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bubblegumbeech · 3 years

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The Librarian’s Trick

Day one Ectoberhaunt: Trick or Treat

https://archiveofourown.org/works/34213519

Wes was certain this Cassius guy was a ghost. He had to be. Humans didn’t live on the outskirts of town in large decrepit clock towers that Wes was pretty sure didn’t exist last week .

Humans didn’t have red eyes and white hair (unless they had a condition called Albinoism, Wes had looked it up. But Albinoism also meant they had no melanin anywhere and Cassius Dark was decidedly tan in an admittedly attractive but decidedly not Albino kind of way)

Humans didn’t have fangs when they smiled but normal teeth whenever Wes tried to point out that He had FANGS. They were right there!!!

Humans didn’t spend all their time either with Danny Fenton (who was Also very much a ghost!! Which should be in the list of proof but no one believes it so it’s seperate but still!) or mysteriously absent.

And humans didn’t seem to know everything all the time but talk like a bad astrology website.

So Wes was going to find a way to prove it.

His first try had him sneaking a “ghost translator” he didn’t remember the stupid name Fenton’s dad called it when he bought it with his allowance, into the library where Cassius Dark supposedly worked.

Supposedly, because while he could be found there, Wes had never actually seen him doing anything other than reading. And it was never a book Wes recognized, like, he wasn’t reading the Twilight series or anything. The last book Wes saw had been a large ancient looking tome written in a language Wes didn’t recognize. But Everytime he tried (subtly! He was super nonchalant about it!) to take a picture it ended up blurry!! And No Kyle, it wasn’t because he was bad at taking photos .

But that didn’t matter because Wes had a different plan now. He was going to use the Fentons’ new version of their “ghost translator” thing, and see what happened. It was supposed to be both a translator and a truth decoder at the same time. So no matter what a ghost said, the device should say what they actually mean. Or something.

With Danny, a bunch of innocuous stuff went off around him, but people always hand waved it as faulty tech. Wes wasn’t sure that was the case, in fact he was positive it wasn’t. But if he could get something useful to build up from, that would be a good start. And every good reporter needed a start.

He stepped up to the Library’s front desk, where Cassius was sitting reading what was clearly a spell tome if the different summoning pentagrams in the open page Wes could see were anything to go by.

“Welcome Young Weston,” Cassius said, the hint of a smile hidden behind his red eyes as he closed his book. Wes could swear they were glowing slightly. Geez did this guy get his ‘how to pretend to be human’ classes from Fenton ?

… that would certainly explain why no one ever believed Wes, since that was a long beaten dead horse in his closet.

He, very discreetly, had the device hooked up to one of his earphones, which he kept in one of his ears like any normal less than perfectly mannered teenager as he asked Cassius Dark his questions.

“Excuse me sir? Do you work here?” he started with, it was a more or less innocuous question and one he actually wanted the answer to.

Cassius Dark smiled. “I do.”

My Job is all that was, is, and shall be. That which I set as my goal is beyond mortal comprehension and those I call master shall fall to my machinations. But yes, I get paid for sitting at this desk and answering questions sometimes. I am a ghost, fear me.

Wes tried not to sweat too obviously. What the fuck?

“Can you tell me where the journalism section is?” Wes decided to make a tactical retreat, at least his voice didn’t crack.

“Straight back for eight shelves and then turn right. It’s next to the Non-fiction books.”

I know what you’re looking for, I know why you are here. I know the exact time of your death and what will happen next. Your efforts amuse me though. I am a ghost, fear me.

What Wes did next was not exactly fleeing. But it wasn’t not fleeing either.

He’d have to try something else.

The next thing he wanted to try was a bit riskier. If you thought about it a certain way. But it also wasn’t if you thought about it the way Wes did.

He was going to use a phase-proof net.

Genius, because unlike the translator machine thing, it would actually stop the ghost from attacking Wes if it got angered. Which it would, probably, since Wes was throwing a net at it.

The plan was really simple though, he’d gotten a very large net, paid extra for the little aim thing, practiced half a billion times of his brothers before they went to the parents and got him grounded for a week, and then memorized the path Cassius Dark took in the mornings to go to his “job” at the library.

Right now he was hiding in one of the leafier trees, right above the path that Cassius always used, waiting.

And waiting.

And… waiting.

Honestly he was about to go home and was fairly certain this guy was going to be like, super late to work, when he finally appeared.

Wes wasted no time aiming, making sure the trajectory was absolutely perfect, and firing the net off. He was just about to jump in celebration, watching the net as it curled slightly around its target, but before it could hit and wrap around him, Cassius was suddenly not there.

Or he was, but just a little bit to the left, so that the net sailed harmlessly past.

Wes cursed.

The third one was fool proof. It had to be.

Which was why Wes was staring at a large conspiracy board, covered in paparazzi-esque shots of the librarian and random notes he’d taken, all connected with a dizzying amount of red string.

“Kyle, seriously. I need to figure out what kind of ghost he is or he’s always going to have the upper hand!!”

Kyle just rolled his eyes and continued playing his video game, as if he didn’t care that Wes had set up his very important planning and plotting in the middle of the living room so long as it didn’t interfere with his own plans.

“It has to be pretty powerful, he was able to dodge my net before it even touched him. And the translator thing clearly said ‘my goal is beyond comprehension’ or something,” Wes mused, “and he also said his job was like, everything?”

Wes checked his notes, “yeah, ‘all that is was and shall be’. What could he mean by that?”

His very annoying and clearly not taking this as seriously as he should brother just chuckled. “I don’t know Wes, maybe he can see the future?”

That… no. That’s way too OP. Just the thought of it sent a shiver down Wes’ spine. There was no way a ghost could see the future right?

Right?

He had to test this theory.

But how do you even test something like that?

“Kyle, how would you test if someone could see the future?”

“Throw something at the back of their head and see if they dodge?” He answered way too quickly.

Wes thought about it for a moment. “No, what if they just have really good reflexes?”

“Oh huh, I guess that could be true. No idea then.” He shrugged and Wes had to fight the urge to throw something at the back of his head.

Whatever. He had to make plans.

