weddin’ dress on the floor.”

“Fuck.” You sigh, fisting at his biceps with slippery fingers. “Barely made it through the motel door.”

“You looked so fuckin good, honey. Havin’ my baby and ridin’ me on the floor.” His mouth slackens and his eyes slip closed, clearly deep in thought.

“I wanna do it again, Joel.” You gasp, fingers shakily circling your clit, hard and slippery.

“Yeah, baby. We’ll have another honeymoon, renew our vows first and everythin’.” He grunts.

“Baby.” You whimper in his ear. “I’m cumming, fuck me harder.” You say it breathlessly and all his carnal instincts take over, he fucks you that hard the headboard slams into the wall and takes a layer of sage green paint off. You’re loud through your climax, hips jumping and blood rushing through every vein like accelerant and fire.

“Jesus, I’m gonna cum. Fuck!” He groans, fingers moulding into the mattress, orgasm hitting so hard it makes the edges of his vision blacken. “Fuckin’ Christ.” You kiss his throat from your place beneath him, licking his jugular like the fucking minx you are, biting a tendon.

The white of his teeth is blinding as his lip curls into a near snarl, the pulse of warmth as he orgasms spreads within you and you pant, flushed from head to toe.

You kiss him as he grunts to completion, teeth clashing.

“You’re so good - so good.” You murmur into his mouth, frantically pushing his hair from his damp forehead. “You’re perfect.” You hum, enraptured.

“That’s you.” He smiles, lip curving against yours. “My pretty little wife.”

He strokes your hair and traces your features, eyes searching yours for something; hope maybe and you smile gently at him, pulling him down beside you once he’s withdrawn from the warmth of your body.

You rest against him, cheek to his chest to listen to the thrum below. You count his freckles and you trace his knuckles, you kiss his exposed skin over and over, you absorb as much of him as you can, feeling fulfilled for the first time in weeks.

Joel quietly observes you, you lean up on your elbow, dragging your manicured nails down the centre of his chest, he watches you with his arm behind his head. You pause and lean down to rest your chin on his sternum, blinking with those fluttery lashes that cast a shadow high on your cheekbones.

“Thank you for my flowers.” You say, he smiles softly and reaches down to stroke your cheek with his thumb.

“You’re welcome.” He whispers. “Wanted to do somethin’ nice for you, Ellie messaged me and said you’d had a tough week at work before that dumb fucking argument we had.” His long fingers comb through your hair, you rest easily on his stomach now, letting your eyes slip shut. “Wanna talk about it, baby?”

“Not really.” You huff. “I don’t want to unload my problems on you.” Joel sighs in exasperation at your vague answer.

“You can tell me anythin’, you know that.”

“We’re supposed to be taking time apart to stop the fighting, me unloading everything onto you isn’t going to help that.” You tell him.

“I think communication is exactly what we need.” He disagrees.

“You’re starting an argument now.” You chuckle with an eye roll, resting your cheek against his warm skin. He rolls his eyes back but doesn’t reply, continuing to stroke your hair, twirling some around his finger. “Joel?” You ask quietly.

“Hmm?”

“What if we can’t fix this?”

“We can.” He replies determinedly. “Nearly twenty years together and two kids later, I’m still so in love with you, whether we’re fighting or not.”

“I love you.” You murmur.

“I love you more.” He replies. “And I love our girls.” Joel adds.

“Me too.” You shift and snuggle into him, resting your head beneath his chin.

He holds you quietly, his touch a major comfort. You think back over the almost month it’s been since the marriage counsellor had suggested Joel move out of the martial house for awhile and stay with his brother, just so you could see if distance would be beneficial after the amalgamation of late working nights, the stress of parenting two teenage girls and life itself along with naturally getting older, you already dancing that line of perimenopause.

The space had made you realise you didn’t want to be without him and you’d both seemed to realise that you didn’t want to split up, you just needed to figure out a way to make things work.

“I think we should trial the time apart for another week and keep seeing the counsellor for a few more months.” You begin. “I’m gonna figure something out at work and reduce my hours, no more bringing it home with me.”

“That sounds good.” Joel murmurs, twisting a piece of your hair. “I’m goin’ to cut my days down to four, I think the finances will be fine and I want to be around here more for you and the girls.” He tells you, you nod slowly and blink away the tears that have suddenly come at the softness of his voice.

“I don’t care if we have to give up any extra luxuries, I just need you and our kids here happy.” You emphasise.

“That’s what I want too, baby. No more arguments over stupid shit, I’m sorry for bein’ so fuckin’ horrible lately.”

“I was horrible too, Joel.” You say. “We just need to keep working on things and if we feel an argument brewing then we should take a step back and reassess what’s caused it and find a solution just like the therapist says.” You advise. “Also we should make time for a date night every week.”

“Sounds good to me, baby.” Joel agrees, tugging you forward. “Kiss me, you have no idea how much I’ve missed you.” He murmurs sweetly and you go easily, moulding yourself over him to meet him for a deep kiss that speaks a thousand words and apologies.

“Hey.” You say suddenly, eyes flitting over to the vanity where multiple photo frames sit. “You remember that trip we took to Seattle when the kids were little?” Joel follows your line of sight where they’re focused on one of the smaller frames holding two polaroids, one of Sarah and Ellie when they were eight and four, then another you’d taken of Joel on the pier with the wheel behind him you’d taken.

“Yeah.” He says fondly. “That was a great trip, the kids loved it.”

“What was that girl called that Ellie made friends with at the aquarium?” You smile as you think of a rambunctious Ellie, stomping around holding her Daddy’s hand in her tiny overalls, pointing at every fish she saw swimming ahead in the glass tunnels.

“Oh er… fuck. What was it? Little blonde girl with a braid.” He recites, thinking back almost a decade. “Abby!” He suddenly exclaims and you hum, nodding.

“That was it, they were so cute together watching the sea lion show, remember how jealous Sarah was that she thought all Ellie’s love was being stolen away.” You giggle, nuzzling his shoulder. “We should go again now they’re grown up.”

There’s a comfortable silence as you bask in the evening sun coming through the window behind the bed, coating you in warmth while you lazily make out with your husband like you used to as teenagers in his beat up truck.

You moan into his mouth when a hand sneakily skims your back and moulds to the fleshiest part of your backside. Sitting back to take a breath, you begin to kiss at his stubbled jaw, focusing intently on the grey patches and working yourself down his throat, to his clavicle and down his chest where he has yours, Sarah’s and Ellie’s name tattooed over his heart.

He props himself up in interest on his elbows when you make it to his sternum, nipping near his navel and dragging your nails through the smattering of hair below it until you reach his groin.

“You think you can go again?” You smirk at him, nipping his hip, sucking a small bruise into the skin above his pubic area.

“Keep doin’ that and I’ll be rarin’ to go.” He huffs, cradling the back of your head when you lick above his pubic area.

You move lower and his cock begins to swell against his thigh, his thighs tense when your hot breath drifts over his length.

Just as you’re about to drag your tongue over the flushed head of him, you hear a car skim across the gravel driveway and you both freeze.

“Shit, that’s the kids.” You panic, sitting up and swinging your legs off the bed to gather up something to wear. “Quick!” You urge Joel who looks equally as panicked as he yanks up his boxers. You find a long floral dress to throw on from the corner and manage to yank up the panties you were wearing earlier, the crotch becomes sodden with the semen but you ignore the uncomfortable wet feeling and try to fan away the flush on your cheeks as you watch your husband get dressed.

You’re both barrelling down the stairs just as the front door opens and you bump into Joel as you skid on foyer tiles, he steadies you as your kids stare back.

You and Joel try to act casual despite the feral things you’ve just done.

“You’re back early.” You squeak, very aware of your damp hair and smudged makeup.

It’s a mere second before your daughter’s come barrelling full force towards the apple of their eyes, pregnancy and labour be damned.

“Dad!” The girls squeal in unison, rushing to hug him. He wraps an arm around each of them, eyes slipping shut with contentment.

“Hi, my girls.” He sighs happily, nosing Ellie’s hairline and then Sarah’s.

“Missed you.” You hear Ellie tell him.

“Hi, mom.” You mock unseriously, crossing your arms.

“Hey, mom.” Ellie mocks devilishly, tilting her head back with the same teasing look her father possesses more often than not. She’s her father’s daughter, a carbon copy of him whereas Sarah is more like you.

“You have a good afternoon?” You ask when Sarah meanders her way into your orbit, wrapping her arms around your waist. She nods against you and you tuck some hair out of her face, she nuzzles into you.

“The movie was packed so we got frozen yoghurt and walked around Target instead, we got you some candy.” She says sweetly, rubbing her cheek into your collar whilst Ellie is resting her chin against Joel’s chest with her arms wound around his waist, whispering something that makes him chuckle and sway her from side to side tenderly.

She stares up at him like he’s hung the stars and the moon just for you, you’re certain she’d crawl into his rib cage and stay there if she could and you don’t blame her.

“Thank you, sweet girls.” You beam. “Hey, are you both in for dinner tonight?” You suddenly wonder.

“Yes, sir.” Ellie replies.

“I’ve got no plans.” Sarah shrugs.

“How about we Doordash something? Could eat it on the patio?” You suggest and Ellie cheers, Joel chuckles into her hair.

“Even Dad?” Sarah hesitates as she asks, looking at you hopefully. Your heart breaks, Joel staying away had some serious effects in the first week even though they knew you weren’t going through a divorce and trying to fix things. Ellie acted out at school and Sarah shut herself away, both missing their father’s presence at home even though they saw him most days after school and on weekends if they weren’t out with friends.

You’d never stopped them seeing him and wouldn’t dare to even if things were irreparable between you.

“Of course.” You answer Sarah, Ellie looks between you and Joel curiously, her eyes narrow when she sees him smiling softly at you and clocks you blushing.

“Whatcha both been doing?” Ellie asks slyly.

“Hanging out, your Dad fixed the shelf for me.” You tell her nonchalantly over Sarah’s head. “So uh.. which one of you ratted on me for breaking it?”

“Dunno what you’re talking about, man.” Ellie sniffs, you tug the end of her ponytail.

“Mmm.” You murmur, unconvinced. “Go get changed into something comfy and have a think about what you fancy for dinner.” You order, nodding towards the stairs.

“Race ya!” Ellie bellows suddenly, pushing Sarah into you to get a head start.

“Hey!” Her older sister shouts, barrelling after her while you sigh and head towards the kitchen, the peace and quiet officially gone.

Joel gives you a flirtatious look and your heart jumps, your chest warms as do your cheeks.

“Stop looking at me like that.” You demand, pushing his face away in the opposite direction. He chuckles and grabs your wrist, using it as leverage to pull you to him.

“What? Like I want to eat you?” He murmurs lowly, you hum affirmatively. “Maybe I do.”

“That could be arranged.” You whisper, he takes you back into his arms, walking with you until you hit the edge of the kitchen island. You pull him into a kiss, dragging your fingers through the curls at the nape of his neck.

He growls lowly and hoists you up onto the surface, stepping between your legs, running his hands up and down your parted thighs.

“The kids are listenin’ to us.” Joel whispers into your ear when he pulls away, nodding outside of the kitchen entryway where you realise you didn’t hear them run all the way to the top of the stairs.

“No, we’re not!” Sarah has the audacity to yell with offence, you giggle into Joel’s t-shirt.

“Get changed before I make your Dad cook his famous spaghetti surprise dinner tonight instead of getting take out!” You holler back.

“That was one time.” Joel complains under his breath.

