#this was very fun to write! even if i just sat here for 6 hours for each time i did rip

[reiderwriter]

I have a hotch request and if you don’t write it I completely understand☺️

So you’re dating hotch for a couple months and you’ve only went over to his house like 5-6 times(so that’s how many times you’ve hung out with jack) anyway, you go to use the washroom or something before you leave to go home and jack asks his dad if you’re his gf and if you’ll be having a sleepover with them (as you’ve never actually stayed there before) and his heart becomes all warm n fluffy

A/N: Hi! I don't usually write for Hotch, but I decided to give it a crack because this fits pretty well for @imagining-in-the-margins KidFic challenge! It was a fun challenge to write, so thanks for the prompt! I changed it up slightly, but I hope you still enjoy it!

Warnings: mentions of anxiety, step-family dynamics, etc.

10 months of casual dinners, midnight strolls, and stolen kisses, and you still weren't ready to accept that you were in love with your boss. 

Aaron Hotchner was a complicated man, and loving him wasn't as simple as your heart wanted it to be. You worked together but rejected any favouritism he may have shown you. You slept together, but you never stayed in his bed. You kissed him, but you never told him you loved him, even though you were sure you did. 

You just weren't sure you were ready to be a stepmother. 

As a child of divorce, you'd been graced with two step-parents growing up, and while neither were story book evil, they weren't exactly the most welcoming either. You'd bounced between your mother and father's houses, trailing duffle bags, afraid to take up too much space for fear of ruining your parents’ newfound and direly earned happiness. 

Jack had the misfortune of being both a child of divorce and having lost his mother entirely too young and entirely too suddenly. 

When you'd joined the BAU, off the back of Haley Hotchner’s death, Aaron had been a man in mourning, a man scarred by circumstance and regret. But he'd been brave, and he'd been loving, and he'd worked so hard to give his son a good life. 

Five years later, and it seemed obvious now that you had at least respected the man from the very beginning, if not pined for him quite openly. 

There was that final hurdle left to cross, though, and you weren't sure if you'd ever be ready to do so. 

A phone call startled you out of your worries as you sat on your couch, dissociating after a long and hard won case. The shrill ring startled you into action as you frantically searched for wherever it was this time that you left your phone. 

“Hello, yes, I'm here, hi,” you said, finally finding the phone abandoned under some couch pillows. 

“Y/N, it's Aaron.” 

“I know, Aaron. Caller ID, welcome to the 21st century,” You couldn't help smiling into the receiver, so smitten with the man your face was just doing whatever it liked. 

“Right. Look, I wouldn't usually overstep like this, but Jessica and I have to go upto Roy's retirement house, he's not dealing too well with the new environments, and all of Jack's regular babysitters are enjoying the spring weather. I'd ask his friends' moms for an impromptu playmate but-” 

“But you'd rather he be with someone you trust? Aaron, it's fine, I'll come over and watch Jack for a few hours.” 

He sighed into the receiver, and after a few more niceties, you ended the call, still grinning like an idiot. 

You were still grinning like an idiot when your earlier anxiety came back and hit you straight in the chest. You'd met Jack before, but you'd not so subtly avoided any kid based conversations and meet-ups for the last 10 months. 

You had no idea how to entertain a nine year old boy, but you decided quickly that you couldn't half ass it. 

The drive to Hotch's house was almost embarrassingly familiar to you now, having been there so often in the past few months. Jack enjoyed regular sleepovers with his aunt and schoolmates so you could enjoy regular sleepovers with his father, a fact that you had to remind yourself to keep private as you knocked on the door. 

“It's open,” Aaron called from inside, and you hesitantly opened the door and stepped in, bag of last-minute toy purchases stuffed under your arm. 

From the door, you could see Aaron in the kitchen, hands deep in soapy water as he washed lunch dishes and pots, sticking his head out to smile at you. 

“Aaron Hotchner, domestic goddess. Who’d have thought?” 

“I'd ask you to keep this to yourself at work.” 

“Of course,” you said, stepping a fraction closer to him. “Anything to keep the mystery alive.”

He leaned in for a quick kiss, and you reciprocated, letting it linger a second as you smiled into his touch. 

Drying his hands on a towel near him, Aaron called across the apartment for Jack. 

“What's up, Dad?” He asked, peeking out of his bedroom door. 

“This is Y/N. She works with me and Uncle Rossi. She's going to take care of you for a while while me and Aunt Jessica and I visit your Grandpa. Come say hi.”

Creeping out of his room slowly, Jack came to stand just in front of his father's legs as Aaron put his hands on his shoulders, proudly showing off his mini doppelganger. 

“Hi, I'm Jack.” 

“Nice to meet you Jack, my name is Y/N.” You stuck out your hand, and he shook it. You noticed how small his hands were, but how strong his grip was. He was confident, but he was still just a small kid, and you were even more motivated not to mess this up. 

“What's in your bag?” He asked, flicking his eyes down to it every few seconds, as if he was itching to stick his nose right into it. 

“Jack, manners, please.”

“It's okay, Hotch. I brought some toys. Your dad mentioned that Santa's gave you a Nintendo at Christmas, and I thought I'd show you a few of my favourite games.” 

His face lit up as he quickly stepped closer to you, hands on the bag as he waited for you to offer it up, now openly ogling the bags contents, knowing it was for him. 

“You didn't have to bring anything, Y/N.” 

“I wanted to make a good first impression.” 

After being dragged to the nearest sofa and sitting through a five minute walk through of all the house rules, urgency exits and remote locations, you were left alone with Jack Hotchner, remotes in hand ready to play Mario Kart. 

“Okay, now all that's left to do is choose the course you want to race on. Which one do you want to play on?” 

Jack had chosen to use Bowser as his character and chosen Toadette for you quite cutely, and you'd quickly finished cart selection, too.

“We should go through them in order, so we complete them all,” he said after a moment of deliberation. 

You giggled at how seriously he was taking it. And then the first race in the Mushroom Cup started, and you were seriously impressed by how quickly he'd picked up this game. Either kids were just better at video games in general, or you had a prodigy on your hands. 

His serious face was a carbon copy of Hotch when he was hunched over paperwork, and he gave you the same quietly disapproving frown every time your character momentarily overtook his. It was adorable seeing the two reflected in one another. 

By the shell cup, you were nearly exhausted, despite having spent the entire time glued to the couch. 

“What do you think about taking a snack break?” You asked, looking over Aaron Jack, who had turned himself upside down on the couch somewhere in the last three matches and was still beating you. 

“Okay. I'll show you where Dad hides the good snacks,” he said, quickly rolling off the couch as if his bones were liquid. 

You, on the other hand, cracked as you stood, the irony not lost on you as you hobbled your way to the kitchen. 

Opening the cupboard under the sink, Jack routed around for a few seconds before returning with a small box of Reeses Pieces, which you gradually accepted alongside a glass of apple juice. 

“You're a good kid, Jack,” you said, ruffling his hair as he playfully swatted your hand away. 

“Yeah, that's what my dad always says.”

“Your dad is a very smart man.”

He nodded and then went back to quietly eating his candy, somewhat lost in thought. 

You weren't sure if you were supposed to ask him what he was thinking about, or avoid the topic and dive straight back into video games, so you just ate your candy, too, standing together in the kitchen, Mario Kart music playing in the background. 

“Do you like my dad?” He suddenly asked, swallowing down one more bite of apple juice. You'd forgotten that kids were the bluntness people on the planet, not yet having learned the necessity of delicately creeping closer to the actual topic of discussions like adults. 

Jack had landed a sucker punch right to your guy, and you were suddenly choking on Reese's Pieces. 

“Umm,” you said, catching your breath again and hoping your embarrassment wasn't plain as day on your face. “Yes, I respect your father a lot, Jack.” 

“But do you like him?” He said again, eyes wide and expectant as he looked up at you. 

“My dad can be a little scary sometimes. I heard some of my friends' moms saying so at Mitchell C's birthday party last week. They said he's scary, but he's so sad and lonely.” 

Your heart sank in your chest as you watched Jack worry about his dad, worry if Aaron Hotchner was lonely or sad. 

“Jack, your dad isn't lonely or sad. He has you, and Aunt Jessica, and-” 

“And you, right? Because you like my dad?” 

“R-Right. He has me, too.” 

“Great. Let's keep playing. The Banana Cup is next.”

As suddenly as it had started, your serious talk with Jack was over and he bounced his way back to the sofa, clicking go on the next race, as you ran to quickly take your place again, too. 

Five hours later, and you were being shaken softly awake, controller still in your hands as you blinked your eyes open. Somehow, it had gotten dark, and both you and Jack had simultaneously fallen asleep on the couch. 

Now Hotch hovered over you, carrying the sleeping boy in his arms as he woke you up. He mouthed ‘coffee?’ and you nodded quickly, sitting up further and grabbing the nearest remote to turn off the Nintendo. 

With Jack situated in bed quickly, you made your way to the kitchen. Aaron joined you after making sure Jack was still asleep, walking up behind you and wrapping two arms around your middle, leaning his head against your shoulder and exhaling. Despite the shiver down your spine, you leaned further into him, enjoying the feeling of him in your sleepy state. 

“How was it?” He asked, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. You were almost sure that he was conducting this conversation from behind as a means of convincing himself not to read into your every movement and expression. 

“It was great. He's a great kid, you know?” 

“So I've been told.” 

“He's worried about you, too. He said the moms at his school think you're scary and lonely. Which in suburban house mom translates to romantic hero, though I don't think he realizes that.” 

You felt the grumble of a laugh behind you, the sound low and comforting as you let your eyes flutter closed again, content in his arms. 

“Jack…misses his mom. Rebecca is great, but he likes talking to the moms at school. Maybe a little too much, I don't know.” 

“You miss her, too.” It was a statement, not a fact. 

“I do,” he said sadly, holding you tighter. “Is that a problem?” 

“No. No, god no. Aaron, I-” your voice broke, and you hesitated slightly, clearing your voice. You squirmed in his grip until he released you enough to face him.

Doing so may have been a mistake, though, as you locked eyes with him and so desperately wanted to kiss him, to claim his mouth with yours, and let him lift you onto his kitchen counters. 

You squeezed your nails into the palm of your hands to ground yourself and took a steadying breath. 

Which was when Jack decided to make a reappearance. 

“Dad?” He said groggily, wiping the sleep from his eyes as you had only moments earlier. 

You quickly broke apart as Aaron smiled disappointedly, almost as if he were expecting the interruption. 

“Hey, bud. Did you sleep well?” 

Jack nodded, tilting his head a little as though still disorientated. 

“Did I fall asleep on the couch?” 

“Sure did. Both of you, actually.” 

Jack looked at you then and smiled sweetly up at his dad. 

“So Miss Y/N is staying tonight?” He asked, suddenly a little excited and expectant. 

“Well, Miss Y/N has her own house, so we can't just expect her to-” 

“Yeah, I'm staying,” you blurted out, cutting off Hotch mid-sentence. He raised an eyebrow at you, but you ignored him and smiled down at Jack. 

“And if you head back to bed now, I'll make some pancakes for you in the morning,” you whispered conspiratorially with the boy, who raced back to his room. 

Before shutting the door fully, he stopped by his dad and tugged him down to whisper level, saying something before yelling goodnight and taking himself back off to his room. 

“What? What was that?” You pouted, pointing an accusatory finger at Aaron. 

“You first,” he laughed back, leaning on the nearby counter. 

“I promised him pancakes in the morning. What did he say?” 

“Oh, nothing,” he said, pulling you closer to him again. “He just said you had an interesting conversation earlier.” 

“Was it the one where he asked me if Mario speaks English, Italian or Japanese, because I couldn't answer that question for sure.” 

“He said,” he leaned down to your ear to whisper the next words. “That you told him you like me. And he thinks you meant like-like.” 

You flushed hot and avoided eye contact. A childish part of you wanted to deny it, to scoff and run away, like you were on the playground and not in a dimly lit kitchen at midnight. But you couldn't.

“I do. But I'd probably say love and not like-like, seeing as though I'm not nine.” 

“I love you, too,” he whispered, noses touching as he descended to capture your lips once more. 

[xzaddyzanakinx]

Not That Kind of Guy

Part Three: Stalker!Anakin Skywalker × femme reader series

Warnings: stalking, weirdo behavior, psychotic/delusional behavior, possessive/protective, sexism/misogyny, one-sided relationship, menstruation, sexual content, pervy behavior, male masturbation, murder, serious illness, needles [eventual warning for smut; be sure to pay attention to future warnings in the series]

Info: Anakin loves you SO much that he’s disgusting about it. He’s extra delusional. Anakin doesn’t love drama HE IS the drama. He's still a massive Perv [diary entries from Ani] MDNI 18+

Diary Entry: June 27th

I came to the diner tonight, I love to see you wait tables. You’re so kind and sweet, even to the assholes and shitheads that don’t deserve to breathe your air. Your beautiful smile, those pretty eyes and how you bat those long lashes, that bell-like giggle you pull for those nasty old men’s jokes.

I know it’s not real, but it’s fun to watch you pretend baby. And just as fun to listen to your annoyed retelling of your night when you get home. Gods I could just listen to you talk for hours. Watching your face change as you speak, the acute movements of your eyebrows and lips that tell me how you really feel.

You’re just like me, more than you know.

I ordered some coffee, sat at the bar one of those red spin-y stools, and listened to your sweet lilt tell lie after lie to your customers.

You’re a busy, busy girl aren’t you princess?

Sorry for the messy writing, it was difficult not to laugh as I wrote these little white lies of yours.

1. Saving up money for a car: true, but doesn’t get you good tips

2. This is your second job and life on your own is just real hard: I’m amazed that this one works as well as it does, really pulling on those old lady heartstrings huh?

3. ‘Sorry guys, I’m just- having a hard day. You understand right?’ *sniffle* the only thing those guys understand is the masculine urge to stop a girl from crying and if shoving a few extra bills under their dirty plate makes your day ‘better’, they’re gonna do it.

I don’t know how you continue to use that one on those poor fools, it’s always the same few guys too. They really think you’re something special huh?

You are of course, very special. But they don’t know you like I do. They don’t know that you’re full of shit. I know for a fact you had a really good day. I was there.

You cheeky little minx.

4. Your mom is out of work and you’re helping her out: your mom is out of work, but you’re definitely not helping her out. She wouldn’t take your money if you offered it. (You wouldn’t offer it over your dead body.)

Can’t blame you for this little lie though, your mom really is a piece of shit. Exploit that bitch all you want, she deserves it. I’ve seen those nasty posts she made about your friend. All that because he’s gay?

Oh no! It’s contagious! It’s the vaccines! Gluten!

Come on lady, it’s 2023.

5. you’re getting married! I fucking wish. But, not yet princess, you won’t need to worry about anything when it’s time for that. Thats what I’m here for, I’ll make sure you get everything you want.

6. ‘It’s on the house honey.’ I was so jealous hearing this one for the first time. You’re just absolutely rotten aren’t you? Refills are free.

You’re perfect for me and you don’t even know it.

Diary Entry: June 28th

Angelic. Cherubic. God-kin.

A biblical beauty if I’ve ever seen one.

The way your hair creates a halo around your face. Tendrils gracing the soft contours of your cheeks, the twitch of your nose when you shift just alittle too much and a strand tickles it. The subtle pull or purse of your lips that tells me you’re deep in the land of dreaming.

Sleep is one of the most basic human needs. It’s not meant to be as glorified as you make it, but somehow you do.

It’s intimate. They way your breathing slows and your body melts into the soft hands of sleep. It’s an event that I’ve been graciously given the opportunity to witness.

It was so, so, so worth waiting for.

SleepyTime Tea, a cute name and of course perfect for my purposes. You drank a cup almost every night. It’d been on my mind for a while and I figured… it couldn’t hurt to open it up and help you get an even better sleep.

Now that I’ve had the privilege of seeing an angel at rest… well I don’t think I could ever witness anything more breathtaking.

Except for maybe your sweet little pussy.

I checked and double checked the measurements on those sleeping pills I promise. I would never ever hurt you sweetheart. I was so anxious, trying to make sure I got the mixture perfect.

It worked like a dream. Didn’t it?

Damn right it did. Worked well enough that I was able to tuck your hair behind your ear and kiss your forehead before I left.

I also did you a little favor or two as well while I was there. It wasn’t a completely selfish visit.

I replaced an old beat up scrunchie, it was past time for you to retire it in my opinion. Now it’s serving a better purpose: squeezing the base of my cock while I fuck my fist to the sounds of your desperate moans, both of us needy for a never quite satisfying finish. If only I had the courage to open that door.

You need a man sweetheart. You need me. Those toys of yours just don’t hit the spot for you do they? Hurts my heart that it takes you so long… and I know it’s not on purpose. I can tell the difference.

Nothin’ can mimic that sinful feel of flesh on flesh.

I took out your bathroom trash, I know you hate doing that. And maybe I accidentally knocked your toothbrush off the sink.

Sue me.

But I promptly rectified the issue, I just so happened to notice you were out of brush-head refills a few days ago and came prepared. You’re welcome baby.

I also purchased the same brand of brush that you have.

Reduce, reuse, recycle.

Date:

June 29th

You woke up, rolling out of bed at 9:30. An absolutely ridiculous time to be awake on what was meant to be a lazy stay at home day. But alas, you are a good friend, and good friends go through with their plans.

Even if you made those plans a month ago and completely forgot them.

Your cat laced it’s way through your legs while you stood on unsteady feet. You’ve really gotta stop with the caffeine, it’s definitely not normal for someone as young as you to wake up with the shakes. But you’re a creature of habit and an absurd amount of sugar and caffeine were included in those habits.

Staying true to those habits you made your way to the bathroom across the hall, absentmindedly grasping at air for a few seconds before realizing your toothbrush wasn’t where you always left it. With a frustrated groan you looked around and saw that someone… or rather something had knocked it into the floor.

“Boogie!” You turned around and made your way to the living room, interrupting her morning routine by scooping her up and forcing her to face the music.

“How dare you.” You whispered, trying to pull out a stern voice. “I don’t have any new tooth brush heads. What am I supposed to do you little shit?”

You bent down, picked it up and popped the replaceable head off, tossing it into the… empty trash can? When did you take out the trash?

Whatever. Focus. “You better hope I have a spare regular one.” You shot a nasty glare at your cat who sat unbothered on the bathroom counter.

You searched through the cabinet below the sink and through all the drawers and found none. Not even that travel one from last year’s vacation. Finally you opened up the medicine cabinet-mirror combo and was pleasantly surprised but also annoyed, to see that you did actually have a replacement.

“Well shit.” You scoffed, “I should’ve just checked there first.”

Next on the list was a giant tumbler of coffee and a hit of your vape for breakfast. Delicious.

You searched in the catch-all drawer in your kitchen for a hair band, not finding any of the small black ones you settled for a stray scrunchie that lived in this drawer specifically for circumstances like this.

Grabbing the light blue silk scrunchie you went to slide it on your wrist and gather your hair but stopped mid movement. No sharpie mark. You could’ve sworn last time you wore this it had a sharpie mark on it from being trapped in the drawer with a cap-less marker. Weird, but not weird enough to care about.

With your caffeine withdrawal taken care of and your morning duties finished, you slipped on some tennis shoes, grabbed your small backpack and walked to the gym two blocks away. Your wonderful and lovely, much more active friend had invited you to a yoga class to meet ‘someone who isn’t a lazy bastard’.

Which… doesn’t really make any sense considering your last boyfriend liked to lift weights but couldn’t bear to lift a finger to help you.

But you love Luke, and Luke loves to play matchmaker. So you’d suffer through this with a smile. It couldn’t hurt and it might be fun, if all else fails at least you got to hang out with your friend and giggle at him drooling over the ‘guy with this sexy scowl, big broad shoulders, oh my god he’s so soft but like in a buff way it’s insane.’.

“Lukey!” You jogged up to him where he was waiting for you outside the gym.

“You’re late.” He stated sternly despite the little smile curving his lip.

“No I’m not. It’s 10:20.” You scoffed.

“Yes and class starts at 10:30.” He retorted.

“I’m not sure if you know this, but 20 comes before 30.” You said feigning concern as you touched his forearm while walking inside.

“Shut up.” He rolled his eyes, “I mean you’re late to meet this guy I was telling you about!”

He shoved you gently past the various equipment and to a smaller room with mirrors along one wall. He very conspicuously pointed toward a younger guy with… a mullet?

“You’re joking.” You gasped. “Luke I swear to god you’ve gotta be kidding.” You squeaked smacking his arm.

“What?!” He squealed, pulling his arms up to his chest and curling in on himself. “Stop I didn’t invite you to kickboxing! Ow!”

“A dude with a mullet?” You glared at him.

“Wait till he turns around, the mullet will be forgiven I swear.” He said, holding up his hands in an offering of peace.

That peace treaty was immediately ripped to shreds when Luke loudly dropped his metal water bottle on the hard floors, a smile that could beat the devil’s smirk on his face.

The guy whipped his head around, eyebrows raised in concern, soft greenish tinted blue eyes taking a moment to glance over you.

“Everything alright?” He asked, a soft accent lacing his voice as he walked over to you.

Is it strange to say that a man with a mullet is… graceful? Yes, it is.

“Oh yeah, everything is fine.” You answered quickly, not missing the snicker that Luke made when he kicked the water bottle over to you.

You bent down and picked it up, holding it with a grip that would surely snap your officially ex-best friends neck in half.

“Here let me take this for you.” The blonde haired stranger said, reaching out for your backpack and for some reason you let him take it.

He just… exuded a calming energy. No wonder he likes yoga, he’s probably the most zen person you’ve ever met. Everything about him was soft and comforting. His voice, his beard, even his knuckles as they ghosted across your arm when he grabbed your bag.

