#we've got some thunderstorms coming where i'm at so i just had this on my mind

[saline-coelacanth]

I find it kinda funny how Jay is my favorite character when I'm also very afraid of thunderstorms

[gamerbearmira]

THUNDA

AU by @queenofthedisneyverse

I got bored and decided to take a break from drawing for asks and. Wrote this??? I mean it just came to my mind, and I remembered that comment thread from a few posts ago lol 💀💀

Anywayyyyy I've been thinking bout this au recently, so why not right for it

Let get it

---

Félix sat in the break room, having just come off the air. He had been there since 5 a.m., and he was tired and hungry. Of course, in his rush that morning, he had forgotten his lunch bag, and he cursed himself for that. He didn't like the station's food and he didn't feel like going out to any gas stations to buy any. Plus, his sister-in-law's food was way better than anything he could buy or make.

He tapped his foot, then perked up, remembering Pepa was at home. He quickly pulled out his phone, typing in the small keyboard, and waited impatiently for it to send. Service in the station sucked, unsurprisingly.

'Pepi can you bring me some food?'

Félix watched the screen for a while, growing more impatient before the next message popped up on the small screen.

'Be there in 15'

Félix breathed a sigh of relief, shoving his phone into his coat pocket. As he waited, his other coworkers, a few of the news anchors, and the other weatherwoman entered the room. He greeted them with a smile, and they joined him at the table.

"Hey Félix! Not surprised to see you here first," one of the news anchors, Cisco, said with a smile. He then looked confused. "Where's your food?"

Félix rolled his eyes. "Ay, I forgot it at home," he said, leaning forward. "But it's all good, my wife's gonna bring it to me. She'll be here in about 10 minutes."

One of the other news anchors suddenly spoke up. "You know Félix," he said in between bites. "We've never seen your wife. What's she like?"

Félix looked up in shock. "Really? I've never shown any pictures of her?" He asked, and the others shook their heads.

"You talk about her all the time, but you've never actually shown us what she looks like," the other weatherwoman, Emilia, said with a shrug as she took a bite of her food.

Félix furrowed his eyebrows. "B-But I have a picture of her on my desk?"

The others looked at each other and laughed, confusing Félix. "Bro, you have a picture of Thunderstorm from The Unwanted on your desk."

Félix blinked. "Yeah. That's my wife."

Cisco snorted, waving his mango around. "Yeah right. It's 2008 Félix, you think we're gonna fall for that?"

Félix pulled out his phone. "I'm being so serious, she's my wife," he flipped through his photo gallery, before finally coming up with some photos of him and Pepa. "Look!"

The group leaned forward, looking at the many photos of Félix next to Thunderstorm. A lot of them seemed to be in a concert, and there was only one where he was next to her taking a selfie. Emilia pursed her lips.

"No way," she said, leaning back in her chair. "You must've just had backstage access. And in that picture, she's not even looking at you!"

The others agreed, and Félix flipped his phone back around, flipping through some more photos. He finally got to the one he wanted, and showed them, smiling triumphantly. "Oh yeah? How do you explain this?" He said, pointing at the picture on the small phone. The others leaned forward once more, looking at the photo.

It was a wedding photo. Félix, obviously dressed in white attire, and Thunderstorm, or Pepa, in a long black dress and a sunflower bouquet in her hands while she stood next to Félix. The others stared at it, before murmuring amongst each other. One of them finally spoke up as Félix pulled his phone back. "No way. That's edited."

Félix pulled a deadpan face and was about to speak up when he got a message on his phone. With a smirk, he crossed his arms. "Well, speak of the devil. She's heading into the building right now."

The others rolled their eyes, seemingly tired of Félix antics. They denied his outrageous claims, not believing for one bit that Félix was married to Thunderstorm, one of the biggest singers of one of the biggest rock bands. But Félix just smiled and turned his head to the door as the click of heavy heels sounded through the hallway.

"Félix, I brought your lunch!" A voice called from the hall, and the others snapped their heads towards the doorway. And there she was. Thunderstorm, a.k.a Pepa Madrigal. She stood in the doorway, scanning the room with a nonchalant look. She had on dark clothes, a long dress with tall black heels. Her makeup was similar to her stage makeup; clearly, that was just how she dressed. Next to her, there was a small boy, no older than 3, who clung to her dress, and he perked up at the sight of Félix; the two shared an uncanny resemblance.

"Pepi!" Félix, casting an "I told you so" look to his coworkers, smiled, pecking Pepa on the lips. The other's jaws dropped, and Pepa checked the clock on the wall, while Félix picked up and smothered Antonio.

"All right mi amor, I have to head out," Pela said, handing Félix his bag of food. "I have rehearsal at the stadium, and then I'm gonna be rehearsing with the group after that."

"¡Adios!" With one last kiss, Pepa waved goodbye, leaving the break room with Antonio. Félix sat down, unpacking his food with a smirk. His coworkers stared at the door before turning to Félix.

"He's married...to Thunderstorm..." Cisco said.

"And he has a kid with her...?" Emilia stated next.

"Three. I have three kids, " Félix corrected, taking a bite of an arepa. The others just kept staring at him. "Do you believe me now?"

The other news anchor spoke up. "Wait, wait wait," he said, waving his hands. "But your last name is Castillo. Hers is Madrigal. So...what's up with that."

Félix shrugged. "I go by Castillo here at the station so none of their groupies try and come here. It was my last name before I got married. It's Madrigal now."

The others were shocked. They asked Félix a million questions, which he happily answered. One of them suddenly had a realization and spoke up. She pointed to one of the many band posters in the room. The one of the band.

"Wait, so if Thunderstorm--er, Pepa, is your wife," she said. "Isn't Chemical Chameleon her son? Does that mean he's your son too?"

"Yup. My second oldest. My oldest is in college right now," Félix said.

"What about Rose Thorn? A-And isn't she sisters with the Lonesome Butterfly?" Another asked.

"Yeah, they're my nieces. They have another sister, she's in college too," Félix stated nonchalantly.

"Oh my gosh. Does that mean that...Abuela Crimson...is..." Félix smiled again.

"Yup. My mother-in-law," Félix took another bite of his food as he watched the faces of his coworkers as they processed this new information. They slowly started piecing things together. And it was the most entertaining thing to him.

----

Bro was not kidding and they were FLABBERGASTED I mean it's insane. They saw all them pictures on Félix's desk and though that they weren't true 😭😭

It's all fun and games until the lead singer of one of the biggest emo rock bands walks in and hands your coworker his lunch bag

Félix's coworkers after seeing him kiss Pepa:

[iamthecomet]

Comettttttt

We got thunderstorms today, finally, ooh I'm so happy!!!!

Are you a fan of the big ol storms? I know some people are scared of them, I've always loved them omg, especially when it's dark out and the lightning just lights everything up suddenly, that parts my favorite :)

- Void

VOIDDD. I woke up to thunder today!!! The first storm we've had all year! I love thunderstorms, I always have. I can remember being really little and sitting outside on my parents back porch watching them with my dad and my grandpa ♥. My grandfather was deaf, but he loved thunderstorms (I'm guessing because that was a sound he could feel and also they're just so cool to see) so they've always been a thing I associated with him--even more so now that he's gone. They're very special to me. They bring me this weird sort of cozy comfort too, which is probably weird but oh well. Like they're inherently not safe--but they make me feel safe all the same.

Truly my favorite part of summer is a brutally hot/humid day spent out in the sun, where you just know it's coming. You can feel it. And you can sit and watch black clouds build on the horizon, and how everything gets so tense and quiet right before the rain starts and just ashfj;lkasdf. I love them. Some of my favorite weather. The thunder was so loud here for a minute it was rattling the windows in my house and it was just lovely.

[markcampbells]

As ever, I am both nosy and greedy, so: 💫🌿🕯️🎀

Em, I'm so sorry, I saw you of all people sent me asks for this and my brain shorted out like my Playstation in a recent thunderstorm. 😂 (The Playstation is fine! My brain is debatable.)

💫what is your favorite kind of comment/feedback?

I really, really appreciate when people call out specific lines or moments they liked! It helps me understand what it is about the stuff I write that resonates with people, and it's just always nice to know what people liked about something I created. I also appreciate the comments I get occasionally where people tell me I helped them view a character differently or consider something they hadn't before! It always feels funny and gratifying to get people thinking differently about something we both know really well.

🌿how does creating make you feel?

Is there any other answer than "like a merciless god?" No, in all sincerity, great. Writing has been my main creative hobby (reading book buying is probably my main hobby in general) since I was ten years old, and nothing has really come close to it in terms of me having an outlet and a way to do something that's, by and large, for myself. I do work with partners, I go in and out of writing fanfiction (we are in an "in" phase at the moment), but I have my own original stuff that I pretty much write for myself because I don't aim to publish, and it feels nice to be able to do what I want and write what I want to see in the world. I've sometimes considered writing something longer I would submit to an independent press or something (I usually get this urge each year after the Brooklyn Book Festival, aka The Day Trai's Wallet Cries, because you spend the day talking to all these folks from indie presses and seeing authors like "yeah! I want to do that!!!"), but for right now, I'm happy making my own little worlds and characters who owe their existence to me.

🕯️was there a fic that was really hard on you to write, or took you to a place you didn't think it would take you?

pack up the life that's left is probably the hardest thing I've written for McKirk, and in some ways, in general. My dad died when I was young, and in a few ways, that's why McKirk resonates for me so strongly as a character dynamic--AOS Jim's entire life is shaped by his father's death, and even if TOS McCoy's loss of his own father was sort of a last-minute retcon of his character in some ways, it's so wrenchingly acted by DeForest Kelly (and, I think rightfully, called one of the best Trek scenes ever by people who know what they're talking about) that you can't help but accept it as the major moment it is, so when you combine those two characterizations together into one ship where these characters can share those emotions with each other... it's a lot. And it's a kind of relationship I have personal experience with, because my high school best friend lost his father when we were teens, and we've been each other's confidants and consolation in that regard for at least fifteen years. Jim never knew his dad, while I knew mine to a certain extent, but the thing we have in common is that grieving as an adult hits somewhat differently. For myself, I had a period of a few years in my late twenties where I kind of had to reprocess all my grief and think, fuck, I'm a whole person my dad never got to know. And in a lot of ways, I'll never really know my dad beyond what my family and his friends can tell me. I wanted to explore some of those same feelings for Jim--what would it make him feel to learn that his mother had kept a tangible connection to his father from him? And once he's processed that new connection, what will he do with it? While I don't personally observe any faith, my parents had an interfaith marriage, and I grew up most connected to my father's Jewish family. My mom, after his passing, made sure to observe certain customs, including marking my dad and his parents' passing with a yahrzeit candle each year. Because I work with the fanon that Jim is Jewish, with my personal spin on that being that Jim feels somewhat alienated from his faith on the whole post-Frank but is trying to regain it, I knew I wanted to include that in the fic, and so did the best I could to represent that tradition. I have to admit that the most gratifying and touching thing about getting this fic out into the world was the people who took the time to comment by sharing their own stories about loss, and what it meant to them to see a Jewish mourning custom reflected in fic. I really was not expecting that kind of response and it made the effort it took to pull the story together so worth it.

🎀 give yourself a compliment about your own writing

I try as hard as I possibly can to get the emotional side of my work right, and sometimes that gets really difficult when I'm writing about something I haven't personally experienced. I think, in that regard, the thing I'm proudest of is the second chapter of your hands can heal.... I have, honestly, been deeply fortunate to never experience severe mental illness or emotional abuse, and both things figure heavily in Bones' background in that chapter, conveyed to my readers by some fairly sparse flashbacks. I knew I had done my best to write the work in a way that felt true to me, but I wasn't really going to be sure if I had gotten it right until I heard from readers, and the comments I've gotten in response over the years about getting those aspects right have meant more to me than practically any other feedback I've ever gotten.

[willsimpforazula]

Fight Night part 4....

AKA the drabble that once more got completely and utterly out of hand because I cannot sit the fuck down and type out a short story in less than a thousand words.

Fuck me amirite? 

been a hot minute but here we are. Also lettuce pretend, if you would, that handball exists in this ATLA universe. 

i mean, we’ve already got the objectively superior set of steambabies so it’s not too big of a stretch to have handball be a sport in ATLA.

---------

School garden

It took a little bit longer than expected, but they managed to find a spot that afforded them some level of privacy. Not wishing to beat around the bush, Miska asked "What's on your mind?, just as Kaie's spoon was halfway to her mouth. Raising an eyebrow, she finished her bite and mulled over a response a little before fixing her green orbs on to him.