“Make us a sister.” Ellie shouts from halfway upstairs.

“No chance! Dad got snipped after you anyway, he said you were more than enough trouble and you were barely out the womb!” You shout back, cackling when you hear both her and Sarah gag fiercely.

“It’s true!” Joel adds. “I had frozen peas on my crotch for days!”

“Gross!” They both exclaim.

That night, you sit on the patio furniture, with your husband and children, your feet cradled in his lap with glasses of wine and takeout with quiet music playing from Alexa, giggling and telling them stories of your teenage years and some of a time they’re too young to remember, planning a trip to Seattle they’re ecstatic over.

You’re certain that everything will be okay.

#the last of us #joel miller x reader #the last of us fic #ellie & sarah #ellie & joel #joel miller fic #the last of us fanfiction #joel miller

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batsythoughts · 21 days

Note

Figure skater reader is so good!! I reread it twice already! I hope one day you feel like doing a part 2, I’m curious about what happens when reader wakes up living with the batfam :) you are a talented writer

Thank you so much and I'm glad that you all love the work so much! I also appreciate you all being so patient as I get back into the swing of writing again.

Here is the much anticipated Part 2 of Yandere Batfam x Figure Skater Reader!

The whole family was eager to get back to the manor when patrol would finally end, but Bruce made sure they still did the job correctly

All it took was a reminder to keep the city safe for dangers that could potentially cause you harm, which quickly motivated the kids to remain focused

Bruce had ordered Jason and Dick to get rid of your car so that people wouldn't notice it was abandoned in the parking lot

Tim had managed to get into your phone and drafted a message to send to everyone important in the morning saying you were traveling for an unspecified amount of time

After patrolling for over 3 hours, the family made it back to the manor with minimal damage to their own bodies

Alfred was waiting to inform them that you were still unconscious, but should wake up within the next hour or so

All the kids got excited by the news, but Bruce was quick to order them to get washed and into fresh clothes

Once Alfred had insured that all injuries were treated, the whole family quietly made their way into your room to patiently wait for your awakening

Most of them lounged around the room, fixing little details that seemed out of place in their minds

Cass and Damian were seated beside your bed as they watched you slowly begin to stir

Everyone gathered close by as your face scrunched up before your eyes finally fluttered open

They watched as your eyes focus through the after effects of the remaining traces of the drug in your system

They wait patiently until you turn your head to finally look at them all together for the first time in your new home

Cass was the first to reach out as she tried to take hold of your hand only for you to pull away from the attempted contact

She frowned while trying once again, only for you to begin weakly smacking away her hands

Bruce took note of the growing unease between the children at the sight of your defiance. Clearing his throat, Bruce nodded towards the door while giving all the kids that 'look'. "All of you go get a few hours of sleep. I would like to have a talk with your sister about a few things."

He waited until after the door closed behind them before moving to sit on the edge of the bed. Using one hand to gently grasp your shoulder while the other had sure you didn't turn away as Bruce looked into your eyes.

"Sweetie, I need you to listen to me," Bruce spoke in a soft voice to not over stimulate your temporary sensitive hearing.

"Not your 'sweetie'." You send him a weak glare while trying to move your head from his touch. Your words becoming jumbled as you close your eyes. "And I'm not... not their sister."

Bruce gives a long sigh as he used a firmer hand to make use you kept looking at him. "That was your old life. This is your new life with our family. It will take some time for you to accept that, but we are here to make it easier on you. The sooner you accept that, the happier everyone will be, especially you."

His words didn't seem to sink into your head before you began struggling away from him again. Bruce shook his head before getting up and walking out of the room. Making sure to secure the lock before turning towards Alfred.

"Can you make sure to-"

"I already have the kettle on for tea and will make some toast for her to eat," Alfred assured Bruce as they stood outside of your new room. "Though I can't guarantee that she will be willing to accept the offer."

Bruce gave a nod before he began walking in the direction of his room. "Thank you, Alfred. I will check on her again in a few hours. Make sure she doesn't have a means to harm herself until then."

Which Alfred insured, putting the tea in a cup that wouldn't shatter and the toast on a paper plate

He took it to your room after making sure the tea wasn't burning hot if you wanted to drink it

When he got in the room, you were still fighting the haze of the drugs, but you were now sat up in the bed

He watched you press yourself to the wall as he set the cup and plate on the nightstand before leaving and securing the room to make breakfast for the rest of the family

They all came down after the sun had risen to silently eat the meal that was prepared for them

Bruce gave each of the kids a set of tasks to do for the day to take their minds off the ordeal that happened when they returned from patrol

After they had all went to do their respective tasks, Bruce went to the Batcave to check on you through the handful of cameras that were discretely hidden in your room

He watched you walk around, trying to find a way out and ripping the bedroom and conjoined bathroom apart

The door opened to show Alfred coming in to collect the untouched cup and plate, which caused you to throw the pillows and other objects

Alfred didn't bat an eye as he walked back out and locked you back in by yourself

Bruce watched you struggle to pull the door open and hit at the frame while screaming to be let out

He watched you continue for almost half an hour before you finally wore yourself out and laid on the floor and cried

After you had passed out, Bruce went back to talk to Alfred about how they could help you accept your new position

Jason and Tim soon came in a few minutes later saying that the car situation was fully taken care of and wouldn't become a problem later on

Tim also explained that he had put together a media stream to show you in case they needed to further convince you that nobody was curious or concerned about your whereabouts

Bruce acknowledged both of their efforts and told them to find something to be kept busy for the rest of the day

A few hours passed before Dick sent a message to Bruce saying that Cass was in her room, sulking over what happened in the morning

He took some time to collect his thoughts before going to her room to check up on her

He saw her sitting on her bed staring at a picture of you she had on her phone

Bruce went over and sat beside her, remaining quiet for a minute before saying you just needed a bit of time to adjust to the sudden change to being with the family

Cass gave a nod before saying she was simply hurt by how you reacted when you saw her

He hummed before placing a kiss to the side of her head and saying you were just startled from the new environment

That seemed to brighten Cass' mood as she gave a weak grin while agreeing with Bruce

He gave her a small hug before taking his leave to look over a few business documents in his office

Alfred had tried offering you a plate of food for every meal after he served the family

Though you barely took more than one or two bites, if you even touched the food to begin with

The family barely had any contact with you due to your continuous aggressive behavior, though it seemed to decrease just a bit each day

Despite being told to keep their distance, occasionally the kids would wait outside your door and try to start conversations

Each time you heard their voices, you threw objects at the door and yelled to be let out from this 'prison'

A couple weeks after you were brought into the family, Dick had decided to go in to try and have a peaceful talk to calm your nerves about the situation

He had Jason be lookout for in case things did end up getting complicated

The moment Dick crossed the threshold, you began raising your voice for him to get out

Dick persevered as he made it further into the room, calmly assuring you he only wanted you to understand they only wanted to keep you safe from the city's dangers

The closer he got, the louder your shouts got and the more physically defiant you began acting towards him

It didn't bother Dick one bit that you were a little upset, until he made the mistake of putting his hand on your arm

Your fist hit his cheek before he even registered that it was moving

Not wanting to accidentally cause you harm, Dick simply held up his arms as you kept hitting with all the pent up aggression since your kidnapping

Before Dick could call out to Jason for help, Bruce burst through the door with one of the coldest glares Dick had ever seen

"Out. Now." Dick had been in the vigilante business long enough to catch the authority of Batman bleeding into the man who had taken him in years ago.

Dick swiftly stepped back and left the room to avoid Bruce's wrath. Closing the door without order, leaving you locked in alone with a visibly pissed of Bruce Wayne.

He wasted no time matching towards you and grabbing hold of you in a bruising grip. Without much effort, Bruce forced you to sit on the bed before grasping your chin. He didn't let up on the pressure, even when the fear flashed in your eyes.

"You listen to me, and listen well to get this through your stubborn, little head." Bruce stared into your soul with the intensity of Gotham's protector. "We have been patient in giving you the time you needed to adjust to this new life. The kids took the verbal abuse from your ungrateful mouth. Alfred made a plate for you every meal, and never complained that you barely touched it. But I will not stand for you thinking you can physically assault your siblings."

"They're not my-" You had begun before Bruce tightened his grip and shook your head.

"They are your siblings, because this is your life now. Do you think anyone has been looking for you this entire time?" The disbelief that flashed in your eyes was what made Bruce push further. "No one has noticed you have been absent in your own life. If you need proof, then so be it."

He pushed your face away before moving his grip to your ankle. Lightly twisting the skin as he continues to stare at you. "But keep in mind, if you try hitting any of them again, I will not hesitate to break every single bone in your ankles and ruin the one thing that we still want to share with you from your old life."

Bruce squeezed his fingers for a second before finally standing up and exiting your room, slamming the door close. Finding all the kids standing at the end of the hall, waiting for Bruce's next move. He simply took a deep breath before looking towards Damian. "Show her the media feed that was put together."

Damian gave a small nod as he took the tablet that Tim held out to him. Everyone stepped aside as the youngest made his way to the door. Looking up at his father for a moment before nodding his head and opening the door.

Bruce stood in the doorway as Damian walked over to the bed. Sitting down next to you before handing over the tablet for you to look through. He watched you hesitantly look through the preselected news reports and and filtered social media sites, finding no information of your sudden disappearance.

Instead of answering, you simply handed the tablet back to Damian with a defeated look in settling on your face. Bruce cleared his throat, causing Damian to stand up and walk out of the room.

"Are you going to be our sister now since no one is looking for you?" Damian's voice cut through the silence as he waited for your response. He did feel a little bad for lying about you not being missed by those you once knew. Especially when they all saw every worry post that your family made, wondering about where you were.

Though he was aware that you needed the push to finally see them as your family. "Do you have to stay locked in here where we don't get to see you?"

Bruce gave you a stern glare as he gave you a quiet warning, "Alfred will bring you breakfast in the morning. I expect you to eat what he brings you with a smile."

With that, the door to your room got closed for the last time that night

Bruce told all the kids to get ready for patrol and stormed down the hall

Each of them shared glances before going to do what was ordered of them

The next day when Alfred brought breakfast, you didn't yell like you usually would when he arrived

And when he returned to gather your plate, Alfred was surprised to see that you had eaten a little more than half the food

With each meal that was given to you, the less food was left for clean up

The kids still talked to you through the door during the day to try and connect with you despite the fact you won't say a word to them

But after a week, they could tell you would come and sit by the door when they would 'visit' you

You never made any effort to connect, so they all just figured the loneliness was becoming too much

One night, Cass stayed at the manor, saying she wanted to have a night away from their nightly activities

She was sat outside your room for most of the night, making little conversation through the door as she leaned against it

She made a small comment about missing the feeling she got when you all had skated when first meeting

Everything got quiet for a moment before Cass heard a soft hum from the other side of the door

She shifted slightly before mentioning that there was the small ice rink that the family made for you, hesitantly offering to take you to spend some time out of your bedroom

There was a beat before Cass heard you whisper a soft "Really?"