“Th-thanks?“ You said in a statement that sounded more like a confused inquiry.

You followed him and Luke inside, the blood draining from your formerly flushed cheeks when he unrolled your yoga mat in the front row. What kind of cosmic curse has Luke unleashed? You shot him a look to burn through brick but he just seemed giddy as if you weren’t planning on disposing him in the sewer after this.

“I’m Ben, your instructor. Luke told me you’d be coming today, he mentioned you’ve never taken a class like this before?” He looked over at you, an understanding smile on his face.

THE INSTRUCTOR?

“R-right yeah. No, I’ve never taken a yoga class before.” You shook your head and introduced yourself in return, holding out your hand for a hand shake and being utterly shocked at Ben’s reaction.

“I’m a hugger, hope that’s alright darling.” He laughed softly, enveloping you in a warm embrace that could smelt iron. It certainly made you malleable, maybe even alittle bit melty.

The kicker though? A kiss to the side of your mouth.

You blinked at the audacity, did he just-? But as he pulled back you realized it wasn’t a creepy thing… it was a friendly thing. He just greets everyone that way because he’s a genuinely kind person. You knew that to be true because he turned and did the same to Luke, ending his with a firm pat to his shoulder.

A little green monster clawed it’s way through your stomach at the sight, but you drowned it quickly with the use of your knowledge as a sane person. You don’t know this guy. Luke brought you here because of this guy, he’s not after him, he’s after Beefy McBeef in the corner. You don’t know him, you’re purely getting jealous going off the fact that he is pretty and the realization that you’re not special.

You spent the rest of your time thinking peaceful thoughts to chase away the images of Luke’s tiny pea brain being squished betwixt your fingers for this horrible idea of his, while failing many attempts to mimic the variety of poses and stances Ben showed the class.

Even Beefy McBeef was doing better than you, and you could definitely see why Luke had his sights set on him. Masculine, but not in an intimidating way. He’s right, he’s soft but buff.

After class ended Luke insisted on dragging you over to Ben to say goodbye.

“Thanks, I enjoyed the class.” You said awkwardly, forcing a polite smile.

“Oh I’m so glad, I was hoping you would.” Ben said, a bright smile on his face, his eyes crinkling in the corners.

“I’d love for you to come back next week.” He said sincerely, reaching out to give your arm a gentle squeeze that made your mouth dry.

“I’m not super sure that yoga is my thing, but I’ll definitely think about it.” You smiled, surely he’s just being nice. Like he was earlier.

“Well if yoga isn’t your thing, I’m sure we can find something that is, hmm?” He chuckled, ripping a scrap of paper from his class schedule and scribbling his number down.

“O-oh.” You blushed. That was the smoothest pickup line you’d ever heard… you couldn’t even be mad about it. “Thank you, I’ll… text you later?” You said unsure about your own words.

“No rush darling,” he gave you a warm smile that matched the softness of his hand that took yours and pressed his lips to your knuckles.

When he pulled back he’d somehow snuck the slip of paper into the palm of your hand, he left you there buffering. You turned slowly to look at Luke who was standing there with a shit eating grin on his face.

“Your turn.” You said sternly, nodding toward Mr. McBeef.

“No.” Luke said with an air of finality, scooping up his bag and spinning on his heel toward a few of his class friends.

Luke so kindly helped you make a fool of yourself. It’s only fair that you return the favor. You marched over to Beefy with a sweet smile.

“Hey!” You said, introducing yourself to him.

“Hey little lady.” He chuckled, taking your hand for a handshake, his palm dwarfing yours. “Names Han.”

“Han. Suits you.” You added with a small smile.

“So, Han. You know Luke?” You said, nodding in his direction.

“Y-yeah I do,” he answered, rubbing the back of his neck with a nervousness you didn’t expect. “Why?”

“Luke is- he’s alittle shy.” You said in a hushed tone. “He’s been talking about you an awful lot.”

“Me?” Han questioned, a downturned grin creeping up his lips as his eyes darted between you and your friend who’d migrated across the gym.

“Yeah, you.” You laughed, “he’s got a massive crush.” You gave him an accomplished grin.

“H-he does?” He gulped, starting to get red in the cheeks. “He’s hardly ever spoken to me.”

“Like I said, he’s shy.” You reminded him gently. “You should go talk to him.”

“Yeah… I will.” He smiled, standing up and placing a kind hand on your shoulder.

“Go get ‘em Beefy McBeef.” You said in a tone so normal that he almost didn’t notice.

“What did you call me?” He laughed.

“Beefy McBeef.” You shrugged, unable to hide your devious smile. “that’s what Luke calls you.”

“No he doesn’t.” Han laughed, big and hearty, Luke turning his head with a jealous scowl until he realized he was laughing with you and it morphed into a mask of pure panic.

“Oh yes he does.” You said firmly. “Can you do me a favor?” You asked.

“Sure babe.” He laughed, still recovering.

“Introduce yourself to him as Beefy McBeef.” You said with pleading eyes.

“Seriously?” He laughed, almost a giggle if you could consider a guy like him a giggler. “What’d he do to you?”

“Just trust me when I say he deserves it.” You said sincerely.

“Can do.” He shook his head with a snort and made his way over to Luke.

“Hey, Luke.” He said, a slight tease in his tone. “Just wanted to introduce myself.” He stuck out his hand and watched with amusement as Luke struggled to comprehend what was happening.

Good. You thought. He deserves alittle embarrassment after the way he forced you into conversation with Ben.

“Beefy McBeef.” Han said, struggling to contain his laughter as he shook Luke’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”

You watched from behind a nearby pillar as Luke turned fire truck red. He frantically searched for you until he spotted you with a massive grin and waggling fingers.

“I’ll kill you.” He threatened but there was no real malice in his voice.

“Sure you will Lukey.” You said with a laugh, running over to the wall where you’d propped up your bag and tossed it over your shoulder. Blowing Luke a kiss as you walked out of the gym.

After returning home you showered and sat down on the couch, resigning yourself to rotting on the couch. You’d done your good deed for the day, two actually:

1. attending a social event

2. helping Lukey talk to Han

You’d also done your one terrible deed for next few months. It’s never intentional that you do something bad, except this time it was. But was it really all that terrible if it got Luke what he wanted? Nope.

Add that to the good deeds list then.

3. embarrassing Lukey while helping him talk to Han

All’s fair in love and war.

Speaking of potential love and possible war, you rummaged through your bag to fish out that phone number, you even dumped out all the contents and searched your clothes as well.

It was no where to be found and you were actually kind of bummed about it. You can’t go ask for his number after all that, that’s just… embarrassing.

Shit.

Diary Entry: June 29th

Sweetheart.

If I knew you didn’t love Lukey, I’d have been scraping him off the sidewalk right about now. That little twerp was trying to set you up with someone else.

I know it’s not his fault. He’s being a good friend, he just wants you to be happy. He doesn’t know about me and that’s okay, it’s all okay.

But god, could he have picked a worse guy? I mean… really?

*Ooh look at me and my beautiful luscious locks.* GAG.

I could tell he was making you uncomfortable so I got rid of that little paper as quickly as possible. I would’ve hated for you to have the reminder of that fucking creep. The way he kissed your hand? What the hell was that?

So, I slipped it out of your bag and stayed around to listen to your sinister revenge plot.

I’ll say it again baby, you’re more like me than you know.

Ps. Beefy McBeef? Please.

Diary Entry: July 1st

I’m not an unreasonable guy baby. Really I’m not, but you’re on your phone so much. It just really bugs me you know? We don’t spend quality time together like we should.

I want you to dance around and sing. I want you to lay in the living room floor and color. I to watch you suck ass at MarioKart and laugh when you get frustrated and scrunch your nose.

I want to watch you read so I can read aloud to you, with my e-book copy. I want to watch The Witcher with you, I love that show. Shits cool as fuck, sword fights are so awesome I’ll ignore the fact that you only watch it for Geralt.

He’s not real and I am. So fuck it, can’t hurt to fantasize. I’d be one hell of a hypocrite if I said you couldn’t.

Anyway, sorry I’m rambling.

Are you okay? You’re just… quieter. Is it something I’ve done?

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

I think I’ve figured it out sweet girl, I did some online research and replayed some footage. You’ve not been taking your birth control like you should. Come on baby you gotta remember to take it on time alright? Skipping it and taking it out of routine will mess you all up and we can’t have that.

I’ll try my best to remind you.

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

You know me, I’m always worried.

Just… I’m gonna need to borrow your phone so that I can install some software for you. I’m just alittle concern that you’re hiding something from me princess. I just want to make sure you’re okay.

Diary Entry: July 2nd

That SleepyTime tea is a lifesaver.

God I just feel so relieved knowing that I can monitor you. I swear it’s not in a weird way, I just needed to make sure you were in a good headspace you know?

Your search history is so funny. I makes me happy to know you’re just as goofy as me. It also makes me happy that you’ve not searched anything concerning.

Your socials are clean. Your camera roll is full of cute pictures of you and your friends, as well as a few of your ex that I swiftly trashed for you. Maybe just a few naughty ones in the hidden album, don’t worry I didn’t stare. I’ll have plenty of time to do that in person.

Your texts are mostly dry. That’s a good thing though, that means you have more time for me. Even better? No dating apps. Good girl. Those are terribly dangerous, they should require a background check for users, you never know what kind of weirdo is on the other side of that screen.

I’m proud of you babydoll. You’re such a good girl, my good girl.

I’ll help you stay a good girl too. Your phone is mirrored to my laptop, so I’ll be able to see everything you see. No room for mix-ups or miscommunications between us this way.

Communication in relationships is so important.

Which is my reasoning behind the new phone software. You understand don’t you doll? I mean, I can only tell so much from your diary. You like to write and that’s amazing, it’s a great outlet and you should keep up with it. You’re the reason I started my own journal. You were so right when you said ‘it sorts my thoughts and soothes my heart’.

I never thought I’d be a journal guy. Look at me. Self care king.

Diary Entry: July 3rd

I have the most amazing news princess, after careful research and a very thorough deep dive into all of your neighbors, I’ve come up with the perfect solution to our distance issue.

Did you know that the old man across the hall from you is a widow? Poor guy, 10 years without his wife. They were married for 53 years. 53.

That’s the goal baby. That’s the kind of love I have for you.

If Alan Jared Nelson is anything like me, he’s miserable without Gloria Anne. Just like I’d be miserable without you.

He’s sick you know? He’s on a wait list for a liver, has been for 2 years. Isn’t that just the worst kind of hope? It’s cruel really.

Why give the man and his remaining family the hope of a ‘few’ more years, knowing damn well the guy is old enough that he might turn to dust they minute they cut into him. Why put him on the list at all? He’s 92. No one is giving him a liver.

The liver disease he’s diagnosed with is a doozy too, it’s aggressive, painful, and necrotic. He’s in constant pain. He’s got a port for morphine.

Do you know what kind of horrible pain a person has to be in to get a morphine port? Excruciating.

Alan has lived a long and beautiful life. Between the heartache of loosing his love and the debilitating disease he suffers from… it would be a mercy to lay him to rest don’t you think?

He’s a patriot through and through, he was in the army reserves. Now, that’s not my cup of tea but good for you Mr. Nelson.

America’s birthday is a good day for a guy like him to die isn’t it?

Date:

July 4th

Anakin counted the windows over and over, repeating the number in his head as he quietly trekked up the creaking rusted fire escape on Mr. Nelson’s side of the building. Not only was tonight a poetic release of this man’s long and happy existence, it was a very good cover.

Majority of the city was busy watching the fireworks at the celebration in the park, including you. Anakin had ensured you’d left before he even considered walking over to your building. He couldn’t bear the thought of committing a heinous, though arguably merciful, crime in the vicinity of such a pure form of radiance.

As expected the din of booming explosions and crackling sparks masked the noise of the quiet power drill Anakin used to remove bottom piece of the outer frame of the out-dated window. Internally cursing the fact that you lived in such an old building, there’s absolutely no way that these windows are up to code. It might make this task easier, but it made him a nervous wreck to think someone could break into your home in under a minute as long as they brought a drill and a magnet. The process was almost silent, you wouldn’t realize anything was amiss until it was too late.

Once the piece of frame was laid aside Anakin used the heavy duty magnet to coax the loose curved clasp that held the window shut, out of the hoop that it rested in. He sighed, thinking he should definitely complain to the super once he moved in. The ease of breaking and entering wasn’t comforting in the slightest.

Sure it was a wonderful thing for Anakin, there would be absolutely no trace of the break in. The man is old, there would be no autopsy, there are no outdoor cameras on this building or the one next to it. This unit is tucked into a well hidden alleyway and no one saw him walk this way. But his worries were based on thoughts of you and your well-being.

Anakin sprayed Wd-40 along the tracks of the metallic frame and waited a moment before wiping off the excess, hopefully ensuring a silent entry.

The moment of truth arrived, Anakin lifted the window just a hair to test it. Finding it whisper quiet despite its age as he opened it and stepped inside.

The interior of the home was just as you’d expect, family pictures, a fridge covered in cards and handwritten reminders. An obscene amount of carved wooden trinkets and the forever mysterious wooden fruit that seemed to adorn the tables of many an old folks homes. Apples and roosters strewn about the space in the form of paintings, lampshades and oddly detailed itchy blankets.

A gorgeous abalone jewelry dish held a silver pendant, trapped beneath was an intricate lace cover that seemed to be made specifically for the coffee table they rested on. Upon closer inspection Anakin determined that it was tailor made. Gloria Anne Nelson must’ve been a talented craftswomen, the quality of work was amazing.

Alan’s display of his wife’s work, her jewelry dish and her favorite engraved pendant… he’d made an altar for her and probably didn’t even realize it. He’d even placed a tall, thick white candle next to the abalone dish. It left Anakin with a lump in his throat, imagining the horrible loneliness this man must feel.

He stood up from his crouched position and took a breath, smoothing his shirt to iron out his emotions. There would be time for proper mourning and reflection later.

He walked toward the short hall that housed Alan’s bed room and bathroom, but stopped short when something on the wall caught his attention.

A calendar depicting a summertime scene of a lake and a small fishing boat was tacked to the wall above the dock for his home phone, a small note pad and pen resting beside it.

A small smile turning the corner of his lip, the sight bringing a fond memory of his grandmother keeping a set-up very similar to this. Must be a universal old person habit.

He stepped closer to read the writing in the small squares and came to the realization that this calendar was not up to date. This calendar was from 2013, ten years ago.

Anakin knew from his deep dive into the Nelson’s life that Gloria had passed on July 16th, but he didn’t realize that July 4th was the anniversary of Gloria and Alan’s first kiss.

She’d kept up with that anniversary for the entirety of 53 years. Poetic.

He took a look around the kitchenette and living room again. Really and truly looking this time, not just glazing over the bigger items, the things that caught his eye. This time he looked at the in between.

He wished he hadn’t. He wished he hadn’t cared enough to pay attention, it was something he’d never forget, an achievement he’d strive for for the rest of his life.

Alan’s home was a shrine.

A neatly kept time capsule full of warmth and fondness. It oozed from the very walls of the space. Gloria had never stepped foot in this space, but she dominated every inch of it. Her devoted husband had rebuilt his life in her image, even in death he worshipped her just as Anakin worshipped you.

A heavy weight settled in Anakin’s heart, this was the right choice. This confirmed it.

He quietly entered the bedroom, Alan’s C-PAP machine humming with a rhythmic flow of air, in, *scish*, *puftk*, out. It was soothing in a strange way, or maybe it was just a relief from the suffocating silence that compressed Anakin’s lungs when he was absorbing the space past the door.

He kneeled at the edge of the bed, pulling a small tube of lidocaine from his jacket hoodie pocket, along with a pair of gloves that he quickly donned. Wincing at the snap of the latex against his sweating palms, but the man continued his peaceful slumber, unaware that it would be his last.

He lifted the corner of the blanket and grimaced as he placed a small dollop of the cream via his index finger between Alan’s fourth and fifth toes. He didn’t even flinch.

Anakin kept the time on his watch and waited until the ointment did it’s job to numb the tender flesh. Fishing a small needle meant for insulin injections from a ziploc bag in pocket. Drawing a bit of air into barrel before carefully pricking the soft skin, holding his breath as his victim twitched.

When he stilled Anakin gently pushed the plunger and created a pocket of air in a vein that would soon end this poor souls life on earth. He withdrew the needle and stored it and the gloves in the ziploc bag, returning the blanket to its previous position.

He should’ve left then, but morbid curiosity had a tight hand around his wrist. Urging him to stay and wait out this event to its completion. So he tugged up his hood and stood motionless.

No one should be alone in their last moments. The least Anakin could do is provide silent support from the darkened corner. He counted the seconds on his watch until the man’s fingers twitched and his throat visibly tightened as a gurgled ball of air left his lungs. His eyes opened, wide and terrified as his body acted of its on volition.

Wrinkled hands weakly pawing at the C-PAP that was fitted over his head, Anakin watched his chest heave and collapse rapidly, the swell of his ribcage caving in on itself with each labored breath.

He’d heard of the ‘death rattle’ before but had never considered it to be anything other than a wives tale, until now. Alan’s choked coughs and gasping breaths reverberated in his chest and rolled up the stretch of his esophagus, coming out in a groan muffled by his lolled tongue.

He brought his fist to his chest in weak thumps, while his other reached over the side of the bed in the general vicinity of the night stand. It’s incredible what the human brain is capable of during such critical moments of stress. Anakin watch with a fascination that went beyond curiosity, wondering how the hell this guy was aware enough to try to grab the phone laying there.

Alan let his head fall to the side and his fading eyes blurred, but didn’t miss Anakin’s figure. To him, he was just a silhouette of midnight black. For some reason Anakin noticed a bit of the fear leave Alan’s tired eyes, softening as though he was accepting his quickly approaching end.

He stopped struggling, stopped reaching for the phone and instead held out a shaking hand to Anakin as though he wanted him to take it.

What kind of monster would deny a dying man?

He stepped forward on silent feet until he clasped the man’s wrist and felt his weak grip on his. The leathery skin was clammy, sickly to the touch and it made Anakin’s stomach churn.

“Death?” A small creaking attempt at the word eeked out of Alan’s lips.

“Yes sir.” Anakin responded. Was it true? No. But was it a lie? Also no. He was and he wasn’t.

“A-about…” the old man heaved, spittle flying from his mouth. “About damn time.”

Anakin was usually quick on his feet with his quips but this man’s nonchalant attitude, his welcoming of his fate was unexpected.

“Sorry Mr. Nelson.” He chuckled. “I’m a very busy man.”

He laughed. A rare occasion if not the only occasion that someone’s dying breath was a laugh. Anakin’s brow pinched together, wetting his lips with his tongue before chewing the inside of his cheek as he watched the life drain from his eyes.

Once his hand went slack and limp Anakin gently laid it across his chest, checked for a pulse and found none. He patted the old man’s shoulder and turned to exit the room, he didn’t look back and he didn’t take another breath until he set foot on the fire escape and the window was shut. Making quick work of closing the clasp and reassembling the metal frame.

He took a shaky breath and checked his watch. Bewildered by the passing of time. He literally couldn’t comprehend it, pulling out his phone to confirm. The times were indeed matching.

Three minutes and 57 seconds.

He was only inside for three minutes and 57 seconds. He felt like hours of his life had flown by, he felt both aged and more alive than he’d ever been. The only thing he could compare this feeling to was… the feeling he got because of you.

He’d done a good thing.

Alan said so himself, the man was ready, beyond ready to embrace death. Anakin had done him a favor by taking his life returning his soul to his soulmate.

It gave him a warm feeling in his chest. He thought maybe he would feel sick, he almost did, until he didn’t. He decided not to question his contentment, instead pocketing it to tuck away in the recess of his mind that he stored his more unhealthy thoughts and experiences in.

He liked that about himself, his ability to compartmentalize at will. He liked to be neat and tidy, it was only natural that his mind mirror that. He knew that it was just his mind’s creation; his mind didn’t really look like a neat room of filing cabinets.

He had one for childhood memories, one for his favorite happy memories, one for his mother, one for his friends, one for his work life, one for his home life. But the two most important things housed in the confines of his skull were the golden pedestal holding the beautifully crafted, one of a kind ceramic vase he poured his love for you into; and The Pit.

He didn’t like The Pit. His inner self kindly transported the things that belonged there via a lockbox and unceremoniously tossed it over the edge at a safe distance. Even the figment of his imagination in this scenario was too afraid to peer over the edge of the chasm. He’d never heard anything hit the bottom, if he got too close he would fall, and fall, and fall, and fall, and fall for eternity.

Then what would you do? Suffer through a sad existence like poor Mr. Nelson?

No. He can’t let that happen. He won’t let that happen. You’re to precious, too pure, too good to experience anything but radiant joy.

He breathed in relief as he found himself suddenly outside his front door, he’d traveled on autopilot.

He showered and tucked himself into bed, exhausted and drained emotionally. But not too much, not enough that he could neglect his duties. He checked the tracker on his phone, pleaded to see that you were abiding by your unspoken agreed upon curfew. Home before 2:00am. Always.

It was only 12:30. Good job princess.

He waited, following the little blue dot to the larger red one and switched over to the live camera feed and witnessed you chatting happily on your phone as you trotted up the stairs.

He thanked his past self from this morning and grabbed the laptop from his nightstand and patiently waited for the mirror image of your phone updated.

Luke. It was just Luke making sure you got home safe; maybe Luke wasn’t too bad after all. He wasn’t a threat to Anakin in anyway and he was concerned with your well-being. Not as much himself of course but enough that Anakin could throw a smidgen of respect his way, it’s nice to know he already has something in common with your best friend.

He did his routine night-time walk through of your device, seeing that you’d turned on your alarms for the next day already. He smiled fondly, his sleepy girl.