Well shit, here it comes, he thought.

"First off, I'll let you interrupt my bite slide this time, but only because you really are quite cute when you're all flustered. But anyways, we're not here to debate your cuteness. About what you told me this morning….did, did it ever cross your mind that it would come to this? Having a street gang gunning for your head?"

"If I'm being honest Kaie, it just wasn't something we talked about. You just don't think about it while you're in the moment, all you think about is the prize at the end and not how things can go sideways at the drop of a hat."

"I see." was her reply.

"Are you…angry at me for not telling you?"

"Y'know, I wouldn't have known where or how to start the conversation. But I am…disappointed in how you went about it. Don't ever pull that shit again, you hear me? I was so worried when you weren't here yesterday and-and all these rumours were flying around-"

"I'm so, so, sorry for making you worry yesterday." he choked.

"Don't ever do that ever again. Promise me Miska."

"I promise."

________

________

Payphone

"Did you find out anything yet?"

"Nothing."

"Keep looking. Someone's bound to slip up some time."

"I will."

"You better. If anything happens to them, may the badgermoles have mercy on you."

"Is that a threat?"

"You should have known better than to drag them into your mess."

"Why am I the one to blame when she herself agreed to my idea with zero hesitation?"

"This conversation is over."

"Fuck you." Slamming the phone back into the receiver, Suyin was fuming when she stepped out of the booth and almost ran into Somchai and his crew. Thankfully for her, she only earned a gruff 'watch where you're going', to which she mumbled a hasty 'sorry' and quickly walked away before a light bulb went off in her head that the person that she almost bumped into was the group she was after. Turning around, she tried to spot them in the crowd but in a sea of similar ponchos and raincoats, it was nigh impossible.

Gritting her teeth, she went back the other way, determined to find them and discover when and where they might strike.

________

________

School gate

Standing at the threshold of the door, Kaie and Miska looked out at the storm that was currently pouring down on Republic City. It had started as a light shower, only to morph into a full blown thunderstorm by the time the bell rang on the last class of the day. As they walked towards the entrance, they could see Risa waiting rather impatiently for her brother.

"Took your sweet time huh."

"Aww, are you jealous you don't have someone to walk with perhaps?" Miska countered, letting a hint of smugness come through in his voice.

Rolling her eyes, Risa wisely chose to not take the bait, instead replying "Whenever both of you are done sucking face, we've got to get back home before 6."

"Which then begs the question, why are you waiting here?"

"Because the driver isn't leaving without both of us? They're after both of us, which means me and you, in case you forgot."

"Wow sis, what a way to dampen the mood eh."

"You're welcome." she beamed. "By the way, did both of you ever set up a time to meet our parents?"

"What?" Kaie asked.

"Oh, he didn't tell you? Mom basically handed him an ultimatum this morning over breakfast."

"Miska!" Kaie whirled on to him, giving his ear a pinch. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Sorry! How was I supposed to fit that in after the whole 'we pissed off an underground fight club contestant who's now trying to kill us?' Oh by the way, I wanna take you to see my parents." he replied, to which he earned another flick from her.

"That sounds like a* you* problem, Miska."

"You could hang out at our place until the storm blows over. Dad's working from home today if I remember correctly." Risa offered.

"Spirits, you're always so mean to me." he sulked.

As a comfort gesture, Kaie pulled him for a kiss, to which he greatly obliged and proceeded to make it as wet and noisy as possible much to Risa's chagrin, who was seriously considering risking pneumonia if it meant she could escape the noises her brother and his girlfriend were making.

"Just…don't do that in front of my parents, okay?" she pleaded, only to get a pair of defiant blue and green staring back at her own amber ones.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to both the trio and their escort, across the street in a satomobile multiple pairs of eyes were trying their best to make them out in the rain and the steady stream of satomobiles that were lining up outside the academy to whisk away the students, who would normally take the trolleys that criss-crossed the entire city.

"Fuck man, this is another bust. First the cops, now the rain? Man it's almost like the spirits are telling you to knock it the fuck off and give up already." Bo commented.

"If you want to pussy out, be my guest. Just know that once I'm done with them you're next." Somchai responded.

"There, that looks like them alright." Ma called out.

"Yeah, that looks like them alright." Itakshir confirmed. "Wait, looks like the kid's got a broad with him."

"What about we kidnap the chick and force them to come to us?"

"Do we even know who the chick is?"

"Does it matter?"

"You're right. Hell, we could even make some extra cash on the side if we ask for a ransom."

"As long as the twins are mine, I don't give a shit what you do to the chick."

_________

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

Hallway

Risa and Miska's residence

Stepping out from the elevator onto the plush carpet of the hallway, the trio gave a wave to the two metalbenders that stood guard outside, who let them in with a disapproving glare as if to say you should be sorry for all the trouble you've caused.

"I get the feeling they're not very happy with the whole situation." Kaie commented.

"Unfortunately, that's just how the cookie crumbled." Risa shrugged as Miska bent any water out of their clothes and dumped them on the nearest potted plant.

"You seem unfazed by the whole people are out to kill you situation."

"Would you have rather seen us panicking like headless turtleducks?"

"Fair point."

With a couple swift raps, the twins and their plus one opened the door and announced their presence as footsteps were heard coming from the loft upstairs. By the time they had offloaded their bags and removed their shoes, Sokka was there to greet them. Suddenly, Kaie felt incredibly self-conscious about the way she looked as in front of her stood one of the very founders of the city she and her parents called home.

"Just a guess, you must be Kaie, right?"

"How-how did you know who I was…uh, c-c-councilman Sokka?"

"Just a guess, though the way in which you're currently squeezing the life out of my son's hand is a sign. Plus, I believe my daughter mentioned my son was currently dating someone, so I put two and two together. And please, just call me Sokka, there's no need for formalities here."

"I-it's a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine." Sokka replied. "Make yourself at home, please."

"Thank you." she replied.

With that, Sokka stepped aside and let Risa take the lead, though he was slightly suspicious at how Kaie was familiar with their apartment layout. Pulling aside his son to the kitchen where he hoped they would be out of earshot, Sokka asked "When did she come over?"

"Last fall?"

"Did you-"

"No, we didn't. I promise. I'm not that kind of person, dad."

"I would hope so Miska, I raised you better than that."

"Didn't you and-"

"Rumours and gossip m'boy, your dad was a vice-chieftain and your mother is a princess, we would never." Sokka replied, far too quickly to raise eyebrows with Miska.

"Uh huh, sure."

"In any case, if you two ever end up doing the deed please use protection. Me and your mother will not be too thrilled about surprise grandkids and shotgun weddings."

"The voice of experience, dad?"

"Again, rumours and hearsay. Your mother and I did everything by the book." Sokka replied quickly, suppressing the flashbacks of him and Azula having to fend off an angry Zuko and enduring a lecture from both his sister and Ursa after both of them were caught engaging in a passionate makeout session on top of the throne room almost turned into an equally heated lovemaking session had it not been for their family members who showed up out of nowhere.

"Somehow I doubt that."

[thehomeofduck]

Curse of the Fold | Chapter 11

Rating: Explicit (Violence, Sexual Content) Pairing: Daryl/Buck, M/M, Canon/OC

Wattpad || AO3 [Masterlist] || [Prev] || [Next]

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

January 11th, 2011

It all went to shit, everything we had, food, water, shelter, a community. Just fucking gone now. I don't know where the others are. I got out with Beth and Daryl. Dutch is still okay too, but I'm worried about putting strain on him when we don't have an easy water supply.

We traveled the rest of the day, and we're set up in the woods now. None of us want to sleep in case walkers come. And I'm honestly still shaken up from it all. I was so close to death. They say near-death experiences are peaceful; it wasn't. All I felt was fear and adrenaline, even in a world like this where death would be nice, to not deal with all of this. I still felt afraid that I needed to survive. Maybe I'm supposed to survive?

The small fire crackled in front of us all as we sat in front of it. Hoping it'd help with the cold that hit our skin. We weren't the most covered. I folded my journal and put it away. Watching as Beth stared toward Daryl.

"We should do something." She spoke. "We aren't the only survivors. We can't be. Rick, Michonne, they could be out here." Daryl raised his head to look at her more. "Maggie and Glenn could have made it out of A block." She looked in desperation at Daryl, hoping for some sort of response.

I opened my mouth to speak, but she interrupted. "You're a tracker. You can track. The sun will be up soon. If we head out now, we can.." Daryl only looked back down at the fire below. "Fine, if you won't track, I will." She walked past us, grabbing a knife before storming off.

I sighed, standing up to grab my bag. "We should go after her." Without another word, Daryl stood, kicking dirt onto the fire to put it out. We grabbed our stuff and followed after Beth.

January 12th, 2011

I don't know how long we walked, but it was until the sun rose over us. We came across footprints that just lead to walkers and it followed the trail out to a railway. Walkers had been hunched over on the side, eating those who had recently died. Blood lay out over the ground, tattered with discarded organs. It was a bittersweet scene. They no longer had to suffer, but they had died from being eaten alive.

Was I growing used to it all? I didn't feel much when I saw it. It was sad, but we've been surrounded by so much death the past few weeks. Walkers used to be people and eventually more people will become walkers; everyone turns.

It feels like we’re on the run. Every time we settle; we only have a bit of time before Beth wants us to keep going.

Thunder boomed around us as we ran out from the bushes and right into a car. Beth ran around to try starting it as Daryl and I kept on lookout. Walkers groaned from around us. I gave a quick pat to Dutch, shooing him off before they would get too close.

"Come on." Daryl waved to Beth as they ran around to the trunk. No room for me. I climbed into the driver's seat, closed the door and made sure each was locked before I climbed to the backseat, managing to fit myself onto the floorboards of the car. I heard the trunk of the car shut and then there was silence. They got in okay.

The growls and groans of walkers became louder as they circled the car. Banging and clawing at the hunk of metal we hid in. Thunder boomed louder, almost drowning out the walkers. The rain fell harder, soaking everything around us. And the car suddenly began to jostle, moving from the weight and desperation of the walkers. My nails dug into the seat in panic. I could feel my body shake as I tried to calm down. 

I focused on the sound of the rain and the thunder. Its loud cracks didn't scare me, the hard downpour of rain didn't scare me. I loved thunderstorms. Despite their rage that ripped through mother nature, they always calmed me. It was easy to fall asleep too. And I tried to find comfort in the storm that surrounded me. It had been so long since I last heard one.

My eyes closed, but I hadn't slept. It only felt like a bit before I heard the trunk open. My eyes opened to daylight from the windows, and silence. I sat up, squirming out of the seats to get a good look outside. It really was day. The movement of the car signaling me that the others were out. Climbing out, I quickly followed.

"You okay?" Beth asked. 

"Yea. Yea. I'm alright." I swallowed, my throat dry. I tried to come off as okay but, admittedly, my voice shook.

We took the undisturbed time to gather what we could from the car. I worked on the inside despite just getting out from the death trap. It was mostly empty from scavengers, nothing but trash. 

I climbed back out, the two looking at me with bags in hand. I brought my fingers to my lips, giving a sharp whistle.

"Think your stupid horse is gonna come?" Daryl looked around as there was no sign of Dutch.

I ignored the statement, giving another whistle after a second. Looking behind us, I saw Dutch trot up to us all, still a bit wet and dirty from the storm before. "He's smarter than you." I gave a smile to Daryl.

I heard a giggle from Beth before I took the bags from the two, attaching them to Dutch's saddle. Daryl walked away before I could even finish. He was doing the thing again. Acting cold and heartless. He's barely spoken. But with everything that had happened before, it had to be on his mind. He didn't deal with it all like Beth and I had. I didn't want to push him. 

As the day grew on, we decided to set up again, get what we could before it was too late. We found a secluded spot, and I helped Beth set up the perimeters. She started a fire while I used junk from the car to set up traps around us. If walkers hit them, it'd clatter together and make noise.

Daryl had come back with a snake, skinning it and cooking it for us. Wasn't the best taste, but it was food. He was still quiet, focusing on anything but Beth and I. Talking to him was like talking to a brick wall though. 

I ate what I could and Beth picked at the last pieces of her own, looking between Daryl and I.

"I need a drink." She spoke up. I watched as Daryl picked up a bottle, throwing it in her direction. "No, I mean a real drink. As in alcohol. I've never had one. 'Cause of my dad, but he's not exactly around anymore, so." 

"We don't have any on us. How old are you, anyway?" I responded, knowing Daryl wasn't going to.

