#thanks for reading and hopefully I'll return with second part soon

[muiitoloko]

Halo! sorry if I bother you, I just want to know if the Eli X daughter reader has a part 3? because first and second parts already broke me and now I want to know what happened to the reader and Eli also I'm really angry with Barkley 😭

If there is a part 3, take your time ok! Bye bye!

Title: Unspoken Words.

Summary: Many things remain unsaid in your new reality.

Pairing: Eli Michaelson & Daughter! Reader

Warnings: Angst, Envy and secrets.

Author's Notes: Hey there! No bother at all, I’m always happy to chat! 😄 As for Eli X daughter reader, a part 3 is definitely on the horizon. I know Barkley is the worst, right? He’s making everyone’s blood boil! 😭 So stay tuned—I promise more drama and hopefully some resolution are coming your way soon! Thanks for your enthusiasm! 🌟

First, Second and Third part here.

Also read on Ao3

You looked out the window, observing the landscape outside the school windows. It had been a week since you had returned to school, a week of receiving pitying looks as you feared. Confined to a chair, unable to play or even write like the rest of the class, Eli and Sarah had hired a teacher and caregiver who would take care of you at school and help you with your studies. She practically did everything for you while you just talked, unable to move your limbs. You hated it. You hated all of it. You didn't want to go back to school, being isolated and watching others run and play while you were alone, with Barkley teasing you. It was all so stressful.

The teacher then announced that there would be a new student in the class and that everyone should welcome him. You watched as a short, hazel-eyed, blond boy carrying a backpack introduced himself to the class, looking quite cheerful and dorky.

"Hi everyone, my name is Sinclair Bryant, but you can all call me Clair," he said with a bright smile. "I just moved here from London, and I love reading comic books, playing video games, and collecting action figures. Oh, and my favorite superhero is Spider-Man because he's super cool and always saves the day!"

He continued to chatter excitedly, sharing more about his hobbies and interests. "I also love science, especially chemistry! My dad used to take me to science museums all the time. And did I mention I have a pet lizard named Spike? He's awesome!"

The teacher had to interrupt him, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Sinclair. We're happy to have you here. Everyone, please make Clair feel welcome."

As Sinclair took his seat, you couldn't help but feel a pang of envy and sadness. Here was someone who seemed so full of life and excitement, while you felt trapped in your own body, burdened by your condition.

During recess, you watched as Sinclair made his way over to a group of kids, striking up conversations and making friends with ease. He seemed to fit in so naturally, his laughter and enthusiasm infectious. You sighed, turning your gaze back to the window, feeling a sense of isolation wash over you.

That comic event had ruined everything. If only the Spider-Man statue hadn't fallen on you, you wouldn't be quadriplegic. You hated the convention, the statue, and the superhero himself for bringing you to this point.

Your caregiver, Mrs. Watson, gently tried to coax you into eating your snack. "Come on, [Your Name], you need to eat something," she urged softly, holding out a piece of fruit.

You turned your head away, refusing to open your mouth. "I'm not hungry," you muttered, your voice tinged with frustration.

Mrs. Watson sighed, a look of concern crossing her face. "I'll go get a bottle of water. I'll be right back, okay?" she said, giving your shoulder a gentle pat before walking away.

You ignored her, continuing to gaze out the window, lost in your thoughts. Moments later, Sinclair Bryant, the new boy, approached you with a curious look in his hazel eyes.

"Hey there," Sinclair began, his voice bright and cheerful. "Why aren't you eating your snack? I would never waste food!"

You turned to look at him, your eyes narrowing slightly. He seemed completely oblivious to your mood as he continued to babble on about food. "I love snacks. My favorite is chocolate chip cookies. What's yours?" he asked, shifting topics so quickly it made your head spin.

The bitterness in your heart grew, and you looked away, not wanting to engage. But Sinclair's next question caught you off guard.

"Do you like Spider-Man?" he asked, his eyes wide with excitement.

"I don't," you replied bitterly, your voice cold. "I hate him."

But Sinclair didn't seem to hear the disdain in your tone. Instead, his gaze shifted to your electric wheelchair, his curiosity piqued. "Whoa, that's a cool wheelchair!" he exclaimed, leaning in closer to get a better look. "How does it work?"

His enthusiasm and ignorance about your pain only made you feel worse. Here was this boy, full of life and curiosity, unable to understand the weight of your suffering. "It's not a toy," you snapped, your voice laced with anger. "I need it because I can't move."

Sinclair's face fell slightly, but he quickly recovered, a determined look in his eyes. "Well, it must be really handy to get around in," he said, trying to find a positive spin. "I bet you can go super fast in it!"

You glared at him, wishing he would just go away. But Sinclair's relentless optimism made it clear he wasn't leaving anytime soon. "I know it must be tough," he said more softly, his tone surprisingly earnest. "But if you ever want to talk about comic books or anything, I'm here."

You stared at him, surprised by the sudden shift in his demeanor. There was something genuine in his eyes that made you pause. Despite your bitterness, you couldn't help but feel a tiny flicker of warmth at his words. Maybe, just maybe, not everyone would treat you with pity or scorn.

After a moment of awkward silence, Sinclair walked away, his curiosity still lingering. As he returned to the group of new classmates, he couldn't help but glance back at you, seeing the sadness in your eyes as you stared out the window.

"Hey, who is she?" He asked one of the boys, nodding in your direction.

The boy, eager to share the latest gossip, leaned in and whispered, "That's [Your Name] Michaelson. She's Barkley's twin sister."

Another girl chimed in, her voice tinged with pity, "Yeah, she's crippled. My mom said it's the worst thing that could happen to someone, not being able to move."

The kids continued to gossip, their voices low but filled with speculation and sympathy. Sinclair, however, tuned them out. His eyes were fixed on you, observing the way the sunlight streamed through the window, casting a soft glow on your hair and making your eyes shine. In that moment, he thought you looked beautiful, despite the sadness etched into your features.

Sinclair made up his mind right then and there. He decided he was going to be your friend, no matter what. You needed someone who didn't see you as a burden or an object of pity, and Sinclair felt he could be that person.

As the bell rang, signaling the end of recess, Sinclair approached you once more. This time, he wore a determined expression. "Hey, [Your Name]," he said softly, his voice gentle and sincere. "I know things are tough right now, but if you ever want to talk about comic books, or just anything, I'm here. And... I think Spider-Man is pretty cool, but maybe we can find another hero that you like."

You didn't respond, but Sinclair wasn't deterred. He gave you a small, encouraging smile before heading back to class, already planning ways to make you smile. He was determined to break through the walls you had built around yourself and show you that you didn't have to face this new reality alone.

As the school day ended, you navigated your electric wheelchair toward the exit, Mrs. Watson walking alongside you. The routine was familiar by now, but it didn't make it any easier. You were already dreading the evening ahead, knowing it would be another night of frustration and resentment.

Just as you reached the school entrance, you heard a voice calling out, "Hey, wait up!" You turned slightly, recognizing Sinclair Bryant running toward you, his backpack bouncing on his back. Mrs. Watson paused, giving Sinclair a polite smile as he approached.

"Hello, Mrs. Watson," Sinclair greeted warmly before turning his attention to you. "Hey, [Your Name]. I wanted to ask you something."

You looked at him with a mix of curiosity and irritation. "What do you want, Bryant?" you asked, your tone clipped.

Sinclair's smile didn't falter. "I was wondering if you wanted to be friends with me. I think we could have a lot of fun together."

You felt a surge of bitterness well up inside you. "No," you replied flatly, already starting to move your wheelchair again.

But Sinclair wasn't easily deterred. He trotted alongside you, talking a mile a minute. "Oh, come on, being friends with me has lots of perks! I love comic books, so we could talk about our favorite heroes. And I have a pet lizard named Spike, who's really cool. Plus, my dad takes me to science museums all the time, and I could tell you all about the stuff I see there. And I'm really good at video games, so I could teach you some tricks!"

You glanced at him out of the corner of your eye, noticing how his enthusiasm never wavered. He genuinely seemed to enjoy talking, filling every silence with his animated chatter. Despite yourself, you found a tiny part of you appreciating his persistence, even if you didn't want to admit it.

"We're friends now, you know," Sinclair insisted, a confident grin spreading across his face. "Whether you like it or not, I'm going to be around."

You rolled your eyes but couldn't help a small smile from tugging at your lips. Sinclair's energy was infectious, even if you weren't ready to admit it.

As you reached the school entrance, Sinclair suddenly stopped talking. His eyes lit up as he spotted someone waiting for him – a well-dressed man standing beside a sleek car. "There's my butler!" Sinclair exclaimed happily. He turned back to you, his smile even brighter. "See you tomorrow, pretty girl!" With that, he dashed off, his backpack swinging wildly behind him.

Mrs. Watson looked down at you with a soft smile. "He seems like a good boy, [Your Name]. Full of energy and kindness."

You huffed irritably, turning your gaze away. "He's just feeling sorry for me," you muttered, unwilling to acknowledge the warmth Sinclair's words had stirred within you.

As you and Mrs. Watson made your way to your own car, you couldn't help but replay Sinclair's words in your mind. Maybe, just maybe, his offer of friendship wasn't solely out of pity. But for now, you weren't ready to let your guard down. The walls around your heart remained firmly in place, even as a small crack of hope began to form

Meanwhile, on the way home, Sinclair chatted animatedly with his butler, James, who was driving the sleek car through the busy streets.

"So, Master Clair, how was your first day at the new school?" James asked, glancing at Sinclair through the rearview mirror.

Sinclair's cheerful demeanor dimmed slightly. "It was okay, I guess. I don't like it that we're always moving around. It's hard to make new friends when you're constantly changing schools."

James nodded understandingly. "I know it's tough, Master Clair. But your father did say this would be the last time, didn't he?"

"Yeah, he did," Sinclair replied with a sigh. "I hope he means it this time."

"Did you make any new friends today?" James inquired, trying to lift Sinclair's spirits.

Sinclair's face brightened again. "Yes, I did! I made a few friends, and there's this one girl... she's really pretty. We're friends now."

James smiled knowingly, catching Sinclair's excitement in the rearview mirror. "Oh, really? What's her name?"

"[Your Name]," Sinclair said with a big grin. "But... there's something different about her. She's in a wheelchair."

James's expression softened as he continued to drive. "Is she now? That must be challenging for her."

Sinclair nodded, his enthusiasm undiminished. "Yeah, I heard some kids saying she's... quadriplegic," he said, stumbling slightly over the word.

James glanced back at Sinclair, his curiosity piqued. "Quadriplegic, you say? Do you know what that means, Master Sinclair?"

Sinclair shook his head, looking a bit puzzled. "Not really. What does it mean, James?"

James took a moment to think, choosing his words carefully. "Well, Sinclair, being quadriplegic means that she can't move her arms or legs. It's usually due to a serious injury to her spinal cord. It can make life very difficult, but it doesn't change who she is as a person."

Sinclair's eyes widened with a mix of understanding and sadness. "Oh, that's really tough. No wonder she seemed so sad. But I still want to be her friend. Maybe I can help her feel better."

James smiled warmly at Sinclair's determination. "That's a wonderful attitude to have, Master Sinclair. I'm sure she could use a friend like you. Just remember to be kind and patient. Sometimes people need a little extra time to open up when they're going through something difficult."

Sinclair nodded earnestly. "I will, James. I promise. I want her to know that she's not alone and that she can still have fun and be happy."

As they continued their journey home, Sinclair's mind was filled with thoughts of how he could be a good friend to you, determined to bring some joy and comfort into your life despite the challenges you faced

Meanwhile, at your own home, Eli welcomed you and Barkley, saying goodbye to Mrs. Watson as she left for the day. He greeted you both warmly, his eyes filled with concern as he asked about your school day. Barkley eagerly began to recount his adventures, his voice full of excitement, but you remained silent, ignoring your father and avoiding his gaze.

"Go wash your hands, Barkley," Eli instructed, his tone gentle but firm. Barkley obeyed quickly, running up the stairs to his bedroom. Meanwhile, you pressed the button on your wheelchair and navigated through the house to your bedroom, which was now separate from your brother's. Since Barkley's bedroom was upstairs and you couldn't go there alone, your new room was downstairs, converted from Eli's old office.

Eli followed you into your bedroom, his expression filled with a mix of determination and sadness. He knelt beside your wheelchair, helping you take off your sneakers with practiced care. "Mrs. Watson told me you didn't want to eat again today," he said softly, his voice tinged with worry.

You remained silent, staring straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge him. Eli's heart ached at your stubborn refusal to engage with him. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his frustration in check. "Sweetheart, I know this is hard for you," he continued, his voice gentle but firm. "But you need to eat to stay strong. We want to help you, but we can't do that if you don't take care of yourself."

You turned your head away, the silence between you stretching uncomfortably. Eli reached out to gently touch your shoulder, his fingers trembling slightly. "Please, [Your Name]," he pleaded, his voice barely above a whisper. "Talk to me. Let me help you."

But you remained resolute, your eyes fixed on the wall as you shut him out. Eli sighed deeply, his shoulders sagging with the weight of his own helplessness. He stood up slowly, his mind racing with thoughts of how to break through the barrier you had built around yourself.

"I'll be right back with dinner," he said quietly, his voice tinged with a mix of determination and sadness. "I hope you'll join us at the table."

As Eli left your room, his heart heavy with the pain of your silence, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt and regret. He vowed to find a way to reach you, to show you that you were not alone in this struggle. But for now, all he could do was hope that one day, you would let him back into your world.

Eli moved to the kitchen, his mind a whirlwind of emotions as he prepared dinner for the children. The familiar tasks of washing vegetables, boiling water, and setting the table offered a brief respite from the turmoil in his heart. He meticulously prepared each dish, making sure everything was just right. Barkley, already seated at the table, was eagerly flipping through his comic book, his excitement bubbling over as he waited for Eli to join him.

Eli placed Barkley's plate in front of him and forced a smile. "Here you go, champ," he said, his voice warm despite his inner turmoil. Barkley looked up, his eyes shining with enthusiasm.

"Dad, can I tell you about this cool comic I read today?" Barkley asked, his voice brimming with excitement. "It's about a hero who—"

"Sure, buddy," Eli interrupted, nodding as he set the table. "I'd love to hear about it."

Though Eli didn't understand the appeal of superheroes, he was grateful for the distraction Barkley provided. He listened intently, trying to keep up with the details, even if they felt foreign to him. The animated way Barkley described the hero's adventures was a stark contrast to the heavy silence that often surrounded his interactions with you.

As he finished setting the table, Eli called you to dinner. The soft hum of your electric wheelchair grew louder as you navigated into the dining room. The sound was a constant reminder of the changes in your life, a reminder that cut through Eli every time he heard it.

You approached the table, and Eli quickly moved to help you get settled. He placed your plate in front of you and took his seat next to you, ready to assist with feeding you. Your eyes, still avoiding his, were focused on your plate.

Eli hesitated, his heart aching as he watched you struggle with your emotions. "Mom's working late tonight," he said gently, anticipating your question. "She’ll be home later."

You nodded slightly, acknowledging his answer but remaining silent. Eli’s heart clenched at your reticence. He knew that mealtime was often a battleground, a time when your frustration and resentment surfaced most strongly.

Across the table, Barkley continued to chatter enthusiastically about his comic book, oblivious to the tension between you and Eli. "And then the hero used his super strength to lift this huge truck! It was so cool!"

Eli forced a smile, trying to engage with Barkley's excitement. "That does sound pretty amazing, Barkley," he said, though his attention kept drifting back to you. He couldn't shake the feeling of helplessness as he watched you silently chew your food, refusing to meet his gaze.

Desperate to include you in the conversation, Eli tried to bridge the gap. "So, [Your Name], anything interesting happen at school today?" he asked, his voice tinged with a mix of hope and anxiety.

You remained silent, your expression closed off. Eli's smile faltered, his frustration mounting. He didn’t want to push you, but the constant silence was wearing on him. "Come on, sweetheart," he urged softly. "You can tell me anything."

Your jaw tightened, a flicker of anger passing over your face. You looked up briefly, your eyes meeting Eli's with a mixture of defiance and hurt. "Nothing happened," you muttered, your voice barely above a whisper. "Just leave me alone."

Eli's heart sank, a wave of frustration crashing over him. He clenched his fists under the table, struggling to keep his emotions in check. "I'm just trying to help," he said, his voice strained. "I want to know what's going on in your life."

You turned your head away, refusing to engage. The silence stretched painfully, the tension thickening in the air. Eli's frustration simmered beneath the surface as he attempted to focus on feeding you. The silence between you grew heavier with each passing moment, making the simple act of eating feel like an insurmountable task.

Barkley, sensing the tension but too caught up in his excitement to fully grasp its gravity, interrupted eagerly. "Dad, there's a new kid in our class!" he announced, his eyes wide with enthusiasm. "His name is Sinclair Bryant, and he's really cool. He likes comics too, and guess what? His favorite hero is—"

"Enough, Barkley!" Eli snapped, his voice sharp and cutting off his son mid-sentence. Barkley recoiled slightly, confusion and hurt flickering across his face. Eli immediately regretted his harsh tone but couldn't bring himself to apologize. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm. "Let's not talk about heroes right now, okay? Let's just focus on dinner."

Barkley nodded reluctantly, his excitement dimming as he returned to his meal. Eli turned his attention back to you, his eyes filled with a mixture of concern and frustration. He carefully scooped up a spoonful of food, bringing it to your lips. "Come on, sweetheart," he urged softly, trying to keep his voice steady. "You need to eat something."

You turned your head away, your expression hardening. "I'm not hungry," you muttered, your voice barely audible. The defiance in your tone only fueled Eli's growing frustration.

Eli's patience, already frayed, snapped under the weight of your rejection. He grabbed your chin firmly, his fingers digging into your skin as he forced you to look at him. His eyes blazed with a mixture of anger and desperation. "You will eat," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "I’m tired of this. I’ve tried to be patient, but I can't take it anymore. I won't let you destroy yourself. You’ll eat, even if I have to shove the food down your throat."

Your eyes widened in shock and fear, tears spilling over as you struggled to free your chin from his grip. "I hate you!" you cried, your voice breaking with emotion. "I hate you, Daddy!"