He’d tried just throwing things. It was risky, and kind of terrifying, but Kyle was right it was the first that came to mind.

But Cassius never dodged. He was always just, not where Wes thought he was. Or Wes had really bad aim, which he didn’t!!! He was a basketball ace!! He had great aim! And great situational awareness!!

So why couldn’t he hit Cassius Dark?

Obviously it was because he could see the future. And the smug smile he always had when he knew Wes was looking reminded him an awful lot of a certain other Phantom.

Ask him about his family.

Easy enough. Especially without the Fenton’s weird translator because that might have been a bit terrifying. And also this time he had back up.

He dragged Kyle by his sleeve into the library.

“Mr. Cassius!”

Cassius looked up from his book, removing the delicate reading glasses balanced on his nose. “Can I help you Mr. Weston?”

“Yes!” He smiled broadly, taking out a small notebook that he had used to take notes on the suspicious and ghoulish things going on around town until it was mostly shreds of paper. “I’m writing an OP ED on the town library, and would like to know more about the librarian. Can you answer a few personal questions?”

Kyle snorted and Wes had to elbow him in the side to get him to shut up. He was here as back up, not to ruin his plan.

“So,” he began, “is Cassius a family name?”

“No.”

Wes nodded. And then frowned. Did ghosts have families? Supposedly they were alive once right? At least that was the general idea, Wes thought.

“So what can you tell us about your parents? Like, what’s your father’s name?”

Cassius raised an eyebrow, and had a soft smile filled with good humor. Wes felt it hit him like a threat. What was this ghost hiding?

Well, other than the fact that he’s a ghost.

“I can’t tell you much I’m afraid. My mother is long gone and I never had a father.”

Kyle grimaced and elbowed Wes himself before saying, “I’m sorry for your loss.”

“It’s no matter,” Cassius replied, still smiling, “I may yet see her again.”

Ah, so either she wasn’t dead or he’s convinced she became a ghost too. That made sense. It could be his unfinished business as they say among the paranormal hunters. At least, the not fight-y and crazy ones.

“So Dark was your mother’s name?” Wes asked, wondering if he could maybe find any records on her where he had failed to find them on Cassius himself.

The smile slid right off his face. Wes and Kyle both felt the subtle chill in the air as Cassius leaned back and looked off to the side, as if to glare at something that wasn’t there. “No, I’m afraid Dark is my ex-husband’s name.”

“Why keep it?” Kyle asked, completely ignoring the danger of the situation.

The smile came back, except this time instead of soft and barely there as if he were indulging a child, it was sharp and twisted. He chuckled at an inside joke no one else in the room would ever understand and then he said, “Well, it’s not like he has any use for it now.”

Wes paled. Had he killed his husband?!

After a hasty retreat from the library Wes treated Kyle to a milkshake and fries at the nasty burger just as he had promised. Payment for going along with his ‘weird ghost theories’.

But Wes couldn’t eat, he was too busy thinking. This one actually helped! He found information about the ghost’s previous life! He had a mother, but not a father, and had a husband.

With the current politics it was one of two options. Either he was from a previous culture that allowed men to marry each other, or he was a more recent ghost than Wes had been expecting. He had already taken out his laptop and was scrolling through obituaries with the surname Dark, trying to think if he knew any off the top of his head that might have been in town when they died.

Nothing particular came to mind.

Wes’ thinking was interrupted by a loud, obnoxious slurping noise from his brother. He shot him a glare, but Kyle didn’t react. Wasn’t even looking at him. Instead he was looking out the window and watching one of the daily ghost attacks with Phantom playing hero as always.

“You know, it’s kinda cool that they’re hiring actors to build the town’s lore like that,” he said, clearly ignoring the obvious evidence of ghosts right outside his window.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Wes groaned, rubbing at his eyes. He needed coffee or something, it was a shame the Nasty Burger only served sludge no sane person would drink.

Kyle finally looked away from the window, his eyes wide as if he was the one confused. “You know, how they got the librarian to say he was married to Pariah Dark? And then imply he’s the reason he’s a ghost?”

Wes felt like the seat underneath him had suddenly disappeared. “Where did you get That from?!”

“He said his ex-husband was named Dark! Pariah Dark’s Ghost Zone show is the first thing that comes to mind!” Kyle argued back. “Isn’t it?”

Holy shit this guy was married to the ghost king.

He thought back to the ominous answers he’d gotten that first day from the Fentons’ translator. Maybe he should leave this one alone.

Wes was at the library, studying quietly and absolutely avoiding the librarian. Not that he’d seen him today, but it didn’t hurt to keep his head down. With any luck the guy had a short memory and would forget Wes had been trying to find a way to out him to the town.

A portal ripped from the air in front of him, sending a static energy throughout the library and causing Wes’ hair to stand on end. It was a swirling purple, deeper and more… well more than most of the natural portals that Wes had seen appear around town.

He wanted to scream, but years of living in Amity Park had fully trained that out of him. Screaming was the number one way to get a ghost locked on you as their first target. Especially if you were there when the portal opened.

Before Wes could even think to duck under the table he was using a figure stepped out of the portal, poised and composed. He had a deep purple hood that seemed to swirl with the fabric of galaxies and a large ornate clock embedded into his chest. His skin was a rich blue and he had glowing red eyes.

Wes recognized him immediately.

“Oh, hello Mr. Weston, is there something I can help you with?” Cassius Dark asked.

#Danny Phantom #ectoberhaunt 2021 #clockwork dp #wes weston dp #background dark ages #Bee's writing #fanfiction

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driedmarigolds · 3 years

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Gladiolus Pt. 2

This is part 2 to the Gladiolus fic!!!! I hope yall enjoy!!!!! part one Link to the fic on ao3 Pairing: MC x Vyn Richter Series: Tears of Themis Rating: T Word Count: 1620 Chapters: 2/2

Rosa startled awake, some hours after she had unexpectedly dozed. Her surroundings didn’t make much sense, she never made it a habit of falling asleep in the kitchen. Stealing a glance at the clock, 6pm. She shot right out of her seat, slightly panicked—Dr. Richter’s coat sliding right onto the floor. ‘That means….3 hours….’ Again, she realized she also had company over—company she immediately fell asleep on. Something that was outside of her realm of normal; usually she could carry tired decently well, not this time apparently. The thought was almost mortifying.