He turned up the sound on your bedroom camera, plugging up his phone and putting the laptop on the night stand. He placed his phone next to his head and listened to your breathing slow and relax.

He loved this. Sleeping with the sound of your soft snores and mumbled sleepy words. It was an intimacy that he craved to manifest into the flesh world.

Soon he would.

Someone please tell me that if you’ve waitressed/known a waitress who’s done shit like that?? If not I just told on myself for being a big fat liar.

Part Four

Tag-List:

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Let me know if you wanna be added/removed

[milfswriter]

Is this heaven?

Rhea Ripley x Reader

Summary: you’re back after a hiatus, Rhea’s emotional.

Notes and warnings: this is legit ao3 material. Childhood best friends to lovers, angst with happy ending, car accident, blood, near death experience, reunion, confession, semi public sex (it’s outdoor but nobody’s there??), daddy kink, thigh riding, cunnilingus, fingering, bruh this has angst, fluff, smut whatever you need LMAO. a little long? P.S I do not take pride in my writing abilities so PLZ don’t judge I write for fun lool also this has been briefly proofread so ignore any mistakes.

Word Count: 3.2K

You sat with your knees hugged to your chest as your breathed in the unusually cold, fresh air of Orlando on the very edge of the very familiar hill. You knew this place, you loved this place. 

You watched the small cars pass by before memories of this place started playing in your head. You’ve been on a very long hiatus due to an accident. Having been sent to Tokyo for specialized physiotherapy, you couldn’t see any of your friends or family for the past year and a half and came today for the elimination chamber PPV to say hi to your friends, having no plans of a return anytime soon.

As your memories of this place played, you realized that they were all connected to the same person. The person you wanted to see the most, the person you loved the most (not that you’d ever admit it). You heard crackling of leaves behind you but paid it no mind, it was 6 am, no one would be here.

 You wished this specific person would show up magically behind and- “Hoped I’d find ya here” a very familiar voice said and you gasped lightly, having no guts to turn around and look her in the eye. 

You stood up with a smile, taking a deep breath in before turning around and looking her in the eye, you looked the tall woman up and down with a hum.

 “You’ve grown even taller, how is that possible?” you questioned jokingly before you saw her features tremble, scoffing before rushing to you and almost crushing you in her arms, your legs dangling in the air. 

“hello, to you too, Demi” you said, your voice muffled by her shoulder. “shut up” she groaned, clearly crying now because you were starting to feel her tears on your shoulder.

Ok, now you were crying, too. “you’re..you’re walking?” she put you down and stepped back a few steps to see you standing straight and let out a relieved sigh, wiping her tears. 

“yeah, I’m okay Demi” she gulped, scanning you. She walked to you again, pulling you into her more gently now. “That day you weren’t” she whispered, now that she wasn’t pulling you up, your temple was now resting on her collarbone.

You closed your eyes, nodding as a different kind of memories played in rhea’s mind. 

Rhea waited impatiently for you on the couch as the others played monopoly, you were supposed to be here half an hour ago. She went to the kitchen, dialing your phone and it rang once, twice, three times before you answered. 

“D...Demi..” you gasped for air, causing Rhea to furrow her eyebrows in confusion. “y/n, where are you? you were supposed to be at Alexa’s a long time ago, wait, are you running?” she chuckled before you started muttering weird sounds.

“Y/n? are..are you okay?” she heard your sobs, it sounded like you were in pain, like..like you couldn’t breath. “Y/n answer me!!” she yelled into the phone causing Sonya to get into the kitchen. “chill out, man..we’re just starting, don’t rush her” she brushed Sonya off. 

She heard you gather all your strength in a breath before muttering barely coherently. “I crashed my..car..at..the light next to Alexa’s, p..please”.

“I’m coming..I’m coming right now, don’t close your eyes, keep breathing!” she ran out of the apartment, confusing everyone there before calling 911. Meanwhile, your car’s personal assistant was the only way you could have answered that call. 

“Incoming call from RheRhe , answer it?” Mercedes asked, “y..yes” you mumbled and sighed in relief, tears running down your cheeks as it understood you and answered the call. 

Rhea ran and ran until she saw the light and your car swerved into a wall, the hood completely smashed and a car behind yours that looked like it hit you so hard you swerved into that wall. 

“oh god..y..y/n?” she called before running to your door, seeing the glass smashed and opened the door, your face so bloody she only recognized you by your ‘Brutality’ t-shirt, which was originally hers but you decided to keep it, making it even harder for her to deal with this. 

“love?” she called, taking off her jacket and wiping the blood off your face with it. “Y/n please answer me” she heard the deafening sounds of ambulance and police sirens and picked you up with a great effort, not caring about the shreds of glass piercing her skin. 

“oh..he..hey Dee” you smiled up at her in a failed attempt to comfort her. Like you were accepting your fate. “It’s o..okay, d..demi” she looked around for any sign of the ambulance but they were none. She looked at you with her lips trembling, shaking her head.

“no, no it’s not! IT’S NOT OKAY! Yo..You can’t just leave me here!” her tears refused to dry and her vision began to blur. You gave her another smile, gulping in pain as you tried to move so you can face her. “is..is it because you never taught me your prism trap?..it..it’s okay..I’m..not mad...and you shouldn’t be either..” Rhea scoffed a laugh, she couldn’t believe you were joking at a time like this. 

“I’ll teach you my prism trap, just stay alive for me so I can do that, hm?” she heard the sirens from a distance and tried to keep you alert. She snapped her fingers in front of you, making you jolt awake as you closed your eyes.  

“remember when we met? hm?” she started, smiling at relief as you nodded. you’re still conscious. good. “we were kids..god, you were cocky” you let out a breathy laugh. she nodded with a small smile, you knew what she was doing and you were grateful because you felt yourself slipping.

“tell me more” she held your hand and kissed it, removing bits of glass that landed on the back of your hand when she saw the main source of bleeding, your side. 

She let you keep talking before she lifted the hem of your shit to see blood oozing out and you winced. “I’ve got you, we’ve got to stop the bleeding, okay? help is on the way” she applied pressure and you screamed in pain, scratching and pushing on her.

“I’m sorry, I know you’re in pain” she felt her tears running down her cheeks again as your hands went to squeeze her biceps, whimpering. As she saw the red and blue lights of the ambulance, she held you in her arms, not caring about the shreds of glass that pierced her skin in the meantime. 

Demi couldn’t remember you ever being this heavy, she’s picked you up countless of times, giving you piggyback rides after your matches as a tag team. you were a flyer, she saw you do the most perfect moonsaults and splashes so she assumed it was her knees that threatened to betray her as she saw your condition. She ran with you to the stretcher that the paramedic pulled out of the car, placing you on it as she explained to him what had happened to you and notified him about the source of bleeding.

you closed your eyes, hearing her pleading for you to wake up but you couldn’t open your eyes anymore. The next time you did, you were in an empty room. Hospital, you quickly deduced as you saw the countless IVs and bandages covering your body. “Oh..” You heard and looked up, seeing a nurse coming in with a clipboard. “you’re finally awake” she smiled gently, “can you hear me?” she added after a few seconds have gone by and you still hadn’t said anything.

You nodded, “good..good” she nodded at you. You felt her move closer to you, placing the clipboard somewhere before she stood directly next to your bed. “can you squeeze my hand?” you felt her her hand engulf yours and you furrowed your eyebrows in confusion, trying to move your hand but it’s like you couldn’t find the right wire in your brain to do so. 

The nurse pursed her lip in empathy before letting go of your hand. You let out a sound of desperation as you finally gained control of your hand and chasing hers, squeezing the tips of her fingers. “There you go, you’re okay” she smiled.

you cleared your throat, which was way too dry. “h..how...long..” she seemed to understand what you meant, nodding. “you’ve been in a coma for a couple of weeks” your eyes widened. You’ve been out for weeks?.

“your family and friends are here to visit you, though they’re a little early for visiting hours. I will let them in after I call the doctor” you nodded.

-------

After the doctor checked on you, the door was opened by the nurse who was followed by a running Rhea, panting as she grinned at you. “You’re awake!” she giggled, hugging you way too gently. “h..hi demi” you croaked out and she leaned down to kiss your forehead. “hello, possum” she cupped your bruised cheek.

“are you sure they’re not dating?” the nurse asked Sonya who was lurking in the back. “I know, right?!” Rhea turned to glare at her before turning back to you. 

“your parents went to get coffee before they told us you were awake, they’ll be here in a jiffy, hm?” you nodded with a smile. To be honest, you were glad you were not dead, because the way she looked at you right now made you feel things you never thought were possible to feel. 

------

you were leaving for Tokyo. The doctors said there was nothing they could do for you here to regain normal mobility. “I’ll never walk again” Demi shushed you. “of course you will! that’s why you’re going there, no? you’ll be completely fine and you’ll walk to me the day you come back, okay?” You nodded, you didn’t know what you’d do if you didn’t have Rhea in your life.

she drove you to the airport, and held your hand until the last second before you were supposed to find your terminal, where she wasn’t allowed in without a boarding pass. “I’ll miss you” Your lips trembled and she nodded, hugging you. “I’ll miss you, my possum” she kissed your temple before letting you go.

 “get better for me” you nodded, limping to your terminal. You turned around one more time to see Rhea from afar with tears soaking her face. You gulped, your eyes burning before taking a deep breath and turning back around, pulling your suitcase.

After 1 year and 3 months, you’ve finally regained complete mobility and they’ve also cleared you out to wrestle. You booked the nearest flight to Orlando and said nothing to your friends and family. And here you are, in your favorite place of all.

“That day I wasn’t” you affirmed,  you stepped back a little and lifted your shirt, showing her the remaining scar of the surgery on your side. “at least I still got this bad boy” you smirked and she giggled, “it does look cool hm?” you nodded. 

She looked like she had something on her mind, but you didn’t say anything as you pulled her down to lay with you on the grass to watch the sunrise. you linked hands, your head falling onto her shoulder as you watched the city being lit by the enormous sun. “I..need to tell you something” she stammered for a bit and she looked away. “Is everything ok?” you were starting to worry, she was fine moments ago.“Everything’s great..you’re here” she smiled nervously, turning to look at the sky.

“Y/n, I um..I’ve known you for over a decade. Yeah?” you nodded, smiling. “And um..you’re my best friend” she bit her lip, contemplating on whether to spit it out or not.

 “Demi, what’s wrong? Are you dying?” you whispered and she looked at you with furrowed eyebrows. “No, y/n..I’m not dying, it’s just…all those years we were friends, I wished we weren’t..” you raised your eyebrows in surprise, was that how she felt?.

“Every time I saw you, I wished we were something more, I wished I could protect you from all these bitches that hurt you..and I can’t forgive myself for letting you drive that day instead of just taking you with me. y/n/n I..I can’t believe it took me all those years to realize that I am so, so in love with you” she rambled and you kept your head on her shoulder, gasping softly.

“All this time I think I was bound to fall in love with you. It was only a matter of when and where..and it was that day,..we were at Wrestlemania, and…we were watching Lita in her match and…you looked so happy when she won.. you hugged me so hard and I didn’t want it to stop. I wore that hoodie for days after because it smelled like you..we were kids..and I was in love you...and now we’re older..and I’m still in love you” she took a deep breath and your eyes were tearing up. 

“you don’t feel the same, I know that..I kept telling everyone that. But it’s physically painful for me to keep that from you any longer than I had, you don’t have to do or say anything, I just wanted to-” she was cut off by your lips on hers as you straddled her lap, leaning down to kiss her so she would stop saying all these things. She hummed, her hands automatically going to your waist under your shirt.

You broke the kiss, breathing heavily. “is that an enough explanation of how I feel?” you asked, and she nodded, shrugging. “I can live with that” she sat up, giggling as she kissed you again, and again. “I can’t believe you almost died and I still couldn’t tell you” you joined your foreheads.

“It’s okay..I love you, too” You smiled, kissing her again before wrapping your arms around her neck, playing with the ends of her short hair. You both stared into each other’s souls, this couldn’t get any better. Or so you thought. 

She moved her hands from your waist to your thighs, squeezing them as she peppered kisses over your jawline, making her way down to your neck. “you..are so beautiful” she whispered in your ear, you felt a familiar sensation between your legs, and the rough material of her jeans didn’t make this any better.

You started testing the waters, moving your hips back and forth against her, your hands gripping her shirt from the back as she chuckled, her breath tingling your ear. “naughty girl” she tutted, holding your hips in place, making you moan. 

“you want this?” she asked, looking you in the eye. You’ve never seen this version of Rhea, but you were glad you are cause she couldn’t be any hotter than right now. 

You nodded furiously, “please” you whimpered. A smirk placed itself on her face, her hands making their way to your ass. She suddenly flipped your positions, your head making a soft thud as it landed on the grass. “please what?” her smirk turned into something you couldn’t recognize, but oh did you love it.

Her knee placed itself between your legs, spreading them. “please, fuck me..daddy” her eyes darkened before smashed her lips against yours in a moan. “god, I want you so bad” she groaned, sneaking her hand to your pants, unbuttoning it, pulling the zipper down painfully slow.

You dreamed of this moment for so long, you didn’t wanna wait anymore. “please, Demi!” you urged her and she complied, leaning her head down to whisper filth into your ear. 

“yeah? you want my fingers, darling? right here..where anyone could see us? ” she breathed heavily as you felt her hand sneak into your pants, you heard her whine into your ear as she felt your slick pussy.

You threw your head back against the grass, “all for me?” she asked, kissing your jawline as she pressed her middle finger against your clit, you gripped her shirt from the back, god it’s been so long and now that it’s with Rhea, you never wanted it to stop. 

Rhea took a deep breath in, taking her hand out of your pants, making you whine desperately. “Can I take it off, possum?” she smiled, her hands resting on your knees as she got off you and sat on knees in front of you. You nodded, silently hoping no one makes their way up this hill and sees you.

“I am going to worship you” she smirked, pulling your pants along with your panties down your legs, throwing them aside and spreading your legs. She froze for a second as she saw your glistening heat. You felt your cheeks heat up as she stared but you kept your legs spread.

she leaned down, keeping eye contact with you as she used her thumbs to spread your labia, licking a long, hard stripe from your entrance to your clit and you let out a guttural moan. You ran your hand through her hair, pulling on her scalp as she ate you out.

she hummed against your pussy, closing her eyes as she sucked the life out of you. “please, daddy” your other hand pulled on her hair, too and she sneaked one of her hands to your mouth, her middle and ring finger stroked your bottom lip and you opened your mouth, taking them in your mouth to the knuckles.

She took them out of your mouth, before thrusting them back in, practically fucking your mouth. She took them out again, lining them up with your entrance and sliding them in, bottoming out instantly. 

“fffuck” you moaned, letting go of her hair before you rip it out. gripping the grass next to you instead. 

She fucked her fingers in and out of your pussy. “god you’re so fucking tight, love” she kissed your inner thigh, “Oh, I wish I had my strap right now”.

Just picturing her fucking you senseless with her cock made your pussy clench impossibly tight against her fingers. “yes..yes..I’m..Oh god, I’m cumming!” she fucked you even harder, wrapping her lips back around your clit, licking it in circular motion. 

you couldn’t help but pull on her hair again, breathing heavily as she curled her fingers inside you, screaming her name as your orgasm washed over you as you closed your eyes tightly. she chuckled against your thigh, sitting up on her knees and kissing you softly. You groaned as you tasted yourself, pulling her by the back of her neck to kiss you harder. “is this heaven?” you mumbled, opening your eyes. 

“Would you stop with the death jokes? seriously” she frowned and you let out a howl, throwing your head back as you giggled. “I’m sorry, come here” you wrapped your arms around her, hugging her close.

you sneaked your hand to her zipper before she stopped you. “not here..I’d like to worship you better at home first” you smiled at the thought of seeing your shared house again. 

She peppered kisses all over your face, smoothing your hair out of your face. “I love you” she mumbled shyly and you chuckled, “love you” you kissed her lips again and she helped you put your pants back on.

She stood up, giving you her hand to pull up before picking you up bridal style. She froze as she looked into your eyes. What you didn’t know was that she was holding your bloody form in the same way a year and a half ago.

“I..I didn’t hurt you, did I?” she asked, gulping. You furrowed your eyebrows, shaking your head. “no..no it was perfect” she cupped her cheek. she nodded, a small smile appearing on her face before she took you to her car and drove you home.

This definitely wasn’t the way you thought today was gonna go, but you definitely weren’t complaining. :)

[vinelark]

fic writer meme

thank you [checks notes] @megafaunatic, @cairoscene, @englishsub, @yuebings, and @cafecliche for the tags ilu

1. How many works do you have on Ao3? 15! which is solidly 14 more than i ever expected to have on there when i made the account

2. What's your total Ao3 word count? 277,844

3. What fandoms do you write for? on ao3: mdzs/cql, tgcf, shl, and dc. in groupchats/dms/my own head i’m running wild all over the place

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? 🐉 this river runs to you 💍 i’ll have you and you’ll have me 🪐 i will be chasing a starlight ⚔️ you’re the trouble that i always find 🌊 a wave crashes to shore

5. Do you respond to comments? not often; i have made multiple attempts to start replying regularly but all have eventually failed in the face of me desperately wanting to show my earnest and genuine appreciation for each comment vs. wanting to hide my blushing face under a pillow every time. also, because of who i am as a person, each time i sat down to do it i ended up spending hours making little progress and eventually decided that i will make an effort to spend those hours writing or commenting on other fics instead. i am honored by each and every one though!!!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? while i tend to write angst it is always firmly of the “with a happy ending” sort. the one exception is my shortest fic (originally posted on twitter) never been away so long, which is more of an ambiguous/open ending with implied angst. i dooooo outline the eventual happy ending in the endnotes, though. also as it CURRENTLY stands buy back the secrets ends on one hell of an angsty note, but there are two more chapters in the works to fix that.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? despite the wangxian star trek au having like 20k of deliriously happy post-misunderstanding sex, i think trrty has to have the happiest ending because not only does the fic end happily, but there are also multiple very happy codas in which wwx gets a good night’s sleep, finally gets to bang his dragon boyfriend, and, my personal fav, one by aubreyli where wangxian go flying in a thunderstorm.

8. Do you get hate on fics? not so far, for which i am grateful but mostly lucky.

9. Do you write smut? occasionally; on ao3 there’s the aforementioned trrty coda, plus the aforementioned cowritten wangxian pon farr sequence 💪

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you have written? hmm, i’m not opposed to crossovers—i’ve read some really fun ones (recent fav crossover read here)—but i’d have to be really compelled by both source materials and have a very clear vision for how they interact to want to write one myself. i’ve written a few fandom fusions (aforementioned wangxian star trek au; i also started a wangxian dragon age au but again, no dragon age characters were going to show up, just the world/setting) but no full-on crossovers. i did have one partially drafted wangxian fic that was going to have a hua cheng deus ex machina, alas.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? not that i’m aware of! it’s not something i really go looking for/concern myself with, but so far, like with fandom hate, i’m grateful to not have encountered it.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? yes! my wangxian wedding fic was translated to russian.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? i co-wrote seventy thousand words of published fic with @feyburner! and probably two hundred thousand words of unpublished fic and outlines and story ideas just for fun. even when we aren’t co-writing we tend to talk through our individual fics with each other so we’re pretty in sync when it comes to writing. i also spent like a year in @cairoscene’s DMs concocting whole outlines/zerodrafts for batfam fics together that i still cherish and reread (notable favs: tim drake ella enchanted au, concept where the waynes are cursed to suddenly feel nothing but apathy about tim and he has to deal with that, story where robin!tim gets de-aged and oops red hood is the first one to show up…). i’d say the OCBFEU is fic-adjacent and cowritten by a group of us. also shoutout to the mdzs threadfic @cafecliche and i brainstormed/zerodrafted where lan qiren gets cursed into an owl and post-cql wei wuxian is the one who unknowingly saves him.

14. What's your all time favorite ship? oh yeah it’s [loud truck goes by]

15. What is a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? cyborg!wwx…i still think of you fondly. the only ao3 fic i’ve ever posted knowing i probably wouldn’t finish it but wanted to share just for fun.

16. What are your writing strengths? pangs… mining little character details for humor (or, more often, for more pangs)… i also think i’ve really improved my action writing/pacing over the last few years.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? i write actual drafts/prose fairly slowly, which can be frustrating for me. also like @yuebings i often get very caught up in trying to perfect one small part of a draft before moving on. ummmm describing outfits/settings for reasons other than immediate plot-relevant details, i’m terrible at that + remembering to do it—i literally make myself do a What Are We Looking At Here Pass while revising sometimes.

18. Thoughts of writing dialogue in another language in fics? i’m not totally sure what this question is asking tbh, but it’s something i think can be done incredibly well—and, like with many things in storytelling, it’s the sort of thing where if you don’t actually speak the second language you need to be willing to put in work beyond a cursory google to try to achieve what you’re doing, and be willing to admit if it’s beyond your capabilities. i really like how the portuguese dialogue in bbts ended up and that’s 100% because @tigerjpg translated it for me and also already understood the scene/concept/characters; without them i would have found a different way to approach that scene. also, stylistically, i personally like when dialogue in other languages isn’t italicized unless there’s a real reason for it to be.

19. First fandom you wrote for? oh it was [a second loud truck whooshes by]

20. Favorite fic you have written? right now it’s bbts, because i think it’s also the fic i’ve had the most fun writing. trrty, though, will always hold a special place in my heart.

and i tag! @tlumeti, @burins, @smilebackwards, @bonesbuckleup, @hearteyeshayley, @sonosvegliato

[helpolnix]

May 8th and 9th

My usual check in with Hermes got hijacked, as I’ve been saying. Maybe hijacked isn’t the right word but whatever. I don’t know what really passed my mind to make me think, “I should ask if I’m talking to Hermes,” but I did ask myself that, and after consulting with my pendulum…

I was not talking to Hermes.