Cass waited a moment before reaching up to open the door just slightly to see you sitting on the floor and looking at her with a slightly pleading look

She helped you up and grabbed a light jacket for the two of you before taking your hand and leading you towards the Batcave

At first you were stunned by all the tech and equipment that was in the cave, but Cass lead you towards the rink and grabbed the skates

She helped tie yours like you had done for her before and carefully lead you onto the ice

You were slightly wobbly on your feet in the beginning, but Cass assumed it was due to not skating for over a month

You both did some laps around before moving on to small jumps and maneuvers

Neither of you noticed how much time had passed until the sound of an engine cut through the relative quiet

All the boys were surprised to see you in the cave when they got back from patrol, but they didn't let their shock last too long

They went over to the edge of the rink and helped you and Cass off the ice and out of the skates

Cass wrapped her arms around you while beaming about how much she enjoyed spending the time together

Bruce saw you tense up at first before you hesitantly returned the hug with a far off look in your eyes

The boys soon joined the hug with large smiles at the fact you weren't fighting against them anymore

Bruce stood off to the side for a moment to enjoy the scene in front of him

Walking over towards all his kids, them moved enough for Bruce to get a clear look at your face.

A grin crossed his face as he leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to your forehead

"Welcome home, sweetie."

Sorry about the wait for this! I have been busy with work, family, and doctors appointments this past month. I do have a few requests in my inbox that I will be working through, but I hope to get those done somewhat quicker than I have been. Thank you all for the support and I hope you all have amazing days!

#batman #bruce wayne #dick grayson #jason todd #tim drake #cassandra cain #damian wayne #batfam #batfam imagine #batfam x reader #batman x reader #yandere batfam #yandere batfam x reader #yandere batman #yandere batman x reader #batman imagine

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emeraldbloodcrown · 5 months

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ONCE MORE

Chapter: One - Not Easy Pairing: Poly; Tattoo Artists!141 x Baker!Female Reader Summary: Deciding to get a head start in cleaning up the bakery, you end up hitting up the hardware store and meet a handsome stranger, willing to help you out. Content/Warning: Word Count: 2.6

Days passed, with both of you crashing in your old room, switching between who got to take the too old bed and who had to make due with a mattress on the floor. All of your essentials were strewn around your old desk or were still in your backpacks while the rest of your belongings had taken temporary residency in a storage facility.

In the meantime, you had been able to call a cleaning company and get them to sweep through the shop, taking all of the items that had fallen victim to the fire and documenting the damage for insurance. The safety assessment had already happened before your grandmother had written you, so today would be the first day, you’d be able to work towards the renovation.

You were sitting on the mattress, waiting for Anna to finish in the adjacent bathroom, while scrolling on your phone. You heard her return before you saw her as every step she took was accompanied by a small sound of discomfort.

“How can that bed be more uncomfortable than the damn floor?”

Without looking up, you answered her. “Cause it wasn’t chosen for comfort but for the design.” For emphasis, you clapped twice, making the LED butterflies around the frame light up.

“Never would’ve expected a 16-year old you to be so cheesy.”

“Don’t be jealous”

Anna stretched, letting out a satisfied groan when her spine cracked back into place, and she plopped down next to you.

“So what’s on the agenda?”

“Well we have someone coming to see if our electricity is intact, as well as check our plumbing, which wasn’t necessarily hit but since we have to renovate most everything, why not that too?”

Anna hummed.

“Grandma told me that the hardware store has some sort of sale today, so we should check that out and maybe get as much of what we’re gonna need as we can get.”

“Alright, you wanna do that? I can stay and be with the workers.”

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

Making a small detour to get yourself a quick breakfast on the way, after having to swear to your grandmother for the umpteenth time to only visit the family shops and ’not any of the fast-paced run of the mill stores that seemed to pop up everywhere’, you drove to the hardware store.

You still remembered it, having already existed for a long time before you were born but what had once been a small company with only a handful of employees, most of them related to each other, had expanded into a three story tall store.

When your grandmother had told you about needing your help with restoring her shop, you had anticipated that, until it got to the point of baking and selling, you’d be very out of your depth. Building had always been your grandfather’s thing, not something you held a lot of interest in, not that you would’ve been allowed to indulge in it if you had.

A part of you still recalled the look he had given you when you had needed a chisel for a school project and, not knowing the name for it, had just called it the ‘thing for wood stabbing’. An accurate description, you found, but he had not been amused.

So it wasn’t like you thought you would just wing it, but seeing the sheer size, and therefore implied variety in options, made you wonder if your original assessment of doing it yourself with the help of some friends and intense tutorials on YouTube wouldn’t just turn out to be very wishful thinking.

Still you decided to park your car and after minutes of circling the parking lot, you found a free spot quite a bit away out of the entrance. The sale had brought out more customers, you were sure, but you wondered just how well this shop was doing.

Grabbing a cart, you were still staring at the massive store, not watching where you were going and were suddenly taken out of your daydreaming when you stumbled into someone.

Losing your balance, you arm shot out to grab the pillar next to you to save you the landing on concrete, when at the same time the person grabbed your other arm, steadying you. Bitterly a part of you noticed, how he was completely unfazed by you bumping into him. He could’ve at least swayed a little out of politeness.

Apology and thanks already at the tip of your tongue, it remained exactly there when you took a look at the stranger.

At first glance, all you could think about was how handsome he looked, not quite sure if his rugged features was adding to that or if nothing could distract from and ruin his appearance.

He was wearing boots with dark jeans, both having seen better days, as they showed clear signs of wear and tear, as well as several paint blotches, with the jeans also having been haphazardly patched up.

Hoodie and coat were in the same condition, and you wondered if this was his usual attire for working.

Finally making it up to his face, you noticed his long hair, which peaked out underneath the beanie on top of his head, almost reaching his shoulders and curling around his neck. It seemed less of a fashion choice and more like he had just chosen to let his hair grow wild, which was only proven by the state of his beard. Full and long but also very unkempt.

Where you could see skin, he seemed to have strong feature, sharp jaw line only partially hidden but coming full force around his cheeks and brow. He looked wild, edging on dangerous but any fear his features might have caused were forgotten when you looked into his.

Blue.

Stunning and deep, and so very kind. There were little stress lines around them, accompanied by the darkness and bags underneath.

All in all, he looked rough, the kind you’d be polite to but keep a safe distance to. He looked like he had been dealt some shitty cards by life lately but despite it all, you couldn’t help but stare and think how beautiful those eyes of his were.

“Luv?”

And apparently he had also been blessed with an unfairly attractive voice.

In your daze, you only managed to reply with a dumbfounded: “Huh?”

Embarrassment flooded your system as soon as the words had left your mouth, pressing your lips into a thin line, before you tried to save some grace.

“Sorry, what was that?”

His hand on your arm tightened for a moment, only until he was sure you could keep your balance on your own, and then he let you go. You might not have noticed it, if it hadn’t been for you missing his warmth immediately, and the utter confusion at yourself that followed.

Alright. You made a mental note to check Tinder for any local hookups, if you were that touch starved that a stranger could cause such a reaction you were in more of a need for a good fuck than you had assumed.

“Was jus’ askin’ if you were alright. Didn’t get hurt?”

“I bumped into you. Should probably ask you that instead.”

The corners of his mouth lifted, making the lines around his eyes crinkle, giving his eyes a softer edge now.

“Takes a lot more than a pretty bird to send me tumblin’.”

You know it was meant to be a good-hearted joke, nothing serious but you still flushed a little and even he seemed taken aback by his words.

He cleared his throat, “So not hurt, right?”

Noticing the sudden awkwardness, you chose to simply hum in agreement and give him a little wave when you parted ways.

Except you didn’t, because as it turned out, you weren’t just heading to the same store but remaining on the same floor and even going to the same aisle. He looked over his shoulders, probably to make sure you weren’t some weird stalker but when he did, your eyes weren’t even on him.

Instead you looked up at the daunting and overwhelming variations of floor coatings, with more than half of them looking nearly indistinguishable to your very uninitiated eyes.

You looked and felt out of your depth and helpless, trying to figure out what the differences were, when your stranger took pity on you.

“First time?”

You heaved a sigh, “That obvious, huh?”

“‘fraid so. You want some help?”

You took a look at him but didn’t answer yet. Even in his kindness, he looked tired and you had a feeling that he would appreciate you rejecting his polite offer, but the chances of you faring without him were so thin, and with so many customers coming in for the sale, you doubted an employee would have enough time for you, so you couldn’t bring yourself to say no.

“My grandma will have my head for this but I fear I’m gonna need it.”

He smiled again and you found yourself thinking that you wouldn’t mind seeing it more often and making a mental note to try it for however long he was gonna help you.

“No beheading today. It’s no bother. What do you need?”

He closed the distance between you and you could feel the warmth radiating off of him. Pulling up the shopping list you had made beforehand, you turned your phone for him to see. His finger quickly scrolling over the display to see the length of the list before leading you to the first stop.

“I’m John, by the way.”

John turned out to be a saint, patiently explaining to you what each option he presented to you for each item on your list was for and what you needed to look out for when installing it.

“Pretty big project for a beginner.”

“Not by choice. My grandpa was the handyman in our family but I can’t really ask him, and actually calling in a service has always left me with outrageous bills. ‘Course I didn’t think I could just wing it, but last I was here this shop was much smaller.”

He hummed, taking one more glance at your phone before showing you another selection to choose from.

“Lived here before?”

“Yeah, grew up here for the most part actually.”

“Glad to be back?”

“For the most part, I guess. Not too sure just yet.”

John finished by putting the final piece into your cart, giving you a polite smile.

“Well, good luck to you.”

He turned on his heel but you stopped him as just letting him leave wasn’t sitting right by you.

“I know you said, it’s no bother but let me make it up to you.”

There was a moment where you looked at each other, both of you with crossed arms over your chest, trying to gauge who would give into the other first but John must’ve seen something in your eyes because he huffed a little before answering you.

“Alright, luv. Just give me a ring and I’m all yours.” He pulled a small notepad from one of his many coat pockets and quickly scribbled his number on it before handing it to you.

After he left you, you finally allowed you to smile at the weird encounter. That definitely hadn’t been on your schedule but you couldn’t find it in yourself to mind. Taking your cart, you pushed it towards check-out, bracing yourself for the next hurdle: actually paying for the many things in it.

There had been an easiness in John’s limbs as he got out of the shop, his lips almost humming as he got into the car and he caught himself tapping along the steering wheel but the closer he got to his destination, he felt the weight return, as if his bone marrow had turned into cement, dragging him down with every movement.

For a moment, he remained in his car after he parked, listening to the sounds around him and hoping against his better judgement to hear the familiar tunes, smell that scent of her baking, but of course there was nothing.

So he got out, grabbed his purchases and walked into his house. A house that was now solely his, despite the fact that it had been built for a family, for an ours. For her, by him.

The house was musty, needed to be aired and properly cleaned. John knew that if she could see the state it was in, she would throw a fit, tear him a new one for ever letting it come to this.

‘You gotta take care of our home’, she’d say, usually with a whisk in her hand, more often than not making her cinnamon apple buns, the very thing she brought him after their first date when he’d told he hated sweets and she’d told him, he’d love hers.

(She had been right.)

But that was just the thing. For her, their home had been their garden, the reading nook he’d built, the many pictures of their lives and all of the other finer things she had insisted on. For him, she had been his home, and with her gone, he couldn’t find it in him to care, partially hoping that the mess would call out to her and bring her back, even if he couldn’t.

Instead he had taken to disappearing in his work shed for hours on end, working on smaller and bigger projects, anything to take his mind of things. The only break of that routine was the daily phone call from Kate.

He answered her questions more on autopilot, but she hadn’t called him out for it yet so he counted his peaceful days for as long as he could, until she would inevitably drag him back to work to relieve Simon from doing his own and John’s job.

Almost, as if on cue, his phone rang, showing Kate’s number and he answered. He had the practiced replies ready for her but she finally asked him about what he had been doing, the words froze on the tip of his tongue, melted into liquid and got swallowed with saliva, as he surprised both Kate and himself by what he actually told he.