"Eighteen, and I thought we could go find some." Beth looked to Daryl. My eyes followed, and there was no response from him. "Okay.." She stood, "well, enjoy your snake jerky." A bit of a tremble in her voice, she grabbed a knife that stuck up from a log, walking away.

I let out a sigh, looking at Daryl, "Maybe you could say something once in a while too." Putting down the rest of the cooked snake, I wiped my hands off as I stood to follow her. I heard Daryl grunt, standing to follow behind me. 

I led us down to where Beth had walked and the closer we followed, the louder walkers got. We both slowed down, sneaking forward to not draw attention to us. I spotted the blonde hair of Beth and nudged Daryl to notify him silently. Moving closer, a twig snapped under our feet, causing Beth to whip around to stare at us. She sighed in relief. Daryl didn't speak, just turning back around to walk away.

"Come on." I gave her a reassuring smile, and we both followed Daryl. Ducking through bushes and stepping over logs.

"I think we made it a way. I'm pretty sure we have to go that way to find booze." Beth trailed off as she ran into a line of junk, making it clang together. Daryl led us back to camp.

"What the hell? You brought me back?" She looked towards me, almost with a look of betrayal laid in her eyes. "I'm not staying in this suck-ass camp."

"You're gonna get yourself killed." I sided with Daryl. The more we ran around, the more of a risk it was. Especially when she's alone.

"You're not my dad, not like you did anything to help him, anyway!" She yelled, her hand raising to flip me off. I looked away, feeling a pain in my chest and the memories of it. I heard Daryl yell something back at her.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Do you two feel anything?" She panted, wound up. "Yea, you think everything's screwed. I guess that's a feeling. So you want to spend the rest of our lives staring into a fire and eating mud snakes? Screw that." She spit. 

I didn't think before I spoke; the word slipping out. "Rattlesnake," I mumbled.

Beth sighed, looking at us with disbelief. "We might as well do something. I can take care of myself and I'm gonna get a damn drink." She was dead set on it. She turned away from us, walking away.

There was silence again before Daryl looked at me. "Come on." He started packing our stuff up and I followed, grabbing Dutch's lead as we followed Beth's tracks once again.

We found her not far and followed her out to an open field. I took in the setting in front of me. The grass was overgrown and there were small spots of sand everywhere; and a golf cart that lay on its side. There was a building within the distance; it looked big and a bit fancy.

"Golfers like to booze it up, right?" Beth asked, turning to us. I only shrugged as we moved on.

We walked up to what appeared to be the entrance. The place looked old and ruined, had been left like this for quite a while. 

"Might be people inside." Beth walked up the stairs while Daryl followed. I let go of Dutch's lead, following them up. A walker lay dead on the porch. Daryl checked it for anything while Beth rattled the doors; locked.

We circled the building until we found another door. Daryl walked up the steps, slowly opening the unlocked doors before peeking in. He waved Beth and me in, shutting the door behind us. The place looked completely trashed, clothes and junk thrown about and clotheslines set up with strings of clothes attached. Old newspapers and sheets were plastered across the windows, letting very little light in. 

Walkers groaned as we wandered in further until I saw feet. I slowed down, looking up to see three walkers hanging from ropes attached to the ceiling. I heard a click before a light was shined onto the walkers from a flashlight Daryl found. 

"Christ.." I muttered, staring up at them as I lowered my gun. I walked closer, looking below to see more dead walkers scattered around. Daryl moved on as I looked around the walkers, hearing him shuffle stuff around before a banging was heard from behind us. 

"Come on." Daryl urged us further, and I followed them through double doors. Daryl slammed them shut behind us before we were surrounded by darkness.

[helassault]

Feathers | Chapter Nine: The Pocket Watch

I swiped my finger to the left on my phone, marking as 'seen' the last email from work, my eyes feel tired by looking and reading at the screen for almost the whole day, I finally turn my phone off and place it on my chest, then closing my eyes shut for a while.

The sun was not longer in the highest point in the sky, rather just about to hide, but no one have shown up yet, Celinne and I have been awaiting their arrival in the living room, me, dressed in a sweater since the weather forecast said that it´ll be quite cool today. And for Celinne, who is sitted on the couch infront of me, is dressed casual, but with her hair down, and with a concentrated look on her face, she keeps her eyes on the laptop on her lap, some time ago she told me that she has been working on her thesis before graduating, to not rush things in the last minute, but the thing is that she has been in that since the Doctor and Aida left, which is now, quite an amount of time.

Now that I’m finally done with my duties and have nothing to do for the rest of the day, I can't help but wonder where our hosts head to by night, The wom- ahem. Aida, she usually leaves the house around the afternoon, I know that because recently I have found her in the kitchen when the sun rises, I have gotten so used to the coffee when I used to work that now I can’t properly function when there isn’t any in my system, and for she, Aida arrives and heads directly to the elevator, but no glance nor word comes out of our mouths, not even a 'good morning'. Perhaps I should change that, but I'm not sure if she will even reply. She seems more like a reserved type of person.

And as for the doctor, even though he is more talkative and cheery than Aida, I can't help but feel like he is hiding something from us. And considering what we've already talked about, like the feathers and all that stuff I'm not even sure if I want to know more anymore. However we must pay attention to these little details in the way he talks since now Celinne and I must get through their secrets to know if we should trust them with the feather, I mean, what would they even wish for? They doesn’t seem to lack in any need like money nor health, maybe perhaps they’re more ambitious and want something in specific.

But to achieve that we need them to put their trust on us first.

The grand clock on the wall hits 9:30 pm. The main door creaks and surprisingly the woman enters along with a storm of wind following behind her, usually, it's always the other way around, first comes the doctor and then Aida, far much later than him. But today something feels off, perhaps the Doctor has some delay and is catching on his way back…?

Hopefully nothing bad happened.

Aida takes off her hat, then sluggished and exhaustively places it on the tall coat rack beside the door, her coat swaying along with the wind, her other hand at the handle of the door, slowly closing it. Her face looks tired, pale even, with eyelids and face down; and just for some reason, her hair seems a little wet. Just where has she been? It hasn't rained since the thunderstorm. Her figure seems awfuly familiar to me, like I have seen this before.

She reminds me of how I physically looked a few years ago, back in the days when dad was still... when he was still with us, I clearly crystal remember that when I started working in the company I was trying so hard to become like him, a hard-working man that always seemed proud and confident with the amount of piles of work he had, but he somehow always managed to finish it perfectly and due in time, It seemed like a second nature to him from others perspective. I guess it does really pays off working around the field for quite the years. And I followed his steps, followed the tips he gave me and as the years had gone long passed, thankfully I got used to working the whole day, no longer being tired because of my aggravating sleep schedule, since the motivation of his wish becoming true is the thing that keeps me going.

For that same reason is why the company is so important to me, If "Atelier" ever goes down, it will be like my dad's downfall, along with mine, and my mother, and coworkers. A long time ago, my father’s dream was to turn the company into a globally recognized brand, so that wherever he went he would see a car he designed, and be proud because of it, the thing is that he never wanted the attention on himself, but the recognition of his designs by his parents. From what I have heard from them is that they were harsh on him since he was a little artist kid, that luckily got the knowledge to how create vehicles. But my grandparents weren’t happy with his decision to follow his dream, so their relationship wasn’t the best of them all. Quite far from different to how he acted with me, always supporting me, cheering me up and congratulating me for every little thing I achieved since I remember. And for this reason, I decided to continue his legacy, to take his role, and to prove my grandparents wrong… but to how things have been lately, the falldown of Atelier is now a possibility, and I must do anything and everything to avoid this situation completely.

Blinking out of my daydream, I stand up alongside Celinne at the same time, and the cushion makes a sound that grabs Aida’s attention, she quickly turns at us alarmed, her right hand instinctively reaching behind her coat around her hip for something our eyes couldn´t reach, her analyzing eyes opened up wide.

When she noticed it was just us her eyes slowly closed as she let a long sigh while looking down. "Ah, cierto" she muttered... in Spanish? Is she not from here? before my thought wanders too long she speaks. "My apologies, time slipped by me" Then she takes a look at our clothes "I assume you are ready" Celinne replies with a nod as Aida hums in agreement "follow me then" is all she says before grabbing her hat again and... closing the main door? I thought we were going out?

With no word she walks to the kitchen, all the place iluminated by the window. Celinne's look questions me as she hesitantly closes her laptop, I mindlessly reply with a shrug while placing my phone on my pants pocket, both of us utterly confused.

We followed her into the dining room before she stopped at the kitchen counter and began to look for something in the inner pockets of her coat, While she searches Celinne began to tie her hair back in a bun, and once Aida eyes perked up up she took her right hand out of her pocket and quietly handed us an old golden pocket watch.

Celinne hesitantly took it and both of us began to examine it from up close. The lid seemed quite rusty and had exquisite carvings that draw what it seemed like some kind of bird, a long golden chain hanging from one of its ends. Aida slowly takes a step towards us and presses the crown on the bottom side of the pocket, the lid quickly opened from the inside by the time she retreated. It showed us a white clock that read 3:20, it didn't tick like my own black watch resting on my left wrist, both quite far from the actual hour.

It seemed perfectly clean from the inside like it has never opened before, and instead of the classical numbers we see every day there were roman numerals, it looked like from centuries ago, but it was well preserved.

"May I?" the woman said, We took our eyes from the pocket watch and handed it back to her once again.

She started to clear her throat as she speaked these words "Please do not alarm yourselves for what you are about to see." She says and begins to take off her right glove with her mouth, doubt places on my face, or is it concern?, what does she means by alarm? Once her hand is naked we noticed that her hand had also some bandages wrapped around her palm and some fingers, we hold not much thought to that, because when her thumb softly touches the crown of the pocket watch once again, I feel my eyes opening up wide when the carvings if the bird began to glow purple, forcing the lid to pop up, and the smaller of the hands of the clock quickly heading in regression to the "XII" ,once it reached the number it began to tick normally.

Suddenly I feel a light on the right side of my face growing beside us, When we both slowly turned to look at it there was a small purple circle growing bigger by the second, as it spiraled, it emitted brighter and brighter light along length, and when it was a little larger than me it stopped growing but it kept spiraling.

…

We both stayed stone in astonishment, words left me as I keep turning my sight from the pocket watch to this purple thing spiraling, “What in the f-“ Celinne rubbed her eyes with her hands before opening them once again "Am I dreaming?" She whispered to herself. "Miles are you seeing this?" Celinne rapidly shaked my shoulder but I couldn’t really give her an answer, catching our attention again by clearing her throat, Aida placed herself beside that thing. "This is your new reality now, So I am asking you to keep this a secret between us." She said dead serious a frown evident on her face.

"What the hell" finally escaped me, then Celinne followed with "Miles are you seeing what I AM seeing?" Viontly shaking my shoulder once again. I nod at her but keeping my eyes glued to the light. Aida interfered “The pocket watch opens a portal for us to go into a specific place from our memories" Aida positioned herself again but now in front of the portal and turning her head at us "Now with that information being said, follow me."

And with that she passed casually through the portal, disappearing into that purple spiral, me along Celine kept frozen in place, not moving an inch, "Are we supposed to just to walk into that just like that?" Celinne said to herself more than to me. After a few seconds of none of us moving Aida's gloved hand came out of the portal suggesting we take it. Celine gulped, then she looked at me slowly releasing my shoulder, taking a deep breath she began to lightly hit herself in the cheeks, hesitantly walking to the portal with her hand reaching up to Aida's, "Just close your eyes and everything will be fine" she muttered getting closer to the portal, and when she finally grabbed Aida's hand, Celinne was pulled into the portal in a quick motion as a squeak escaped her.

I started to panic at the realization and almost ran straight to the portal as if I could have reached her arm, and then I slowly took a few steps back without taking my eyes off of it. "Celinne?" I ask in the now empty kitchen, not sure if she can even hear me, then Aida's hand comes once again, I take a look at it for a few seconds, doubting if I should follow her, then unconsciously my right hand slowly gets closer to hers, but I quickly take it back in a quick motion, and as if sensing this, her fingers stretched out to me, as if telling me to trust her or just to grab her bloody hand. I slowly took a deep breath and brought my hand close once again, when my palm touches her own I feel her fingers wrapping around my wrist in a firm grip, then she quickly pulls me in, barely bearing time to close my eyes shut.

It felt like being pulled into the water, but I don't feel any wetness in my body nor clothes, and I can no longer feel the hand that was wrapped around my wrist, when I open my eyes, the strong wind blows directly on my face, bashing all my hair and clothing back, the scenery that greets me is truly one of a kind.