Eli's heart clenched painfully at your words, but he didn't release his hold. His grip tightened slightly, his frustration and helplessness boiling over. "Hate me all you want," he snapped, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and pain. "But I won't let you waste away. You need to eat, and you will eat."

The tears streamed down your cheeks as you continued to struggle, your small body shaking with sobs. The sight of your distress cut Eli deeply, but he forced himself to hold firm. He knew he had to be strong, even if it meant being the villain in your eyes.

"Please, sweetheart," Eli murmured, his voice softening slightly as he tried to rein in his anger. "I just want to help you. I don't want to see you suffer like this."

You continued to cry, your sobs echoing through the room as you finally stopped struggling, defeated by your own helplessness. Eli's grip on your chin loosened, and he carefully brought the spoon to your lips once more.

"Open your mouth," he instructed gently, his voice strained with emotion. "Please, just a little bit. For me."

With tears still streaming down your face, you reluctantly opened your mouth, allowing him to feed you. Eli's heart ached with a mixture of relief and sorrow as you finally took a bite, your small frame trembling with the effort.

Eli continued to feed you in silence, his own tears threatening to spill over as he struggled to maintain his composure. Each bite felt like a victory tinged with defeat, a painful reminder of the gulf that had grown between you.

Across the table, Barkley watched in silence, his eyes wide with a mixture of fear and confusion. The usually lively dinner table had become a battleground, and the weight of the unspoken tensions hung heavily in the air.

As Eli finished feeding you, he set the spoon down with a shaky hand, his heart heavy with the weight of your words. He reached out to gently wipe away your tears, his touch tender despite the turmoil in his heart.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice barely audible as he struggled to keep his emotions in check. "I just... I can't stand to see you like this."

You turned your head away, the pain and anger still etched into your features. Eli's heart ached with the realization that his attempts to help had only driven a deeper wedge between you. As he sat back in his chair, the silence between you stretched unbearably, a chasm of pain and regret that seemed impossible to bridge.

In that moment, Eli felt the full weight of his failure as a father, his heart breaking under the strain of your suffering. He had wanted to protect you, to shield you from the harsh realities of the world, but in his desperation, he had only succeeded in pushing you further away.

As the darkness of the evening settled around them, Eli could only hope that someday, somehow, he would find a way to reach you, to heal the wounds that had been inflicted by the cruel hand of fate. But for now, all he could do was hold on to the fragile thread of hope that bound you together, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

Later that evening, the house was cloaked in the quiet calm that settled after dinner. Eli carefully navigated you from the living room to your bedroom, your electric wheelchair gliding smoothly across the polished floors. The day had taken its toll, and you were visibly weary. He gently helped you into bed, tucking the blankets around you with a tenderness that belied the day's frustrations.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," Eli whispered, his voice tinged with exhaustion and sorrow as he kissed your forehead.

You stared at the ceiling, your eyes betraying the turmoil within, but you didn't respond. Eli sighed softly, standing up and turning off the light, casting the room into a soft, comforting darkness.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Barkley was engrossed in his video game, his small hands deftly maneuvering the controller as he battled digital foes on the screen. The flashing lights and triumphant music filled the room, a stark contrast to the heavy silence in your bedroom.

Eli moved to the kitchen, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. He started washing the dishes, the rhythmic sound of water and clinking cutlery providing a semblance of normalcy amidst the chaos of his thoughts.

"Dad!" Barkley's voice called out from the living room, his tone eager and filled with anticipation. "Come play video games with me!"

Eli paused, his hands submerged in soapy water. He glanced toward the living room, feeling a pang of guilt at Barkley's request. "I don’t know how to play those games, Barkley," Eli called back, his voice tired but gentle.

Barkley’s face scrunched in disappointment as he peeked into the kitchen. "I can teach you, Dad. It’s really fun. Just give it a try."

Eli shook his head, his focus returning to the dishes. "Not tonight, Barkley. We can play something else later, okay?"

A frown creased Barkley's face, and he grumbled under his breath, his frustration bubbling over. "You'd play with me if I were the cripple."

Eli froze, his hands stilling in the sudsy water. The air seemed to crackle with tension as he slowly turned to face Barkley, his eyes wide with shock and anger. "What did you just say?" Eli's voice was low, trembling with restrained fury.

Barkley met his father's gaze defiantly, his small chin jutting out in stubborn resolve. "You always pay more attention to [Your Name]. Never to me. If I were the cripple, you'd play with me. But you don't care about me."

Eli's hands trembled as he set the dish aside, drying them hastily on a towel. He moved towards Barkley, his heart pounding with a mixture of disbelief and anger. "How dare you talk like that, Barkley?" Eli demanded, his voice a harsh whisper as he knelt to look his son in the eye. "Do you understand how hurtful that is? Your sister is going through something terrible, and she needs us."

Barkley's eyes glistened with unshed tears, his lips trembling as he tried to hold onto his defiance. "She’s always getting all the attention. I can run, I can play, but nobody cares about that! I hate her! I wish she would just go away!"

Eli felt as though the ground had shifted beneath him. His heart ached at Barkley's words, the raw emotion in his son's voice cutting through him like a knife. "Barkley," he began, his voice heavy with sorrow, "I know this is hard for you too. But wishing harm on your sister isn’t the answer. You have to understand, we love you both."

But Barkley's resentment only seemed to deepen. "You don’t get it, Dad. She takes everything! You never have time for me anymore. I wish she would die!"

Eli recoiled as if struck, his breath catching in his throat. The words echoed painfully in the quiet kitchen, hanging in the air like a dark cloud. "Enough!" Eli's voice broke, a mixture of anger and heartbreak etched into every syllable. "Go to your room. Now."

Barkley’s face crumpled, but he held his ground for a moment, his eyes flashing with a final spark of defiance. Then, with a choked sob, he turned and ran upstairs, the sound of his footsteps echoing down the hall.

Eli stood frozen in the kitchen, his mind reeling with the weight of Barkley’s words. The dishes lay forgotten in the sink, the water growing cold as Eli grappled with the bitter reality of his son's resentment. The enormity of the situation pressed down on him, threatening to crush the fragile hope he clung to so desperately.

As the house settled into an uneasy silence, Eli's thoughts turned to you, lying alone in your room, and to Barkley, wrestling with his own tumultuous emotions upstairs. The fragile balance of their family had been shattered, and Eli could only wonder how they would ever find a way to heal the wounds that had torn them apart.

Sarah arrived home later that evening, her expression tense and her movements restless. Eli wasted no time in approaching her, his face etched with the weight of the day’s turmoil. He saw the briefcase she carried, a constant reminder of the hours she spent at work, and the exhaustion in her eyes mirrored his own.

"Sarah, did you find out anything?" Eli asked urgently, his voice filled with the desperate need for answers. He grasped her arm lightly, searching her face for any hint of hope. "Can we sue the organizers? They need to be held accountable for what happened to [Your Name]."

Sarah’s eyes darted away, and she hesitated, wringing her hands nervously. The soft light of the hallway cast long shadows across her face, accentuating her unease. She took a deep breath, her shoulders tense as she met Eli's gaze.

"Eli," she began, her voice trembling slightly, "I went to the convention center today. I spoke with their security team and asked to see the footage from the cameras." She paused, her eyes flickering with an emotion Eli couldn't quite place.

"And?" Eli pressed, his anxiety mounting as he watched her closely. "What did you find out? Can we hold them responsible for what happened to our daughter?"

Sarah swallowed hard, her hands twisting the strap of her purse. She took a step back, her eyes clouded with a mysterious, almost evasive look. "It’s not what we thought," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "The footage... it shows that [Your Name] caused the accident herself."

Eli's breath caught in his throat, and he stared at her in disbelief. "What do you mean?" he demanded, his voice rising with a mix of anger and confusion. "How could she cause her own accident? She’s just a child!"

Sarah flinched at his tone, her fingers tightening around the purse strap. She looked down, unable to meet his eyes as she spoke. "She was playing around the Spider-Man statue," she explained, her voice strained. "The footage shows her climbing on it, trying to... I don’t know, maybe get a better look or something. It wasn’t stable, and it fell."

Eli felt the ground shift beneath him, his mind reeling with the implications of her words. "No," he whispered, shaking his head in disbelief. "That can’t be right. [Your Name] wouldn’t do something like that. She’s careful, always has been."

"I know," Sarah said, her voice cracking with emotion. "But that’s what the footage shows, Eli. I watched it multiple times. It was an accident, but it was... it was her own doing." Her hands trembled, and she glanced around the room as if searching for something to ground her.

Eli staggered back, his legs threatening to give way as the weight of the revelation crushed him. He sank into a nearby chair, his head in his hands as he tried to process the news. The image of his daughter, broken and confined to a wheelchair, flashed before his eyes, and he felt a wave of grief and guilt wash over him.

"No," he murmured, his voice barely audible as he struggled to contain his tears. "I can’t believe this. It can’t be true."

Sarah approached him cautiously, her movements slow and deliberate. She reached out to touch his shoulder, her fingers cold against his skin. "I’m so sorry, Eli," she whispered, her voice filled with a quiet sorrow. "I know how hard this is to hear. But there’s no one to sue, no one to blame. It was just a terrible accident."

Eli looked up at her, his eyes filled with a mixture of disbelief and anguish. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words caught in his throat, strangled by the knot of emotions that threatened to overwhelm him. Sarah’s gaze was steady, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes—something Eli couldn’t quite identify.

"Why are you so nervous, Sarah?" he asked finally, his voice trembling with suspicion. "You’re not telling me everything, are you?"

Sarah’s eyes widened slightly, and she glanced away, her hands twisting in her lap. "I’m just... I’m worried about [Your Name]," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "This whole situation is tearing us apart, and I don’t know how to fix it."

Eli watched her closely, his mind racing with a thousand unanswered questions. He wanted to believe her, to find solace in her words, but a nagging doubt gnawed at the edges of his thoughts. There was something in her demeanor that didn’t quite add up, a shadow of unease that lingered just beneath the surface.

But Eli shook his head, his brow furrowing as he tried to recall the events of that day. “No, Sarah,” he said, his voice firm despite the tremor of doubt creeping in. “I remember clearly. She wasn’t climbing anything. She was sitting on the ground, playing with her Doctor Octopus doll. I had just left the diner and saw it happen. The statue fell on her while she was sitting on the floor, not climbing the statue.”

Sarah’s eyes widened slightly, a flicker of panic flashing across her features before she quickly masked it. Her hands twisted the strap of her purse more tightly, her knuckles white. “Eli, you were so shaken that day,” she insisted, her voice wavering slightly as she tried to maintain her composure. “You don’t know what you were thinking. It was chaotic and traumatic. Maybe you just misremembered.”

Eli ran a hand through his hair, his confusion deepening as he tried to piece together the fragments of his memory. “I saw it, Sarah,” he repeated, his voice growing more uncertain. “I saw the statue fall on her. I don’t remember much else, just the pain and the sight of her bruised and broken...”

He trailed off, his eyes searching Sarah’s face for any sign of reassurance. But instead of comfort, he found only a deepening sense of unease. Sarah’s evasiveness, her refusal to meet his gaze, only heightened his suspicion that there was more to the story than she was letting on.

Sarah shifted uncomfortably, her eyes darting around the room as if seeking an escape. “Eli, I know you’re struggling with this,” she said softly, her voice tinged with a mysterious, almost desperate urgency. “But you have to trust me. I watched the footage myself. There’s no one else to blame. It was just a tragic accident.”

Eli felt a cold knot of doubt twist in his stomach. His own memories were hazy, clouded by the overwhelming shock and grief of that day. He remembered the statue falling, the sickening thud as it struck you, and the sight of your small, bruised body beneath the wreckage. But beyond that, everything was a blur of pain and confusion.

He looked at Sarah, his eyes narrowing as he tried to read the expression on her face. “Why are you so nervous, Sarah?” he asked, his voice low and probing. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Sarah’s eyes flickered with a momentary flash of guilt, but she quickly averted her gaze, her lips pressing into a thin line. “I’m just worried about [Your Name],” she repeated, her voice trembling slightly. “This whole situation is tearing us apart, Eli. We need to focus on helping her, not on dredging up painful memories.”

Eli clenched his fists, his mind racing with conflicting emotions. He wanted to believe Sarah, to trust that she was telling him the truth. But the nagging doubt in the back of his mind refused to be silenced. Something about her demeanor, the way she avoided his gaze, made him question everything he thought he knew.

“I’m going to get some air,” Eli muttered, his voice tight with frustration as he turned away from Sarah and headed for the door. “I need to clear my head.”

As he stepped outside, the cool evening air washed over him, providing a brief respite from the turmoil churning inside him. He leaned against the railing, his mind a whirlwind of conflicting memories and emotions. He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something crucial he was missing, some piece of the puzzle that had yet to fall into place.

Meanwhile, inside the house, Sarah sank into a chair, her hands trembling as she clutched her purse. Her heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing with the fear that Eli was getting too close to the truth. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to steady herself as she tried to think of a way to keep her secrets hidden.

Unbeknownst to both of them, Barkley stood at the top of the stairs, his small frame hidden in the shadows as he listened to their conversation. His eyes were wide with a mixture of fear and guilt, his heart pounding as he replayed the events of that fateful day in his mind.

He had been jealous, consumed by the belief that you always stole Eli’s attention. In a fit of anger and resentment, he had pushed the Spider-Man statue, not realizing the terrible consequences his actions would have. And now, as he watched his parents struggle with their own confusion and grief, Barkley’s guilt gnawed at him, a silent, unbearable weight he carried alone.

As Eli stood outside, lost in thought, and Sarah grappled with her own fears inside, Barkley retreated to his room, his mind swirling with the realization that the truth he held could shatter their family even further. And in the quiet darkness of the house, the weight of that secret hung heavy, casting a long shadow over them all.

[rising-volteccers]

So this is just a self indulgent piece exploring a silly idea I had, where Friede latches on to the closest warm object when he's out of it. Thanks to @gem-in-the-horizon for giving me the idea to write up a sort of 5+1 piece and for inspiration on some of the scenes written here! I decided to fully embrace the self indulgence by framing some parts from the perspective of polycule Volt Tacklers (a ship between Friede, Orla, Mollie and Murdock) + a bit of Friede being a dad towards Roy haha!

Oh and Amethio gets to suffer a little too. Anyway, hopefully it's an enjoyable read! Spoilers for HZ033-HZ034.

Series: Pokemon Horizons

Characters: Friede, Ludlow, Orla, Mollie, Murdock, Roy and Amethio

---

Ludlow was no stranger to how unpredictable the seas could be. Seeing a smattering of gray clouds in the distance, he knew it was time to leave. While it was a shame to cut their fishing trip short, Ludlow preferred to be on land when the storm inevitably hits.

“Huh? We're heading back already, Gramps?” Friede questioned once he stored away his fishing rod.

“Mmhmm. The weather's changing. No sailor wants to be out on stormy seas if they could help it,” Ludlow explained, shuffling his way past Friede towards the helm.

“It's going to storm? Doesn't look like it.”

“Hohoho. You best not underestimate nature.” Ludlow’s hands were on the wheel. He lifted his head, peering at the clouds slowly encroaching. After a beat of silence, he opted to release his trusty Quagsire.

“We might need your help soon, my friend,” Ludlow spoke to his Quagsire. The amphibious Pokemon waddled past Friede who joined Ludlow by the helm. 

“Is it really going to get that bad?” Ludlow caught the undercurrent of worry in his voice. He turned to look over his shoulder, his thick mustache lifting alongside the smile he flashed towards Friede.

“Don't worry. I'll make sure we get back to shore safely.”

True to Ludlow's claim earlier, they were met with rough, choppy waves once the storm fully rolled in. He masterfully steered the Asagi–with Quagsire’s aid in guiding through larger waves–back to Porto Marinada. 

Once he docked the Asagi by the main port, only then did Ludlow release his hands from the steering wheel. Shoulders slumped alongside his soft sigh, it took several seconds for him to recall Friede's presence.

Looking behind him, Ludlow spotted his young charge huddled by the corner, knees drawn to his chest with his arms wrapped around them. It didn't take much for Ludlow to realize that this was possibly a terrifying experience for him. They were never out on the seas with anything less than perfect weather before this after all. 

Feeling his heart twinge with concern, Ludlow shuffled his way towards Friede. He gently placed a hand on the younger man’s shoulder.

“Friede… it’s alright. We're back–ough!?” Ludlow's eyes briefly flew open when Friede's arms suddenly wound up around his small frame. Pulled against his chest, Ludlow didn't even think about struggling once he noticed the light trembles.

Ludlow relaxed his body to make it a bit more comfortable for himself. He raised a hand to gently pat Friede's back, offering quiet assurances for however long it took for him to calm down.

–

When Orla poked her head into the meeting room, her gaze softened upon spotting Friede fast asleep on the spare couch. From the scattered pieces of paper all over the ground, it seemed that he really was studying hard to earn his pilot license.

On the days where Orla worked on turning a fool’s dream into reality, Friede busied himself in Rustboro’s flight school, clocking in his flight hours and doing tests every other week. He returned periodically, both to see her progress and let her know of his own, all beaming smiles and wild hand gestures that never failed to draw out Orla’s own smile. His excitement was infectious, while his genuine awe and gratitude at her handiwork caused warmth to blossom in her chest. 

Quietly closing the door behind her, Orla got to work in picking up the papers, stacking them on the table so she didn't accidentally step on it. After that, she grabbed a spare blanket from the pile of boxes tucked at a corner before making her way back to the couch.

Looking down at his slumbering form, she couldn't help but find him rather cute like this. Messy bangs covered one side of his face, lips parted slightly from the soft snores slipping out–she just about resisted the urge to reach out and brush back his bangs.

Orla briefly shook her head, then began the process of carefully draping the blanket over him.

When Friede shifted underneath it, she froze, hands still on the blanket. Orla looked at his face to see golden eyes slowly opening, blinking a couple of times before they flickered to her.

“Orla?” he mumbled, voice thick with sleep.

“Hey Friede, sorry for waking you up,” she began in a whispered voice. “I was just–”

Orla didn't get to finish her sentence. Faster than she could react, arms suddenly shot up from underneath the blanket, wrapping themselves around her back before pulling her down. 