She was already reaching for her phone, a million apologies circulating her mind when she heard a cough from the living room space behind her, which was quickly followed by an announcement that Dr. Richter was in fact still here, three hours after she had so rudely passed out on him. At least it saved time on apologies.

Turning, she saw that he was sitting in the armchair, quietly reading a book as if this was a perfectly fine way to spend the afternoon. Dr. Richter was smiling at her, brow furrowed in mild concern. “Dr. Richter, I’m very sorry to have fallen asleep for so long. That wasn’t very kind of me.” Itwas a sincere apology, which earned a soft sigh and a chuckle. That really only added to her burning embarrassment, she didn’t want him to think less of her and surely now he must.

“There is nothing for you to apologize for, Rosa.” Marking his page carefully, he closed the book setting it off to the side before standing. “There is nothing wrong with sleeping when you are in need of sleep.” He sounded as sincere as possible as he walked over to her side, leaning down to pick up his coat from the floor. “I am glad you feel relaxed enough to fall asleep with me in your home.” His hand rested on her upper back between her shoulder blades. It was meant to soothe, and it seemed it had worked as her shoulders relaxed, and the corners of her lips turned up into a small smiled.

“Thank you for being so understanding Dr. Richter.” Rosa couldn’t name a more understanding person in her life, which was saying a lot because most of her acquaintances and close friends were endlessly patient—and still, somehow Dr. Richter exceeded far beyond the rest of them. “Hopefully I can still sleep tonight though, it was kind of a long nap wasn’t it.” She laughed softly, before sitting back down at the counter, sliding her notes closer—every intention to continue working. Of course, Dr. Richter didn’t agreed which was made clear when he carefully slid the notes right past her and onto his other side, out of her reach.

“First, let us eat dinner, then you can pour over your notes again if you wish too.” It was a reasonable request on his part, she really did need to eat; but another part of him buried under all of the niceties wanted her attention on him solely even if only for a moment. “Is that agreeable?” His hand that had been resting on Rosa’s back dropped down to his side, as she nodded her agreement.

------

It was some off hours after they had dinner, her notes mostly forgotten on the counter as they shared some wine he had found deep in her refrigerator in the Living room. It wasn’t a type he would normally pay any attention too, especially not since he occasionally made his own as a hobby; but it would have to do for after dinner talks. At least she was distracted enough to take a break, and that’s all he could even ask for.

Rosa was talking animatedly about a story involving Celestine, Artem and a missing file that wasn’t important. It was a funny story, but Dr. Richter wasn’t overly interested in the content—not that he minded, he was more interested in the way she moved and spoke about the incident. Much more lively than the previously stressed Woman he had come to visit. There was nothing he treasured more than a lively Rosa. “So Kiki had the file?” Dr. Richter laughed as he asked follow up questions; but his mind was turning over different questions—ones he wouldn’t say out loud. ‘Does she ever talk about me in such a lively manner?’ He was trying to picture it. If she had, what would they all think. Did he occasionally cross her mind when she was at work? Of course he had, she had messaged him before—but to what degree. Sincerely, he wanted to know the contents of her brilliant mind.

“Yes, it somehow ended up under a signed photo-book. No one is sure how that could happen, but at least we got the file back.” She took a sip of the red wine, looking over the rim at Dr. Richter, the setting sun reflecting in his hair through the window. “We stopped letting her take things home from the office for a bit after that, but she’s not usually disorganized so that only lasted all of three days. She’s very reliable.” Rosa felt the need to defend Kiki’s honor in part—she didn’t want to make her look like a bad employee to Dr. Richter, it was just something to talk about. Setting her glass down, she fell into a comfortable silence next to him.

Vyn never really took his eyes off of her, admiring every movement, even daring to reach out to brush some loose hairs behind her ear which caused her some amount of surprise before she smiled at him. In a way, he could usually guess what emotion she was feeling, it was in his general job description; but he couldn’t ever know for certain what sure was specifically thinking in moments like this. He wanted to know her thoughts dearly, even if she was open. He wanted to know what was in her heart – or perhaps...whom. “Did you still want me to be an extra set of ears for your thoughts on the case?” He inquired, setting his empty glass on the coffee table.

“Hm?” Rosa watched him in equal admiration, wanting to know what he was thinking. “No, I think you’re right Dr. Richter—maybe I should stop for tonight and look at it with fresh eyes tomorrow. If I need help I can always call!” TO be honest, this was the sort of rest she needed; her head was already clearing, she already felt less depressed than she had previously, and sure was sure tomorrow she could push through better. “Besides, it’s getting late.” Not that she wanted him to leave, but.. “You should probably get back before it’s too dark outside.” Standing, she picked up their empty glasses before returning them to the kitchen.

“I suppose you are correct, I am glad that you are taking the rest of the night off.” He hated to leave, hated to go to his own home when he could spend more time in her company, but he also knew she really was correct. He was in this sort of stand still with his own emotions, so there was no reason to stay least either of them read into it to hard—derailing his own personal course of action. “It was lovely to visit with you, and I hope to spend more time together in the near future; perhaps, when this case is over we can celebrate together?” Already, his mind was coming up with celebration plans as he put on his coat and headed to the door.

“Oh, I would like that!” She followed him over to send him off. “Yes, when I’m done you will be the first to know—besides work of course.” Rosa hovered at the open door looking at him in the hall, her expression hinting that there was more she wanted to say but couldn’t find the words for it.

Dr. Richter had a hunch what she wanted to say, his head bowing politely. “Do not worry, I will message you when I arrive home to let you know that I am safe.” Always concerned for him. He was pleased. “And if you are to forget the Gladiolus again, do not fret I will simply bring you more the next time I visit.” His hand gently patted her head, before he turned to walk away. He could hear her mutter her bye, which he acknowledge with a wave before turning out of her sights.