“I met someone today.”

“So what’s the verdict?”

Anna had come outside of the shop as soon as she saw your car pull up and had helped you with bringing your purchases inside. Afterwards, you had both grabbed a quick dinner, settling down on the ground while discussing your plans for the next step, also giving you a chance to check in with the results of her day.

“Well, thankfully it’s not really a must/red light situation and more a might as well/yellow situation. Both teams said that our electricity and water is working fine but that it’s gonna need some work soon, and since we’re already doing everything else, we might wanna look into that too.”

“That can’t be cheap…”

“Nope, but we should definitely be safe for at least a month or two. I mean, we did account for a lot of repairs.”

Taking a bite, you pointed at one of the papers next to her, the bright colors a stark contrast to the white of the service bills.

“What’s that?”

Following the direction of your finger, she pulled it out and showed it to you.

It was a flyer advertising an autumn festival, promising lots of foods, a show and some dancing.

“Didn’t take you for the type to go to these.”

Anna scoffed and shook her head.

“I’m not. But lots of the town’s people will probably be there.”

“And?” You prompted her to continue, not quite getting her point.

“And, your grandmother made such a fuss about community, not just from what you told me about her but also from all the times she reminded us to go to family shops instead of any of the new coffee shops or fast food restaurant. Would be a good way to get to know the people, maybe we’ll meet someone who can help us.”

#crown writes #call of duty #cod #cod mw2 #cod mwii #cod x reader #john price #john price x reader #johnny mactavish #johnny mactavish x reader #kyle garrick #kyle garrick x reader #simon riley #simon riley x reader

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cereusblue · 8 months

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https://gofund.me/96bce824

Hi, all. So, I've had a day from hell and I'm too exhausted to re-explain on another platform. But here, I'll copy paste the story here. TLDR at the bottom. If you can't help, pass it on. Literally everything helps. Love you all.

Good day all, thank you for stopping your busy day to check my page.

Let me lay out the situation as best I can.

First off, some background for myself and my family. My fiancee and I only have(had) one functioning car between us when we took in a family member of his in an emergency CPS case. We are trying our hardest to take care of her and teach her how to be a person, but our schedules and only having one vehicle has made that a struggle. She has gotten a job just last week and is working hard to get on her feet. It's great and we are very proud of her! It's part time for the time being while she learns how to manage finances and how the world works.

However, since October things have started taking a turn for the worse. Between my fiancee and I, we both worked minimum wage and in October I bent over to put on a shoe and my back made a horrible crack noise. I went to the ER in immense pain and despite having insurance, I still got dumped with a hefty bill that to this day I am still trying to pay off. I have gone through physical therapy as requested by my doctor, since he didn't want to operate on someone of my age. However, it did nothing but agitate the problem. While I can now move around again, bending over and lifting anything past 15 pounds is strenuous. I'm in pain every single day and even sitting up is difficult most days. I can't stand up for long anymore before it becomes too much on my back. But things continue to happen, as they do. I was set to come back to see my surgeon this year but on Dec 29th in the last hour of the day, my job decided that an AI system could completely take over my job and laid me off. Getting unemployment as well as answers back from my previous work has been very difficult. My benefits were cut off with no chance to refill medications or see my surgeon. So, now my continued treatment to fix my back on top of my other health issues have all been put on pause. I've been working for almost two years now to get treatment and figure out what's wrong with my health, but I am now on a desperate search for a new job.

Which leads us to today. We are already strapped for money, and on a trip to an interview and my fiancee going to work, we got taken down a gravel road that looked deceptively fine. Driving across, the ice was far deeper than it appeared and it destroyed the grill, bumper, and wheel well (I believe that's what it's called) aka part of the frame that covers the front wheels broke and are hanging. That's not where it ends. So, I took the car to get it temporarily fixed so we could hopefully figure something out to get repairs done. The car got a temporary fix, and then I proceeded to take the car to pick up my fiancee from work. He and I began our drive back home, and as we were passing train tracks a doe jumped out into the road way too close to us. She only came into view as she appeared in the lights of the car, immediately getting bodied by the car. As you can see from the image, she destroyed the hood of the car and much more. I feel horrible for the poor thing and I hope she went quickly, noticing the fur and blood on the front bumper. We managed to get the car home, but the check engine light came on. This car is a Toyota prius. Anyone who knows anything about a prius knows they are basically tin cans. So, the worry is that the cooling system is busted now too. This will exponentially increase the amount we need to pay to repair the vehicle.

The worst part is, is that this is the only car we have to go to work and for me to go to interviews. I do have a car, but it's not in running condition right now. The poor thing is a 1999 and needs some parts replaced that we have not had the funds or availability to get a list of parts and have them replaced. The car also can't move anyway right now and would need towed. The prius is our only vehicle we have, and I don't have the funds to drop on fixing it. Insurance won't pay for it as far as we have been made aware by the body shop because of the type of insurance we have.

So, this is the current estimate we have to work with in regards to repairs. The entire front, hood, coolant system, and I know a few more pieces need replaced. The prius can run and be moved to a body shop at least, but paying for it will be a nightmare. If he can't get to work, we are in major trouble. My fiancee, his little sister, and I all rely on this car for work. While I'm still looking for work, I'm very limited because of my current physical state. We've spent a lot of money on my Healthcare already and every day are worried I'm going to reach for something and have my back crack again. While we are working on Medicaid, these things are proving a slow process. They also don't cover previous medical bills when I did have insurance. So, our only choice is to live off his income currently while I'm on a search for a new job every day. Our lives depend on this one car. Especially since we live out in the woods and work is 40 minutes away.

If you've read this far, I appreciate every single second of your time. Every single hand this gofundme goes through will be a huge help. If you can't help, that's okay, please don't stress your own financials if youre in a tough spot. If you can pass this along to anyone you can, that would be more than enough. Thank you again, and I wish you all better fortune this 2024.

For those who can't read the whole thing;

TLDR; Me and my family are already going through a lot of financial troubles with my health and being laid off, our only mode of transportation is severely damaged from an unmaintained roads massive pothole and hitting a deer in the same day. Three people rely on this one vehicle for all our jobs and interviews that are far from home. Donate if you can, if not, please share and thank you so very much.

Also including another picture here for you all to see. Thank you all again, I wish you better fortune this year.

#gofundme #emergency #fundraiser #pls help #idk what else to tag rn im so exhausted

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falcqns · 9 months

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you'll be alright (no one can hurt you now) chapter one

✰ 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: Lucy Chen & Tamara Colins, Tim Bradford & Lucy Chen, background Tim Bradford x Lucy Chen

✰ 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: Lucy finds Tamara, not as a 17 year old, but as a newborn. She immediately takes her in, and vows to give her the childhood and support that she deserves.

✰ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: canon divergence, autistic!Tamara, Tim Bradford would do anything for Lucy Chen, mentions of drug overdose, and drug addiction, death (not a main character though dw), Lucy is a hardcore swiftie,

don’t forget to read and reblog, and i do not give permission for my works to be posted anywhere other than tumblr. thank you.

Title is from Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift

Lucy stood on the side walk, hands on her duty belt, and eyes on her current training officer, Scott Wrigley as he asked the woman they had just pulled over to see her licence, registration and proof of insurance. The woman willingly, gave him the documents, and Lucy found her attention wandering away from the woman in the car, and surveying the area they were in.

Lucy, truthfully, was bored. While Tim was hard on her, he was a good, solid cop, that did the job because he wanted to make a difference in the world. Wrigley, while also a good, solid cop, was only there for a pay check. He was there to write tickets for 12 hours a day, get paid, and go home to his children without a scrape on him. And while Lucy respected that, it just wasn’t for her. She wanted to make a difference, and sitting here, taking only the tame calls, was not doing that. She knew she just had to stick it out for a little longer, and Tim would be back, but she was starting to think she was going crazy.

So crazy that she was now having auditory hallucinations. Auditory hallucinations of a baby crying.

They were in the middle of nowhere, which was rare in Los Angeles. All that was here was empty, and long abandoned warehouses. There was no reason for a baby’s cry to be heard around here. Lucy shook her head, trying to get the noise to stop, and focus back on her temporary TO.

“You hear that, Chen?” Wrigley asked, stopping as he was walking back to the car.

“Hear what, sir?” She responded, expecting him to say something dumb like ‘the silence of a calm day,’ or something like that, just to unintentionally rub it in her face that she was bored out of her fucking mind with him.

“The baby crying,” he said, and Lucy stopped. He could hear it too? She thought to herself. If he could hear it too, that meant one of two things. 1) they were both going insane, or 2) the baby’s cry that she was hearing was from an actual baby. And she knew which one was more likely than the other.

“Yes sir, I do.” She said, looking around. “Do you want me to go find where the baby’s cry is coming from?”

Wrigley furrowed his eyebrows. “Why would we do that?” He questioned.

“Isn’t…that why you mentioned it?” She asked, thoroughly confused. “Look where we are. All that is here is empty and abandoned warehouses, why would we be hearing a baby cry here? We should be making sure that everything is okay before we leave.”

Wrigely smirked at her. “Good job, Chen.” He said, and Lucy dug her nails into her palm to stop her from rolling her eyes. He was testing her. “Go check it out while I fill out this paperwork.” She nodded, and headed off in the direction that she heard the cry.

The cry was growing louder as she turned the corner, ending up in an alleyway between two abandoned warehouses, covered in graffiti. She continued to follow the cry as she approached a dumpster. Her stomach was in knots. Surely if it was a parent and their baby, she would have heard the parents voice, right? Surely no one would have left their defenceless and helpless infant to fend for themselves, right?

Wrong.

Lucy walked to the other side of the dumpster, and she gasped, her heart pounding. On the ground, beside the dumpster, was a baby, who couldn’t be older than a few hours old, judging by the umbilical cord still attached, and how the baby, who upon closer inspection was a girl, was haphazardly wiped off and placed in a broken wicker basket.

Next to her, was very obviously her mother. There was a pool of blood covering her upper thighs and the ground underneath her, and used needles spread around the scene, including one still stuck in her upper arm. Lucy grabbed her radio, and pressed down.

“Control, this is 7-Adam-19 requesting an RA and a supervisor at Cromer Lane, in the first alleyway on the left, I have a 10-50, code 3.” Lucy placed her radio back, and crouched down next to the baby, doing her best to comfort the little girl without picking her up, despite how much Lucy wanted to.

“It’s okay, sweet girl,” She whispered, reaching into her duty belt for a pair of gloves. She slid them on her hands, and reached over to the baby’s mother in order to try and see if she could feel a pulse. Her heart broke for the sobbing baby girl when she couldn’t feel one.

She heard sirens in the background, as well as boots hitting the ground, clearly Wrigley running to see what was happening after hearing her call on the radio.

“Oh my god.” He whispered from behind her.

“I need something to wrap the baby in,” She said to Wrigley, and he started to retreat, mumbling something about grabbing an emergency blanket from the shop.

He returned less than a minute later, and Lucy grabbed the package from him, ripping it open. She shook the blanket to get it to unfold, before she wrapped the small infant up, holding her close to her chest, hoping some of her body heat would transfer through the blanket.

The sirens got closer, and Lucy began to see the flashing lights reflected on the brick wall across from her. Wrigley was talking to her, but she wasn’t hearing or processing anything coming out of his mouth. All that she could focus on was the tiny little baby in her arms, who was calmed down, and was just staring up at her, her small brown eyes looking up into Lucy’s.