She let out an undignified yelp, just about throwing her hands out to prevent a collision with Friede's chest. Orla’s heart rate picked up when she realized the position she was in; half sprawled over Friede, her cheek pressed against his torso. 

“F-Friede! What are you–!?” she squeaked, feeling her cheeks warm up. Orla tried to push herself up but Friede's arms trapped her in place. 

“Mmm… warm…” came his confusing response before his breaths evened out, falling back into slumber. 

Orla took a few deep breaths to calm down. Right, so it seemed that in his half awakened state, Friede decided to latch onto the closest warm object. She knew of his sensitivity to the cold, craving warmth even if he was struck by a simple breeze. That was why she wanted to cover him with the blanket, knowing full well that he'd whine about it later.

She knew that the best course of action was to pry herself loose from his arms. Orla still had a lot of work to do if she wanted to finish the airship on schedule.

Yet when an experimental wiggle prompted Friede to rest his cheek atop her head, mumbling cutely about passing his tests, she didn't have it in her to disturb his slumber.

Orla heaved out a deep, resigned sigh. Despite her feelings on the matter, a smile still curled her lips. Might as well get comfy if she had to play the part of an oversized Teddiursa bear.

(When his steady heartbeat eventually lulled her to sleep, Orla found herself dreaming of her childhood, to a time when they were two small kids with big dreams, where their whole worlds revolved around one another).

–

With a small paper bag tucked underneath her arm, Mollie exited the infirmary with her Chansey toddling behind her. She headed towards the living quarters located on the lower deck, passing by several of the wild Pokemon that opted to join them on their travels. Mollie flashed them a light smile before schooling her features once she spotted Orla standing outside.

“Hey, thanks for keeping watch,” Mollie said in lieu of greeting. “He didn't try to make an escape again, did he?”

“No problem! And nope, think he got the message last time. Or at least he’s finally exhausted himself enough to just stay in bed,” Orla replied, slightly shaking her head. “Honestly, he should have done that in the first place but…”

“You and I both know that he's incapable of staying still for long. Still, he needs plenty of rest if he wants to recover quickly.”

Mollie quickly learnt that Friede, when under the weather, became quite the menace of a patient. She wanted to believe that he wasn't intentionally crossing her orders but she could only take so much of his escape attempts before enough was enough. 

She had a responsibility for the health and safety of this ship's occupants, which included making sure the sick stay in bed even when they really didn't want to. Luckily they were docked for a few days while waiting for Friede to get better, so Mollie employed Orla's aid whenever she had to grab stuff from the infirmary. 

“It's pretty quiet in there so my guess is that he really did fall asleep. Means you'd have to wake him up.”

“Shouldn't be too hard,” Mollie uttered, passing by Orla to give gentle raps on the door. From the lack of a response, she slowly pushed it open and peeked her head inside. 

True to Orla's assumption, Friede was fast asleep on his bed. He had his back to the wall, giving Mollie easy access to his peaceful, dozing expression. 

Momentarily she felt guilty to wake him up but it was necessary that he took the medicine on time. Mollie switched on the light before crossing the short distance to his bed.

Looming over his form, Mollie placed a hand on Friede's shoulder, giving it a few light shakes. 

“Friede, wake up.”

“Mmm…?” It appeared that she roused him from his slumber. Friede raised a clumsy hand to swipe at his face, yawning.

“C’mon, it's time for–”

Mollie would deny that she made any sort of noise when Friede, faster than she could react, reached up to wrap his arms around her. She’d insist that she did not squeak upon realizing the precarious position of being on top of him flushed against this chest. It was just the surprise that increased her heart rate, the close proximity to his fevered skin that made her cheeks warm.

Mollie had little chance to free herself. Friede already had more (defined) muscle mass in the first place. His surprisingly strong grip with his (toned) arms reminded her of an Octillery that caught its prey (not that she'd see herself as one but–)

“Orla help!”

“Mollie? What happened–oh.” Orla had rushed in at the call but paused once she took in the sight. Much to Mollie's rising embarrassment, Orla stifled her giggles behind a gloved hand.

“It's Friede he just–grabbed me like this!”

“Yeah he does that sometimes. When he's out of it, he tends to grab the nearest warm object within arm's length. In this case, I'd say you were unfortunate. Or maybe fortunate…?”

Mollie didn't think it was possible for her cheeks to get any redder. In any case, Orla did eventually help her out (but not before snapping a photo). 

–

“Hey Murdock. Muuuurrdooock…”

Murdock paused in his task of drying off the plates. He mentally counted down from three in his head before looking over his shoulder, expression schooled into a light smile. 

“Yes Friede? What is it this time?”

“Nothing. Just wanna–wanna say you’re preeetttyyy….”

Arceus above please grant him strength. Murdock fought to keep his smile in place even as warmth crept up his cheeks. He nodded once in response, then went back to his task before any more distractions cropped up.

Who would've thought that Friede was such a lightweight? After the success of a rather lucrative mission, the crew decided to celebrate. Murdock had the chance to make some nice cocktails as a rare treat, though nothing too strong as per Mollie's request.

It became apparent after the first glass that Friede didn't hold his drink very well. He became a rather giggly sort of drunk, spouting off whatever that came to mind. So not too different from his usual self. 

Except he lacked even more of a filter, or maybe he was honestly revealing his true thoughts when he waxed tales of how beautiful Orla’s eyes were, how much he loved Mollie's hair and–oh boy, did Friede have some words to share about him.

Murdock tried not to melt underneath the barrage of drunken compliments. It didn't help that Mollie and Orla joined him, being in various degrees of tipsiness themselves. Though not as nearly gone as Friede.

In the end, Murdock convinced his partners to get some rest before they partied too hard. After he made them drink some water first, that left him alone with Friede, who was far too sloshed to make it to his room safely. Murdock wouldn't put it past him to trip and break his leg or something in his drunken stumble.

Hearing him babble about anything and everything was rather endearing, albeit distracting. Especially when Friede felt the need to call for him, just to spout off a compliment about how pretty he was for the umpteenth time. 

It never failed to make Murdock feel a tad embarrassed, not used to such words given to him. He was still finding his place in this relationship, and while he didn't feel like he lacked anything in comparison skill wise, he just didn't think he was as physically attractive as his partners. 

So while Friede was influenced by alcohol in his system, Murdock didn't doubt the sincerity of his words. That was one of the reasons he fell for his captain in the first place after all.

Eventually, Murdock cleaned the kitchen enough to be satisfied. The only thing left to do was to bring Friede back to his room before retiring to his own quarters for the night.

Murdock approached his drunken partner, who by that point had fallen into a light doze. Friede rested his chin atop folded arms, a healthy flush coloring his cheeks. Maybe Murdock could see about having him drink water too later. 

For now, he gently placed a hand on Friede's shoulder, giving it a light shake. That appeared to rouse him, so Murdock got a nice view of Friede blinking sleepily, one hand clumsily swiping at his eyes.

“Hey, how about we get you to–woah!” Contrary to how he looked, Friede's reflexes didn't match his drunken state. Murdock suddenly had to offset the abrupt weight clinging to his front, his arms automatically wrapping themselves around Friede.

“Murdock! Murdooockk missed you!” Friede giggled, and Murdock just about short circuited when he felt the nuzzling against this chest. He didn't think it was possible to get any redder than he did earlier but clearly, he was mistaken.

After he took a few breaths to calm down, Murdock decided that it'd be a waste of effort to try and get Friede to let go. He heard stories of how strong his grip could be, and Murdock just didn't have the energy to deal with that right now.

So what he ended up doing was hooked his arms beneath Friede, pulling him up further so Murdock could carry him. At the shift in position, Friede wound up wrapping his arms around Murdock's neck, resting his cheek against the crook of it, still giggling softly.

“Murdock. Muuuurrdooock. Love you…”

While Friede might not remember this in the morning, Murdock still responded with, “Love you too.”

–

Crossing paths with the Rising Volt Tacklers meant an inevitable clash against their infuriating captain. Amethio wasted no time in issuing his challenge when he came across Friede, who foolishly parted from his crew upon realizing his approach.

“No need to drag anyone else in this. This shouldn't take too long,” came his simple reply, lips set in a challenging smirk.

Amethio’s left eye twitched from that taunt, though he kept himself composed to release Ceruledge. Friede mirrored him by bringing out his Charizard. For a moment, no one issued any commands, both Trainer and Pokemon staring down their respective opponents.

Friede broke the stalemate by ordering a Dragon Claw. Amethio ordered Ceruledge to block it, thus activating its Weak Armor. Now with the speed advantage, he had Ceruledge use Psycho Cut to create some distance.

Predictably, Friede ordered Charizard to pull back in order to dodge the psychic blade. 

“Night Slash!” Amethio took that brief moment by having Ceruledge press its advantage, dashing towards Charizard with its glowing arm blades. 

“Tch–Air Slash! Don't let it get close!” 

Charizard did as such, its wings briefly glowing white before a bevy of air slashes were fired off towards Ceruledge. 

“Now, use Phantom Force!” 

Ceruledge parried one of the air slashes with its blade before jumping back towards the formed portal. Both Charizard and Friede paused, eyes going this way and that to seek out where Ceruledge would pop out. 

“There! Spin tail before using Dragon Claw!” Just as Ceruledge emerged behind Charizard, the dual-type spun around, using its hefty tail to nail Ceruledge. Though before it could follow that up with Dragon Claw, Ceruledge's Weak Armor activated, granting it another speed boost to just barely avoid those glowing claws.

“Psycho Cut! Don't give it any breathing room!”

Ceruledge first jumped back to create distance once again. Then it fired off several blades of psychic energy towards Charizard.

What Amethio didn't take into account was the Pokemon’s distance from Friede. Charizard dodged or parried most of the Psycho Cuts but one did veer dangerously close to Friede. 

Amethio saw how the older Trainer dodged, causing the blade to hit the bush behind him instead. There was a miniature explosion from the impact, though nothing that would stop the pair from their battle. 

That was, until an angry looking Shiinotic popped out from the damaged bush. Amethio found himself calling out a warning instead when the Grass-type puffed up.

Friede turned around just in time to get a face full of glowing spores. Charizard and Ceruledge paused in their battle at the eruption of coughs, and Amethio felt a small chill trail down his spine when moments later, Friede just… collapsed. 

As much as he wanted to beat him, Amethio didn't want Friede to actually get hurt. His steps carried him towards Friede's fallen form while Charizard angrily chased after the Shiinotic, furious at its attack on its Trainer.

Amethio fell to his knees, eyes immediately roving over still body. At least Friede seemed to be breathing based on the gentle rise and fall of his chest. He couldn't tell how badly affected Friede was from the spore so Amethio took off a glove, intending to check for his pulse.

That proved to be a huge mistake on his end. The moment Amethio leaned in and had two fingers to the side of Friede's neck, an arm suddenly shot up to wrap around his waist. Moments later, Amethio collided against Friede's chest when the guy abruptly pulled him close. 

That moment knocked the breath out of Amethio but it didn't take long before he started struggling.

“What are you–let me go!” he snarled, any hints of concern evaporating once he heard the soft snores. This guy was just fast asleep! How dare he grab him like this?

Amethio didn't expect such strength from Friede's lanky arms. No matter how much he struggled, the guy held on like a Grapploct. Even Ceruledge just sort of stood nearby, uncharacteristically hesitant in the face of its Trainer’s desperation.

Briefly Amethio considered ordering Ceruledge to Bitter Blade Friede's butt into next Sunday but his pesky morals kept buzzing at the back of his mind. He released an aggravated sigh, then redoubled his efforts into freeing himself from the Vice Grip. 

At some point, Amethio thought that getting into a different position would give him enough wiggle room to slip out. His plan of rolling on their side backfired horribly when Friede (who remained infuriatingly asleep) lazily rolled half on top of Amethio instead, one leg now pinning both of Amethio's in place.

As if to add insult to injury, Friede lightly nuzzled the top of Amethio's head, messing up his hair.

Only Ceruledge saw how apoplectic with rage he became. If Amethio elbowed the guy in the stomach or kneed him at a spot where the sun didn't shine, well, it was entirely deserved.

Maybe if he got lucky, Amethio could get out of this mess before anyone saw him. 

(He was not lucky. Amethio very nearly considered asking for Spinel’s expertise in erasing a snapped picture that now existed in one of the RVTs Rotom Phones but he wasn't that desperate. Yet).

–

After his talk with Diana, Friede quietly left the observation deck, mind filled with various thoughts. Today had been more action packed than usual, filled with danger that they narrowly avoided.

Had Terapagos not… shifted like it did, Friede wasn't keen on their chances of getting past Rayquaza unscathed. He already had his hands full in keeping Roy back, and after the Legendary became enraged at Amethio's abrupt challenge, he didn't think even Charizard and Cap could stop its rampage. 

Speaking of Roy, he recalled the surge of fear when he saw the shockwave heading towards the boy. Roy might not have gotten badly hurt but Friede didn't want to risk it, his body surging forward to cover Roy in a protective embrace. 

He remembered the growing frustration of his insistence in fighting Rayquaza. Roy did have a one track mind when it came to the Legendary but he didn't realize it was to the extent of not recognising the danger they were in. While Friede typically supported his goal, that wasn't a moment to let Roy do what he wanted. 

Friede promised his grandfather to keep Roy safe after all.

Above all, Friede couldn't shake off the mild concern at Roy's despondent mood throughout dinner time. Sure it wasn't as lively as usual (unsurprising considering the day they had) but seeing Roy eat only two servings as opposed to his usual three was rather surprising. 

Roy waved off Murdock's worried question, citing his exhaustion for the lack of appetite. No one pushed him about it, so dinner ended with everyone choosing to retire early for the night. 

Well, mostly everyone.

Sighing softly, Friede raised his hand to gently scratch Cap underneath his chin.

“Guess we should get some sleep too, eh Cap?”

At the nod, Friede made his way to the lower deck. Just as he rounded the corner towards the living quarters, he paused in his steps.

There, sitting right outside of his room was Roy. He was hugging Fuecoco to his chest, chin resting atop the Fire-type’s head. Even from where he stood, Friede could tell that the boy was fast asleep.

Now the question was why did he come here? 

Friede quietly approached the boy, glancing down at his half slumped form against the door. He crouched down till he was eye level with Roy before placing a hand on his shoulder, giving it a few light shakes.

“Hey Roy, wake up. It's more comfy to sleep in your room–huh?”

Friede barely had time to react when one of Roy’s arms suddenly shot up, hooking itself behind Friede's neck, his other one still holding on to Fuecoco. Roy then pulled himself close to Friede, tucking himself against his torso.

On Friede's end, he just about kept his balance from the sudden added weight. He remained crouched, one arm going around Roy’s body to keep him secured, an instinctive gesture for the most part.

“Pika?”

“Ah… guess I'm in a bit of a pickle,” he murmured, eyes flickering to Cap. Then it went to Roy, who remained blissfully unaware of the predicament he placed himself in. 

Briefly Friede considered his options. In the end, he decided that it was easier to just bring him back to his room instead of waking him up. With that plan in mind, Friede hooked one arm underneath Roy’s knees. Using the wall for balance, he slowly rose to his feet, carefully adjusting his grip on Roy until he was standing upright.

Roy merely nuzzled his cheek against Friede's chest. Once he got to Roy’s room, getting the boy to let go had been quite the challenge but he managed it in the end. Just as Friede tucked Roy and Fuecoco in, he just about caught faint mumbles that sounded suspiciously like thank you.

Friede didn't know if Roy was even awake but it sparked something warm within his chest, a feeling that he carried with him all the way back to his own room much later.

[unravelingthepages]

Blood Divided by Katie Keridan- Book Review

Hi! I start my second semester of university tomorrow so I'll keep this review short for now but here goes!

Blood Divided by Katie Keridan is book 2 in the series The Felserpent Chronicles. It's a YA fantasy with the tropes of soulmates, reincarnation and more. It is important to note that I have not read the first book of this series but nevertheless, here's my review!

Thank you to bookinfluencers.com and the author for my e-copy of this read.

Book blurb

Kyra Valorian and Sebastian Sayre have finally remembered their pasts as the former Felserpent Queen and King, and now it’s time for them to change the future―by reuniting the realms and bringing peace to Astrals and Daevals. But tensions between Aeles and Nocens have never been higher, and those of silver and gold blood are more divided than ever. In addition to improving her recovrancy abilities and completing internship, Kyra is determined to uncover her father’s role in the evil Astral experimentation program, no matter the danger. As Sebastian learns to be in a relationship, he finds himself facing the traumas of two very different pasts, forcing him to make tough decisions about his chosen profession and who he wants to be. Meanwhile, Tallus, arch-enemy to the Felserpent monarchy, has also returned―and it will take help from Cyphers, as well as friends both old and new, to find and stop him. As Kyra and Sebastian struggle to navigate the differences between their past and current relationship, one thing’s part of fulfilling their destiny means accepting their fate. The choices they make will reach all the way into Death.

My review-

I really enjoyed this book. I went in without any backstory but the first few chapters introduce the characters and the story well, and that along with the writing style (which I loved), made the book easy to follow along to. I especially liked the tropes and the characters were great. I would recommend this read to you. I'll be updating this post with a more detailed review soon, but for now, I definitely suggest checking this book out. I'll hopefully be able to read the first book in the series as well soon!! There are some unanswered questions this series has yet to address but should be answered in the next book (I genuinely hope it's coming out soon).

[smileygoth]

31. Redemption (WODtober 2023)

Presented a day early since I'll be off doing pagan shenanigans tomorrow! Blessed Samhain everyone!

Part 31 of my WODtober story. Taking the daily prompts and trying to weave a vampire story from them! In this chapter, Eliza emerges from her struggle of wills to find out what has changed.

Word Count: 611 words.

CW: None that I can think of.

Image found on Google.

Find the previous chapters here!

Time passed in darkness. Time without seconds or minutes or hours, time everlasting and momentary. Darkness in which their battle raged. In which she fought him down again and again and again, his furious force of will against her triumphant and enduring will. Over and over and over again he pushed his way forward, biting and clawing and crushing her mind, and over and over and over again she held herself solid like the rock around her, weighing him down until finally, at long last, he was the one who was crushed. His cursing and wailing and snarling fell silent, and at long, long last she was alone in her mind.