Cue some panic. I’m a new practitioner, kinda. I’ve been very very casual about it since I was a kid. Both working with deities and practicing witchcraft. The idea of a deity reaching out first was something I’ve heard of, but why would that happen to me of all people? I didn’t understand it in the slightest. So I haphazardly switched around what questions I asked my tarot cards, even looked up spreads online while my hands shook.

I used my pendulum to ask the gender of the deity first, and stupidly I didn’t think to ask immediately afterwards if it was one of the twelve Olympians. I only thought of that *after* a very confusing tarot spread. Been using tarot cards for years but I was never very disciplined, so I’m still awkward with them sometimes. I need a new deck, too.

So, after guessing wrong no less than 6 times, I finally found out it was Dionysus. I was incredibly befuddled, not knowing why Dionysus would reach out to someone like me. But that was actually on me. After ending the conversation and doing further research, I realized my issues, personality, and identity align very well with him. I read about how he’s helped so many people become more comfortable with themselves and just be more confident.

And I thought, fuck, that is something I want.

Plus I am a former theater kid that still yearns to be on stage sometimes. (Random, but in middle school we actually did Pandora’s box for the school play. I played Pandora. Fun time.)

I slept on it, did some more research, mulled it over all day, then sat down just about an hour ago to write a note to both Hermes and Dionysus. I find letter writing my favorite way to connect with Hermes, and I think the same (along with food offerings, as he asked me for those) will go for Dionysus. I folded the note in a unique way—I’ve been also using this as an excuse to basically learn fucking origami shit—before putting it on my altar for Hermes. Though due to limited space, it will probably have to be shared with Dionysus.

I lit my one puny candle, asked if they were both here with me(they were) and then just thanked them both sincerely while also apologizing to Dionysus for pretty much reducing him to the only surface level things I knew him for. Anyway, I talk about how once I get that job Hermes helped me find, I’ll be spending a hefty bit of it on them. But in the meantime I would be using my pocket money for more.. frivolous shit.

I like buying shit that has no purpose but makes me smile. Sue me.

So I pull two cards then, one for Hermes and one for Dionysus. And oh, they don’t agree on my plan.

It took me a while to realize what they weren’t agreeing on. Sometimes I’ll get words or sentences, and other times I won’t. At that moment the energy around me just felt like bickering. Not incredibly tense, but there was obviously some disconnect. But also for the first time, I could feel how distinctly different Hermes and Dionysus were going to be. Hermes is stern with me. It’s only been a few days, but he is, and he’s definitely going to push me hard. Meanwhile, Dionysus was a lot more.. relaxed? Bubbly, even.

I asked, just to be sure, if they disagreed on something. They did

I asked if it was related to the job. It wasn’t.

Then there was this nagging in my head that told me to ask if it was about the money. How I wanted to spend my pocket money.

Bingo.

He’d rather I don’t do that.

I felt torn. Because yeah the stupid shit I wanted to buy would have made me happy, but Hermes felt pretty insistent that I don’t do that, and instead focus that money on upgrading the altar. Which is something I really want to do anyway. I felt so insanely scolded by him, but not in an extremely rude manner. More like how a teacher would look at you if you’re a little too loud in class.

I asked if he’d like me to buy a statue for him I’ve been eyeing. He said yes.

I asked Dionysus the same, he said no. He’d rather food offerings for the time being.

That was about an hour or so ago. And I guess it pushed me to want to share this. Nobody may see these posts, but I think it’d still be good for me to share my experiences as they come. Maybe they’ll make other newcomers feel less silly when it comes to making mistakes or fumbling around with gods.

As Hermes said to me, “trust the process.”

No silly purchases for me.

[slipping-through-my-fingertips]

In My Head, I’m Yours

Epilogue: Wrapped Around Your Finger

Ao3

A/n: this was so fun to write, I’ll probably do more Percabeth fics in the future 🥰

2 years later

Delphi is back in the same bar where Annabeth first saw Percy. Unlike that night, no one can just walk in and expect to see them. There’s a line of fans waiting for the doors to open; all of whom got their tickets over 6 months ago. It’s completely sold out. Annabeth walked around the building to the stage door, knocked 3 times, until a bouncer appeared. He checked her pass before letting her in.

She found the dressing room easily as there were only two rooms back here. One of which she felt couldn’t really be called a bathroom, as it was most likely an old storage room now turned bathroom.

Annabeth knocked on the other door and Jason shouted come in.

“Annabeth!” Piper exclaimed, running over to hug her.

The two girls have become extremely close in the last year. Even though Piper had seen her only hours ago, she was hugging her like it had been months.

“Can you let go of my girlfriend now?” Percy asked.

Annabeth could see him over Piper’s shoulder but his comments only made Piper hold tighter.

“You hog her,” Piper said, “she’s mine tonight.”

Jason butted in and playfully pulled his girlfriend away from Annabeth, who was laughing at their antics. She was distracted enough by Piper jokingly trying to escape Jason’s hold on her in order to tattle Annabeth again that Annabeth didn’t realize how close Percy was to her. So when she was pulled into a kiss, it took a second before her lips caught up to her brain.

Kissing Percy never got old. His hands were on her exposed back pressing her closer to him. He was warm and smelled like the ocean. It was a new cologne Annabeth had gotten him for his birthday a few weeks ago. When he pulled back, his forehead rested against hers.

“You’re always mine,” he told her, low enough that it was just between them.

“As long as you’re always mine too,” she replied.

Watching Delphi perform also never got old. From backstage, it definitely had a different feeling than standing in the audience. Some nights, Annabeth likes to be by the bar again remembering the times she sat at the bar with Thalia and Leo, before she knew who Percy was, before she got to call him hers.

He was hers now. The way he smiled at her when he turned around to change instruments. Percy always made her feel like the show was just for her. Even with the bar packed wall to wall, he was still performing for an audience of one.

“We wrote this one a few years ago,” Percy introduced. “It’s about a relationship ending but also hoping it won’t.”

“Luckily for Percy, who released his negative nature into this song, he turned out to be very, very wrong,” Piper added.

“And to this day, she’s got him wrapped around her finger!” Jason said.

“Whatever, stop embarrassing me on stage in front of a live audience!” Percy exclaimed. “I love my girlfriend okay!”

The crowd cheered.

Delphi’s fans knew about Percy’s girlfriend but no one really knew her. Annabeth didn’t get recognized, not even at their gigs. Though she was almost always in attendance. Percy wasn’t that active on social media and Annabeth kept hers private.

She didn’t need him to shout it from the rooftops but whenever he talked about her on stage, her whole face got hot.

And it wasn’t as if they were hiding anything. She was the first person he sought when he came off of the stage. Percy included her in their post-show hugs, which at first Annabeth had found to be rather disgusting but she was learning to love them. He hummed her new songs and played new guitar riffs he was working on before sharing them with his bandmates.

Making all our plans in the Santa Cruz same that night

I thought I had you in my palm of my hand that night

First date

Open communication

Fall in love

Annabeth remembered the deal they made in the California sand.

Their first date hadn’t waited long. After they cleared the air, Percy had lifted her up and kissed her.

“Where are we going?” She asked, allowing herself to be led away from the ocean.

“We have a list to begin checking off,” he answered.

“Oh, do we?”

“I owe a beautiful girl a date.”

They found a 24-hour diner ordered strawberry and chocolate shakes and a plate of curly fries.

“What’s your favorite color?” Percy asked. “Mine’s blue.”

“Well obviously,” she said,

“I’m an open book.” He shrugged.

“I like green,” she replied, “seafoam green.”

“Yeah? Any reason in particular?”

He had a twinkle in his eyes that suggested he knew exactly why. But Annabeth was never one to make things easy for him.

She shook her head. “Nope.” Annabeth sipped her milkshake but she was smirking.

Percy grabbed her hand from across the table.

Going back to her hotel room—Percy was sharing one with his bandmates—and falling into bed together didn’t ruin the sweetness of their first date. In fact, it felt very them.

Screaming at the top of my lungs til my chest felt tight

I told myself that I’m never gonna be alright

You had me wrapped around my finger

Open communication was harder. Even with their chosen safe word, they had their fair share of fights. Their pasts caught up to them, their insecurities made themselves known. But neither of them used riptide.

It wasn’t always something life-alternating that they fought over. Sometimes it was over dirty dishes in the sink or using up all the hot water.

This fight wasn’t over something small. Eight months of calling themselves a couple and this was their biggest fight to date.

Annabeth couldn’t remember exactly how it started. She had come back from the firm, carrying a thousand things in her hands. The blueprints had already fallen twice on the way to her apartment.

Her phone was buzzing in her pocket and she was hoping to any god out there that it wasn’t her work mobile. If she had to stare at one more spreadsheet tonight, Annabeth was going to lose it.

Once inside the apartment, blissfully empty apartment, she dropped all of her things unceremoniously on the floor.

She got a shower and tried to scrub the awful day off of her.

Then the music started. Her terrible, no good, neighbors were playing some bass heavy music at a god awful volume. She was ready to yell at someone, anyone and they had it coming.

Annabeth was ready to march over there and pound on their door until they heard her but when she threw open her door her boyfriend was standing in front of her.

“Hey, I brought dinner,” he said.

She let out a breath. “Hi.”

“You forgot didn’t you?” Percy teased, “we made dinner plans.”

“I did forget, I’m sorry.”

He shrugged and led her inside.

Everything seemed fine. They ate and were watching a movie despite the music from next door. But her anger was sitting there under the surface waiting to explode.

Finally, after turning up the tv again Annabeth jumps up from the couch.

“That’s it!”

Percy grabbed her hand, pulling her back down onto the couch, “Hey, hey, what’s going on?”

They were facing each other now. Annabeth felt warm, literally hot with anger.

“I just had an awful day, I hate my neighbors, and I just want to scream at someone.”

“Tell me about your awful day,” he said, still holding her hand.

She shook her head. “I really don’t want to.”

“You shouldn’t keep it all bottled up, it’s not healthy.”

She knew that but Annabeth wasn’t in the mood for venting. She wanted a fight. Which is probably why she picked one with Percy.

“Percy, I don’t want to talk about it.”

Annabeth tried to keep her voice at a normal volume but he kept pushing.

“Stop! Just stop! You can’t solve all my problems.”

“Not if you don’t let me try.”

Annabeth knew she was yelling but Percy’s voice was steady still. She was almost thankful the music next door was so loud because it downed out their argument.

“I’m just so sick of it!”

“Of what?”

“Oh this! The bad days, the music, and just…”

It was like Percy knew what was coming. He was egging her on.

“Say it!” he dared.

“You! You’re suffocating.”

“Because you won’t talk to me!”

“All we do is talk!”

This went on for longer than Annabeth was proud of. It wasn’t until her eyes welled up with tears that she realized what was happening. She didn’t want to be fighting with her boyfriend.

What she wanted was to snuggle up on the couch and finish their movie.

So she said, “riptide.”

Immediately, Percy froze.

“I’m sorry,” she said, letting some tears escape. “I don’t want to fight. I didn’t mean it.”

He pulled her into his arms and whispered into her hair, “me too, me too.”

They ended up talking about Annabeth’s bad day at work. She complained for the umpteenth time about her neighbors. Percy had probably heard these same complaints from Thalia, Leo and her once a week if not more. She was facing Percy on the couch again, sitting crossed legged and eventually got all of her venting out of her system.

“I don’t think I can help with the work issues, but it sounds like everything will be fixed by Monday because you were just having an off day and everyone’s allowed to have those,” Percy said, “but I do have a solution to the neighbor problem.”

“Really because we’ve been thinking of issuing a formal complaint with the landlord. And I really don’t want it to come to that but we’ve talked to them before and nothing happened…” she rambled.

“I think you should move in with me,” Percy said.

“And the landlord doesn’t exactly like Leo, there was this incident when we first moved in and…wait what did you just say?”

Percy smirked, “Annabeth, will you move in with me?”

Annabeth opened her mouth but nothing came out.

“It doesn’t have to be my place either, we can look for somewhere together.”

She threw herself into his arms and kissed him. Annabeth’s hands wove themselves into his hair pushing his face closer to hers. Percy’s hands were trapped between their stomachs. Annabeth had total control over this kiss; she wrapped her legs around his waist pushing down on his crotch. He was groaning into her mouth so she shut him up by adding her tongue.

She wished she never had to breathe again so she could keep kissing him but she needed to breathe and so did he. Annabeth pressed their foreheads together and cupped his face in her hands.

“I am in love with you,” she told him. “Let’s start looking at places right now.”

“Can’t we finish the movie first?” He asked, but he was smiling at her enthusiasm. “Or maybe go upstairs and make out?”

“Just make out? Who are you and what have you done with my boyfriend?” She felt his forehead like he might be running a fever for suggesting such a thing.

“I am in love with you too by the way.”

Annabeth kissed him again.

They never got around to finishing their movie.

I’m wrapped around your finger

I’m wrapped around your finger

When the crowd started cheering for an encore, she knew Delphi couldn’t resist. She made her way backstage to the dressing room.

It was a small space. Annabeth definitely wished she would have designed this building because they were in need of some serious changes.

The dressing room consisted of pairs of tables with matching chairs against the left and right walls with rectangular mirrors hanging above them. These acted as vanities as the bands got ready.

The table Piper used still had her makeup spread out across it. Jason’s had a neatly stacked pile of clothes to change into while Percy’s had a phone charger and his wallet. Percy’s bag was hanging from the chair.

Annabeth’s purse was sitting on the small couch on the back wall of the room. She sat crossed legged at Percy’s table and charged her phone. By the time Delphi got off stage, Annabeth had been scrolling through posts about the show for the past 20 minutes.

greeneyes818: who’s seeing delphi tonite?

piedpiper: @greeneyes818 didnt you go to like the last 5 shows

greeneyes818: @piedpiper yes, and?

piedpiper: @greeneyes818 cu there

Most were about fellow fans meeting up but some stood out to her.

p3rcystan: if percy could stop being hot for like 5 seconds I think I could remember my name

Annabeth had to agree. She was so sucked into it that Percy’s arms around her made her jump. He rested his head on her right shoulder.

“Did you like the show?” He asked, not moving.

“Eh, not your best work.” She shrugged.

Percy quickly spun the chair around and kissed her.

“How about now?”

Annabeth chuckled and tried to stand but her boyfriend pushed her back into the seat.

“Answer me.”

Unfortunately for Annabeth, this side of Percy—the teasingly dominant side—only made her want him more.

“Alright listen,” Jason said, “if you’re gonna hook up backstage at least wait til we leave the room.”

That snapped them out of their daze. Only to find Jason standing with his arms crossed and Piper hiding a laugh behind her hands.

Percy shrugged, clearly not sorry at all.

“I have a hot girlfriend, sue me.”

Annabeth punched his shoulder.

“What?”

“Just hot?” she said.

“Hot, amazingly smart and gorgeous and she does this thing with her…”

Annabeth slapped a hand over his mouth, which only led to Percy licking her palm.

“You’re disgusting, I want to break up.”

At this point, Jason and Piper had packed up and left but Annabeth hadn’t noticed their absence. She didn’t have a chance to think it was strange they left before having a post-show hug.

Percy pouted. “You know you love me…” he sang.

She walked over to the couch to grab her purse. Suddenly, she realized how hungry she was. Leftover pizza at their apartment sounded insanely good right now.

“I might just have cold pizza when we get home because I am…” Annabeth never got to finish her thought before when she turned around Percy was kneeling and holding out a small blue box.

Her lip trembled. Annabeth never thought she was much of a crier but damn it this man in front of her made her feel things she didn’t know existed. And he wanted to marry her.

He wanted her to stay. Forever.

So she did.

[urfavsho]

Hacketts Quarry summer love

Fluff

Rylan

2.2k words

Okay so i totally got this idea from this post!

I think it would be fun to try and challenge myself to write some bits and pieces i think would have happened to their relationship over the two month period!! So here i am..attempting that idea. It’s kinda in the form of multiple one-shots? However, it’s been a long time since i’ve written so if its horrible, i apologize profusely <3

Day One of Camp

Starting P.O.V: dylan

Dylans been on a cramped mini-van with the other counselors for about an hour or two now, Hes yet to learn all of their names yet, but two of the counselors stuck out to him. Ryan and Kaitlyn. They had a sort of enticing energy to them, the vibe where you could spend hours talking about how mysterious and interesting the two seemed; Kaitlyn had a very loud, spunky, and no cares given personality to her, whilst Ryan was a loner and rather vague dude.

Dylan looked around inside the mini-van as he soon realized that they were close to Hacketts Quarry, unplugging his headphones and turning the phone off to look out the windows at the scenery presenting itself before himself. The soft orange shimmer of the sun was beautifully illuminating the agricultural landscape, it was comforting to see the squirrels run across the bushes every now and than, to see all of the animals in the vast forest of Hacketts.

“ Wow..this is perfect!! ” a semi-loud voice yanked Dylan out of his daydreaming as he began to look around himself. Abigail, or Abi for short, was the one who broke the loud silence in the car; she grabbed her sketchbook out of her bag and started drawing away. Dylan decided to inch closer towards her and watch her etch away on the paper “ You know..you’re like..uh..Picasso! “ He said out loud, Dylan was trying to start a conversation, but with the snort and weird look she gave him..it’s a 50/50 chance on whether or not it was effective.

“ Alright counselors! We are here at THE Hacketts Quarry! “ Mr. Hs’ voice boomed and the van soon slowed to a stop infront of the lodge. Dylan waited his turn as everyone soon piled out of the van, the last one out before Dylan was Ryan. The pairs hands slightly grazed one another as they got out of the van, a rush of electricity bolted up Dylan’s body and he felt a hot blush rise to his face. This was the first time when Dylan could remember a deeper attraction developing on Ryan.

Week 2 of camp

Starting P.O.V: Ryan

It’s been about two weeks since Ryan has been at camp. As Ryan begun to teach the younger kids and campers about sailing techniques. However, today was different, he had to do some of the scheduling plans with Dylan. The loner woke up early today, around 6:15 am, and got ready. The duo decided to meet up in the library today, however, it was mainly Dylan who coordinated the meetup, Ryan had expected an outdoor area so he was grateful Dylan had chosen a calm area. After a few minutes of walking around the camp, Ryan soon made it to the library and saw Dylan waiting for him. Dylan had a flower-style hairpin in his hair to hold his bangs back, a bunch of notebooks scattered around the table ,and some apple juice boxes. It was a sight to see.

“ Yo Dylan, ” Ryan said as he approached him, the tall boy smiled and leaned back in his chair. “ Wassup, big guy! ” Dylan responded with a cheerful grin, Ryan rolled his eyes and sat down next to him before grabbing his own schedule book out along with pens and other various items “ ..So we’re scheduling out this week’s sailing plans right? ” Ryan asked as he soon trailed off and admired Dylan’s colorful organization of notes, they were color-coded, sticker coded in a way, and everything had little bulletin points underneath to explain something further; the organization wasn’t just for schedules, but it also was for improvement ideas for certain areas of camp, activities for the kids, gift bags to be made at the end of the summer, and even every counselor/campers birthday so he remembered. Ryan was sure there was more to be found within the countless books, but- “ Ryan! ”

Oh. Right. Ryan snapped back into focus and looked at Dylan “ Yes? ” Dylan rolled his eyes and laughed, his hands came up to slightly cover his smile. It was the sweetest smile Ryan had ever seen. “ Okay, so the reason you are here with me today is so we can get that messy brain of yours under control ! ” As Dylan continued explained why Ryan needed to be organized, Ryan felt himself getting lost more and more in the taller boys big, beautiful brown eyes, he had light freckles dusting his cheeks. Ryan had never noticed that til today. Their knees slowly grew closer and closer over the time they spent as the pair made sure to schedule the “sailing” plans.

Week 4 of Camp

P.O.V: Dylan and Ryan

Two weeks after their last encounter, Mr.H had announced to Dylan to promote the swim party happening tomorrow. Of course, Dylan broadcasted the exciting event during the daily morning announcements, he explained all of the details and fun activities happening at the party. The campers were eager for the next day to come, they couldn’t wait and kept pestering Dylan about what food was going to be at the party if they could do a bonfire afterward, and even asked if they could roast marshmallows! Ryan soon picked up on the consistent questioning from the ecstatic kids, he quickly stepped in to try and ease the pressure from Dylan.

“ Hey, if you monsters don’t stop asking about the party I might have to cancel it. So head out to the lodge for lunch. “ Ryan quickly remarked in a teasing tone, instant whines and groans came from the campers as they scurried off into the lodge. Dylan stared at Ryan for a second before he reached and gently patted the boys shoulder, a bright smile resting on the taller boy’s face. “ Haha..thanks for the help!! Those kids can be SO persistent. “ Dylan thanked Ryan and began to retract his hand before running a few fingers in his own hair. “ They just can’t resist Dylan. “ Ryan glanced up at Dylan slightly and let out a short chuckle, he shook his head and walked away.

“ Yup. “As dylan watched Ryan walk away he felt a quick increase in the patter of his heart, did he really just make THE Ryan Ezrahler laugh and smile? He must dreaming!! Dylan laughed to himself and patted his hands against the sides of his legs, he felt a heat rising to his cheeks as he indulged more and more into the thought of Ryan. “ Dylan! “ Kaitlyns loud voice awoke Dylan out of his thoughts and he cleared his throat before looking over at her. “ Oh! Uhm, yes? “ Dylan said as he saw Kaitlyn shake her head before she started to tell Dylan that he needed to come into the lodge and eat.