The last yellow, orange, and red sun rays in the horizon illuminate the whole city from where I am standing, clouds of different shades and shapes envelope us in a fantastic panoramic, The sun meeting the sea gives the water a shining golden color, some birds flow from behind us towards the sun, giving the final touch to this experience, the weather alongside the wind it's quite chilly up here but I feel no coldness, too astounded by the sky in front of me. A long sigh lowly escaping me.

I turn to look at my sides, on the right is Celine, her eyes glued to the sun setting in the distance as the ocean turns into a warm pink, admiring the horizon too, I hear steps behind me and when I turn the woman is walking to the railings on my left, she is getting way too close to the end of the floor "Watch your step" That escapes me in a reflex. She turns her eyes at me and then at my feet.

"I´m not the one who should watch my step" I look down and indeed, I am way too close to the railings, I take some careful steps back and Celinne continues "Where are we?" She begins to look around her for any clue. "On the top of the Empire State Building." Aida calmly says.

“Wait WHAT?!” Celinne finally reacts, she grabs her head as she starts a ramble “How is it even POSSIBLE?! One second ago we were in the kitchen!” Then my brain poorly processes again WHAT IN THE BLOODY HELL!? She is right! How did we ended up in THE TOP of the Empire State Building?! I turn to look behind me to see that the purple thing is no longer there, replaced by the rest of the city covered in an sky blue hue where the sun rays can’t reach.

I grabbed at my hair that the wind tickled in my face with my right hand, and pushed it backwards, even if the wind ruffled it again. “How..?”

Millions of questions flood into my mind deep in thought ‘How did that purple thing bringed us here?’ ‘Can it take us anywhere we want?’ ‘Do portals REALLY exist?!’ Aren’t they a thing from magical books and fantastical novels? As I’m staring at the horizon I can’t help but feeling eyes staring at me. From my left.

I blink twice before slowly turning my head in direction of the woman, and indeed, she is staring directly at me, at my face, but I can’t describe her expression, surely she doesn’t look mad, the usual aloof look in the face replaced by something else, something that I can’t put my finger on it, instead I decide to focus on other things about her, like some strands of her hair flowing on her face, her hat is resting firm on her left hand preventing the wind from blowing it away, when I realize that she is still looking at me I break the silence “Is ev-“ “I don’t understand” I turn me head at Celinne who is wearing a troubled expression.

“Why on earth is the police looking for you? You and the doctor have shown us nothing but kindess! that you are normal citizen people! You have treated us right, and put your trust on us with something spectacular such as this!” Celinne moves her arms as if showing us the horizon. “This information could be a revolution and an eye-opening truth that could change the whole world!” Then she remained quiet for a couple of seconds reflecting on what she is just about to say.

“You are not a criminals… are you?”

And then the sky darkened, the sun rays dying behind the horizon as it’s warmth that was in our faces abandon us, as along with her eyes, her expression turning one of a cold as ice. She turned her head at the now dark horizon, the hand that is holding her hat was now clenching the fabric of it, the wind became stronger as it flew her coat around her legs.

“The doctor is not a criminal” she piercily says without turning to look at us in the eye. “He just chose the wrong ally” And with that no more words came from her.

We remain quiet as New York City welcomes the night, in some buildings the lights are becoming more and more noticeable, the sound of car horns and police sirens can still be heard even with all of this difference of height, but can only hear very faintly. However we do not take our time to appreciate this, as we stay deep in thought, replaying her words on our heads.

After a while when the cold is starting to creep up on our skin Aida talks once again after a while. “We should head back”

We nod in silence as she takes out the pocket watch again and repeats the process, once the portal is big enough that we can pass, Celinne crosses it first, no longer afraid of it, then I close my eyes to walk into the portal, and when I feel the sensation of water on my body, I open my eyes to see myself on the kitchen again, but with the lights on.

The doctor is singing a tune while he washes some dishes and flashes us an expectant smile.

“How did it went?” He cheerfully asked, I turn to the portal again waiting for Aida to return, but suddenly the spiral becomes smaller and the color fades before dissappearing completely.

[harmonizingsunsets]

It might be foolish, but you got me all soft

Read on Archive here.

Kate's nose crinkles as she watches Penelope and Colin. Their feet dance with one another underneath the table. He leans over, whispering something in her ear that makes her giggle. Their smiles are brighter than the fluorescent lights of the coffee shop. Watching them is almost blinding.

"You guys are so cute," Kate observes with puckered lips. "I hate that."

Penelope turns to Kate with a bemused expression. "No, you don't. You love us."

"Love isn't the word coming to mind. Nauseated is more like it."

"Kate, everyone finds us adorable," Colin insists, wrapping an arm around Penelope. "It's not a matter of opinion. It's just a fact."

"I'm happy for you two. Honestly, I am. But you're acting so lovey-dovey and sweet that it makes my teeth ache," Kate jokes, picking up her coffee for a sip.

"If we make your teeth ache, then you and Anthony cause cavities," Colin mutters.

Kate chokes a little on her mocha, causing a few patrons to give her odd looks.

"Excuse me?"

"Colin, we talked about this," Penelope says through gritted teeth, shooting him a disapproving look.

"No, you talked about how we weren't supposed to say anything because they're both so jumpy about it, but I disagreed," Colin protests. "Someone needs to open their eyes."

"Hello, I'm still right in front of you," Kate says, waving her hands at them. "Open my eyes to what?"

Colin and Penelope argue with their eyes for a few moments before Penelope cracks, nodding. Colin turns to Kate with a sly grin.

"That you're in love with my brother."

It was a good thing she wasn't drinking that time, or she'd have to spit her coffee all over them. Although, perhaps a spritz of hot coffee would wipe the amusement off of Colin's face.

Kate feels her cheeks heat. She opens her mouth, but only incomprehensible protesting sounds come out.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about," Colin says, his smile turning softer. "He loves you too."

"That is not true," Kate insists, standing up straighter in her chair. "I don't love him, and he certainly doesn't love me. Right, Penelope?"

When Kate turns to Penelope, the friend she usually can rely on for back-up is instead chewing her lower lip.

"Well...."

"Pen!"

"I'm sorry, but Kate, Colin's right," Penelope says, the words rushing out guiltily. "I write romance books for a living. I know the enemies to lovers trope very well, and you two embody it."

"That's ridiculous!" Kate exclaims, her heart beginning to hammer in her chest. "We drive each other crazy. I mean, we've become better friends over the past few months—but it's not like that."

Penelope tilts her head. "Would it be so bad if it was?"

"Yes!"

"Why?"

A hundred reasons that Kate could never utter go through her mind. She wants to say, "Anthony dates pop singers and models, and I can't live up to that." Or she could confess, "When he looks at me a beat too long, I feel like I could combust from the weight of it." Most of all, Kate wants to say, "If I let myself love him, I know that I'll never be able to stop."

But she can't tell them any of that. Kate had been just fine about the prospect of being alone. She's satisfied with her career, family, and friends. But if she admits that she loves him, then she'll never be content with any life that doesn't include him in it.

No matter what Colin and Penelope think, Anthony doesn't love her. He can't. Letting herself hope that he does is too dangerous. It scares her more than any thunderstorm she's ever endured.

"I have to go," Kate murmurs, standing up numbly from the table.

"Kate, wait," Colin says, grabbing onto her arm. He looks apologetic, and it's impossible to be upset when looking into his puppy dog eyes. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up."

"It's fine," Kate insists with a thin smile, tugging her arm away from his grasp. "I got to go. Have a nice evening."

As she walks out of the coffee shop, she hears a cheesy pop tune about love play on their radio.

The lyrics inspire Anthony's face to surface in her mind.

Kate groans, knowing she's in deep trouble.

That night, she couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned in her bed but couldn't stop hearing Anthony's teasing voice in her head.

In a huff, Kate gets out of bed and quickly puts on her clothes. She debates whether to reapply makeup but decides against it. No one else will see her where she was going.

Luckily, she's friends with the security guard, who let her inside the building that turned off the lights twenty minutes prior. She thanks him and hastily goes to her office, turning on the light and booting up the computer at her desk.

If she wasn't going to sleep, she might as well get some work done.

For a while, all that she hears is the sound of her keys as she typed and the soft hum of music she'd put on to work.

She thought she'd be safe listening to music without lyrics. But Anthony creeps into every note, every chord, and every song.

Just as Kate lowers her head to beat it against the table in frustration, a knock on her door causes her body to jolt upright.

She stands from her chair slowly, walking to the door with caution. No one else would be here this late, so she fears what was on the other side of the door. But if someone was there to hurt her, why would they bother knocking on an unlocked door?

When Kate turns the knob, she sees the face of the man who's been haunting her thoughts for the past few hours (longer than that, if she was honest with herself).

"Hey, what are you doing here so late?" Anthony asks.

"Um, working."

Anthony scans her with curiosity. "On a Sunday?"

"So are you," she points out, crossing her arms.

He holds up a black leather journal. "Actually, I just came by the office for my phone book."

"You have a phone book? Anthony, there's a reason for that contact list on your phone."

"I like writing it down," he defends, looking affronted.

"But you can't add emojis, which adds personality to someone's contact." Kate pulls out her phone and holds out the contacts for him to see. "Edwina has two pink hearts, Penelope has a book, Benedict has an easel, and you have a fire emoji."

"Why do I have a fire emoji?"

"Because you make me want to set things on fire, of course."

Anthony smirks. "Well, next time we play that 'who's most likely to' game in the office, I'll be sure to put you down for becoming an arsonist."

Kate smiles at him, and they fall into one of those moments that's becoming more frequent between them—ones where his body seems to close, and his eyes gleam with something she can't name but feels a kindred sensation within her heart.

Kate takes a step back from him. "Why did you need your phone book so late, anyway?"

Anthony itches behind his ear. Kate frowns, as it's a nervous tick she's never seen from him before. Anthony, like fire, was all-consuming. His feelings were as hot as flames and easy to detect. But now, he looks more guarded, his eyebrows scrunched and his posture squirmish.

"Anthony?" she asks again.

Anthony takes a deep breath. "Well, I actually needed it to call you."

"Me?"

"Yeah. My phone hasn't been working since I went out on the boat with Simon. The bloody idiot knocked it onto the water," he grumbles. "I got a new phone and need to add my contacts back on, which is why I'm lucky I have this phone book which you mocked me for having."

Kate rolls her eyes. "What did you need to call me about?"

"Well, I know we had a rocky start to our relationship—."

"Because you hit on my sister?" she asks, arching her brow.

"I did not hit on her. I merely danced with her at the Christmas party," Anthony corrects with an exasperated sigh. "How many times are we going to argue about this?"

"Until you admit I'm right."

"It'll take a long time for that to happen."

"I've got plenty of time to spend with you."

As soon as those words are out, that heat radiating from Anthony's fire feels warmer. It's as if more time with her is exactly what he wants.

But Kate doesn't let those thoughts get far. She squashes them before they can take root in her mind.

"Continue," Kate tells him.

"Yes, well, as I was saying, we didn't start on the right foot. But, over these past few months, I feel like we've become friends." He looks at her with a hesitant kind of hope. "We have, haven't we?"

Kate smiles. "Yes, we have."

"So, I thought as my friend. You'd like to come with me to this."

Anthony draws two tickets from his pocket and holds one out to her. Kate takes it from in, and her eyes widen as she reads what's on the paper.

"The Vitamin String Quartet?"

"I know you listen to them to relax. I saw that they were touring and coming to London, so I thought that—." His words suddenly halt, tilting his head at her curiously. "What?"

Kate blinks in confusion. "What do you mean 'what?'"

Anthony points at her face. "You were looking at me all funny."

"I was not!"

"Yes, you were! You were looking at me like this."

Anthony imitates a soft-looking expression, gazing at her with an affectionate smile. Kate, in horror, realizes she had been looking at him like that.

"Shut up," Kate scoffs, nudging his arm and hoping it distracts from the blush on her face. "Like I'd ever look at you like that."

"If you're going to be mean, I won't give you the ticket."

He reaches over, but she pulls her hand back.

"Fine, I'm sorry," Kate says, looking down at the ticket in awe. "This is really nice of you."

"So, you'll go with me?"

"Of course I will," she nods, beaming in excitement.

Anthony releases a breath. "Good."

He begins to back out of her office, but she steps forward from her desk, grabbing his arm.

"Anthony?"

He turns. "Yes?"

Before she can second guess herself, she leans up, pressing a kiss to his cheek. When she pulls back, it takes a few seconds for his eyes to open, as if he thinks she's a figment of his imagination that will disappear.

