#winter is coming ( queue

[gallusrostromegalus]

So I may have been browsing through your AEIWAM tag and came across your writing of Komamura saying it's too hot in summer when you have a fur coat you can't take off. By that logic he's gonna always be sitting beside Hitsugaya in Captain meetings if he can swing it, especially in the early days, cause that boy is like a mini air conditioner next to him. XD

Wolves are winter creatures. The double coat, the snowshoe paws, the proclivity for cuddlepiles- if Sajin could move somewhere that never got above 40F he'd be in heaven. Alas, he lives in a major city that hits triple digits in the summer, so he keeps close track of the little pieces of winter he can find.

The first person to realize his little game was Unohana. She knew about the wolfman thing- Yamamoto trusts her as much as Sasakibe, and persuaded Sajin that, should a medical emergency arise, it should not also be a medical surprise.

She is of course, the pinnacle of Medical Confidentiality.

...but his name came up during one of the Shinigami Women's Association meetings/boozing sessions, and a distinct schism appeared.

On one side was Soi Fon, Nanao, and Herself, who all found Komamura to be very polite, professional and reliable if somewhat reticent and at times, aloof.

"I swear I can't get more than three words out of him!" Nanao despairs.

"I like him. He knows how to Shut Up." Soi Fon agrees.

"He's a very private man." Unohana nods.

Across the table, Isane and Rukia are baffled.

"Captain Komamura? Ten feet tall, bucket head? That Komamura?" Rukia the so-called Ice Princess asks, gesturing to indicate their height disparity. "What the fuck are you talking about? He's SUPER friendly and will hang around to talk FOREVER."

"Yeah, every time I go to the 7th he always asks me to stay for lunch and wants to know how everyone in my family is doing and swap horror stories from the ER for tales of crazy people in the intake queue." Agrees Isane, wielder of the ice cloud Itegumo. "It's embarrassing, but one time I was more than two hours late getting back because we get to talking!"

Everyone stares at everyone else, baffled.

"Did- did I do something to piss him off?" Wonders Nanao.

"Huh. Maybe he just picked up on how much I hate small talk on the job?" Soi Fon shrugs.

Unohana is silent, thinking.

"GUESS WHO BROUGHT TEQUILA!!" Matsumoto Rangiku announces as she kicks in the door, holding four bottles of liquor, only three of which were still full.

"We need you to settle a debate!" Rukia demands at once.

"Ooh! I love passing judgement on things that don't effect me!" Rangiku coos, sitting down, her chest making an odd 'clunk' sound on the table "- there's also salt and limes!"

"It kinda effects you." Soi Fon waved her hand noncommittally. "How would you describe Captain Komamura?"

"Tall, Heavily Armored and Mysterious?" Rangiku shrugs, pulling the box of kosher salt out of her cleavage.

"...more like his personality." Isane clarified.

"Oh! Uhh... You know what? He's one of the few people that's ever complimented me on streamlining like 80% of the paperwork we have to do." Rangiku nodded, fishing the limes out as well. "Always has stuff done waaaay before I expected and I feel like a bit of a jerk for not replying immediately, but never complains if my stuff comes in late."

"Does he hang around and talk, or is he just really businesslike?" Nanao asks, eyes narrowed behind her glasses.

"Hmm..." Fowns Rangiku. "Kinda varies by the day- Sometimes he's all business, other times he'll stay and chat. I always assumed he wants to talk but sometimes he's got work, you know?"

There is much confused muttering as the limes are cut, when Unohana raises a finger.

"...How is he with Lieutenant Hitsugaya?" She asks.

"Oh, he ADORES Toshiro!" Rangiku nods enthusiastically, salting her shot glass. "He actually does the majority of Toshiro's Bankai training now because The Old Man handed it off to him so he could focus on teaching Zaraki Everything But Kendo- which, bless him for doing that, Shiro-kin could literally freeze my tits off!- and he really does a good job listening to Toshiro's concerns and confusions- he's a sensitive boy, you know? And Koma-kun is so gentle with him and to be honest I always eavesdrop on his advice because I could use it too. Delightful man all around." She nodded, and moved to down her drink.

"...Why?" She asked, pausing her drink and glaring suspiciously at Unohana.

Unohana nods with the clarity of enlightenment. "Nothing serious, but everything makes sense now." She smiles, then cracks into a small giggle. "It's rather charming, actually."

"Care to elaborate?" Soi Fon grumbles.

"Yeah that answered NOTHING." Rangiku glares.

"We noticed an interesting disparity in his behavior." Unohana explains, pushing her own glass towards Rangiku to fill. "For me, Captain Fon, and Lieutenant Ise, Komamura-Taicho is very polite, but sticks to the matter at hand and will not volunteer any further conversation. For Lieutenant Koetetsu, Miss Kuchiki and apparently Lieutenant Hitsugaya, he has all the time in the world and is quite the chatterbox."

"...Weird." Rangiku frowns, intrigued by the puzzle. "For me it's like, half and half?"

"Not quite, I think." Unohana smirks. "What do Isane, Rukia and young Toshiro all have in common?"

The Resounding Silence of Thinking Very Hard around the table was a bit of a disappointment, but they were about three bottles into the evening already.

"Can't be Height." Nanao hummed. "Rukia and Shiro-Kun are shorter than a stack of pancakes but Isane's got legs that are too long for the cover of Vouge."

"Isane and Toshiro are both silver-haired, but not me, and he doesn't seem to be particularly close to Ukitake-Taicho and I think I've actually seen him run out of a room to avoid Gin." Rukia puzzled.

"What? RUDE." Rangiku protested.

"They're all under a century old, right?" Rangiku pondered.

"No, I'm almost two hundred!" Isane sighed. "Oh wait- we all graduated early from the Academy!"

"Ehhhh, I graduated because I got adopted, I'm not a genius like you and Shiro-kun." Rukia waved. "Also, how would HE know that?"

"You're all Lieutenants!" Rangiku perked up.

"Not yet I'm not!" Rukia protested.

"Pfsh- you run half the division anyway. Jushiro should promote you to Co-lieutenant with Kaien already!" Rangiku waved.

"Its- it's complicated." Rukia mumbled. "Also, Nanao-chan is a Lieutenant and he doesn't like her!"

"Does it have to do with how freakishly huge he is?" Soi Fon asked.

"...Yes, actually." Unohana decided. Sajin might not have so much trouble thermoregulating if he was the size of a regular wolf. She reasoned privately.

"Also, He likes Nanao-chan just fine as far as I know. I think it's less about how much he enjoys your company- which I think he does, he's not one for putting on facades- and more about how much he enjoys your Proximity." She clarified, taking her shot. "Oh, this is good, what is it?"

"Cabrito Blanco." Rangiku read off. "Huh. The Cabrito on the label sure ain't Blanco." She frowned at the brown goat.

"None of us have transferred out of the Division we started in, but again, how would he know? and that hasn't got anything to do with Proximity..." Isane frowned.

Rukia slammed her glass down. "WOW that's got a kick. Maybe uhhhh... None of us wear perfume, but Gin doesn't either. I hope. I don't want to get close enough to find out."

"He's really not that bad-" Rangiku sulked. "OH, 'Blanco' refers to the tequila and this is that goat's white tequila!" She realized.

"Sometimes I wish I could take a weekend vacation in your brain. Its machinations fascinate me." Soi Fon teased. "Hmmm... Lotta close but no Cigar, you're all young-ish, Isane and Toshiro have living relatives and Rukia has a large adopted family, but again, not exclusive or Proximal. You're also all S-rank duelists with- OH!"

"Shh, I'm enjoying the flailing." Retsu grinned.

"Pfff- okay, that is kinda cute and I don't blame him." Soi Fon giggled. "Sometimes I'm real glad my seat is right next to The Old Man for the same reason. Or opposite reason, I guess."

"Bwah?" Rangiku frowned.

"I do the same thing with You, Momo and The Old Man that He's doing with them." Soi Fon grinned. Rangiku frowned, peculiar machinations grinding slowly through the tequila, before she suddenly cackled, head thrown back so hard Unohana had to reach out and grab her by the scarf to keep her from tipping her chair over.

"OH NOOOOOOOO!!" She wailed, shoulders shaking. "Oh- that's cute but Toshiro can NEVER find out he'll be such a brat about it!"

"Sorry I'm late, I had to finish the latest report on the Rice Farm Subsidy Fraud Investigation!" Momo panted, jogging in late. "-What can't Toshiro find out about?"

"There is SOMETHING that You, ran-chan and Yamamoto-sama share, and it's the same thing but backwards as what Me, Hitsugaya, and Isane have in common that Komamura-taicho really likes it or something, and THEY know but won't TELL US and its MAKING ME CRAZY!" Rukia wailed.

Momo stood, expression blank for a few moments. "Wait. You didn't know?"

"KNOW WHAT?" Rukia wailed.

"That Komamura hangs around with people with Ic-Mmpf!" Momo started to reveal but was abruptly tackled and the rest of the sentence smothered in Rangiku's Cleavage.

"With WHAT?" Nanao demanded. "What do they have that I don't?"

"-Hang on." Isane frowned, the slowly turned to her captain, squinting. "Is. Is this a... Physics Issue?"

"That's one way to phrase it." Unohana smiled as Momo flailed for air.

"Oh my Gooooood..." Isane groaned. "Why doesn't he just ASK? I'd happily go over and give Itegumo some practice, I hate summertime too!"

"Huh?" Rukia glared, as Momo finally fought her way free and gasped for air.

"Itegumo? That's your- ohhhhhhh." Nanao realized. "That's. Okay yeah that's actually really cute." She giggled. "Poor guy. The armor can't help with that, can it?"

"That's what I keep telling him but it's-" Unohana waved her hands and grimaced with frustration. "-He wears the armor because he's facing the *stupidest* form of Political Persecution I've ever heard of." she sighed.

"Really?" Asked Momo. "Captain Tousen said Komamura told him it's because he's got a major disfigurement or something?"

Unohana sighed and rolled her eyes. "Komamura is FINE, he's just- It's complicated and medically private but trust me, the helmet is a reasonable precaution against an absurd problem."

"Oh." Momo winced. "Well, I'm glad he's medically alright at least!" "I'm so fucking confused." Rukia whimpered, deflating over the table in despair. "Is. Is hanging out with me making him less sick or something??"

"...Yes!" Unohana smiled. "Or at least, makes his condition more physically comfortable."

Rukia turned that over a few times. "...Talking with him is helping?"

"Yes, but only if you're in the same room with him. Doesn't work over the phone." Unohana nodded.

"Okay." Rukia said, reaching for the nearest bottle. "Lets talk about something else."

---

Years Later, after the Bedlam of her attempted execution and Subsequent Rescue, Rukia finally saw Komamura's face.

It was a bit awkward, walking into the hospital room in search of her brother to find a nine-and-a-half foot tall wolfman wearing the Seventh Division Captain's Haori visiting Momo. It took her a moment to realize who he was, and another as some neurons connected and she squawked indignantly, pointing at him.

"My apologies, Lieutenant Kuchiki, but-" He sighed, ears flattening back against his head with Chargin.

"AIR CONDITIONING?!?!" She bellowed.

Komamura scrunched back, chagrined. For a massive apex predator, he did an excellent Kicked Puppy face.

"Rukia!" Momo protested faintly from her hospital bed. "Keep your voice down, I don't want Toshiro to find out!"

"Find out what?" Hitsugaya grunted, stepping out from behind Rukia.

"Ah, Well-" Komamura started to explain.

Rukia rounded on Hitsugaya, pointing behind her at the captain. "THIS JACKASS HAS BEEN EXTRA NICE TO YOU, ME AND ISANE BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE ICE-TYPE ZANPAKUTO AND CHILL THE AIR AROUND US!"

"...Summer is very uncomfortable when you have a fur coat you can't take off." Komamura winced.

"Uh, duh?" Hitsugaya rolled his eyes, strolling into the room. "I didn't know you were chilling Koetetsu and Kuchiki here as well, but I kinda figured you enjoyed the cold when you stayed at my Bankai training like, five times longer than Gramps ever did."

"My apologies for the deception." Komamura bowed his head.

"It's no big deal." Hitsugaya shrugged, putting a hand up to indicate he wanted help up onto the hospital bed, and Komamura obliged.

"See? I use you being tall too." he smirked.

Komamura sighed fondly as the boy sat down between him and Momo. "Momo makes me chill all her juice too, but she never seems to warm up my tea." he handed her a juice box from the vending machine down the hall, covered in condensation.

"It would explode." Momo grumbled.

"Skill Issue." He shrugged and she affectionately swatted him on the leg. "Anyway, don't dogs cool off through their paws?"

"I'm from a wolf clan, but yes." Komamura cocked his head with curiosity, then alarm when Toshiro casually grabbed his forearm and started tugging his Gauntlets off.

"I don't mind being a human ice pack, especially not when it's nintey-eight freakin' degrees out, but be efficient about it, yeah?" Toshiro grumbled, tossing the gauntlet aside and plopping Komamura's pawlike hand on top of his head.

"...Thank you." Komamura smiled gently, and ruffled his hair a bit.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Hitsugaya shrugged, playing the tough guy even as his ears turned red. "At least you're polite about it! Freakin' Zaraki literally just grabbed me- like, put his whole arm through the office window! and threw me over his shoulders once. Jerk."