-----

Visits with her were always interesting, even if nothing special happened. Vyn had arrived home an hour or more ago and had already messaged her his status of safety before recording his own evaluation—which had once again changed every so slightly since he met her. He looked at his own vase of Gladiolus that carefully complimented the ones he had brought her from his garden, his mind wandering back to how animated she was telling that story, and how peaceful she looked as she dozed on the counter. Had she not lived in a loft, he would have carefully carried her to bed; but alas it hadn’t worked that way, but it didn’t matter—he never imaged how hard his chest would squeeze seeing her look so carefree. Something he would imprint into his memory, following the thread further.

With a soft shake of his head, he opened up the search engine, looking for lovely restaurants he could take her to once the Trial was over. All he wanted was to choose the one that would make her happiest. It wasn’t much, but he would give it all of his effort.

#tears of themis #tears of themis fic #vyn x mc #vyn richter #mo yi #my writing

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hitsuackerman · 4 years

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What in the World? (Akaashi Keiji x Reader) pt.8

Part 8 of WINTW? :D Enjoy!

Akaashi’s lineup: @alluring-akaashi @oikawalmart-hq @extrasugafree @bbykiyoomi @apricotjihyo @awings @simpformiya @colorseeingchick @something-that-idk (i have no idea why i can’t tag some of you :( huhu )

links: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 9

The next match went by smoothly. They had lost to the opponent but they were all light hearted about it. Knowing the consequences, Akaashi gave the signal to begin the lap of diving. With a gym this large, that had to be tiring. They weren't complaining though. You had to remind yourself from time to time that this powerhouse school has reached nationals thrice.

Checking the data you recorded, Yukie, Kaori, and you began to compare notes.

"Bokuto-san has been using his straights a little more than usual." Kaori commented. "Probably wants to polish it or he's just warming up for the day."

"Haruki-san managed to save 80% of the balls for his 4th consecutive game. Better than last time." Yukie added.

"Washio-san managed to block all of the balls or one touched them." You inserted. Amazed at how this silent player was stronger than you'd estimated. Silent people really were deadly.

"Akaashi-san did exceptionally well in the last match." Yukie said. "He's getting used to the other's preferred distances and height now. Analytical skills still as sharp as ever, too."

Feeling proud of that compliment, you silently smiled to yourself. Being in class 6 also meant that your grades had to be maintained in every aspect. Akaashi can do all of those with being a vice captain and Bokuto’s close friend with such ease. Scribbling down a few notes, you stopped and tried to grab the notebook from Yukie.

“Well, well, well~” She lazily teased. “Are you sure you were jotting down their shots or Akaashi-san’s alone?”

“You scribbled his name in different styles as well~” She added once she was by Yukie’s side. Giggling at the 5 different fonts of ‘Akaashi’. “You’re safe for now, little one. But, later before we sleep, better prepare for a little game of truth or dare with the other managers!”

“No escaping.”

A little scared of how serious Yukie was, you nodded and accepted the notebook. Holding it close to your chest, you held onto it like there was no tomorrow. Following the two of them, you found yourself cutting some watermelons

"You're the new trainee, right?" Shinzen's manager asked as she too sliced some watermelons and placed them on a tray. "I'm Mako, by the way."

"(l/n)." You slightly bowed.

"You handle the men really well!" She complimented you. Her light brown eyes focused on half of the fruit. "When I was new, it took a while to get used to such a diverse pack of personalities. It did help that they're soft idiots underneath the rough appearances."

"I'll have to agree." Taking a small piece of watermelon, you savored the refreshing sweetness. "Especially when Bokuto-san goes emo mode, Akaashi really manages to work and balance things out. With the groups effort too, of course."

"Anyway, I'll be seeing you later in our girl's night~" Grabbing the plate, you followed her and walked with a plate full of heavy fruit.

Along with Yukie, the three of you headed to the gym. Finding the boys playing with Karasuno, you couldn't help but feel happy when all the boys looked extra excited for the small sponsored snack. Few moments later, a small watermelon seed spitting contest had begun.

By the corner, you took out your phone to text o-mother. She wanted updates regarding the training and just didn't want to feel lonely while you were hours away. Just as you sent the text, yet another familiar voice made its presence known.

"Uh, are there still any watermelons left?"

Iida? That voice was Iida's. Turning around, you were met with Karasuno's setter. His face showed surprise at the sudden action. What were you hoping for? Of course that wasn't your close friend. Instead you were met with softer features but the similar shade of blue eyes made it feel a bit less lonely.

"I think there's still some by Nekoma's area." You finally replied.

"KAGEYAMA!" The small player whose name you recalled due to Bokuto's stories in the bus, suddenly appeared with light jumping steps. "Ah! That's why you went missing! You're sneaking out to talk to girls!"

"HINATA! YOU IDIOT!" Kageyama slapped Hinata only to have himself being hit as well. " I was just asking her if there were any more watermelons left!"

"Heee~ You could've just went to Nekoma's area instead of asking Fukurodani's manager!" He stuck his tongue out and the fight continued.

In some strange way, the two of them reminded you of Todoroki and Deku.

"OI! KAGEYAMA! SHOYO!" Another familiar voice came running to break the fight. A bit smaller than Hinata, you felt chills down your spine when you realized whose voice you heard. "THAT'S NOT HOW TO ACT WHEN YOUR TALKING TO LADIES!"

Bakugo?? It was weird. Having to hear such familiar voices with different faces holding them.

"Nishinoya! Libero!" He pointed his thumb towards his chest. An ear to ear grin plastered on his lips. The small tuft of blonde gave him that extra oomph.

"Please excuse them," An unfamiliar voice popped in as well. "They get uneasy when talking to girls. Daichi, captain of Karasuno."

Shaking his outstretched hand, you watched as he began to shoo them back into the gym. Giving an apologetic bow, you shook your head and soon followed them.

The little high of hearing the voices of your friends was now dying down. With the match now starting, you began the task of preparing their water bottles. It wasn't that hard but you did take note which bottle they preferred. Yukie and Kaori had to wonder how in the world you retained such tiny details.

The time you dreaded finally arrived.

The hours had flown by a little too quickly for your taste. Sitting in a circle, the female managers were now munching on some snacks that Yukie brought. Yachi and you began to talk about random stuff. It was interesting to hear her story of how she finally understood the importance of being a Townsperson B.