“It’s gonna be okay,” She whispered. “You’re gonna be okay.” She heard the doors of the ambulance open behind her and paramedics rush to her side. A female paramedic crouched down next to her, and began to ask her questions about the baby and her mother.

“She seems to be okay, physically at least.” Lucy rambled, her eyes not leaving the tiny baby. “She can’t be more than a few hours old.”

The paramedic nodded. “Judging by the shaking, I’m assuming her mother was using her entire pregnancy.” Lucy nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. She watched carefully as the paramedics cut the umbilical cord, and then continued working on trying to resuscitate her mother, with no success.

They gave her 2 doses of Narcan, did CPR, and tried the AED, but nothing worked. She was gone, and had probably been gone since before Lucy and Wrigley arrived on scene.

“We have to take her to the hospital,” The paramedic beside Lucy stated, standing up. Lucy did the same, as Grey and Wrigely walked up to her.

“I’m coming with,” she stated.

“Boot-“ Wrigley replied, clearly frustrated with how hard headed she was being.

“I’m going.” She stated, firmer. She then turned to Grey, and looked at him for approval. He nodded at her, a smile on his face.

“Go with her, Chen.” He said. “Let us know if theres any updates.”

Lucy smiled. “Yes, sir.” She said, before following the paramedic, and climbing in the back of the ambulance. They were pulling away a few moments later, and were headed to St Stephens.

Lucy was able to stay with the baby until they reached the NICU. She was then told that they needed to do an assessment on the infant, but that someone would come and grab Lucy when she was able to go see her. She sat down in the uncomfortable hospital waiting room chair, and glanced around at the other families in the NICU. She didn’t know any of their stories, but they all had one thing in common; they were here because they wanted their baby to be okay.

And while that tiny little baby wasn’t Lucy’s, Lucy was the one who found her, who called for help, who held her and comforted her when she needed it the most. She had no one at the moment, so there was nowhere else Lucy would rather be than here, supporting this little girl.

“Officer Chen?” A voice said to the right of her. She looked up, and stood up when she saw the doctor.

“Yes?” She said, coming face to face with the nurse in charge of the infant. “Is she going to be okay?”

The nurse smiled. “She is very lucky, officer.” Lucy let out a breath that she didn’t know she was holding at that. “She is very healthy. She does have traces of meth in her blood, but it is a very minuscule amount. It should leave her system within the next 8 to 24 hours.”

Lucy nodded. “Okay. Thats good. I was thinking the worst.”

The nurse nodded. “She is a very lucky little girl. I have contacted DCFS, and they are going to send someone as soon as they can, it appears that they are very backed up at the moment. Is there anything you need from me?”

“Uh,” Lucy stuttered, racking her brain for the protocols to follow in this situation. “No, not right now. I will have to wait for my supervisor or training officer to proceed, but in the meantime, am I able to go sit with her?”

The nurse nodded, and began to turn. “Of course, follow me and I’ll take you to her.” Lucy began to follow the nurse down the hallway. “Actually,” the nurse said. “Would you be up to kangaroo cuddling with her? Being so young, she definitely hasn’t had skin to skin with anyone, and skin to skin is very beneficial to an infant as young as her.”

Lucy found herself nodding immediately. “Of course, whatever she needs.” Lucy trailed after the nurse into the dark and quiet NICU room, glancing at the two other bassinets in the room, each with what she presumed to be family around them, either gazing into the bassinet, or holding their baby. Lucy’s eyes met the bassinet holding the baby she had found, and her heart broke seeing the infants tiny body with wires and tubes coming out of her body, even though she had much less equipment than the other two infants in the room.

“She’s so small,” Lucy whispered, looking into the bassinet.

“She’s actually the biggest baby on the ward at the moment.” The nurse said, pointing to the chair for Lucy to sit in.

“So she was full term then?” Lucy said as she laid her duty belt on the table next to her, and unbuttoning her uniform shirt.

The nurse nodded. “Yes, she was. And perfectly healthy, other than the meth in her system, which is surprising. It seems that her mother did try to abstain from drug use while pregnant, but she most likely slipped up towards the end.”

“Wow.” Lucy said, taking off her white undershirt and laying it on top of her uniform shirt. “That’s not something I see too often.”

“Me either,” The nurse agreed, as she lifted up the infant and tucked her legs up, bringing her over to Lucy. Lucy opened her arms, and let the nurse rest the baby on her chest. Lucy immediately wrapped her arms around the baby, cuddling her as close as she could without hurting her. The nurse then laid a light pink blanket over the two of them with a smile.

“If you need anything, just press the nurses button, and someone will come and check on you. And I will come and get you as soon as DCFS or your superiors show up.”

Lucy nodded, her eyes not leaving the baby. “Thank you.” The nurse nodded, and headed out of the room. Lucy slowly began rocking back and forth in the chair, looking intently at the baby, who was wiggling around, head bobbing up and down on Lucy’s chest as she tried to get comfortable.

Once the baby found a comfortable position, she opened her tiny mouth in a big yawn, and shut her eyes, falling asleep within seconds on Lucy’s warm skin. Lucy chuckled quietly, and began rubbing her hand up and down on her back, letting her get some well deserved sleep.

After a few minutes of silence, there was a crash in the hallway from a cart crashing into a wall, and the baby jolted awake, before bursting into tears. Lucy immediately sat up, and hushed the baby in her arms.

“You’re okay, sweet girl,” she whispered. “I know, that was loud, huh?” The baby hiccuped, and her tears slowly began to stop. Her eyes were open, and Lucy smiled. “It’s okay.” She continued speaking to the infant. “You’re safe with me.” She leant down and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

The baby yawned again, and Lucy smiled at her, cupping the back of her head, rubbing her thumb back and forth against her soft skin.

“I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I’ll never let you go,” Lucy began to sing, her eyes not leaving the baby. “When all those shadows almost killed your light, I remember you said don’t leave me here alone.

“But all that’s dead and gone and passed tonight,” The baby didn’t move, just continued to stare up at Lucy as she sang. “Just close your eyes, the sun is going down. You’ll be alright, no one can hurt you now.”

A lump formed in Lucy’s throat as she gazed down at the infant in her arms. She couldn’t understand how lucky she was that Lucy was near the warehouse when she was. Despite being in Los Angeles, it was still December, and the temperature plummeted at night time, and had she been out there a few more hours, she would have died.

And now, this tiny, defenceless orphan, who’s life only started today, had no one. Had no mother, more than likely no father, and she was about to go into the foster care system if DCFS couldn’t find a next of kin within a few days. And what made it worse, was how Lucy was already dreading putting her down. She didn’t want to put this baby down. She wanted to keep holding this little girl. She wanted to take her home, love her, protect her, and raise her.

She took a deep breath as the baby’s eyes fluttered shut, and fell back into a peaceful sleep. She thought about offering to take her in, at least until DCFS found next of kin for her, if they were able to at all. She could, she was an emergency foster parent, and had been since she turned 20. She had an apartment in a safe part of the city, and made more than enough money to support the two of them.

“You’re gonna be okay,” she said to the baby. “You’re gonna come home with me, and I’m going to keep you safe. I promise.”

#natashasera #chenford #tim bradford #lucy chen #tim bradford x lucy chen #chenford fanfic #the rookie fanfiction #tamara colins fanfiction #melissa oneil #eric winter #dylan conrique

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montammil · 4 months

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Forever Be Mine

Wrote this like a month ago and never posted it, but I've been hyperfixated on romantic/intimate whumpers, and decided to post lol.

Please send asks about them if interested, I've been trying to get motivated into writing again!

CW: Yandere whumper, kidnapping, drugging, alcohol, overall creepy behavior

...

Rowan never got out often, save for groceries and occasionally visiting the bar every other weekend. The most adventure he had in the past five years was going on a hiking trail every now and then, appreciating nature. It was a temporary relief to his chronic loneliness. He had only two friends, and even then they were just coworkers at the insurance firm.

He thought about getting a pet, but was too worried about having to leave an animal home alone all day. They were far too much commitment for him.

He wasn't exactly a fan of animals anyways, so maybe it was better that he didn't get one.

One night, he decided to drink his sorrows away at a new bar. It was downtown, a club more on the expensive side, but one of his coworkers suggested he check it out. He'd never been there before, but tonight felt like as good a night as any to go.

He dressed in a black dress shirt, slacks, and loafers. Sure, he may have not been the wealthiest man alive by far, but he did love an excuse to dress up.

If he were lucky, maybe he could leave with someone.

He didn't often hook up with people. In fact, he'd only had a few hookups in his life. But he was tired of going to bed alone.

Rowan parked his car on the street nearby and walked into the bar. It was fairly crowded, bustling with the noises of conversations. He ordered a glass of whiskey at the bar.

As he sat there, his eyes began to wander around the club. The interior was nice and classy, a good attempt at making it feel like an upscale place. A few tables were occupied with people, either eating or chatting.

Suddenly, everyone's voices died down and Rowan glanced to the stage to see the performance. The musicians were tuning their instruments, a few patrons of the bar clapped lightly in anticipation. And then the singer came onto the stage, dressed in a khaki suit and a silver tie.

The moment Rowan saw him, he felt his heart jump into his throat.

He had a history of growing obsessed at first sight with certain people, but each time he told himself that this one was the last. This was the person that would finally fill the emptiness. And every time it fell through.

Rowan's eyes were locked on the man. The lights reflected off of his hair and sparkled in his eyes, catching every subtle movement of his body. When he opened his mouth to sing, it felt like the whole world had stopped. Rowan wasn't sure if he'd ever heard someone with a voice so lovely.

His eyes followed the man as he strolled around the stage, watching the way he moved so gracefully.

His heart pounded in his chest, so loud that he almost felt deafened by it. Rowan found it difficult to breathe, completely entranced. It was as though everything else in the room had disappeared, and the man on the stage was all he could see.

God, he was perfect. His voice was deep and sultry, yet sweet and gentle. Rowan couldn't help but be completely taken away by him.

"Big thanks to Indigo for having us," the raven-haired man spoke. "We'll be back next week."

Rowan swallowed the last sip of whiskey in his glass as he watched him step off the stage and begin to walk towards the bar. The alcohol was starting to cloud his mind a bit. He forced himself to put down the glass before he made a fool of himself, if he wasn't already doing that by staring. He watched the singer order a drink from the bartender, who seemed to know him fairly well.

"The usual, Sawyer?" the bartender asked.

He smiled charmingly, "You know me so well."

Sawyer, his name is Sawyer. Rowan repeated the name in his head until it was etched into his mind.

He looked over the singer again, from his shining eyes to his smile, the dimples on his cheeks, the shape of his body. And his voice. Oh god, that voice. Rowan felt his heart flutter a bit as he imagined Sawyer murmuring his name in such a sweet tone.

Rowan remained silent, observing Sawyer as he sipped his drink. The singer didn't seem to notice Rowan was staring at him, or if he did, he didn't say anything. He felt a pang of sadness. Sawyer wasn't looking at him, wasn't speaking to him.

Just as he tried to speak, Sawyer stood up and went towards the back door of the bar. Rowan felt like a fool, watching him walk away like that. But something took over him and he followed after him.

It was snowing outside, the cold nipping at his skin. Rowan wished he'd brought a coat. He spotted Sawyer out on the sidewalk, his back turned to him.

The singer's breath came out in soft clouds, visible in the air. He pulled a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket. Rowan thought that maybe it'd be best if he didn't interrupt him, but his mouth betrayed him.

"Nice night," Rowan said.