When she opened her eyes, the first thing that she felt was thirst. By this, she knew she had slept for a long time. Inspecting her hands, she saw that she was not badly emaciated, which meant it hadn’t been too long. Months, maybe. She climbed out of her tomb and ventured outside.

It was a warm, clear night, and the air felt and smelled like summer. The ground around her tomb was level, fresh green grass coating the earth. Around her, slender saplings stood, their trunks still supported by the wooden stakes they were tied to, their slim young branches reaching hopefully up to the sky. She wandered through them, examining them. Oak, elm, birch, apple. The trees she had asked for.

 Beyond them was a large water-filled hole with strategically placed water plants at its edges. Bending to examine the water, she found it mostly lifeless but clean and good. The life would come, she knew. Once the frogs and the insects had found it, she could find some fish to stock it with, and then the birds would come.

Coming to the edge of her land, she found a low wooden fence and the road beyond it. There was no gate. Climbing over the fence, she saw there were signs at intervals, lashed to the fence with plastic ties. They read: ‘Nature Reserve - KEEP OUT. Protected species inside.’

That made her laugh. What was the protected species? Was it her?

She headed for the city, grateful for the modern clothes she was wearing. On the way she found some hapless vagrant who slaked her thirst a little; though these nights only the blood of her own kind really satisfied her. 

Her feet took her into the centre of the city, to where the large office buildings held the big businesses. She stopped at a particular pair of doors and looked at the sign above them. The last time she had been here, it had read ‘Harrogate Enterprises’. Now, the sign was different. Still shiny and new, it read ‘Green Bell Environmental’. A smile spread across her dry lips. Excellent, she thought.

She thought about going inside, seeing if her friends were there. It felt strange, to think of any of these new young Kindred as her friends. But they had done everything she had asked of them. They had returned her home to her. She owed them much. She wondered when and how they would claim their boons.

Not tonight, at any rate. She turned and headed into the city centre, where the nightclubs spilled noise out into the streets and the foolish and reckless would soon be wandering. Thanks to the young one who had given her this body, she could blend in. She would feed on the living a little more to sustain her, and if she was lucky, she’d find a Kindred stupid or dangerous enough to really satisfy her thirst. And then…

Then, she thought with a smile, she would go back home.

[chaos-in-bright-pink-hair-dye]

Mars AU Part 1

What if our favourite 'joys lived on Mars instead of California, scavenging for forgotten tanks of oxygen while there are S/C/A/R/E/C/R/O/W units on their tails. Night skies covered in neon colours and the cold grip of the red planet being the last thing one can feel out there millions of kilometres away from home. One last human colony called Battery city with handful of kids running on gasoline against it.

Ok just kidding they use solar energy not gasoline XD

word count: 1 368

tw: near death experience from second person's point of view

And thank you so much, @ordinary-dust for being my awesome beta tester

Jet was pissed, he spent hour driving to ruins of what used to be one of the biggest cities, hoping that its distant location would mean that it wasn’t completely raided yet like the others. And what was he rewarded with? One can of water, that has been laying around for years so who knows if it really is even drinkable, and a spare helmet that is probably older than the city itself. And as if it wasn’t enough, he had about forty minutes before sundown and the battery in his car was already running low, he will be lucky if he makes it home in time.

He just finished adjusting the solar panels on the roof hoping he could get few more minutes out of the setting sun when he noticed something that didn’t belong out there, just few meters in front of him. He did consider it nothing more than just few rocks before, nothing uncommon but now that he was closer, he could see it had too round and organic shapes to be part of the surface and he could recognize folds of fabric. As he got closer, he could recognize two people one laying on the ground, from how it seemed one was probably unconscious and the second one hunched over them probably trying to hide them from any dangers that could come.

As he stopped next to them, he could see that they were both around his age, possibly siblings? But for fucks sake how did two kids such like them get so far from the city? Based on their suits that even though not in the best state seemed quite new and like ones that Battery city's citizens or troops would wear, they couldn’t have been in the zones longer than for just few days. Sure, most killjoys wore suits like these but you pretty much don’t meet one that wouldn’t have their suit covered in patches, colourful fabric and pretty much any crap you can find out there. These two could maybe fool someone with their bright jackets that they had over their suits since that is very killjoy thing to do but when you paid even a slight attention to the way they looked it was obvious they were very new runaways.

The younger kid moved in front of the older one’s unconscious body to protect them with their own body when Jet stepped out of the car. But judging by the way they moved their oxygen was almost gone too and they couldn’t do much damage, knowing that, Jet slowly approached them. ‘Hey, I know you’re scared but I’m not gonna hurt you, okay? Look I’m not even armed’ Jet slowly showed the kid his empty hands. And for once it was true, he did leave his blaster in the car, not that it was really a gamechanger since he could take them with his bare hands but it at least seemed to work as in calming them down. He didn’t need his spacesuit either, thanks to the air field provided by the car but he could already feel the cold biting into his uncovered face and arms, he had to do this quickly.

‘Is that your sibling? They don’t look good, you run out of oxygen, right? I can help them. And I can help you, I can take you both to a safe place.’ Jet asked them to which they slightly nodded. Jet decided to take it both as an answer and as a permission to come closer. He went past the kid and kneeled down next to their sibling, the other one didn’t seem very happy about that, Jet could see they were still terrified but at least rational enough to realize that Jet was their only chance of surviving. ‘I’m just gonna take their helmet off so that I can have better look at them alright? You can take your helmet off too, there’s air around us.’ he was lightly annoyed at that point, he got that the kid was scared but there wasn’t much time left so some co-operation would be nice.

The younger sibling looked at them with very obvious distrust but they still took their helmet off, streaks of blond hair falling over their eyes. Jet took that as a sign of at least some trust and carefully removed the older sibling’s helmet too, covering the ground in bright red hair. They remained unconscious but Jet could see that they were still breathing, very mildly but there was chance for them. Just few more minutes and it would be probably too late, Jet couldn’t imagine telling the kid that was now sitting next to him, that their sibling is dead, he has seen many people die and he had to deliver the message to their families, friends or lovers too many times but for some reason this would be different, these two seemed to innocent, like they didn’t really belong into Jet’s world and yet one of them was lying almost dead at his feet. ‘They will make it, but only if you help me. We have to get them in the car and then somewhere where they can get real help.’ Finally, that was something that made the kid move, they got up helping Jet pick their sibling up. Jet still had to carry most of the weight but at least they weren’t working against him now. They quickly laid the red head down on the back seat of Jet’s car and the kid climbed in next to them nursing their siblings head in their lap.

Jet sat behind the driving wheel and got going. There was no way they could make it into his shelter in time and it wasn’t like he could help them much anyway, he had barely enough food and O2 for himself. The only option was Dr Death’s radio station. He hasn’t been there in months but apparently the universe was telling him it was time to pay his kind of adoptive family a visit again. ‘So can I at least know your names, since I’ve let two complete strangers into my car?’ Jet smirked and looked over his shoulder just to see the kid passed out too.

It was already dark when Jet arrived to the station and his breath was condensing in the cold air around. He parked right in front of the main door and rushed in. ‘Oh, look who’s back, I thought I would never see you again.’ snickered Pony without looking up from some video game he was playing. ‘Great to see you too, but where’s D I need some help.’ that seemed to get Pony’s attention ‘D’s on air right now but what’s the matter?’ he said as he stood up, his typical roller skates clacking on the floor. ‘Picked up some kids, must have escaped the city, gotten lost and run out of oxygen. One of them isn’t looking very shinny.’ Apparently, that was all he needed to hear because soon he was helping Jet carry the red head into the spare room with the younger kid right behind them, suddenly completely awake. They laid them on a mattress in a small dark room left for situations such like this one.

Jet left the room to go wait for D, leaving Pony to take care of their two guests, he was way better at it anyway. It didn’t take long for Dr Death to finish his part with Cherri taking his place. When they came into the room, they could see Pony had done quite a work, both of the kids had their space suits off and the older one was now in bed covered under several blankets while the younger one was sitting next to them holding their hand, they themselves were half asleep bundled up under a blanket of their own but they made it very obvious they weren’t leaving their sibling. Jet was really tired himself so after D stated that the kid would make it and that there’s nothing more, they could do at the moment he decided to go to sleep too, leaving the two foundlings alone. Not like they could disappear suddenly anyway.

[youareinlovees]

hiii i just send you the creative writing so uh only reply to this ask if you didn't get the other one by some chance and i'll send it again :D

Thank you for your service bestie 😁 I think it might be easier if I put it under a cut but omfg I'm obsessed with it and the dynamic is so spot onnn wtf

Hiiiii I bring you a gift!! I hope it's good, I don't really post my ~creative writing~ and this is my first time writing these two so hopefully, it'll suffice. Also ironically I think they may be one off the longest things I've written. Anyways ////

-

As he approaches the Belfast rental that served as his temporary home for the next few months, he can't help but smile. For the first time since they started filming he not coming home to a vacant house. Instead, this time, he's going to be coming home to his beautiful, wonderful girlfriend.

He's been looking forward to this all day, barely able to focus on blocking and script reading with the thought of her just blocks away weighing so heavily on his mind. It certainly didn't help that he had spent so much time the night before looking through her photos at the Brits. She had looked absolutely radiant, her beautiful features perfectly accentuated by her lovely outfit.

Gosh, he's so obsessed with her. She easily occupies much of his thoughts on a near-daily basis and whenever they were together he can barely get enough of her. They've been apart a few days now and even that was slowly killing him. He needs her. Need to be near her, to touch her, embrace her, kiss her soundly. And the fact that he's about to be able to do so makes his heart swell with joy.

Opening the front door, his heart beats loudly as anticipation grows in his stomach. "Honey, I'm home." He quips.

Immediately he's greeted by a white and brown fluff ball scampering around his feet. Chuckling to himself, he bends down, scooping the excitable cat into his arms.

"Hello there Benjamin."

"Well someone missed his daddy." A warm voice floats across the room and he looks up, a grin forming at the sight of his lovely girlfriend.

Benjamin squirms in his arms and he releases the fluffy cat before striding across the room. His hands land on her arms, covered by gray fabric that's soft to his touch. "I hope he wasn't the only one."

With a cheeky grin, she presses up on her toes, lips meeting his as her arms loop around his shoulders. Her lips are warm and soft and feel like home and he revels in her touch.

"He wasn't." She breathes after pulling back slightly. Her blue eyes flutter open, looking up at him through her dark eyelashes and he's fairly certain he falls even deeper in love right then and there.

Their next kiss is far shorter, though the passion is still there. Finally, he glances around the room and then back to her, eyebrow cocked. "Bring enough boxes?"

She follows his gaze and then laughs. "It's five months, babe, I have to be prepared."

He chuckles and goes to reply when her eyes light up. "Oh! And I set up my recording gear in the guest room. How does 'Kitty Committee Studio," She cups her hands, as if miming parenthesis, "(Belfast, Ireland)' sound?"

His eyebrows shoot up. "It sounds like you've been busy."

Her shoulders bounce up as she gives a little shrug. "A bit. I'm really excited for this chapter of our lives and I don't mind having a few crazy days if it means getting to spend more time with you."

A smile breaks across his face, his heart swelling with joy. She always says the most romantic things, things he couldn't even dream of saying on his best days-- though she's quick to disagree with him, citing his stint as "William Bowery" as evidence-- the writer in her popping out in all facets of life. He loves that part of her, seeing her mind at work as she pours her heart out, representing her inner feelings with the most beautiful sounds. It means a great deal to him that she loves him enough to express it so wondrously through her music. He's not sure if he can ever repay her for those amazing sonic gifts, his platform far less diaristic than hers, but he certainly tries his best to show her just how much he appreciates and loves her each and every day.

"What's that face for?" She asks and he realizes he's been gazing lovingly at her far longer than what would ordinarily be considered comfortable.

"I love you." The words slide off his tongue easily, an outcome of saying them for the better part of almost five years now but they hold the same weight, the same truth, every time he says them.

She beams, her eyes twinkling. "I love you too."

He kisses her soundly and then squeezes her hand. "Also congrats on being a Global Icon winner, love. We should celebrate."

"Oh yes! I'll get the wine." She nods and begins to head into the kitchen when he grabs her hand. It's a gentle yet firm grip and there's an amused look on her face as he pulls her into his arms.

His voice is low, a suggestive tone to it as he raises an eyebrow. "That's not the type of celebrating I had in mind."

"It's not?" She questions, tilting her head but he can see amusement dancing in her eyes.

"You're a Global Icon now, I think I need to pay my respects." He tilts his head, moving ever closer to her until their noses bump together, lips barely touching. He can feel her breath on his skin, smell her woody perfume. She's so close yet not nearly close enough. "Can I do that?"

She nods, skin brushing against him. Desire for her courses through his veins and with that simple gesture he finally gives in to it.

Their lips crash together, caressing and pressing against each other. His hands are in her hair, long blonde strands tangling between his fingers. She sighs breathily into the kiss and then he's met with her tongue swiping against his lips, a silent question of permission which he is quick to grant.

He can feel her hands on his biceps, fingers squeezing around his muscles before loosening and running up over his shoulders and to his neck. In turn, his hands slide down her back, slipping under the loose bottom of her shirt, his fingertips gliding over her hips.

Their kisses get a little bolder, a little more desperate, and soon he's pulling away from her mouth and kissing down her neck, nipping gently at the skin there. Her soft, breathy moans serve to spur him on and he sucks roughly on her neck, causing her to groan loudly.

He spends a few more minutes kissing across her neck, down to her collarbone, trying to cover every inch of exposed skin. Her fingers tighten in his hair, gently pulling him away from where he was kissing dangerously close to her pulse point. "Babe... No more teasing."

He gives her a devilish grin and then his lips are back on hers, frantic passionate kisses until they're both absolutely breathless.

Taking a small step back, his eyes scan up and down her body. "Get undressed." He tries to command but she merely smirks and gives him a wink.

"Make me."

A devilish grin crosses his face seconds before he surges forward, kissing her once more as his fingers pull on the hem of her shirt. The second it's off of her, he can feel his heart rate spike at the sight of her lacy black bra. No matter how many times he sees her like this, it will always send a bolt of energy racing through his core.

"Gorgeous," He breathes, bending down to trail kisses right above the fabric.

She utters a soft "ding" which causes both of them to chuckle. Her laughter soon dissolves into a moan as he expertly unlatches her bra and pulls a nipple into his mouth, his hand going to cover the other one.

He massages her breast softly, hand moving in sync with his mouth as he sucks long and hard. Her fingers glide through his hair, nails occasionally scratching across his neck, causing a shiver to run up his spine. After a moment, he switches up his tactic, his teeth grazing against her nipple as he rolls her other one between his thumb and forefinger.

Her moans grow louder and louder and the next thing he knows, she’s pulling at his shirt, trying to take it off him. He obliges, his fingers going to hook into her waistband in turn.

She's completely naked a second later and he can feel his pants growing tighter at the sight. His hands wrap around her biceps, gently guiding her to the couch as her hands stroke across his now bare chest.

"Sit." He urges her and she obliges, sitting down with her legs pressed together and a playful smirk dancing across her lips.

Chuckling to himself, he kneels down, placing his hands on her knees and his chin on top of his hands. Gazing up at her, he takes in everything. Her blonde hair falling across her shoulders, the amused cock to her eyebrow, the freckles splashed across her skin. Everything about her fills him with an indescribable joy.

"I'm really proud of you." He says after a long quiet moment.

Her playful smirk morphs into an adorable, breathtaking smile as she tenderly strokes his cheek. He returns the look before turning his head and placing a kiss against her palm.

"I love you," Comes her quiet voice, laced with adoration.

"I love you too." He ducks his head, placing a kiss on each of her knees. "Now... let me show you just how much."

Sliding his hands down between her legs, he gently pushes them apart. He weaves his way between her thighs, one kiss at a time, drawing nearer and nearer to where he knew she wanted him most. And then he pauses, mere inches away, and begins to kiss back up her leg. She lets out an annoyed groan, cupping his face in her hands and not so gently guiding him back.

Chuckling, he slips his hands beneath her legs, hooking them up over his shoulders. He pauses again, looking up at her. Their eyes lock and he gives a little smile before leaning in and placing small kisses around her clit. There's a gasp, followed by a soft whimper and he can't help but grin, his kisses becoming deeper in turn.

His tongue flicks between his lips as he travels down between her folds, giving an experimental taste. He can feel himself grow harder as he realizes just how wet she is.

And it's all for him.

With that final thought, he focuses all his energy on making her feel good. His tongue continues to slide in and out of her, tasting her with fervor. Her fingers tangle in his hair, her whimpers turning to low moans as he moves.

And then he pulls away slightly, glancing up at her. Her chest is heaving, eyes half-lidded, and her lips hang open ever so slightly.

"You're beautiful," He finds himself breathing and she squirms a little as the air from his mouth brushes against her core.

If she's going to respond, he certainly doesn't give her a chance, pulling her clit into his mouth and sucking roughly.

Taylor shouts his name, her fingers clenching in his hair. He barely notes the pain, however, hand flattening on her stomach to hold her in place as he concentrates solely on her uninhibited cries of pleasure and the contracting muscles beneath his mouth.

A second later, he slides two fingers inside of her, moving slowly at a pace he knew would torture her. His fingers reach as far as they can-- which in his case are very far-- and he gives them an experimental few pumps. Her walls flutter around him and he smiles-- mouth still on her clit-- and begins to stroke her walls, still sucking on that little bundle of nerves.

Her ankles lock around his back, thighs squeezing his head, keeping him in place. He can tell she's getting close, her moans increasing with frequency so he doesn't let up. Rather, he doubles his efforts, sucking and stroking, harder and faster.

It's sexy, so sexy and he looks up, maintaining eye contact with her even though her eyes are barely open. He can hardly see the blue peeping from below her eyelashes. The whole image is enough to make him come undone and he groans, the sound vibrating from his chest.