"Thank you," Kate whispers.

Anthony nods, giving her a kind smile before leaving her office.

The music on her computer is still playing. Kate hears the gentle notes of a piano, cautious and optimistic-sounding.

The night had been amazing.

The quartet performed beautifully. They played orchestrational versions of pop songs, which makes Kate feel less guilty about listening to them.

She worried when Anthony said he'd never heard any of their music himself, that he wouldn't enjoy it. But when the concert started, she kept stealing glances out of the corner of her eyes. She saw him watching the players with a content expression.

However, the music didn't help her much with her newfound Anthony problem. When she closed her eyes, the violins sang his name. When his hand grazed hers on the armrest of the chair, the music swelled in tandem with her heart.

He was a song she couldn't get out of her head.

And the worst part was, it was a tune she didn't think she'd ever tire of hearing.

They bantered a bit about the weather while waiting for their Uber. Kate claimed the night was perfectly brisk, not enough to warrant a coat. Anthony, however, disagreed. He poked at the goosebumps on her arm as proof and insisted she take his jacket. She eventually relented, letting him drape his jacket over her shoulders.

When he looked away to wave at the car they'd been waiting for, Kate turned her nose to the jacket. She smelt the scent of amber, sandalwood, and something that was discernibly Anthony.

When they get into the back seat of the car, Anthony turns to her. "Can you believe that couple who sat in front of us?"

"I know! They were all over each other the whole night."

"Music is the food of love, but couldn't they have got the meal before the concert?"

"You'd think," Kate huffs, curling her fists further into his sleeves for warmth. She looks back at him, offering a smile. "I had a really nice time."

"I'm glad," Anthony nods. He swallows nervously, forcing himself to meet her eyes. When he does, Kate sees a raw vulnerability glistening in them. "I just wanted to make you happy."

She bumps her shoulder against his. "You do that by just being you."

Kate's words skim a cello string, creating a deep note that lingers in the air. Something flickers in Anthony's expression, his gaze steadying on her. Suddenly, it's harder for Kate to breathe.

"Look at us, acting like that couple," Kate jokes, trying to ease the tension. "The music must be getting to us too."

"Yeah, that's probably it," Anthony hums, moving a fraction closer to her. "Because right now, I feel this urge to put my arm around you."

Anthony gives in to the feeling, putting an arm around her back. Kate's breath hitches as his thumb rubs circles on her arm. Even through the material of Anthony's jacket, his fingertips send electric shocks to her skin.

"And I want to lean my head right here," she finds herself saying, resting her head on top of his shoulder.

"I want to tuck this strand of hair behind your ear.”

Kate feels his fingers skim against his cheek, gently moving a curl that had fallen into her face behind her ear. Her breath quickens, slowly turning her eyes up at him, and the look he's giving her is overwhelming.

"This is all so ridiculously stereotypical. You make me feel so—so..." Kate's words drift, unable to finish her sentence. Her tongue goes out to wet her lips that suddenly feel dry. "I hate it."

Anthony's index finger goes to her chin, tilting it up and off of his shoulder. "Do you hate this?"

He leans forward, kissing her so sweet and tenderly that she knows if she were standing, her foot would pop up like all of those delusionally romantic heroines in movies do when they kiss.

She gets lost in him. Her hands go up to cup his cheek as she deepens the kiss. Anthony's arm moves from her shoulders to her waist, pulling her flush against him. He swallows her gasp, and Kate hears a cacophony of melodies in her mind.

Kate doesn't know how long they stay wrapped in another's arms. It's only when the driver clears his throat that she realizes the car had come to a stop.

They jump apart, and Anthony gives the driver an uncomfortable nod. "Sorry, sir."

"It's alright," he says gruffly and mutters something about "just wait till you have kids, it won't be like this" as they get out of the car.

They stand awkwardly on the street for a few seconds. Kate looks around them. The vivid leaves of the trees stand out amongst the darkness of the night.

Kate remembers when she first met Anthony. It'd been fall, and the trees were bare with leaves littering the ground. It had felt fitting. Back then, her publishing company announced that they were joining one of their competitors. She had to work with Anthony, as they were both the top production editors of the separate companies. Like the leaves, it felt like everything was falling apart. Every smirk or retort of Anthony's felt like the leaves blowing chaotically in the wind.

But now, the trees were alive again, flooding with color. Kate's at the dawn of a new season with Anthony. It's something as inevitable as the change of weather but as everlasting as the stars above them.

No—stars eventually burn out. Kate thinks that whatever is between her and Anthony will continue to burn when all other flames dim.

"So, that happened," Kate says, breaking the silence.

Anthony takes a cautious step towards her. "Yeah, it did."

"I didn't hate it," she shrugs with a teasing tilt of her lips.

"Wow, what great appraisal. Can I list you as a reference for giving me such a raving review?"

"Excuse me, who else are you planning to apply with?"

"No one, I'm quite satisfied with my employment with you," he assures smugly, his hand going up to her cheek. "But, I'd like to have a slight promotion in my position."

Kate leans into his touch. "Oh really, what position do you want to fill?"

"Well, I think I've done everything that I can in the enemy job. I've enjoyed the friend's position. But, if the boyfriend position is available, I'd like to submit my candidacy."

Kate loops her arms around his neck. "Well, how about we check over your application one more time?"

"Where do you want me to start?" Anthony asks, pressing his lips to her temple. "My education?" he murmurs as he kisses her forehead. "My goals?" Kate sighs as his lips move to the corner of her mouth, and his hand curls around her waist. "My experience?" He kisses her again, and Kate feels his smirk against her lips. "Or, my skills?"

Kate pulls back with a smirk of her own. "How about what drew you to this position?"

His eyes gleam roguishly, looking at the lack of space between them. "This particular position?"

Kate tries her best to give him a stern look. "Anthony."

"You," he answers simply, resting his forehead against hers. "Everything about you."

Kate's unable to stop herself, chuckling softly. "Wow, that's incredibly sappy."

"But it's true."

She takes a deep breath, feeling content and peaceful in his arms. "Maybe being sappy isn't such a bad thing."

"No," Anthony agrees, the corner of his lips tilting up as he studies her intently. "I'm starting to think that it's not."

This time when Kate kisses him, she does it without a single reservation about cliches or stereotypes, or how she would roll her eyes if she saw the two of them on the street.

Kate's foot pops, and the song that's been stuck in her head gets set on an infinite loop.

[alloftheimaginess]

AD INTERVIEW

Other parts

Jared Padalecki

Misha Collins

Jensen Ackles

This part sucks ass but I low key like it. I’ll probably end up redoing it soon

"Hello welcome Ad" I say opening the front door for the camera crew and Alex comes up behind me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

"I'm Yn Calvert" I say.

"And I'm Alexander Calvert, come right in" he says and I smile up at him.

"This house was built by my great great grandmother when she was in her 20's and then it was a gift to my great grandparents on their wedding night and then it was given to my grandparents and then my parents and then when Alex and I got married my mom handed us the keys" I say.

"We're currently in the middle of upgrading and rebuilding everything and we've been working on it for three years now" Alex says.

"This is our living room" I say as we walk in to it.

"This is honestly my favorite room in the house, when we're actually staying here the boys and I spend a lot of time in here, playing games, playing the piano and having quiet reading time" I say.

"I learned with kids a while ago that we can't have all the fancy things and I'm cool with with that because I enjoy the family vibes we created" I say going to the wall that holds all the photos.

"This is Misha on his first day of kindergarten" I say pointing to the photo.

"I cried harder than he did" I say laughing.

"This is a picture from our wedding night, I adore this picture so much because all of the couples can be seen dancing around us, I remember this moment because Flicker by Niall Horan was playing and at that point it was one of my favorite songs and right there you can see Jared and his wife being all cute" I say pointing it out.

"All the art you see in here is made by two of Yn's sisters who run an art shop" Alex says.

"They've been painting ever since we were young and the work they put out is amazing and every time we get a visitor they always ask where I got it from and I can easily promote my siblings" I say laughing.

"Over here is our kitchen" Alex says walking up the two step departing our kitchen from our living room.

"We tore down the wall because we wanted the open space, all the natural light and when I'm making dinner I can keep an eye out on the kids and they can eat their snacks at the table and watch tv or play the game while I'm doing whatever I need to do" I say.

"Let me show you my favorite part about the kitchen" Alex says leading them over to the sink.

"Yn cooks dinner pretty much every night which leaves me and the boys with the clean up and they like how big the sink is" he says showing off our farmhouse sink.

"Makes washing dishes so much easier and Aj use to take a lot of baths in here" he says patting the sink and I laugh.

"You sound like you're trying to convince everyone to get one" I say and he laughs with me.

"Maybe I am" he says taking them to the other room.

"Over here is where our dining room was but we don't use it so we made it into a branch off living room" Alex says.

"We celebrate the holidays here and it's perfect for Christmas when we have our families and friends here and the living room is taken, we have these two ceiling chairs and then some cushions and bean bags I like to think of it as a sort of cozy corner, this usually turns into the kids hang out spot when there's a group of them because we have the gaming tv here and they can just lounge and enjoy whatever game they are playing" I say.

"The backyard is what I'm probably proudest of" I say opening the folding sliding glass doors and we step outside.

"We have the pool over there completely gated off because Aj can't fully swim yet and he likes to play outside when I'm on the patio writing" I say.

"And on that side we have the boys playhouse from Charmed Playhouses, Yn seen a picture of one and she fell in love with them and decided that the boys needed to have a Harry Potter themed playhouse" he says.

"It's literally so cool in there, I should have just walked you to the playhouse and did a tour of that" I say laughing.

"We got Harry Potter because I've always been a massive fan and Misha when he was around three he fell in love with it and I knew I had to do it plus it's perfect for both boys and girls" I say.

"Now up the stairs on the right we have the office" I say sliding the glass sliding door open and stepping inside and Alex follows me in.

"There's not a lot here" I say.

"We're currently working on expanding this room because Alex has his desk and I want a space where I can put all of my art stuff so we're in the middle of that" I say.

"This is also where Yn keeps her awards because she's too embarrassed to show them off so she keeps them tucked away up here where she can glance at them to remind her that she can always be better" he says moving the picture frames they are behind.

"This is the hallway" I say and Alex laughs.

"Yn loves this hallway" he says.

"I do, I love it so much" I say giggling and I stop walking.

"This is why I love this hallway so much" I say pointing at the pictures.

"My family is very big and very all over the place. From my birth dad I have six siblings and on my moms side I have five and it's like crazy trying to get everyone together and when I found out I was pregnant with Mish everyone came and they showed up and I managed to get a few decent shots out of it" I say laughing.

"And next to that I have my all time favorite picture of me and my baby sister Zendaya at the oscars in 2015. It's a photo from the red carpet and I was telling her I was pregnant and this was her reaction" I say laughing.

"Moving on, the first room we have belongs to Misha, they are both down for a nap right now in Aj's room so I can show off Misha's room" I say opening the door and stepping inside.

"My mom actually designed this room for him and she put it together while we were in Canada while Alex was filming so we came back to it and it was a nice surprise, Misha loved it more than anything" I say laughing.

"She got him a moving bookshelf and every time we go to the store he asks for a book so he can add them to the book shelf so that way no one will know which books opens the bookshelf" he says tipping the book back and it slides open.

"This is his 'hey Misha clean your room bub guests are coming' hiding spot" I say.

"Gets the job done" Alex says and I laugh rolling my eyes.

"Until I have to come in behind him and clean it" I say.

"This is the game room" I say.

"It has all of the games your mind could ever imagine" Alex says opening the doors under where the tv sits and it is stuffed with games.

"Texas thunderstorms have taught us that we can never have enough games or candles to entertain us when we lose power or when it storms so much the boys are up all night" I say.

"Next is our bedroom" I say stopping at the closed double doors and I push them open.

"This is where the magic happens" he says and I laugh rolling my eyes and I step in.

"Our bedroom was one of the first things we did when we moved in, we tore it apart and with the help of my best friend slash Alex's fake father and his wife and we rebuilt this room in about two to three weeks and it was like the best time of my life" I say.

"In this little hole is where we keep Misha when guest come so we can pretend we did all the work around here" he says and I laugh.

"You're an idiot" I say and he laughs with me.

"This is a laundry chute, there's one in the main rooms such as ours, Misha's and Aj's and they can just send the clothes right to the basket which then I can just dump into the washer" he says and I nod.

"Plus there's never any clothes lying around, everyone should have one of these" I say.

