#unfortunately I'm staying with my dad for 3 months :)

[novataleart]

Love how the person interviewing my transition at the gender health clinic while my dad was on the phone with us (he provided absolutely no info whatsoever) asked if he misgenders me constantly, and I was like-

... no :)

Yknow, like a liar

[k-s-morgan]

I in no way mean to be invasive but why won’t you move out of Ukraine? You don’t have to answer of course!! I pray for your soldiers and for your people. Stay safe! 🙏

Thank you so much for your kind words <3

Unfortunately, my reasons for not leaving are still the same they were when the war just started. My Dad, my step-father, and my brother are not allowed to leave the country. I can't go without them, just like my Mom. Family is the most important thing to me. I could choose to prioritize my safety and my peace of mind for a few months - hell, maybe even for a year, but this war seems endless, and I would never leave my loved ones for long. I cherish every single moment I spend with them.

Then there are technical details. We are not rich. If we were to move abroad, my parents would be jobless - they don't know any languages and they have narrow specializations that are only useful here. My brother cannot be relied upon, not yet, so I'd be the sole breadwinner. That's a lot of responsibility, and I have no guarantees that I'd be able to find a job good enough to feed us all plus to pay for an apartment.

I also have many pets who are incompatible with one another, so I'd need to rent something with at least two bedrooms, which is expensive. And of course I'd still need to pay for heating and other basic mandatory stuff in the apartment back in Kyiv. Affording it all would be next to impossible if I'm the only one working.

Finally, I love Ukraine. I love my home. It has so many priceless memories connected to people and pets who are no longer a part of this world. Leaving it all behind is very painful, though I'd do it if other reasons weren't obstructing me.

That doesn't mean I don't have any plans, though. I hope to wait until my father turns 60. It'll be in a year and a half. That's when he'll be allowed to travel safely, and maybe we could move to a western part of Ukraine where things are quiet.

It still won't be ideal, but it's something, so we'll see.

[simp4pedropascal75]

Secretary (Javier Peña x Reader)

summary: You graduated from university with dreams of becoming a DEA agent. One year before your graduation, a class trip took you to Colombia, where you met Javier Peña. The two of you quickly bonded over the six months you spent together, but after you left, he grew distant. When you return as a freshly minted DEA agent, you discover that you have not been hired as a DEA agent, but as a secretary.

words: 5.2k

this ff takes place in the late 1980s! (but you still can chat with him? yeah, doesn't make sense)

trigger warnings: 18+, MINORS DNI, age gap(reader in her 20s, Javier in his late 30s), explict language, mentioning of s3x in public, fluff, violence, smoking, being catcalled and harrased by a man, a little bit of angst (?), spoilers of narcos season 1 (?), one mention of y/n

a/n: sorry for taking a while for writing a new ff, but i thank you for over 500 likes on bad guy and also thank you so much for over 108 followers<3 this really keeps me motivated to write.

I also apologize if I mess up the plot of narcos and don't get everything right like it is in the series. English is not my first language and I'm not finished with the series yet. I just finished season 2 episode 3, and lord have mercy with this sex scene of pedro.

But please don't spoiler me in the comments what happens next in the series, thanks<3

And I guess I'll be making a little series out of this, when my creativity is working, what do you think?

i wish you a fun time reading:)

-------------------♡❀˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹❀♡--------------------

You are finally getting your mark on your uniform from your teacher. You stand there with a proud smile, looking into the crowd and seeing your parents.

You finally graduated from university to be a DEA agent.

Since you were a kid, your dream was always being a DEA agent, just like your dad. Your dad was stationed in Colombia, that’s why you didn’t see him that much, but when you came visiting him or he came home to Miami, he told you about his stories. He told you how he chased drug traffickers, went on missions and all the other stuff. As a kid, it just amazed you.

That’s why you began to train early for being an DEA agent. Since you were 5, you started solving riddles, like: ‘who stole grandma’s cat?’ and so on. When you got older, you loved solving murder, drug cases or already solved cases from your dad, which you had to solve again.

And it was pretty fun… and to be honest, you were god damn good.

That’s why after you finished high school with 19 years, you went to a DEA university. You were lying, if you're saying it wasn’t pretty hard… sometimes, when you were on your lowest, you even thought about quitting. But even if it was difficult, you didn’t want to throw away your dream, so, you kept going.

One year before your graduation, you went to Colombia with your class. You stayed there 6 months and of course your lessons continued there.

You visited the station where your dad was working and that was also the time where the hunt of Pablo Escobar started. And also, the time… well, where you met Javier Peña.

Every Sunday, you and your class were allowed to go to the station and were shown around, got told some stories and some tips how life works as a DEA agent. It was pretty interesting…

and who really made it interesting was Javi.

You and Javier got pretty close for the whole six months. You got friends… well maybe a little more than that…

Of course, you also met his partner Steve Murphy and you got along also, but just as friends.

You didn’t remember exactly how everything with Javier started, but in the first weeks you were going to the station, you and Javi always talked and you two just got along well. Sometimes he would steal you from the rest of the group to show you some more private folders, because he knew how interested you were in all of this… and also, to make out with you.

But expect of how good he kisses… or fucks.

He was there when you needed him.

Unfortunately, in the last month, your dad got injured when he was on a mission with Javier and Steve. Your dad got shot bad in a shooting and when you got the news, Javi was there to comfort you. Luckily, your dad did survive, but he was left incapable of working ever again.

Also, you didn’t ever know, what you and Javier really are. You know, he slept with a lot of women, mostly to gain information for work, but he also stopped sleeping with other women, for the whole six months when he was with you,

well, that’s what Steve told you.

But he never actually asked you if you would be his girlfriend or something… but neither did you.

One time when he showed your class around, the topic was the balance between work and personal life. He told everyone that he personally doesn’t do ‘relationships’ because of work and he isn’t interested in it, he finds it more exciting to get to know many women. And that’s what probably kept you from asking him because you were scared to get rejected.

Of course, you fell in love with him, but you thought he didn’t.

Also, your dad doesn’t know anything about what you and Javier had… and if he would have found out, he would probably fire Javier. Since his incident he was very protective over you and worried about you getting a DEA agent like him.

But nothing got in your way again, even if you were really not feeling great because Javi and you barley had contact after you left.

You kept going.

And now you're finally standing on the stage, proud with your mark on your uniform and even graduated as the class best.

At the evening you begin packing your suitcase for the flight to Colombia. You planned since the beginning of your studies, to go back to Colombia and work at the same station your dad did. You feel excited of the thought that your dream is finally going true. Also… how will it be meeting Javi again?

You sigh at the thought and suddenly your phone vibrates. You grab it and look on the display.

-

Javi

‘heard you graduated, congratulations, hermosa.

-

Your heart skips as he writes you that and you don’t notice how red your cheeks get. He didn’t write you often, nearly never, but when he did, he continued calling you hermosa, cariño,… and all the other names he had for you.

-

you

thanks, agent. maybe I’ll be your boss soon.

Javi

you wish. your dad told me to pick you up at the airport tomorrow.

-

You start to get a nervous feeling in your chest, but also can’t help to smile.

-

you

okay, looking forward for tomorrow then, agent.

Javi

see you tomorrow, cariño.

-

You throw your phone on your bed and lay down next to it. You can’t keep down your butterflies in your stomach. The thought of seeing him again after one year has you smiling, but also getting you even more nervous.

What should I say when he picks me up?

Should you hug him? What if he kisses me?!

God, I really need to know what to talk about, I hate awkward silence.

You think and start panicking. You groan in frustration into your pillow. You grab after your phone and scroll through your chats with Javi.

Your smile fades as you see your calls he didn’t pick up, how he responded to some messages from you after literally one month. Sometimes he didn’t even respond. You know, he has really much work to do and doesn’t have it easy… but seeing how he barley contacted you, makes you feel disappointed… you really thought he would like you back…

Maybe I have to high expectations, you think.

Maybe he doesn’t care so much about that, but you do. You gave him your trust in so many ways…

And with that thought, you get up with a sigh and look frustrated at your closet. You watch at some of your bikinis. “yeah, I think I’m going to take this one”, you mumble to yourself with a smirk, taking the string bikini in his favourite colour.

…

You walk towards the exit with your two suitcases and back bag. As you step out of the airport, you take in the warm, tropical breezes. You feel the air brushing across your skin and hair. The sun’s rays are warm and comforting as they peek through the clouds. You take a deep breath and close your eyes, taking a moment for yourself that you’re finally reaching your dream.

“bienvenido a casa, hermosa.”, you hear a very familiar voice saying and you wince.

“goddammit- you scared the shit out of me”, you say out of breath and then take a moment to look at him. He’s leaned against the car, with a cigarette between his fingers. Your feelings are going insane again. He’s still the same, just like when you left. But… he got a little more muscular.

“really? that’s how you act when we see each other after this long time?”, he chuckles and raises an eyebrow.

“shut up”, you mumble as you roll your eyes and walk towards him. You don’t think about it and just wrap your hands around his neck and pull him into a hug. You hug him tightly and you don’t know why, but your eyes start to get wet. Smelling his scent again of cigarettes, leather and musk… it’s addicting.

As you feel how he pulls you closer by wrapping his hands around your waist, your heart skips.

“missed me?”, he whispers and you sense his smirk. “maybe.”, you answer and even if you don’t want to, you end the hug and go some steps back to take your suitcases.

As you feel a wet drop rolling down your cheek, you immediately wipe the tear away and pull yourself together to give him a happy smile. “would you mind helping me with these?”, you point out your baggage.

Javi chuckles as he takes the last drag out of his cigarette until he throws it away and takes two of your suitcases, putting it into the trunk. “god woman-, how many clothes have you in these?”, he gasps and closes it.

“‘need something to dress, you know”, you chuckle and roll your eyes while going into the car. You expected him to say something like: “around me you won’t have to wear many clothes”, but… obviously he holds himself back.

You take a seat next to him and he starts the engine, drinking away from the parking lot. You roll down the window to let the warm breeze of Colombia fly against you. As you were driving through the city, you couldn’t help but just stare out of the window. “feels good to be here again”, you mumble and notice how much you missed this.

You expected him to say something like: “feels good to have you near me again”, but no… nothing.

After a while you finally hear his voice again. “class’s best huh?”, he chuckles and you roll your eyes. “yeah. my dad told you?, you ask and see him nod. “yeah”

“How’s the situation with Pablo? I watched the news, but they don’t tell much and you never know if they’re telling real shit.”, you ask while looking at all the buildings. You see kids play soccer outside and smile. “He’s a fucking pain in the ass, that’s what I can tell you”, Javier mumbles while concentrating on the road.

“You know, we’ll be working together now, you can tell me?”, you point out and raise your eyebrows.

“Let me say, the situation got worse. It’s true that he killed all these people by blowing up an airplane”, he answers and you gulp when you hear that. “There’s a fuckin’ war right in Colombia.”, he adds.

You see that he’s tense because of this topic. As you take a closer look at his face, you also notice he didn’t get proper sleep for like a whole month. “And… you’re fine?”, you mumble concerned.

“I’m fine, hermosa. Nothing to worry about.”, he answers and drives in the streets of Medellin. You remember now where you are. You see the streets you and your class walked down. You also remember that you will soon drive past an ice cream truck… and memories pop up in your mind.