Sawyer startled a bit at the sound of his voice and looked back at him. Rowan quickly panicked, but did his best to keep his composure.

"You were great in there," he added, smiling politely.

The singer's eyes went wide for a moment before relaxing into a smile. Rowan wondered if Sawyer even recognized him from inside, or if he'd already forgotten about him.

"Thank you," Sawyer replied, turning back around and lighting a cigarette.

He was so beautiful under the moonlight. The snow was falling, and it looked so peaceful. Rowan couldn't take his eyes off of him. Sawyer inhaled deeply from the cigarette and then breathed out the smoke into the air. Rowan watched the grey cloud leave his lips and disappear into the cold sky. Sawyer flicked the ashes onto the ground and then took another drag.

"Do you always smoke outside after a show?" Rowan asked, hoping to start a conversation.

Sawyer gave a lighthearted laugh, "No, I don't smoke often at all, actually. Been trying to quit."

"That's good, it's not very healthy for your lungs," Rowan pointed out.

"Yeah, it's a bad habit." Sawyer sighed. "But I've had a rough night."

He paused, taking the cigarette out of his mouth and blowing out more smoke. Rowan just stood there quietly, unsure of what to say next.

Sawyer looked back at him again, and Rowan noticed how tired his eyes looked. He wanted nothing more than to give Sawyer a hug. He wondered if he could smell the whiskey on his breath.

"I'm Rowan," he introduced.

"Sawyer," the singer replied, then tossed the cigarette butt in a nearby trash can. "Thank you again for coming to listen, Rowan. I'm gonna head out now, maybe I'll see you around again?"

Sawyer started to walk away and Rowan felt like the words were dying on his tongue. He was so close to being able to talk to him more.

...

It was easy to learn the nights Sawyer performed at Indigo. He worked there every Friday from 8:30 to 9:30 PM.

Rowan became a regular at the bar every Friday night, the same spot at the bar each time, where he had the perfect view of the stage. Sawyer's presence was like a drug to him. It wasn't enough to watch him from afar anymore, no matter how long he stared at him. He couldn't shake the obsession.

After the fourth week, Rowan followed him home. It was a little difficult to, given Sawyer took the bus, but he managed to look like he was casually going the same direction.

When Sawyer got off, Rowan followed, a baseball cap hiding half of his face. He tried to act casual as he watched Sawyer unlock the door, conveniently living on the first floor of his apartment complex.

Sawyer then slipped inside and shut the door behind him. Rowan lingered around the area a little longer, feeling a sense of emptiness and disappointment. He was so close to him, yet still so far away. His chest ached. He just wanted to be with him.

Rowan practiced writing love letters to him on days he wasn't at work. He filled pages upon pages of loose-leaf paper with words full of adoration, spilling his heart out onto the paper.

Each letter was just as lengthy as the last, his longing for Sawyer only growing with each passing day. He didn't realize how many pages he'd written until he started running out of space. Sawyer was his new addiction, one that consumed his entire being.

Watching Sawyer constantly, he learnt quite a few things about him.

Despite Sawyer's confident and suave exterior, he was incredibly timid on the inside. When he wasn't performing on stage, Sawyer didn't seem to socialize much with others. He preferred to stay in his apartment, sometimes leaving only to go grocery shopping or run some errands.

He was glad he didn't have many friends. It already enraged him enough that people would flock to Sawyer just to talk to him after his performances at Indigo. The idea of anyone else touching him made him see red.

Another thing Rowan noted was that Sawyer really was committed to the whole 1920's aesthetic. From the photos he'd managed to take from a distance, Sawyer's apartment was full of vintage antiques and other authentic decor pieces.

He particularly appreciated the floral wallpaper in his kitchen. His walls were thin enough that Rowan could hear a gramophone playing in the evenings when Sawyer would cook dinner.

Most importantly, Rowan noticed Sawyer's soft spot for romance movies. In the early evenings, he would see some old black-and-white film playing on Sawyer's TV screen through his window.

If Sawyer wanted an old-fashioned romantic, Rowan would happily be that for him.

He decorated both his house and the lakehouse he inherited to fit Sawyer's style. It wasn't the most difficult task in the world, seeing as Rowan's own style was already pretty antique in nature.

It was a struggle to find an affordable gramophone, but it was worth it to imagine slow-dancing with Sawyer in the living room to old jazz tunes.

Cleaning out the basement was exhausting, but if everything went smoothly, he wouldn't have to even use it. Or at least, he really hoped he wouldn't have to. Rowan didn't want to frighten Sawyer, or hurt him at all, but if it was necessary, he was prepared.

Rowan's preparations were ready to be put into action, the ideal day carefully planned.

...

Sawyer plopped down on the stool, taking a swig of bourbon. Tonight was not going well. He was already upset from getting into a heated argument with his landlord about rent, and then his mother had called to tell him that his grandmother had passed away. And now, he was here, drinking his sorrows away alone at the bar.

He didn't usually drink, but god was he upset right now. And of course, his anxiety had been going through the roof lately. He hated it, how his body reacted to even the slightest of stressors.

His mind began to wander as he sipped at the bitter liquid, trying to ignore how the alcohol burned his throat.

Sawyer loved singing on stage, he really did. It was the highlight of his week, in fact. But when he was done and out of the spotlight, everyone seemed to forget about him.

People would compliment him on his voice after a show, sure, but as soon as he stepped off the stage, their attention was pulled away from him. They didn't seem to care about him otherwise. He didn't want their praise. He just wanted to feel like he was worth something.

"Is this seat taken?"

The crisp voice broke Sawyer from his thoughts and he looked up to see a man sitting next to him. He recognized him as the redhead he had spoken to a few times, and happened to be at every performance at Indigo for the past several weeks. Sawyer forgot his name, but he recognized him regardless.

"No, go ahead," Sawyer said.

"Can I buy you another drink?" he asked.

Sawyer laughed humorlessly, "Sure, why not."

Rowan ordered the both of them a few drinks and they sat together in silence for a bit.

The awkward tension in the air was thick, but Sawyer didn't mind it. He didn't feel like talking.

He stared at the other patrons at the bar, watching the way they moved about, their lighthearted laughter and conversations. He felt a pang of jealousy in his chest, wishing he could experience that level of joy in his life.

"Thanks for the drinks," Sawyer spoke after a while.

"No problem," Rowan replied. "It looks like you've had a rough night."

Sawyer couldn't help but chuckle again at his words. Was it that obvious? "Yeah, I guess so." After his third glass, his thoughts felt a bit hazy.

Normally it took more than that to get him drunk, but today seemed like an exception. His senses felt dulled, like they weren't even there in the first place.

He stood up. "I'mma head home. Thanks for the drinks."

As Sawyer left the bar, he didn't notice Rowan follow after him.

He wobbled as he walked down the street, feeling the effects of the alcohol already. He heard footsteps behind him and turned around to see the man from earlier following him. He wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or his anxiety, but he felt uneasy by his presence.

"Hey," Sawyer said. "Listen, thanks for the drinks and everything, but I'm not looking to hook up with anyone tonight."

Rowan stopped walking and just smiled at him. "That's not what I had in mind."

Something about his words sent a chill down Sawyer's spine. Maybe it was his tone, or maybe it was because the stranger's eyes seemed to darken. But Sawyer's gut told him that something wasn't right, so he just walked away without another word. His body felt heavy, sluggish. He began to regret having so much to drink tonight.

He continued walking down the street, keeping his pace brisk in case Rowan was following him. He thought he could hear the sounds of footsteps trailing behind him, but he wasn't sure if that was his paranoia getting to him or not.

A sudden wave of dizziness hit Sawyer and he stopped for a moment. He leaned against a lamp post to catch his breath.

No amount of alcohol ever made him feel this disoriented before. He looked down at the street beneath him, the pavement seemingly spinning. He groaned and closed his eyes, trying to make sense of where he was, how far he still had left to go.

When he opened his eyes again, he saw a shadowy figure in the corner of his vision. He whirled around, nearly losing his balance and falling over, if not for the lamp post he was still leaning against.

"You're not looking too good," the man said. He sounded anything but earnest.

"Fuck off," Sawyer retorted. "Seriously, just leave me alone."

He tried to walk away, but he stumbled and almost fell to the ground. The man grabbed him before he could and held him by the waist. Sawyer yelped and tried to push him away, but the world around him spun violently and his legs gave out beneath him. Sawyer could feel himself being dragged as the man supported him. He tried to speak, but no words came out of his mouth.

"Just relax," the man whispered in his ear. "I've got you."

Sawyer couldn't see where they were going, the world blurry in his vision and everything looking so distorted and nauseating. His body felt so heavy, like it was weighing him down into the earth's core.

The man continued to drag him along, until finally they stopped in front of a car. Sawyer's vision was blacking out at the edges. He heard the trunk pop open, and was gently tucked inside.

The last thing he remembered was lips pressing against his cheek before he blacked out.

Rowan was elated, absolutely ecstatic that tonight had gone so perfectly. He'd been careful not to drink too much at the bar, knowing that tonight would be an important one. He could hardly believe that he had Sawyer all to himself now.

The drive was nerve wracking. Every mile he drove, Rowan was worried that Sawyer would wake up and start screaming for help, or try to escape the trunk. But luckily, that never happened. Instead, the singer remained unconscious, still knocked out from the drugs Rowan had slipped into his drinks at the bar.

Just for this occasion, he decided to put the old lakehouse he inherited from his parents to use again.

It was a small, cozy little cottage, fully furnished and with its own bathroom. The property was a few hours outside of town and right next to a lake, so nobody would be able to hear Sawyer if he started screaming. It'd be nice to have a little getaway from the busy city.

Once he was sure Sawyer loved him and wouldn't run away, he'd move him back to his actual house. But for now, it'd be enough. He had been saving up vacation days, and most of the work he did was remote anyway.

Rowan unlocked the front door and carried Sawyer inside bridal style. He laid Sawyer down on the bed, then removed his clothes piece by piece and folded them neatly on the dresser.

He smoothed his fingers across Sawyer's bare skin, tracing the curve of his body. He was perfect in every way imaginable. He brushed a few strands of hair out of Sawyer's face.

He dressed him in sweatpants and a t-shirt. When Sawyer wasn't wearing his nice suit and tie, he was in extremely casual clothing. Rowan had gotten to know this part of him pretty well from the photos he'd managed to take from a distance over the months.

The shirt he put on him was a little oversized and hung loosely on Sawyer's body. It made him look adorable.

Rowan couldn't help himself and took a photo on his phone before returning to the living room, making sure to tie him up before doing so. He hated the thought of his beloved getting rope burn, but reminded himself this was only temporary.

No longer would he be lonely. And neither would Sawyer.

#rowan oc #sawyer oc #yandere whumper #intimate whumper #whump #creepy whumper #whump writing #male whumpee #whump fic #male whumper #whumper x whumpee #tw kidnapping #kidnapping whump #tw drugging #tw noncon drugging

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gamergoblingurrl · 2 days

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Flood relief for a friend

Within one day my friend lost it all - her home, car and workplace. The water took it all.

While traumatic, Aga's situation is shared by hundreds of others, struggling in the aftermath of floods sweeping Poland. The relief movement is in place, but with so many people in need the waiting can be long, adding to the already difficult situation.

Right now Aga and her family need basic human necessities - shelter, food, clothes and drinking water.

Hence comes my plea - help me raise funds to move Aga and her family from the temporary flood victims' shelter, which is no place for a young family, to a safe abode, with enough money to provide food and clean clothes. Her workplace has been lost to flood too and currently, she has no source of income - with the massive scope of the damages caused by the floods, processing any insurance claims for damages they have caused will take months at the least.