Her heels dig into his back, a long moan that morphs into his name tearing from her lips as she comes undone. He doesn't stop, still moving in order to draw her orgasm out as she twitches and writhes above him. Eyes never moving from her face, the whole sight imprinted in his brain, memories forming to torture him in the dead of night or on long trips away from her. But he doesn't mind, the occasional distance only serving to make the reunion that much sweeter.

Finally, her body sags and he moves away, trailing soft kisses up and down her thighs and over her hips. Her fingers brush through his hair, pushing it away from his face and then trail down to stroke across his beard. He's sure he has her coated all around his mouth so he licks his lips, glancing up at her to see that she's smiling.

"I love you," are the first words out of her mouth, causing him to drop another kiss on her hipbone.

He rests his chin against her stomach, a small smile on his lips. "I love you too. I guess it was good then?"

She laughs and then beckons him upwards with one finger. Obeying, he pushes himself up, crawling along her body to hover over her.

Cupping his cheeks, she laughs again. "It was amazing. Thank you."

Now it's his turn to laugh, turning to nuzzle her hand. "Anything for a Global Icon."

She tilts her head, cocking an eyebrow. "So you'd do the same for Elton John or Robbie Williams?"

With a chuckle, he shakes his head, "No, I like boobs too much."

"Oh is that all?"

"Yep." He ducks his head, peppering kisses over her chest as if to prove his point.

She cups his cheeks again, guiding his face back up to hers. Her face is twisted in an exaggerated pout, pink lip jutting out and he half-heartedly resists the temptation to pull on it with his teeth.

"Really?" Her tone is innocent but he can see the cocky look on her face and he loves it.

They're silent for a long moment, each party daring the other, a silent dance of who is more stubborn. But the strain in his pants is almost too much to bear, her smug looks not doing him any favors, so he relents. "No," He places a quick kiss against her lips. "I like you far too much to consider doing anything with anyone else ever."

"Good," Her hands slide up from his cheeks to hook around his neck, "Because you're all mine."

"Indeed I am."

Their lips meet again, this kiss far more passionate than the last. Tongues dancing together as their hands glide across each other's skin, exploring and scratching.

Pretty soon he feels her hands on his waistband and then the button on his pants being popped. Pulling back slightly, he gives her room to pull down his jeans and then boxers, sighing with relief as he's finally released from their confines.

Kicking his pants from his feet, he returns to kissing her, hands sliding up and down her sides. He groans loudly into her mouth as he feels her hand wrap around his cock, giving him a few slow strokes just how he likes it. He has to stop kissing her to grit his teeth. God, if she keeps doing that he's going to cum any second now.

His hand wraps around her wrist, stilling her movements. "Couch or bed?"

"Couch," She says without hesitation. "I want you inside of me now."

She lies down longways and he climbs on top, hovering over her. Grabbing her thigh, he guides her leg to hook around his waist, her other one following in suit.

His dick slides across her clit, the action causing both of them to moan and a moment later he pushes inside of her. Her mouth forms an open "o" as he moves in slowly, eyes never leaving her face. She's wet and warm around him, a perfect fit. It's like they were made for each other.

He moves slowly at first allowing both of them to find their rhythm. It gives him time to suck on her neck or her chest, little ways that will add to her pleasure. But pretty soon she's urging him to move faster, thrust harder and he's all too happy to follow her commands.

They move together, him building up speed as her ankles lock behind him, pushing him in even closer. Their moans echo together, unintelligible aside from the occasionally uttering of each other's name. Her nails claw down his back, too short to leave a mark but the action still arouses him even more.

He's close-- so close he can barely think straight-- but he's determined to get her there first. Hand slipping between them, he begins to rub slow circles on her clit, the action causing her nails to dig in further.

As his hand speeds up in time with his thrusts, she yanks his head down to kiss him only to tear away seconds later as her body convulses and she cries out.

Her walls clamp down around him, so tight he nearly collapses in surprise. A few thrusts later and he's a goner, body twitching as he cums.

When he can finally see straight, she pulls him down next to her, snuggling into his chest as they lie on the couch, hot and sweaty from their actions.

"Welcome home, darling." He mutters into her hair, pressing a kiss against the top of her head.

She hums in response, tilting her head to kiss him.

He has a great feeling that these next few months in Belfast are going to be quite fun.

[anonymous-swiftie]

If you are on twitter, please retweet this:

https://twitter.com/ASwiftie00/status/1334245577933148164?s=19

Dear #Swifties,

I'm new on tumblr, and I really don't know how to use it.

I know you are the best supporters of the music industry and I'm here to ask your help.

I'm fighting with a crippling depression, that due this covid situation just got worse.

I'm at my lowest, I truly don't know if I will make it through this time.

I always dreamed to talk to Taylor, since I was a teenager. She is the only one that make me feel like I do fit in this world.

I've created this account because I know she is very active here, and I'm trying to reach her with this part of my story.

You can read everything below.

I didn't write any personal information because I don't want this to be seen by my family or somebody that can recognise me.

I don't want upset anyone.

I know that everyone hope to meet or chat with her, and so you are probably wondering why you have to share this here.

You're totally right, maybe it's a stupid idea to ask you this, but I haven't anything left in my pocket to fight this situation, and you're my only hope right now.

Thank you.

#taylor #swift

*******************************************

Dear Taylor,

I keep writing and deleting this, over and over again.

I feel so dumb to write my personal story here, but this truly is my last chance to feel better and try to overcome this giant monster called depression.

I genuinly don't know if I can make it through this year. It's the worst period of my entire life and i don't even know if it's worth living this hell anymore.

I know you have millions of supporters (that probably write you every single day, and they are all better fans than I am, that's for sure) but I know that you proved, time after time, to be so down to earth and to use your time to read your fans messages.. so, in this moment, I'm just trying to share a part of my story with you.

You are the one that make feel understood, since I was like 13teen.

I'm so sorry if my English isn't very good but I'll do my best.

I'm not very active on social media , because I'm very shy when I have to talk about myself.. but If this could work, I must do it.

I will try to send a letter, If I can find the strength to mark this feeling on paper.

**IF I'M WRITING TO SOMEBODY FROM HER STAFF, PLEASE JUST LET THIS MESSAGE REACH TAYLOR**

I'll try now to resume, because I don't want to bother you too much.

This has been a crazy year so far, and the all the time I spent by myself during the lockdown didn't help at all.

This situation brought me back to childhood.

I spent a lot of my days back and forth in hospitals, due to my allergies.

I had to wear a mask all the time I wanted to go outside to avoid severe allergic reaction (that's why this Covid thing awakened some hurting memories)

I didn't have real friends back then, 'cause I've spent most of the summers at home, watching other kids playing around, from my window, or from the windows of my classroom.

It was so hard to make new friends, because the only thing that other kids saw was my mask.

I was the masked kid.

I was the strange kid.

I couldn't play with them.

Everytime I tried to play with them, the only thing I heard was "oh you are ill , I don't wanna be like you so stay away".

This situation made me start to write things in my personal diary.

I wrote small sentences, as a kid, and that was the only thing I could do alone inside an empty classroom during all summer.

This situation continued  for many years.

I wasn't the cool kid before, I wasn't the cool guy after.

The only things that let me enjoy those days were writing and listening to your songs.

I started to listen to your music thanks to my English teacher. She was a fan of folk and country music and she gave me a pic in which you were singing near a lake (I still have that photo somewhere, I strongly remember the white banner with your name written in red on it) and told me to listen to the cd she gave me that day.

I immediately fell in love (I think I still have a crush on you, I'm sorry).

I loved your album. I loved your voice. I loved the lyrics.

I remember having a "test" in school: each one of the class had to write their favourite lyrics and let the others guess the song.

If the someone guessed It, We could play the cd.

I chose Love Story and I translated it in Italian.

The class guessed the song, and I played it.

After the lunch break I went back to my desk and I saw some bullies that were breaking my cd-album and they started to laugh at me because I loved your music an I loved writing poems.

I was a boy so I was a loser because I enjoyed those things.

That felt terrible, but I continued to love your songs even more .

Those were my inspiration to write and to study english.

I felt so good when I listened to your album and this still happens.

Then I went to a private high-school.

Nothing changed, I still was the nerd guy that always got good grades and I have to say that the first year was quite good, but the second year was the start of the apocalypse.

I choose that school because two girls that I knew from childhood went there.

One of the cool new guys started to spread a fake "news" about me.

He said to everyone that I was the boyfriend of one of the two girls that I mentioned before.

So he was the cool guy and one of the girls believed him and told me to f*** myself.

The other girl was her best friend, so you could imagine by what happened next.

After 14 year spent together, I was nobody.

I didn't have "friends" in that class anymore.

I didn't say hello to anybody for 4 years, and nobody would say anything to me.

Nobody to talked with me.

That's great when you're a teenager.

I hated to wake up every morning.

I had an eating disorder, I lost like 22pounds in less than a month. Got hospitalized twice. I kept vomiting for 3 years, every single morning before school.

During that time I only talked with one of my cousins, who lived like 2 hours by car from me.

He was older than me but he always tried to help.

He knew that I loved to write poems so he started to give me guitar lessons.

I made it through a lot of things thanks to him.

I'm sorry, It's hard for me to write this part of the story.

I still get emotional when I think about this.

On the 10TH of December 2013 (some days after his birthday) we received a phone call from his mother: She warned us that he didn't return home after the last working shift.

I wrote a message to him like 3 hours prior to that phone call.

Never had the opportunity to get a reply again.

This year is the seventh year that he is missing.

That destroyed me.

I felt empty.

I felt like nothing couldn't help me.

I still feel that everytime I care about someone in my life, it will disappear someday.

This have happened several other times.

You know when ignorants say that men don't cry, is real bullshit. Men cry. I cried a lot.

I wrote so many poems , lyrics, thoughts in that period of time, that I destroyed my hands.

That was the only way to close my eyes and let me reach another reality because the real one was way too much for me.

Be a sensible man in this world is somehow a curse.

All these things made me afraid  even to hug someone 'cause I feel I'm too ugly or just to scared to be refused.

I will stop here my story, but there's so much more to tell.

I make it through all of these things and memories because I keep dreaming that one day I could meet you and we could talk together.

Dreaming about the fact I could spend a day with you made me find the power to battle my depression.

I'm 25 now and this year I'm not dreaming anymore.

I was going to start again university, I wanted to get a degree in marketing and have the chance to live in the us.

For years I believed that I would make it and hopefully be part of your marketing team.

I'm so stupid. All these years I kept dreaming to avoid pain.

I wanted to pursue my passion and continue to write lyrics but all I was doing was putting myself in unrealistic realities.

This covid situation made everything clear.

When everyone had someone to facetime (or video call) I was alone.

When everyone had someone asking them "how are you?" I only had myself looking in the mirror saying: "Will I ever feel better?"

I've never been the one for anybody, and I think I'll never be.

I won't be the one among all your fans to realize his dream.

Nobody likes me, and I'm exposing myself once again just because I want the opportunity to smile at something that could happen to me.

I'm tired to smile only for others best moments.

I've always seen the sun through a window.

I want to feel happy.

I want to burn my face with the sun.

I'm so sick of hiding my pain,

sick to cry when I'm alone in my car before going to work,

sick to let my eyes rain on my pillow every night.

I'm sick to say to my mother that I'm fine, just because I don't want to make her feel bad.

It's not her fault.

She is battling with a degenerative autoimmune disease, why I should put other weight on her shoulders?

I didn't give up to my weakness before because I don't want to hurt her.

I always say to her that soon she will feel better, that's why your song It's stuck in my head.

But when she won't be here anymore, how I can go through all of that?

I don't even know if will ever get better for me.

Will this pain ever stop?

Sometimes it's so hard to live and so easy to die.

Hope that my dream to spend some time with you can become true.

Thank you for everything, you gave me the strength to go on for many years.. But this time is so hard to put on my armor and continue this battle.

But is this even worth if thy I try to surround myself with people and I always feel lonely?

D.

@taylorswift @taylornation @jackleopards-thedolphinclub

[cantchoosejust1]

Hey I don’t know if you’ll get/read this but did you happen to upload parts 2 and 3 of the fanfic series “That’s my baby”? If you did could you send me the links because I can’t seem to find them. Please and Thank you

[Thank you all for waiting, and again sorry if the format is weird I'm on mobile, I'll upload part 3 hopefully soon lol]

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"That's my baby" 2/3

Ever since Dick returned from the office, he couldn’t stop smiling and giggling to himself. At first, it made his girlfriend a little worried. Then, he explained the situation to her as they lay in their bed, to which she nodded in understanding. She hugged him as a silent congratulation, not daring to bring his spirits down. For the next few days, Dick tried with all his might not to run up to his brothers and rub the news in their face.

Until one day back at the office, Damian sat quietly in Bruce’s chair, watching Dick intently. As Jason and Dick argued over how many bad guys they fought in the past week, Tim looked over the rim of his coffee mug, wondering why Damian wasn’t joining in on the conversation.

“Hey,” Tim called out, making Damian glance at him. “Why aren’t you arguing with Dick and Jason? You love to gloat about defeating bad guys.”

Damian huffed. “There’s something off about Dick, like he’s keeping a secret.”

Tim’s face scrunched in confusion as he looked at Dick who was still arguing, but with his body just about ready to start a fist fight. Tim tilted his head, squinting his eyes and focused on Dick’s body language.

“I don’t see what you mean,” Tim told Damian. “And even if you were right, what kind of secret would he be keeping? Dick practically tells us everything.”

Damian stood up and straightened his shirt, “Give me a few minutes with him, I’ll make him talk.” He walked over and stood in front of Dick, interrupting the now loud argument between the two elder brothers. Tim and Jason watched as their brothers had an intense stare off, a strong tension filling the air, almost suffocating the boys.

“Spill it,” spoke Damian.

“What the hell are you talking about, shrimp?” replied Dick.

“Don’t toy with me, Grayson, I know you have a secret. I’ve been watching you for the past few days and you look like you’re ready to explode. Now,” Damian walked closer to Dick, tilting his head up to keep eye contact. “Talk.”

Beads of sweat began to form on Dick’s forehead. He averted his eyes to look at Tim and Jason, who were both staring at the interrogation, slightly leaning forward in anticipation.

With one deep breath, Dick looked back at Damian and yelled, “You’ll never take me alive!” as he sprinted toward the door, almost ripping it open with a strong pull, and ran off. The boys ran after him, determined to figure out the secret. Thus began a wild Scooby-Doo chase, and if you listened closely, you could almost hear cartoon music in the background.

Jason was finally able to tackle down Dick, the others right behind to create a dog pile to prevent him from running again. They were all unaware that they landed near the closed door of your office.

“You’re not making this any easier on yourself, Dick,” spoke Jason in a strained voice, “just tell us your secret and we’ll leave you alone!”

“Never!” exclaimed a red faced Dick.

“Talk, Grayson!” yelled Damian, making Tim wince.

Dick made a last minute effort to pull himself up from the pile, grunting and huffing in desperation. He sighed in defeat, his head smacking the floor. “Fine, I’ll talk,” he said, although it came out muffled, but Jason understood because of the close proximity. Dick slapped his right hand on the floor to signal the boys to get off of him. As Tim, Jason and Damian stood waiting, Dick took a second to catch his breath before lifting himself off the ground, stretching his limbs and popping a few joints.

“I should’ve known one of you guys would end up figuring me out,” Dick said, head hanging a bit in shame. “And I would’ve gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for you meddling kids.” Tim laughed at the joke.

“Enough!” said Damian. “Now start talking.”

“All right, all right.” Dick began to fiddle with the hem of his shirt. “The truth is… a few days ago, (Y/N) adopted me as their,” he made air quotes, “‘baby’.”

The room went silent as the boys all looked at each other, trying to process the secret. Then Tim began to belly laugh, with Jason and Damian following after. Dick glared at his brothers, his face heating up with anger and embarrassment.

“You guys don’t believe me, do you?” Dick said after he saw their laughter die down.

“Not for a second, you philistine,” replied Damian, still catching his breath.

“What makes you think we’re gonna believe this crock of sh-” came Jason’s reply before he was interrupted by the sound of a nearby door opening, and you walking through.

You were looking down at your phone before bringing your eyes up and getting startled by the Wayne boys all standing a few feet outside your door; you placed your hand on your chest and gasped out ‘Oh Jesus.’ The boys all looked sheepish, standing straight with an apologetic look on their faces. In unison, they mumbled out a ‘good afternoon’ your way.

“Phew, you guys scared me,” you said, straightening out your suit. “Good afternoon boys; Damian, Jason, Tim,” nodding your head to each one before you reached Dick.

Gasping, you said with a smile to Dick: “Baby! How you doin’?” drawing out a New York accent.

Dick chuckled, “I’m doing great, Ma, how are you?”

“A little better after that mini heart attack you guys gave me.” You and Dick both smiled at each other, unaware of the other boys staring at both of you with pure awe and jealousy.

You glanced down at your watch, “Hey, it’s my lunch time right now, you boys wanna get something to eat?” You asked, looking at each of the boys; then you got a bit uncomfortable as the 3 younger boys just kept staring at you.

“What?” you asked. “Is there something on my face?”

Jason broke out of his state first, looked at Dick and asked, “So it’s true?!”

With a smug smile on his face, Dick replied with a ‘Yep,’ making sure to exaggerate the p with a loud pop. Jason and Damian angrily looked at Dick, while Tim just pouted your way.

“I am so confused right now,” you said out loud.

Tim took a step closer to you. “Dick told us about you adopting him, and we didn’t believe him.”

“Yeah,” started Damian, “and it’s not fair. Why was he the only one adopted and not me-”

“Us,” interrupted Jason.

“Whatever!” huffed Damian. “Besides, I’m the youngest, so I should be the baby, not this oversized moron,” he said, pointing at Dick while looking at you.

“Say that to my face, pipsqueak!” yelled Dick.

All the boys began to argue between each other, completely ignoring you as you stood dumbfounded over the whole ordeal. Everyone once in a while, you tried to pry and calm the situation with no luck. After about 3 minutes, you stuck your index and middle finger into your mouth to elicit a loud whistle. The boys jumped back into a straight line so as not to anger you further. You groaned at the now forming pain on your temples, exhausted already.