…

Javier kidnapped you from a trip with your class through the streets of Medellin, again. You were walking down the road, he was right behind you and constantly staring at your ass, because you wore a shorts.

How couldn’t you? It was like 40 degrees in the middle of the day.

A heat wave was surrounding you and the sun was shining right into your face. “you’re not very unobtrusive when it comes to staring, you know.”, you smirk and take a quick look behind you.

“maybe I don’t want to be unobtrusive…”, he says while taking a drag from his cigarette. You roll your eyes at him. You just continue walking and hear a chuckle behind you as you rolled your eyes.

As you keep walking, you spot an ice cream truck. “You know, I really need to cool down now.”, you say and with that you just cross the street, walking towards the ice cream truck. “ice cream, really?”, you hear Javi saying behind you. “You want one too?”, you ask but he shakes his head to no in response.

“Hola señor, me gustaría una cucharada de vainilla y fresa en la oblea, por favor.”, you order in Spanish. You smile proud as the man in the truck understands you and gives you a smile. “Impressing.”, you hear Javier whispering right behind you what makes you laugh. Your Spanish wasn’t actually that bad, when you came to Colombia as a kid to visit your dad, you heard this language all around you. And in school you also had some Spanish lessons.

The man hands you over the ice cream and you hand him the money instead. “Gracias”, you say with a kind smile and then go on the crosswalk again. You and Peña walked to a shady spot, to give you two a break from the burning sun.

You start licking your ice cream from the bottom to the top. And, he was watching you.

He sees how you take long stripes of the ice cream, sometimes licking just the tip. Because of the hot Colombian sun, the ice cream begins to melt quickly.

Drops of ice cream land on your hot, light sweated neck, your thighs and your chin. Then, also on your tank top. “Fuck…,” you mumble and don’t notice how hard you’re making it for Javier. You take your finger, wipe the ice cream away and lick it off your finger.

“goddammit, y/n.”, you hear him cuss quietly, you look at him and notice the bulge on his jeans. “Ops.”, you say innocently and chuckle. You just continue licking your ice cream while looking directly into his eyes. You love teasing him… and always know where it leads you too.

It doesn’t take long to Javier grab your arm and drag you into a small alley. You let your ice cream fall, because of him. “Javi! My ice cream!”, you say literally heart broken like a kid and pout.

Suddenly you feel his tongue licking up the ice cream, which landed on your neck. “Javi, what are you-“, he cuts you off by smashing his lips onto yours. His tongue slips into your mouth, tasting the flavour of your ice cream.

Some minutes later, you find yourself being fucked from behind and pressed against the cold wall.

…

You don’t notice you’re pressing your tights together, but he does. “How about we get some ice cream? I really want to have ice cream now”, you ask with a slight smile on your face. You wanted to see if he remembered, if his body still responses to the memories of you.

And… it does.

He hesitates and wants to disagree. “Please...”, you beg and you know one thing, he can’t resist your begging… well, not for a long time.

You hear him let out a loud sigh, before whispering a quiet: “okay”.

Yup, still works, you think.

He pulls over and parks right next to the ice cream truck. And it’s really the same as one year ago.

You get out of the car and order yourself an ice cream, you feel him looking at you while you’re waiting. After you finally got your ice cream, you come back in the car and buckle up. You took the same flavours as last time. You take a long stripe of the ice cream and let out a soft satisfying moan.

God, how you missed this.

You hear Javier starting the engine quite impulsive and you can’t help but chuckle.

“So, where we’re going?”, you ask while licking your ice cream. “I’ll let you out at your dads old apartment. You can get yourself comfortable there and unpack your suitcases until I pick you up to drive to the station.”, he says tense but focussed on the road. You let out a cute short “okay” and just continued looking out of the window.

After thirty minutes, you arrive at the building where your dad’s old apartment was. You get out of the car and Javier opens the trunk, taking out your suitcases. As you wanted to take the suitcases, Javier has them already in his grip and getting them up the stairs.

“such a gentleman”, you tease and he opens the door of your building. “just get your ass up these stairs”, he says while rolling his eyes and you laugh.

As you two walked up some stairs, you finally arrived at your apartment. He gets out the keys your dad left for you and locks up the door. You walk through the door and immediately look around while Javier is getting your baggage inside. “It’s cute”, you say and walk to the front door, where he’s standing.

“There you go, cariño.”, he hands you over the keys, “‘gonna pick you up at 4, okay?”, you nod in response. “Thanks”, you say to him with a smile before he closes the door and you see him driving away.

You sigh and everything still feels pretty unrealistic. You go on your small balcony, feeling the hot sun burning in your skin. “I’m back, Colombia.”

You started unpacking your suitcase and made yourself comfortable. You took a shower, put a little make up on to cover the rings under your eyes and got yourself a dress. You’re wearing a white tank top with a shorts, since it’s still very hot outside. “I really need to go grocery shopping...”, you mumble when you’re looking in the empty fridge. You grab an apple out your bag pack and take a bite.

You look at the clock and it’s already 4 o’clock. You grab your cardigan, in case it gets colder in the evening and walk down the stairs, going out on the street and looking around for Javier. It doesn’t take long until you see a black Jeep Cherokee driving down the street.

Yeah, that’s him.

He pulls over and is leaned out of the window with a cigarette in his fingers. He’s wearing the same as in the morning, but now with yellow toned sunglasses.

God, he looks fucking hot.

“Ready?”, he asks while taking a drag of his cigarette. “always”, you reply with a smirk and get in the car. As he starts driving, you feel the excitement building up in you. The thought of you finally working and getting your place in a DEA station, makes your heart jump from happinesses. You worked your whole life for this.

You don’t live far away from the station and as Javier was parking, you saw Steve waiting outside. A big smile comes across your face. You two get out of the car and we’re walking towards the entrance.

“Hello, newbie”, Steve chuckles as he pulls you into a hug. “Shut up”, you roll your eyes and hug him back. “good to see you again”, he says as he lets go of you and you give him a smile. “good to see you too”, you reply and suddenly the door opens and Colonel Carrillo comes out.

You’ve seen him not often, just sometimes when your dad talked with him. “Buenos días, señorita Álvarez”, he says and offers his hand for a handshake. You give him a smile. “Colonel Carrillo.”, you nod and shake his hand, as Javi and Steve greet him too. ”also congratulations for graduating”, he says kind but with a stern face. “Follow me”, he says and walks into the station with you three following.

You squeak quietly because of excitement and your heart beats out of your chest. You walk through the hallway, and already seeing the office of the DEA agent, but instead of walking further, Carrillo opens the door to the secretary’s office.

“There you go”, he says and you just stand there confused. But not only you’re confused, you also feel Javier and Steve’s confusing look. “Um… that’s the secretary’s office”, you mumble and Carrillo nods. “Yeah.”, he says confidently. “I’m a DEA agent, sir.”, you point out, still completely confused.

“Oh, your father didn’t told you yet?”, you shake your head to no. “Your dad wanted you to watch first, to get some feeling for the job before working completely as a DEA agent. Also, the case with Pablo Escobar is kind of heavy.”, Carrillo continues explaining and you can’t believe what you’re hearing.

“What.”, you gasp slightly and feeling complete anger flowing through your whole body.

“‘being your boss soon’, huh?”, you hear Javi quoting your message with a chuckle. You find that anything but funny. “Shut the fuck up.”, you growl to him, and then force a smile to Carrillo.

“If you would excuse me for a minute, sir.”, you mumble tensely and get out of the office, walking out of the station and calling your dad. Murphy and Peña follow you outside, watching you walk up and down while holding your cellphone to your ear.

“poor girl.”, Steve sighs while leaning against the wall. “guess daddy is pretty scared for her”, he adds and Javi sighs while lighting up a cigarette, handing the lighter to Steve. “I mean, she isn’t bad… I think she would be a good help for us.”, Javi says while taking a drag of his cigarette while they watch you literally yell into your cellphone.

“Dad what the actual fuck?! You know how hard I worked for becoming an agent, and now you’re hiring me as the fucking secretary?”, you yell upset. “You’re not even working as the Colonel with Carrillo anymore, how can you still decide something like that!?”

“I wouldn’t want to get into an argument with her, that’s clear..”, Steve mumbles as he’s taking a drag of his cigarette too and looks over to Javi, who’s just watching you.

“You’re planning to fuck with her again?”, he asks and laughs slightly. “Shut up, Murphy”, Javi mumbles. “No I mean seriously… I know you like her, man”, Steve says while you’re still yelling into your phone, shortly before throwing it on the street.

“‘dunno… I didn’t reply to her calls, or texts often after she left…”, Javi sighs.

“Wow.”, Steve gasps as he finishes smoking. “You really are an asshole”, Steve points out and claps on his shoulder.

“but seriously, she likes you, Peña. Make it up to her ”, he says seriously while you’re on the edge to destroy your phone. “You really need a woman in your life, man”.

“Dad, I’m fucking 26! I can take care of myself”, they hear and see you scream.

Javi starts thinking about Steve words and finishes his cigarette too.

“she’s not gonna throw her phone, is she?”, Steve asks while raising his eyebrows as he keeps watching you how literally go rage. “If you think that, you don’t know her enough”, Javi just answers and one second later, you hang up and throw your cellphone directly throw it on the ground.

Steve just stays there in shock. “Told you”, Javi chuckles. As Steve sees how you walk towards them, he immediately makes his way into the station again. “‘need to do some paperwork”, he excuses and Javi rolls his eyes at him.

You take a deep breath and walk to Javi. “Well unfortunately my dad thinks I’m incapable of taking care and defending myself, even if I trained my whole fucking life for this.”, you complain and run your hand through your hair.

“'guess being class best and graduating after such a long time, isn’t enough.”, you sigh and try to calm down. Javi just keeps looking at you.

“I’ll talk to him”, he suddenly says and you look at him. “what? with my dad? that won’t help”, you scoff. “No, I mean with Colonel Carrillo. "I have a good rapport with him.”, he tells you and puts his hand into his pockets.

“If it doesn’t help, you can come over to us in secret, going through some folders and stuff”, he suggests and you nod slowly. “yeah…”, you just sigh. “thanks.. “, you add, turn around and take your phone with a pretty broken display from the ground.

“Would you mind driving me to the grocery store? I don’t have my car yet”, you ask after some minutes of silence. He takes a look at his watch. “Well, I have thirty minutes until my shift begins, if you do it quick, then I can drive y-”, he replies while still leaning against the wall. “good, thanks.”, you cut him off and make your way to his car.

…

You're leaned on the card and walk through the market. Your cart is already half full and you’re soon finished. Javi was walking behind you and the whole time his eyes were fixed on your ass, you could feel it.

And that’s why you couldn’t stop smirking. “Stop smirking so much, you’ll get wrinkles”, he chuckles and you make your way towards the checkout. “says the man who’s soon in his 40s”, you tease him back and he laughs.

How much you love his laugh…

When you walk to his car with him carrying your two full grocery bags, he takes a look at his watch again and you hear him cuss in Spanish. “I’m already ten minutes late..”, Javier hisses.