"TOSHIRO!" Momo yelped, hand on her face. "You almost made juice come out of my nose!" She half-giggled while Rukia snort-laughed at the mental image.

"Hey Kuchiki!" Hitsugaya growled. "He's got two paws!"

"You can't boss me around! You don't outrank me anymore!" She grinned.

"I have seniority." he teased, and the bed started to shake as Komamura tried not to laugh.

"You really don't need to-" Komamura tried to diffuse the argument. His voice was rock-steady but the wide grin betrayed him.

"You gotta follow my orders though!" Ukitake said cheerfully, appearing in the door. "Hi Lieutenant Hinamori!"

"C-captain!" Rukia yelped, spinning around to Salute. "What are your orders, Sir?

"Shh, nothing's happening. But I did hear you squawking from two floors down, so what's happening?" Ukitake smiled down at her.

"Captain Komamura has APPARENTLY been hanging around me and the other Shinigami with Ice Zanpakuto and using us as Air Conditioners!" Rukia glared up at her commanding officer.

"...Rukia," Ukitake patted her head and smiled gently. "Do you remember where Lieutenant Kaien's desk was?"

"Second door on the left, right next to your office, Sir!" She nodded.

"Right! And where's your desk?" Ukitake asked, leaning in closer to her.

Rukia blinked, confused. "...It's immediately adjacent to your desk in your offi- GOD DAMMIT! NOT YOU TOO?"

"Yep!" Ukitake cheerfully patted her head and then palmed it to turn her around to face Komamura. "Hop to it!"

"Technically, I got the Idea from him, when I saw how he'd rearranged the furniture..." Komamura whispered as he helped her up onto the bed as well and Rukia groaned in defeat, settling next to Komamura where she could sulk at her captain from over the wolfman's broad shoulders.

"Oh, stop pouting!" Ukitake teased, sitting down on the chair beside Momo's bed and leaning back. "It'll be winter soon enough. Actually, Your friend Mr. Yasutora told me about a fascinating wintertime holiday in the Living World-"

[greycaelum]

HI!I LOVEEEE YOUR WRITING!!!!

Can i pls pls plssss request a one shot with gojo and his girlfriend,where his gf always get really excited about snowing,to the point of jumping up and down and her eyes twinkling like a child?!

Its snowing in my city and i keep jumping up and down ;)

Scribbles and Doodles: { Let it Snow }

—Gojo Satoru X Reader

"Hi sweetheart, thank you for your kind words, I'm sorry it took me so long. Research and my job kept me preoccupied. I hope it's still snowing and be careful too! Have tons of warm stuff to keep you toasty and snug in the winter!" —Grey,

Satoru woke up to a chilly morning. He remembers turning the air condition mid-2 of the dawn after getting chills but now, it was even colder. Peeling off his mask, Satoru turn to his window and saw the grey skies, and he has to double-take at the white thing slowly falling off and cluttering on his windowsill.

It's snowing.

And by any chance, he's hearing a familiar voice faintly laughing.

Satoru groaned, pulling off the covers from his naked body. Rubbing his bleary eyes, he walks to his window and looks down. As if in a queue, you run through the small pile of gathering snow, a wide smile adorning your face, still in your hoodie pajamas.

"She'll catch a cold." Satoru clicked his tongue and grab his clothes. His muscles are aching and he'd rather sleep than trudge into the frosty powder winter has to offer. Satoru stop his tracks and went back to the bedroom. Rummaging through the cabinets he found his jacket and went out of the room.

"'Toru! It's snowing!" You shrilled at him. You ran in his direction and almost tripped on the slippery ground.

"Fuck, Baby, you trying to give me a heart attack?" Satoru held your arms and steadied you.

You just grinned in reply and stood on your tiptoes, grazing your lips to smear a kiss on your boyfriend's cheeks before turning your heel and tumbling on the snow again.

"Slow down, you little rascal, you wanna catch a cold or somethin'?" Satoru pulled back the scruff of your hoodie making you recoil and yelp.

He wraps his thickest available jacket around you, zipping the thing that reaches your ankles all thanks to his height, and pulls the hood over your head.

"There," Satoru smirked at your pout. "Now that's what you call a burrito."

"I can't move!" You flail around with difficulty, all the blame falling into the jacket's thick insulation. "'Toru! Get this off, you cheater, you're not even wearing one." You accused.

Satoru is tempted to hold a carrot around your nose but throws off the idea if he doesn't wanna sleep on the couch. After all winter's privilege is getting to cuddle you more to share warmth.

"I don't catch a cold, because I'm the stro—" Satoru pointed at himself assuringly.

"Because you're abnormal." You deadpanned and turn around, marching off.

"Hey! That's just mean. Come back here!" Satoru bends down and makes a ball of snow throwing it on you.

"Y-You!" You turned around only to get hit by another on your chest. It didn't take long for you and Satoru to have a snowball war filling the front yard with squeals and snowballs hitting whatever it hits.

By the time you're both spent, laying on the snow with a snow angel behind you both, your hands are all numb from the snow and Satoru's nose is almost as red as Rudolph's. Both of you panting but holding your hands together. This time a thin layer of Satoru's Infinity encases you to keep snow from getting in your eyes. Catching your breaths you both went inside, got into a warm bath, and eventually found yourselves tucked on the couch of the living room, hot cocoa in your hand, a bowl of chicken broth in Satoru's, and a thick quilt covering the two of you.

The snow quietly piles up outside, sweeping the city into a white wonderland. You and Satoru curled up on each other, snug and cuddled in each others' arms.

—GreyCaelum

PLAGIARISM IS A CRIME

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All rights and credits of the Jujutsu Kaisen character(s) mentioned image(s) and song(s) used belongs to their respective owner(s)

General Series Taglist: @ice-icebaby @aeanya @lexiene @tender-rosiey

[lfc21]

Christmas markets - day 3

TW : Fluff, mentions of a fear of heights.

Summary : Your favourite way to get into the Christmas spirit was to go to the Christmas markets. Going with Trent was the most exciting but not when he takes you on the rides!

Christmas was never a day, never an occasion and never a passing memory - it was a feeling. The feeling of December was a feeling you could never in a million years replace, it was filled with joy, laughter, so much food and the most amazing sounds of Christmas tunes. You couldn't take this month for granted, it was the day you felt most humbled and most grateful for the magic of winter. The lead up was a wonderful and unforgettable experience repeated every year - it was filled with too many eaten chocolates, constant pops of wine bottles, piles of Christmas cards unopened and pictures that will last a life time.

The Christmas markets had forever been your favourite, you weren't sure why and you weren't sure how but every year without fail you would enjoy the festivities the small markets brought to you. Hand in hand every year with sweet hot chocolates and the smell of international foods from all over the word. The rides where your favourite place to be you couldn't describe just how exciting you became when you where stood in those long windy queues waiting for the few minutes of constant laughter and wrongly taken pictures.

The lights where twinkling and the sound of small children running and giggling for the parents filled your ears. Many people sung and danced in unison to the popular Christmas song blasting through the large outdoor speakers with egg nogs and mulled wine decorated in their hands. Your feet hit the floor making the sound of crushed ice under your boots and your hands where laced with Trent's.

"Two hot chocolates" you heard the man boom in front of you signalling to the two steaming drinks in his hand. You grasped the drinks in question and went on your way over to your boyfriend. "here you go" you said as you placed them down on the cosy outdoor table he was sat at. Trent's body was wrapped in every possible piece of clothing and kept his body from turning blue and freezing under the cold winter climate.

"Thanks love" he politely replied back as you placed yourself opposite the warm man. You smiled back with a giggle as you blew on the warm drink. Your hands where covered in fluffy gloves which took hold of the nice patterned take away cup. You could of admired the way his plump lips parted and took in the drink all night.

"What are we doing first?" Trent asked snapping you out of your day dream about him.

"Hmm I'm not sure... we could look at all the cute shops? A bit of Christmas shopping" You replied with a smile as you watched his face turn up into a smile at the idea of Christmas shopping and the possibility of him getting the present he wants. "not for you babe!" you added with a laugh "I'm not stupid enough to buy your present whilst your next to me" you again added causing him to slump his shoulders and pout is already plump lips.

"If you need any present ideas for me don't worry I have a few" Trent replied with a smirk and a push of your arm. You gave him a shake of your head and left the man with a roll of your eyes. As you both got up from the wooden beige bench you made your way over to the many festively lit stalls with happy businessmen and smiling customers. Your heart doubled as you saw the small businesses making their wages come true and providing unforgettable gifts for families. perfectly made baubles hung from the display with eye catching glitter and the most intricate paintings upon them.

"Trent look how cute" You excitedly announced as you pulled his arm over to the small stall. "look at the French bulldog one!" you added with a huge smile as you saw the small baubles with two small dogs just like your own.

"They look like Prince and Koba" Trent admitted with a giggle at the thought of your two dogs at home. You took a look closer at the baubles in question and decided on picking up one for your main Christmas tree at home. You loved how sentimental and cherishing some of your decorations had become and just how special everything about Christmas was.

As the low climate snuck in and a cold but refreshing wind fell upon the Christmas stalls you and Trent made beelines across the windy roads and past the many dancing groups of people and purchases of festive food and drinks. You had been quite successful on some of your purchases and managed to get the sweetest and most thoughtful gifts for some of your family and friends. Your hand was locked with Trent's as your close body contact was creating a warmth filled with love and affection which felt like a bearable feeling off the cold that was setting place on your body. As your eyes scanned the new found stalls and rides whilst walking Trent stood still in his tracks as he looked up in front of him.

"wow" he mumbled as you followed his eyeline and noticed the large Ferris wheel in front of him. The wheel was filled with festive and colourful lights with smiles and laughter filled in every carriage. "I think we should go on it" he added quickly as he grabbed your hand again and pulled you towards the man handing out the shiny gold tickets.

"babe I don't know" you said with a laugh as you didn't really want to go on something so high. Your fear of heights was never something serious but it did get you fearful at times and put a stop into some normal things and occasions.

"come on darling! I promise its not scary" Trent said with reassurance and a smile as his lips planted a warm kiss to your cheek. you didn't protest his words as you knew the words he was speaking was talking more than enough sense for anyone, you trusted him.

"fine" you said with a tight smile and hopeful eyes.

"don't worry" Trent simply said with a laugh as he wrapped his arm around your small shoulders and fluffy coat. As you went closer and closer to the Ferris wheel your stomach started to make flips but you knew it wasn't the time to make a change, you wanted to do this.

As soon as you got the top you looked around and admired the view of what you called home. Liverpool. The many lights that decorated the city told a story you could never quite match with anyone else's, it was a city filled with love, encouragement and a sense of community. Your eyes darted away from the large window as you felt the touch of Trent's on your small hand. You looked towards him with a smile as you saw the way his eyes admired you.

"Its not that bad" you admitted with a laugh as you saw the way your view consisted of the man you could of stared at till the end of time and your home city behind him.

"I told you babe" he replied with a giggle as he kissed the back of your hand. You felt like nothing but a princess in that moment and you couldn't help but feel a pile of butterflies sit on your stomach. Your hand rose to the side of your neck as you brought him in to a kiss, as your lips touched it felt as though all your worries and anxiety had washed away with just one moment. As your lips parted your eyes noticed the falling of multiple white orbs decorating the floor.

"Its snowing" you excitedly announced with glee. Trent looked out the window with his face ever so close to yours. You couldn't believe how magical this day truly was and how much one small event could hold the most perfect memories. "Merry Christmas Trentski" you softly said with a giggle at that ever so familiar nickname. Your lips came crashing together as you felt the Ferris wheel start to make its way back down. This was what Christmas was about.

Today is my birthday!!🎂 so I really hope you enjoy day 3 of my advent calendar 📅 please leave feedback and requests as they are greatly appreciated 😊 thank you so so much for the support 🥰 merry Christmas 🎄 Have a great day! @prettylittletrent @cornertakenquicklyyyy @trentalexanderarnold @robbo38 @robbothegoat @kostasstsimikass @chelseamount @chloereddy @tsimikasfamily @avenirdelight @blueathensideas @jordanhendersunshine @mrs-henderson @thatonesexycancerian @hendersons1truelover @nyctophilic0vitnir @peekapeaches @tsimikxs @tsimikostas @trentalexarnofan @leddows @moneymasnn @superkittywonderland @virgilvansike @virgilvandickmedown @hopefulromantic1 @robbo-trent-fanfiction26

[nanlanmoarchived]

Me? Putting that gif twice so it doesn't bombard the dash?? absolutely

but yes! it's me!

i rise like the vampire i feel like i am these days to check in! this semester i had to hit the ground running, going straight from winter to festival to spring? not a vibe. i've been adjusting to teaching at 8am and let me tell you?? it's also not a vibe.

i miss being here and i miss writing with you guys so much. i'm so sorry that i'm holding onto things. i hope to find the spoons this weekend to reply to everything and throw it into the queue and then honestly?? probably drop my queue to like, twice a day to stretch it out. i don't want to formally go on hiatus bc i am still around and able to do things occasionally but it's definitely not the way it used to be.

i've been struggling with finding muse, both here and on discord and i'll share some of why that is under the cut below. trigger warning for death, suicide, and general mental health stuff under the cut!

if that info's not your vibe, i totally get it and i hope that you're having an amazing day and thank you for your patience and understanding!!

for some lore dropping, the last couple of weeks have been wild. my mental health as been a bit of a struggle as it usually is but coming into this week i had a stray puppy i found and rehomed with my mom that turned into a big stress mess, issues at work with my coworkers being blatantly disrespectful, and navigating through all of that while standing up for myself without feeling like i'm being a bitch has been an adventure. i'm not great at setting boundaries and advocating for myself and while my therapist is very proud of my work, it's been just that: a whole lotta work.

i've also been grieving really since the beginning of the year as i've lost three high school instructors and this week i lost one of my advisors from university. this morning i found out that he took his own life in the university theatre and it's just kind of a lot of information to process?? i mourn for his loss in our community and the loss of his life and also for our TD who found him along with students.

so, with all of this said my creativity is really, really low. i'm struggling with basic things while trying to keep up the veneer for my kids at work so i'm just tired but i do truly miss writing here and if i can get my mojo back, i'm gonna try my damndest to get something going.

if you took a read through under the cut, thank you. i appreciate you and your kindness and i hope that you're having a beautiful day! i hope we get to create something amazing together soon and i hope you know how much i love you!!