"If it wasn't for Hinata or Kageyama," She lightly scratched her cheek. "I probably wouldn't have found the confidence to become manager."

"Glad you did. Even the smallest of roles can have such a big impact." Recalling a few of your missions, you could feel how the confidence push made her shine even more.

"Okay, ladies!" Yukie now gathered your attention. "It's now time for the highlight of the night. A game of truth or dare."

Groans and giggles filled the room.

Taking a water bottle, she spun it around. Placing your hands in your jacket pockets, you manipulated the air each time the bottle faced you. The first victim had to be Yachi.

"Truth or dare, Yachi-chan." Kaori asked. When she chose truth, her cheeks flared at the question. "Who would make a great couple among the crows?"

This girl was kind but her questions were not.

"Uh, I thi-think," Hiding her face on her palms, Kiyoko and you patted her shoulders as a form of small encouragement. "D-Daichi-san and Suga-san."

Kiyoko covered her mouth and giggled. She nodded her head and agreed at the chosen 2.

The bottle was spun again. It began to slow down but with a little twitch of a finger, it landed towards Yukie. Mako took over and asked the question.

"If you could kiss any player in any of the schools here, which player would you go for?"

Tapping her index on the tip of her nose, she hummed and snapped her finger.

"Kenma." The other girls were a little shocked at her answer. When asked why, she merely shrugged and took a chip. "He's pretty interesting. And his pudding hair reminds me of food."

"Ahh." Both Kaori and you agreed and nodded. Her answer now made sense knowing that she had a thing for food.

The bottle was spun once again and this time it landed a safe distance away. The next to be questioned was Mako. Her question was who among the players would she take to the locker room and spend 7 minutes of heaven with. Yukie was definitely not lazy when it came to interrogations. Thank goodness you had a quirk.

“Kuroo would probably be fun to take into a closet but I think he’s a little too flirty for me.” She managed her thoughts out loud. Staying silent for a few seconds, she finally stated her answer. “Maybe Akaashi-san would be nice. He’s really respectful and pretty.”

The girls began to ‘ooh’ and giggle at her choice. Your two co-managers stared into your soul. Avoiding any sort of eye contact, you turned to face Yachi and sparked a conversation with her. That had to be the worst decision you made for the night. Being a bit too engrossed at such a random topic, you failed to take note of the bottle.

“Yo~ (y/n)~” Yukie’s lazy voice sent chills down your spine. Eyes widening at the realization that you forgot to focus your quirk on the bottle, you uttered a few curse words. “So, what’s with you and Akaashi?”

Mako gasped and covered her mouth. Telling her it was okay, you tried to wiggle your out.

“That’s not really a truth question.”

“Okay.” She crossed her arms and merely gave a lazy smirk. “If given the chance, would you take him to the rooftop and kiss him, tonight?”

“Why not?” You shrugged.

“Noted.” Kaori mumbled to herself, enough for you to hear. “Now that that’s over with, how ‘bout we do an open forum? Like what do you guys wanna talk about? Anything bothering you?”

Things went smoothly after that. Feeling a bit sleepy, you stifled a yawn and stretched without moving. Not that their problems or thoughts weren’t interesting, it was just the fact that today was a rather long day and the futon was very inviting. Reaching for your phone, you checked your messages and found Asami had replied.

Asami-chan: AAHHHH YOU BIIITSHH!! HOW DARE YOU TAKE A PICTURE WITH MY BOKUTO?! AND HOW DARE YOU DID NOT TAKE A SOLO PIC OF HIM?!

You: Drool. Chill. I’ll take one tomorrow.

Opening your mother’s response, you had to love how she sent a full on paragraph about how you should take care and that she misses you even more and a lot of fluffy words that made you smile. Reading the last part, you simply texted you loved her.

The last of the messages was sent no more than 4 minutes ago.

Akaashi: Good evening. Are you awake?

You: Yeah. We’re having a girl’s night here.

It was a bit of a shocker to see that he was now replying.

Akaashi: If you’re hungry, I have a snack bar.

You: Is it even allowed to go out of the rooms this time of night?

Akaashi: It’s still early. And Bokuto-san is still practicing with Kuroo-san so I have some spare time.

You: Can’t get enough of me?

Akaashi: I’ll meet you by the entrance.

Heart beating faster, you were now in a cinch. With the way the girls night was going, for sure you would be teased no doubt if you would mention his name. More so that the question given to you involved the person you were about to meet. Thinking about a reason, you stood up and went towards your bag. Rummaging aimlessly, you saw a napkin and nodded to yourself.

“I’ll be back.” Waving the item, the girls shooed you till you closed the door. Thus began the small run towards the entrance. When the last flight of stairs came, you slowed down and walked. Gotta catch your breath and not look like a fool.

“Hello to you.” You greeted him when you saw him. God he looked so good even with the dim lighting the area had to offer. In his hand were two snack bars. His drenched towel rested on his shoulder. Taking the bar, you sat beside him. Even with all the sweat, he smelled good. “You tired?”

“A bit.” He rolled his left shoulder. “Bokuto-san and Kuroo-san got into a competition and it so happens that I was the only setter in gym 3.”

“Oh.” Fidgeting with the bar, you inhaled and took a big bite. “I, uhh, can massage your shoulders if you want? I have pretty dandy hands”

“You don’t have to.” He stared at his shoes and wiped some non-existent sweat. The prospect of a shoulder massage would be very nice, he had to admit. But the thought of being seen by those two asses in the nearby gym was not good. Scanning the area, he saw the sprinting hill and waited if you would insist.

“I don’t mind.” Tucking a hair behind your ear, you bit your tongue and tried to calm down. “There’s not much malice in it anyway.”

Malice? Where and why did you even think of that word? Wondering why Akaashi stood up, he motioned for you to follow him. When he extended a hand, you didn’t need it but who could resist? Holding on to it, the both of you began to climb up the small sprinting area. Making sure that both of you were now behind the tree, he sat down and leaned on the trunk.

“So, uh, you can face that way to…” Fighting villains was nothing, but having to massage this sweaty man’s shoulders was a feat itself. When he followed instructions, you were now face to shoulder with Akaashi Keiji. This was even scarier when you had to battle with one of the eight precepts of death. With shaky hands, you warned Akaashi that you were about to start. He merely hummed.