“Fuck it, you’re all my babies now, alright?” you said, placing your hands on your hips.

They all nodded eagerly, a smile forming on each of their faces.

“Good. Now, let’s go get some food, and not one more word of this,” you said, walking toward the elevator, the boys following you. Abruptly, you turned with a stern look in your eye and pointed at each of them: “Especially to your dad.”

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Taglist:

@officiallydarkgeek @audioshoes @random-fandom-lady @inactivityenterprises @bunnymysteriously @hypnoticmistake

[trekkiehood]

A Gift and a Curse Part 2 - SPN Fanfic

@febuwhump : Day 7 - Used as an Experiment

Title: A Gift and a Curse

Part: [1] 2/?

Fandom: Supernatural

Words: 2.4k

Setting: Pre-Series Brotherhood AU

Whumpee: Dean

Caretaker: Caleb

Other Characters: John, Jim, Mac

Ship: None

Ao3 Link

Summary: Caleb will get Dean back no matter what the consequences. The question is, in what state will Dean return?

Trigger Warnings: Blood, general disturbing images, implied experimentations

Authors Note:

Dean is 15 Sam is 12 Caleb is 23

So incredibly sorry about how late this is. I had a speech performance exam on Wednesday, a test on Thursday, and audition callback today.

I really have been meaning to write and HOPEFULLY I'll be able to catch up before the end of the month. Even if I don't catch up I will be finishing all 29 days as a matter of principle because I've never actually finished a prompt challenge before and I am determined.

Anyway, here's this chapter. Hopefully it will help last chapter make a bit more sense.

Thanks to @pricelesstrashpanda for reading over it and helping me make it coherent lol.

Enjoy!

~TH~

Caleb knew he had screwed up. He knew it. And he had made things so much worse for Dean.

He couldn't get the scream out of his mind. John's exclamation asking what Caleb had done. Dean falling. The loss of connection the moment the door behind them closed. There was no question now, Jarrison was a psychic of some sort or at the very least knew enough about the supernatural to use psychic related spells. Either way Caleb had walked right into the man's trap, and Deuce had paid the price.

Mac said they had a plan. Caleb was hesitant. He didn't like the idea of Dean with that monster but… they didn't even know what happened last time. If it could happen again.

"Caleb," Jim had those cursed compassionate eyes. "I understand that what happened last time was… unpleasant. But the fact remains that we must get Dean."

"He knew that we were there the second we got there. Maybe before. And I could only read him when he let me! I don't-"

"Would you rather we leave him and let the monster torture him?!" John shouted.

Caleb paled.

"We have no proof that Jarrison is doing anything." Mac soothed, "But the fact remains that we need to get him back soon."

"No proof!? You didn't see him, Mackland!"

"No, but the fact remains that we can not let out panic cause us to act rashly again." The blame was being pointed at John but Caleb couldn't help but feel sick. This was his fault.

"This is irrelevant." Jim cut in, "You will go tonight and follow the plan exactly. I'll stay here with Samuel and run background support."

"And what about Jarrison?" Caleb asked.

"You will try to subdue him and bring him back here alive."

"And if not? He's human."

"No." Jim answered, and it felt like he was staring into Caleb's soul. "He's not."

~SPN~

Caleb wasn't sure exactly what the plan was and he didn't fully care to ask. Mac did something. Some sort of spell with pendants for each of them. Caleb wore it without even asking what it did. As much as he wanted to get Dean, he didn't want to go back in there and make things worse.

They got in without much difficulty, but they had last time as well. The difference this time was that they found the room Jarrison was in without him sensing them.

The man was wearing a white lab coat, writing in a notebook. In front of him was a security camera feed, on the screen was an operating table with Dean strapped down.

Caleb saw red.

The hand on his arm was the only thing that kept him from shooting the man right then.

"Jarrison," Mackland hissed.

The man's eyes snapped up in surprise. "Well. This is unexpected. Good to see you again, Mackland. Gentlemen."

"What were you thinking?!" Mac whispered in disbelief. "You kidnapped a child to-to perform your experiments on?!"

"He's not that young." The man rolled his eyes. "About the same age as your pet was when you first got him."

It took Caleb a moment before he realized that Jarrison was referring to him.

"He's my son." The flash of anger warmed a piece of Caleb's heart.

"Son, pet, whatever. It's irrelevant. What matters is that I knew the Winchester boy would be of an appropriate age. You created a fine psychic. But I knew I could do better."

"Created?! You think I- what kind of a monster do you think I am!?"

"I never said monster. I would say genius. A stingy genius unwilling to share his work or his protege. It didn't matter. I figured it out myself."

"Figured what out?"

"Evolution, Mackland. I fixed him. I can fix others."

"Deuce didn't need to be fixed!" Caleb cut in. "What did you do to him?!"

"What needed to be done!"

A shot rang out and the body fell before them.

Eyes swung to John who was still holding the gun out.

"What did you do?! We needed to know-"

"Anything that monster knew is in that notebook. I wasn't going to let him talk about my son like an animal or slab of meat."

"Jim said to bring him in alive if possible!"

"He also said he was no longer human. If he disagrees he can take it up with me."

Caleb stared a moment at the body before following John to find Dean.

~SPN~

Caleb could feel his heart rate speed up as he entered the room. Dean was on his back, eyes closed. An IV stuck in his left arm, heavy straps holding him down on all sides.

Too many memories washed over him. Being strapped down was one of the worst things he'd ever experienced. The fact that Dean was actively tied down made his skin crawl.

"Dean," the word was barely said on a breath as John went towards his son.

"Don't touch him!" Caleb cautioned. "We still don't know-"

John wasn't listening. His hands hovered momentarily before gently working on the straps. He was being careful not to touch the boy and Caleb began to help. Dean never made a movement the entire time. He didn't seem unconscious but he clearly wasn't very aware.

All the straps were removed before a mistake was made. John grabbed for the IV, coming into contact with Dean's arm.

Dean's eyes flew open and he let out a scream. John and Caleb both jerked back. Mac came running through the door.

"What happened?!"

"No, no, no, no," Dean was muttering, beginning to curl in on himself.

"Son?" John held out a placating hand but Dean jerked away, falling off the bed and ripping the IV out as he fell.

"No, no, no, no, no,"

"Dean, Dean look at me." Caleb took a step forward causing the younger boy to back up until the wall stopped him and he slid down, curling in on his knees.

"No, no, no, no! D-don't, don't touch me!"

"I'm not going to touch you. Okay? I just need you to calm down. You're safe."

"I-I can't do it again. Don-don't make me!"

"Do what, Deuce?"

"I-I can't see it." he whispered.

"Caleb, give him space." Mac ordered quietly.

The boy ignored him, taking a small step forward. "What do you see, Deuce?"

"Don't touch him!" John snapped.

"Johnathan, don't shout," Mac reprimanded.

"That's my son, Mackland!"

"And it's my son you're shouting at!"

Dean let out a whimper covering his ears.

"Damian, make them stop."

"Shut up!" Caleb shouted. "You're hurting him!"

The older men stopped, looking slightly ashamed.

Caleb continued, quieter, but his focus only on Deuce. "Hey, I've got you, just tell me what's going on."

"I see it. I can't see it again. It hurts."

"What hurts."

"I don't- all of it. My head."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. We'll figure this out. I promise, but you have to tell me what you see. What hurts."

"Caleb-" Mac said with some trepidation.

"Don't. He's talking to me. I know you want to go slow but if he wants to talk, let him."

"Caleb he's not talking." Mac said with an honest and concerned tone in his voice. "He hasn't said anything since we started arguing."

His eyes flashed to his father before back to Dean who was curled against the wall.

"Deuce, you with me?" He sent out telepathically.

"Why is everyone so loud?"

Caleb glanced at the two fathers, confirming the fact their conversation had not been heard. This was okay. They could figure this out.

"When people talk it's loud?"

"Yes. It makes my head hurt. Not like a normal hurt. I-I can't explain it."

"Ok, ok that's fine. Then we won't talk right now. But can you tell me what you see?"

"It's when people touch me."

"Okay, but what do you see when people touch you?"

"I-I see how you die."

And everything became unnervingly clear. Dean was seeing people's deaths. Dean could read minds and project telepathically.

Dean was psychic. And the powers were modeled after Caleb's.

And he wished John hadn't been so quick to kill Jarrison. He'd like to kill him slowly and in a much more painful way. It hadn't been all talk. Everything he said now made sense.

Caleb wouldn't wish his powers on anyone. Jim and Mac had spent a decade trying to convince him that his powers were a blessing. All this time later and there were extremely few instances when he'd been thankful. He'd always seen his powers as a curse, not a blessing.. Now that curse had been forced onto Dean.

"Okay, the other day, when I touched you, you saw my death?"

Dean nodded.

"And just now, with your Dad?"

"I-I didn't get the whole thing. Just flashes. It's not as bad as before but-"

"But it still hurts."

Dean once again nodded.

"What about Jarrison?'

"Who?"

"The man who had you. Did he touch you? Did you see his death."

Dean shook his head. "Gloves."

"So if I touch you with gloves it will be okay?"

Dean curled in on himself, "Please I don't want to see it."

"You won't. I promise."

Dean aggressively shook his head.

"Okay, okay. Do you know what he did?"

"I think-think he did something in my head. And an IV. He alway- always had me on an IV. I hate it."

"Do you think you can stand up?"

It was slow, but Dean used the wall until he was standing.

"Dad, hand me those gloves."

Dean flinched slightly but Mac did as he was asked.

"Deuce look, I have gloves. Just like he did. You won't see anything."

The teens breathing sped up, "But what if I do?"

"You won't. We're going to get you out of here and everything is going to be okay. But you've got to let me help you. You've got to trust me."

Dean nodded.

Caleb hesitantly met him against the wall. Dean flinched as Caleb made contact but didn't start screaming.

"Are you seeing anything?"

Dean let out a sob, shaking his head.

"Okay, good, good, see, everythings okay. Everything's going to be okay."

He pressed Dean's head into his chest trying to get his father's attention as the boy cried. Under any other circumstances Caleb would never even consider what he was about to do.

"Can you give him something to knock him out?"

Caleb made sure to project directly onto his father. He didn't know exactly what Dean was capable of and didn't want to risk panicking the boy further.

Mac shot him a look, but nodded.

"Don't touch him."

Caleb was surprised that John had kept quiet but thankful nonetheless. He wasn't above frying his brain to keep him quiet at this point.

Mac appeared behind him with a syringe. He looked at Caleb as if to ask if he was sure that this was for the best. Caleb wasn't sure himself. But he couldn't think of a different option. Dean was still sobbing against him. The uncontrollable shaking hadn't died down. They weren't getting him out of there conscious. He was in hysterics.

The doctor's gloved hand gently touched the boy's forearm and he hiccuped, going stiff. Caleb wrapped his arms around him tighter to keep him from squirming away. The shot was given and a few moments later Dean sagged in his arms.

"Will someone please tell me what's going on!?" John snapped as father and son laid Dean down on the ground.

"He mimicked my abilities." Caleb said with rising anger.

"He what?"

"He can read and project and he sees the death of people who touch him."

"How is that even possible?" Mac murmured.

"Deuce said that he did something to his head. And that he kept him dosed up on something."

Mac frowned, "It may not have been best to drug him."

"There was no other way to get him to calm down. Trust me, I don't like it either."

The doctor ran a still gloved hand over the unconscious boy.

"He's lost weight." He said mostly to himself, "Several different injection sites. Some cuts." Then to Caleb, "Help me lay him on his side."

Caleb gently turned the young teen over, keeping Dean's head in his lap. Mac began feeling along the back of his head. He frowned.

"We need to get him somewhere that I can get an x-ray. I think there's something along the base of his skull."

"You mean that he surgically stuck something in my son's skull?!"

"I don't know, John. That's what I need to find out."

"What about the drugs?" Caleb asked.

"I'll have to take some blood samples. Hopefully the journal will have what I need but I still need to look around. You and John take him out to the car. Try to keep from skin on skin contact. I assume that's what triggers the visions. He's unconscious but I don't know what- honestly I don't know anything at this point."

Caleb hated the way that Mac was talking. He understood it. But he hated it. He was talking like Dean was some sort of project or experiment. Caleb remembered feeling the same when he was younger and Mac would start spouting theories about Caleb's powers. It was never intentionally harsh, but had the tendency of making the patient feel less than human. It was the doctor in Mac that kept him calm and in control. And Caleb really couldn't blame his father for that.

"But he'll be okay, right? I mean I'm like… you can't… artificially make abilities. If I'm like this because of my ancestry-"

"We don't know that-"

"No, but if it is that, then you can't just… copy that."

"Caleb, I know almost nothing at this point. All we know is that Dean claims to have prophetic death visions on contact and that he has some form of telepathy. For all we know his visions could just be a bad reaction to the drugs."

"Trips don't cause you to be able to read people's minds, Mackland!"

"I don't know, John. I told you that. I can't know anything at this point. Take Dean to the car then call Jim and inform him that we're heading to the hospital."

"Dad-"

"Go, son. He'll be okay. Even if it is permanent he can learn to live with it, you did."

"Yeah, well I don't want him to."

Mac smiled sadly, lightly touching Caleb's arm. "I know, son. We'll figure it out. He'll be okay."

Looking at the still, pale, and seemingly extremely small teen, Caleb sincerely hoped his father was right.

(Probably to be continued at some point but idk when)

~TH~

Like it says I know this isn't finished but at the moment I don't know of a solid prompt to put for the third chapter. If one comes up, I might sneak it in. But there will be at least one more chapter.

What did you think? Would appreciate any thoughts!

I'm not doing day 8 prompt bc i just genuinely can not think of a story to write so I'll be doing alt 1. That probably means nothing to you but it is what it is lol.

I hope you enjoyed this! Love you guys! Will attempt to not disappear but no promises.

God bless,

Jamie

[guigz1-coldwar]

'Breaking point' : New chapter for "Redemption in a Spirit in a Cold War" is out !

Breaking point'

"My friends are my only family in this world but hurt them...and hell will be falling on you, I can guarantee you that !"

Chapter Summary : It's the moment for Yirina and the whole team to finally get moving on putting down Naga and save Adler from him but there's always something in an mission that don't go as planned.....

To read it on AO3, click here !

Words : +3900

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

Hearing of the tragic news about Mason's wife and me & Park were no longer feeling to celebrate anything at all for the remainder of the day, giving us an sad mood after Woods told us about what happened. After some minutes spent outside the hangar, trying to get our minds cleared, we decided to return inisde but instead of pretending that we were still good and go back with the others, still talking to each other, we preferred to actually go directly in the dorm, wanting mostly to have an sleep for tomorrow's big operation we are going to make and it will not be easy.

All night, I've been trying to juggle in my brain to search an little 'something' that could maybe help to know more about who was this Naga, also named Kapano Vang. I did heard that name in the first memory when I remembered of Stitch and just before I break his arm but I couldn't find anything else important about him. Was my encounter with him along Perseus was the only time I actually met him ? Or is there anything I'm missing right now ? Only other things I had is the intels the others find on him, nothing else.

Next morning, we took time to prepare ourselves as we planned to leave the base in the beginning of the afternoon to join Rivas. Like she said, she left in the middle of the night to make an recon of the sector the ground team are going to land and continue their path by walk to get to Naga's HQ while neutralizing the enemies that will be on our way as me & Garrett will try to make an better recon of the sector by using an Laotian Huey before joining the others in an specific spot to regroup and to think.

"Yirina !" An male voice came behind me as I was putting my equipment on me : holstler for my M1911 at my waist, some first-aid kits on my vest and my knife at my right boot. I turned around to discover Garrett, already prepared.

"Yes ?" I said, wondering what he wanted before he handed to me, multiples knifes.

"You might want to use some throwing knifes." He proposed to me and I nodded, taking the small knifes in my hand and putting them on my vest at an free space for them. "Oh and I have something else." He added before he got from his back, another knife that was kinda special.

"What's this ?" I asked him, seeing an red button on the knife side.

"You remember that raid we made at our first mission against Stone ?" He gestured with his free hand, pointing at me & him. "When I killed that guy with an knife that got out of its base ?" He continued, having in me the picture of that moment.

"Oh yeah, I got it : that's an ballistic knife." I exclaimed, putting my eyes on it, still in his hands. "Uhm...how does it work ?" I demanded as I wasn't so familiar with that thing

"Pretty simple, you either press the trigger, operating on the lever or switch on the handle." He explained, showing me the knife in detail before I took it in my hands. "Don't worry, I'm sure that you will use it well."

"We'll see that." I whispered, smiling at him as I strapped the ballistic knife at my belt. "Am I the only one who got that ?" I questioned him

"No, I gave one to Park and I didn't forget Song too." He replied, looking around as Park & Song were talking to each other and their looks were on us. "I can say that you got luck to be with Park, Yirina." He told me silently as I was still looking at Park with great eyes.

"Thanks." I smiled at him, blushing an little about talking about it to him. "Can say the same with you & Song."

"Thank you too." He did the same thing as me while I was quite impressed to see his gratitude towards me, he's an great friend. "Anyway, you're ready about our part ?" He asked me, mentioning the recon we will have later.

"Yes, just fearing that something will not go as planned." I expressed my doubts about it but it was very minimal to say.

"I know, there's always something that aren't going as planned in every mission." He exclaimed, taking an breath as he was looking outside towards the Huey we're going to use. "Trust me, things will go fine."

"I'm trusting you." I affirmed, putting my hand on his shoulder, thanking him to be an nice friend.

"Thanks again." He breathed before he look at my desk, seeing my guns. "I think it's time that we move on, looks like Woods is awaiting for us." He pointed outside, his eyes on Woods talking with Wolf next to the helicopter.

"Good, go there, I will be there in no-time." I grinned at him before he decide to collect his last piece of equipment on his own desk while I was taking in hands my guns, putting my M1911 in my holstler and taking my MP5 and then, I was on my way to join the others near the chopper, everyone was there...except Mason who already left the base last day.

"Looks like everyone is here." Woods spoke up, seeing me arrive near the group, holding his XM4 with his right hand.

"Any news of Rivas's team ?" Song asked to him directly.