I am looking for good people to help my friend and her family in her hour of need, any amount counts and will make a world of difference.

https://gofund.me/46e9478b

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theworldoffostering · 8 months

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The director of special education did not show up to our IEP this week. It made the meeting a whole lot less contentious. It didn’t hurt that they assigned a much more experienced teacher to DS and our advocate showed up and kept everyone in line. Should it take that much work/effort/stress? Absolutely not! I will never understand how anyone is getting services if we cannot with all of the privileges we have personally been afforded.

DH and I talked to Ms. 6 this week. It could be worse, but it’s not great. She bought herself a car or someone else did, but it seems no one cares if she has insurance (legally required). I told her to call and get some quotes. She has not.

She has a boyfriend she met online that no one has vetted. He’s older (no idea how much older) as he has his own place. He lives three hours away in a neighboring state, but Ms. 6 couldn’t remember which city he lives in. She goes to see him on the weekends despite the fact that no one has met him or vetted him. It’s killing me! She was very vague on the details regarding what he does for a living.

Her car seems some basic repairs. Her grandpa has been a semi truck driver for decades. Hasn’t helped her with the repairs. Boyfriend is maybe some kind of mechanic but is unable to help with repairs. Mom is driving Ms. 6’s uninsured car and teaching Ms. 6 how to do donuts in it.

Ms. 6 said she applied to a PA program. When I pointed out that the PA program she applied for is a masters program (aren’t they all?) that cost $109k for the 28 month program, she seemed shocked and unimpressed. I did do a conference call with her and the high school this week to try to sort out her graduation.

Ms. 6 had knee surgery last week. I offered to be available and make the three hour drive to take her. She said her mom was taking her. The night before surgery her mom said she had to work and couldn’t take her. Grandma said she couldn’t take her because she had already take a sick day that week. Mom’s BF drove her, but apparently doesn’t like hospitals so he didn’t sit in the room and wait for Ms. 6 to be taken back to surgery. Surgery was pushed back several hours. Now mom doesn’t want to take her to the post-op appointment because the dogs have a vet appointment.

Post surgery, Ms. 6 was prescribed narcotics. Mom is an addict. Is she currently using? I have no idea but she used for at least a decade and has a conviction for cooking meth with the intent to sell. Kids were removed for many reasons including heroin use. Ms. 6 said the “oxy” isn’t managing her pain so she asked the nurse for something else AND an oxy refill. The pharmacist wouldn’t give both to mom. Mom told Ms. 6 it’s because they don’t have the same last name. I pointed out that I also don’t share the same last name as anyone in our family, and we were also recently denied a narcotic at the pharmacy. It is clear that no one that she has contact with lives in their thinking brains—they are all convinced that they are victims of one system or another.

Ms. 6 also quit her job. She said it was because they were making her do too much work.

Ms. 6 really wants contact with the other kids, particularly NB at this point. We have withheld that so far but can’t really articulate why. I think because it doesn’t feel healthy or good, and things don’t necessarily feel stable with her between DH and myself and her. I’ve talked to her a handful of times in the past month which are the first times I’ve spoken to her since she left in August. Anyone have experience in this area? Is it wrong for us to feel it out as parents before we open that relationship back up to siblings? It’s not my intention to use them as pawns, but it probably feels that way to Ms. 6. The kids here have not asked to see her, and DS and DD are actively continuing to say that they don’t want to have contact.

I’m trying to be something for her but that all feels very temporary and complicated right now. I sent her a small care package today via mail and am going to offer up some services for her like connecting her with colleges, but am trying to hold tight to a lot of boundaries at this point.

#this was foster care #adoption #parenting is hard

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koopytron · 3 months

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For Disability Pride Month, I just wanna share some thoughts.

If you are not currently disabled, you will be.

Whether it's temporary (broken leg, pregnancy, surgery recovery, etc) or permanent (paralysis, macular degeneration, lost of limb(s), chronic pain, neurodivergent, etc), you will need aid.

Whether you need tools (wheelchair, leg brace, glasses, text-to-speech, etc) or not, you will need aid.

Ableism affects everyone. Becoming older is just a countdown to some form of disability; do not fear the inevitable. Instead, look to your peers who are already affected and gain insight into what truly helps them. Because you will be next. Do not fall into the trap that you are immune to the lack of ramps or public transit.

More under the break.

While I have you, here are ways you can be more accommodating:

- Speaking clearly for those with autism, and repeat yourself (sometimes with different wording) to help them understand. Let them stim and decompress in their own ways.

- Being patient with those with ADHD, they DO want to do those tasks and answer your texts. Give them the time to find the executive function to do so. Don't take a suddenly productive day as their new normal.

- Do not stigmatize those with mental illnesses. Sometimes it is genetic and out of their control, sometimes it is caused by too much stress, and sometimes they are simply not getting the help they need. Create clear boundaries if you must. Sometimes it can be scary, and it's your choice on how to respond. But stigmatizing is the last thing you want to do. It could be you next time.

- Please move out of the way of wheelchairs if you can. It's easier for an abled person to walk through dirt and grass and wheelchairs are more expensive than you might realize; most people cannot afford them to replace them. Please do NOT push them around unless they specifically ask for it. Otherwise you are kidnapping them and it's terrifying.

- People in leg braces and other mobility aids will move slower. They know they are slower. Being huffy about it will not fix their condition. Find the patience to step around them when there is the space to do so.

- Glasses are a disability aid. They are just normalized and sometimes even fashionable. Thought I would point it out since some people don't view themselves as disabled despite wearing them everyday.

- People with chronic pain often bear it without any external signs. Never assume someone is perfectly healthy when they politely decline to give up their seat on a bus or have a handicap marker on their car and you see them walk into the store. For some people, walking for twenty minutes to pick up milk and eggs is all they can manage before they have to rest their feet and parking closer keeps them from collapsing in the parking lot.

- Do not talk to deaf people like they are stupid. Barring any other conditions, they are just like you and me. Speak normally. Most can read lips if you face them. Learning a few signs like "thank you" and "hello" is easy and even fun. (I know about a dozen signs myself and still trying to learn more!)

- Related to that, for anyone making subtitles, if the dialogue is in another language and the audience is supposed to know what they are saying, please find it in your heart to convey it. None of this "Speaking in an alien language" unless the hearing audience is also supposed to be clueless. When it's a real language this is even worse.

- Also, lots of people use text-to-speech programs. Usually because they are blind in some way. Please avoid using acronyms and replacing real spellings with fake ones. The parsers cannot make any sense of k!ll and su!c!de. Just use kill and suicide for the love of god.

I could go on and on, but even if this post has left a lasting impression on only one person then it was worth it. We are all each other's support system. Laws that affect disabled people now will also affect you in the future. Overpriced medicine will also be the prices you will be paying. Insurances will find ways to not cover you because they are assholes.

No one wants to be disabled. No one is gloating about the frankly laughable amount the government provides in aid, if they give out anything at all. Disabled people often lose benefits upon marriage. They are not a subclass for you to ignore. Unlike being a certain sexuality or gender, being disabled is something you can be thrusted in without warning at any time.

Therefore, we must take pride in our disabilities, because feeling shame is not an acceptable replacement.

#disabled #disability #disability pride #long post #accommodation #chronic pain #adhd #autism #mental illness #physical disability #deaf #blind

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briancampbell0706 · 3 months

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Tips for Making the Most of One Day Car Insurance Coverage ?

One Day Wonders: Making the Most of Temporary Car Insurance in the UK

Life in the UK can be unpredictable. Perhaps you need to borrow a friend’s car for a quick errand, want to test drive a classic car you’ve been eyeing, or have an unexpected need to transport a bulky item. In these situations, traditional annual car insurance might not be the most practical solution. This is where temporary car insurance (also known as car insurance day cover, temporary 1 day car insurance, or temporary car insurance for a day) comes to the rescue.

What is Temporary Car Insurance?

Temporary car insurance, as the name suggests, provides short-term car insurance coverage in the UK, typically lasting one day (though options for longer periods exist). This makes it ideal for situations where you need to drive a car that isn’t covered under your existing policy or don’t require year-round coverage.

Benefits of Temporary Car Insurance:

Flexibility: Tailor coverage to your specific needs, perfect for one-off situations or occasional use.

Cost-Effectiveness: Pay only for the day you need the car insured, saving money compared to annual premiums.

Peace of Mind: Ensure you’re legally compliant and financially protected while driving a vehicle not covered by your regular insurance.

Making the Most of One Day Car Insurance:

Identify Your Needs: Are you borrowing a friend’s car, test driving a classic, or transporting a large item? Knowing the purpose will help determine the type and level of coverage needed.

Compare Quotes: Several providers offer temporary car insurance in the UK. Use services like Tempcover Now to compare quotes and find the best deal for your situation.

Consider Coverage Options: Temporary car insurance typically offers different coverage levels, including:

Third-Party Only (TPO): Covers damage caused to others and their property but not your own vehicle.

Comprehensive: Covers damage to others, your own vehicle, and losses due to theft, fire, or vandalism.

Choose the Right Duration: Most temporary car insurance offers coverage for one day, but options for a few days or weeks might be available depending on the provider.

Be Upfront About the Use: Always disclose the intended use of the vehicle when obtaining temporary car insurance. Some providers might have restrictions on classic car temporary insurance or specific vehicle types.

Read the Fine Print: Understand the policy details, including excess (deductible) amount, exclusions, and claims process.

Immediate or Instant Options: Several providers offer immediate temporary car insurance or instant temporary car insurance. This allows you to get covered quickly and conveniently, perfect for last-minute situations.

When is Temporary Car Insurance Ideal?

Here are some scenarios where temporary car insurance can be a valuable tool:

Borrowing a Car: Need to borrow a friend or family member’s car for a short errand? Temporary car insurance ensures you’re legally covered while driving their vehicle.

Test Driving: Spotted a classic car you’ve always wanted to own? Temporary car insurance provides peace of mind during a test drive.

Unexpected Needs: Do you need to rent a van for a bulky purchase or transport a large item? Temporary car insurance can provide the necessary coverage.

Learner Drivers: If your learner driver needs practice behind the wheel on a car not covered by your policy, temporary car insurance offers a solution.

Gap Coverage: If your annual car insurance policy is about to expire, you can bridge the gap with temporary car insurance until your new policy kicks in.

Conclusion:

Temporary car insurance offers a convenient and cost-effective way to ensure you’re legally compliant and financially protected while driving a vehicle not covered by your regular insurance. By understanding its benefits, limitations, and how to choose the right coverage, you can make the most of temporary car insurance (one day car insurance, daily temporary car insurance, or fully comprehensive temporary car insurance) for your specific needs in the UK. So, next time you have a one-off driving situation, consider the power of a temporary car insurance policy and enjoy the peace of mind it brings.