When your palms touched his damp shirt, you activated your quirk to aid in relaxing his muscles. One of the advantages of having a quirk like yours was how you could manipulate the heat of your palms. Whenever you had sore or overworked muscles, a massage with your quirk always made you feel a thousand times better within a few minutes. Akaashi leaned in on your touch and let out an exhale. He could feel the effects of what you were secretly doing.

“You really do have dandy hands.” He praised you. Your small fingers delicately massaging the soreness away was something not even his own mother could do. Not wanting to strain you any further, he held on to your hands to signal you to stop. Peering over his shoulder, he gave a small smile and told you that was more than enough.

Leaning back on the trunk, he was amazed at how his body felt much more energized than last time. With your hand still being held by his, he stared at them for a moment before letting go. At the same time, the both of you missed the warmth and small tug.

“Thanks for the massage, (l/n).”

“No big deal.” Feeling that you used a small chunk of your quirk, you were silently thankful he still held on to your hand for an extended period of time. Though, when he let go, you kinda wished he didn’t. “Thanks for the snack bar, Akaashi.”

“Consider it payment for the massage.”

“Hey, hypothetical question.” Seeing him nod, you continued. “What if you, uhh, wake up one morning and find yourself in a completely different world; Different people, environment, everything. What would you do?”

“Hmm…” Giving him a few minutes, you were curious as to what his answer would be. “I’d probably lose my mind for the first couple of days. But I guess I could get information to see if it’s safe or dangerous. What about you?”

“I’d do the same thing.” The crickets were now chirping in the background. A soft breeze passed the both of you causing the leaves to rustle. “What if you met someone in that world? And they make you feel that there’s more to life than having to protect others constantly? Hypothetically, of course.”

“I don’t know.”

“Honestly, same.”

- - - - -

a/n: hihihi just a sprinkle of drama in this chapter :) hoping ya’ll like this! Akaashi’s lineup still accepting players! Drop a comment or message me if ya’ll wanna be listed :)

#akaashi x reader #akaashi keiji x reader #akaashi #akaashi haikyuu #haikyuu!!#haikyuu x reader #haikyu #hq akaashi

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spiltscribbles · 4 years

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Who Would?

Hi I’m Len, I’m 22 and i’m doing a fucking Tumblr meme from like 2012 becs i mother fucking can!!! XD

Who buys the other flowers?

Okay listen they are both romantic fucking dorks and that’s just on facts. But Alex definitely buys flowers because he’s the big gestures guy, and he looks up the meaning for them and he likes surprisingly Henry with a random bouquet every week or two, especially when Henry’s locked up in his office to finish up his next chapter LMAO. Also Alex may send the flowers, but Henry is the one who sends him the lovely little letters usually attached to them. XD Becs he a poet like that

2.) Who makes the other coffee/tea?

It depends o the night tbh. If Alex is stressing over a particular case Henry’ll make him a mug of coffee and sit with him and work in companionable silence. And Alex would make Henry a cup of tea for Henry when he’s having a difficult day and there’s just a bunch of snuggles and affirmations and tender things XD

3.) Who eats the most candy on Halloween?

Let’s not fucking kid ourselves. Alex and Nora are complete monsters when it comes to pigging out on Halloween candy and June and Henry look on in morbid intrigue while Pez records them for blackmail purposes lmfao. Also there are so many Halloween hijinks that go on! And Henry and Alex are always slaying with their couple costumes! Including the time they dressed as Superman and Batman respectively and literally broke the internet!! Also tbh they def dress as their version of Marilyn and JFK and its low key but also everyone knows XD

4.) Who tries new recipes all the time?

Alex is the fucking cook, this is in canon. Henry is a fucking mess in the kitchen becs he in fact is a spoiled rich little white boy, even though we love him XD That said, i feel like Alex sticks to the tried and true— like recipes passed down in the Diaz family for generations— but when Henry actually tries and throws his hat in the ring he really loves trying out new things, but to be fair Henry’s a fantastic baker and does amazing things with the sweets!!

5.) Who genuinely likes pineapple on pizza?

As someone who does adore pineapple on pizza, I take offense to the premise of this question. That said,In my heart of hearts I think it’s Henry, and Alex calls him out every time they go to Annes. “Fucking weirdo prince” and there’s only one way for Henry to shut him up if ya catch my drift!! LMFAO

6.) Who wears hats on special occasions?

What the fuck does this mean? Like a damn fedora?? idk that’s extra, but if we’re sticking with the obvious parallel of Arthur and Princess Diana then I guess Arthur wore hats and Henry wears them now in remembrance of him?

7.) Who likes ‘90s R&B?

I think we’ve all come to the consensus as a fandom that Alex has the worst fucking taste in music, so it’s obviously him. RIP Henry and his poor eardrums.

8.) Who likes long walks on the beach?

Listen they are both fucking dweebs and they both love doing anything as long as it’s with the other, and you can make fun if you want but it’s the damn truth!! Henry loves the serenity and it reminds Alex of when his family would go on trips to the golf and it means all the more when they build their own family together and spend those kinds of lovely vacations with one another.

9.) Who buys wacky picture frames?

Fucking neither, and for you to allude that either one of them has such awful taste is a god damn affront! But we be knowing that Nora purposefully buys them the ugliest ones whenever she goes thrifting becs she’s just the best like that XD

10.) Who compares themselves to fictional/celebrity couples?

I’d like to believe that neither of them are that pretentious. But they are definitely considered in that class of your Beyonce/JZs and Bradgelina before the divorce and etc becs of course they fucking are lmfao

11.) Who can solve a rubix cube?

I feel like it’s Alex, maybe because he and June competed against one another over it like hard core when they were younger, and Henry thinks it’s just stupid.

12.) Who would wear Hawaiian shirts on vacation/during the summer?

It’s fucking Alex and it’s a fucking travesty and Henry has to put so much time and effort into trying to amend his frankly obscene taste in fashion, and you know what we should all support this endeavor!!!