[bellie1359]

Dream: The Past and Present Meet

AC blasted through the empty studio, biting through my tights and thin leotard. Barefoot, the rubbered floor took on its own form of ice but I had already spent an hour on numerous choreographies so I was warm against the room’s atmosphere. “5:42pm” read the clock above the mirror that stretched down the entirety of the wall, he was 12 minutes late. I had worked on all I could on my own so I found myself impatiently pacing up and down the room. Eventually I found myself primping in the mirror in a nervous fashion. I don’t know why I always find myself fretting over my appearance around him, but I do. “I Think He Knows” by Taylor Swift blasts loud enough I do not hear him enter. “I’m not sure if he does know, you might have to tell him” humors a deep, melodic voice behind me. I jump, startled by his sudden appearance. Dark blue eyes meet mine in the mirror, his usually brown hair was bleached blonde from spending the summer in the sun and his skin deeply tanned. Briefly, the recollection of how pale his skin could be, flickers from my memory of once long winter nights spent together years ago. My heart pounds in my chest and ears from adrenaline now coursing through me, this happens everytime. The most unique reaction anyone has been able to illicit from me, a hurricane of fear, anticipation and excitement. The feeling I’m sure drug addicts get before administering the drug, because after all, he was like my own personal brand of heroine. I fight the urge to let my lips pull up into a Cheshire Cat smile, he came, and I was beginning to believe he wouldn’t. But I refuse to give him any kind of satisfaction from having a positive affect on me. “You’re late” I quip, haughtily I whip around letting a look of disapproval paint my face, “and he does know, I tell him every day” referring to my boyfriend. “Be glad I’m here at all” he clips back, dodging the last portion of my reply. Ignoring his dig I go over to the music player and set up the queue. “Go ahead and get warmed up, I have to re-tape my ankles and knees” I say. I don’t wait to hear his reply as I go into the back. As I wrap the black sports tape around my legs, guilt naws in my gut. My boyfriend would be livid if he knew I was doing this with a guy, especially and specifically *him*. I do my best to push the conviction down, I didn’t have a choice if I was going to do this portion of the dance competition. After I was all taped up I rejoin him on the floor and find him doing pushups— typical. Ever since I’ve known him he’d randomly break out into pushups wherever he was and once upon a time watching him was one of my favourite indulgences. Now knowing it was just a ploy for attention it just annoyed me. “Get up!” I snapped, “we only have 30 minutes.” He jumps up in a fluid motion pairing it with an eye roll, “Okay but can we just work on ‘Heaven’? It’s the hardest one.” “Sure”, I concede. I put on the song that he once accompanied me to writing it with the singer. Part of its selection was due to our all to well familiarity to it. We run the song continuously, working on technique and flow adamantly to ensure perfection. “Okay, one more time”, I press. “Ugh! You’ve said that 5 times already!” he groans. “Hey, that’s a choreographer for ya. But I promise this is honestly the last, I’m getting tired too.” I say. This time we have a run with no hiccups, it was flawless and in perfect synchrony. “That was perfect!” I beam excitedly. I instinctively throw my arms around him and he returns the embrace without hesitation. As I pull away he grabs my face and kisses me fiercely. I don’t stop him, or pull away. Instead, I wake up. To My kingdom come undone.

[solarpunkani]

Hi! For a project in mz school were doingf an activity where we make a utopia. i wanted mine to be inspired by your blog and stuff like accessibility, solar engery, things like that. any things you could give me for ideas?

I cannot emphasize enough how absolutely honored I am that you're looking to my blog for inspiration on this project! I hope I can be helpful!

If you want a fantastic wellspring of cool imagery and inspiration, check out the @solarpunkaestheticweek blog! It was an event held over the summer, and a lot of people participated and did art for it! Like this one that I really love! There's also lots of talk about fashion, architecture, and general aesthetic inspiration too! The queue is also continually running with other cool stuff the other mods and I find! We've also got a pinterest board you can rifle through for more inspo! IDK when this project is due, but we're planning to host another event for the Winter Solstice, which should bring out another burst of cool stuff to be inspired by!

Other cool things that could be fun for a utopia... I go on a bit of a ramble below!

The Dear Alice animation is a great source of inspiration, honestly! The imagery in this video are vivid!

Community fridges, little free pantries, little free libraries, and the like are also super fun for a utopia! Here's a pinterest board I made while I was working on my solarpowered fridge concept project this summer!

You could always go for fun shaped and fun-colored solar panels! I've seen talk of solar panels made to look like terra cotta roof tiles, and of colorful solar glass, so either one of these could be cool to draw inspiration from! The imagery of a stained glass window but its all solar voltaic is... prominent, in my head. While I was rifling through my blog, I found another post about more people doing this (or at least something similar)!

I've been in love with this concept art of fish-shaped wind turbines for the longest while! Clean energy can be clean and fun!

Regarding accessibility--I won't claim its something I know a lot about, but I did go on a bit of a ramble about it at the behest of another asker once. Long and the short of it, I'd definitely encourage looking into talks about walkable cities and accessible cities, see what some other bloggers who are More Knowledgeable Than Me have to say about it! Here's another post I've reblogged about accessibility and solarpunk!

It could be fun to imagine how current structures in cities could be reused in a more solarpunk society! I did this a bit earlier with big parking garages, and the replies and reblogs also have some interesting ideas too!

I guess if you were to ask me what I'd like to see in an imagining of a solarpunk future/more utopian kind of vibe... I'd imagine tight-knit communities, clean energy, expansive transit systems and bike accessibility, large paths for traveling by foot, lots of gardens and greenhouses, big sunny windows, bright colors in buildings and fashion, lots of reuse of clothing and visible mending and the like, personalization, and Good Vibes. There's probably a lot more detail and specifics one would need to go to when it comes to making one, but when I think of Solarpunk those tend to be some of the first things that come to mind.

Aaaand here's a few solarpunk blogs I tend to look to for inspiration, if that's helpful to you at all!

I hope this helps! If anyone else happens across this post and wants to chime in, feel free!

[oddcryptidwrites]

Knight of Dawn: The Prologue [Not Your Typical Fairytale]

TW: Runaways. Content below the cut!

After years of watching sunset after sunset through the tiny window of his room, it was relieving to see the start of a new day. Through the winter-barren trees, the sun shone golden, lighting the forest in the prettiest glow. He stood by the big oak they’d agreed to meet at, just a mere half mile from the Hill. Shifting his bag onto his other shoulder, and readjusting the sling around his chest, he waited anxiously for Vivianne. She’d insisted she could get out alone; he could take the baby instead. 

After a few anxious moments, she appeared from behind some trees, running and out of breath. As she approached him, she slowed, looking at him worriedly. Despite being so young, she looked like she’d seen the same horrors as him. 

“Did he see you?” Jackie bent down a little, cupping the side of her face with one hand and using the other to keep the young child in the sling. 

“I was careful like you told me to be. Do you think he’s going to try and follow us?” Vivianne asked.

“Likely. We need to get moving. I promise you’ll be safe. I won’t let him hurt you ever again.” He brushed the curls out of her eyes, before taking her tiny hand in his own. The baby in the sling began to stir, whimpering at the cold. Vivianne peeked at the child, curious and concerned. 

“Are you going to keep her safe too?”

“Both of you. He’ll have to go through me first. We need to go, Vivianne.”

She looked back behind her one more time, towards the Hill, the only home she had ever known, before he gently pulled her along, guiding her through the empty woods. The groans and growls of the plague victims sounded from all around, but they kept quiet, moving quickly through the damp forest, towards the road in the distance. Every breath of theirs hung in the cold winter air.

For hours, they trekked along the old interstate route, heading south. The old pavement, cracked and worn beneath their feet, was their guide, their yellow brick road. After a while, he could finally see the skyline of the Zone, of Atlanta, barely peeking over the trees. At the Perimeter, they could see the deterrent fences and the queue, thousands of people lined up, trying to enter the city, trying to get to safety. He pulled Vivianna out of the way as a bus whizzed past them, which came screeching to a halt, releasing another flood of people towards the gate. The sun hung low on the horizon.

Adele was inside. So was Charoen. They’d be safe with them, they had to be. They had promised. He wouldn’t dare come into the city with Adele still alive. 

As they approached the end of the queue, Vivianne held tight to his hand. 

“I’m scared.” She whispered, burying her face into his side, and he squeezed her hand, glancing around anxiously.

“I know, I am too.”

Tag List (reply or dm to be added or removed; I pulled from the old tag list): @author-a-holmes, @soul-write @flowerprose @ceph-the-ghost-writer @theglitchywriterboi @when-wax-wings-melt @thechaoticflowergarden @lyralit @penspiration-writing @samatedeansbroccoli @charlesjosephwrites @italiangothicwriteblr @thetruearchmagos @pineapple-lover-boy @unilightwrites @sanguine-arena @bardic-tales @joshuaorrizonte @blind-the-winds @circa-specturgia @hymnonlips @aloeverawrites

NYTF WIP PAGE

[sohannabarberaesque]

Postcards from Snagglepuss

There's nothing like having the World's Greatest Coffee for (and with) breakfast

LOU MITCHELL'S DINER, CHICAGO: Practically at the eastern end of the legendary Route 66 is a practically legendary diner as is itself something of a Chicago staple for over a century now ... and what makes their coffee the self-proclaimed World's Greatest is:

their grinding each pot fresh from light-roasted whole beans;

their filtering out the water to remove chlorine and other impurities seen as affecting coffee taste;

their having the brewing water at precise temperatures; and

their serving it in glass-lined urns to keep such hot and fresh.

Which explains Lou Mitchell's being such an exceptional place for breakfast in the "old school" manner without getting too tacky or too pretentious, no doubt explaining the lines for service every morning. Thankfully, Huckleberry Hound and yours truly managed to arrive just before the 6 am opening time and managed to get a booth seat facing Jackson Boulevard ... as well as getting an early pot of coffee and a meat lover's hobo omlette (that's your basic omlette with shredded hash brown potatoes mixed in) for myself and a malted pecal waffle for Oh-So-Merry Chuckleberry.

"I just have to admit," Huckleberry remarked, "this is pretty close to our kind of diner." To which yours truly responded, "Pretty much simplistic, unpretentious for the most part ... and having something of a comfort-leaning menu, even!" Which probably didn't stop the queue out on the street noticing us as we were sitting beside a window. Nor, for that matter, finding the likes of the Hair Bear Bunch sitting close by us, also choosing some of Lou Mitchell's legendary breakfast offerings with that legendary coffee.

Asked I to the madcap ursine trio, "How did you manage to come here so early?"

Hair Bear replied, "Square's Invisible Motorcycle--how else?"

Which reminded us that our motorhome was still in winter storage with Crazy Claws back in Wisconsin Dells, and that it might not be a bad idea to get such readied for the road, especially with as much Spring Break ahead and Easter being somewhat early this year.

"Uh, speaking of Easter," remarked Huckleberry, "do you think some class of Easter parade might be in order for us Funtastic types?"

"Unofficially, understandably," I added. "More or less an informal promenade--" (Inspiration struck me here) "How about working in the Cattanooga Cats to host our ur-Easter Parade along the alleys of Gatlinburg's tourist districts, along the Parkway even?"

"I think you have given us a rather fascinating Character Convocation right there and then" was how Huckleberry put it in that laid-back manner of his.

And at any rate, it was felt best to get back over to Wisconsin Dells and get the motorhome back and readied for another summer ... and therewith Union Station provided the answer. But that's for next time.

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

@warnerbrosentertainment @groovybribri @indigo-corvus @jellystone-enjoyer @ultrakeencollectionbreadfan @iheartgod175 @archive-archives @themineralyoucrave @thebigdingle @thylordshipofbutts @screamingtoosoftly @warnerbros-blog1 @xdiver71 @artistic-octopus @theweekenddigest @funtasticworld @warnerbrosent-blog

[bookns]

what the fuck do you mean Can I Be Him is coming out a day early. This is for you @ethereal-maia you are amazing as a friend and as an editor.

“Let's just go once more, Annabeth.” A voice from the sound booth echoed in the stadium. Her long time friend and her sound system operator, Will Solace's voice rang through the sound speakers.