#car insurance day cover #car insurance one day cover #temporary 1 day car insurance #temporary car insurance 1 day #temporary car insurance for a day #temporary car insurance one day #temporary one day car insurance #classic car temporary insurance #daily temporary car insurance #fully comprehensive temporary car insurance #immediate temporary car insurance #instant temporary car insurance

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ghostgenocide · 1 year

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another goofy ass cryle story prompt: craig is a field adjuster for an insurance company. while inspecting kyle's roof one day for hail damage, they get caught in another infamous CO hail storm and have to take temporary refuge in craig's company car, where they bicker about the claim; craig insists it'd be denied bc it's an old fuckin roof, kyle is hellbent on getting his $20k roof replaced by the insurance co. understandably, as one tends to feel towards their assigned insurance adjuster, kyle develops a passionate dislike for craig over the weeks-long claims process, and it gets to the point where kyle is so annoyed but also desperate to have the roof replaced bc now it's leaking that he lures craig into a lil short-lived affair with kyle's intention of simply getting a roof out of the insurance co one way or another lmao. stan thinks this is absolutely unhinged behavior on kyle's part and tries not to get involved at all costs. anyway in the end it still doesn't work and the claim is STILL denied lmao and now kyle's got craig blowing up his phone 😭😭

EDIT: lmao i ended up writing it

https://archiveofourown.org/works/49986133

#cryle #sp cryle #south park #please this hot mess just writes itself #i just want to come up with a cute lil idea but no!!#😭😭#stan and kyle are married to share military benefits #lmao of course i have to add that in there #man i just want some 'on the warpath' kyle

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dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 1 year

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General Motors (GM.N) on Thursday made a counterproposal to the union representing its U.S. hourly workers in a bid to avoid a costly strike, but United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain called the offer "insulting."

The largest U.S. automaker said it offered workers a 10% wage hike and two additional 3% annual lump sum payments over four years in its offer to the union ahead of the Sept. 14 contract expiration.

Last week, Ford said it had offered a 9% wage increase through 2027 and 6% lump sump payments, much less than the 46% wage hike being sought by the union. The UAW has said 97% of members voted in favor of authorizing a strike if agreement is not reached.

Fain, who represents 146,000 workers at the Detroit Three, said GM's offer was "an insulting proposal that doesn’t come close to an equitable agreement for America’s autoworkers.... The clock is ticking. Stop wasting our members’ time. Tick tock."

GM shares were down 1.3% in mid-day trading.

GM said the wage hike is the largest proposed since 1999. It is also offering a $6,000 one-time inflation-related payment and $5,000 in inflation-protection bonuses over the life of the agreement, along with a $5,500 ratification bonus.

Chrysler-parent Stellantis said Wednesday it planned to make a counteroffer to the UAW this week.

GM said that under its offer, current temporary employees will receive a 20% increase to $20 per hour wage and it would shorten the time it takes to get to the maximum wage rate for permanent employees - mirroring proposals from Ford.

GM President Mark Reuss said in a video posted on Thursday "we need a fair contract that both rewards our employees and protects the long-term health of our business."

A UAW strike that shuts the Detroit Three manufacturers could cost carmakers, suppliers and workers over $5 billion, Michigan-based Anderson Economic Group estimated.

With new car inventories tight, consumer experts have said that could translate into higher car prices - an important component of inflation.

Last week, the UAW filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board against GM and Stellantis saying they refused to bargain in good faith.

The union's demands include a 20% immediate wage increase followed by four 5% annual wage hikes, defined-benefit pensions for all workers, 32-hour work weeks and additional cost of living hikes. GM is proposing to give employees an additional paid holiday.

The UAW also wants all temporary workers at U.S. automakers to be made permanent, seeks enhanced profit sharing and the restoration of retiree health-care benefits and cost-of-living adjustments.

The UAW said Ford's profit-sharing formula change would have cut payouts by 21% over the last two years.

J.P.Morgan on Thursday said supply chain disruptions from a potential UAW strike would cut new vehicle production, drive up used car prices and put pressure on margins in the personal auto insurance business.

#us politics #news #reuters #2023 #united auto workers #general motors #Shawn Fain #working class #worker's rights #Detroit Three #Stellantis #Mark Reuss #Anderson Economic Group #National Labor Relations Board #unfair labor practices #collective bargaining #j.p. morgan

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newstfionline · 1 year

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Sunday, September 3, 2023

No power and nowhere to stay as rural Florida starts recovering from Hurricane Idalia (AP) The worst of Hurricane Idalia left residents of a region of tight-knit communities trying to find places to live as they rebuild—if they decide it’s even worth it—and waiting potentially weeks for electricity to be restored after winds and water took out entire power grids. A power cooperative warned its 28,000 customers it might take two weeks to restore electricity. More than 100,000 homes and businesses in Florida and Georgia remained without power Friday, according to PowerOutage.us. And even with high temperatures below normal, the high humidity meant sweltering late-summer days and nights, with no power to run air conditioners. Emergency officials promised trailers would arrive over the weekend to provide housing in an area that didn’t have much to begin with.

Americans’ Ideal Family Size Is Larger Than the Birthrate Suggests (WSJ) What do you think is the ideal number of children for a family to have? Most Americans say the answer is two to three children, according to various surveys over nearly 90 years, even as actual birthrates drop lower than that. In fact, the share of people saying they want three or more children has risen as the actual number of children being born has dropped. Why aren’t people having the families they idealize or intend to have? All sorts of life happens, and you don’t necessarily end up with the family you expected theoretically in a survey.

.ai (Bloomberg) The Caribbean island Anguilla, a British territory, has made bank this year because their country-level domain address is .ai, and amid the AI trend they’re making a fortune off of new registrations. This year, registrations at the top level domain doubled to 287,432 on the year, which would mean that Anguilla will reap in the ballpark of $30 million for the year from selling the domains, up from $7.4 million brought in in 2021.

The Bolivian Job (Rest of World) An estimated 20 percent of the total vehicle fleet in Bolivia has been smuggled, mostly stolen in neighboring Chile and then driven across the desert to one of the 73 illegal markets that are remarkably easy to find. The Bolivian government is aware of the issue, and the car thieves have become a lifestyle of their own, called chuteros with their own TikTok scene and whatnot. Naturally, this has the Chileans furious, and local police are overwhelmed with reports. Chile’s even got a new AI-fueled startup, SafeByWolf, designed to identify boosted cars faster for the insurance industry.

More than 100 British schools may face danger of collapse (BBC) More than 100 schools in England are scrambling to make arrangements after being told to shut buildings with a type of concrete prone to collapse. The government gave the order just days before the start of the autumn term. Some pupils have already been told they will be learning remotely, in temporary classrooms or at different schools. Schools found with buildings containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) have been told they must introduce safety measures, which could include propping up ceilings. This came after the government was made aware of a number of incidents where RAAC failed without warning, not just in school buildings, but elsewhere too.

Russian students are returning to school, where they face new lessons to boost their patriotism (AP) Clad in white shirts and carrying bouquets, children across Russia flocked back to school Friday, where the Kremlin’s narratives about the war in Ukraine and its confrontation with the West were taking an even more prominent spot than before. Students are expected each week to listen to Russia’s national anthem and watch the country’s tricolor flag being raised. There’s a weekly subject loosely translated as “Conversations about Important Things,” which was introduced last year with the goal of boosting patriotism. A new high school history textbook has a chapter on the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula and the “special military operation”—the Kremlin’s euphemism for the war, and some basic military training is included in a course on self-defense and first aid. “School ... is a powerful mechanism for raising a person subordinate to the state,” said Nikolay Petrov, visiting researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. “For a while the school was outside the active attention of the state. Today, it’s all coming back.”

As Ukraine’s Fight Grinds On, Talk of Negotiations Becomes Nearly Taboo (NYT) Stian Jenssen, the chief of staff to the secretary general of NATO, recently had his knuckles rapped when he commented on possible options for an end to the war in Ukraine that did not envision a complete Russian defeat. His remarks provoked an angry condemnation from the Ukrainians; a clarification from his boss, Jens Stoltenberg; and ultimately an apology from Mr. Jenssen. The contretemps, say some analysts who have been similarly chastised, reflects a closing down of public discussion on options for Ukraine just at a moment when imaginative diplomacy is most needed, they say. Given that even President Biden says the war is likely to end in negotiations, Samuel Charap, a senior political scientist at the RAND Corporation, believes there should be a serious debate in any democracy about how to get there. Yet he, too, has also been criticized for suggesting that it is important to talk to Russia about a negotiated outcome. “There is a broad and increasingly widespread sense that what we’re doing now isn’t working, but not much of an idea of what to do next, and not a big openness to discuss it, which is how you come up with one,” he said. “The lack of success hasn’t opened up the political space for an open discussion of alternatives.”

Pope, in Mongolia, laments earth devastated by countless conflicts (Reuters) Pope Francis, in words that appeared to be aimed at China rather than the neighbouring country he was visiting, said on Saturday that governments have nothing to fear from the Catholic Church because it has no political agenda. In an address to bishops, priests, missionaries and pastoral workers, he said Jesus gave no political mandate to his apostles but told them to alleviate the sufferings of a “wounded humanity” through faith. “For this reason, governments and secular institutions have nothing to fear from the Church’s work of evangelization, for she has no political agenda to advance, but is sustained by the quiet power of God’s grace and a message of mercy and truth, which is meant to promote the good of all,” he said. On Saturday morning, Francis called on leaders to dispel the “dark clouds of war.”

Typhoon Saola makes landfall in southern China but appears to cause only light damage (AP) Typhoon Saola made landfall in southern China before dawn Saturday after nearly 900,000 people were moved to safety and most of Hong Kong and parts of the coastal mainland suspended business, transport and classes. Damage appeared to be minimal, however, and some services were returning to normal by afternoon. Meanwhile, Taiwan issued a warning Saturday for a second typhoon, Haikui, which was expected to pass over the island Sunday, before traveling onward to the central Chinese coast.

Biden approves military aid to Taiwan under program normally used for sovereign states (NBC) On Wednesday, Washington approved a transfer of arms to Taiwan under the Foreign Military Financing program, which is normally reserved for use with sovereign states. Currently, neither the U.S. nor U.N. acknowledges the island nation as its own country in order to maintain diplomatic ties to China. Beijing voiced its “strong dissatisfaction” and “firm opposition” to the weapons sale, claiming that it hurt “China’s sovereignty and security interests” while damaging “peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.” Even as China-U.S. dialogue has picked up in recent months with multiple American officials visiting Beijing, the White House has continued funneling arms to Taiwan. Last month, Washington approved a $345 million arms package to the country, and is working to send $500 million worth of F-16 fighter jets to Taipei as well.

With wary eye on China, U.S. moves closer to former foe Vietnam (Washington Post) The United States and Vietnam are poised to significantly enhance their economic and technological ties, bringing the former foes closer at a time of increased Chinese assertiveness in the region. The deal, expected to be announced when President Biden makes a state visit to Vietnam next weekend, is the latest step by the Biden administration to deepen relations in Asia. For Hanoi, the closer relationship with Washington serves as a counterweight to Beijing’s influence. The establishment of a “comprehensive strategic partnership” will give the United States a diplomatic status that Vietnam has so far reserved for only a handful of other countries: China, Russia, India and South Korea.

The low, low cost of shipping (London Review of Books) The truth is that shipping is responsible, as Rose George put it in the subtitle of her classic 2013 book on the subject, for ‘90 Per Cent of Everything’. It is the physical equivalent of the internet, the other industry which makes globalisation possible. The internet abolishes national boundaries for information, news, data; shipping abolishes these boundaries for physical goods. The main way it does this is by being almost incomprehensibly efficient and cheap. As George points out, if you’re having a sweater shipped from the other side of the planet, the cost of shipping adds just a cent to the price. Another way of putting it would be to say that shipping is, in practice, free. This has had the effect of abolishing geography and location as an economic factor: moving stuff from A to B is so cheap that, for most goods, there is no advantage in siting manufacturing anywhere near your customers. Instead, you make whatever it is where it’s cheapest, and ship it to them instead.

#headlines #news

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