13.) Who wears mismatched socks because they can’t keep up with the pairs?

They’re both kinda messes when it comes to laundry and trying to keep up with simple human functions jfiaowjgaklsjdfoi

Send Me A Ship

#firstprince #red white and royal blue #rwrb #Alex Claremont Diaz #Henry Fox Mountchristen Windsor #ask game #kinda #idk it's how I'll find it ok don't judge me #!!!#lmfao #headcanons #headcanons by len

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heartofsnark · 4 years

Text

This Is Love (Chapter Four): Through The Gates

Notes: We’re inching closer and closer to the Seed’s arrival, I know it’s a slow burn to the game events, but I’m enjoying building up to it and hope it will make the impact of it all just that much more meaningful.

Word Count: 9098

Chapter Warnings: Cursing, Belligerent Drunk Man, Drug Overdose, Pratt and Dahlia being dumbasses

For chapter one and the warnings about this fics overarching themes, please click here!

For the previous chapter; click here!

A tall bearded man is on her porch; leaning against the railing. The familiar snake tattoos that curl down his forearms give him away; Lonny. The Eden’s Gate member who showed at the station to give her and Whitehorse a hard time. What is he doing at her trailer? There’s no reason for him to be here.

“Can I help you?” She asks, raising an eyebrow as she steps up onto the porch.

“Just figured I’d stop by, make a friendly visit to the new deputy,” he expression is somewhere between a smile and a predator baring its teeth.

“And, how exactly did you figure out where I live?”

“Small place, loose lips, word spreads fast.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, now, if we’re done with this ‘friendly’ visit-”

“Word spreads especially fast within our congregation, when someone starts arresting our members.”

“Maybe, your congregation members shouldn’t commit crimes?”

“The law of man matters little compared to the law of god.”

“Well, I get paid to enforce the law of man, so unless god starts signing my paychecks, I’ll be sticking to that.”

“Greed isn’t a pretty sin.”

Goosebumps prickle and creep up her skin at the word sin, making her throat tight, as the word settles over her. Memories of her stepfather claw at the back of her mind, phantom pain of beatings past making her body ache, the guilt and shame of being a sinner pitting in her stomach. She digs her nails into the palms of her hands and grits her teeth.

“Yes, so greedy, as you can tell, I mean just look around, ” she gestures around the dilapidated trailer park, “the used needles a foot away from the kiddy slide cost me extra, but I think they really bring the place together.”

“Charming.”

“I do try.”

“Look, I’ll make this stupidly simple, for you,” Lonny creeps closer, nearly standing on her, glowering down at her, “don’t step on our toes and we won’t step on yours.”

“Is that so?” She grins and literally steps on Lonny’s toes, crushing her boot down as hard as she can, until he finally grunts in pain and takes a step back.

“Don’t make a problem out of yourself, deputy….” His dark eyes flicker around, until finally landing on the shed behind her trailer, “that where you keep your bike?”

“Maybe, maybe not, whats it to you?”

“You know, a little generosity goes a long way to mending relationships, deputy. That motorcycle of yours would be a nice little gift to the flock and most importantly, me.”

“Get bent.”

“It’s important that we all do our part, deputy. That everyone gives a little, so that we all can flourish. As we inch closer and closer to the brink; that becomes even more important. What’s yours is mine, so, which is more important, keeping your motorcycle or helping others?”

He’s in her space again, hand reaching out and squeezing her shoulder in a pseudo-friendly gesture; that not even almost friendly smile on his face again.

“I’d sooner watch the world rot than give up that bike. Now, get the fuck off my property.”

She shoves his hand off her shoulder and marches into her trailer; slamming the door shut behind her. Dahlia could scream, could tear apart her entire trailer in rage. Where the hell does that guy get off? Demanding her bike; the motorcycle she slaved over. Her and Lloyd rebuilt that thing from nearly scratch after his son wrecked it; left it abandoned in their shed, a muddle heap of metal left to gather dust. She helped rebuild it; just a project at the time, something to keep busy while she was waiting to see if she got accepted to the police academy, meant to stave off the anxiety. And when it was done, perfectly functional and shining like it was brand new, Lloyd told her to keep it, she deserved it.

There’s not a lot of things Dahlia’s felt she earned; feeling every success has been a fluke, a mistake, a moment of luck. But, she earned that bike. She nearly fought Lloyd’s son when he visited that holiday season; trying to reclaim the bike now that it was fixed and she refused. Lloyd sided with her; because she earned it. Because she put the work and hours into it. And she’ll be damned if she’s going to let some bearded zealot barge in and demand she give it up.

The more she learns about Eden’s Gate, the less she likes them. Stealing booze, trying to take her bike, trying to scare her. She needs a cigarette; she decides and pulls the pack from her pocket; only to find it empty. Damn it. Dahlia starts digging through tossed aside pairs of pants and jackets; she has to have a half empty pack somewhere. She grabs up her duffle bag, still mostly unpacked other than what she’s worn or used this week, rummaging through the pockets for a pack of cigarettes.

A crumpled piece of something brushes against her hand and she yanks it out; only to find a scrunched up white pamphlet. She straightens it out a bit and groans when she reads the front; Eden’s Gate, We Love You surrounding a cross like symbol. Why is this group all over everything?

Giving up on finding a cigarette somewhere in her mess; Dahlia changes into some comfy clothes and plops herself down on the couch, turning the small tv on as background noise more than anything. She finds herself fiddling with that pamphlet again, placed aside before she changed.

Dahlia opens it; if this damn group is going to haunt all her days here, she might as well read their crap. It seems to be fairly standard religious fare. Casted out? Rejected by society? Try Jesus. Take a leap of faith, wash away your sins, confess, atone, and become stronger by joining their family. There are mentions of how corrupt the world is and how it’s all going to end; nice appeals to fear mongering, always have to appreciate that approach. Every word of the dribble reminds her of darker days, of her step father and his asinine sermons. The type of people who’d probably make a PSA about how Dungeons and Dragons is satanic, Harry Potter should be burned at the stake, and Pokemon is an evil atheist agenda to push evolutionary theory on kids.