"Through here is our bathroom and closet" he says opening the door and we go inside.

"It's just a bathroom it's nothing special to me but to Yn it is everything" he says and I press the button and the shelves come out the cabinet.

"It's my vanity but when I'm done I can put it away and not worry about anything getting messed up ever and I love it because everything is unorganized but you can't see the clutter" I say getting off of the pouf and I go into the closet.

"This is probably the most extreme room we have in our house because honestly I'm addicted to shopping and I need the space. I always wanted like the closet that Hannah Montana had and I didn't get it but honestly this one has hers beat so I'm not complaining" I say and Alex laughs.

"Like I said about the bathroom I don't get it" he says and I laugh.

"And the last room" I say opening the door showing off the nursery and I step inside them following me.

"You're the first ones that aren't apart of our inner circle to find out and we want to use this video as an announcement" Alex says and I nod.

"This nursery is for our princess who we are happy to announce will be born in four months" Alex says. "January 1st" I say smiling at the camera.

[thejoshuaglenn-blog]

You're a Good Boy, Charlie Brown

The key purpose of a Tumblr blog here is really a brain dump: logging thoughts, feelings, narrative and such is easier in long form than via a brief Facebook post that generates half a dozen "oh no, what happened" comments. As I'm writing this, most of it seems like bullet points and organized timelines. If you're looking for a TL;DR or current state of thoughts, it's the last section titled The Day After, and the Day After That.

A few days ago, Niko and I said goodbye to our first dog, Charlie Brown.

I'm not keen to chat about it a lot. There's more to process than I have time to type; most of it centers around being fair to myself and to Niko, taking the time to appreciate his life without beating ourselves up, and avoiding the overwhelming mire that grief can become.

Joining the Family

CB was a rescue, a hapless victim of the 2016 Louisiana floods and a happy-go-lucky participant in a "dog for a day" event hosted by a local shelter. I fully expected to rent him out for a day, give him a few great experiences, and return him. For myriad reasons, we never did bring him back to Pet Rescue by Judy, and he's been with us ever since.

At adoption, he was estimated to be around 4-8 years old. With a kicked-in shoulder that offset his collarbone and ribcage, some assorted dental issues, and other little signs of damage (cigarette burns, what the heck is wrong with people), it was tough to really gauge his age. That means he left this world at the ripe old age of something like 9-13, which isn't terrible considering all he'd been through.

Charlie Brown was the iconic good boy. He seldom barked, he never licked or jumped, and just wanted to be in the same room as his favorite people. He had a few toys that he cherished, never ripping them up, just carrying them with him from room to room and whining a bit, unsure of where he could store them for safekeeping. Apart from some separation anxiety issues and an occasional urge to bolt out the door and book it as far as he could, CB was by all accounts an easy first dog: more like a low-effort cat than anything else.

Slowly Falling Apart

Over time, the health issues increased. Intermittent but predictably regular upset tummy. Bad gums, bad teeth. Random gooey skin lesion. Eye ulcers. Since October, we've been averaging 2-3 unplanned vet visits a month — many incurring some hefty bills. We'd take out another credit card, find another financing plan, but it adds up. So does the emotional toil on the family; so does the anxiety toll on the dog.

You start to think about quality of life for the dog, you know? He'd had a few teeth removed to sew up his gums after they kinda detached and fell apart from his jawbone — so he couldn't chew anything hard. Couldn't even chew a tennis ball, which was the only toy he took interest in anymore. Couldn't have any fun treats like peanut butter or other soft chews, as his tummy would have bad flare-ups that usually ended up with him attached to an IV bag. After finally settling in and learning to play well with Atlas, Charlie Brown started to get pretty irritable whenever Atlas got frisky.

He still loved running around outdoors, and was in otherwise great health.

I can't tell you how guilty that makes me feel, even now.

Moving to Waltham

Before we left Orlando, there were so many crisis moments in emergency vet offices where Niko and I talked about how long he could ride this roller coaster. CB obviously was not a fan of vet visits: loved the staff, but was notably anxious and panicky when separated from us, and he had grown very loathe to the process of poking, prodding, and whatnot.

Shortly after moving to Waltham (he was a champ in the U-Haul), Charlie Brown had a severe colitis flare-up. He was losing so much fluid and was growing very lethargic over the day. Vets are hard to get into these days: with the sweep of "pandemic puppy" adoptions, the vet industry as a whole is saturated with demand, and practices are responding as best they can. There were just no emergency clinics available to us within 20 miles, except one that noted "we have no availability, but you can come and wait, and we might be able to see you in 4 or 5 hours." So we did.

It was a very late night. Charlie Brown came home with us with another round of the same antibiotics he'd been taking almost regularly since December for his assorted ailments, and some probiotics. The next day, CB seemed a bit better and brighter, and Niko and I went into the city for part of the day. We came home to find he'd had an accident, but it was just... blood. So so much. And he looked so in pain, so ashamed, so guilty, so anxious.

So we went back to the vet ER. It was another very late night. I didn't know how many of these late nights we could afford; neither of us knew how many of these late nights it was fair to expect Charlie Brown to endure.

Do you plan on letting a pet go after an extended crisis visit? Do you plan on letting a pet go in a time of relative peace?

Camping Analogy, and a Best Last Day

When you're off on a long hike, and you see daylight start to fade as the sun begins to set, you begin to think about finding a good place to set up camp for the night. It's abysmal to do this after the sun has already gone down: where you could have had preparation and structure, you have chaos by flashlight.

A dog's life is in your hands. You're his whole world: all food, adventure, pampering, challenge, treatment, and care come from you. More than anything, we wanted Charlie Brown to have a peaceful, restful life. Now that we started thinking about it, we wanted to be able to give him a peaceful, restful passing as well: not as the climax of another overnight crisis with injections and yelps and beeps and cowering and anxiety and fear, but in the still quiet of familiar sounds and smells.

His very last day was a great one. Fresh Pond in Cambridge: a massive stroll around a colossal lake with an absurd bounty of new smells, kind people, happy dogs, and a brisk New England breeze. He got to swim in a little side pond — that boy lived for jumping into random lakes. He ran around the broad field that is Kingsley Bowl, chasing a thrown ball the very very farthest his sad pop could throw it — and he brought it back. We bought him a steak. We told him how much he brought to our lives.

And then we waited.

Lap of Love is a sort of home delivery service of dignified passing for pets. There's more to say on that hour than I care to pen, but throughout the procedure, we never left him. Charlie Brown passed enveloped in our arms and laps and sobs and hugs.

The Day After, and the Day After That

The rest is just thoughts. Your head starts to feel like a coffee shop where your grief comes in, sits at a table with you, and unloads. You nod, listen, and wish them well. I hope I can keep processing this way — I find it helpful, and less overwhelming.

I wish he had been able to play with his tennis ball more. Since his jaw surgery — even out on Kingsley Bowl, nearly a month and a half after he should have been fully healed — any kind of chewing would cause renewed bleeding and pain.

I wish we had hugged him more. But truth be told, he didn't like hugs. They made him uncomfortable. So we gave him a hand to lay his head on, or a knee for him to pop his head upon, as often as he liked.

There were so many times I felt inconvenienced by owning a dog at all. They weren't the majority, but... now each remembered time feels like a splinter of selfishness.

I miss how familiar the back of his neck felt under my hand, just behind the ears, where the waves of fur meet and crash and make a long cowlick of foof and fluff.

His happy smile and his stressed smile were very similar, but you could still tell which was which.

I loved being there for him in thunderstorms.

When you think about it, we sort of were hospice care for him. We weren't his original owners; we just wanted the rest of his life to be painless and fulfilling. He had so many trust issues when he first came to us. And in the end, he loved anyone he met.

I miss feeling around with my feet to make sure I don't step on him on my way to bed. I miss setting my feet on the floor as I wake, stooping down, and giving his head a good squishy rub.

He never did get to see Boston snow. I mean... thousands of dogs never get to see snow. But I was really looking forward to sharing that experience with him.

I wanted so badly to bring him to a point of health, and then say goodbye when he was feeling well. Seeing him have his Best Last Day, part of me whispered "murderer" with cold accuracy, and I have a hard time shaking it. He was so happy — but between jaw bleeding after playing with a tennis ball, seeing him scratch his eyes that were starting to ache with ulcers again... I know the unbridled happiness came with the reality of his declining health.

Atlas was the best thing that ever happened to that boy. I know Charlie Brown was at least a little disgruntled that his easy-going day-to-day had been interrupted by a chompy puppy, but Atlas brought out the young pup in CB: ripping palm fronds to shreds, playing tug, playing tag, meeting new dogs with confidence and assurance.

I used to get so mad at my mother-in-law for feeding Charlie Brown cinnamon donuts. I wish I'd given him more. Heck, I wish I'd given him more peanut butter. I'm frankly surprised he hadn't died of peanut butter overdose years ago.

Where Charlie's health had limits, we kept going with Atlas. That might mean taking Atlas out to play with a ball or a tug toy, because CB couldn't. It breaks my heart now to think of Charlie at the glass door just watching it happen, all because he physically couldn't play the same. I know he didn't understand that.

We took him out to Park Ave maybe once or twice. I wish it had been more. Truth be told, it was the same as the dog park, though: he was kind of a loner. Loads of people or dogs made him anxious. So while I might idealize the past and wish he had sat at our legs for lunch after lunch at an outdoor thoroughfare, ... I think he would have been miserable. I think he would have rather just curled up at the base of the couch and dozed while we watched a show.

He was so trusting. I could just drag him onto his back and onto my lap for cuddles and a good tummy rub. No complaints.

He looked so gaunt these past few months. I keep looking at earlier photos, and I really didn't realize just how grizzly and drawn he had become lately.

I miss seeing him randomly waiting for me outside the bathroom door — or curled up on the bath mat while I was in the shower, having sneakily nosed the door open and wanting my company while I was rinsing.

For his first few years with us, he was incredibly playful. I've been going through old videos — it's like going outside just blew his mind, and toys were either for cherishing daintily, or thrashing about and throwing to oneself and gnawing. He lost that after a time. He regained it a bit when Atlas joined the party. But it still faded. I'm sure that's inevitable, but it makes me sad to see the early vibrant puppy in those old recordings, and how different he had been in recent months.

[deans-mind-palace]

Conversations in the Dark

Pairing: Castiel x Reader

Summary: Nothing’s real what happens in the dark. That’s what your mother told you about nightmares. But you’re hunter and you know that nightmares exist in the daylight, too. Your relationship with Cas isn’t always easy. However, in moments of doubt it’s good you have each other. Because that’s all that really matters.

Word Count: 2,496

Warnings: A lot of angst, fluff and some snoring Winchesters

Author’s Note: This fic is based on the new song ‚Conversations in the dark‘ by John Legend. It is a present for the 200 followers celebration. Show it some love. <3

Like always, my tag lists are OPEN!!!

Wanna read more? Have a look here: Masterlist

"So guys, that's it. We're all exhausted and there's no motel the next few miles. Guess, we have to stop here." Dean announced as he drove the Impala off the road and into a parking lot. The gravel crunched under the tires as soon as the car came to a halt and the engine purred until Dean pulled the key out of the ignition hole and ran over his eyes in exhaustion. The radio died down and for a moment there was silence in the car. Sam yawned and tried to fold his long legs comfortably in the passenger seat. Another night he had to spend sitting. Alone at the thought of the back pain he pulled a face. Dean stretched out his legs and leaned back in his seat as best he could. Cas sat with you in the back seat. You were as exhausted as the two brothers and could only keep your eyes open with difficulty. Your head rested on Cas' shoulder for some time. Gently his deep voice reached you.

"Come on, Y/N. You're tired, let's get some sleep." When he said "us", he really meant you, because the angel did not sleep. But since your relationship he had gotten into the habit of spending the nights with you, even if that meant he had to fold up with three other people in a car just to be at your side. You gave him a tired smile when you finally lay on the seats. The bench was not very broad and Cas held you tightly wrapped so you wouldn't slide into the footwell. Soon you had found a more or less comfortable position. Your legs were entangled and his hand rested on your back, while he pressed you against his chest. His chin rested against your forehead and your hands lay on his chest. He smiled at you through the darkness and his stubble scratched your skin. His teeth shone bright in the darkness. From the front seats you could already hear the brothers' steady breathing. They were fast asleep.