Eyeing him from the stage, Annabeth nodded and adjusted the volume of her headset to her latest song Out Of The Wood. Hearing the queue of the backtrack playing in the echoes of the stadium, the memory of her and her producer, Clarisse La Rue creating it, made her smile as she started to sing. 

Although this was just a rehearsal for the show that she was going to perform tonight, Annabeth sang as if she was already performing for the thousands that would arrive. The ending of the song surpassed all too soon for Annabeth as she was too caught up in her performance and the music to notice. 

“Well done, Annabeth.” Will exclaimed through the speakers. 

“Well done, indeed,” said a voice beyond the stage's eye. 

Annabeth’s eyes scanned the grounds, searching for the voice. Percy Jackson came into view, clapping as he did so. 

Annabeth grinned when she saw him.

“What are you doing here?”

“I came to get a taste of the stage, and was welcomed by a voice that was serenading me.”

“Very funny. The show isn’t until tonight. We were just finishing rehearsals for my part. You and the rest of the band have rehearsals later tonight.” 

“Perfect timing on my end, then. Are you ready for a break?”

“I am,” she said, “Just let me finish up with the sound check, then we can leave.”

.o0o.

Sound check, to Percy, was a funny thing. It wasn't always needed. Before the band joined Annabeth, back when they were on their tour, they used to only soundcheck once a city. 

However within the past few weeks of getting to know her, he realized that Annabeth is a perfectionist. Whenever he, or anyone else in the band is looking for her, her manager Silena would lead them to the recording booth. She would always be writing a new song, or adding some hidden detail to an already produced song to surprise that night of fans. 

He knew that Annabeth was born for the stage. Anyone with ears would be able to tell you that but being alongside her, working with her and the rest of the band has been the best experience Percy has had. 

She knew what she was doing, and it was evident with the packed bleachers and the screaming fans that listened to them play each night. 

.o0o. 

“You ready?” Percy called as he knocked on her dressing room door.

The door swung open and Annabeth stood there, a smile growing on her face. 

Last he saw of her before she had disappeared into the outskirts of the stage, she was still wearing her costume that would be for the show that night. It was bright blue, extremely sparkly, and impossible to miss. Now she was dressed more casually with a pair of jeans and a white sweatshirt with the words ‘Harvard 1989’ printed on it. 

“Yeah let’s go,” she replied. 

Percy smiled and they guided each other out of the stadium. 

Once they got outside, the raging autumn air felt chilly against his cheeks.  

“Oh god, I do not remember Philadelphia being this cold.” 

Percy chuckles at her weak attempt of warming her hands. 

“You’re from California, right? I guess that they don’t get winter like we do here.”

Annabeth smiled. 

“Well, I’m originally from Virgina but I moved to California when I was younger.”

He whistled. 

“That had to be a big change.”

Annabeth nodded. 

“I don’t really remember it that much. I was only seven when we moved to California, so it wasn’t like I was all that in touch with my southern roots. I wasn’t even that in touch with my Califronian self despite looking like a California surfer girl. I moved away to New York when I was 16.”

“Sixteen,” Percy gaped at her, “That’s just a kid.”

“I know, but it was needed. I was stuck at a house that wasn’t going to support my career,’”

Percy stared at Annabeth shockingly.

“Damn, I always knew I got lucky with my mom always supporting me, but I never knew that you had to go through that.”

“My dad’s a History professor at Harvard. He doesn't care about music”

“But you do?” 

His question wasn’t accusing like she thought it would be. Most people would immediately judge her for her ‘impossible’ dream, but Percy didn’t. Then again, Annabeth realized Percy wasn't like most people. He understood her drive for making people listen to her music. After all, he was in the same industry. 

Annabeth knew that Percy would understand her need for sharing her music. 

“Music is permanent. People have always loved music, whether it be a folktale from the thirteenth century to Mozart or hell, current day pop. It creates stories and allows truth to be told.”

Percy nodded along. 

“I get that. I got into music to tell my own story, the story of the lost kid that listened to music on his single mom’s radio while she took care of me all on her own. It helped me calm down, and got me to stop getting into trouble. Writing lyrics gave me a vision. I never thought I could do this as a career,but I’m so glad it did happen. Meeting Beckendorf, Thalia, and Grover changed my life. I wouldn’t have made it through middle school, much less anything else without them. 

She smiled. 

“Meeting Thalia changed my life too, so I understand it. Thalia always had a thing for finding the troubled. She is the one who took care of me when I ran away from home, you know?”

‘You ran away? I thought that was just some sort of metaphor that is in your music.” 

She nodded. 

“I wish. When I was 16, my dad didn’t take music seriously. He didn't think I could make it as a career. So I ran away. I hung out on Thalia’s couch for months, writing and practicing.”

“How did you even know who Thalia was? She never mentioned that she knew you.’

“Thalia was my babysitter when I was younger on top of taking care of me when I was 16.”

“Thalia babysat?” His shock made Annabeth realize that, despite being in a band with her, maybe Percy didn’t know Thalia at all. 

“She did for years. She used to watch me for days on end when my dad was too busy studying for his exams to notice me. Most of my childhood was at Thalia's house and the sundaes she used to feed me for breakfast. 

“That sounds like Thalia. She never really did give a damn about the rules. Growing up, she was the reason me, Beck, and Grover got in trouble so much.”

Annabeth giggled.

“I would like to say I don’t see it from you,” but she eyed him up and down, “trouble is all I see.” 

He chuckled. 

“Seems like you aren’t an angel yourself, Miss Chase.”

“I’m plenty angel. Ask anyone? Hell, ask Silena” 

“Speaking of Silena, how did you two meet?”

“Me and Lena met when I just started in the industry. My first album had just come out, and I was in desperate need of a manager.” 

Annabeth snorted. 

“It was actually my ex-boyfriend who introduced us.” 

Percy raised an eyebrow.

“Really?” 

Annabeth sighed.

“His name was Luke Castellan. Silena used to manage him before she became full time for me. 

“Wasn’t that a little weird? At least for you, I mean, when you and Luke stopped going out?”

She scrunched her nose. 

“Not really. By then, me and Silena had finalized the papers for her to work for me, and he was so toxic. He’s actually the one who I wrote my songs "Would've, Could’ve, Should’ve and White Horse about.”

Percy sighed in relief. 

“At least it worked out for the best. You get to create songs over awful guys, and Silena gets a job out of it.”

“It’s been only a few years of Silena working with me. She’s still new to the managing world, and we’re learning together, I guess.”

“Well it seems she might have a new band to manage if her and Beck continue forward” 

Annabeth laughed.

“Why do you call him that? Beckendorf? I know it’s his last name, but it’s odd. I thought only sports players only called their friends by their last name.” 

“Well, a long time ago, when we were kids, Grover, Beck and I all went to the same summer camp, and we used to have homemade jerseys that my mom would sew up for us. One day I just started calling him Beckendorf, and it just stuck.”

“That was sweet of your mom.”

Percy smiled.

“My mom was always doing stuff like that during my childhood. It was just me and her growing up, and we didn’t have much money. She would always figure out how to sew jerseys for us, or bake blue cookies each time I would come from camp.”

“Blue cookies?” 

Annabeth’s puzzlement made Percy laugh even harder, making the cold air flush against Annabeth’s skin .

“I lied about saying that it was just me and my mom. I had a step dad, but he was more of a monster than man. He didn't believe in blue food, so she used to dye everything blue. I’m surprised that my teeth aren’t permanently indigo. It was like our little act of rebellion against him.”

Sympathetically, Annabeth said, “Step parents are rough. Believe me, I know.” 

She stopped to look at him as the red of the stop light glowed in the night.

“Gabe was one for the dramatics. Always begging for money for his poker games, and other addictions. Was yours like that?” 

“My stepmom was never a horrible person to anyone else. She treated me like I was, though. They got married when I was seven like i said, and ever since then, I was treated like i don't belong in that house. I was on my own, for at least it felt like it, the rest of my life.”

“My mom saved me,” Percy says, “I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like to grow up in a house where you felt so alone.”

Annabeth grew quiet as they stopped at a corner, the harsh lights of a diner in their rearview being the only thing that allowed Percy to see her gentle shivers in the cold.

“It got better as I got older. I met Thalia, started creating music, and suddenly they didn't matter. I created my own family. What’s the word?”

“A found family?”

“That’s it.”

“How does one become a part of this found family?”

“I won’t kiss and tell.”

“You have to kiss me to tell me, is what I’m hearing,” Percy said slyly. 

“If that’s what you want?”

Annabeth leaned up on her tip-toes as Percy wrapped one of his arms around her waist.

His lips nearly touched hers, he could almost taste her lips on his.

Using what was left of her height, Annabeth met his lips with an urgent reverence. 

Within the safety of his arms now fully wrapped around her, Annnabeth explored his mouth.

He bit down on her lip causing her to gasp, and groan.

She broke away from the kiss, her hands still on his chest, heaving as she began to process what had just occurred. 

 Days of writing about a first kiss that leaves her breathless, Annabeth realizes that this green-eyed boy had a lot more than she realized.  

“Percy, do that again.”

Hoarsely, Percy chuckled and Annabeth felt it in her core. 

“I will do whatever you want, Beth.”

Can I Be Him is my Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson as Taylor Swift and 5 Seconds of Summer - 2nd chapter out now.

[mythvoiced]

GET TO KNOW THE MUN

NAME?: Len, Lena, Lenlen, anything with that you can think of~

PRONOUNS?: any~ saw Winter on dash go 'agender hoes rise up' so this is me rising up--

PREFERENCE OF COMMUNICATION?: primarily discord, IMs and I have just... we never hit it off, and with the way the notification thing keeps glitching-- i'll keep the chat open in that circle to not forget to reply, but i'll never know when something new comes in bc the notification disappears if you have the bubble thing there, which means if i do reply it takes me so long to realize i've been replied back-- BUT i mean ofc hit me up on IMs if you don't have my discy i will try to be THERE

MOST ACTIVE MUSE(S)?: Celebrity Verse Hyun oH HECK'S yeah, though i have to admit i don't have a lot of... muse muse per se, i could write just about anyone i guess, but no one's burning with activity/to be written

EXPERIENCE / HOW MANY YEARS?: gosh, my first mumu i opened back in january 2016, before that though i'd been rping already on other blogs... 2015-16? online at the very least, i remember i was rping on paper back in middle school before even knowing what it was lmao

BEST EXPERIENCE?: I HAVE to second Ferre, the group plots we got going on right now are basically single-handedly keeping me FIRED UP to write~ but if i may be lovey dovey, my best experience is just overall right now, or most of 2023, the moots i'm surrounded by, the way i'm gradually letting go more and more of insecurities and anxieties, i'm calming down and just... being blessed by superb writing & ideas~

RP PET PEEVES?: gosh, i don't know~? i do believe if i stumbled upon them, there'd be a few out there in the great big blue, but lately i've been having such a good dash and environment, i kind of forgOT FDKLGHLF i'll add it if i can think of anything at some point

FLUFF, ANGST, OR SMUT?: same as Ferre~ i'm in it for the character development, for the vibes, for the growth, for poking and prodding at psyches and morals and hearts, or just to figure out how people interact, i love just... the very concept of interaction itself~ i do angst >:3333 i do fluff :33 but i mostly do?? i have no idea how to describe it lmao but i don't do smut, i don't know how to and feel weird about it ♥

PLOTS OR MEMES?: I'M A CRIMINAL, I JUST KEEP STEALING FERRE'S ANSWERS BC SAME?? LKDSGJFLHG lately I've realized I do enjoy plotting more >:3 i used to be a pretty wing it kinda guy mostly because plotting translated to serious commitment in my head? and the mere thought of that was scawwy and exhausting, it felt like i was suddenly Planning and Strategizing in a work environment oh god, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT PLOTTING IS TURNS OUT FDKLLLLLLLGH i had it all wrong~ it doesn't have to feel like business emails, it SHOULDN'T, it can be random ideas thrown back and forth and i absolutely adore that, i've been enjoying a fair amount of plotting lately >:3 and have ONLY BEEN WINNING~ that being said, memes are perfect for lil spin-off/filler episodes of ongoing dynamics, but especially good for ice-breakers (if we never interacted before, hmu~)

LONG OR SHORT REPLIES?: longer, i simply don't shut up~ i can do shorter, but they tend to lengthen naturally with time; i try to match my partner above all else, but there's always something i just... can't keep out of the damn text~ there are certain muses, though, that demand less text, characters like Diana are very curt and cut-off and it reflects in her threads and all that-- SO, before i completely derail, i go for long replies usually, but i can flex my flexing bones and do short too~

TIME TO WRITE?: GOSH, f*ck if i know at this point. it used to be in the evening, now it's just... whenever i have time & energy~ i don't work consistent regular hours, so there's no clearly defined work hours and leisure hours, so sometimes evenings, somethings mornings, sometimes weekdays, sometimes weekends, usually not afternoons, i do try to keep a queue going though so hehehe~ don't worry~

ARE YOU LIKE YOUR MUSE(S)?: maybe...? i don't know anymore-- KLDSJGLKGF realistically speaking, probably? at least some of them, mostly because the saying goes you put a bit of yourself in every character you create, i would also say because i have Too Many Muses so statistically i'm probably in there somewhere~

tagged by: their royal MIGHTINESS @stillresolved tagging: @theimpalpable @crue1 @usuhan @fablewrote @riiese @repetiita @voxvulgi @heirofhermes @sw4nsongs & YOU

[merrock]

HAPPY FIRST OF DECEMBER !