“Oh, I’ll walk the rest. My apartment is not far from here and I have to get my cellphone repaired anyway.”, you say, wanting to take the bags from his hands. “I won’t let you walk home alone on these streets, especially if it’s getting dark.”, he says serious, not handing you over the bags. “I can defend myself, it’s fine. Go to work”, you mumble more seriously and grab your bags, ripping them out of his grip.

“When something happens to you-“, you cut him off. “Go to work”, you shout and make your way on the other side of the street.

You hear him cuss in Spanish behind you and just chuckle. You changed in many ways after one year, but one thing always stayed the same.

Your obstinacy, confidence and trust in your skills.

“maybe if you hadn’t been busy with staring at my ass, you would’ve checked the time earlier.”, you shout with a cheeky smile to him as he goes into his car. You chuckle and hear him drive away.

You know when the whole case about Pablo Escobar wasn’t so serious, you know he would’ve driven you home, but unfortunately it was.

It was getting dark and you made your way to a electronic shop. After you talked with the man behind the counter, he told you, you can pick up your phone tomorrow.

When you got out of the store, it was dark outside and got kinda cold. You wanted to put on your cardigan, but notice that you forgot it in Javier’s car. “fuck..”, you mumble and continue walking with your grocery bags.

A group of men were walking next to you on the other side of the street, beginning to catcall you. You start to feel uncomfortable and walk a little quicker, ignoring them. They were continuing catcalling you, and being a woman, alone on a street while it’s fucking dark, is kind of scary.

But that’s life as a woman, I guess…, you think

But you pull yourself together and remind yourself of your confidence, knowing you would knock the fuck out of them. You were five minutes away from your apartment, but suddenly one of the men decided to switch sidewalks and walk to you.

“Buenas noches, hermosa. ¿Buscas alojamiento?”, he asks while walking next to you.

Someone else calling you hermosa, who’s not Javier, gives you the shivers.

Your Spanish wasn’t perfect, but you think he asked you if you have a place to sleep tonight or something.

You continued ignoring him, and he continues speaking to you, but now you didn’t understand shit… and to be honest, you didn’t want to understand it.

You could sense and smell he’s drunk. “Vete a la mierda”, you tell him to fuck off.

Suddenly he grabs your arm, and that was it. You let fall your grocery bags, grab his hand and kick him right into his balls. He couldn’t react fast enough because of the alcohol, so you also kicked him with your knee right into his face.

You hear a car coming nearer, but ignore it. As the guy lies on the ground, you punch him right in his face. You hear his mates being shocked. “You want too? Come here then!”, you shout challenging, but they didn’t thought twice and ran away.

You just scoff as you see them walking away and bending down to grab to pick up your groceries.

Suddenly, you feel a hand on your back. “Cariño, are you o-“, before your brain can process and recognise that it’s Javier’s voice, you punch him directly into his face. You hear him groan in pain and as you look up, you see his car. “Omg- I’m so sorry-“, you panic and take his hand into your face, looking at his bleeding nose. You take out a tissue of your shorts and hold it against his nose.

“I thought it was someone of these men-“, he cuts you off and takes the tissue himself. “You got a hell of a punch, you know that”, he says while holding the tissue at his nose.

A part of your brain starts thinking, he deserves it. For ignoring you for so long. You start to form s slight smirk on your lips, but then throw the thought away.

“What a secretary I am, huh?”, you chuckle and pick up your groceries. He stuffed the tissue into his nose and then helps you, getting all your groceries together and then lifting up your grocery bags.

“Don’t you have to work?”, you ask him confused because it was just 20 minutes ago when he left. “‘told Carrillo I forgot a folder at home, I can’t let a beautiful woman like you, walk home alone.”, he says while going to his car. “but I have to say, you handled the situation pretty well, he’s completely knocked out.”, he smirks and gets the grocery bags in his car.

As he called you beautiful, you blush slightly and take a seat in his car. “‘didn’t train for nothing, you know”, you giggle while he starts the engine and drives you home.

As you arrive after literally 2 minutes, you take your cardigan and get out of the car. “thank you for still looking for me”, you mumble and put the cardigan on.

“no problem… but I kind of deserved this punch, didn’t I?”, he sighs while you take your grocery bags.

Now you can’t hide your dirty smirk anymore.

“Yeah, you kind of did”, you answer and close his car door.

“‘wish you a good shift then, be careful”, you give him a smile and then walk to the building, getting out your keys. “see you tomorrow, hermosa”, he calls after you and as you walk through the door, you hear him drive off.

...

The next morning you finally got your car and could drive alone. Even if you enjoyed Javier’s as your driver. You get to the DEA station and walk to your office…

You see a sign with your name on your desk, and under it is written: secretary.

Yup, still hate that, you think and let out a loud sigh.

You take a seat on your chair and lean back. After a while some woman comes in and gives you some paperwork, and also a folder that you can catch up with everything. Even if the thought, that you normally could work in the DEA office to take down some of Pablo’s guys, makes you angry, you need to live with it for a while now. And then, you get started…

After some hours you hear a knock on your door. “Come in”, you say loud and as you look up who it is, you roll your eyes. “Agent Peña”, you call him while having the folder in the hand.

“‘The previous secretary was fired because being caught flirting, kissing and sleeping with one of the agents’”, you read out loud and then look up at him. “And who might that be huh?”, you ask serious while raising an eyebrow at him, knowing exactly who it probably was.

“Even if you won’t believe me now, it wasn’t me”, he answers and places a coffee on your desk. You raise your eyebrows at him. And he was right, you didn’t believe him.

But, why should you care? You’re not together or anything… but the thought of him fucking another women, makes you jealous… and kinda sad.

“you’re fucking all your secretaries now, Agent Peña?”, you ask cheeky while being leaned back in your chair. He just chuckles while shaking his head and places his hands on your desk, leaning against it.

“No, just you.”, he answers and you choke on your coffee because you took a sip.

“We’re definitely not fucking and I’m not your secretary.”, you say serious to make a point.

He takes a cigarette from his ear into his fingers and puts it between his lips, while making his way out of your office.

“Yeah, we’ll see about that in some weeks.”

[daintydoilypon]

So, I talked to my financial advisor, which I only have bc of my Inherited IRA. Even though I inherited various assets, I have a 2% CHANCE OF RETIRING at 67 if I have a job that pays less than 35k/year and only put $100/month into my new Roth IRA.

Even though I got a big leg up from those in my age bracket and below me, I'm STILL in red, to put that in perspective.

Now, the stocks and things I invest into can accrue and that percentage will fluctuate, but, if they were to stay the same, it's a 2% chance. It went up to 3% this week, yeehaw, but until it hits like 75%, it's like a drop in the bucket. It can also change drastically if I were to get married because your retirement is also based on your spouse's assets. Like, my mom gets $800/month, but when my dad retires, it will go up to 1.2k. But I don't want to assume I'm gonna get married, I want to do things based on the worst case financial scenario.

I wanted to bring this up because a lot of my generation and younger aren't even being offered 401ks or pensions anymore, but you can start one yourself and put what you can in it. I do not pay my guy, he takes 1% of the gains from the IRA itself. It's actually less than that because my whole family is with him. I'm getting Silo in on it, so my whole family and him will get that deal. I can recommend my guy if you want in on the family/friends deal. It does NOT cost anything to start with him other than the initial amount you want to invest. I cannot say for other businesses, unfortunately.

But I really want to make sure y'all get a start on it because I'm considered late. They really recommend starting in your 20s since, if you start by your mid-30s, it gets significantly harder each year because you have to invest a higher percentage of your income into it. Thus why he recommended investing $500 / month for me because he projects the monthly costs for when I retire to be 4.5-6.5k/month. If you start earlier, you have a longer period of time for your investments to accrue, and you only have to put $100 or whatever you can. So, please, get at least a Roth IRA going. SPECIFICALLY A ROTH. It gets taxed going in, but when you take it out later in life when it's worth more, it won't be.

I cannot say for a brokerage, as I have not started that yet, but he does recommend one of those as well. Make sure to do your own research on that one.

I know some don't have the opportunity to talk to a Financial Advisor, because it may/may not cost money depending on who you go to, so I wanted to share what I was told. So, that's the general idea or scope of things, at least here in the States, so I hope this helps!

[sirfrogsworth]

Actually, I might have too many reasons.

I'm afraid it has been a really difficult few years for me and my family.

Our beloved corgi, Otis, developed a terrible condition (degenerative myelopathy) that made him lose the function of his back legs. Once his quality of life diminished passed the point where he could no longer experience joy as a dog and only had hardship and suffering to look forward to, we had to put him to sleep.

In February, despite taking painstaking measures to stay safe, my entire family contracted COVID and I also developed a kidney stone at the same time. Unfortunately, my mother was on medication that made her immune system pretty much useless. She died a horribly lonely death in the ICU. The last time I got to speak to her was over the telephone, with a nurse holding the phone up to her face. She was confused and scared and could not breathe despite being on two different breathing aids. All she could do was ask if my dad and I were okay. She was more worried about us than herself. Then they had to put her mask back on and she kept trying to talk even though I couldn't understand her. All I could hear was the fear in her voice. I tried to tell her how much I loved her one last time, but I have no idea if she could hear me.

She lost consciousness soon after and never woke up. Eventually her heart gave up and she passed. I only got to see her once briefly through a glass door. Her body was still alive, but she was already gone at that point. Just an unconscious vessel attached to machines.

My father has kidney failure and heart failure. He is being kept alive by dialysis 3 times per week. He hates going and it wipes him out every time. We hope he has a year or two left, but it's impossible to know for sure.

I am his caretaker even though I am also disabled with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Narcolepsy. I do my best to make sure his needs are met. My brother has been almost no help at all. A few friends and my aunt come by every once in a while to help with chores, but it's pretty much just me alone taking care of the both of us.

I have no idea where I am going to live if my dad passes away. I have no plan. I have no energy to make a plan. And that fear makes it hard to sleep many nights.

Then I was having these horrible stomach issues and lost nearly 30 pounds (in a bad way). The discomfort got so bad at one point I became suicidal. My dad feared for my life and so he called the police and EMTs. They admitted me into the hospital. After 2 days in the ER, being stuck in a small room because they had no other place to put me during COVID, I was finally admitted to a psychiatric ward for observation. Weirdly my stomach issues started improving and my suicidal thoughts passed.

I'm honestly not sure if I would have taken my own life if I had not been admitted. But I will say those two days in a tiny ER room did not do much to improve my mental health. It is sad that in this country with all its resources, there is no such thing as urgent mental healthcare. They just stick you in a room and make sure you can't hurt yourself as you wait in line to get the actual help you need.

Thankfully I was able to adjust some medication I was taking and resolve my stomach issues. That seemed to relieve me of my dangerous thoughts and I have been okay in that regard ever since.

My dad had a serious infection in July that placed him in the hospital. He lost the ability to walk, his heart stopped briefly, and he started having horrible hallucinations. At one point I wasn't sure if he would ever return to reality. Nothing he said made any sense. Thankfully once they treated the infection and he got decent sleep he returned to lucidity. But he had to go through brutal rehab in order to walk again (with a walker and only short distances).