Week 6 of camp

Starting P.O.V : Ryan

The morning was easy and slow enough, Ryan didn’t have any “classes” starting til around 11:30 so he decided to take it easy and listen to his new podcast obsession, Bizarre Yet Bonafide. As Ryan started his walk around the camp he came across Dylan’s small group of counselors (around 8 kids) Ryan wondered what they were doing out and about on the rocky road trail, the nature walks weren’t planned for another two days.

Deciding to end his pointless wondering, Ryan walked up to the group and stood off to the side as he listened to Dylan ramble on about how the group was going to surprise Abi with the sticks, rocks, and leaves for some sort of art activity. Listening to the taller boy talk with so much passion was a new perspective for Ryan, most of the time Dylan could be perceived as a quick, witty, smart-ass so seeing him take a more appreciative approach to something was a completely unexpected experience to witness. Eventually, Dylan realized Ryan standing off to the side of the group and stammered mid-sentence. “ And that’s why- oh! Uh, hi Ryan “ The words came out as a jam before Ryan interrupted him. “ I was just wondering what you were doing, but after 5 minutes of you talking. I think i got my answer “ Ryan’s words came out rude, but his tone was rather sweet in a way. “Oh yeah, that makes sense..” Dylan diverted his eyes away from Ryan’s and scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“ Well if you want to join us you can? “ Dylan’s suggestion of joining the group surprised Ryan, he stood for a moment before shrugging and walking up closer to Dylan and the group. “ Sure, why the hell not? “ The words spoken by Ryan made the youngsters gasp and make various Ooos, Ahhs, and giggles, Dylan himself joined in on the teasing and he gently nudged Ryan. “ That goes against camp policy sir, watch the tongue! “

The teasing normally would have been slightly annoying to Ryan, but he didn’t feel any discomfort from the comments, just more of a warm fuzzy feeling. The group, now with a new member, finished their scavenger hunt for the gift to Abi and headed their way to the Art Cabin. Ryan and Dylan unlocked the door, made sure everyone made it in and they started to put together the gift basket of various leaves, rocks, sticks, and flowers. Once finished, Ryan took a step back with the kids and smiled softly “ Nice. “ he said quietly before turning around and giving all the kids high-fives for their hard work “ Go to the cafeteria, I’ll get you guys some juice boxes for your hard work “ Ryans offer made the kids smile and cheer in excitement as they piled out of the room and headed over to the cafeteria. Sighing in relief, Ryan turned to face Dylan and leaned against one of the desks slightly. “ We did awesome huh? “ Dylan asked Ryan with a shit-eating grin, Ryan tilted his head slightly and nodded in agreement. “ Yup. “

And that’s it!! I could write way more, but i feel like i’ve already gotten sort of ooc for these two. I enjoyed writing it a lot, there’s so much fluff opportunities for these two dorks so i love mixing the pot and making some!! Hope you enjoyed and leave any tips or criticisms in the comments <3

[bomberqueen17]

surviving march

well so. here we are. well into march. surviving.

i had no real symptoms of covid and i still don't, except that i'm just so tired. i could sleep ten hours a day. of course i can't sleep that long in bed, i still wake at my normal time without an alarm but with cat help, i just get out of bed and i'm just dizzy with exhaustion. (Usually metaphorically. today, literally.) but i wake up, i get myself together, i go about my business. and then, if i have a moment, at late morning, or early afternoon, or late afternoon, i will lie down for a moment, and if i don't do something to prevent it i will sleep two hours. and then come evening, an hour earlier than usual, i will go to bed, and i will sleep until my usual time. endlessly. normally i can get by on 6-7 hours in a night, with a good 8 hour lie in on weekends, but no more.

anyway. i don't have time for that, unless i give up everything but work. i have been leaving work slightly early, and not going in any earlier. i'm paid hourly, who gives a shit. i'm tired.

but, other than that, i do feel fine. the pokey mans has helped me remember to get up from my desk and walk around sometimes at least.

the pokey mans remains... mostly fun. i occasionally hit snags. i finally posted in frustration in the local Discord asking for tips on beating the one boss I just couldn't manage (Giovanni, if you're familiar), and the collective wisdom was, get better guys, which i was like i'm trying, and they were like no really, friend all of us, and whoever makes ultra with you first, we'll meet up at the weekly raid nite and we'll trade you a better guy, and I said i don't have anything cool to trade back? and three different people were like i don't need anything back i have extra guys, please take one. so that was actually a really nice interaction.

Every Wednesday is Raid Night, which is apparently universal-- from 6-7pm, wherever you are, there are simultaneous raids and mega raids and whatnot. Our local group is smaller than it once was, and so has condensed: one guy coordinates a "raid train" that goes down Hertel Ave, which is a dense urban street with a ton of gyms, and so he opens the remote lobbies of successive gyms at like. seven-minute intervals? somebody did the math at some point. And that's enough time to get from one to the next on foot for a fair distance, but it's also of course very easy for remote raiders to dial in.

It doesn't cost them anything if I tag along-- you can only send so many invites, but if you're in person you can just physically bop into the lobby. So there I was, with my tiny little guys, and a half-dozen level 45+ veterans with huge leveled-up mega pokemons dialed in, and I would gamely swing at the raid boss a couple of times and meanwhile the other half-dozen people would pummel the thing into the ground in a matter of seconds.

I've tagged along twice now, and I can manage like. Three gyms before I'm frozen. This time I brought Dude along, and he sat in a bar and drank a beer and ate some cheese sticks, and after about half an hour I came puffing back along the street and hopped onto the barstool next to him and got some chicken fingers and chattered about the great pokey mans I just caught. He's having a stressful time at work so it was good to get him out of the house.

I'm trying to find it all fun and funny, and mostly I'm succeeding, but I'm just so tired.

I did clear out a bunch of old drafts so my queue should be interesting for a bit.

I'm writing, it's just not getting finished. But I'm writing. I'll get there.

[armchairaleck]

Alright, I am going totally out into the wilderness, away from anything the Dragon Prince fandom wants to read, to write some totally self-indulgent Viren/Corvus post s5 enemies to lovers.. ticking all my boxes but no one else's.. it’s pretty much consuming all my writing hours because I know it will be blown to smithereens by season 6… and I don't have much to say about it here because I also know it's utterly ridiculous.

ANYWAY sometimes I need a break from two guys discussing the nature of fate and existence around a camp fire (yep, fun times when I go all in on the indulgence..) so I’ve also started to write bits of King Atticus is an utter bastard AU (haven’t really thought of a proper name for this yet…)

Here’s a snippet cut below. I don’t even know if it will make it into the main plot, it's really just a little study of Atticus and Kpp'Ar plotting somewhat dubious stuff for Duren...

“Mmm” Atticus lifted the goblet of red wine to his lips and smiled. “Here’s to new ventures.”

Kpp’Ar did not drink straight away, he swirled the wine a little and let its scent settle in his nose first. The wine would undoubtedly be some of the best the five kingdoms had produced. He might as well savour it.

The first sip didn’t disappoint, rich and heavy on the tongue, mountain wine, grown in the foothills of Del Bar, he could almost taste the sweetness of the first winter frost that they’d allowed to settle on the grapes before harvesting. An excellent vintage, he let it roll slowly around his tongue and watched the king.

Atticus sat regarding him, eyes narrowed. It was often the king’s policy to sit until a silence grew so uncomfortable that it was impossible not to break it, and Kpp’Ar decided to oblige him before it reached that point.

“You seem to have already decided on the mage you want as my successor.”

Atticus leant back in his chair and rotated his goblet slowly between his fingers so that the candlelight glinted off the gold.

“Well, he has certain admirable qualities the others don’t possess. Very dedicated to the kingdom, and my son Harrow seems fond of him, they’re fond of each other, no? You can’t pay gold for that sort of loyalty.” He laughed, and Kpp’Ar felt his usual slight revulsion at the cold, metallic ring of it. “You’ll have time to indulge your other pastimes, research, those puzzles that you like. You can let someone younger do the more mundane magic and worry about politics.”

Kpp’Ar shrugged, it wouldn’t do to let the king see his true emotions, he was like a snake that way, he would swallow them now and digest them slowly later, add it to the list of all the other information he kept locked away inside his head.

This latest move, his retirement, was simply the king rearranging his chess pieces on a board. Kpp’Ar knew he had outstayed his usefulness, there was no point in arguing his case.

“It would be nice to have the time to explore other avenues certainly.” He smiled back at the king.

“Precisely, council meetings were never really your scene, and Viren has a strong sense of… justice.”

“Indeed.”

Kpp’Ar gazed down at his glass, he didn’t particularly want to look at the king, to see the knowing look on his face, the unspoken things that lay beneath his words. There were many things he found it prudent to keep to himself, but he could never be completely certain that Atticus hadn’t already sniffed them out somehow.

“You’ve invested a lot of time in Viren, it must make you proud to see how far he’s come.”

Kpp’Ar took another sip of the wine. There it was, the little flash of the blade. The way Atticus would hold it in his hand and let you see for just a moment before striking.

“Of course.” He let his finger trace the patterns etched around the goblet, finest Neolandian gold of course, and he feigned absolute indifference. Even if Atticus had an inkling of just what Viren meant to him, of the odd complexities that their relationship contained, he was not about to expose that in front of him. “I suppose I’ve grown… fond of the boy.” He wasn’t a boy now of course, he was a man grown and yet sometimes there were moments when Kpp’Ar could still see the burning drive of Viren’s younger self, awkward and eager and full of passionate intensity.

“Yes, you always seemed unusually invested in that one.” Atticus gave him a slow smile, like a wolf it was, all barred teeth. “Don’t worry, he’ll do well, achieve far more than most men of his station. Do you know, I’m even considering giving him a title? Lord Viren, I expect that would sit well with him. You were never much moved by titles were you Kpp’Ar? But then, you came from money, what does a little word mean then?”

Atticus knocked his signet ring against the rim of the goblet in his hand and the sound reverberated in the silence.

“For what would you give him a title?” Kpp’Ar kept his voice merely curious but he knew there would be a cost involved commensurate with the reward. Common boys like Viren did not simply become lords in Katolis.

“For services… rendered. I mean, that’s the usual reason for giving out titles, no?”

Kpp’Ar stilled his features and took another sip of the wine. There were very few angles to playing Atticus, once he had made up his mind about something there was very little dissuading him. Kpp’Ar knew he himself was an aberration, tolerated only for his unmatched skills in dark magic. Of everyone at the court he alone said no to Atticus, everyone else bent the knee, and so here he was, nothing but a piece in a game that could be quietly removed now. There was a new piece to take his place, one that he himself had trained and honed to perfection to suit the king’s needs. In a way he’d always been playing Atticus’s hand, had moved his own pieces exactly where the king had wanted them.

“What service will you be asking of him? It would be better for me to know, in case I need to advise him.”

Atticus placed the goblet back on the table.

“Yes, of course, you might be right. The ambassador from Duren… she’s been getting a little… insistent lately, harvest failures, a blight that’s been spreading year by year. Of course Duren don’t keep a high mage, strictly speaking there are no mages at all in Duren, they see themselves as… above that sort of thing. Enlightened, talk is Del Bar are thinking of curbs at least. Imagine that, soon all the kingdoms might start considering dark magic unacceptable, you know how they love to frown on anything they don’t understand.”

“I’ve heard some rumours.”

Kpp’Ar did not keep in particularly close contact with any dark mages other than those he has trained himself, and yet this news had already travelled to him from a disgruntled trader in Del Bar. It’s true that Duren by advantage of their geographical location have not had to resort to dark magic in quite the same way the other kingdoms have. Most practitioners there are simple healers who keep to the shadows and are recommended only by word of mouth. There are no great mages, no one of the calibre that Kpp’Ar would consider worthy of the title.

“Quite, and yet now that their harvests can’t feed the population, to whom do they turn?”

“To you I suppose.”

“To me.” Atticus’s voice cut like cold steel. “Suddenly their moral high ground is not so lofty after all, suddenly our aid is acceptable. I intend to let them see what a few more years of blight does. Let them come to the pentarchy when their backs are really against the wall. Then we can negotiate.”

Kpp’Ar nodded, Atticus had always been politically ruthless, it had left Katolis almost as powerful as the other four kingdoms put together. The Katolian army is a well-oiled machine, it greatly exceeded the needs of a few border skirmishes that erupted from time to time with Xadia. He ruled with an iron fist, and yet he was one of those rare leaders who can also put on a show of relating to the common man. Kpp’Ar had always been impressed watching him in action, from the humblest peasant to the richest lord he ingratiated himself effortlessly, like some street hawker peddling false cures.

He himself had always struggled to bond with anyone, he had very few friends, and yet for some reason over the years he has known him Viren alone had become something else to him. Something he chose never to quite quantify with words because it was fraught with hidden danger. They have blurred the edges of their relationship in so many different ways now and it was increasingly apparent that these feelings he had have allowed him to be played. He can see no way for Viren to avoid the web that Atticus has spun.

“So you want Viren to put her off?”

“No. I want new ambassador, someone a little more amenable, or better still, no ambassador from Duren. She simply has to meet with an accident, it would be unfortunate, but… well these things happen.” Atticus spread his hands and shrugged.

“What will you tell Viren?”

“Just that, nothing more, he’s a bright enough lad, ambitious, he’ll figure it out.”

“I don’t think you know him that well, he won’t kill someone, not even for a title.”

“Well, the title is only an incentive, a man like Viren has plenty to lose though doesn’t he? That beautiful wife, the son he seems so fond of, a baby daughter too.”

There is a dark look on Atticus’s face now and it is that moment that Kpp’Ar can see how easily he’d been played, how utterly out manoeuvred he had been, and that he is now expendable, he too could meet with an accident if the king willed it. He took another sip of his wine, swallowed it impassively as his mind worked around the problem.

Atticus thought that he knew him, thought he knew every person and all their weaknesses, but he isn’t infallible, he’d always been greedy for magic, for the power that it gave him but also for the knowledge of it too.

“I have a solution that might work, something I’ve been wanting to test for you actually, something I believe you’ll like.”

“Oh yes?” Atticus looked at him, face impassive, but he can see the glint of hunger in his eyes. Kpp’Ar knows something about human weakness too.

“Old magic, elven, I picked them up in Xadia, I had to pay a considerable price.”

Kpp’Ar reached into his cloak and dropped a soft fabric bag on the table, Atticus reached for it, undid the string. He is a man who had always been inordinately interested in dark magic and all its trappings. A small pile of coins dropped onto the table and the king stacked them, one on top of the other, before picking up the top one and spinning it slowly between his fingers.

“What are these?”

“Prisons, very old I believe, they trap the soul, hold it in an different plane. Far more elegant than murder.”

"Hold it how?"

"Trap the soul, transmigrate the body. No trace."

“Alright, so the ambassador is gone, we say she’s been taken by Moonshadow elves. Create a little division with Xadia. Duren could send a hundred spies to scour our kingdom and they won’t find a trace?"

"Correct."

Unlikely another ambassador will be keen to come after that.”

“I'm sure you have ways of getting your wish, Sire.”

Atticus flipped the coin and caught it easily, regarded his own reflection in the polished gold.

“Heavier than a normal coin.”

“Yes.”

“What magic?”

“Star they told me when I bought it, but that’s only because it increases the price considerably. I should say moon, perhaps some corruption of the moon primal. Hard to be sure without more research.”

“Interesting. Fine that plan is acceptable, can you reverse it?”

“Theoretically, I haven’t quite worked that part out yet, there are very few records of this sort of thing. Perhaps if Viren and I could use the castle library I might find something there.”

“As you wish.”

The king placed the coin back in the sack, pushed the others back in carefully and tied the string.

“I think perhaps I’ll let Viren have a few more months under you, so he can get used to the new role, he can attend the council meetings, but I’ll still consult you on the magical side of things. How does that sound?”

“Very good your majesty.”

Kpp’Ar bowed his head so Atticus couldn’t see his expression.

“Oh, and Kpp’Ar, send Viren to me later will you? There are a few things I wish to discuss with him.”

———

What are the complexities of Kpp’Ar and Viren’s relationship?

Viren and Kpp’Ar are carrying on a clandestine affair behind Lissa’s back… I mean maybe.. when I get into the planning of this AU Viren has a lot of affairs, clandestine and otherwise..

[viharistenno]

Hey, I'm super tired right now and can't decide which of the unpublished fic asks I wanna ask most, so I'm gonna give full rein to you and say, answer the ask you like best about the WIP you like best! (Hoping for W13 but even if not, I'd like to hear about your writing!)

My dear Friend, have I got news for you. You asked for WH13 and I will give it to you. It's gonna be personal, but I am totally okay with sharing it when people ask, as all my writing is really personal for me in the end and I love all of them.

It was 6 and a half years ago, in April, 2017. An idea of a scene bugged me to death, my mind said THERE IS NO WAY Myka saw coffee in that dreamlike state with the red light in Buried. It had to be Helena somehow. That was the base. What made me actually start it (as always) was a feeling. At that time I was in a relationship for ~5 years and felt the wobble. I tried every thing I could think of at that time but in a lot of sense I was young and inexperienced. This was my therapeutic wishful thinking fic where I sort of made her Helena at the end of Instinct and wrote down what I wanted her to do and/or say. I did not expect I'll actually predict part of the situation but here we are (whoops). So on a sunny April afternnon I sat down and wrote 6 pages in 2 hours which is I think my all time record still. I would have written more but I had to go for a meeting. Later I wrote some more in the coming days / weeks, I got somewhere around 7k words but I think I only wrote the scene which I thought about a lot later (I do have it, I checked now!). 7 months later we broke up and against my hopes she never found her way back to me. She is better at moving on than I am and when she go together with a guy, I was devastated and even left tumblr and writing for a while. (But not before I wrote the prequel because I am very dramatique and I honestly love this about myself.)

I came back though but my relationship with B&W in reading and especially writing is only starting to recover (hence my decision to participate in the advent) but I do love the people in this fandom.

I have 10 119 words written, the longest I ever had in one fic and I had an idea about a plot that was just forming and I am so sad I wasn't able to write it down but for years it was too close and then at one point it became too distant. I think if I get myself to rewatch WH13 I might be able to continue it but I am gathering the strenght for that :) I think if I ever continue I'll post it in parts where stuff is resolved at that moment and when I finish another plot point I' upload those again. I wanted Helena to start sorting some stuff out with Myka before I throw them in some seriously angsty (but it would be fun too, cause it's me) Warehouse shenanigans and I didn't exactly get there yet.

I hope this satisfies some of your curiosity, I honestly feel I wanted to talk about it so thanks for "making me" :)

[thegonse]

dialogue tips :)

one of the most frequent aspects of writing that i’ve noticed people struggle with is dialogue, whether it seems stiff, unrealistic, or boring. here’s how to make it seem...less...that.

1. try not to let your characters answer directly to one another. for example, this:

“what are you doing?”

“i’m working on this research paper.”

is a lot less realistic than this:

“what are you doing?”

“i’ve been working on this research paper for hours!”

2. don’t write sentences and sentences of dialogue for one character, especially if it sounds like the second body paragraph of your eighth grade research paper. for example:

“the bad guys are very stealthy, so it’s very important not to let them notice you on this mission. they came together in 2058, and they’ve been the strongest organization in the city ever since then. their leader, the biggest bad guy, has over a thousand minions to help execute his plans, and they’ll slaughter any good guy they see with their collection of various crossbows, nun chucks, and clubs.” 

no one talks like that, unless they’re reading off a script. most people are going to be more concise than that. no one wants to read a massive paragraph of dialogue, so allow for pauses and interjections. 

“the bad guys are very stealthy, so it’s important not to let them see you. they came together in 2058, and they’ve been the strongest organization in the city ever since then.” [interjection] “the biggest bad guy has a ton of minions to help do his dirty work, and they’ll kill any good guy they see.”

3. this one’s kinda fun! allow for dialogue quirks within your characters. maybe your character repeats themselves often, or every time they ask a question, they have to end it with “yeah?” or “right?”. maybe your character only has one word answers, or they end up going on unrelated tangents. maybe they don’t talk at all. hey, that’s one less character you have to write dialogue for! i like to subtly draw inspiration from real people when it comes to this. don’t be afraid to do that!

4. adding stutters in your dialogue can inhibit your fluidity. of course, if your character actually has a stutter, you shouldn’t worry about this. but if they don’t:

“m-most people d-don’t t-talk like t-this. most people, um, talk like...like this when they are...nervous, flustered or, um...or upset.”

5. your characters can pause within a conversation, especially when it’s rather emotional. for example, this:

“i just don’t see what you’re so upset about,” he said. “i was perfectly nice at the party, and you’re still mad at me.” 

“because you were arguing with everything i said!” she replied. “it was so embarrassing. i didn’t even get to finish my sentence half the time.” 

“a lot of things you said were embarrassing,” he muttered. “i was just trying to keep you from humiliating yourself.”

“i wish i had known you were going to do this when we got married,” she said.

“i’m helping you, dear.” 

is a lot less realistic than this: 

“i just don’t see what you’re so upset about,” he said as he was undoing his tie. “i was perfectly nice at the party, and you’re still mad at me.”

she sighed and began to massage her temples as he ambled around the bedroom to hang his clothes back up. “because you were arguing with everything i said!” she replied when he had come out of the closet. “it was so embarrassing. i didn’t even get to finish my sentence half the time.” 

he rolled his eyes. “a lot of the things you said were embarrassing,” he muttered as she glared over at him. “i was just trying to keep you from humiliating yourself!” 

she didn’t answer and sat down on the bedspread, absentmindedly kicking her heels off. a hard lump appeared in her throat, and she tried to keep from crying. “i wish i had known you were going to do this when we got married,” she said quietly, almost hoping he wouldn’t hear.

he was quiet for a moment before his cold voice came from behind. “i’m helping you, dear.”

get it? 