"Last checkup with them was minutes ago, everything is all good on their side." Wolf replied, crossing his arms after he put his 'Death Machine' in the helicopter. "They're going to do one before we arrive near the LZ." He continued, his eyes on Song.

"Everyone has everything they need ?" Sims interjected, already settled at his place inside the helicopter. "Because we're not going to come back until we're done with Naga and saved Adler." He confirmed to us as our mission is going to be very long in the Laotian jungles.

"Well, we're going to make this quick then." Garrett scoffed, finally moving to get at his seat before the others start to join him.

"Woods, tell me that I ain't going to fly that thing again." I called Woods out about that before he shook his head.

"No, I'll be flying that thing first but when you & Garrett will be making that advanced recon in it, it will be the co-pilot that will take the commands." He reassured me, putting his hand on my shoulder, it was true that putting me in controls last day did almost freak me out. "Before we go, I need to know something." He added, taking me apart an few meters from the helicopter, his hand still on me. "No one is aware for Mason's true departure ?" He demanded.

"No, me & Park didn't tell anything." I replied, sure of my words as only Sims & Wolf got worried about it but of course, we hold our promises to Woods & we lied to them. "Don't worry, Woods, we'll tell nothing." I continued, nodding to him.

"Thanks." He breathed, removing his hands off me. "Let's go then, we have to save one of ours." He whispered, sounding very low as he was opening the pilot's door and me, going behind to sit next to Park.

After I was rightfully seated, Woods started the Huey engine and an few seconds later, we were taking off from the helipad, ready to fly above the jungles to join the supposed LZ that was very far from our location and also Rivas team to it. I can say that having her & her team to check things in advance will maybe help the ground team to not deal with too much Naga's soldiers along the way while me & Garrett will check their path in advance.

During the flight, I was pretty silent, checking up my guns in case with, of course, the safeties on on them, not wanting to fire an bullet in that thing like that and also, the ballistic knife that Garrett gave me. Song & Park did also have the same as he claimed to me, put to differents places of their outfits. Sims was, him, really nervous right now, holding his M60 and his eyes focused on the outside view.

"Thinkful, Sims ?" I demanded to him as I was seated just next to him at my right after I finished to take an look to my knife, putting it back at my boot.

"Uhm ?" He chuckled, surprised to hear me talk to him.

"I said that you were thinkful ?" I repeated my question.

"Oh...uhm, yeah, I am." He replied, sounding very low and I was almost not able to hear it because of the loud noises of the rotor blades. "Just thinking that it's like in the old times." He added, making an little laugh about it.

"You & me are making an hell of an team, remember ?" I joked around as it was something I heard from Adler in an fake memory...'Fracture Jaw'....why I am laughing about this ?...

"Welcome to 'Nam." He exclaimed to me, showing me his M60 in hands until we start to hear some gunshots through the headsets we were wearing, that wasn't something shooting at us, it was the main radio.

"Shit, Rivas." Wolf said, taking the radio in hands to activate fully.

"Mission is FUBAR !" We could hear Rivas's voice very loudly from the radio and by the sound of it, her & her team were in big trouble. "We need immediate reinforcements, falling back to the LZ !" She continued in her message as I was trying to look outside to check if we were soon arrived.

"Hold on, Rivas, we are inbound !" Wolf confirmed to her, meaning that we were close of the LZ before he peaked his head between Woods & the co-pilot. "Get us on the ground, now !"

"Copy that, hang on !" Woods ordered to us before brutally turning the Huey completely and hopefully that we were attached to our seats because I wouldn't like to bump into someone or worse, been ejected from the helicopter.

"Be more brutal next time and no one will be behind." Song scoffed to Woods as she was just near the outside before verifying her M16. It's true that everyone went almost out.

"It was like that before ?" Garrett asked to Sims who shook his head.

"Nope, sir." He responded in an half-serious voice as the chopper was approaching some ruins that was in the middle of the jungle with no trees around, like an small plain.

"I have your visual, LZ is hot !" Rivas voice came again through the radio as I could see in the outside, seeing an warzone going on in those ruins. "Light them up !" She shouted before the radio went off.

"Damnit, goddamn Laos." Woods breathed as he was starting to land the plane on the same ruins we saw from afar. "It's go time, Wolf, get on the gun !" He ordered as Wolf took his 'Death Machine' in hands from the chopper ground "Okay, jump off !" Woods added before he finally land the chopper on the ground.

At his order, we all jumped in an second, Wolf opening the lead with his minigun to fire at everything that was in front of us as the others were quickly moving into cover to escape the multiples bullets that were coming towards through the few soldiers that was making an resistance against us while Wolf was spreading an lot of bullets with his precious 'Death Machine' in hands.

I fired some bullets from my cover with my MP5, hitting some of the lucky guys that managed to escape Wolf's minigun and to say, I was surprised that Rivas was only with an few soldiers on her own as I remember that there were more people with her, meaning that something went very wrong in here, seeing some bodies near us that was dressed up in standard american gear...something was off here.

After an few moments, the fight finally stopped between us, only hearing the wind around us. I only used an mag from my MP5, wanting to get the necessary for the next fights and as I was checking it, Woods finally got out of the chopper with his XM4 in hands, having exchanged places with the co-pilot that was now the pilot.

"Rivas, where's the others ?" Woods asked, looking at her direction.

"We were ambushed, they knew we were coming !" She responded, holding something that was looking like an crossbow in her left hand and pointing to an dirt path leading inside an forest. "Camp is a few clicks east." She added.

"Fuck, we can't abort or Adler is good as dead." Wolf expressed, sounding very serious, walking next to Sims. "Even if they're making an hard fight to us, we can't back down." He continued as it was true since yesterday, Naga wouldn't employ that if Adler wasn't in the region.

"Adler is one tought son of a bitch." Woods exclaimed, looking at the dirt path. "But everyone has an breaking point !" He then looked at me & Garrett. "You two, return back inside and do your recon, you will give us an update once you finished." He ordered and we nodded to him as we start to walk inside the chopper as the pilot was starting the engine again.

"Yirina !" I was called out once I was inside and when I turned my back, I could see Park arriving with Song behind her. "Watch out, okay ?" She demanded.

"I will be, don't worry." I affirmed to her as she was removing her bandana that was covering her mouth, making me move slowly towards her. "I'll be fine." I continued before we pulled in for an quick kiss as Song & Garrett were doing the same.

"Oh my god !" Woods chuckled the only two couple in here, kissing. "Time is wasting, kids." He expressed in an lazy voice before he rolled his eyes.

"See you later." Park whispered to me before she winked at me, putting her black bandana on and I winked back in return.

"Let's move !" Rivas told everyone that was not in the chopper and then, the ground team start to move away from the ruins, leaving us with the pilot.

"Okay, you two." The pilot started, looking at us. "I will be flying above the place marked on that map but it will be an straight flight so make sure to spot things quickly because we're supposed to be an simple Laotian Air Force Huey, understand ?" He explained to us.

"We're good." Garrett answered as he was sitting back at his seat, not attaching himself like me.

"Then, let's go." The pilot said as he was starting to take off the ruins, ready for our recon above the outposts Naga is using in the region.

We flied straight to get ahead of the ground team and like the pilot said, our flight couldn't be suspiscious from Naga's men, meaning that we are going to act like if we were only members of the Laotian Air Force. As it was going to be quick, me & Garrett positioned ourselves at each part of the transport bay to have an better view on each side, having an map in our hands as we were given an replicate from the original one and some binoculars.

For the 15 next minutes, we only flied above two Naga's outposts on the way to his HQ, discovering that they were small and its mens were basically not fitted to be normal Perseus soldiers, mostly members of Naga's cartel but after passing these two outposts, we couldn't go too far as we were at the limits of getting next to Naga's HQ that was filled with AA guns and we weren't going to take an risk.

"Time to head back to drop you two at a strategic location." The pilot told us as we were checking the map, meaning that it was the end of our recon and that we will have to get our feets back on the ground.

"Where do you think we could go ?" I asked to Garrett as we were getting back at our seats

"I don't know, maybe somewhere between the two outposts." He replied, his hands on his map to see where we could land in safety. "There is the safe point we will join the others." He pointed at his map to me where an red marked square was drawed, something I didn't have on mine. "It's at least 5 minutes from...." He was going to finish until we start to hear some ringing like an alert. "What's happening ?" Garrett demanded to the pilot.

"Shit, we've got locked in !" He responded, panicked. "Strap yourselves, I will try to evade them." He exclaimed as he start to make some manoeuvers while us were strapping to our seats, trying to check outside. "Using the countermeasures." The pilot actioned something on the controls panels as an lot of flares were dropped behind the helicopter.

"Damnit, those fuckers are using guided launchers !" Garrett said, peaking his head to look outside. "Fuck, RPGs !" He exclaimed....but it was too late for the pilot to avoid an rocket to hit the tail of the Huey.

"We're going down !" The pilot shouted, trying to take back the controls but it was useless as the Huey was going down and then....it was all black....

I heard an loud crash in my head, trying that it was done until I start to slowly reopen my eyes, figuring out where we just crashed....just on an cliffside. I looked at Garrett who was looking wounded and the pilot....shit, he was dead, having almost gone through the windshield of the helicopter. Me, I was still strapped to my seat, having my head that was hurting me an little, despite the crash.

"Shit....the pilot's dead." I whispered in an low voice before I look at Garrett. "Garrett ?"

"Aaah....my legs..." He was sounding in pain, trying to hold his lap and when I look at his knee, they were badly hit, he wasn't strapped to his seat. "I can't feel them." He added.

"Fuck." I exclaimed, directly starting to detach myself from my seat to move to get to him but then, the helicopter start to move on its side, causing Garrett to move away from his seat and going out. "Garrett !" I managed to grab his hand but my moves caused me to also fall from the helicopter, finding me to hold Garrett with one hand at a least 100 m of the ground while the other hand was grabbing one of the helicopter skid.

"Damnit, shit !" Garrett said, trying to move his other hand to join my hand that was holding him.

"I've got you !" I told him, trying to move him to get on the same levek but...each time I was trying that, the helicopter was moving itself slowly towards the fall down the cliffside.

"This chopper is going to kill us if we move too much." Garrett expressed, looking above him, the crashed choppter. "Fuck....fuck...." He cursed, still moving his other hand to get to me while me were trying to move him to get his hands on the skid but the helicopter was still moving. "Yirina..." He closed his eyes for an second. "You...you have to let me go." He demanded, shocking me at my high level.

"No, I can...I can do this !" I protested against him but he shook his head.

"It's too late, we're going to die before you can do this." He affirmed but I didn't want to believe him, trying to move him. "I can't move my legs and....shit...I will not make it."

"No, please..."

"Yirina...tell Song...I loved her so much." He cut me straight and he was starting to make my eyes cry, still holding his hand firmly.

"No....no." I pleaded, my voice really cracking at this point until he closed his eyes for an second, before reopening them.

"Take care of Park !" He whispered before...he let his hand go away....

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO !" I screamed as I was seeing him fall to his death....unable to do an thing to save him....obliged to watch him die.

I...I wasn't able to save him and he accepted his death like that but I could have save him but there were nothing I could do for that. I was so sad and bad at the same time until I resigned myself to get my both hands back on the skid to use it to get back inside the crashed helicopter and quickly jumped off again until it finally fall from the cliff, finding myself on the ground, trying to figure out what I can do now.

"Hands up !" Someone shouted in front of me, discovering two armed mans slowly advancing towards with AK-47 in hands, it was Naga's cartel members, not even fully protected. "Come on, hands up, american !" He spoke up again, staying at that position with his friend as I slowly got up, feeling the rage inside of me growing up.

"Come on...american...put your hands up !" The other soldier demanded, sounding panicking as he was seeing my face going in full anger as I was finally up, head down and breathing loudly until I closed my eyes, thinking that my rage is taking over me. I then opened my eyes, ready....

"AAAAAAAAAH !" I screamed all my rage and so loudly that birds were scared and it could have been an scream that everyone around at 1 km could hear, my rage was posseding me and I couldn't back down and I wasn't going to do this.

In an second, I got my hand behind me to grab an throwing knife to quickly launch it on the second terrified guy, hitting right into the head. The two were really scared of me, seeing them trembling like a leaf...and I was going to unleash hell on them. At the moment he saw his friend going down by my knife that the first soldier who talked, dropped his gun to the ground, breathing anormally and trying to get back from me...the death that was coming to get him, getting my knife off my boot.

"You son of a bitch !" I shouted to that guy as he was stopped by an tree behind him, no way to escape and then, I put my left hand around his neck while having the knife in the other. "You see how it fucking feel to lose an friend ?" I exclaimed before I start to brutally stab the man in the chest. "You...see how it feels ?" I repeated at each stabbing of that guy as the blood was coming in my hands and clothes until the guy wasn't breathing anymore, stabbed to death by me before I let him go, throwing him on the ground as he was nothing to me.

"Are you here ?" I could hear the dead man radio going on, recognizing the voice on it....

"Naga !" I whispered in an low voice, starting to get the radio in hand.

"Did you check the wreckage of the helicopter ?" He demanded to his guys that were now dead with me still listening to him. "I repeat, is there any survivors to deal with ?" He repeated in an worried voice until I got the radio closer to my mouth, ready to get him aware.....

"I'm coming to get you, Naga !"

[iamyoursinblog]

Find you

Pairing: Park Jinyoung x Im Jaebeom ( feat. You)

Genre: fluff

Word Count: 2,4 k

LIST

Part: [ 1] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 3.5 ] [ 4 ] [ ]

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POV Jaebeom

'And why did Mark insist that I go into this new coffee shop,' he thought of himself standing in the alley, looking at the black door without a sign. He checked the address again on the card to make sure he got there. Maybe Mark's just playing it. I wonder Jinyoung was here? He took the phone out of his pocket and dialed Jinyoung's number.

"What do you need?" answered the voice barely holding back the laughter.

"And for you hello too. Where are you?"

"At home, where else am I can be? Weren't we going to go to the training together?"

"We'll go. I'll be back soon. What are you laughing at?"

"Watching the movie, okay bye, because of you I miss the most interesting." Jinyoung hung up

He looked at the phone. Did Jinyoung just  hang up? He didn't even have time to ask  what he wanted. Whatever. He went to the door and opened it. Despite the fact that the sun was shining outside, it seemed that it was a deep night, and only a dim yellow light illuminated every table. Was it really a coffee shop? He saw a couple at the far table, who had a cute conversation with each other. What? Mark sent him to the coffee shop for the couples. He was approached by the waiter "Good afternoon. Are you alone or with  someone?"

"Alone" he replied, had long been since he was so embarrassing.

"Please follow me" the waiter turned around and strode and deep into the hall. He pushed the curtain, skipping him forward. It seemed here was even darker than before. It was a spacious hall on the perimeter of which were placed single soft vintage armchairs next to which were low bookcases on several shelves. At the end of the hall there was a bar. The hall was empty. Only one person at the end of the hall, read a book sitting in a armchair. Only now he noticed that near each armchair there was a small reading lamp, which stood on the coffee table.

"You can choose any place you like" said the waiter before leaving. He once again inspected the hall before choosing a seat in the corner from which the whole hall is clearly visible. He sat down on armchair and smiled. It was like a little world that only he was in. He laughed softly. Jinyoung would have liked it here. This place was unique, no wonder it was hard to find. He drew attention to the wall of the locker, which was attached to a tablet with the inscription 'To order use a tablet'. Unlocked the tablet, he chose a drink and sent an order. He heard the sound of a slight vibration from the side of the bar. The person who was reading got up from his seat and walked towards the bar. Or rather it was a girl with long dark hair. She was wearing a red trouser suit and rabbit-slippers. He could barely contain his laughter. He wondered if this girl was the reason Mark insisted on coming here. You went to the bar, because the hall was big, he couldn't see your face. A few minutes later you took a glass of his drink, and headed in his direction. His heart started beating harder. For a long time no one worried his heart, perhaps the atmosphere of the coffee shop enhances the effect of anticipation. He took a deep breath returning his composure. Your skin was white, and your bright lips were immediately conspicuous. He couldn't take his eyes off you. You looked straight into his eyes, but why did he feel like he was sitting completely naked now under your glance. You came closer and smiled.

"Here, please, your order" you said by placing a glass on the coffee table next to it.

"Thank you" he quickly replied

"Hopefully you'll fully enjoy the time, what you'll spent here" you turned around and started to leave.

"Wait..." he grabbed you by the edge of your jacket, stopping you. You turned slowly, your eyes were glued to his hand. Gently with two fingers you took the sleeve of his shirt, removing his hand from your jacket. You turned your eyes on him, but he felt like you'd slapped him. "Sorry, I just wanted to ask you something," he said quickly as you let go of his sleeve.

"For this, people have such an organ as mouth. You don't have to touch them at all." you answered, still looking into his eyes. Why did your look make him feel defenseless.

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to know, here always so empty?" he asked, pointing to an empty hall. You came closer, looking at him from head to toe.

"People come here when they are tired and want to rest. If you need an overflow coffee shop with a lot of people or you want to chat, then you clearly got the wrong address."

"No, I think I've finally come, exactly where I've been dreaming to be for so long time" he smiled broadly at you without taking his gaze off your face.

You bent down on him, resting your hands on the armrests on either side of him. He had completely to leaned back. You looked at him with a glance that he would definitely call dangerous. "You're wasting your time. Don't try to find something here that doesn't exist" you turned around and left, this time he didn't have the courage to stop you. His heart was pounding at breakneck speed, and his back was covered with sweat. What was that? The feelings were all too familiar. He mentally returned at the time that he and Jinyoung left behind and decided not to remember again. He wanted to get up and only now realized that his whole body was tense. He got up and quickly walked towards the exit. Having paid off, he went outside. A bright light blinded him up for a few minutes, his eyes aching after the dark lighting in the coffee shop.

He came to training and only then realized that he had no belongings. He went to the side of the locker room. Going inside, he saw his bag next to his locker. Jinyoung. Despite the fact that Jinyoung always complains about him, still does everything to take care of him. He smiled broadly. After quickly changing, he ran towards the field. He found Jinyoung's eyes and ran in his direction. He jumped on Jinyoung and knocked him down, causing them to fall.