Talk Let's have conversations in the dark World is sleeping, I'm awake with you With you Watch Movies that we've both already seen I ain't even looking at the screen, it's true I got my eyes on you

You sighed contentedly and your gaze slipped out of the window of the Impala. While lying down, you could see the bright stars in the night-black sky. You were so far away from the nearest town that the sky was perfectly clear. Purple, pink and blue blended into a single work of art, interwoven with small white stars. "Cas. Look! Look at the stars! Aren't they beautiful?" you breathed happily and he could clearly hear the admiration in your voice. You beamed at the sight of the stars. Cas hummed. He had not even looked out the window. His eyes were only on you. How beautiful you looked. How the moon cast a shadow over your face and made your skin shine silvery. How your eyes sparkled in the dark and you bit your lip. "Hm, right." he muttered, but his gaze never left your face.

And you say that you're not worth it You get hung up on your flaws Well, in my eyes you are perfect As you are

"Have you ever seen anything more beautiful than the night sky? Anything more magical?" you asked as you continued to dreamily look up at the stars. Cas knew God's creation by heart. He had seen the stars countless times before, he was there when they were created. They were beautiful, but they could not keep up with you. You were the most beautiful thing God had ever created and he was grateful for every day he was allowed to spend at your side. You cast a spell over Cas with your very own magic. "Nothing is more beautiful than the stars," you whispered into the silence with fascination. "Yes, you," he replied honestly and his voice rumbled deep in his chest. You looked at the angel and smiled. "Charmeur." Your fingers gently stroked his cheek before kissing him. Your hand found his and you crossed your fingers while you looked up into the stars together and hung on to your thoughts.

I will never try to change you, change you I will always want the same you, same you Swear on everything I pray to That I won't break your heart I'll be there when you get lonely, lonely Keep the secrets that you told me, told me And your love is all you owe me And I won't break your heart

He loved your fascination, even for the little things. With such devotion you did the things you loved. Your selflessness. You would die for him or the brothers without hesitation. Your silence. You could sit for hours during a thunderstorm in a rundown hotel room, staring out the window, lost in thought, with his head in your lap and your fingers gently combing through his brown hair, while a pleasant silence reigned and you listened to nature. After a failed hunt you would tell him stories from your childhood until he would lie calmly with you in his arms. Even if that meant you had to make up stories. Castiel loved so many little things about you. How you would always let Dean pick the television channel to avoid a fight. How you always sang or whistled in the shower. How your nose turned up when you bit into a slice of your favorite pizza.

You were perfect. And Castiel loved you for who you were. "What's your greatest secret, Cas?" you asked, turning your head so your beautiful eyes met him. You looked at him questioningly. Cas didn't have to think long. "That I love you." And with a smile on his face, he watched you frown at that answer. "But it's no secret. Dean and Sam know." you muttered, and your eyes looked at him big and innocent. He laughed softly at your amazement. "That's right. But only I will ever know how much I really love you, because words don't even begin to describe it." The angel gave you a gentle kiss on the forehead. You loved it when Cas was like that. It was a side of Castiel that was reserved for you, that he showed only to you. Only with you was this quiet angel so open and soulful. Only with him did you feel complete.

Suddenly a shooting star was streaming across the dark night sky. You closed your eyes and made a wish. "What is your greatest wish, sweetheart?" mumbled Cas near your ear and a pleasant shiver ran down your spine. You embarrassingly bit your lip and avoided his gaze. "I - no, it's silly. It was a stupid wish I shouldn't have made. Forget it." You shook your head and looked ahead at your sleeping brothers as you felt Cas's fingers gently lift your chin and turn it towards him. "If this is your wish, it can't be stupid, Y/N." His blue eyes searching for yours and you saw the seriousness in them. You swallowed nervously and nodded slightly. You'd never told anybody about your biggest dream. Not even the person you loved most on this earth.

On Sunday mornings we sleep-in 'til noon Well, I can sleep forever next to you Next to you And we We got places we both gotta be But there ain't nothing I would rather do Then blow off all my plans for you

"I wish the apple pie life for us, Cas. I wish it so much. We could travel the country like normal people and stay in a place we like. We'll look for a little house in a beautiful area where the neighbours have barbecues and celebrate the Fourth of July together. We could make the house cosy and I could grow yellow tea roses in the front garden. Maybe we would have a dog. And a spacious kitchen where we could cook together. Maybe we could plant tomatoes in the garden. And never motel beds again! We'd have our own cozy bedroom. On rainy days we wouldn't even get up, but just listen to the rain pattering against the windows while I'm in your arms. On Sundays, we'd sleep in and I'd make us pancakes." As you talked, Cas closed his eyes and imagined every single scene you described.

How Cas carried you over the threshold of a small house and your eyes sparkled with joy. How your face and hands were encrusted with dirt, yet you grinned at him broadly. How you lay in his arms and his gaze followed the raindrops running down the window. How you stood in his shirt in the kitchen in the morning, making a mess to make pancakes.

There were scenes that put a smile on his face and he felt his heart longed for this life. It was a life you could never have, but with you at his side he dared to dream. He dared for a moment to give himself to the illusion of a normal life.

When Cas opened his eyes again, he saw other stars fall from the sky. Shooting stars were speeding across the sky. It was a night of the wishes.

And you say that you're not worth it And get hung up on your flaws But in my eyes you are perfect As you are As you are

If you were honest, you didn't know what you were wishing for. Like so many hunters of the supernatural, you had never led a normal life and had no idea what you were talking about. You noticed that Cas' smile slipped a little when you first made your wish. Of course it was bullshit. That's why you kept your wish to yourself. You swallowed. It was just one of your nonsense, that's all.

It wasn't the first time that you realized that you would never be married or have children. On some days the thought of spending the rest of your life with salt and corpses seemed unbearable. There would never be a normal life for you. Your boyfriend was an angel. A powerful, superhuman being who could end your life with a snap of his fingers if he wanted to. Cas would never be able to live like a human being. He was immortal, you just a human. You would not grow old together. His body would age, but his spirit could not decompose. One day, you would die, and Castiel would be left behind alone. The thought would make your heart contracted in pain. Cas read your mind, and he pulled you closer.

I will never try to change you, change you I will always want the same you, same you Swear on everything I pray to That I won't break your heart I'll be there when you get lonely, lonely Keep the secrets that you told me, told me And your love is all you owe me And I won't break your heart

"I'm sorry I can't be the one you want me to be. That I can't give you the life you want to live." You looked at him with those big eyes. "And if you want me to go, I will, Y/N. All you have to do is send me away because I'm not strong enough. But it's selfish to take away your chance at a normal life." His voice trembled. "Cas, don't you ever say that again, do you hear me?" you said startled. "But-" You gently put your finger on his lips, and he looked at you insecurely as he fell silent. "My life is not normal, Castiel. Never has been, never will be. But, Cas, any life is a good life as long as you're by my side. I love you, and I would never want to change anything about you. You are my angel. Literally. Don't let them tell you different." He nodded hesitantly.

"All these things. They mean nothing to me if it means you're not by my side. That we have moments like this." Your hand was on Cas' chest above his heart and you felt the excited pounding beneath. He pressed a kiss against your temple and together you looked up at the stars again. "I wouldn't trade this moment of lying here with you, philosophizing about life as we contemplate the stars, for anything in the world. You are what matters, Cas. You make my life worth living, Castiel. Don't break my heart," you whispered softly into the darkness of the night, as if the stars could hear your words and carry them out into the world, until the last man knew that you and the angel were one.

When no one seems to notice And your days, they seem so hard My darling, you should know this My love is everywhere you are

"You know I'll always be with you and go with you every step of the way. I will follow you wherever you go. I'll look at the stars with you until the end of time if that's what you want." Suddenly he looked embarrassed and your fingers were combing through his brown hair. For a moment there was silence between you, while you waited for Cas' next words. From the front seats still sounded faint breathing and Dean murmured softly as he turned.

"I'm happy as long as you are." He finally said. His warm breath brushed across your ear and made you shiver. His deep voice echoing in your mind. "And I am happy when you are by my side. Until the end of time." "Until the end of time," the angel repeated, intertwining your fingers over his heart with his.

I will never try to change you, change you I will always want the same you, same you Swear on everything I pray to That I won't break your heart I'll be there when you get lonely, lonely Keep the secrets that you told me, told me And your love is all you owe me And I won't break your heart

For some time you remained lying there in the silence and enjoyed the closeness of the other. Until dawn you looked at the stars shooting across the sky. You made wishes for the well-being of Cas, Dean and Sam. It was night of the wishes, after all, and tonight everything seemed to be possible. Maybe your wishes would be heard. You watched the sky change from deep black to stormy blue to dreamy purple to soft pink to fiery orange. It was the image of your feelings. The light of the stars faded as a new day began. And it was a good day because Castiel was with you and every day with Castiel was a good day. Because it had been a silent promise.

I won't break your heart

@zizzlekwum​

@rintheemolion​

@shypickleghostsuitcase​

@intoomuchfandoms​

@angeltardisbow​

@ayamenimthiriel​

@mimzy1994​

@assbuttyourlife​

@vicmc624​

@everyobsession9023​

@tokiohearts483​

@fortheentries​

@aberrant-annie​

@lust-for-pan​

@thewintersoldierswife​

@transparentfestivaltiger​

[bumblesimagines]

Cold

Request: Yes or No

I made the poem which is why it sucks so much ass lmao

Betty sighed, stepping onto the soft grass. She rubbed her forehead, trying to ease the incoming headache. She looked up, seeing someone leaning against a tree and writing in a notebook. The young male looked up and they made eye contact. Betty flushed, approaching him.

"Sorry... I didn't mean to disturb you." She said. The male waved her off, giving her a smile.

"It's fine. You can sit if you'd like." He said. Betty sat down beside him, glancing at his notebook.

"I'm Betty."

"(Y/N)." He replied.

"What are you writing?" Betty asked, pulling her sleeves up a bit.

"Poems." (Y/N) said with a soft grin. Betty hummed.

"Can I hear one?" (Y/N) nodded, clearing his throat.

"A soul is like a petal,

Beautiful and soft,

But like leaves in the fall,

They wither and drop,

And the soul cries,

Because it has died." (Y/N) licked his lips, glancing at the blonde.

"I'm not the best-"

"It was really nice." Betty said with a smile.

"My friend, Jughead, would love it." She added. (Y/N) chuckled softly.

"I come here for inspiration... The river's my muse." (Y/N) told her, watching the flowing river. Betty hummed, letting the sound of nature take over. (Y/N) went back to writing. Betty yawned, slowly dozing off.

Betty opened her eyes, hearing the water flowing and the sound of crickets. She sat up, covering her mouth as she yawned. Betty looked at the paper in her hand, opening it. She smiled.

'See you around, Sleeping Beauty -(Y/N)'

Betty slid the note into her pocket, standing up and checking her phone. She answered some texts as she started heading home, thoughts drifting to the male. Betty sighed softly, wondering why she had never seen him before. He seemed around her age. Maybe was a senior? Or maybe he was new and hadn't enrolled into Riverdale High yet.

"B! Where have you been?" She looked up, seeing Veronica and the boys. Veronica picked a piece of grass out of her blonde hair and cocked a brow.

"I was at Sweetwater River." She replied.

"Doing what? Rolling around in the grass?" Veronica put her hands on her hips. Betty chuckled and shook her head.

"I met a guy-"

"Guy?" Jughead and Archie questioned. Betty nodded.

"His name's (Y/N) and he likes to write poems." She said with a smile.

"Oh? Is he cute?" Veronica asked, earning a look from Archie. Betty rolled her eyes playfully and nodded.

"You should introduce us to him." Veronica gushed.

"Maybe next time." Betty smiled. Veronica nodded, locking arms with her.

"Tell us about this mystery guy." Veronica said, smiling.

(Y/N) stared down at the poems, gently sighing. He looked up at the river as a breeze blew by. The sound of a car made him turn his head and look over at Betty and her friends. She approached him, smiling.

"Hey, (Y/N)." She greeted.

"These are my friends, Veronica, Archie, and Jughead." She introduced. (Y/N) gave them a smile.

"Aren't you cold?" Veronica asked, tugging her jacket closer to her. (Y/N) shook his head.

"I'm used to the cold." (Y/N) replied.

"I have a spare jacket in the car, if you want it." Archie offered but (Y/N) waved him off. Jughead sat beside him, quietly reading some of his poems. He offered some small advice as the others chatted.

"So, (Y/N), are you from Riverdale or just moving in?" Veronica asked.

"Born and raised here." (Y/N) replied. Betty furrowed her brows.

"How come we've never seen you at school?" She asked.

"I left during freshman-"

"Ooh, homeschooled, gotcha." Veronica nodded. (Y/N) looked back down at his paper.