6. last thing, and it’s small: adding too many italics! i know it’s addicting, but a lot of the time it’s just not necessary, and avoiding unnecessary details can enhance your writing so much more! for example this:

“i don’t want to do that. it’s far too stressful, and i just can’t take it anymore.”

seems jolted and disorienting. this: 

“i don’t want to do that. it’s far too stressful, and i just can’t take it anymore.”

is easier to read and sounds more realistic. 

i hope all of those made sense! feel free to ask questions if you have any! 

[cosmic-has-moved]

Rehired [Chapter 6]

[Note: Thank you for your patience with this chapter, I knew how it would go just had a very hard time writing it down to those points.]

Ao3 Version: [HERE]

Cleaning up her desk and setting up her bag to head back home, Audrey made her way to the time clock to end her shift.

After pulling her card out of the device and back in the slot, she was startled when Allison called out her name while walking over to her. Audrey didn't want to talk due to exhaustion, but she figured a small chat won't hurt, and Bendy and Bendy Jr have left over food back at home to eat.

"What's up, Allison?" The cartoonist asked trying to keep up a happy facade, "I thought your shift ended hours ago? It's nearly 12."

Holding out her hand which Audrey subconsciously took, Allison slowly lead her away. "I chose to stay behind to finish up some documents, but other than that." She looked over at Audrey who looked on edge and gave her a soft smile. "I want you to help me with something in my office real quick."

Annoyed by the sudden request but also not willing to be vocal about it, Audrey followed her. She stared down at the hand that held hers and thought about how soft Allison's hand was, they even had a gentle grip to them. Audrey blinked and shook her head clear of any thoughts as they reached her office, the two walking in and Allison closing the door behind them.

The small buzz of calm Audrey had been replaced with a sharp headache upon her eyes spotting Susie sitting at Miss Pendle's desk, her eyes snapped over to the older woman that held her hand with a look of betrayal who replied with a knowing smile.

"I know you two's last interaction ended poorly, but Susie here wants to talk to you." Allison had to drag Audrey over to the spare chair and sat her down, ignoring the girl's protest. "And you two are staying here until that talk is done."

The two women side eyed each other and quickly looked away while Allison sat at her chair, her arms resting on the desk as her mouth formed into a sly smile. "And I won't be afraid to enforce your stay by locking this whole building down." She snapped her head to a tilt while resting her chin onto her palm, the mere expression startled the two. "Do you understand?"

They both slowly nodded and responded in unison, "Yes, Ma'am."

Giving them a nod and leaning back in her seat, Miss Pendle stared at Susie expectedly. "Now, Susie, I am going to leave this room for a bit." She stood up off her chair and walked towards the door. "You better have apologized to Audrey and have made up by the time I get back."

Before the two could protest against Allison, she left and locked the room. Leaving the two to awkwardly sit there and avoiding eye contact, both being very fidgety in their seats.

The silence was agonising and it drove Susie insane, so she finally spoke up.

"I admit I shouldn't have acted the way I did yesterday, I should've just said a simple no. But I didn't and that's my mistake." Her fingers began fidgeting with each other, unsure of what Audrey's expression was. "I was truthful when I said that despite how much I loathed your father yet had no bitterness towards you, but my feelings for him overthrew the fact that you weren't him and I let it get the better of me."

Finally looking over at Audrey, Susie was almost shocked to see little to no change to her expression, just a blank stare into nothing. So she continued.

"When I first met you, Audrey, I had an interest in you because you reminded me of someone and I couldn't figure out who. Until after that fun incident in your office and I picked up that pin of yours, that's when it all clicked and memories came back." The actress furrowed her brows, not wanting to dwell too much into her past. "Afterwards I just kept seeing him everytime I looked at you, but the reactions you had whenever I would touch you and how compliant you were to my unnecessary request helped ease me."

Shifting her gaze to the floor as a soft smile unconsciously grew on her face, "The way you became red and easily melt at my touch quickly became addicting and the mere thought that I was constantly in your mind felt amazing, like I had control again." The frown returned and she looked back at Audrey who remained unchanged, a hand slowly reaching out to touch the girls face. "But other than that, I did what I did yesterday because I realized after reading your letter that I was acting like what Joey did to me."

As her hand touched Audrey's cheek, it seemed to snap the girl out of whatever trance she was in and she frowned. She felt nothing, no heart skipping, no heat raising inside her, nothing like how she felt when the woman would touch her which just angered her further as did the pain of her headache. She brushed Susie's hand away startling her and got up off the seat.

"You can't just do that." Audrey spoke up through a broken voice as she walked towards the door. "You can't do something like that and expect me not to feel something." She looked over at Susie, brows raised up in a saddened expression as tiny droplets of tears trickled down.

As she looked away to try to open the door Susie shot up off the chair and bolted to her, grabbing the sleeve of her shirt pulling her back. The actress looked at her with guilt and desperation, Audrey didn't even look back just stared at the door that failed to open.

"I know and I'm sorry." Letting go of her shirt and holding her hands nervously, she got closer to the artist and went to continue but was cut off when the other abruptly spoke up.

"I hate that I did. I hate that I was foolish enough to let my feelings get a hold of me!"

Suddenly turning around around to face the older woman as a full stream of tears ran down her face, her nails digging into her palms that blood dripped through her fingers. "I HATE THAT MY FIRST FEELINGS OF ATTRACTION WAS YOU! I HATE THAT MY FIRST WET DREAM WAS YOU! I HATE THAT EVERYTIME I WOULD TRY TO SLEEP YOU WOULD APPEAR IN MY MIND TO KEEP ME AWAKE! I HATE THAT I AM TARGETED FOR WHAT MY FATHER WHO I BARELY KNEW DID AND NEARLY DYING FROM IT!" Her voice croaked and she caught her breath to continue while clenching her chest covering it in her blood, ignoring the pain in her chest. "I AM NOT MY FATHER! I AM NOT JOEY DREW!"

The room stood silent and still, the older woman stood there in utter shock at Audrey who stood there breathing heavily, her head pounding so harshly that she held it in pain. Susie was quick to collect herself and gently ushered her back on the chair while examining her bleeding palms. The sight made her cringe with a grimacing look of deep regret.

"I'm sorry, what can I do to make it up to you?" Susie asked while looking around the room for a first aid kit in hopes she could give her an answer.

The artist used her shoulder to dry her eyes before sniffling, she stared down at her bloody palms, the migraine still pounding her head but not as bad as it was seconds ago. "I don't know..."

Going through the therapist's desk and getting out the desired kit before swiftly going to assist Audrey's injury. Shifting her seat to face Audrey and sitting in front of her, Susie opened the box and got out the needed supplies.

"Give me your hands, hon." She asked and watched the other hesitantly shifted over to reach her hands out to her, the nails on the girl must've been sharp considering how well they cut her skin. As she began properly cleaning the hand, Susie continued speaking to avoid the silence.

"Earlier you mentioned that you were targeted for being Joey's daughter, what did you mean by that?" The question made the girl grimace.

"What does it matter to you? You wouldn't care." She winced in surprise as Susie gripped her hand.

"I'm trying to be sincere here, Audrey." Susie began wrapping up her hand. "If you didn't want to talk about it, just say it."

Audrey glanced at her hands before looking at Miss Campbell in deep thought. "How can I tell when you're being sincere? You're extremely hard to read, it's frustrating."

Looking up to meet her stare, Susie answered honestly. "Just tell me what I can do to make it up to you." She let go of her hands and put the box on the desk. "But it better not involve something humiliating like running around naked in the studio, that's a line I'll draw at."

A small laugh escaped the artist which got the attention of the actress, seeing her smile made Susie smile.

At that moment the older woman remembered something and went to get something out of her dress pocket, that something being Audrey's letter.

The sight of it surprised Audrey and she was vocal about it, "You kept it? But why?"

Susie unfolded the paper and placed it down on the desk, "I genuinely loved it, it's cheesy but has it's charms that are unique to your character." Her smile became faint as she eyed the letter. "It also made me realise how deep I had gone when toying with you and overall gave me a slap of reality."

Audrey glanced at the letter before back at Susie, "I need to know, what was your relationship with him?"

Susie grimaced at the question but proceeded to answer, she felt that she needed to. "We were a secret thing for a short while at his studio, he was quite the charmer back than and I fell in love with such charms." She held her hands in a tight grip. "He would tell me many things that I believed and loved, he said my voice was amazing and that there could be no other."

"Joey showed himself to be a gentleman and great boss, an image many fell for." Her grip on her hands loosened as she let out a sigh. "At first I thought he had loved me, but he really just used me for his own benefits. He never even gave me a reason or even talked to me, just sent me a letter saying that I was no longer needed."

The actress didn't realise it, but tears were rolling down her face and Audrey saw it. "And that was the last time I saw him, I tried to call but he never picked up."

Reaching her hands out and taking Susie's hands, Audrey gently pulled her into her hug. It confused the older woman at first but she quickly embraced it, burying her face into the other's shoulder.

Audrey rubbed Susie's back, pure sympathy all over her being. "I'm sorry, I never knew how bad my father was."

"No!" Susie pulled away from the hug and held onto the girl's shoulder while frowning at her. "It's not your fault! You never knew! That was my mistake in the first place and I can't allow you to take any blame for it!"

Audrey cracked out a laugh and wiped her eyes, "I guess we were screwed by him in some ways. He abandoned me with his problems and he played with your heart before breaking it." She formed a weak smile. "Almost makes me regret suddenly kissing you that time."

Susie blinked in slight surprise and smirked, "And why is that? I didn't see a problem with it at all, I surely remember-" She twirled her finger around the other's tie and pulled her close, both of them blushing. "-Encouraging you~."

The artist stared wide eyed at her for a moment before bursting out into small giggles, pulling herself back to the actress's disappointment. "I just thought with the history of you two, I was unknowingly acting like him during that moment." She calmed herself down and looked back at her, puzzled by her frown. "What's wrong?"

Reaching her hands out and touching the girl's arms, Susie pouted upon getting no reaction. "You're not flustered from my touch anymore!" She whined, startling Audrey. "That was my favourite part when around you."

Audrey furrowed her brows and looked down at the woman's hands, she really didn't feel that heart rush at all from her, it saddened the artist a bit. "I don't know why to tell you the truth, I just don't feel whatever your presence made me feel anymore." She looked back at her while reminiscing that moment at her desk, "You said you'll do something for me to make up what you did?"

Susie looked at her and smiled, "Have you thought of what it is yet?"

"Don't worry about it." Audrey answered with a slight smile. "Holding grudges feels wrong and it would be out of character of me to do so."

The actress let out a short laugh of amusement, "Well the offer is still there if needed." She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair.

"But" The girl fiddled with her thumbs, "What exactly are we? Do we just continue as colluege or?"

Susie raised her brows in thought and undecidedness before cupping her chin, "Hm, how do you want us to be with each other? I'm completely satisfied with being friends with benefits." She smirked at the girl's face blushing.

"I mean." Audrey cleared her throat and rubbed her neck while laughing in surprise, "I wouldn't be disapproval of the idea."

"Excellent!" Susie exclaimed as she stood up off the seat, "Now if you ask me, I'm feeling myself in need of a drink."

Glancing over at the door and getting off the chair, Audrey stepped towards the door to open it and sighing upon it still being locked. "Why is there even a doorknob like this? It should be easy to open on the inside!"

Turning her attention back to Susie to respond she was shocked to see her going through Allison's desk, "What are you doing?! You can't go through her private stuff!" The girl questioned as the actress hummed.

"I saw her sneak a bottle in her office the other day and haven't seen it be walked out, I say we both deserve a drink." Her eyes lit up as she got out a fancy bottle of whiskey and cackled. "Aha!"

"That's Allisons', Susie!" Audrey went to take the bottle from her but was met with a foot in her face to stop her from getting closer, her movements moving the wheeled chair backwards. "She's probably saving that for something special!"

Giggling as she finally got the bottle opened and giving it a dramatic sniff, Susie took a sip and licked her lips. "I must say, Pendle chose very well."

Moving the woman's feet away from her and glaring at her, Miss Drew folded her arms and huffed. "Last warning, Susie. Give it back."

Looking up at the artist and back to the bottle with a mischievous expression, Susie suddenly turned around off the chair and ran away from Audrey who followed her around the desk, knocking over a few objects. The cartoon like chase continuing until Audrey slipped on a pen and hit the ground with a grunt, Susie carefully walking back to check on her and smirked when met with a glare.

Standing over the fallen woman and sitting down onto her stomach while humming, Susie playfully twirled her fingers around Audrey's tie and took another long sip. Audrey frowned slightly as the woman dragged her nails up her neck and to her lips, she thought a simple kiss was coming her way with the way Susie leaned in close, not even taking into account that the actress didn't swallow the drink.

Her eyes widen upon Susie pressed her lips against hers sneaking the alcohol into her mouth, the taste was bitter and made the girl's tongue tingle. She tried to not swallow the liquid but failed after Susie playfully bit her bottom lip, her coughed and gagged from the taste before pushing the other away.

"What the hell, Susie!" She stuck her tongue out in disgust making the actress giggle. "That taste disgusting!"

"Everyone's first time having a sip of the devil's nectar is never a good time, honey." The older woman licked her lips and opened up Audrey's mouth with her thumb. "Now open wiiide~"

Before Audrey could protest the actress held the bottle above her and poured the whiskey into her mouth, Audrey swallowing to avoid choking and making a mess. Only ever being able to close her mouth when Susie stopped pouring the now half empty bottle and gently slapped her cheek, the taste still being bitter and weirdly spicy.

"Good girl, I was afraid that I was going a tad bit too far." Susie placed the bottle on the desk and scooted back onto the girl's lap before tugging on her tie to sit her up, "But how about we have a proper kiss?"

Pressing her lips against the other and wrapping her arms around her in a hold, Audrey was quick to comply with the kiss and held onto Susie's waist.

The kiss was slow, hot and messy. Susie took her time savouring the girl's whiskey coated lips while Audrey was gradually becoming more handsy and needy, the older woman had to admit that she loved how grabby she was.

Though she was caught off when Audrey growled and held onto her as she propped herself up on her knees, Susie had her arms around the other's neck as to not fall over as they slowly got up on their feet.

Taking a moment to separate their lips, Susie stared in surprise. "Oh wow, you're quite the strong one." She laughed before slowly noticing something off.

Audrey stared groggily at her with her deeply flustered expression before she than sat her on the desk, a face Susie recognised at parties and bars.

She couldn't be, it was only half a bottle.

"How are you feeling, Audrey?" She asked holding back a moan as the girl buried her face into her neck.

Planting kisses on the older woman's neck and upper chest causing her to rumble out moans, Audrey tugged her dress up above her waist and slipped her own hands under Susie's bra clip to remove them before responding.

"Head feels buzzy yet hot." As she removed them from the woman's body and tossing them aside, Audrey trailed her tongue to between Susie's breast and fondled them. "It feels good."

Oh no, Susie hadn't thought of this happening. Audrey's an extreme lightweight.

Susie herself was biting her finger to stifle her pleased moans and rubbing her fingers through the younger woman's hair. "Perhaps giving you that whiskey was a bad idea." A deep moan escaped her lips as Audrey suckled and bit the side of her neck, leaving a visible mark. "Or maybe it was a wonderful idea~."

Shifting one hand to slip under Susie's panties and rubbed two fingers at her folds, the motion making the actress shudder and drip. Audrey glanced up at Susie and watched as she slowly became undone by her fingers, taking the moment of the actress jerking and groaning did she halt her movements to change their position.

Laying the older woman down on Allison's desk moving aside any objects in their way and continuing her hand motions, Audrey slipped two fingers in and breathed heavily as Susie clenched around her while gasping out a moan. Slipping her fingers in and out with swift ease before using her palm to rub her clit and receiving an even louder moan of satisfaction, Audrey leaned her head closer to Susie's chest and lowered the collar down with her teeth to fully expose her breast, eagerly slipping one nipple into her mouth and sucking on it.

Susie was beside herself with what the girl was doing to her, her vocal moans uncontrolled as was the trembling from her body and her pussy wouldn't stop dripping with juices. She wanted much more from her, she wanted her to push more of her buttons.

Than Audrey stopped and pulled her fingers out, Susie snapped up to get an explanation for the sudden disruption and was quickly answered when see the young woman kneel down in front of her, only the top of her head being visible.

The artist held Susie's legs in place as she stared in awe of the woman's sex, her mouth practically watering at the mere thought of getting a taste as she moved her head closer. A simple lick was all it took for Audrey to dive right in and eagerly devour the actress, the cries of pleasure muffled out as Audrey became lost to her own drunken lust at that moment. She didn't care for the tugging of her hair nor the pressure the other's legs had around her head, the scent and sensation was what she cared for.

"Just a little more~!" Susie moaned out as her nails massaged Audrey's scalp, her head jerking back as she felt the other's tongue circle around inside of her. "Oh we really should've done this sooner, doll~." She bit down on her index finger to muffle her loud cries.

Lifting her head up slightly to put her mouth over the older woman's clit and slipped three fingers into her, Audrey smirked pridefully upon Susie spilling out all kinds of erotic cries of ecstasy as she reached her orgasm. The artist not even bothering to lick up her mess and just stood up straight wiping her mouth with her palm, the actress too much in recovery mode to process the other going through Allison's office supplies and grabbing something with a grin.

After finally collecting herself and sitting up on her elbows, Susie stared wide eyed as Audrey held up a stamp handle and pressed it against the woman's pussy.

"Wa-Wait a moment! I don't think it'll even get in!" Susie said in a panic not wanting to risk getting hurt by the wooden object.

"Don't worry." Audrey reassured her with the same grin. "I'm just lubing it up."

Before the older woman could question further Audrey slid the handle into Susie's ass, her body jolted upward in surprise upon it entering her. It didn't hurt her in anyway it just felt weird a good weird, she had never had anything put up there before in her life.

Slowly wiggling and twisting the object making her shudder out confused moans, Audrey shoved it in deeper until only the end was visible before she went to grab more objects. Susie sat in place trying to stop trembling since the handle would shift slightly each time she moved and forcing a moan out of her, it didn't help that she knew Audrey wasn't done and groaned when the girl knelt back down in front of her thighs.

She didn't even hesitate to shove her face back in, her tongue twirling inside of Susie's pussy as she groaned and moaned.

"What's your endgame, Audrey?!" Susie shakily demanded, a gasp escaping her as the girl pulled the stamp out. "If you're attempting to make me look pathetic, you won!"

Grabbing onto Susie's legs and hungrily licking and sucking what she could to the point the actress was blubbering out nonsense, Audrey couldn't help but shift her hand into her own pants and pleasure herself. Moving her head back she grazed her teeth against the woman's left inner thigh and looked up at her half lidded, Susie couldn't even speak or process what she was planning as the other bite down on her thigh causing her to yelp loudly.

"Not so hard!" Susie flinched upon Audrey licking the mark, pained yet pleasurable trembles coursed through her body.

Suddenly the door of the room opened as Allison happily walked in holding a bag of food.

"Sorry I took so long-" Miss Pendle halt to a frozen stop at the sight that bestowed upon her.

Before Audrey could even turn her head she was hit hard in the head with Susie's foot in a panic. She wasn't entirely knocked out as she could faintly hear the muffled ramblings from the two women, only occasionally blacking out for a few minutes.

"What the hell, Susie?! You probably severely hurt her!"

"I panicked! I didn't know you would walk in! Help me pick her up!

"Already am! What were you two even doi-... WHY IS MY STAMP WET AND IS THAT MY WHISKEY?!"

"Don't ask, just help me!"

"Her head seems fine and I see no visible bruises, annnnd her pants are down. Did you two really have to do it in my office?"

"Hey now, Audrey started it all."

"Okay"

"After I accidentally got her drunk"

"Accidently?!?!"

The next thing Audrey could faintly make out in her surroundings while being carried after blacking out was the outside, the nice cold breeze giving her a great comfort.

"How do you even know where she lives?"

"She mentioned it to me one time on a train ride home, only the building description though."

"This is going to be fun..."

After losing consciousness for what felt like forever and regaining it, the artist found herself inside her home at the front entrance. She groaned uncomfortably as she moved her head to a stretch and spotted Bendy Jr casually walking up to them in greetings, Audrey immediately escaped the hold of the two and laid down to cuddle up to the kitten while baby talking to them.

"Bendy Jr!" The drunken girl giggled as the furry baby meowed happily in response.

"You have a cat named after Bendy?" Susie questioned with furrowed brows of quiet judgement.

Meanwhile Allison knelt down next to Audrey, eyes lighting up in awe. "You never mentioned you had a cat." She helped the woman back up.

Rubbing her face against the kittens side and giggling, Audrey sighed. "Is your brother asleep?" She gasped and held the cat close to her chest. "We should be quiet if he is, he can be quite grumpy when woken up." She gently put the kitten down.

Shaking her head and pinching the bridge of her nose, Susie closed the front door and locked it. "My god, she has two cats."

"You have two?" Allison whispered towards Audrey with joyfulness in her eyes, "I would love to see both of them." The therapist wrapped an arm around her and leading her down the hallway with Campbell following behind. "But first we gotta get you to bed, missy."

After reaching the cartoonist's dark room and laying her down on the bed, Allison and Susie laid down next to her in a exhausted huff as Audrey laid in the middle giggling.

"You two don't have to stay here with me" Audrey rolled over on her side facing Susie and grabbed her face to a squish, "But I'm glad to have human company."

Smiling softly and laying on her side, Allison rested her head on top her palm. "We're just wanting to make sure that you're going to be safe when intoxicated, you'll be surprised how many injuries happen when the person under the influence can get even when at home."

Susie eyeing the girl with interest and a hidden smirk, "You're a lot more giggly than you were before, doll." She pulled her close to Allison's disapproval and held her chin, Audrey staring up innocently at her. "Perhaps I should take this moment to be on top this time."