It's the last month of the year... can you believe it?! Whether it was a good or a bad year for you, it's coming to an end and a fresh start can begin... very soon! We have a few things to go over, as usual, to wrap up November and jump into December. Then we'll be full steam ahead into the holidays and hopefully a shiny, fun, prosperous 2024!

HAPPENING IN DECEMBER !

WINTER FUN PARTY (ic: December 2, ooc: November 30 - December 6) -- happening at Blades in the countryside, a chance to get out and do all of the cold weather fun stuff!

WINTER HOLIDAY MARKET (ic & ooc: December 17-23) -- happening at The Hideaway Market! Come do all of your last minute shopping or just enjoy an old fashioned market!

NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY (ic: December 31, ooc: December 26 - 31) -- a glitzy night out to celebrate the last day of the year, and have some fun together!

DECEMBER'S MINI-EVENTS !

December 21 -- first day of winter -- needs no explanation, it's just the first day of winter, who doesn't love that?

Holiday Season Stuff -- but you can check out this post for lots of information about happenings in Merrock!

EXTRA BIT OF FUN !

Since we have a lot of holiday-centric things happening this time of year, I thought for our task, we'd do something a little different! Lindsey actually came up with this idea last year, so we're implementing it now. Our very own Merrock wrapped, for you to dive in to what your character listened to, watched, and did through the season. Enjoy! However, if you do want to do holiday tasks, we will allow task #3 (the wonderful world of winter) and task #7 (holly jolly season) to be done in December, as well.

IMPORTANT NOTES !

as usual, be sure that you have read over our rules -- nothing major has been updated at this time, but it never hurts to refresh!

please follow all blogs (except the promo blog! you can skip that one!) relating to Merrock, and unfollow those no longer in the group. double check our list right here!

as always, be sure to check the starter page frequently and give them some love! it's the best way to make people feel included.

... but! please don't queue starter replies and/or reply to them from drafts (at least not without double checking they're still open), as it often times pushes them past cap/closure.

it's a busy time of year, we understand! just be sure that you are keeping your characters active within our guidelines, and if you play multiples, they are all active.

BEHIND THE SCENES !

as I've mentioned, all events for December and January are completed, drafted and ready to go!

additionally, the images for the entire year have been saved, which means things just have to be picked away at.

but there are some events we will be asking for your help on, whether it be choosing a theme, or deciding what to do, so always keep your eyes open!

that being said, January will see the Polar Plunge and the royal gala, as well as mini events like houseplant appreciation day, strawberry ice cream day and world snow day!

we'll be deciding after the holiday if we want to keep our cap at 30, or go ahead and lower it once again, as well as deciding on rolling acceptances vs. slated days.

you'll likely see changes in 2024 regardless -- updated pages, re-formatted acceptances, updates to forms that are filled out, all that good stuff. start fresh, right?

if you haven't already, please read this mod post to know what the activity expectations are through the next few weeks.

HAPPY DECEMBER !

[zimniyxprizrak-a]

- this blog is a private and very selective blog. this means i will only be writing with people i am mutually following. this is to keep my dash clean and tidy. i use the block button liberally for my own comfort. - dark themes will be featured on this blog. all potentially triggering content will be tagged for people's comfort. the winter soldier has a darker story than some other muses and i don't intend to sugarcoat anything about him. PLEASE USE CAUTION WHEN CHOOSING TO FOLLOW! - all graphics are made by me, as well as the psd. do not steal my work, as i worked hard on them. you can commission me over at my resource blog. DEFECTEDSOURCES. - on that note, do not steal my headcanons please. i also work hard on them and i appreciate likes and comments, but please do not reblog them or take them to use as your own. - this is not my only blog, and to physical and mental illnesses, i may not be able to get on this blog. this blog will likely run on a queue, so please bare with me when i need to take some time to get replies back. - lastly...this is a NO HATE BLOG! i will not stand for people coming into my asks to lead a witch hunt on someone. we are all here to write and have a good time. i do not have the emotional spoons to be dealing with things like that and will be blocking people who come to my blog to stir up drama.

[stayarmytinyzenmoa-l]

Lapis Love [Ch. 3]

Nobility AU; Fantasy AU

TW: Language

CW: Arranged/Political Marriage

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Fantasy

Pairing: Mercenary!Liu Yangyang x Noblity!Reader

Y/N Pronouns: Female (She/Her)

Summary: When hit with the sudden news that you’d be married you freaked out and with the help of your brother you ran away to avoid becoming embroiled in a political war. However, your betrothed was just as freaked out as you were and sent a mercenary after you. When you’re two paths cross unknowingly, suddenly your month journey to refuge becomes that much more interesting.

(3/?) [First] | [Previous] | [Next]

[NCT Masterlist] | [Other Groups Masterlist] | [Lapis Love Masterlist]

Word Count: 4.2K

Notes: I have decided that the queue function on this damn site doesn't want to work for me anymore so :D It's fine AHAHA I hope you enjoy <3 As you can see, I'm in my fantasy writing phase lol

Disclaimer: Please remember that this is an AU and a work of fiction, obviously the idols mentioned/written about in this story would never partake in these actions. The idols mentioned in this work are meant to be seen more as face claims rather than the actual idols themselves.

Feedback is greatly appreciated!! Thank you for reading!

You were definitely strange. That’s what Yangyang’s initial thought of you was. Especially now. As soon as you’d walked into the tavern you were very near a loss for words. He didn’t know what was more probable, the fact that you’d never been into a tavern or the fact that you were just afraid of large gatherings. He could read it entirely from the shock on your face, you weren’t used to places like this. Where the hell did you come from, then? He had his suspicions when you’d helped out that street urchin earlier but he thought himself well acquainted with the noble families in Eotias, and he’d never seen or heard of anyone who looked remotely like you before. Then again, despite being a man, you oddly matched the description he was given on the small parchment. How frustrating. All he had to work with was a tiny piece of paper and the knowledge that the Winter Noble used ice magic. Of course, aside from physical characteristics, he was certain that you weren’t the Noble he was looking for. Any person could match these features, hell, he just saw another person walk by who matched them. Then, a loud guffaw echoed across the tavern, and while his head whipped over to where it came from, he just barely noticed that every muscle in your body tensed up.

You weren’t used to this. Just who was this companion he picked up?

“Are you good?” Yangyang asks.

“Just fine, thank you,” you replied. Then there’s that. Your vocabulary was too refined to just be the average traveler.

To say the least, his curiosity was getting the better of him. If there was one thing that would definitely bite him in the ass one day, it was his insatiable need to get to the bottom of things.

He only spoke to you because of the curious bracelet on your wrist. The simple ringlet of silver with the obvious Lapis Lazuli in the middle of it. The one thing he needed. Could it be? Were you running from the Winter Noble? Maybe through some stroke of luck, you’d be able to help each other out, or maybe he’d be able to buy the bracelet off of you. It was secured tightly onto your wrist, trust, he tried to steal it much earlier. Whatever the reason for it was, you were clearly very protective of it.

“I’ll rent a room for us then,” you stepped past him and he followed you regardless. If his theory was right then you’d have no clue how to do this.

“Hello, sirs, two rooms tonight?” The tavern hostess asks.

“Ye—”

“One room, two beds,” Yangyang cuts in. Yup, looks like you didn’t know how to budget either. Yangyang sighed, what point was there to having someone fund the trip if they didn’t know how to spend wisely? He ignored the pointed glare you gave him and paid attention to the hostess instead.

“Alrighty, boys, that’ll be two gold pieces for one night,” she says. Yangyang leans on the counter.

“Come on, gorgeous, give us a discount?” Yangyang winks. The hostess’ smile falters and, in an instant, Yangyang finds himself on the floor after being harshly shoved over by… wait, who pushed him over? He sits up quickly just in time for you to retract your hand.

“I’m sorry about him, here you are,” you handed the two gold pieces and Yangyang rolls his eyes. “I wasn’t aware how shameless by companion is,” you sighed.

“Hey! I was trying to save some money!” Yangyang argues while pushing himself up.

“There are much more noble ways to do it, I thought you’d know considering you were a knight in training, am I correct?” You fired back. Shit, he completely forgot about that little white lie. “Chivalry is truly dead,” you shook your head and turned to the hostess, who seemed to have stars in her eyes now.

“I… er… your room is… down the hall, to the left, fifth room,” she stammers. You offered her a grin and the woman very nearly fawned over you, eliciting a groan from Yangyang.

“Thank you, miss, have a good night,” you reached out to take the keys from her, and she made it a point to grab your hand first to place them gently into your palm. You walked past Yangyang and he stumbled to catch up.

“Kevin, my man, you can’t just leave a lovely lady like that alone!”

“Yangyang, you animal, leave the poor girl alone,” you unlocked the door and walked in first, the door swinging shut behind you, but Yangyang quickly walked in.

“Couldn’t you tell? She’s head over heels for you! Use it! Get discounts!”

“You’re shameless, Liu,” you shook your head, dropping your knapsack on the bed by the window. “If this partnership is going to work out proper, I suggest you brush up on your basic manners.”

“No can do, Kev, I’m a free spirit through and through,” Yangyang collapses on his bed.

“Being free does not equate to being an ass,” you shot back. Yangyang sits up.

“You’re an asshole.”

“So be it.”

“Where are you from, anyway? No one I know around here talks like you do,” he frowns. You stared at him.

“F-Fairham,” you finally answered. Yangyang rose an eyebrow as he leaned forward toward you.

“Bullshit.”

“It is not!”

“You hesitated.”

“And what of it?!”

“You’re not really from Fairham, are you?!”

“And how would you know the truth?!”

“Trust me, bub, I know Fairham when I see it,” he continues.

“I swear to you! I’m from Fairham through and through!” You continues to defend. Yangyang leaned back on his palms now.

“Okay, fine, I’ll take the bait,” he shrugs. Fairham. You weren’t from Fairham, there was no way. He was from Fairham. Born and raised. But then why would you hide where you’re actually from? Unless he was right in that you really were running away from something. You had a sense of skepticism in your eyes, Yangyang recognized it well enough from being friends with Renjun for so long, and it had only furthered his suspicions.

Especially when he stared at the sword that now lay on the bed next to you. You asked him for sword lessons, and yet you had what must be an expensive blade in your hands. The contradictions surrounding you just continued to pile, and Yangyang knew a liar when he saw one.

“So… where’d the sword come from, then?” He asks. He couldn’t deny it, that sword was just so damn familiar. You looked over to him, hands suddenly clutching onto the sheath.

“Why the inquiry?”

“Just curious.”

“My older brother,” you answered. “He couldn’t join me on this journey, so he left me his sword instead,” you explained.

“Oh… do you mind?” He asks, reaching for the sword already, but you pulled it away from his grasp before he could hear an answer.

“I do mind, actually, thank you very much. We just met, Liu, and I’m not so inclined to trust you with something that is dear to me,” you rambled off. Yangyang stood up and crossed his arms, lips pressing in a tight line.

“Okay, Kevin, let me level with you here,” he says. “I know you’re running away from something.” That struck a cord. The way your entire body tensed up while your eyes darted to the side, specifically towards the sword, so he was right. There are two possibilities now. One, you stole the sword and you’re now running away from whoever wanted to take it back. Two, you’re telling the truth. “You don’t have to tell me why, because, quite frankly, it doesn’t matter to me. But we’re going to have to have some level of trust here,” he says.

“But… I was warned not to trust anyone.”

“Whoever told you that has a good conscience, then, because they’re right. The roads to Stardenn aren’t a walk in the park,” he says. “Look, I don’t know who, what, or where you’re running from, but I have a feeling you’re not used to this kind of stuff so…” Yangyang reaches into his bag and tosses a scroll onto the table separating the two beds. Again, surprise strikes your features.

“An enchanted contract? I didn’t take you to be one to carry this around,” you unrolled the parchment. At the moment, it remained blank. It was a common thing carried by mercenaries to make sure that both parties fulfill their ends of the deal. The terms and conditions were simple, both parties are allowed up to three conditions, then, when they both sign the parchment, they are bound to those boundaries until both ends of the agreement are met. If, at any point, these conditions are disregarded or broken, the offender will receive a punishment either set by the other or equivalent to the condition broken.

“It’s a just in case measure, anyone traveling the main roads would have them,” he says. The parchment laid undisturbed and a quill appears in front of you. “The term is obvious. Until we reach Stardenn, right?”

“Correct, until we reach our destination,” you confirmed. Yangyang handed you the quill and watched you write down the term.

The term of the contract is set to whenever the two contractors enter Stardenn safely.

“Well, then, who shall write the first condition?” You ask.

“Chivalry’s dead, right?” Yangyang takes the quill and writes down the his set of conditions.

1. I, Liu Yangyang, will honor the conditions set by my traveling companion.

2. I, Liu Yangyang, will be truthful to my companion.

3. I, Liu Yangyang, will not consciously attempt any harm on my traveling companion.

“Well, that’s that then,” he signs his name at the bottom and hands you the quill. You took it hesitantly and you hovered the tip over the page. It was clear on your face that you were focusing on what to write. “Hey, if it’s that hard, then just write the same things I did,” he says.