"Yay, gosh! I brought him a uniform, and he knocks me down. So do good to the people after that"Jinyoung resented.

He hugged him tightly from his back, wrapping his arms and legs around Jinyoung, while they lay on the grass. "Who is this grumbler here, who cares so much about me?" he laughed loudly.

"Jaebeom, confess to me honestly. Have you gone mad?" asked Jinyoung

"Yes" he got to his feet, helping to rise Jinyoung. "Come on, the training has already started" they ran towards the team, which already warmed up.

As always they were lying on the field when everyone left. He lay with his eyes closed, and still constantly felt the look of Jinyoung. Although after that drunken night Jinyoung never crossed the border again, even when he got drunk. In his memory a moment surfaced on the river bank. When Jinyoung lead hand down his cheek. He saw the exact same look today. A dangerous look. He wasn't sure if anything was worth changing when things went back to their seats. First he wanted to tell Jinyoung about the girl he met today. But now his resolve has not been so strong. Too many questions arose in his head. But the most important thing was: why was he so excited to meet the girl Jinyoung came up with?

"Are you not going to go home?" a Jinyoung voice snatched him from his thoughts. He opened his eyes and saw Jinyoung, who was standing beside him, reaching out his hand. He got up and they went to the locker room. After taking a shower, they quickly gathered and went home. "Did something good happen today? You looked happy when you came to practice."

"Something happened, but I don't know yet whether it's good or bad." replied Jaebeom

"If I ask what it is, will you answer me?"

"I'll answer, but not today"

"Okay" Jinyoung smiled "Tell me when I can ask you. What are we going to have at dinner?

"Usually when you ask me what we're going to have at dinner, you already have the answer to that question," Jaebeom laughed.

"You're damn right, my friend."

After a few days of deliberation, Jaebeom siting on the bedroom floor after dinner, looking at the coffee shop's black card in front of him. He decided that let fate make its choice. Jinyoung went into the bedroom and sat across from him, giving him a beer. Seeing the card on the floor, he picked it up, carefully scrutinizing.

"What is this?" asked Jinyoung with interest

"Answer"

"The answer? Which answer?"

"On the question you wanted to ask me a few days ago"

Jinyoung turned his eyes from business card at him, and stared intently for a few minutes before looking at the business card again. "Is that the answer? And which is this answer: good or bad?"

"You'll have to tell me that later, " replied Jaebeom, taking a few more sips of beer.

"You're not coming with me?"

"No, you have to go there alone"

"I get it. I'll go when I'll have time" he smiled and put business card on the nightstands near the bed.

After drinking beer, they went to bed.

POV Jinyoung

Today he was alone. He was very bored. What's he going to do? He was lying on the bed looking through the SNS. Jaebeom went to help Mark, he had to go with them. But he didn't want to plant trees. He got up abruptly because of what hit the nightstand with his knee. Half the stuff fell to the floor. He began to lift them off the floor until a black piece of paper caught his attention. He considered it for a long time, recalling the words of Jaebeom. Think he just had plans for tonight.

Why did Jaebeom send him here? What exactly should he find the answer to? He understood nothing while standing, in a narrow unlit alley looking at the black door and painted windows. He went inside, a few couples sat at tables, and there was dim lighting in the hall. The waiter appeared before him a moment later, "Good evening. Are you alone or with a couple?"

"I'll be alone" he smiled, representing Jaebeom to a similar dating spot. He looked around while following the waiter. They went to the second hall with single armchairs. Choosing a place, he considered everything around. There were about five other people besides him. Someone read, someone looked at the phone, someone listened to music with eyes closed. What is this place? Having made an order, he curiously examined everything around. He turned his eyes to the bar and saw a girl making a cocktail. She had fair skin and dark hair. You came out from behind the bar heading in his direction. You were wearing a red urban midi dress and instead of shoes, panda slippers. Your eyes were on him. Is it? No, it can't be truth! Wild! That's the first thing he thought of when watching your every move.

"Here, please," you said, and smiled. But the smile didn't touch your eyes, they kept scanning him.

"Who are you?" he asked

You tilted your head looking at him, "Hmm, this is the first time I've got a question like this. It's interesting."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. It slipped out. Do you work here?"

"It can say like this." said you looking around the hall

"It seems that there are not many visitors. Interesting place" he took his glass "Thank for that" he said taking a sip.

"I think I've got deja vu. Well" you looked at him with a cold glance before you turn around. You took a step, but stopped, turning your head slightly, you said "Hope you fully enjoy your time here" you quickly walk to the side of the bar.

Cold passed through his back. You is the girl he made up himself. But why now he was scared, meeting you face to face. This is what Jaebeom wanted to show him. What for? It seemed to him that they had left everything behind. Why now. How does he must react to that. Good or bad, what of this he must choose. "Jaebeom what you're up to. Why did you want me to see her?" he whispered. He drank his drink and came out of that coffee shop without turning around he went home.

He sat in a dark room, looking at the amber liquid in his glass. He heard the sound of the front door when Jaebeom returned home. He took off his shoes and went into the living room

"God, you scared me! Why are you sitting in the dark?" said Jaebeom

He got up and headed towards Jaebeom. He was making slow steps. He came close, forcing Jaebeom to back down. "What's wrong with you? Are you drunk?"

Jinyoung did not respond by taking another step and Jaebeom crashed into the wall. He went up in tight to Jaebeom, approaching his face. Jaebeom tried to shove him away, but he pressed his hands against the wall.

"What's wrong with you today?" Jaebeom's breath became quicker.

He squeezed with the force of Jaebeom's forearm, he leaned to his ear, pressing his body. "Isn't that what you expected when you sent me to that coffee shop?" he whispered.

"I’m ... No... I don't know."

"Why would you want me to see her?"

"I don't know"

"Didn't you ask me to stop, so why are you doing this now?"

"I don't know"

"Don't you think you're repeating yourself? Who then should know the answers?" he felt the tremor emanating from Jaebeom's body.

"I couldn't think of anything, when I saw her. The girl you dream up. What else was I supposed to do?"

He put his head on Jaebeom's shoulder. Now he realizes Jaebeom was just as him scared and excited the day he met you.

"We found our girl, it left just to win her heart," he said, taking a few steps back and laughing.

"Have you seen her? I think we're going to have a problem with that," chuckled Jaebeom.

"We're going to have to try," Jinyoung said, "Is the game starting to be in our favor, but the chances of winning are still zero."

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Part: [ 1] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 3.5 ] [ 4 ] [ ]

LIST

[topicprinter]

PREVIOUS POSTS & CLIFFS - Skip if you've been with us the whole journey!Part 0I'm going to start a dropshipping e-commerce website with a large number of items & a (hopefully) unique value proposition. I'm using this as a test post to see if you guys would be interested in taking the journey with me.Most importantly: I'm not now, nor plan to, sell anything or benefit from this directly by any means. I won't be posting my website, linking to my blog, or offering a course at end (if I start making money). The reason for these posts will be: to gather my thoughts into words, to regurgitate what I'm learning (teaching is the best way to learn new concepts, etc etc) and most importantly to get input from you guys. I'm hoping people may learn from what I do, mistakes I make, things I read/summarize, etc. and that I can learn from your guys' experience.My rules for myself & my customers - I won't use dropshipping from overseas as an excuse for lack of quality. I will only put up items that I have faith in because of reviews, orders, and vendors. I will spend the time to make sure my customers are not "fooled" - upfront on shipping times, easy returns, etc. I will not con people for the sake of making a sale. With transparency & honest interactions I hope to limit my returns/problems & keep recurring buyers as well as take pride in my products & websiteQUESTIONS ANSWERED:I have a question. I've seen some dropshipping sites based on franchise merchandise. Harry Potter, Disney, etc. Are there legal risks? Is there any risk of being shut down or sued?Question - if you ship from aliexpress, how long does it take for your customers to receive the product? A week, a month?How will you address the fact that most customers will probably feel cheated when they order something from your website and then it turns up as a package from some "random" Chinese retailer ?Part 1First and foremost: thank you all for your kind support in this thread... not only the responses, but the dozen+ messages. Some of you just wrote to say you're interested, some even offered to help out. I'm grateful and hope you all keep along with me on the journey - rain or shine.The idea: I debated whether to get specific with you all or not, but.... here goes. If you can do the idea better than I will, congratulations :) The website will be a variety of items curated into collections for gift giving. For example - a curated list of items for college graduation for someone who is into automobiles. This custom curated list will include car tools, unique car items (one real example: an anti-glare sun visor), maybe a battery charger, etc. This gives me two target markets - for the gift giver, and the gift getter. It will have a request feature ("wishlist") but will be marketed towards gift givers ("hey sister of a college graduate, no idea what to get your brother? check out what our staff recommends"The problem(s): it's broad. But what's the biggest problem I forsee? Gift giving isn't always thought ahead of time. It's not something you plan a month in advance (because, you know, dropshipping). Shipping times, shipping problems, shipping times, shipping problems. We'll tackle it. Our marketing will have to be top-notch.Marketing PlanApps & ProgramsChoosing ProductsFinancialsQUESTIONS ANSWERED:Newbie here. Question for you: why did you start your business with shopify? Why not sell your product on amazon first, build up some sales $, then expand into your own webspace? The way you're doing it seems very daunting to someone who has never done this before (me).How do you decide on product pricing ? Do you have a formula you use ? Does it take into account the possibility of returns and the upfront cost of purely the operating cost ? Id love to know more of what kind of margin you shoot for and how you take everything into account to come up with a price.I have a question about how drop shippers become successful at all with the shit turn around time. Unless it's a really niche item I can't get anywhere else I would close any website so fast if I saw 20 day shipping time.Part 2The Website: is more or less finished. I have about 20 products left to finalize (choosing pictures, editing description, etc.) & finalizing some of the categories.The Legal Stuff: This is the major sticking point before I'm ready to launch. A lot of you guys mentioned that my idea of using an LLC & a DBA was overkill and I looked into it further. I decided on bypassing the LLC for now, and just starting as a sole prop w/ a business bank account & credit card and using a DBA. When/if we start making some money, we can move to an LLC (not a single-member one though because it's pretty useless, as far as I've read). I decided against an LLC due to the tax, record keeping, etc. & the fact that in my state the fees for an LLC are about $500 minimum.The Marketing PlanQUESTIONS ANSWERED:Will you reach the merchants from aliexpress before placing an order or you will just place the order without contacting them directly? How do you know they are up for dropshiping? If a client want a refund, they will send the item back to china, you get to pay them (the client) then you ask for the money from the merchant? I really want to know how refund works in this business.How do you know that your customers won't realize you're drop shipping and then order directly from your supplier for a cheaper price?I have a question about how drop shippers become successful at all with the shit turn around time. Unless it's a really niche item I can't get anywhere else I would close any website so fast if I saw 20 day shipping time.1 - WE ARE LIVE, LADIES AND GENTLEMENThe website launched earlier this week, once I finished up all my paper. Here's a cliffnotes on what I did before launch -DBA: Registered DBA instead of using an LLC or starting a new company. We're gonna start as a sole prop and see where we go.Mailbox: I purchased a 3 month plan @ the local UPS for a large sized box for returns, paperwork, and to be able to register for official paperworkBusiness Bank Account: I went with Chase. Easy and smooth. I'm even considering moving my personal accounts over because I liked the experience so much better than my ~15 years of experience with Wells Fargo.Business Credit Card: I applied for and got the Spark Business Card from Capital One. They offer 2% cash back and $500 cash bonus. Got a $10k spending limit off the bat. Thank you Dad for teaching me about maintaining good credit @ 16 years old. I did however run into one problem with Capital One.... they made me go to visit a branch in person to be able to authorize my card. They're only open 9am-4pm on weekdays, and the closest one to me is 50 miles away. That was a shitty day. Totally unncessary... but I guess fraud protection brings about weird things.Sales tax: Did a little bit of research, talked to a few friends, shit is confusing. First filing date is next year, so we got some time to work it out. For right now, Shopify is taking care of determining the sales tax for customers in my stateAliexpress account created, all social accounts made, products finished & updated, and the website framework is complete.2 - What the Website Looks LikeHomepageHomepage2CategoriesProduct PageTracking PageAll the pictures are free use stock photos from https://unsplash.com/3 - Wait - we have sales?Of course we have sales! Unfortunately.... they're all from family :( During the first few days of launch, I wanted to work on the tracking pages, practice ordering from Aliexpress, looking at the e-mail templates for ordering/shipping/payment, etc. We have a variety of outcomes....Order 1: 2/3/17 (2 items)Item 1: Processed (purchased on Aliexpress) 2/4/17, shipped 2/6/17 from China, arrived in USA 2/9/17, expected delivery 2/11/17 = ONE WEEK TURN AROUNDItem 2: Uhoh. Processed 2/4/17...... quiet. Quiet. Nothing from vendor. Where is it? Messaged vendor 2/7/17.... bummer. Cancelled. I've heard about some vendors who put ePacket as an option but do not actually offer it. This company had TONS of orders & good feedback, as well as the top star rating, but still had this issue. Kind of scary. For the future, if this comes up again I will tell the customer that the item is backordered and the ship date will increase, and ask them if they prefer to receive a refund or accept the increased shipping time. I will then be removing the vendor and all their products off my list.Order 2: 2/5/17 (1 item)Item 1: Processed (purchased) 2/5/17, shipped 2/6/17 from China, arrived in USA 2/9/17, out for delivery 2/10/17 = FIVE DAY TURN AROUNDSo....Ordering via Aliexpress using Oberlo is a BREEZE. Orders easily, uses customers address, pays easily, leaves pre-written note, attaches information to Shopify when order is placed, and easily updates tracking. All done via the Chrome extensionUsing three different vendors, I had three vast experiences. The first item processed & shipped reasonably. The second item I heard NOTHING until I reached out, and then had the epacket issue. The third item, I got a message from the vendor very quickly saying they received the order and will be shipping soon - processed quickly and no problems.4 - Wait.... wtf is this Merchandise section?You may have noticed in the screenshots of the new MERCHANDISE section. I know this T-shirt Dropship Thread by /u/W1ZZ4RD got lots of hate on this subreddit (the people on /r/juststart were much nicer....) but I ran across it and I was inspired. I see why a lot of people are skeptical - he's selling his b2b software, he's not talking much about how to actually MAKE the sales, and he seems to have an invested interest in teelaunch. I looked into it heavily and here's why I decided to pursue a similar (if not same) approach to add to my website:Yes he's promoting his b2b program. He doesn't shy away from it. He answers all the questions in the thread, and knows what he's talking about. I can appreciate the honesty, and I definietly appreciate that he's still answering questions 1 month laterThe biggest hiccup people will have is finding a designer - I already have one. My best friend is a designer, and we've decided to work on it together. He designs on his spare time, and we'll split up profits from merchandise. I don't need to do any work on that end.The biggest deal for me: my products felt sparse. I had ~230 products at the moment from Aliexpress, but each of the categories felt light because it's spread so thin. I found this opportunity to be a GREAT way to increase my inventory list easily - and without maintaining a huge 500-750 product list from Aliexpress.The fulfillment & following up could not be easier using teelaunch. I have found their customer service & information lacking, but as long as they follow through with their promise of fulfillment I have found it great so far. I've placed one test order for myself, and the app deals with the fulfillment, the payment, shipping, e-mailing, tracking, etc.Using a second sales channel on Amazon will be a great way to boost income - I hope. Since it's pretty easy to transfer information from Shopify to Amazon now that they're integrated, I think there could be a lot of space for additional income streams. Unfortunately, I could not post any of the Aliexpress items on Amazon (for obvious reasons), but custom merchandise I can. Let's see how it goes.Here's a screenshot: http://ift.tt/2lyhT8a - I'm still working on adding all the items to Amazon as well as to the website itself. This will be a continual process but one I have great hope for.5 - So what's next?Over the next month, I will be introducing a few new products from Aliexpress, lots of custom merchandise products (whenever I get designs from my designer, basically), and then spending the majority of the time on marketing & advertising now that the framework is set in place. The plan:$100/month on Google Adwords (plus a free $100 thanks to Shopify's coupon thing)$100/month on Facebook Ads/Facebook Likes$100/month on the remaining ad spend - Reddit? Instagram? Social Influencers? Etc.Now that the majority of the website framework is done, the next post will cover the marketing plan & advertising. I will include my plans, my ads, my results, what I've learned, ask for advice, all that good stuff. I'm looking forward to analyzing the ROI and sharing the results with you all.The last remaining part of the website to do is SEO - keyword analysis, content creation, backlinking, etc. That will be a continuous process that I will explain further along w/ the marketing in the next postHere's a few links I'll be reading and using over the next month.... http://ift.tt/2ltlAjB http://ift.tt/2lyexCb http://ift.tt/2c2kClY http://ift.tt/2l0vFUE - Financials & AppsBusiness Expenses so far (approx 2 months):DBA Register: $23.00DBA Newspaper Posting: $23.00Shopify Theme: $58.00Namecheap Domain & Email: $14.06 (1 year)Instagress Payment: $9.99 (1 month of "time", mostly for testing)UPS Mailbox: $150.00 (3 months)Shopify: $106.88TOTAL: $384.93..Monthly Costs Moving Forward (including Shopify Apps):Mailbox: $50.00Amazon Professional Account: $39.99Shopify Monthly: $29.00Consistent Cart App: $4.99Fomo App: $19.00Oberlo App: $29.90 (/u/kalvel please give me free stuff)Trust App: $0.00HelpCenter App: $0.00MailChimp App: $0.00SocialShopWave App: $29.00 (these guys had the best wishlist app, and their customer service was AMAZING. they helped me for hours via chat. I love them. /u/Kalysbek you are a baller, thank you.)TaxJar App: $19.00Teelaunch App: $0.00Trackr App: $0.00TOTAL: $220.88/month..So, let's try to make $250/month profit to start off with. Cool?THE END. Please let me know any questions you have, any suggestions you have, any advice you have, and let me know if you guys like the layout of the posts. More info? Less info? More screenshots? More explanation? More TL;DR? Let me know.P.S. I will respond to posts & messages as fast as I can, but please be patient. Thanks. Thanks for your kind words, thanks for your help, and thanks for your love.