Giving Susie a unimpressed frown at the idea she was implying and removing her arm away from the girl to her protest. "Don't even think about it, Susie." She sat up against the bed frame and crossed her arms. "As long as I'm here, Audrey's resting up with us until she's sober."

Turning her head forward and shifting around to get comfortable, Allison closed her eyes. "Now let's get some sleep, it's been a long da-" She jolted her eyes open upon Audrey sitting up on top the woman's lap with a smug expression, Allison blushed wide eyed as she slowly began unbuttoning her shirt. "Hey now! I don't think that's a good idea."

"She's right!" Susie added as she sat up in jealously, "You're going to the wrong woman here, Audrey!"

Grabbing onto Miss Pendle's flustered face and chuckled, "I already gave you plenty of kisses." She leaned in close to Allison's face. "I've gotta give Allison attention too."

Their lips connected before Allison could speak and Susie watched offendedly but knew she couldn't stop them, but perhaps she could do something else to be involved.

Holding onto Audrey's shoulder's while sweetly kissing her, Allison was quick to melt into the woman's advances and slid her hands under her shirt pulling them off. She went to fondle her chest but found a pair of hands already there, the hands belonging to Susie who sat behind the girl roughly kissing her neck.

Wanting to keep her hands busy instead of just holding, Allison moved her hands down Audrey's chest to her lower abdomen and lowered her pants. Their lips separated so the young woman could a surprised moan after two finger entered into her, her hips gyrating in sync to the other's hand motion.

"Christ" Allison breathed out in awe while watching her palm get covered in vaginal juices, "She's so wet, Susie." She swallowed before entering a third finger, rewarding her with a pathetic whimper from Audrey and a sloppy kiss.

The actress glared at the other woman and swiftly slipped her hand under Audrey to shoved two of her fingers in as well, the extra pair entering the girl made her pull away to groan loudly before she than sluggishly moved her hips again.

"I feel a weird rush~" Audrey moaned out through stutters, her arms wrapped tightly around Allison and her waist movements twitching to an unwanted slow, desperate tears trickling down her face. "I'm gonna cum~!"

The two older women knew what was coming and repeatedly thrusted their fingers into her pussy, Allison pulling her into a deep kiss while Susie went onto leaving harsh marks on her neck and shoulders.

Suddenly she came, her body twitching and trembling as she rode out her orgasm. Her cries muffled by the kiss and her body held in place by the two before gradually letting her go, her body going limp and collapsing onto Allison as she panted heavily to catch her breath.

While Susie sat back admiring the view and cleaning up her fingers with her tongue, Allison rubbed Audrey's back in comfort while softly smiling.

"You feeling better now, Audrey?" She asked before the girl slowly leaned back and gently took her hand covered in her fluid, Allison watched blushing profusely as she began licking up her hand and sucked on her fingers while eyeing her with lust filled eyes.

Than the cartoonist laid down suddenly with an exhausted huff and lost consciousness, leaving the therapist and actress alone.

"Well that's one thing off my bucket list." Susie spoke up with a smirk, "Getting a woman to orgasm by my fingers has been a thing I've been wanting to do for a long time now." She chuckled and looked up at the other. "You good?"

Allison held an arm over her forehead with a mixture of disbelief and embarrassment on her face, "Yeah, it's just that." She held a hand over her mouth while furrowing her brows. "That really got me riled up."

She leaned her head back as Susie let out a laugh, "Fear not, Pendle." She laid next to her and crossed her arms. "She did the same to me before, only difference is that we were interrupted before we could hit second base."

"Hah!" Allison leaned her head forward and shook her head, "Was this in my office or a different time?"

"Oh a totally different time, than again I probably riled her up first by using her face to examine the colour of my lipstick." The woman giggled from the memory. "That moment in your office was definitely my fault, that I'll take blame for."

Miss Pendle let out a quiet laugh and stroked the sleeping woman's hair, "So did you two talk it out? I noticed Audrey's hands, Susie."

The other's demeanour changed to that of soft guilt, "Yeah, we talked. I explained my reasons and my relationship with Joey, she rightfully yelled at me and I accepted it for even I would do the same." Her eyes shifted over to Audrey. "She clenched her hands so hard while screaming at me that her nails managed to cut the skin, she didn't even seem to care that she stained her shirt with her blood."

"If I can be honest, Allison." Susie grimaced and held her hands together. "I am angry at how forgiving she was to me. Joey hurt me and I'm still bitter about it, yet Audrey was easy to just forgive me even after I hurt her the same way he did to me." Tears welled up in her eyes and she wiped them away.

Allison stared at her in great sympathy and reached her arm out towards her for an embrace, an embrace Susie went into.

The two laid there in a cuddle with the third resting atop them until all three fell asleep for the night.

___

Early the next morning as the sunlight seeped into the room lighting it up, the three woman laid sleeping in the owner's bed until one of them stirred away.

Susie groggily opened her eyes and got up with a great struggle while rubbing her eyes, glancing over at the alarm clock she stretched and dragged herself out of bed stirring the other older woman awake.

"Is it morning?" Allison questioned while yawning and stretching.

"Yeah, I'm going to make some breakfast." Susie answered as she stumbled out of the room.

Rubbing her face and inhaling deeply, Allison looked at Audrey who remained asleep and smiled before pulled her into a snuggle. Looking around the room now getting a good look of it with the light, she noticed a book on the night stand and grabbed it.

"The illusion of living, by Joey Drew." Allison mumbled before chuckling, of course he made a book. She opened it and began reading to pass off the time.

A short time passed before Susie entered the room, though she looked a bit pale yet in deep thought.

"Hey, Allison? Would you mind helping me in the kitchen, I'm having a bit of trouble with something." Her voice was shaky but not enough to be noticed.

"Sure thing!" Allison happily answered as she put the book away and carefully got out of bed to follow Susie. "I would love to see her adorable fur babies!"

The two left the room with Audrey in there deep asleep, only ever waking up a few minutes later with a loud snort like snore.

Mumbling out incoherent nonsense as she rubbed the sleep off her face before stretching her limbs out, kicking her legs off the bed and smacking her jaw whilst yawning she tried to remember last night's event.

Getting up off her bed she halt her movements and frowned as memories slowly crept back in, her face going from confusion to absolute embarrassed horror upon remembering what had happened in her bed. She slapped her hands to her face as her face burnt red, she remembered every detail and words said that night.

"Oh my god... I can't believe this, how did that even happen?!" She gasped to herself as another horrifying thought came to mind. "Are-Are they still here?"

Her blood ran cold and she bolted towards the main living area, Bendy and his safety kept racing through her head at rapid speed. As she arrived near the kitchen her heart fell to her stomach.

Both Susie and Allison stood with their backs facing her chatting to each other while looking down at the third presence, Bendy.

Catching the stare of Audrey, Bendy smiled his usual smile and happily waved at her causing the two to look back at her.

Audrey felt sick and it was visible to them enough that they got closer to her in a worry, their words muffled to her ears as she managed to finally speak through a broken voice while clenching onto her shirt.

"Please don't tell anyone about him."

A tense silence filled the room, until the two women pulled Audrey into a tight hug. The embrace startled her even confused her greatly that she stared at them paranoid.

"It must've been so hard to keep this secret for so long." Allison said with sorrowful sympathy as she leaned back and held her face with a smile of reassurance.

Audrey eyed her perplexed not knowing how to react or respond, she looked down at Bendy who hugged her leg tightly while smiling up at her.

"Though you do need to explain-" Susie heavily gestured to Bendy. "-This, because that was the first time coffee wasn't involved to fully wake up my senses."

Having trouble finding what words to even get out, Audrey just stood there like a deer in the headlights. Until her little toon buddy tugged on her leg and lead her to the couch to sit her down on, both Susie and Allison following along.

Finding whatever speech senses she managed to get, Audrey finally spoke.

"I found him in the old studio my father owned."

Susie blinked in shock, "That place is still up?!"

Exhaling deeply and rubbing her arms, Audrey continued with what she could say that didn't involve mentioning the ink realm.

"I was surprised too, but it's how I discovered Bendy and how I found out who my father was." She looked down in deep thought. "The place was practically a death trap with the only source of safety being barrels and makeshift stations."

Miss Pendle leaned forward arms across her legs, "How did you get there, Audrey?"

Susie frowned as if in deep thought and spoke, "Did it have to do with that janitor that went missing?"

Bendy laid onto Audrey's lap and she patted his head, "Wilson kidnapped me and took me there, he tried-" Memories from the ink realm flashed back to her and she held back vomit. "-He tried to kill me for some stupid ritual."

Both women looked at her in shock as she stared back at them before Allison asked, "Did you kill him, Audrey?"

There was hesitation to answer yet she still did, "I thought I did, but it wasn't me who killed whatever he became." She glanced down at the toon demon. "But after that it's a harsh blur to me, I only ever remember him dying and waking up back home with Bendy by my side."

The two older women stared in wide eyed shock and looked at each other in thought, they sat there in silence processing what they had heard until one of them spoke up.

"This little guy really killed him?" Susie pointed at said toon in confusion. "He's just a weird cartoon character."

"Thats what I thought as well." The cartoonist added while reminiscing on the horrid encounters she would have with the ink demon, rubbing her throat and sighing shakily. "But living in such a place as the studio was can do horrors to you."

"How does he even exist?" Campbell questioned with squinted eyes. "I mean, we're practically looking at the impossible here, Audrey."

"Ink machine..." Allison mumbled getting the attention of the two, mostly Audrey who stared wide eyed.

"That piece of junk?" Susie questioned in even more confusion, "The one Joey would kill for?"

Allison suddenly stood up and paced around in deep thought, "I have always wondered why the fascination Joey and workers of Gent had with it, but I would brush it off with it being an expensive device!"

"Allison" Susie said only for the woman to continue her spiel.

"I would spot Joey late at night standing at that damn machine as if he was speaking to it!" She snapped her towards Bendy and swiftly knelt in front of him, startling him a bit. "Did Joey create you with the machine, Bendy?"

Crawling over to hide behind Audrey away from the woman, Audrey sighed and answered for him.

"He's a mute so he can't speak, but the answer is yes." Drew held Bendy close before continuing, "Even I have a hard time figuring out how he managed to do it, but he did."

"Were there others besides him?" Susie tilted her head, "If he came out to be a living being, there should be more, like rejects or attempts to make other toons."

Audrey grimaced remembering the others she met while in that world, especially Alice Angel. But she didn't want to risk exposing too much, showing them the ink realm would be too much to them.

"No, just Me, Bendy and Wilson." She held herself not noticing Bendy's frown. "But other than that, I'm just glad that I'm not alone anymore and that I have a brother now." She smiled softly and hugged Bendy who happily hugged her back.

"Oh how cute." Susie sarcastically said, "But now explain how you found out about Joey being your dad, because we would love to know." She pulled Allison who frowned close to her.

Again she was hesitating to answer with a reasonable answer, how could she even explain that she wasn't human at all.

"While at the studio I found his stuff and saw reels from him along notes, the reel was him venting and sketching his frustrations with the studio and other stuff. He mentioned you, Allison, and how with your involvement he wanted a family. A daughter."

She looked back over at the two, the look of pure shock on Allison's face catching her attention. "The way it all lined up with how my up bringing was and the way he described his daughter, it's like he was there to answer it for me."

"So..." The short actress clenched her fist in anger, "He just created you with some poor woman one day after seeing Allison here and abandoned you?"

"That's not it-"

"Not it my ass!" Susie suddenly stood up and threw her arms up, "What kind of person did he think he was to not only drag others into his messes, but to create a child and leave them alone with no one to be there to love and raise them!"

She poked a finger at Audrey's chest before Allison went to try to calm her, "I do not care what nonsense he spills to try to redeem himself, the axe forgets, the tree remembers." She huffed and turned away. "And the absolute nerve he has to also abandon an innocent cartoon who would have no idea how to survive in such a decrepit place!" She snapped her head back with a glare and crossed her arms.

Audrey sat there silenced and internally winced, Allison sighed between the three and sat back.

"Listen, all is done and we can't go back in time to fix it. All we can do in the present is do what we can to help heal each other, right buddy?" Allison looked down at Bendy and smiled softly at him, he returned the smile and hoped over to hug her. "Does it feel a bit better speaking about it?"

"Honestly." Audrey weakly chuckled "Yeah it kinda does, having to hide him in fear of what others would do to him is a bit of a work out."

Bendy turned over to his sister and gestured to going to work, the idea causing her to frown and answer. "No, you can't come with me to work. You know how busy the building can get, Bendy."

"He wants to go with you to work?" Susie raised her brow at the tiny demon. "Why go to such a boring place?"

"He likes seeing me work and he hates being in here all day. I do occasionally sneak him in, but only when I'm the only one working which has been rare to get recently." The artist sighed, "Which is why I got Bendy Jr." She pointed to the cat that laid on top of the TV. "No, I didn't name him."

"Don't worry!" Allison exclaimed cheerfully as she lifted Bendy up like a child. "I saw your upcoming shift times and it's only you and me this weekend."

A wide smiled appeared on Audrey's face, "Really? That's a relief and it's only to-" Her eyes widen mid sentence and she shot up off the couch. "I HAVE WORK TODAY!"

Running passed them in a rush towards the bathroom to get ready for work, the three standing back watching in amusement before Susie went to follow her.

"I have work too, I'll get ready along with her."

Looking down at the toon with a smile, Allison got off the couch still holding him like a child. "Would you like to help me cook up breakfast?"

Nodding his head happily he cheerfully kicked his feet as the woman wandered over to the kitchen to begin cooking, the little inky toon being sure to help her.

As they set up the bench and plates of pancakes and bacon along with cups of coffee and orange juice, Allison and Bendy added the final touches to fully finish the morning meal.

Maple syrup and whip cream.

"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY NECK, SUSIE?!" Audrey yelled in the bathroom followed with the suspect cackling loudly.

"This isn't funny! I have no make up to cover them up!"

"Calm down, Doll. You can borrow mine for today."

...

"Oh wow, your skin is a more darker shade than I thought."

"Ya think!"

The two in the kitchen chuckled at the commotion in the bathroom as they ate their food, until the other two finally arrived to the table looking freshened up for the day. Audrey wearing the usual button up shirt with the collar up to cover her neck, clear distaste in her expression as she side eyed the actress who stood there happily ignoring her.

"You two were quick." Allison smirked while sipping her coffee.

Already devouring her pancakes at a quick yet safe pace, Audrey spoke with a mouthful as syrup dripped down her lips. "I don't like being late for work!"

Susie looked on in disgust, "That's not very lady like of you to eat like that."

"Not very lady like of you to pour alcohol in my mouth last night, Susie." Audrey shot a glare before taking a long gulp of her coffee.

"... That's fair." The actress sighed and fiddled with her food.

"Well besides that." Allison cleared her throat, "I don't have to go in today, so if you need me for anything just give me a call."

Wiping her mouth clean of the syrup and swallowing her food, "I would ask you if you could look after both Bendys today, but it'll be awkward for him considering you're a stranger and it takes him getting use to someone in order for him to get comfortable." Audrey nervously smiled at Allison's puppy eyes. "Just interact with him for a bit on my free time and you'll both be good."

"Okay" Allison sighed sadly before going back to her happy self, "Good thing it's only you and me tomorrow."

Audrey returned a smile and laughed, "Yeah." She looked over at Bendy who was licking up his plate. "You excited to go back to the studio tomorrow, bud?"

Bendy turned and happily hopped in his seat, receiving a chuckle from the two women.

"Well we best leave you two alone so you can lock up." Miss Campbell finished her drink and grabbed Allison on her way to the door, ignoring her quiet protest. "Thank you for your hospitality, Audrey."

Awkwardly waving at them as they left, both Drew and Bendy wished them well and to see Susie soon.

Snatching her arm back away and the other woman and frowning at her, Allison proceeded to follow her into the elevator.

"You didn't need to drag me out, you know." The taller woman rubbed her arm.

"She's not telling the full truth."

Allison blinked in surprise before slowly furrowing her brows. "At least I wasn't the only one to notice." She sighed and leaned back against the wall.

Susie stared at the floor in thought, "A while ago I had teased Audrey by using my Alice voice, at first I thought with her reaction that it had just shocked her." She shifted her gaze to the doors. "But after seeing her reaction to us seeing Bendy, I now think it was her having a flashback to whatever Alice was in that place."

"It can't have just been a Bendy, knowing Joey there would be more." The actress grimaced in distaste. "What the hell did Joey do..."

"She mentioned that it was just three of them and that the studio was a death trap, if she lied about the amount of people there." Allison held her chin in thought. "There's a high chance she has a reason to lie us or at least twist the truth."

Sighing and shaking her head in annoyance, Susie walked out of the elevator after reaching the needed floor and looked back at Allison.

"We'll talk about it later, right now it's too early."

"You're right." Allison nodded her head and followed her. "Don't overwork yourself today and don't interrogate Audrey, she's very likely not in the right head space for now."

Huffing out a laugh, Susie crossed her arms. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to be extra nice today."

The two smiled at each and laughed softly before going their separate ways while waving goodbye.

A lot needed to be processed.

[elaine-abroad]

Volume 3 Part 1

Volume 3

Week 2

The second week was a lot less chaotic and eventful in general than the first. We all felt a little bit more accustomed to how things worked on campus. To start off the week, my friends and I decided to visit some Hangang parks to see the infamous Han River. Our first stop was at Ttukseom Park. This park was a little underwhelming when it came to attractions as the main thing was this tube and a waterpark that was packed to the brim with people. It was still quite busy though. One cool thing about this park is that I was able to see the Olympic Stadium.

Tube and Olympic Stadium in the back

The main reason why I wanted to go to this specific park was because I saw online that there were duck boats you could ride on in the river. Although they were a little janky-looking in how they were made, I still really wanted to go.

Our plan was to do “daytime” activities at Ttukseom Park before making our way to Yeouido Park for sunset, a supposed night market, and the water light show. Before we headed over to the other park, we stopped to eat.

Unfortunately, when we arrived at Yeouido Park, it was only around 6 pm and the sun wasn’t going to set for another two hours. The park itself was a lot bigger than the other one with vendors already set up.

To pass some time, we went to a couple of nearby malls. The first one we went was definitely too expensive for us, but I was in awe of the interior. The many floors and the literal waterfall inside gave for a sleek and elegant look.

We came back to the park as the sun was starting to set and headed over to the floating dome stage. The pictures we had seen had shown jets of water flying out and colorful lights as well so we were pretty excited.

However, even as the sky darkened, nothing happened. My best guess is that it was because we came on a Sunday. A lot of Koreans are religious and don’t do anything on Sundays. Many restaurants we’ve seen are closed on Sunday and consider it as a holiday. We were pretty disappointed and kind of just sat there for a bit before going home. The night sky with the street and traffic lights were still nice to look at though.

Classes started back up the following day and we continued our orchid studies in traditional painting. I like painting with acrylic and watercolor so I thought I’d like this too. It’s actually very difficult and frustrating to use ink because of the water to ink ratio on the brush. The brush holds a lot of water and the paper we use is very thin so even the tiniest amount of water causes the ink to spread out everywhere.

We actually had a field trip for my visual journal class at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art. There were a lot of gamified exhibitions for whatever reason and even consoles to play games on like Pacman, Minecraft, and original games.

There was even a station where you could take pictures of yourself like a photobooth. Grace didn’t want to be featured so here’s me.

Because it was a roasting 97 degrees, Grace and I scrambled to get bingsu and then food later.

The next day I learned how to make a traditional Korean stamp. It was very interesting because I’ve done printmaking with stamps before but I’ve used linoleum, a soft rubber, and not a slab of stone. We had to make a stamp of our names in Korean so I learned how to write mine. We also had to use a knife to carve. It was actually really fun until I realized at the end that I didn’t flip it properly so my stamp was backwards, in turn making my name read backwards.

Elaine in Korean spelled out in letters is "illein"

It was raining that day so we weren’t able to go out all that much. I had the idea of going to the movie theater, but we decided against it after arriving and seeing the movie choices. For dinner we decided to get pasta since the pasta place we wanted to go to the day before was closed. It’s been a little bit of a struggle eating out with an introverted vegetarian but we’re getting through it one day at a time.

Here’s my second stamp with a small sheep in honor of the year I was born in. My teacher said a lot of traditional stamps are either your name or your zodiac animal.

In the middle of this week we visited Hongdae again and visited shops we didn’t even see the first time. This included a BT21 store. To give a little background information. I assume we all know the famous kpop boy group BTS. Several years ago, each of the members drew their own character that sort of represented them. These characters later were launched into actual merch. This was a collaboration between BTS and Line Friends, a group of characters based on stickers from diverse applications of the South Korean internet search giant Naver Corporation and the Japanese messaging app Line. My transportation card is Line Friends branded. Anyways, a BT21 store is basically a BTS merch store.

We both felt obligated to visit and maybe buy something because we both had a heavy BTS/kpop phase in high school. It’s a little embarrassing to admit, but it’s fun to have someone to talk about that stuff to. This past week I’ve been listening to a lot of songs that came out when I listened to kpop religiously and it’s kind of nostalgic. 

We grabbed some Shake Shack after.

We also discovered this artist who created this dumb, booger-looking dinosaur character and accompanying dino friends. For some reason we both think it’s funny and cute so we stalled around for a while. I didn’t end up getting anything then even though I loved a lot of the designs.

We mainly wanted to go to Hongdae again to see how it looked with the night lights and we were not disappointed. It was so colorful. 

For the last day of class this week, I learned how to paint chrysanthemum flowers. Surprisingly, they were a lot less of a headache than the orchids. Our teacher said throughout this class we would be learning how to paint something called the “Four Gentlemen”. There are basically four plants that have become the basis of traditional ink brush paintings for whatever reason. We’ve so far completed two of them: the orchid and chrysanthemum. 