He was in hospital and rehab for over a month. After what happened to my mom, I promised myself that my dad would not be alone in the hospital. So, no matter how bad I physically felt, I pushed myself to visit him and be at his bedside every day and all day until they kicked me out. It was grueling for both of us, but I don't know if he would have recovered if I hadn't been there. Partly because I kept his spirits up, but also because I was able to get him better care as an advocate. I had to push to make sure he got the tests and medication he needed and saw the doctors that could help him. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done.

The only bright side of his hospital stay is that we rediscovered our love for St. Louis Cardinals baseball. We bonded over it and ended up watching every game. We were very sad when they were quickly eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. But it was a magical season as two fan-favorite players were playing their final season and they had amazing and emotional sendoffs. (Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina) It is my hope that my dad has at least one more baseball season left in him.

My health took a serious downturn earlier this year. It happened on the very same day that my best friend Katrina came to visit from Florida. I got so sick I could barely appreciate her presence when she was here. I had been looking forward to seeing her for a very long time and my stupid chronic illness ruined it. I was counting on that visit to give me a mental health boost.

I recovered a few weeks later, but my health has never been the same. I had to adjust to a new normal and adapt and find ways to take care of my father despite being further impaired.

I also lost my last creative outlet--writing. I enjoy researching and writing long and humorous political essays, but since my health declined further, I have not been able to write like that ever since. I'm really hoping I can regain that ability, but I'm unsure if that will happen.

One of my best friends is trans and I have many trans friends and followers and I am just really scared for them right now. The laws that are being proposed and passed are unjust and cruel. I have never witnessed such an effective campaign of hatred in my lifetime. I mean, I know there has always been hatred of the marginalized in every era of modern human existence, but this seems to go beyond just the conservative hate-mongers. It is not couched in subtext and dog whistles. It is overt and very "out loud." And I'm seeing people who claim to be progressive join in this hatred.

They are suddenly super worried about sports they never used to pay attention to. They think bathrooms are suddenly dens of danger despite trans people existing long before this concentrated hate became popular and bathrooms being perfectly safe beforehand. And now people believe that helping trans kids with proper healthcare is akin to child abuse. They think accepting trans kids is "grooming."

I see Twitter and Reddit threads filled with transphobia and it often brings me to tears to see people openly and comfortably hate the people I love so much. They hate people who have no tangible effect on their lives. People who just want to exist and be respected.

I just don't know how people can hate my friends so much without even knowing them.

Also, I'm just... really really lonely. All the time. It feels like a constant punch in the gut. I miss seeing and hugging my friends. I miss romantic companionship. And I've got a 20+ year streak of being sexually frustrated and am completely unsure how in the world to address that.

And finally, I decided to watch The Handmaid's Tale which is just full of rape and sadness. I figured I'm already horribly depressed, so a show probably isn't going to do much more damage. But it is still a tough watch.

That's the major headlines of my depression.

I'm just trying to survive and find little ways to cope. Mostly I am leaning on my support system and amazing best friends to keep me propped up and functioning.

Best I can do right now.

[themultifandomgal]

Adam Ruzek- Shirts

Prompts11&30 Are you wearing ____ shirt? Are you wearing last nights clothes?

Adam and I have been dating in secret now for a few months. The reason we have kept it secret is because of my dad Hank Voight, plus Adam and I are partners in intelligence. Last night I slept over at Adams place, but unfortunately I didn't have any clean clothes there so I'm having to wear what I had on yesterday and hope no one notices. Adam arrived to work 10 minutes before me

"Morning Trudy" I smile at the woman behind the desk. Trudy frowns looking at me then goes back to whatever she's doing

"Morning" she mutters. I scan myself in and walk up to intelligence. Straight away I head to the break room so I can make myself a coffee

"Are you wearing yesterdays clothes? Who's the lucky guy?" Erin, the girl that practically my sister, wiggles her eyebrows as she walks in to the break room

"What a girl can't own two of the same black jeans and black shirt?" I cross my eyebrow "and anyway maybe I'm saving on my washing" I go back to making my coffee and Erin shuts the door behind her

"I know that look, you got some last night. So spill"

"No way. I know you. I'll tell you who will tell Jay who will tell Antonio who will tell his wife who will probably say something to Trudy so by that time not only will all of 21 know but the whole of 51 and Med will know"

"Ok ok" Erin holds up her hands and leaves the break room as I pour my hot water into the coffee cup.

Once again I stay over at Adams place. We hadn't long ordered Chinese food when I hear a knock on the door

"I'll get the door" I call out as Adam is in the shower. Opening up the door I'm shocked to see Jay holding up beer cans

"What are you doing here? Are you wearing Adams shirt?" It then seems to click in his mind "it's you!"

"Shhh" I pull Jay in

"Your the one Adam is sleeping with"

"Damn it Jay. Do not tell anyone do you understand?"

"Or what?" Jay smirks making me give him daggers "0k my lips are sealed" Jay holds up his hands in the air "but it won't be long until everyone else figures it out"

"Well we've done alright for the last 3 months" I lead Jay over to the couch and sit down

"So where is lover boy?"

"He's in the shower he'll be out in a couple of minutes"

Like I said Adam walks out with his towel wrapped around his waist and rubbing his now damp hair with another towel. Looking fine as hell might I add. He stops in his tracks when we sees Jay and I having a beer in my hand

"Ah here he is"

"I thought..." he looks at me a little confused

"I was the Chinese food? Yeah sorry to disappoint. Came over to have a beer with you but was a little shocked when I say YN open the door"

"She came over to watch the game" Adam says trying to give us a cover

"That's the worst lie I've ever heard. We both know YN hates football"

"He figured it out anyway. Said he wasn't going to tell anyone"

"Hmmm. I'll get changed and join you both" I watch as Adam walks back into his bedroom. Jay gives me a nudge and wiggles his eyes. I roll mines and take a sip of my beer. Once Adam is changed he settles on the couch next to me with an arm around me and me leaning into him. Before I know it I'm asleep.

Just like before Adam arrives before me, luckily I have clean clothes because I decided to go home first to get changed. When I arrive I greet Trudy who gives me a smirk

"Have fun last night?" I frown at her

"Erm yeah?" Then it dawns on me. Jay!

I run up to intelligence

"JAY HALSTEAD!" I yell making my way up to him "you told everyone about me and Adam?"

"No, but you just did"

"Adams the guy you've been seeing!" Erin shouts

"Why are you all shouting?" dad comes out of his office clearly irritated

"Errr..."

"YN and Adam..." Jay starts saying but Erin puts her hand over his mouth to stop him any further

"YN, Adam my office. Now!" As I walk past Jay I make eye contact

"Your dead" I whisper and walk into my dads office bracing myself for what's about to come.

[06sunnybunny06]

Part 3 (Aren't we friends?)

[18+]

♡♡♡♡

The kingdom of Archon Krio (Snowy)

Run, run, just run. Anywhere, but away from him!

My head was pounding and my legs were hurting. Adrenaline was pumping through my veins. The burning snowstorm did not allow him to escape from his embrace. Mad laughter came from behind. This is a sign of his approach. - "No. To return to his hands again? I don't want to!"

Tears flowed down her cheeks, turning into icy droplets. My legs started to hurt terribly. You're tired. Your foot tripped over a snag, knocking you into a snowdrift. This was the last attempt to act in any way. "Maybe when he notices the body, the life will have already left me?" - Unfortunately, your thoughts were drowned out by the crunch of heavy footsteps.

- Nice try. I even thought that I had already lost you.

Despite the whole situation, his tone was still playful. You ran away. She ran away almost as soon as he moved away from your temporary shelter. It was a great plan, but judging by the result, it wasn't good enough.

Ajax easily picked you up in his arms. First he looked at your half-conscious face. When his eyes revealed no injuries or frostbite, he chuckled contentedly.

- Let's get you out of here. It will be a miracle if you don't get sick after that. I know how much you like our games, but I'm seriously asking you. Don't bring it to injuries. - The last words were spoken in a serious tone.

You don't remember what happened next. Just a wonderful dream from a previous life. A warm breeze played with your hair when you were flying a kite in the form of a child. Mom and Dad were sitting next to each other. They have the same peaceful smiles on their faces as you remember them. For some reason, my heart felt so painful and anxious. The kite flew out of the hands of an already adult girl when a thunderstorm was approaching in the sky. The place where your parents were sitting is empty. Loneliness consumed you and then you remembered.

His eyes flew open, staring at the ceiling. It turned out that the tears were real. Ragged breathing broke the silence in the room. You're here again. It would have been better to die in that snowdrift than to come back here again.

How did it all start? Oh, yes, with the news of your wedding. You went to Snezhnaya to meet with Child's family. He was obviously glad that he had already taken his fiancee with him. It seemed to you that all this was more like a performance than a real marriage of two lovers. Moreover, it's unexpected, but it couldn't be any other way. If only recruitment into the ranks of Fatui. So, Child is yours in every way, but at what cost?

After your wedding, his chains seemed to fall off, opening the way to you. He was weird before, but now he seems to have turned into a real obsessive maniac. When you arrived at this establishment, the dressing room was already filled with your new clothes. Although you never mentioned your size. Okay, winter clothes, you've never had them, but you have everything from outerwear to underwear. You doubtfully decided to omit this point because Child has always been generous. Perhaps someone convinced him to prepare for your arrival. There's nothing wrong with that.

Child's family turned out to be exactly what he was talking about. A real big family with loving parents and siblings. They welcomed you warmly. The mother's eyes showed that she was afraid for her child's future. Now that he has you, will he be able to temper his ardor? From that moment on, Child wanted to hear his real name, Ajax, from your mouth.

You did not stay in your parents' house, because you had your own corner, albeit temporary. Until the next departure on the harbinger's assignment. Naturally, you will have to go with him. The trip can take from several months.

"If I'm far enough away, how can I protect you?" Besides, Fatui are not particularly friendly. Leaving an angel like you with them is fraught with bad consequences for your psyche. Or there will be some idiot who will fall in love with you, and I would not like that.

You had no choice but to agree. Moreover, the trip will not hurt anyone. If he is traveling for work, then you can relax in peace, enjoying this or that country. But something was still wrong. For some reason, my soul is not at ease from the presence of your spouse. Maybe it's because of his grip, which is getting heavier and lingers longer than usual. Maybe his eyes are as dark as the depth itself, which scan your every move. His awareness of your life was terrifying. Yes, you were friends, but you were careful with him and never told him unnecessary information. I really want to get my old life back.

Ajax looked into your shared bedroom, thinking you were asleep. When he saw your open eyes, a smile appeared on his face.

- Thank the archons, you have woken up. The doctor has come to examine you. He claims that your health is not in danger, but strongly recommends that you no longer go out in light clothes. I had to tell him that you were sleepwalking, which is why you ended up on the street almost naked.

Of course he lied. What kind of crazy person would even decide to run away from her own husband in a snowstorm in the woods?

- Child, let me go.

His eyes instantly darkened. The figure of Childe looms over you, leaning on the hand that he brought to your face. "First of all, my name is Ajax. Secondly, it is impossible, given our circumstances."

- Then maybe I should die." Not really, but just to fake his death.

He chuckled when he heard your suggestion. - " Did you really decide to leave me all alone when you and I got married?"