“I feel like that’s a trap,” you muttered.

“Oh, come on, what did I just say about trust?” He asks.

“Yeah, yeah,” you glanced out the window and he follows your gaze. Then, in moments, the window slams open and a gust of snow blows into the room. Yangyang was quick to run to the window and shut the doors before too much snow could get in, but the wind continued to fight back, as if pushing on the wooden frames to fight its way inside.

“A little help here, Kevin?!” He shouts.

“Have patience, I’m almost done with this,” you answered. “Plus, it looks like you have it quite handled,” you continued, standing up from your spot and signing the contract. Then, as you lifted your quill from the page, the parchment glowed and rolled itself up before promptly disappearing with a flicker along with the quill.

“Hey! You couldn’t have waited for me?!” He shouts, the window suddenly calming and his body slamming against the frame. He groaned and rubbed his pounding head.

“What? I wrote the same as you, there’s no need,” you shrugged. “Here, want me to prove it?” You took the sword in your hand and Yangyang immediately rose his hands.

“Nope, no, no, it’s fine, I trust you,” he says quickly. Then, he catches onto how you held the sword’s handle. “Oh… man, you really don’t know how to use a sword, do you?” Your expression changed slowly into one of realization before settling on embarrassment and placing the sword back on the bed.

“… No, I have no experience with swordsmanship,” you mumbled. Yangyang walks over to you, grabbing his own sword on the way. Strange, with a sword of that quality, surely you had to have some kind of experience, but perhaps he was wrong. Then again, it was from your brother. But it wasn’t rare that brothers trained together, even Renjun, who was shit with swordsmanship, knew the basics.

“Now with that signed, do you still mind?” His hand hovers over your sword and you shook your head. Although, as Yangyang pulled the blade out of it’s sheath, he didn’t sense your gaze waver once. The blade was unsheathed quickly, flawlessly, and the material itself was unlike any Yangyang had ever seen before. The edge was pristine, sharp enough to cut through anything, and the material was light despite it’s sturdy feel. The hilt was something that truly mesmerized him, however, he couldn’t tell the material below it, but the leather that wrapped around it was made of a demon’s hide. Now this wasn’t something that he’d have guessed on look alone, no, it’s simply because the material matched the sheath. One look at it and Yangyang could tell that the material was crafted from the material left behind from the Nuckelavee, an ancient demon vanquished by…

Yangyang paused, stealing a look towards you for a moment. You were more preoccupied with the blade in his hand as opposed to him, though.

The Nuckelavee was vanquished by a previous incarnation of the Summer Noble, Moon Suho. He had learned all about him in Academy, he was heralded for his skills with swordsmanship before his supernatural abilities. Any and all materials left behind the Nuckelavee was left in the care of House Moon after that.

You just continued to surprise him. The bracelet, the sword, what else were you hiding?

Just who did he invite into his life?

“How did you get this sword again?” He asks. Your brother, tell him more about this person.

“My older brother was also training to be a knight, he graduated early, so he left me with this,” you answered. Yangyang turned back to the sword, slowly rotating it to observe it. Kevin, Kevin, come to think of it, that name actually rung a bell. He knew a Kevin back in Academy who was exceptionally gifted in swordsmanship, but they were in different classes, so he knew him by reputation only. Was it just a coincidence? “Why?”

“Just weird that someone with no experience whatsoever would have this,” he says. He’s been trying to catch you in a lie. You’re either an extremely good liar (unlikely) or you’re telling him the truth (also unlikely). “It’s extremely high quality for someone who doesn’t know a thing about it,” he stands up now, flipping it in his hand to get a feel for the weight. The stories were true, it was a blade crafted for a master. Yangyang looked closely at the blade now, unknown runes had been etched into the blade just above the hilt. “Go ahead and grab mine over there, it’s lighter than this one, so you shouldn’t have trouble holding it,” he says. He noticed than when you held the sword originally, your wrist wavered as if what you were holding was too heavy.

“Oh, alright,” you did as he said and walked next to him. He peered over at how you were holding it again.

“You’re going to break your wrist if you hold it like that, hold it like this,” he demonstrates for you and you copied. “Uh… hold on, it’ll be easier if I fix it for you,” he leans the sword against his leg while he reached for your wrist. “Relax a little,” he mutters, adjusting your hold on the hilt. “Try now, it should feel a little more comfortable, this way, you’re putting the pressure more on your palm than your fingers, so it shouldn’t be as uncomfortable.”

“Oh, you’re right!” Your eyes seemed to shine despite the darkened room. “Does this count as our first lesson?” You ask.

“Sure, let’s call it repayment for getting us a room tonight,” Yangyang says, looking over your form again. “Looks like we’re going to need a lot of work…” he mutters after. This was going to be a long journey.

“What was that?” You tilted your head and Yangyang could feel the nervousness build in his throat.

What the hell has he gotten himself into?

~

The knock at the door ended the already lengthening session. Or, at least, it felt like hours. You’d always watched Kevin’s and Byul's practices and you’d always wondered why it was so taxing on them, and now you regret laughing at them. Your hands were cramping from holding Kevin’s heavy sword for too long. Gods above, did he have to give you such a heavy weapon? Would it have killed him for him to give you a dagger? You spared a glance to Yangyang, who only shrugged. You frowned and opened the door yourself, seeing the hostess on the other side.

“Hello, sorry for the sudden intrusion,” she tucks a piece of hair behind her ear. “It’s just that another room just opened up if you wanted it, free of charge since it was so sudden,” she says, wiping sweat from her brow. She looked like she just finished up rushing through chores. A quick glance over revealed the truth. Dampened bottom of her skirt and patched middle where her knees would’ve been on the floor, she’d just been cleaning the floors at least.

“Certainly, I’ll accept your offer,” you nodded. “No harsh feelings, right, Liu?” You asked. Yangyang only shook his head.

“Be my guest.” He hands you your belongings.

“Please guide me to my new accommodations,” you smiled. The woman in front of you matched your expression and ushered you to follow her. Soon enough, you were in your new room. Noticeably enough, it was much cleaner than the last one you’d been in. Fresh sheets for sure, dusted furniture, and mopped floors.

“Please enjoy your stay here at Kilvein’s inn,” she says before excusing herself. You slumped on the bed, more comfortable now. You could hear the springs creak under you and the comforter on top was tattered and by no means what you were used to, but with all the pent up exhaustion from just getting here, you couldn’t care any less. You didn’t expect your journey to be this hard already, and it was still the first day. The sun was barely setting, actually, yet you were so exhausted you could barely move. So, instead, your mind wandered for you.

You didn’t blame people for spreading such rumors about you. Cold and icy. It was a bit of a generalization you weren’t too fond of, but when you grow up with already so little power, you learn how to compensate. Your noble family was no powerful one, they held power over their domain based on the respect of the people alone. Then, you were even the youngest of four. You weren’t supposed to inherit anything, really. The dukedom was planned to go to Byulyi, then she turned it over to Taeil, your parents would rather die before handing the seat to Kevin, so that left you. Being cooped inside taking lessons on how to run a territory, that’s bound to do something to you. But you never really imagined that people would thing you were that cruel.

Sure, you’d constantly turn down invitations from other children your age, you’d stay inside to study all day, and maybe on the off occasion you’d accidentally snap at whoever was unlucky enough to cross your path. But you always apologized, you always tried to make it right. And you thought you were doing pretty well. Perhaps you thought wrong.

You took your cap off, finally letting your hair loose, and after a deep sigh, you fell asleep.

~

That was close. You nearly had a heart attack when Yangyang banged his fist on your door. Even now, you were still making sure that your stray hairs were tucked neatly under your cap. Why was he rushing you to get out of the tavern anyway? It’s not like he was in a rush for something, and even if he was there was no way it was as pressing as your situation. Still, you couldn’t deny that he was helpful. Even now as Yangyang walked slightly ahead of you, he was quick to pick up on things that were going on around you. The movement of animals, the sounds of water, he was accustomed to traveling and you weren’t. You looked down at your hand, a ghost-like feeling of how he’d fixed your form last night still wavering. You thanked god for the darkness of the room, lest he saw the embarrassment written all over your face.

It was true, a quill was very different to a sword, but who knew that you wouldn’t have even been able to hold a sword correctly? Kevin would have ridiculed you for sure. His sword glinted at your side, the gem shining in the sunlight. No doubt by now your absence has been noted and the guards were scrambling around the territory for you. You wondered if word had reached Bleakgate yet, to the ears of the man who you had supposedly been betrothed to. You looked up to Yangyang, who had been walking silently this whole time except to warn you of animals.

“Yangyang?” You took quick steps to catch up with him.

“Wait!” Yangyang’s hand flew out and, within seconds, a boar charged out of the bushes, completely catching you off guard. With a quick yelp, you grabbed onto the closest thing to you. Yangyang, meanwhile, took a steadying step back. “Relax, it’s just a boar,” Yangyang croaks out. You immediately release him.

“Pardon me,” you cleared your throat while Yangyang scoffs.

“Have you ever been out of Fairham?” He asks. You shook your head.

“No, not necessarily,” you answer. Yangyang sighs.

“Alright, well, first thing is first, always be aware of your surroundings,” he says. “You can’t just waltz around the roads like nothing, haven’t you heard of the demonic beast sightings?” He asks. No, you hadn’t heard of such things. But you’d already made yourself out to be a fool enough to him.

“I know,” you answer. “Why else did you think I asked you to teach me how to use this?” You gestured to the weapon attached at your hip.

“I had a feeling too,” he answers. “So, be on your guard, until you pick up on the basics, I’ll handle any monsters that come our way,” he says. “It shouldn’t be hard, most of the monsters on the way to Stardenn are pretty weak anyway,” he adds.

“So it shouldn’t be a problem for me then, right?” You ask. Yangyang looks at you. You pulled the sword out and pointed it towards the bushes. “Would I have been able to handle that boar?” You continue. Yangyang shakes his head.

“No,” he turns his back to you and continues down the road. You, meanwhile, quickly caught up with him.

“What? But you said that the monsters here are weak, right? How hard could it be?”

“You have no experience with sword fighting, you’ve never been out of Fairham, and you jumped at the sight of a monster, do you really think you’re cut out for fighting?” He asks. Okay, he didn’t have to be so harsh about it. You frowned, immediately walking ahead of him and towards the closest living creature you could see.

“And? What of this, then?” You pointed to the substance with the tip of your sword.

“That… that would be a simple slime,” your companion answers.

“And? Is it malevolent?”

“You know… you speak very eloquently to be from Fairham village,” he grimaces.

“Nonsense! I simply speak this way because of upbringing,” you defended.

“Well, whatever, to answer your question, no, it’s not bad. Not this one, at least. If it wanted to attack it would’ve done so already,” he rolls his eyes. You placed the sword down and crouched next to the small creature, its jelly eyes looking up at you with such sparkle.

“Can we keep it?”

“No.”

“Whatever for?! It’s quite adorable, is it not?” You cupped your hands and the slime creature rolled onto them. “Well then, I suppose that answers it. I shall call you Sloane!” You announced. The slime, no, Sloane looked up at you with a new excitement, as if it were proud to have been given a name.

“Sloane? That’s an oddly human name for a slime.”

“Silence. Your name is oddly animal for a human.”

“How is Yangyang a name for an animal?!”

“Have you seen your mannerisms? If you didn’t look like a man I’d mistake you for a monster!”

“You— Why am I even helping you?!”

“Ah, so I see you’ve also fallen for my devilish charms, haven’t you?”

“Don’t be too proud of yourself.”

“I shall do whatever it is I so desire, now, we have a similar goal, remember? That’s why you’re still here!” You reminded him. “We’re both going to Stardenn, you have muscles and I have money, we work well together,” you crossed your arms.

“Ugh, right,” Yangyang groans. “… You think I have muscles?”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” you said coldly. Yangyang stared back at you, initiating yet another one of these tediously petty competitions, but you would rather die than let him win. After a few moments, Yangyang cracks and a victorious smile rose on your face.

“Fine, the slime can stay,” he concedes.

“The slime? What slime?” You tilted your head to the side and the creature in your hands, if it was even possible, seemed to glare. Yangyang sighs.

“Pardon me, Sloane can stay.”

“Wonderous! Let us continue on our journey, dear knight-to-be!”

General Tag List: @stopeatread @bat-shark-repellant @raeincitizen @umbralhelwolf @yangsrose @kazooms

NCT Tag List: @cherrylovr @minjiville @resonantcherry 

Lapis Love: @billboard-singer @awakey 

If you want to be added to either tag list or removed just send me a reply to this post, and ask, or a DM and I’ll add you as soon as possible!

[dudemanauthor]

Winter's Milk (Part 1)

Author's Note: The second part of this was focused on the other mentioned couple, so don't worry if they're more your thing, you'll get basically this same story but with different characters. Should be up in a few hours if Tumblr's queue thing doesn't break out of nowhere.

Yang was as happy as can be as she and her girlfriend Winter stepped out of the car and headed up towards the pair of cabins that they had booked for a winter escape, carrying a decent amount of food and luggage for their trip away to the South Valean Alps. She had developed a fondness for the season not long after she started dating the elder Schnee, due to how happy she saw it made Winter. It was also nice to see Winter out of her Atlesian Specialist uniform, as much as Yang did appreciate the way it flattered Winter’s curvy figure. The fluffy turquoise sweater and tight white jeans that Winter was wearing today wasn’t too bad either, so Yang had that to enjoy. She turned and saw that Coco and Velvet were following close behind, carrying their share of the supplies.