My take on chrysanthemums

And for visual journal, we went on another field trip to the Piknic art gallery which was basically a huge exhibition for this photographer named François Halard that captured pictures of interiors and architecture. Each of his pictures had a story behind them. He took pics of people’s house interiors like Lenny Kravitz and Rick Owens. In my opinion it was a lot more interesting than the contemporary art museum.

For food that day, we had to go back to Insa-dong. My main reason for this was because the shops seemed to sell seemingly more traditional and less trendy items which is something my parents would appreciate. I didn’t end up getting anything though because I wasn’t sure how authentic things were after seeing the same items sold at multiple stores.

We couldn’t leave before getting more bingsu – tangerine flavor for me this time.

A couple hours later, Grace, Bianca, and I went to this hotpot place right outside campus. To me, we got hotpot, but to Bianca we got malatang. I don’t think I’ve ever heard my parents refer to it as that, but I guess that’s technically the right term. Bianca is an international student from Beijing and insisted we at least learn the right word for it. 

We got to grab a bowl and choose whatever was going in it which was really nice. They also made it for us and made it look all pretty.

Now I get to talk about the relatively more interesting part of my week. On Friday I went on a field trip to Nami Island, an island not in the ocean but in the middle of South Korea. It was about a 1.5-2 hour drive. The coolest thing about this trip was that we got to take a 90 second zipline from Seoul City to the actual island. 

I’ve been on a zipline before but never for that long at once. It was super cool, especially because we went with a partner going at the same time. 

[blazehedgehog]

Roughly how many hours do you spend working on your major videos? Have you ever tried to figure out what sort of hourly wages you earn when you divide your YouTube and Patreon revenue by time spent working on content? I get the feeling that it's becoming increasingly difficult to make videos for a living, but I don't have any hard numbers to support that suspicion because creators tend to keep that info close to their chest (for good reason)

It's not really something I can easily measure. This isn't like I'm traveling to an office, clock in, focus on work for four hours, take a 30 minute break, work for four more hours, and then go home.

I try to do that, certainly, but there are also a lot of days where I get distracted for hours at a time with something on twitter, or discord, or whatever. Depending on the job, that could happen at real work, too, but not as much.

Like, when I worked at the thrift store back in Colorado, they actually patted me on the back for being one of the few people they had who took it seriously. Sure, I often took long lunches (45+ minutes) but they didn't seem to care and they were very happy with my work ethic outside of that.

Being your own boss is very difficult and unfortunately I am in a place where my work space is the same space where I do everything else -- I eat here, I sleep here, I relax here, and it can be hard to shift gears between different modes.

So I can't accurately tally up how much work I do in a given day because some days I work for what feels like 14 hours and some days it feels like I only work for a few minutes. Most of that depends on the stage of production -- script writing seems to be the slowest grind these days. Capturing footage goes the fastest. Cutting the final product together is where the longest, most intense hours come in.

I do, however, routinely think about "hourly wages" when it comes to Twitch, because they print "here's how long you streamed vs. how much you earned" in pretty black and white terms. Hopefully I don't sabotage anything by saying this (I know Youtube Networks don't like you sharing earnings analytics), but the two Twitch streams I did for Halloween, I streamed just under 6 hours and made about $9. That's, like, what, $1.50 an hour? Not great.

(But it was also totally impromptu, super low key, and in the middle of the night. More "for fun." I didn't even break 10 viewers for most of it.)

I will say, though, bare minimum, this has been one of the more profitable years for me on Youtube. But I need to do better.

Which natureally leads me to wonder what the purpose of this ask is.

As my Patreon has grown over the last couple months, and I've declared I'm finally making enough from it to cover my food groceries, I've had people ask how that's possible because I'd need more money for rent and things like that. Which is true! I cannot cover rent yet. I pay what I can when I can to my brother for the room I am staying in currently and I keep my fingers crossed that the hammer doesn't drop.

I have sat around and had a lot of panic attacks whether or not I can make this work. Doubts and questioning whether I can get things up high enough fast enough to make a dent in... I dunno, life, I guess. I don't need people drilling me about it, because I'm already drilling myself every second of every day.

For now, as long as the number keeps going up instead of down, I am going to close my eyes and pray for the best.

(Further reading beyond this point becomes very serious and heavy.)

To some extent, this is what my Mom wanted. When she went in to the hospital last year and her leg mysteriously broke, she came here to live at my brother's. Same room I'm in now. And I had this sense that even if she recovered, she may never drive again, she may never walk again, so by the end of that second or third week we sat down and had a loooong talk, because it was clear that no matter what else happened, there was about to be a shift in the dynamic.

So we cleared the air. There was a lot of crying. Up to that point, she had still acted like The Mom. She did the cooking, she did (some of) the cleaning, she managed all the finances, she was the head of the household. I'd offer to cook dinner and she'd either refuse, or only let me cook for myself only. Like, there would be times where she'd be full on asleep on the couch or whatever, and if she heard me trying to cook, she'd get up and try to shoo me out of the kitchen so she could fix dinner for us.

But after her leg broke, she was traumatized. She'd been suffering from very bad sciatica (back pain) for a long time, and every time she'd go to the hospital, they would brush her off and push her out the door. The circumstances in which her leg broke were horrible. She told us time and time again she begged them to go easy on her because her leg hurt before it broke, likely due to weak bones. After it broke, they refused to believe her. I think she said they left her laying in bed in the worst pain of her life for hours because they didn't think her femur actually broke. I actually saw her during this time and she was writhing in her hospital bed, barely coherent. It was awful.

That hurt her mentally as much as physically. My strong, independent, "I'll do it MYSELF" mother was suddenly frail and timid and prone to crying over something as small as me forgetting to make her a cup of coffee.

So even though it was a months and months and months before we knew she was actually just dying of cancer, I knew we had to sort things out and shift the balance of power. Even if she made a recovery, nothing would ever be the same again.

And when I brought up the prospect of taking Youtube more seriously, she was all for it. She said that "I always told everybody you were going to be famous some day."

My impostor syndrome never really rationalized that. In that moment, and especially now in retrospect, I believed her, but prior to that moment, all the praise she had given me over the years smashed in to a brick wall and ceased to exist. But it was her, when I'd have my one video a year take off, tell me about the "serious money" I could be making if I applied myself (which I never did, because she was my safety net and my comfort zone.)

And then I think about all the times she tried to tell me how smart I was, and about how, when I was 14 years old, there was some manager from IBM that "wanted to talk to me" because I had made a game in Clickteam Fusion over a weekend to sell at a craft fair she was attending.

Or how she'd push me to give out business cards to people who would compliment me on my Redbubble shirt designs when I'd wear them out in public. She always wanted me to hustle and I never had the drive or the energy for that.

I am trying to summon the energy up for that now. And it's hard, but at least I'm trying. Am I trying hard enough? Shit, I don't know. Maybe ask all the sleep I've lost in the last three months. I used to be the kind of guy who would zonk out and fall asleep within two minutes of my head touching the pillow, but now I routinely lay in bed for close to an hour, wondering and worrying if I can make this work.

As long as the number keeps going up instead of down, I am going to close my eyes and pray for the best.

I would like to end this saying that I'm pretty sure you aren't actually drilling me or anything like that. Honestly, no need to apologize. I always expect the worst from these asks and nobody is ever really that mean, outside of like... what probably amounts to one guy.

You're fine. And hopefully I'll be fine.

[papersandkeyboards]

6/13-19: The Hunt for Quite Everything: Comicbooks, High School Diploma, and The Last Moments in Friendships

38th WEEK, JUNE 13-19, 2016.

If you know me well enough or you don’t but you’ve been reading this very tumblr page, I’m not surprised if you find yourself being bored listening to my likeness towards American comic books.

Wait, I’ll rephrase that, because I don’t think I even deserve that status. I like some American comic books, often Marvel over DC, and often only certain issues of certain characters, i.e. Black Widow, Deadpool, Hawkeye, and Ms. Marvel. These comic books were the second thing that popped into my mind when the plane I was in on September 2015 hit the American sky (the first thing being “oh shit, it’s getting real”).

This is my second-to-last week being in the Emerald City, being in the country where I can access these comic books I love dearly for only $2 a piece (in Indo they were like $10-15 AND they don’t even come in full volumes), and this raised an urgency to do what I had decided to do:

a comic book hunt.

But first, I’ll just write the summary of other parts of the week as the following.

-

Monday, June 13:

The Oceanography class (more specifically, the Salish Sea trip students) went to UW to present the project we’ve been working on since the trip. We finally reunited with the Salish Sea people that we had gotten to know for the 3 days of the trip, and it was nice seeing them again. And who am I kidding, any school trip is always fun, and UW never failed to amuse me with its classy architecture.

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Tuesday, June 14:

The school held this thing called Senior Breakfast (I know right, they have so many events for the seniors and it had been fun!) and they held it in Rainier Beach Community Center just across the street from school. The event was pretty self-explanatory: you came earlier in the day before school starts, you could invite your family member, you sat on one of the non-assigned round tables, and you could help yourself to the breakfast buffet in the room. There were speeches and such, but mostly it was the fun of getting free food and hanging out, skipping a wee bit of school hours.

The agenda of the school itself was Senior Checkout Day, where you went to your classes just to get the teachers’ signatures on a form that basically stated you’re a senior and you’ve passed your classes and you were very much welcome to get out of the school (in an honorable way—that is graduation). There were also yearbooks given (for those who bought them) and I had those signed around and I signed some yearbooks myself. I made use of this opportunity not only to take pictures with my dear teachers (and other school staff I wanted to take pictures with), but also to give them little Indo trinkets and some little thank-you cards I wrote for them. Same thing I did with my professors back in Seattle Central.

[let’s pretend I put here the pics with DJ, Ms. Shaw, Señor Cadenas, Ms. Harris, Coach Beavers, Ms. Yip, Ms. Wong, Jurdy, and Mr. Henderson because yours truly had lost 90% of her exchange experience pics gone from damaging her hard drive for good]

(…but here’s the thing! I was lucky to be able to have these pics of me and Ms. Street and Pierce and Tomchick preserved)

So the pose with Pierce was because he told us during one of our classes that he had always had the same pose for the yearbooks (and it was true—he showed us the yearbooks from before). And the pic with Tomchick because this guy was the one who inspired me to get those pair of The Scream socks. Tomchick had been the guy who wears wacky socks all the time—he would show us his socks every now and then—and I kid you not, I never again take socks for granted.

(of course, before this day, I made him wear The Scream socks for Senior Checkout Day so he would match mine and we could make this photo happen)

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Wednesday, June 15:

Another thing that this week being the second-to-last week of my presence in Seattle and its everlasting glory of beautiful things, I, of course, had to take some time to shop (despite running out of luggage space). Among other things, I remember vividly buying two things: two shower curtains with printed illustration of a big world map and periodic tables (a request by my mom) from Bed Bath and Beyond, and a silicon ice cube tray in the shape of the US states (my utter hedonism) from Nordstrom Rack. I also hunted the waterfront and their antique shops for (more) wacky socks or simply looking around. In the evening, I took Karen and Eric watched Now You See Me 2 because I was a total groupie of the first movie. (Karen ended up giving bad reviews for the second one, and I agreed that the second one was a bit too much but I still loved it nonetheless ehehehehe)

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Thursday, June 16: Comic Book Hunt Day 1 (of 2)

You see, what I had been doing with the way I acquire comic books was that I walked into the store, I looked around, saw anything I like and available, and bought them. Most of times the issues I bought weren’t in order because a) I was too late that they didn’t sell the early issues anymore, or b) the next issues hadn’t come yet. So, by the end of the exchange year, I have found myself with many comic books in the same series but with some issues missing here and there. However, I have found some issues bundled into volumes of 4-6 issues which had better paper quality altogether, though on the other hand it seemed like a bit of a waste because in some cases I already had 2, 3, even 4 issues on the volume. Buying a whole volume of 6 issues would fill me in with the 2 issues I hadn’t gotten, but that would also mean I used my money on 4 issues I’ve already had.

The days before today, in these last weeks of no more waiting, I’ve sorted all the Ms. Marvels that I owned then I listed the issues I haven’t had. Then, I’ve started on calling one comic bookstore I know, listing the issues I was looking for. This comic bookstore I called didn’t have all that I need, which led me to calling for another, and then another, and that was how I basically had several booked issues of Ms. Marvel comic books in different comic book stores all over the city.

Before I embarked on my first store to hunt, I stopped by Elliott Bay Bookstore, hanging out by myself. Elliott Bay Bookstore is the nearest bookstore from home, and it was the second-best bookstore I’ve ever visited (the first being downtown Seattle Barnes & Noble). However, what makes Elliott Bay Bookstore different from B&N was the homy feeling to it. The floors, shelves, and railings were of wood and you can see the vast first floor from the loft-ish second floor balcony. Under the second floor was a little café, and that was where I spent a few hours writing earlier entries of this blog.

(pics from the good and gracious interwebs)

Books and café. Such an ideal place.

After noon I went. My first target would be Phoenix Comics and Games by Seattle Central College, but, if I was not mistaken, they didn’t have any of the issues I was looking for. The next on the list was this store downtown that I’ve forgotten the name of (what I do remember is that it was the store from which Antonio gave me a $10 gift certificate for my birthday). It was pretty easy: I came in, told the shopkeeper I was the one on the phone and asked for a certain issue of Ms. Marvel, they went to the back room and came back with the item of quest, I paid, and I left (well, after some minutes of looking around because why not). Not much time to waste anyway, because I had planned to go to the zoo, now that the day was warm and sunny (compared to my first visit to the zoo when it was winter cold and most of the exhibits were closed anyway).

1 comic bookstore done, 2 more to go!

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Friday, June 17: Comic Book Hunt Day 2 (of 2) and, well, Graduation

Ah, right.

I got too excited in telling you about my comic book hunt I almost forgot about graduation.

So we had the graduation ceremony this day in Memorial Stadium in Seattle Center Area. It was not until after lunch-ish so I still got time on my hands. I went to comic book store #2 and #3, respectively Golden Age Collectibles by the waterfront (this was the most complete comic book store by far. Complete as in it also had a whole lot of other geek stuff, like action figures—from regular-sized to life-sized—, really old comic books, and trading cards. All in mint condition) and, after looking around the store for a while, wasted no time and caught the bus straight to Wallingford area to Comics Dungeon.

I did my best, but at last I have satisfied my thirst for American comic books!

I didn’t spend a lot in there as I have other travel plans (squeezing as much agenda as I can in this short time I had left), so I caught the bus and went straight back south to the waterfront for the tourist attraction I haven’t had the chance to visit despite people going there all the time:

Yep. The infamous Seattle Gum Wall.

It was so amazing to the point it didn’t even look disgusting to me. The solo traveling situation got me in a bit of a difficulty taking pictures of myself, so I got a stranger to do it (and then the picture was gone anyway so what’s the point).

/looks at watch/ time to go back home, dress pretty, and off we went to Memorial Stadium to graduate!

You see, I would LOVE to brag to everyone how I graduated high school twice (one from RBHS and one from my original high school in Indo), but unfortunately, that was not the case.

Gretar and I weren’t given (rented?) togas. We also didn’t get any diploma. So all we would do in the event was to do what everyone else was doing, except for the toga-wearing and diploma-receiving part. All the seniors gather sporadically around the entrance of the stadium, all of them wearing togas. I did my best to dress nicely since I was not going to be wearing one. We did get some tassels and colorful necklaces, although I didn’t really know what they were for. The tassels were from the school, and I suppose they symbolize something like the class color or honor students or something—everyone had one but some had more than the others.

Oh another cool thing was that, as a celebration, some people got customized long necklaces from friends and/or family. Some were of flowers, but many of them—and I assume it’s the tradition around here—were of candies. I vaguely remember that people can buy them ready-made for this purpose, that’s why so many people had candy necklaces. Honestly, those are cooler than the flower ones since this one I can actually put to use after wearing them.

I didn’t have any graduation attribute aside from the tassels and necklaces, so I borrowed Jake’s grad cap just for a pic (that I lost). I do remember they were all like “you’re so cute!” with a grad cap without the robe, but I’m pretty sure that’s just me looking 5 years younger than all of RB seniors present.

We all filed in this one long single line from the tribunes and walked outside towards the field where all the chairs and the stage are. Later we found out we would be sitting on the stage, behind the podium and along with the faculties, and the other seniors would sit on chairs provided to them facing the stage. Families were seated on the bleachers of the stadium.

It wasn’t like it was a spotlight, because we were in the back of the stage anyway, and everyone was paying attention to whoever was speaking at the podium. Jurdy, teachers, et cetera. Ceremonially, we received the… case (?) for the diplomas, but of course with no diploma inside. Doesn’t matter. Still cool.

After graduation, I tagged along Gretar’s host family to Cheesecake factory for some big fat cake slices.

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Saturday, June 18:

It was a beautiful chill Saturday. It was supposed to be the day of Summer Solstice Parade—which I had been dying to go to—but I had to give that a pass for a couple agendas: one, a visit to Jenny and Seth’s house, and two, Jake’s graduation party.

(a little spoiler of why I had wanted to go to the Solstice Parade: because people said it was hella fun, and a rare annual sighting of cyclists with 100% body paint and 0% clothing. I reckoned people might be a little bit taken aback had they known I was eager to go to the Solstice Parade for—imagine me saying this in my enthusiastic, 18-year-old self—“naked cyclists!” but at this point of time in the exchange year, who am I to care anymore)

It was basically a day of clashing agendas. Supposedly, after spending the time hanging out and watching Pitch Perfect 2 with Harper at Jenny and Seth’s, I could have gone to either of these three agendas: Jake’s grad party, Gretar’s grad party, or the Solstice Parade. Given that I will see Gretar at my own farewell party in the upcoming weekend, and I valued my formed friendships with people at Rainier Beach High School more than some naked strangers, I decided to go to Jake’s grad party at their house.

The party was a lot of fun. It wasn’t like a party party—we chilled in their backyard, having drinks and snacks, we played bocce, we played Cards Against Humanity (my first time ever playing it and boy I was hooked. Then I came back home to Indo to never play it again because it wasn’t sold here and if it did, it was hella expensive). The Seattle sky was gray and cloudy—what else is new?—but the cold and light drizzle was never in the way to stop us from having fun.

On the way home and afterwards, I look back at the friendships I’ve had at Rainier Beach—truthfully may not be a forever and well-maintained one, what with the distance and everyone’s doing their own thing after high school and me being bad at maintaining relationships in general—and I thought,

I obviously was not as outgoing as everyone else, and my other exchange student friends may have better experience, but hey, this was something worth being grateful for.

(besides, if I was not grateful, I would have nothing to hold on to anymore)

At least they had etched a good memory in my short 9 months, and the brief fun I had during that time will be something I’ll cherish forever. Not only for the exchange year in general, but also for my own character development. I was sure as hell that I would have a hard time finding friends—and I might have, at the start, but in the end I wasn’t that much miserable. In fact, I wasn’t miserable at all.

Anyway.

The last day of the week (June 19), the city of rain decided to be a little bit nicer this time. The sky was bright blue, splotches of white clouds here and there, all in all an exquisite day to take a ferry out to Bainbridge Island with Karen and her friend Jen. Not a lot of touristy places in Bainbridge Island—at one point I remembered us going to a cute little craft shop—and we’re back home by afternoon, in which I continued my way to Kira’s place for her good-bye party. Another fun evening party, hanging out with friends and family, wholesome conversations, photos taken, heartfelt hugs exchanged.

Like what a proper good-bye party would be like.

(also, it’s a little strange solely due to the fact that I will be having my own good-bye party the following week, during which I will see many of the same people in Kira’s, so more heartfelt content on my end can wait until then)

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So, uh, hooray for the second-to-last week in the US, and therefore, second-to-last entry for this blog (excluding epilogue), I guess?

See you around.

Nabila Safitri

[justagirllivingwithasci]

Life in the hospital......

Its been a little over a month and I'm still here, a month and five days but who's counting. I'm supposed to be going home Tuesday but that changed to Wednesday might not seem that bad but thinking about another day here makes me want to rip my hair out. Its really not that bad here the nurses and doctors are really nice and every thing I've been learning is gonna help me out in the long run. Its just thinking about not being home when I'm so close to leaving just puts me in a sour ass mood. Its kinda funny if I really think about it because not that long ago I was crying and having panic attacks because I was scared to go home lol.

While I sat here waiting to be admitted to be admitted into the inpatient rehab program (a program on the 4th flooring specializing in the treatment and rehabilitation of people with spinal cord injuries) time just went slow af. The days dragged by I was ready to go into the program but just a little overwhelmed. When I saw my first schedule of therapies for the following day I almost had a panic attack. On my first day of therapies it was kinda fun. But I was so tired going from weeks of sitting in bed to all of a sudden just being busy for about 6 hours was a lot. I couldn’t even finish my last session.

But as time went by I got so used to the routine and it wasn’t as overwhelming as I thought it would be. I ended up loving all my therapies. I was actually getting real comfortable there even while having a broken neck and being paralyzed from the chest down. (I have a c7 vertebrae fracture that caused a spinal cord injury, I’ll get into the details of my injury in another post.) it’s weird to say but the hospital was starting to feel like home.

I got close with a lot of the staff there. Honestly I’ll always have so much love for those people because they helped out so much in the most difficult part of my life. You end up looking at these people like friends and family when your there for so long. So small update it took me a few days to write this post because there was always so much going on at the hospital, but we finally left Harborview and we got home yesterday.

Transitioning from the hospital to being home is a very chaotic thing. We freak out we laugh we cry but it’s all a learning experience. But that’s a story for another time also.It feels good to get my thoughts and feelings out and I don’t know if anybody will actually read this but if you do thanks.