There are tears in your eyes. There was nothing you could do but convince him.

- You've done a lot of bad things to me. You've made my life a living hell. Everyone I loved is dead. And it's all your fault.

He grunted in displeasure, looking away. "Do you really blame me for the death of your family? I told you what happens when one of the Fatwa members turns traitor. I didn't know until one of the soldiers reported the location of the deserters' hideout. Who would have thought that your parents were one of them? Is that the only reason you decided to run away? When did we come all this way together?"

You pursed your lips. His words accused you of doing it because of a little tantrum. Like a child who was not allowed to do something, and he took it with hostility. It's a shame.

It seems that fate itself is waiting for you, revealing the dark side of Ajax, as it should be. Some time ago, one of the employees came across you dropping reports. When he quickly disappeared apologetically, you noticed another piece of paper that had fallen behind a large flower during your encounter. You wanted to catch up with him, but your eyes noticed something much more interesting. The report clearly states who died at the hands of the organization and for what. The names of people I knew seemed to glow on the paper in red ink, and most importantly, who exactly started this operation was your husband. It looks more like a betrayal than an accident. If he was planning to commit genocide in your village, then what the hell does he need you for? Questions raced through my mind. It feels like you're going crazy. There is a clear line between the concept of "lying for good" and just lying. But what Child did was a real scam.

Considering that you are now surrounded by snow-capped mountains and forests, there is no direct exit from here. Are you trapped and with whom? Someone who buried your past with his own hands. If you go anywhere, you will be guarded. With such soldiers, you need to be practically invisible to slip away unnoticed. It seems that the cryo archon itself has taken you into its cold hands, despite its blessing of the cryo archon. There is only one thing left - to go to certain death....But this idea also failed.

Ajax tried to calm you down somehow by stroking your head. It's all about love. Yes, it's love. From your first meeting, you naively relied on Childe, knowing nothing about Li Yue, as if you were already connected. He remembered his younger brother, Teucer. Curiosity, naivety and a desire to live in a bright world accurately described your condition. The great similarity between you has activated the role of protector in the harbinger's soul. Your face sometimes took on a childish expression rather than an adult one, like other residents of Li Yue. This is a city of contracts, where everyone has an idea about finance, business, and so on. It is not difficult to see visitors, especially those who do not understand anything about society. It's like being born in a safe cocoon and being thrown into this dirty, cruel world.

He immediately noticed the snow roots in your face, behavior and manner of speech. It remains only to find out whose fruit of love you are. Imagine his surprise when the soldier sent your relatives in search of you. He talked about people who live in a small hidden village located in the middle of nowhere. In fact, these are the disappeared Statues. Each of them had some kind of tragedy behind them. From death in the clutches of one of the monsters to death as a result of natural disasters. Who had the imagination for what. His breath caught in his throat. Isn't this a great chance to win your heart? This is a great opportunity to make it clear what will happen if your family somehow deprives him of the opportunity to be with you. That was the plan-just to get to know each other better. But the former Fatui had other thoughts on this matter. They decided to fight for their existence, someone tried to escape. When he personally plunged the water blade into your father's body, your mother just stared, losing all hope. You and she really have something in common in your face. They didn't acknowledge your existence. It seemed like they didn't have a daughter, but what they left behind proved the exact opposite. Your room is tiny compared to what he can give you. Your clothes smelled like you, as if they had been taken off recently. He took away almost everything that reminded him of you. When Tartaglia turned to the still-warm bodies, a glint on the woman's finger caught his attention. A silver snowflake ring. This decoration will be a good addition to your love.

He sighed blissfully. Now there are no obstacles to creating your cozy nest. All that remains is to protect you from the Queen's influence. She'll be glad to see a soldier with his cryo element. But all this was not for her, but for Childe.

- I won't give it to anyone...

He is afraid of losing you, as well as his family, because of Fatua, because of the queen. They are all dangerous to you. Tartaglia specifically develops strength in order to protect her loved ones, but in your case this will not be enough. It will take a trick. Only marriage remains. Yes, this is what you need. You didn't realize at all that you grew up among traitors. Child, on the contrary, saved you from their influence. Fortunately, his nonsense reached the ears of the ruler. She blessed your marriage. That was enough to take you under my wing. The most important thing is that you don't find out the whole truth. That's what he thought until today.

Something was wrong. Your face didn't show its old smile during his departure. My gut was bothering me. When Ajax came home, you weren't there. You just disappeared. When he went outside, panic seized him. There was no one in the yard. "Where the hell are all the employees?! Why isn't anyone looking out for her?!"

When the guy didn't find you, he was overcome by a feeling of anger mixed with madness. He started laughing out loud. He couldn't even save one jewel. Calming down, Child began to act. Even if you left, you wouldn't be able to get far in such a storm. There were footprints in the snow. Your footprints. The panic began to recede, but there are many dangers in the forest. Plus, if you add a snowstorm. Unless you die of frostbite...

He was happy that you were alive. For some reason, you don't want to see him anymore.

"You know, I risked my life to save you. Do you have any idea what I'm like? Taking care of my family is part of my responsibilities, and now you've become a part of them too. All my life, I've done everything just for the people I love. Don't I deserve the same love from you?

His desperate thoughts surprised you. Until the Fatuis noticed your presence, they sometimes talked about Ajax as a killing machine. They were afraid of him. But this is not a monster in front of you right now. This is a man with his own fears and desires.

And here it is again. The feeling of guilt overwhelmed you. He's doing it on purpose! How many times have you fallen for his manipulations, but if you think about it, that's how it is. He protects you, pays for everything necessary for your comfort. If you weigh the scales, then his side will be heavier than yours. But his love is scary and obsessive.

You groaned in displeasure. My head is about to explode from so many contradictions. One person has just appeared in your life, and has already caused so many problems.

"I-I can't leave you, no matter what.... - Tears started flowing from your eyes. You're desperate.- I do not know what to do. It hurts me, I'm scared. You are guilty and at the same time not guilty at all. Why is all this happening to me? I wanted to live freely, like an ordinary person. To look at the stars when I can't sleep, to get up early because of workdays. There are all sorts of goodies, and when the weather is very warm, go to the sea. But none of this makes sense right now. Because of the connection with you, I feel like a puppet who is controlled the way they want...

Emotions have enveloped you. You burst into tears, having no idea how to continue living. Ajax lay down next to you and hugged you. Who knew that your tears are so exciting? His arms wrapped around your sniffling face as your lips closed with each other. His tongue found its way into your mouth without difficulty.

You were so preoccupied with your grief that you didn't notice how the light nightgown was slipping down. His hands started wandering over your body. The kissing tracks first marked the chin until they were at the level of the collarbones.

You exhaled when you felt a big cold hand squeeze your chest. Fingers squeezed the hardened nipples, playing with them. Ajax, for the sake of keeping warm, did not take off his clothes, continuing to descend lower and lower over your body.

Wait, what are you doing? - You realized his actions when Ajax started pulling off your white lace panties. His personal gift.

- Isn't it time for us to fulfill our marital duty? I'll prove to you how much I care about you. He licked his lips, admiring your entrance. He just wanted to taste her. His tongue began to wander over sensitive lips, penetrating inside. Whatever your taste is, it's divine, and now it all belongs to Ajax.

You tried to restrain your moans, feeling how pleasant it becomes in the lower abdomen from your husband's courtship. It feels like a knot is being tied inside. Your hand tried to pull his head away from your vagina, but Child wrapped his arms tightly around your legs for support, not allowing you to move an inch. He clung like an animal, absorbing any secretions. And now you are already standing at the aisle, breathing becomes heavier, the rhythm is faster and, finally, liberation.

With a loud groan, you sank onto the pillow. The blood was throbbing in his temples. It was so nice. The blanket with Childe rose above you. His chin was covered with wet tracks, and his tongue was defiantly licking everything off his fingers.

- Look what you've done. If you didn't love me, this wouldn't have happened. "Your face is red from his teasing.

"Are you kidding me again?" I can leave if you don't finish!

He just giggled at your threat. - "Well, no, since we started, we need to finish."

You felt something hard pressing between your legs. " Do you feel it? This is the fruit of my love. He's only like this because of you, silly. He must be deep inside you for us to finally connect."

You were scared. "It will be unpleasant for me. And if it hurts?"

-Shh, I'll be careful not to do that. - Ajax kissed your forehead, soothing you.

You closed your eyes, listening to him unzip the zipper. Something solid began to invade your space, which caused an unpleasant stretching. You suffered a little discomfort clutching the blanket in your hands. There was a groan from Child.

- God, it's so tight. My dear, you have received me so well. I entered almost completely.

His lips pressed against yours as he began to move slowly. His arms wrap around yours without opening them. After a while, the discomfort was replaced by pleasant tremors. The rhythm became even faster, accompanied by moans in your mouths. The room was filled with heat, moans, and skin-to-skin patting. A knot began to form in my stomach again. Ajax pulled away from you, forming a bridge of saliva between you. His eyes looked into yours with love, his cheeks were covered with blush. He hugged you again, moaning right in your ear.

- I love you, I love you so much. You have no idea how long I've wanted this!

He didn't mention that his patience could have broken down much earlier. How he wanted to kiss you, put you on his desk, spread your legs and enter. To taste you. These thoughts made his groan louder. At one point, you both froze, freeing yourself. His white milk mixed with the secretions inside you. You were breathing heavily, calming your breathing, when you felt the tremors resume.

- what? Isn't that all?

Ajax looked excited, and hearts seemed to appear in his eyes. "But we didn't fully enjoy it! I want more. You can't refuse me, can you? I've done so much for you."

It was more than once. You've already stopped counting the number of orgasms. He started all over again anyway, changing his position one by one.

Almost in the morning you were lying unconscious, hugging each other tightly. Ajax opened his eyes for a moment, listening to your measured breathing. He did everything to make you lose your strength for something. The guy hoped that your thoughts would now be directed in his direction, and not be sad about the death of your family. He is ready to please at least every day, for the sake of your love. You're not going to get anywhere anyway. Maybe if you create your own family, you won't torment yourself with the past anymore?

Ajax sighed blissfully and kissed your forehead. He got comfortable, hugged you tighter and plunged into the land of Morpheus.

[piplicious]

Dip Week Day 3!!!

Hello I wrote a little something based on a conversation I had with @/pipcorn. But I have like no experience as a writer!!! So you have to be nice to me. + theres a drawing inside :3

Word count: 1366 words

Ship: Damien x Pip

Warnings: none whatsoever

Summary: it's Damien's Birthday and everything is on fire.

"By the power of all unholy and evil I command --all the mortals come to my birthday party!!!"

Despite the very clear and easy to understand demand of his highness son of Satan, no one was there. Creatures of darkness were present, of course, but that was about it. The little black demon beings were all sat at a special table, reserved specifically for them, with all the appropriate evil meals served and ready. But what about Damien's other friends (or so he'd like to think of them)? Did he not manage to make everyone in class like him by being a little asshole?

Unfortunately, Hell was going through a bit of a financial crisis, and some unplanned budget cuts had to be made. Instead of a big fancy banquet Damien had to make do with a regular size birthday party. Well, it was a bit below regular, you can't underestimate the impact inflation and excessive risk taking by systemically important financial institutions have on otherworldly dimentions. Obviously.