"Do your parents know you spend your time here?" Archie asked.

"They're dead." (Y/N) replied. Archie frowned.

"Oh, sorry.." He said, a guilty look on his face. (Y/N) smiled.

"It's fine. I'm used to it." He gently shaded the corner of his notebook. They got beeps on their phones.

"Thunderstorm warning. Seems serious." Jughead said, standing. (Y/N) watched them stand.

"(Y/N)... Are you not gonna come? You could get hurt or lost." Betty said.

"I can't... I've been dead since the 90s."

[jacobseedvaas35]

Befriended

(Chapter 4: Returning Ex)

Warnings: (domestic abuse)

Word Count: 1527

Sunday went past pretty fast, considering how bad the storm was. Living near a forest was not easy during stormy days. The thunderstorms sound bad and Isabella was certain that the lightning hit a couple of different trees. The sound of the smash got to her too scared, she ended up running to Jacob house for the day. Lucky for her, the storm was over by the evening and she was able to go back home.

Now it was Monday and her first day at her new job. It was still raining but the weather was definitely not like yesterday. Isabella examined herself in the locker room, looking at her badge. 'Hope County Deputy'. She smiled and then walked out of the room.

"Rook. My office" Sheriff Whitehorse called out.

Isabella nodded and headed to the Sheriff's office. "Good morning Sir".

"Good morning. Welcome to your first day to the job. How you feeling?" Sheriff Whitehorse asked.

"Nervous but excited as well".

"You'll be ok. Just stick with Hudson and Pratt. Sit down" the sheriff said and Isabella complied. "Tell me. How's things going with Jacob?"

"I'd like to say good. We had dinner on Saturday, at my place. We spoke and got to know each other a bit. We've made plans to have dinner at each other's houses two times a week" Isabella explained.

"You're doing well Rookie"

"Yeah. And he was kind enough to take me in yesterday, when I got scared of the storm. So you can say things are going well"

"I'm glad to hear. What approach are you taking?" Sheriff Whitehorse asked with curiousness.

"Friendly but a mix of flirtatious as well"

"How's he taking the flirting?"

"He seems ok with it. Flirts with me as well. The other day, I walked out to check my mailbox and I forgot that I was in my night gown. Jacob complimented my appearance and walked away".

"Good job Rookie. Sounds like he is interested in you".

"Really?" Isabella asked, thinking about it herself.

"Sounds like it. Who knows, maybe all Jacob needs is someone in his life" The Sheriff said, throwing hints at Isabella.

Isabella started blushing, understanding what the Sheriff was trying to say. "Sir. I'm not ready for any relationships at this stage. Not after my last one".

"I understand. Probably none of my business but may I suggest, friends with benefit?" The sheriff suggested with a smile on his face.

"Are you really suggesting that I sleep around with Jacob Seed? I've never thought I'd see the day a boss suggesting such a thing to his workers" Isabella laughed.

"You don't really understand how important it is to have Jacob on the good side"

"I do understand but..."

"Rookie, I wouldn't suggest such a thing if I had no other choice. These Seed brothers, they are very lustful people and sex is the only way to convince them. How do you think we got John and Joseph on our side?"

"Oh wow. Let me guess Hudson was part of it?" Isabella guessed.

"You can say that but her and John are now married, so...." sheriff whitehorse shrugged and laughed.

Isabella sighed and finally accepted the Sheriff's suggestion. Not only was she going to befriend Jacob Seed but now she had to find a way to get him in her bed. Even though she was not that type of girl, for her career it was something she had to do.

-

Nearly a month went by since Sheriff Whitehorse's "Friends With Benefits" suggestion was given but Isabella continued to take things slow with Jacob. Like they spoke, the two of them had dinner at each other's houses on Mondays and Friday's. The two were getting along very well and Isabella started to grow something feelings for Jacob. Now she was ready to start phase two.

She was heading home from work, Friday late afternoon. The sun was still out and the weather was just as warm as the morning. She parked her car in her driveway and made her way to the door, before being stopped by a familiar voice. Much to her fear, Isabella turned around and came face to face with her abusive ex-fiancé.

"Mark? What the hell are you doing here? How did you even find me?" Isabella started questioning him. The terror growing slowly.

"Your parents told me you moved here and it wasn't too hard to find you. After all, I know you career and knew where to find you" Mark explained.

"Leave. Right now" Isabella said.

"No can do. We need to talk"

"Talk? Or beat me up?"

Without saying anything, Mark raised his hand in the air and slapped Isabella. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and slammed her body into his. "Oh Bella, how I've missed you".

"LET ME GO" Isabella started screaming and crying.

Mark lifted his knee and with a big force, slammed his knee into her stomach, causing Bella to scream her lungs out and fall onto the ground. "I've got a lot of anger built up in me Bella. You thought being a police officer was going to save you from me? I'm not scared" Mark said and laid a punch on his face.

"HELP!" Bella yelped, hoping someone was near. She waited for Mark to lay more punches but something didn't seem right. He went silent and no punches were laid. Bella looked up and instead, saw Mark lying on the floor. She took a better look and saw Jacob standing at Mark's feet. "Jacob" she whispered.

"So you like hitting girls, hey?" Jacob said angrily and kicked Mark's legs so hard, he yelled with pain. He grabbed Mark's shirt and lifted him up, before punching him hard in the face. Mark fell onto the ground again and blood started pouring out of his mouth. Jacob took that as a sign to leave him and go and check on Isabella.

"Jacob" Bella said out loud, wrapped her arms around Jacob's neck and cried as he lifted her up, into her feet.

"You ok Bella?" He asked, examining her up and down. "Shit, your nose is bleeding".

"I'm okay" Bella said and hugged Jacob again.

Jacob turned around and watched Mark stand up slowly. Isabella felt so good seeing Mark in bad condition. He got what he deserved. Especially after all those times he put her through the same thing.

"This isn't over Bella. Your mine" Mark said through his bloody mouth.

"I'm not yours anymore Mark. Never will be" Bella yelled back, taking Mark by shock. This was the first time she ever spoke back to him with such a tone.

"She's mine now" Jacob added. "And you'll have to get through me, to get her. You touch her again and next time, I'll fucking kill you".

Jacob's words scared Mark. He finally realised that Isabella wasn't alone anymore and that he wasn't ever going to get to her easy again. The man that was protecting her was a big and strong man and by the looks of his dog tags and army jacket, he was an ex-military guy.

"She's yours huh?" Mark asked, trying to get more information about the two of them.

"You fucking bet" Jacob growled and that's as enough for Mark to run off. He turned back to Isabella and made sure she was okay again. "Come on, I'll clean you up" Jacob said and helped her to his house.

Jacob made Bella sit on the couch, while he got some items to help with her bleeding nose. When he returned, he immediately got down to cleaning Bella.

"Thanks Jacob" Bella said, very appreciative for Jacob's help.

"No worries. Who was that?" Jacob asked.

Bella sighed and looked at Jacob, "my ex-fiancé".

"You we're engaged?"

"Yeah. Thanks to my stupid parents".

"Has he always been like this? You know? Abusive?"

"Yes. I was with him for a whole year and in that year, day and night, he use to beat me up. My parents did nothing about it. They let him do it" Bella explained.

"What kind of parents let their daughter get beaten up every day".

"My parents. They were happy for me to get beaten up because at the end of the day, it was his money that they had their eyes on"

"Ahh that explains it. Rich guy?"

"Yep. Hadn't seen him for months" Bella grabbed Jacob's hand, looked him deep in the eyes and started to cry. "Jacob, I'm so scared. He'll come back for me".

"Not when I'm around. He won't lay another finger on you Bella" Jacob reassured her.

"You don't understand. He'll come for me when I'm home alone or at night, by breaking into my house. He found me again and he isn't going to let me go that easily".

"You're not alone anymore. If I have to, I'll stay with you, day and night" Jacob said, putting his hand on her cheek.

"You'll do that?"

"If you want me too Bella, I'll definitely stay with you".

"Thank you Jacob" Bella said, finally at ease. No more worries about her ex.

[vantaert]

Let go

- Are you afraid of falling in love

-No I'm afraid of letting go

Another unknown season has passed by my locked doors . The four of them ran out of magic trying to sneak some glitter into my black and white life . Yet I block them out . What's the best of the winter if he's not my umbrella under the rainstorms . What's the purpose of the fallen if he's gone like a golden Leaf dancing within the fierce wind .

The fate made us make blank vows . Vows were meant to tear us apart , to split our souls and to break our hearts .He promised he would never throw one last glance at our story . He confessed if he did he would jump over the high tide to hold me and never let go .I promised I would never hold him back .Yet my selfishness got the best of me . Thus I turned around just to meet your back walking away . Leaving the utopia .Then you disappeared just like snowflakes within the rain .

After you've gone the fog spread all over the corners. The emptiness found it's way to rut inside my broken soul . My heart is barely beating. As its lost as well . As its roots are being shattered by the sudden change of weather. Yesterday it was sunny and warm . Today it's gloomy and cold . Tomorrow will be dark and freezing . The sharp pain is wandering inside my chest burning every single bone against my ribcage.

We both flashed the thunderstorm over our story . We both created this tragic disaster. Yet I was the victim . I thought I could be able to turn the page for the next chapter.  I thought I could be able to wander the next story .I thought I could be able to watch you shine like a silver star in the sky without me drowning into an endless waterfalls till no tears left to cry . I thought I could be able to give up on you and dress my naked soul another season free of pain and wounds . But no matter how deep the wound is I couldn't love you less . I couldn't care about the countless non healed scars you've scratched because at the end still they remind me of you . I do want to remember you even it means opening the old wounds by a sharp blade bleeding memories, moments, promises, we've shared upon once a time.

It's been

days

Weeks

Months

Years

Inking thousand lines

Between every word I ink  I would shed burning tears . Every time I blink trying to cage them back I fail . Each droplet leaves my soul it cracks a piece of my heart . Regardless it cracks million times per day yet ridiculously can't seem to forget about you . How comes not only my soul have fallen for you but also the brain which is supposed to be the rationale alarm and my fragile body . Successfully you've possessed me .

Those inked letters hold the past ,the present outing the future . I have no future to look for while you've gone . Future is so unclear since you've vanished . It's like I'm staring at the fascinating moon yet I'm too far to define its breathtakingly beauty because you're not here to admire it with me . Remember how fond I was with the sunset until I've watched the sunrise with you . You made it possible also to erase my desire for the rain until I've witnessed the first snow with you . My life was simply impossible until you've stepped in sprinkling only few glimpses of your charms to make it perfectly possible. Sadly now how badly I pray for the impossible to storm again . I'm tired of everything. I want to let go .

This is going to be the last words you're going to hear from me . I'm not sure if you've read my previous chapters though my guts are ringing a bell you did . Maybe you miss me the way I miss you . Maybe you want me as much as I want you . Maybe you cry as hard as I do . Nevertheless it kills us alive causing only forgotten corpses yet we live in a world where miracles never born and destinies never play fairly.

We chose different paths . You picked a shining star . I picked a stigma .

Our paths would never cross just like the day and the night . You'll be the sun I'll be the moon . You live under the spotlight .I hide beneath the moonlight.

This is the second hardest thing I've ever done in my entire existence. The first was letting go of your hand . This doesn't mean I'm letting go of this love either. I'm just gonna ink the ending . One of us had to . Since you hadn't enough courage to cut the rose . I'll sacrifice like I've always did . I'm going to cut it . I'm well aware of the consequences which it's going to bleed to death . The garden will hold a funeral but the owner of the rose wouldn't be there for its fairway. He would be crying alone in his castle calling its name more than once hoping for its shadow to appear but it won't come . It won't be part of this universe by that time .

I had you once to love you for a lifetime . Promise me this time you won't get trapped by the same mistake I've done . Free yourself of this broken love . Find yourself a new euphoria . Create yourself a utopia . Don't blame yourself . I chose to engulf this broken love as a utopian euphoria . I know we've held Blank vows . They were like empty cups . Thus at least this time make a valid promise by closing the book and throw it somewhere in the deep ocean . I'll find it and hide it where you'll never reach .

It's time I think . This is the end . Im giving up on you . But love is not over . Love is a maze where we sin . Where we wound and we heal . Where we break and we cure . Where we cry and we laugh . Where everything is against sealing a happy ending. 

Next time don't break down singing . The untold truth is that I don't want you anymore. Don't let old emotions blind you from seeing the truth . Because no matter how much you still want me . The fate won't light on us .

Gift yourself the happiness I couldn't write neither for you nor for myself.