“Thank you again, guys! It’s super nice of you two to get a cabin for us!” Velvet chirped as she made her way towards the cabins.

“Hey, thank Winter. She’s the sweetheart that paid for this, I’m just lucky enough to be dating her and be friends with you two,” Yang said sweetly as she nuzzled up to Winter’s side.

“Yang, please, you’re too kind,” Winter replied, a soft smile on her lips.

“Ugh, you two are too cute,” Coco playfully scoffed. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, me and Velv are gonna go be too cute in our cabin.” With that, the two couples made their way to their individual cabins. As Winter and Yang set their supplies down, Winter cracked into the food bags, pulling out a tin of coffee and a pair of mugs.

“Aw, thanks babe, I could really do with something to warm me up,” Yang said, not being entirely truthful, considering how warm her fur lined jacket was and just how warm she was as a person, but she wasn’t going to turn down something like this. She heard a concerned noise come from Winter and came over to check on her. “What’s up? Are we missing something?”

“We don’t have any milk,” Winter pointed out.

“Eh, it’s fine. I’m sure we just accidentally put it all in Coco and Velvet’s bags. I’ll ask ‘em,” Yang reassured as she pulled her scroll out and flicked Coco a message.

Yangarang: Hey, Coco, you guys got any milk?

HotChocolate: We were gonna ask you the same thing

Yang stared blankly at her scroll.

Yangarang: Did all four of us forget to buy milk?

HotChocolate: Guess so. Me and Velv can make do, but if you guys are going to pick some up, we’d appreciate you getting us some

HotChocolate: IDK how we’d pay you back, but we could figure something out

Yang turned, intending to ask Winter how she felt about going down into the nearby town for milk, but Winter was very busy lying on her back, looking like her soul was busy escaping her body.

Yangarang: Yeah, I don’t think Winter’s leaving the cabin any time soon. I’ll let you know if that changes.

With that, Yang put her scroll in her jacket pocket, then tossed her jacket onto the nearby couch.

“Winter? Babe? You know I can solve this problem for you, right?” Yang asked sweetly, crouching down next to her girlfriend.

“I hope it isn’t with black coffee. Weiss drinks it and I still cannot understand how or why,” Winter answered, her thousand-mile stare burning a hole in the ceiling.

“Nah, don’t worry babe, it’s not that. You remember that thing I always have to deal with, right?” Yang reminded, making Winter sit up and pay attention.

“Oh. I wouldn’t have thought of that,” Winter said, the surprise clear in her voice.

“Eh, it beats just pumping and dumping. It always felt like such a waste not using my milk for anything,” Yang commented.

A few less than tidy minutes later, two coffees were ready, a little lighter on milk than how the couple usually took their coffees, but still enough to help dull the natural bitterness of the coffee. Once Yang had cleaned up the milk that missed the mugs as it dribbled from her nipples, she brought it over to the seat that Winter had grabbed at the little table in the living area. Winter’s face lit up the moment the coffee hit her tongue.

“Oh, goodness, this is incredible,” Winter said, surprised at the words coming out of her mouth. “In fact, I think this might even be better than coffee with…” Winter faltered as she tried to come up with the right word.

“It’s okay, Winter, you can say ‘normal milk’. I know it’s kinda weird for adults to be drinking breast milk,” Yang reassured, with Winter putting on a pensive look as she heard Yang’s comment. “But hey, at least I can really say that this coffee was made with love,” Yang added, putting on a light hearted tone that put a soft smile on Winter’s face.

“I know everything you ever make it made with plenty of love. That must be why I also enjoy your cooking,” Winter replied, gazing at Yang’s angelic grinning face, or at least what Winter would call angelic, being beyond biased.

“Man, if everyone else knew you could get this sappy, I don’t think anyone would be scared of you,” Yang teased as Winter shot her a half-hearted glare.

“Maybe tonight I can show you what makes me so scary,” Winter said in a tone sultry enough for Yang to pick up on what Winter was really saying. Yang couldn’t help but admire Winter’s ability to say something like that with a mostly straight face, while she was on the verge of bursting into a giggle.

“Oh, wow, no need to threaten me with a good time.”

---

The next morning, Yang awoke to find her body was still a little stiff and achy from Winter’s ‘punishments’ last night. As she sat up, she felt a little extra weight on her bare chest, a sign that she would probably need to empty her mammaries in the next day or two. Also, as she sat up, she noticed Winter just barely beginning to stir, her face partially hidden by her messy white hair that had not yet been tamed and put in Winter’s usual tight bun.

“Mmm… good morning, my love,” Winter said in a croaky voice. Yang smiled softly as she brushed some of Winter’s hair out of the way of her face.

“Good morning to you too.  You had a pretty ‘active’ night last night. Need a hand waking up this morning?” Yang offered as Winter slowly sat up, revealing her pale, nude body.

“That would be wonderful, dear. Will it have some extra love in it?” Winter asked as she just barely nuzzled Yang’s bare chest. Yang smirked at Winter’s comment.

“Don’t worry babe, I’ll make sure it’s got a little extra love in it. Fortunately I’ve got some to spare in the tanks,” Yang sad as she slowly and carefully got out of bed, taking a moment to make sure her legs were working properly before staggering over to the little kitchenette and whipping up two coffees, squirting her milk into the mugs with a little more accuracy than yesterday’s messy attempt. Yang then carefully made her way back to the bed, handing Winter her coffee and popping her own on the bedside table on her side. As Winter brought the mug to her lips and the coffee to her tongue, Winter let out a content hum as she savoured the taste of the coffee, enhanced with Yang’s breast milk.

“Another wonderful coffee, love,” Winter complimented, her voice getting less croaky and tired by the second. “I’m going to miss this when our holiday is over.” Yang let out a small chuckle.

“Heh. If I didn’t know better, I’d be thinking that you’re getting addicted to my milk,” Yang joked. Winter kept drinking her coffee as she gave the idea some legitimate thought. Could she get addicted to this? Sure, she might really enjoy it, but an addiction seemed a bit much.

---

Over the next couple of days, Yang continued to be the couple’s milk supply as the couple did couple things in the nearby mountains and forests. On the bright side, Winter had nothing but nice things to say about her milk, and the regular milking seemed to help Yang produce more milk, making it easier to produce enough for the couple to have a couple of coffees in a day. Also, Yang was pretty sure that her boobs had gotten at least a little bit bigger, maybe even by a whole cup size, and whether Winter noticed or not, she was certainly giving her boobs plenty of attention. The downsides didn’t really manifest until towards the end of her trip, those being the fact that Yang was starting to outgrow her bras and she was starting to feel full at times. Fortunately, those times usually coincided with coffee time for her and Winter, but on the penultimate morning of the trip, Yang woke up to small wet patches on her pyjama shirt.

“Ah crap,” Yang complained quietly as she shot out of bed. Her milk-laden breasts were adding a noticeable amount of weight on her chest as they bounced along to Yang’s quick steps towards the bathroom sink. Yang slipped out of her top and tried her best to rinse the milk out before her shirt stained. All of this managed to wake Winter right as Yang went to hang her shirt on the back of a chair and start rummaging through her suitcase.

“Is something wrong?” Winter asked, sitting up and brushing her hair out of her eyes.

“I’m leaking. I’m trying to find my breast pump so I can deal with it,” Yang answered, trying her best to hide her annoyance. There was a quiet pause for a brief moment.

“Perhaps… I could deal with it for you,” Winter offered. Yang stopped her searching as her brain tried to process what Winter said. She turned to face the bed and found that Winter had crawled over the bed towards the corner where Yang had stashed her stuff.

“Wh-what does that mean?” Yang said, an eyebrow raised as her brain kept working on figuring out where Winter was going with this.

“Like this.” With that, Winter leant in towards Yang’s swollen breasts, using a hand to support a breast as she latched on to a large, erect nipple. Winter began to gently suckle at Yang’s teat as Yang let out a shocked gasp at the sudden sensation. Much to Yang’s surprise, the sensation was as relieving and pleasurable as it was unexpected. Entirely on instinct, Yang sat down on the bed and sort of cradled Winter, holding her girlfriend close as she drank Yang’s milk straight from the source. Something about all of this, as unusual as it was, felt good to Yang. Maybe it was the closeness, the intimacy of all of this that Yang was appreciating. Or maybe it just felt really good to empty her full breasts out, regardless of how. Honestly, Yang preferred the first option, and it felt the most correct. After all, a breast pump never felt this warm, a breast pump never gently caressed her bosom, and her breast pump was never a beautiful white-haired woman that Yang loved with all of her heart and then some. Yes, Yang was convinced, it was definitely better with Winter in her arms, gently and lovingly drinking from her teats. Once the first breast was emptied, Winter unlatched from Yang’s teat and the pair manoeuvred Winter onto the other so she could keep drinking. Winter started to feel a little bit full from all the milk, but the taste was almost intoxicatingly good, the soft warmth that radiated from her wonderful girlfriend was too nice to give up, and Winter didn’t have it in her to not finish helping dear, sweet Yang. And so, Winter suckled Yang’s other teat, emptying it all out and drinking it all up. By the time she was done, Winter was feeling very full, but in a satisfied way, or at least in a way that she wasn’t going to have any complaints about. When Winter unlatched her mouth from Yang’s breast, Yang leant down to place a gentle kiss on her girlfriend’s forehead.

“Thank you so, so much. I haven’t felt this light in forever,” Yang whispered, the relief clear in her voice. Winter sat up straight, putting her a few inches taller than Yang, and placed her own kiss on Yang’s forehead.

“Yang, my love, it was my utmost pleasure. If you need it again, please don’t hesitate,” Winter replied as she softly caressed a cheek on Yang’s smiling face.

“I’ll remember that. The trip’s not over yet, and I get the feeling that I’m gonna fill up again before it’s over. I won’t say no to help, especially help as beautiful as you,” Yang flirted, as she reached up to caress Winter’s cheek. The pair leant in, synchronised, as their lips gently met for a soft, sweet kiss that still had a hint of Yang’s sweet milk in the taste. “Huh, so that’s what it tastes like,” Yang said when the pair eventually broke for breath.

“Would you like another taste?” Winter asked, before leaning in for another, longer, deeper kiss, their tongues embracing in their mouths. It was pretty safe to say that most of the rest of Yang and Winter’s holiday had been planned out right there and then, since nothing else could compare to this incredible intimacy that they shared, were sharing and would share for the rest of their time here.

[mysticalnightenthusiast]

S.N.A.F.U CH72 ‘Curtains 2021’

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A/N1:  Sorry for the delay in updating peoples!  I had exams at uni then the motivation to write just got up and left.  Hope you enjoy this installment.  I have other chapters ready to do so for the next week or two updates will be more regular!

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Daniel had a less than perfect (by his standards) qualification for the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix but still managed to get into Q3 from where he would qualify tenth on the grid.  In between garage commitments he had engineering and strategy meetings, media commitments and sponsor meetings so as a result Eadaoin hardly got to see him unless it was five minutes here or five minutes there, eventually though race day arrived and it was with an air of optimism and relief the end of the season was finally here that Daniel, Eadaoin, Blake and Michael piled into the Jeep and made their way to the Yas Marina circuit just as the sun began to set.

“Final race for the year then holiday time huh?” Cahir said to Daniel as they joined the queue lining up to get into the track.

“Well not straight away, got tyre testing for next year on Tuesday,” Daniel replied “after that then its holiday time, going to spend the winter break sitting on my arse and getting fat.”

“Sorry what are you going to do?” Michael piped up from the front seat.

“I’m going to work out every day and follow a nutritious, healthy eating plan,” Daniel said with a grin “I’ll keep alcohol and junk food consumption to a minimum and won’t do anything that contradicts my wellness plan.”

“Good lad.”

“Except New Year’s Eve,” Daniel continued as Eadaoin, Cahir and Blake laughed “I plan on getting absolutely smashed and finishing the night with a kebab from that Greek place across the road from Jimmy’z.”

“Yeah well I’ll cut you a bit of slack for New Year’s” Michael said in amusement “because I’ll be a hypocrite telling you not to whilst I go out and do the absolute opposite.”

“I think we all deserve to get smashed and end the night with a kebab,” Cahir said as the line crawled forward “I worked myself to the point of burnout, Danny and Eadie had that shit with Jemma and you and Blake have been following Danny around the F1 circuit all year and been as busy as he has been.  We all need some rest.”

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

 After arriving on track and seeing Daniel, Blake and Michael off to Daniel’s driver’s room Eadaoin and Cahir made their downstairs to the hospitality hub.

“There are worse ways to end the year,” Cahir declared as they grabbed a coffee each and sat at a table in the corner “nothing beats being trackside at an F1 race, especially one where the driver’s championship is down to the wire.”

“I don’t disagree,” Eadaoin replied cheerfully “but I’m also looking forward to the break too, to be able to spend some more time with Danny without him or me having to go to work hanging over our heads, to sleeping in to holidaying somewhere tropical where absolutely no one is going to bother us. We need time to be a couple ya know?”