As a result, materialistic humans didn't really feel like attending such an underwhelming event.

"AAARGH"

The AAARGH didn't help. So strange! At least one boy should've come. One very specific little lad! And a very important one, too, but shush about that.

And yet no one was there. The party had started whole 5 minutes ago after all! Could it be… that maybe the invintations got lost? Well, no, because then Pip surely would've come. Damien made sure to personally disturb the signal in the 500 meters radius area by shooting his rubber duck-like voice all the way to Pip over the phone exactly 5 times. One time -- a month before the birthday, so that the blond has enough time to prepare the presents. Then a week before the celebration -- enough time for Pip to make sure to cancel all the plans for the special day. Then one day before the birthday - in the morning and in the evening. And don't forget the mandatory 5 AM call.

And so, utterly dissapointed, the grumpy lump of rage continued pouting even harder than usual. I'd like to say that his hope for humanity was completely gone by that time (6 minutes past the official beginning of the party), but let's be honest, it's South Park, why would it ever be there in the first place.

"Happy Birthday, son. Today is a beautiful day and you're only 9 years away from the day I tell you the truth about how you were made."

"Dad. WHE--??"

"I know, I know what you want to say, I see that half of the room is on fire already. But first I have a very important gift for you."

"DAAAAAA--"

…!

And there, a sudden strike of silence hit the room. Damien's instincts freezed and crashed! The "gift" that loomed out of the hallway made him unsure whether to hiss or wag his tail. Or both?

"G-good morning, Damien! I'm here to wish you a very happy birthday and hopefully entertain you for the duration of my stay here…! Hope you didn't… miss me?"

The little british boy that just came in already managed to pick up that something about Damien's reaction was off, as the later made incomprehensible noises and it was hard to read what exactly he was feeling at the moment. It would seem illogical, as Pip was the exact person lacking at the event, and yet the way he appeared rubbed the demon in a wrong way.

"Are you… mad at me? Ohh… I see… No one has come to your party? No worries!!! I understand how you feel, sogga, no one attends my celebratio--"

"Why are you wearing that!!!"

"Oh it's a clown outfit, your father asked me to--"

"DAD?????"

And so Satan had to step into the conversation between the fourthgraders. What an interesting sentence out of context!

"You see, due to the financial situation we couldn't afford a professional entertainer, and dead soul tortures are already reserved for when you get good grades, so I figured getting your buddy to pretend to be a clown for your birthday would be good enough."

"I DON'T WANT HIM TO BE A CLOWN!"

"But why?"

Giving absolutely no answer, the hissy boy left the room and it almost seemed like he had a little tear in his eye. And so, Pip, Satan, and a hoard of unholy creatures whatever they are, were left astounded in a room with more fire in it than food or tables.

What a confusing situation! But of course giving up would mean missing the chance to save your lo-- your friend's important day, right? That's not a very caring behavior. Pip would not want to leave Damien behind, no. It takes some thick gloves and a lot of bravery to deal with wild kittens like that. And a heart big enough to give them all the space they need to not feel intimidated anymore.

"There, there."

Pip sat near the curled up demon, petting his back and waiting for him to cool down and relax his eyebrows at least a bit. And boy did he take his sweet time cooling down, this is not your average tray of freshly baked brownies.

"I-I don't want to rush you or anything, but could I perhaps get a hint about why you're mad at me?"

Nope. Not happening.

"It appears I have to try guessing myself… Do you want me to leave?"

Damien shook his head. Somehow everything became even more confusing.

"Are you… afraid of clowns?"

Not that either.

"I don't know what else it could be then…"

"…I wanted you to come because you want to. Not because you have to."

The boy who for some reason had to remind Pip about his birthday 5 times looked away in embarassment. Could it be that there was actually some kind of thought process happening behind those eyes? It seemed that this time his friends' intentions actually mattered to him and it wasn't just about seeming cool in front of the elite of the class. Pip was nice sincerely and it made a big difference! If he came willingly it would be clear what he came for. Damien's smile or something gay like that.

"…How much did he pay you?"

"For what?"

"For you to come."

"Oh good golly i'm going to get paid?"

The utter confusion in blonde's eyes eventually cleared up all the doubts in Damien's mind.

"No."

"Oh alrighties."

"I think I understand. Only a brit would willingly attend a party where the only food being served is unholy goop and satanic porridge."

"It's not that, Damien, I just--"

Pip started fidgeting awkwardly with the fabric of his clothes like a shy anime girl. Unusual, since most of the time when he liked someone it was extremely visible to everyone around. Well, it was, it very much was visible this time either but somehow not to Damien.

"You see, back when I was born as a little baby in a small town of--"

"Shorter."

"I have feelings for you."

"Oh. Wait what. Wait. That's gay."

"Indeed it is, Damien. I understand if you want me to leave even harder than before now, I--"

Instead of jokingly utilizing the diverse pallete of homophobic slurs in English language the demon boy's eyes immediately brightened up. He didn't exactly know why yet, but it actually… cheered him up? His buddy was actually more than just a buddy! They could spend so much time together like those two yaois from their class! Now the hard part is actually somehow returning feelings and admitting the same thing. Oh Go-- Oh man it sure is more embarassing than he thought… But it must be oh so worth it!!!

The poor British thing just sat there waiting for any even remotely coherent answer. His anxiety was only soothed by the fact that the fire in the house began slowly extinguishing, which probably meant that Damien wasn't angry with him. Fortunately he didn't need to wait too long.

"You're my boyfriend now."

"Okay."

There. The hardest part is now behind, time to jump straight to the part that has handholding and fun dates in it.

***

[mischivana]

Letting You Go Was the Hardest Thing I had to Do.

Will Solace x Sibling!reading

Requested by anonymous.

Masterlist

I looked out the window again, it was English and again I wasn't paying attention. My mind was elsewhere, on something, someone, more important. I watched as the pairs of late siblings ran to the school from the parking lot or ran out of minivans being scolded by their mothers.

I thought about my brother again. My half-brother. How much I missed him and how mad I was that he chose not to be here. I knew it wasn’t his fault though, it was his dad’s. Yep we have different fathers. But it’s more complicated than that.

My name is y/n Solace, my half-brother is Will Solace. The thing that sets us apart though, he’s a demi-god. His father is Apollo, yep the sun dude. I'm not a demi-god, pure mortal blood right here. It never got in the way of our brother-sister relationship though, not until now at least.

During the summer Will goes to this camp, Camp Half-Blood I think he called it. It's basically a safe haven for demi-gods, a place where they can train and be safe from monsters. Yep monsters, they’re real. One almost killed me and my brother one time. I think he called it an Empousai?

Usually he only goes during the summer, hence the name SUMMER camp. Which was nice, he would go to camp and then spend the school year with me. Sure I couldn’t be with my best friend for 3 months but I’d wrather he’d be alive. But this year he decided to stay at camp, which means I won’t see him for another year. Mom says it’s because he's the head of the Apollo cabin and their best healer. Makes sense, still hurts.

I was too busy thinking about my brother to notice my name being called. “y/n? y/n? Y/N!” my teacher yelled. I quickly turned to the board and saw a couple people snicker. I ignored them and said “Yes miss?” I didn’t know what she wanted but I knew it wasn’t good. “Since you seem to be so distracted, you must know the topic already? Care to answer the question on the board?” I looked at the board and answered quickly. “The subject is referring to a place so the correct form would be ‘there’ not ‘their’” I said. She looked at me for a second, pleased with my answer, before turning and continuing her lecture.

I looked back towards the window when I heard a ridiculous scream followed by the sound of running footsteps and hooves on the epoxy floor. A scream that I had unfortunately recognized. For some reason my half-brother, William Andrew Solace, was at my school with a satyr screaming at the top of his lungs. Without thinking I ran out of the class room and saw Will, a satyr, and a younger girl who I’d assumed was a recently discovered half-blood, running down the hall. I looked back and saw three snake women climbing the stairs and started running with them. Before I knew it I was right next to them.

“HEY WILL!” I yelled at him. “HEY Y/N! WAIT Y/N? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?” he said as we all turned a corner. “I GO TO SCHOOL HERE? WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? AREN’T YOU SUPPOSED TO BE AT THE CAMP?” I yelled, biting back my anger. “IN HERE” the satyr yelled. We rushed into the supply room and barricaded the door quickly.

Once the door was barricaded I turned to face my brother, who was on the ground from exhaustion. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE? I THOUGHT YOU COULDN’T COME BACK THIS YEAR! YOU CHOSE TO STAY AT CAMP?” I yelled at him, all the anger in my body finally releasing. “Calm down, I swear I can explain-” he started to say but I cut him off. “EXPLAIN? EXPLAIN WHAT? THAT YOU LIED? YOU TOLD ME YOU COULDN’T COME BACK HOME BUT HERE YOU ARE! AT HOME!” I yelled at him, tears starting to form in my eyes. “Y/n LISTEN!” he yelled.

I shut up quickly and stared at him. “I did have to stay at camp, you're right,” he paused, “being head counselor of the Apollo cabin and head of the infirmary required it, at least for the first year” he looked at me with a sympathetic look, like he didn’t even like what he was saying. But why didn’t he at least tell me he was coming here?

“That doesn’t explain why you’re here though!” I told him. “I'm here for her” he said and pointed at the young girl, “she’s a demi-god and a rather powerful one, maybe a big three kid. They needed to send a cabin head to get her” he explained. “Why didn’t they send Nico? He’s a cabin head and a big three kid right?” I questioned. He sighed and said “Nico is in New Rome right now representing Hades-” “Pluto” I corrected “-Pluto, whatever it is and I was the only cabin head at the ready” He said, it made sense but still.

“Why didn’t you warn me?” “If I had more notice I would have, trust me, but I was told about her 10 hours ago!” he said. I looked at him for another second before attacking him with a hug, he hugged back and got warmer. He was glowing, he did that when he got happy, I thought it was funny, I knew his boyfriend Nico thought so too.

After we let go we were able to explain to the demigod, who I learned was named Hannah, what was going on and who she really was. It took her a while to believe it, but Will told me it always does. The satyr, who was named Oakly, told us we needed to leave as soon as possible. The only problem was that the monsters were still out. Slowly and quietly we unbarricaded the door and Will crept out, quiver on shoulder and bow in hand. We closed the door again, I was scared for my brother but before I knew it he’d opened the door covered in golden dust.

We made it safely out of the school and back to the “Delphi Strawberry Service” van they’d taken here. I saw Argus, the hundred handed guy in the driver seat. My brother may be a demigod and it may have gotten me face to face with all sorts of monsters but I would never get used to that guy.

I gave Will one more hug, and almost crying I said “So I guess you’re leaving again? Probably pretty easy for a demigod”. He let go of the hug, his hands still on my shoulders, and said “staying at camp? not being able to see my sister? Leaving you for camp was the hardest thing I ever had to do, and It’s harder the second time” now we were both about to cry. “Make sure to tell who claimed her, be safe glow stick” “you too homegirl” I gave him one more hug and cried into his shirt before letting him go. I watched the van drive away, wiped my tears and headed back into the school for lunch.

*a few days later*

I woke up, it was saturday which meant no school. I ran outside and checked the mail for any word from Will. I saw a yellow envelope with a wax seal with the image of the sun on it. I grabbed it, ran upstairs, and ripped it open. It said next to nothing.

“Hades

Glowstick :)”

I smiled again. My brother had made it to camp safely and Nico had a sister.

[bengiyo]

I Feel You Linger in the Air Ep 8 Stray Thoughts

Last week, we opened with a short about the murder of historic lesbians as a chilling reminder about the era we're in as Euangphueng and Maey almost got caught, and Yai and Jom are so obvious that everyone picked up on it. There is no way to hide who you are when you love someone. Heteronormativity is a constant performance and we will always lose if we love. Looks like the uncle sussed them out and is now angling to arrange a marriage for Yai. Ming and Prik defended the boys. The boys had an erotic scene with oil that can now stand beside the end of ITSAY 3. Unfortunately, Jom is grating under this life of servitude.

Oh fuck yes we're picking up from the consent given at the end of the last episode.

Well that was nice. I really like the way these two look at each other, and the kissing felt really in character. It didn't feel like the two actors just making out. It felt like Yai and Jom.

Interesting. So the first time Jom saw himself in the past in the mirror was the first night Jom and Yai slept together.

I like how we already basically suspected that this is what happened to Euangphueng, but now we see how powerless she felt in the moments.

All of the queers keep promising things I don't think they can deliver.

Ah, here comes the horrors.

It's an interesting choice to cut away from the lesbians entering the horrors to this romantic scene with the gays. It's kind of a messed up reminder that some of us are experiencing the horrors while others are enjoying a nice moment and that much of the joy is temporary. It also acts as a release valve on the tension of the last scene.

Losing it over a flower whose name means misery having beauty and meaning for Yai because of his approach with it.

Of course the dad is spying on them, and harshly reminds Chan of the economic leverage he holds over him.

Euangphueng's monologue lands here from the slow delivery of details over the last two months and the confirmed history from today. This is well done.

Unfortunately, we already knew Robert was a rapist.

Tee is not one to shy away from the realities of the homophobia looming over queer people.

All of the women are going through it this episode goddamn. Robert has turned vigilant, and Khamsaen's mom wants Fong Kaew to stay away from Saen.

This scheming uncle sussed out that Euangphueng and Yai were queer and has clearly used it for his own gains.

This firefly date is so beautiful.

I'm so intrigued by the monk's assessment of Yai and Jom.

Despite my concerns about Jom being sick, I'm nervous about leaving Euangphueng and Maey where we left them.

Sometimes this all feels so suffocating. I feel like I need to hook up with a guy after all this. So much effort and angst to force us to conform. This was a heavy episode. I liked the balance with the honeymoon phase for Yai and Jom, but I'm still thinking about Fong Kaew, Maey, and Euangphueng. I also didn't forget how Yai's mom treats Prik or how she told Euangphueng to suck it up.

[toomuchracket]

wait, wait. what happens when our aunt sees matty for the first time? will it be at a special event for their family? or?

your parents have a family barbecue maybe six months or so after your aunt shat on your relationship - your dad phones matty (his favourite child, honestly) to warn him in advance like "unfortunately we have to invite her. but i've stocked the garage with beers so if shit hits the fan we can just hide in there", which matty finds both ridiculously funny and endearing but maintains will be unnecessary because everything will be fine. on the day of, though, he's actually quite nervous, taking ages to pick out the right t-shirt to wear and fixing his hair; you're like "baby come on you look lovely we need to leave now or we'll be late", and matty sighs but he's like "ok, you're right, let's go". you're staying at your parents' that night (in your old teenage bedroom, which you think is going to be weird as shit lol), so you shove your overnight bags in the back of the car and set off. the drive seems to calm matty down a bit, or maybe it's just the fact he gets to hold your bare thigh for a while as he drives lmao.

when you get to the house, your aunt is already there - she literally greets you at the gate and makes you introduce matty, properly scrutinising him as you do and then instigating an interrogation conversation with him. she's civil, he's sweet, you're stressed... thank god for your dad, who abandons his spot at the barbecue to rescue you both like "c'mon, son, we'll get the bags inside"; matty kisses your head as he follows your dad, and your aunt is like "hmm. he's not what i thought he'd be" - you bite back a smirk like "no?", and she's begrudgingly like "i still don't necessarily approve of the age gap, but he's nice. it's obvious he cares about you. and he's handsome, that's undeniable". this is as close to both high praise and an apology you'll get from her, so you smile and give her a little hug, and she's like "but don't you come crying to me if it ends badly. i did warn you" before she leaves you to annoy your cousin lmao.

you go into the kitchen to find both your parents and your boyfriend all holding beers, and as she passes you one your mum's like "we saw a hug. good?" - you smile like "as good as we'll get from her. she says you're nice, matty, and it's clear you care about me. and she admitted you're handsome", and matty's like "admitted?? like it's a controversial take??", and you roll your eyes like "of course THAT'S what you take from my words, bloody narcissist". your parents laugh as matty kisses your cheek like "nah, i'm glad she sees i care about you. that's the most important bit. right, can we go and meet your cousin's baby now?"; you're like "yeah, come on", pulling a "stop it!" face at your mum raising her eyebrows and smiling at you both at matty's words. for the rest of the day/night, matty's his usual sweet self, cooing over your baby cousin, chatting to anyone and everyone, cuddling into you on the little rattan couch as the event draws to a close and the sun sets. your aunt must have been keeping an eye on you both the whole day, because when she hugs you goodbye she's like "it really is nice to see you happy", which is an absolute win actually - she still doesn't hug matty though, only nods goodbye at him lol. she'll never fully approve, or admit that she does, but she also won't shit on you and matty's relationship again. and who wouldn't be at least slightly charmed by him, sweetie that he is? <3

[s0fti3w1tch]

ROTTMNT Leo-Focus fics I like

Gen fics, no ships edition

Ongoing:

Two Souls by Virgilisspidey (18/?, 105k words)

Leonardo has a friend that nobody else can see. "Aoi" has been beside him for as long as he could ever remember. AKA: A ROTTMNT rewrite where 2k12!Leonardo's soul is attached to Rise Leo's and "acts like a weird imaginary friend."

Personal note: the fic I loved so much I decided to make a ficlet of it. No serious, I love this one a lot.

Shell Shocked (Literally) by Pachinko_Lessons_101 (12/? chapters, 19k words)

Leonardo gets transported to Bayverse after a lab mishap with Donnie. Emotions ensue.

Personal Notes: Literally the story that got me into reading and writing fanfic again in 2022 after 4 years.

Every Night the Longest Day by ashtreelane (16/17 chapters, 42k words)

Leonardo gets hit with a curse that doesn't allow him to sleep. With sleep deprivation getting to him with each passing day, his family desperately searches for a fix.

Personal note: I unfortunately know from personal experience this fic is very accurate to bad sleep deprivation. Not to the extent in the fic, but damn I've stayed up.

You Are Not My Brothers by Marien0_0StrawberryMilk (3/? chapters, 2.5k words)

We have Baron "I wanted to make weapons of war but the tiny red-eared slider called me dad and I'm experiencing a moral dilemma" Draxum. In which Lou Jitsu lost one of the turtles, and Draxum accidentally becomes Leonardo's parent.

Completed, Multi-chapter:

waiting on a miracle by lydiasgrace (11 chapters, 29k words)

Leo watches 'Encanto' and he gets inspired to pull another Leo "it's not about me" move and carry the weight of his family post-kraang healing by himself. It's ow.

His World by SkylerSkyhigh (25 chapters, 124k words)

After the events of the Kraang, Leonardo starts to "hallucinate" other versions of himself, guiding him on leadership. AKA, 2k12!Leo and Future!Rise Leo work through very Leo issues with Rise Leo. Oh BTW, it turns into a musical by the midpoint. Do not be fooled, there's still ouch.

Warning: Disability erasure of a canonically disabled character in the final chapter. Something that I, as a disabled reader, care deeply about and have felt really genuinely hurt by in a fic I liked everything else about. Please remember to educate and not harass the author about this if you wish to call it out (note that I have -spoilers contained- commented about it already).

Proud Hermanos by HellsTrojanHorse (9 chapters, 8k words)

Señor Hueso teaches Leonardo how to play guitar. Leonardo expresses his emotions and love through music. ( w/ Songs from Disney's Coco. )

Cradled Close by Poppyseed20 (2 chapters, 2.9k words)

2 different points in time where Splinter takes care of sick Leonardo.

One Shots:

Tiger and Turtle by Dream_En (1.9k words)

Tigerclaw stumbled upon a crying tot!Leo. He keeps him company 'til Leo's family could find him.

a month or two by anonymous user (9k words)

5 times Leonardo comforts his family post-Kraang, and the 1 time he gets it back.

No Use Crying Over Spilt Milk by SIverfandweedo (879 words)

Leonardo drops a glass of milk and it's overwhelming.

Personal note: he's just like me!!!

"Anytime" by zesty_lemony (Lemons_are_just_cake) (711 words)

Leonardo has a breakdown and his brothers are there to comfort him.

Freezing heart by Sweet_bubbs (1.9k words)

It's winter, and the heating in Leo's room sucks. He doesn't tell anyone.

Creative title goes here by callmesummon (460 words)

Baby Leo has a nightmare and Splinter's there to help

I Don't Dance by SkylersSkyhigh (2.4k words)

A diegetic musical number between Rise Leo, Future!Rise Leo, 12!Leo fighting against the Sando Brothers in the span of a 4-minute High School Musical 2 song.

all the things that i could live without by taizi (1.3k words)

Just some family fluff with Donatello and an injured Leonardo, post-Kraang.

[detectivebambam]

wait bam bam are you a gymnast? that's so cool dude!

yesss!!

i started pretty late. i had been begging my parents since i was about 4 years old to start gymnastics and they didn't put me in for two reasons

they were convinced i was not an athlete. i could barely run, and my brother started running before he could walk. they put me in 7 different sports before gymnastics, and i didn't excel in any of them. they didn't want to put me in a sport they didn't understand, because they wouldn't be able to coach me (precisely why i wanted to start gymnastics in the first place lol)

gymnastics is expensive and they couldn't afford to put me in something they didn't think I'd be good at

so i taught myself 😋

they finally enrolled me in power tumbling when i was nine years old which is super late, but i already knew how to do a backwalkover so i was thrown into intermediate immediately. after about 5 months i could do a backhandspring

obviously I'm "technically" a power tumbler, though i went to a camp last summer to learn bars, beam, and vault. unfortunately i had sprained both of my ankles at the same time about 3 weeks before, so it really hurt to do my more advanced skills

because i was put in tumbling and not gymnastics, I won't be doing D1. i was scouted by D1 power tumbling schools, but none of the academics were good, and i really wanted to do gymnastics

so i joined my school's club! it's not super impressive lol but I'm excited because i finally get to compete (my current gym doesn't do competitions) and i get to learn apparatus like I've always wanted!

it's a little frustrating because i watch collegiate gymnastics tournaments, and the stuff they're doing on floor? i can do that. but i never had the chance to do apparatus, so I'm behind. i definitely tried, tho!

of course I'm going to mourn what could've been - if my mom had let my dad take that big city job before i was born, instead of staying in a small town where the only gymnastics within a 2 hour drive is non competitive power tumbling. if i had started when i wanted. if covid hadn't hit during my prime scouting years. but alas. life goes on

I'm so excited that i get to continue, and I'm also going to school with plans of becoming a gymnastics coach!! so that's super cool 😎

[alex-guerin]

I had a Death Wish when I left for work today. I was backing out of the driveway and saw something hanging from our little garden flag. I had noticed it last night when I got home but thought it was something Coonhound related (we have 3 and my mom is obsessed with them so....). So, I hadn't thought anything of it.