“Hey I totally get ya,” Cahir said sympathetically “especially after the year you two have had to endure. Well the latter half anyway.  Well you’ve got a lot to look forward to in the New Year, you’re trucking along at your new job and there’s new tech coming for F1 so there’s scope for improvement for Danny.”

“Yeah there’s a lot to look forward to,” Eadaoin agreed “what about you? What does twenty twenty two hold for you?”

“I don’t know,” Cahir confessed “and y’know I’m totally okay with that. I have a new job and I’m renovating a new house the world is my oyster.  I’m just going to pootle along and see where life takes me for once, it’s about time I stopped being an anal retentive gobshite.”

Eadaoin laughed.

“You’re not an anal retentive gobshite,” she said in amusement “just a gobshite.”

Cahir rolled his eyes.

“Har har,” he said dryly as he sipped his cappuccino “what are you and Danny doing after the race tonight? Hitting the town?”

“Nah, I don’t have the motivation and Danny will be too tired,” Eadaoin replied “it’ll be nearing midnight and unless Danny wins which is highly unlikely we’ll stay in, maybe share a coffee in that little bistro we had lunch in today before hitting the hay early.  Danny is just so tired and he needs to relax.”

“Yeah I can see that,” Cahir observed “you two going to do much whilst you’re in L.A?”

“We don’t have anything planned,” Eadaoin replied “just hanging around Danny’s house, maybe go up to his US manager’s cabin in Big Sur for a couple of days, go out to dinner a couple of times.  If it involves relaxing we’ll do it.”

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

Two hours later after the driver’s parade and final engineering and strategy meetings the cars set out on their formation lap. Michael came jogging back from the track Daniel’s kit bag in hand.

“How’s he feeling?” Eadaoin asked taking the curly haired driver’s headphones from the trainer and putting them around her neck a habit that had become tradition with the last few races she had attended.

“Determined,” Michael replied “you know our guy, determined to finish clean, determined to finish in the points, he’s not saying much but I think he’s just keen to go on holiday, relax, and do something that isn’t connected to racing you know?”

“I definitely know,” Eadaoin replied turning her gaze toward the huge LCD screen at the back of the garage that was broadcasting the Sky F1 broadcast “well here it goes one last toss of the dice for the year!”

Once the last car on the grid took their place on the grid an excited silence fell in the McLaren garage as everyone waited for the race to get underway.  Charlotte Sefton the team’s media and PR officer arrived out of breath.  She grinned at Eadaoin and pulled on her team branded headphones.

“We’ve been waiting for this all season long, the finale, the title decider, under the lights here in Abu Dhabi. Its lights out and away we go! And Hamilton gets a decent start and he’s already ahead of Max Verstappen there’s a bit of jockeying going on between Tsunoda and Ricciardo Hamilton leads into the first corner , Norris goes wide Sergio Perez slips through into third place then comes Carlos Sainz but its Hamilton out in front!  The medium tyres working well for him as his team mate Valtteri Bottas challenges the Ferrari, into the hairpin we go now Hamilton leads Bottas, leads Perez, then leads Norris then the two Ferraris of Sainz and Leclerc, it is a dream start for Lewis Hamilton!”

Eadaoin immediately cringed as shortly after the start of the race Danny was forced off the straight line, but she let out a sigh of relief when moment later her easily slid back onto the racing line and continued on.  Meanwhile Lando was forced wider off the track and a collective groan of despair rose from all the personnel in the garage.  Charlotte who had a soft spot for the curly haired Englishman made a face and swore.

“Fuck!” she cussed her profanity muffled by the roar of the cars zooming past the pit lane.

The race was relatively uneventful for the first few laps then in the late teens the first pit stops began occurring.  Of the McLaren boys Lando was the first to pit on lap seventeen when he switched from the soft to hard compound tyres then Daniel pitted a lap later for the same tyres in the same time of two and a half seconds.  Both men rejoined the race mid-field and raced on intent on climbing the placings.

The first big drama of the race occurred on lap twenty six when Kimi crashed his car into the barriers at turn six which required a safety car.  A collective groan rose from the grandstand as the Finn got out of his car and waved to indicate he was alright.

“Aw man that’s gotta suck crashing in your last ever race,” Cahir commented to no one in particular “poor bloke.”

“Eh Kimi wouldn’t give a shit, he can now crack a tinny and sit on the beach for the rest of his life getting fat and enjoying life,” Eadaoin replied with a grin, keeping her eyes trained on the huge screen in front of them “or he can now do what he did in Monaco a few years ago when he crashed, leap over the fence get on a yacht and sink a few on the marina, I’d do-”

Eadaoin’s next words were cut off when another groan rose from the crowds as George Russell’s car slowed to a stop on the side of the track.

“We no one can say this race is boring,” Cahir quipped.

“This game is never boring,” Charlotte replied “something always happens, either on the track or behind the scenes.”

A short time later the race got back underway and was relatively uneventful until lap 35 when Antonio Giovanazzi crawled to a stop on the side of the track which triggered a virtual safety car.

“Its going to be sunrise before this race finishes!” Eadaoin exclaimed keeping her eyes trained on Daniel’s car which was pootling around the track slightly worse then mid-field.

“Nah we’ll all be wasted in an Abu Dhabi nightclub by then,” Cahir said with a grin.

“Speak for yourself I’ll be halfway home to Oz by then,” Michael said amused by the other man’s enthusiasm.

“Pity, if you were sticking about town I’d invite you out for a few drinks,” Cahir said cheerfully “Danny and Eadie are hardly going to want to hit the town"

Michael chuckled.

“Maybe in the new year when I get back to London,” he said in amusement “I’m not adverse to a night on the turps.”

“If you’re looking to hit the Abu Dhabi clubs you ought to head out with the mechanics,” Charlotte said “those boys will try and drink you under the table.”

“Oh don’t say that Cally sees that as a challenge,” Eadaoin said dryly “last time someone said ‘I’ll drink you under the table’ to him they ended up in hospital with literal alcohol poisoning.”

“Really?” Charlotte and Michael chorused.

“Weeeeell not the last time but yeah that happened,” Cahir confessed his face burning a magnificent shade of scarlet “I was pretty crook myself, took three days not to feel like hammered shit.”

“And he got absolutely zero sympathy from Mum and me,” Eadaoin said with a giggle as the race resumed “self inflicted injury that was.”

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

Lando was the first of the McLaren lads to pit twenty two laps later when he switched from hard to medium compound tyres, Daniel pitted four laps later and the race for a points finishing position was on in earnest.

“Aw geez should I opt out?” Cahir asked Eadaoin showing her his phone upon which a betting app was open “if I opt out now I get my two grand back but if Max wins I get ten times that.”

“Aw take a chance Max might get this you know” Eadaoin replied.

“If Verstappen wins this it’ll be a miracle,” Charlotte commented “something big is going to have to happen for him to cross the line first.”

And something big did in fact happen.  On lap 53 Nicholas Latifi who had been battling for position with Mick Schumacher crashed at turn 14 absolutely destroying the front of his car.  An audible oooooohhhhhhh rose from the stands and the safety car was immediately dispatched.  Max pitted and the rest of the field slowed as per regulations.  Cahir dropped his phone on the table and let out a groan of frustration.

“Race hasn’t ended yet Cally don’t despair yet,” Eadaoin told her brother.

“Edie there’s two laps to go,” Cahir groaned “Max is going to have to be the second coming of Senna to win this thing.”

“Stranger things have happened!”

Nicky’s car was cleared from the track and the directive for the overlapped cars (of which included Daniel) was given.  The cars began the maneuver then “Safety car in at the end of this lap” flashed up on the screen.  This caused a roar of disapproval from the McLaren garage staff.

“What the fuck?  Danny hasn’t overtaken the safety car yet!” Eadaoin exclaimed as from the other end of the garage Tom his engineer swore “This is fuckin’ bullshit!”

“Aw no way man this is bullshit!” Michael exclaimed “No way is this fair, what the hell is happening?”

The rest of the race went by in a daze for those in the McLaren garage as the battle royale between Max and Lewis went down to the wire. The last lap began and the two men were basically wheel to wheel as they battled for the right to be World Driver Champion.

“This race that started with controversy has ended with controversy, here comes Lewis Hamilton though down the back straight, he’s got a slipstream he almost touches Verstappen they almost made contact!  Into turn nine Verstappen stays ahead of Lewis Hamilton of all the drama of all the controversy of all the magic moments in formula one in twenty twenty one it comes down to this!  And at this moment it looks like its going to go the way of Max Verstappen.  Mercedes not happy Red Bull will be delighted, they have shared a brilliant championship battle but the championship can only be won by one and it’s going Dutch in twenty twenty one Max Verstappen for the first time ever is champion of the world!  Lewis Hamilton finishes in second place after leading for so so long....”

“What in the name of Jesus H. Christ on a bike was all that?” Cahir wondered out loud as Max drove under the chequered flag and booming fireworks, the new world champion “has Masi been drinking?”

“I dunno,” Eadaoin replied “but something smells in Denmark for sure....”

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A couple of hours later after all the hubbub from the race had died down and Daniel had completed all his post race media and team commitments Eadaoin met him back at his driver’s room right after he had had a post race shower.

“Hey, how you feeling?” she asked watching the curly haired driver scrub his face dry.

“Tired,” Daniel admitted as he began dressing “mentally and physically.  I just want to get back to my own space and relax.”

“Well in twenty four hours we’ll be in L.A and we can do that,” Eadaoin said holding out on of his well work merch shirts “I ran into George on the way here and he’s keen to catch up before you leave the track if you’re keen.”

“Yeah I’ll check in with him before we leave,” Daniel replied tying up the drawstring on his shorts and pulling on the shirt she held out to him “is everyone else still here?”

“Yeah Michael, Blake and Cally are loading all your gear into the car,” Eadaoin replied “Bake said they would wait back down in hospitality for us when you’re ready to go.” 

Before he pulled on his Vans Daniel strode over to Eadaoin and embraced the redhead in a rib cracking hug.  She gave a little squeak of surprise and returned the act of affection.

“What’s up?” she asked her voice muffled by his muscular neck.

“Just needed a cuddle,” he replied.

“Babe are you alright?” Eadaoin asked in concern “you seem a bit flat.”

“I am a bit,” Daniel admitted as he pulled back and dropped a kiss on her forehead “It’s just been a long and disappointing year, even after Monza. I expected this year to be so much better than it has been, so has the team, Zak even said next year is going to have to be markedly better than this year for our partnership to continue....and I suppose I’m just glad it’s over y’know?  Now I can rest and recharge and look forward to Christmas.”

“Zak said what?” Eadaoin exclaimed in anger “that fat bastard said wha-”

“Babe- Babe- he’s right,” Daniel said flatly “even though I won a race this year the team and I expected more. I should have done at least as well as Lando has.  He’s averaging better in points gathering than I am and has been on the podium more than I have been....”

“Yeah but you don’t say that at the end of a long and difficult year right before the holidays!” Eadaoin exclaimed indignantly “why couldn’t he have waited til pre-season testing next year?  You won McLaren’s first race in nine years Danny!”

“I know,” Daniel replied “I suppose that’s just how he does things.  He’s right though I have to improve or I’ll have to start looking elsewhere for a drive in twenty twenty three, I know it sounds brutal but F1 is a brutal game....”

“Yeah....well I s’pose.”

“But for now I have the holidays to look forward to and once I get over jetlag you can bet all my attention is going to be on you.”

“Oh yeah?  And what’s that going to involve?”

“That would be telling Darling, that would be telling.”

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[chaosworthy]

I know this blog is already technically low activity but this is the official heads up that it's going to get even lower in the coming weeks and months.

There's more of an explanation under the cut but, long story short, I work in the hell that is retail and with the holidays/prep coming up that really just speaks for itself. So yeah, be patient with me reply-wise just about everywhere since I'll likely be sticking everything in the queue for a while and it will still only post twice a day.

The long story is that work is fucking awful. Corporate no longer believes in giving overtime, we're stuck with only two full timers in my warehouse (yes, I'm one of them) and only three other ‘regular’ people. There's rumors we won't get any seasonal hires for the warehouse, and yet they still expect us to be able to put away four (soon to be five if we're following the tread of last year) trucks a week with no overtime, no help from the sales floor or managers, all while doing the rest of our duties.

And, of course, the cherry on top is that my lease is up in December and me and my husband legitimately can't afford to stay here anymore (we already have to ask for money every month just to make rent, not even counting our other bills) and there's no way our landlord is going to keep us at this rate even if we wanted to renew. Winter is, of course in the West, like the worse bloody time to move and we don't even know where we're going to go.

Out of state is our only real option (it's red af here and going anywhere where people have a lick of sense is our only choice as an interracial couple and that only leaves like three super expensive towns in this state) but, again, in winter that's like a death sentence with the roads and other drivers. Even then, we'd still need to go to the other state in question to see apartments or rental houses and that's not doable with our current financial situation.

And I'm definitely not staying with my family because blood will be spilled, and his drives us both up the wall. Especially after we caught Covid and found out some of them are irresponsible and just don't give a shit about others.

So, basically, I have no clue what we're going to do and between that and work making my feet bleed, I'm stressed y'all :)

Writing gives me some relief, and so does drawing when I can manage, but it's just a band-aid on a festering wound right now and can't be my first priority.