Then I saw it...a flag with Trump's mugshot on an old fashioned wanted poster saying, "WANTED FOR PRESIDENT" I slammed on my breaks, threw my Jeep in park, got out and ripped it off it's little flag pole so fast I'm surprised nothing ripped or broke. I crumpled it up and threw it on the floor of the front seat and left for work. Got to work and took this ransom photo

Which I then proceeded to send to my mom along with this message

Now, I admit, I probably should have phrased some things differently, and I probably should have left out the swearing, and waited until I cooled down a bit before texting her,but every time I saw that damned flag, I'd just get pissed off all over again, so I gave no fucks and did it anyway.

Unfortunately, my mother had a reply of her own.

I left her on Read.

Now, nowhere did I happen to mention God or religion when I texted her. So where did this rant about God come from? And secondly, me going to college was HER idea. I did not WANT to go to college and be up to my eyeballs in debt. I couldn't think of anything that interested me enough to want to get a degree in that would make me any money. This didn't matter to her. She didn't care if I, and I quote, "get a degree in Underwater Basket Weaving! Just get a degree in SOMETHING!" so that I wouldn't end up working in a warehouse like she had for so many years.

Well. Oops? Looks like that backfired on her and now she's mad cuz I'm working in a warehouse and I have a different view of things from her. Both her fault.

Anyway, I digress.

When I got home, this took place...

I walked in the door, said hi to the dogs, gave Goose his medicine and went to go upstairs...

Mom: WHERE is my flag?

Me: *having folded it up respectfully instead of throwing it out in the garbage at work like I wanted to* Under the cookies I brought home on the counter.

Mom: Good! It better be.

Me: *walking behind her at her computer to get to the stairs, rolling my eyes and trying not to let out an audible sigh of resignation. Get to the stairs...*

Mom: And I do NOT appreciate you infringing on MY First Amendment Rights! This is the SECOND TIME you've done it to me, and it's going to stop!

Me: *under my breath, pretending not to have heard her* Ah yes. Good ol' Freedom of Speech. The only one the Trumpers know, and they are the only ones allowed to exercise it...

Now, dear well-meaning friends...please do not tell me I need to get out of this house (I already know this, I've known for a while, keep walking please), that I do not HAVE to stay here (will you find me a cheap apartment that will let me keep my cats and is close to work...), believe me when I say...no fucking shit. However, as already stated, it's very difficult to find apartments less than 40 minutes from my job that will let me have my boys. Believe me, I have looked. And the ones that WILL allow my boys, want a stupid amount of rent.

For those who fear my mother my throw me out...valid, I sometimes fear that myself. Then I remember, oh yeah, I pay my dad $440/month in "rent", which is literally half the mortgage payment. So even though my mom refuses to admit that I pay half the mortgage, and even though my name is nowhere on the mortgage paperwork, I am literally paying half the mortgage, and without my "rent" money...they wouldn't be able to make their mortgage payments. So they need me to stay so they don't risk losing the house. Thus, she won't kick me out.

I seem to have this knack for pissing her off. We butt heads on so many things, and I think part of what makes her so mad is that in the last few years, I've finally started trying to stand up for myself and not let her try to dictate my life for me. I'm not the timid little six year old who hangs off her every word and never questions anything, just blindly does what they're told. I have my own views. My own beliefs. My own opinions. And I don't think she likes that.

And what's worse, she likes to remind me that I'm just like my father...and I honestly can't remember the last time she had anything good or positive to say about him. I actually don't think I have EVER heard her truly say anything good or positive about him. She's always bitching to me about him. I think she also forgets I am half her DNA also. So like, I got her stubbornness and being ornery and independent streak.

😮‍💨 Sorry. I know people avoid RL Blogging and it's annoying to see someone whining about their life. I just needed to get it off my chest.

[silverior968]

Heyo ^-^ I hope you're recovering well!

What are the silliest (modern or otherwise) headcanons you have for the deadmen as a group? Shenanigans and such 👀

Howdy and thank you, both for the ask and for the well wishes. I realized just now that I'm not sure if I ever posted about it, but I made a full recovery! Not only that, but during my 3-month check-up my cerebellum looked astoundingly normal, and my headaches have quieted down considerably. I couldn't be happier, I have so much more energy now.

Anyways, onto the shenanigans! If we start with the war-era ones, they absolutely had the most dramatic snowball fights in history. Like they'd go all in on it, cue absolute chaos. Same with water fights. And fallen leaves. And seaweed (my family used to have this game of throwing seaweed at each other on the beach, I highly recommend). If it is non-lethal and can be thrown or splashed, they've probably thrown it at each other. During the war they'd probably have to wear disguises or play characters to stay hidden, both from Mevolent's forces and mortals. Some of them would be better at it than others, namely Larrikin and Erskine. One very silly headcanon I have is that sometimes, if a battle is still going on or they have to clean up after it, but mortals are heading that way, they'll get Anton to pretend to be a ghost. This is a role he plays exceedingly well, especially if he's used the gist. He's quite scary, but in a quiet way, and he has that indescribeable sadness about him that ghosts also harbor. He'll just stand on the road, look haunting and speak vaguely to any passersby so that they turn right back around. I feel like the Sanctuary might have put on plays to boost morale, and the Dead Men would obviously participate when not on a mission. Larrikin and Erskine go full on theatre kid mode to a scary extent. Skulduggery goes theatre kid mode to a less scary but more insufferable degree. Ghastly likes making costumes, Anton and Hopeless also prefer doing backstage stuff. Hopeless makes sure that everything is ready for scene changes, while Anton works the curtains (he also participates in making props!). Dexter and Saracen always ask for minor roles and always have fun doing them. The plays range from pretty good to total disaster, but they are effective in boosting morale.

Then for some not necessarily war-era shenanigans: They keep their habit of throwing stuff at each other (of course they do). Both during the modern era and war era, they'd probably play some music, do pranks, tell stories and get weirdly competitive at sports/board games/ card games. Do NOT give them Monopoly. A common prank they'd do is pile tiny items on top of any unfortunate soul who has passed out or fallen asleep among them. Skulduggery commonly wakes up from meditating with a meticulously built tower of pencils on top of his head. I also feel like they've all done drag at least once. Larrikin's genderfluid so for them it's not always drag, sometimes they present feminine because they identify as feminine, but sometimes they do drag because it's fun and the vibes are different. Out of all of them I think Dexter and Saracen are the most likely to do actual drag shows. Anton wouldn't step foot on a stage but has, on several occasions, donned an Edwardian mourning dress, not to mourn anyone but simply for the vibes. I mean that is peak fashion. When Valkyrie joins the Dead Men they all go either weird (positive) uncle mode, mom friend mode or dad friend mode. In an ideal world I'd like to see her go do fun activities with them. Like bowling! It would end in some sort of minor disaster but it would be fun regardless. Or perhaps a kayak outing, which also ends in a minor disaster but is fun regardless? There is a certain pattern there.

[traumasurvivorshelpingsurvivors]

Hey sorry for initially posting this as a message to mods! it was very late when i wrote up the first time lol

Hello, my name is V. I'm looking for support and validation, advice not wanted.

For the past 21 years I've lived in an abusive home. After some lengthy trauma processing I realized this abuse likely didn't start or stop anywhere, it just changed over time. In the past my dad was very physically abusive and both my parents were very verbally and emotionally abusive. Now that I am older it's ebbed in frequency but its still very much there, and financial abuse has gotten even worse now that I have my own assets. But that's precisely the problem.

All my life, my reality has been denied. Despite being told to keep the abuse behind closed doors, I refused and have told everyone about what happened to me to everyone I can think of. But every time I did, my situation was never considered "enough." my parents never faced any repercussions for their actions--law enforcement nor CPS ever questioned them--and still don't; even now if they make some sort of snide comment that hurts my feelings, they're quick to use emotional manipulation and red herrings to deflect accountability. I realized this month just how trapped I am here: if I attempt to leave, I'll lose access to my car, my health insurance, my bank account, pretty much everything that will help me survive on my own. That realization has spurred suicidal thoughts and a self harm relapse like no other. I'm currently unemployed after having to quit my job due to having my hours cut with no opportunity for overtime and only have about 900 dollars to my name as of now, so moving out isn't an option.

All this has given me a deep sense of shame and self doubt when speaking of my abuse. Despite having CPTSD from the abuse and still get constant nightmares and flashbacks, if nobody believes me when I say I'm being abused, or if they do believe me but don't share the same sense of urgency I do about it, then maybe it really isn't so bad and I'm just incapable of tolerating normal things, and if that's true, then maybe I'm not fit to exist in a world that is filled with these normal, intolerable things. My head fills up with thoughts like, "Stop talking about it, nobody is taking you seriously. No matter what you say, even if you can confirm its abusive, nobody will believe you, nobody will save you, because its your fault for not being able to handle this normal behavior."

In a last ditch effort, I have applied to stay at a respite house out of state for a week. My parents are out of town at the moment and I thought it would be refreshing, but then my brother decided to use this time to get incredibly drunk and act like a drunken asshole to me for 3 days then leave me alone for 2 days without telling me where he was, so that's a dream crushed. There's no respite houses in my state so I have to cross the border and drive for an hour and a half but its no big deal. I don't know how I'm going to tell my parents that I'm leaving for a week and have to turn off the tracking apps they force me to use (on the house's website it states that the address is not public for safety reasons and idk if Life360 can pull the address of the place and give it to my parents) but I don't think I care anymore. All I want is someone to affirm to me that what I'm experiencing is real, it's abuse, and I don't deserve it. Maybe there's people there who can do that for me. If my parents want to punish me for this, then I can't stop them. This is all I have left.

Putting these here so I can find this post on the TL

🐙🐙🐙

Hi V,

I'm so sorry to hear about what you've been going through. It's hard enough to experience this magnitude and multitude of abuse, but to be essentially gaslit on top of it makes things unimaginably worse. It seems that being financially dependent on them unfortunately works in their favor in order to keep you trapped in this dynamic.

Being minimized and dismissed, even by organizations like CPS, can be incredibly discouraging and it makes sense why at times you feel like what you're going through isn't severe or important enough. The people who try to convince you of this cannot dictate reality - you know what's going on and that's good enough. But that's hard to feel when you're trapped and surrounded by people who don't believe you no matter how much you're struggling. That's amplified by the internalized gaslighting of telling yourself that your experiences don't matter. It's a horrible situation to be in.

I work in a domestic violence shelter so if you need help finding somewhere safe to stay, I am happy to help. Please let us know if you need anything.

-Bun