The leader; man bun guy, calls himself The Father. Those goosebumps and bad memories come back. She knows assuming that all strongly religious people are like her step-father isn’t the best practice. But mentions of sin and calling himself something regarding father, just… doesn’t help.

He calls his siblings heralds; a sister and two brothers.

Her eyes glaze over as she absorbs the same crap she's had spewed at her for years, thoughts of making a donation to planned parenthood in their name pass through her mind. She doesn’t know for certain if the group is pro-life, but one can assume. The picture on the second page of the little pamphlet catches her eye and she sputters out a laugh.

Who the hell runs the PR for this church?

First the creepy statue, then the serial killer-esque drawing on him to open their book, and now a family portrait so awkward she might cringe herself into a coma. Three men and a woman; siblings according to the text. Man bun is in a chair in the middle; not even making eye contact with the camera. The woman, Faith, the siren she’s seen at the hotel and accidentally grabbed outside the diner is on the floor beside the chair. She looks annoyed, like a teenager being dragged to an awkward family dinner. Behind them are the two brothers. One with slicked back dark hair in a coat that appears to be covered in planes; which is… a look. And the other a mountain of a human compared to his sibling; ginger hair with the sides shaved, in camouflage, holding a red rifle.

It all looks ridiculous, from their expressions to their poses. Whoever thought this was a good way to market them is the epitome of human stupidity. Dahlia crumples the little pamphlet and tosses it into the trash; thankful for a laugh to cap off her night. She spends an hour or so watching tv, drifting off to sleep on the couch as she’s done every night.. Eyelids growing heavier and heavier with each second, until black blankets her mind.

Her bladder wakes her up during the middle of the night, causing her to turn and flop around, rubbing sleep from her eyes. She stares at the ceiling contemplating if she has to pee bad enough to warrant making herself physically stand up; the effort feeling herculean in the bleary twilight hours of the night.

“What if I told you, you could be free of sin,” a male voice drifts from the tv and she groans; this shit again?

She sits up on the couch, sliding down onto the floor with the clumsiness of her sleep leaden body. On her tv, at four am, amid commercials for sexy single phone lines is an infomercial for Eden’s Gate.

One of the brothers; the one with slicked back hair in the plane coat, John Seed as the text on screen tells her. He dramatically talks about how all you have to do is say Yes, the power of Yes, walking around what looks like a red carpet covered in flowers; terraces laced with them around him, a crowd gathered around as he talks.

Is he the reason for the Hollywood style YES sign in the valley?

The crowd around him starts to chant the word yes; he’s saying ‘yes, I will be saved’, ‘yes, I will confess’, ‘yes, I will atone.’ And he gestures upwards; revealing a lit up sign of the word YES and she bursts out laughing; her stomach aching and her bladder upset with her for it. Once her laughter subsides, she does what any good decent young adult would do. She rewinds it to the start of the infomercial, grabs her phone from the table, and records the cringefest to post online before finally going to the bathroom.

She goes back to sleep after, still cracking up about this dumb religion and their dumb advertisement.

Dahlia wakes up around noon or so the next day, checking her phone while still curled up in the couch. The post of the religious cringe has gotten some traction; someone making a reaction gif out of the guy gesturing to the yes sign. Jokes about how the guy must get off on the word yes, how insane it must have felt to be working on this, ‘imagine having a grown man in a plane coat telling you to chant yes while he dramatically touches his own tit’. The internet truly is a beautiful place sometimes.

She stretches out her muscles and decides to call the clinic, the one she gave info about to Tweak. Dahlia wants to make sure he actually reached out and didn’t just use her good graces to avoid trouble and call it done.

“Hey, I’m Deputy Hale of the Hope County Sheriff’s department, I referred someone to contact your clinic about rehabilitation. I was calling to see if they contacted you.”

“Of course, could I have their name?”

“Aaron Kirby.”

“Yes, we did receive a call from Aaron Kirby, he’s been placed on our waitlist as our drug counseling services are currently at capacity and we can’t take on any more clients.”

“Understood, thank you.”

She sighs; she can’t fault him for that. Hopefully, they’ll be able to get him in soon. Dahlia stretches, making her back pop, now what to do with the rest of her day. Maybe it’s Lonny trying to take her bike or maybe it’s the mention of those Clutch Nixon stunts yesterday; but she has an itch to go riding and do some stupid shit.

A quick shower and change of clothes; then she’s grabbing her helmet.

Music reverberating in her skull, the rev of her motorcycle engine beneath her, the wind whipping around her, and she’s healed from everything if only for a moment. Dancing and riding her bike are the only things to do this for her; or maybe it’s the music itself that does. But when her blood is pumping, her ears are ringing, and her throat is raw from screaming along to the songs; nothing else matters.

She’s not lonely as she takes a sharp turn right at the chorus.

She’s not sad or pathetic as she cruises down the road, passing cars.

She’s not a disgusting sinner as she takes one of the paths that goes through the woods.

She’s not rejected, worthless, and tossed aside as she hits one of the many ramps across the county, catching air before hitting the ground again.

Everything is pure chaos and adrenaline in her veins; no room for guilt or doubt or

Deer. Big deer, in the road, it isn’t moving.

She hits the brakes; the sudden jerk of a stop, pushing her body forward, losing her grip and being ejected forward. Dahlia hits the ground in a heap, head rattling but thankfully not split on the road. She forces herself to roll over on her back, body aching in protest. Her eyes close and she takes deep breaths, trying to gather herself.

Something fuzzy pushes against her hand, glancing down to see the large deer sniffing at her. It’s no worse for wear, so that’s good at least. She forces herself to sit up, body protesting, and she peels her helmet off. The deer shuffles back a little but when she extends a hand it tentatively presses against it. She scratches its nose.

“You’re very lucky you’re cute.” She digs around in her pockets, finding a pack of crackers, she always has food on her if she can help it and she offers the deer a cracker. It eats from her hand. Maybe she’s just trying to avoid moving her bruised body, but she spends a few moments finishing the little pack with the deer before finally forcing herself to stand.

Her motorcycle is in good shape, a little scuff on the side, but nothing she can’t buff out if needed. Dahlia’s baby remains the most stable part of her life. She rides it back to her trailer, a bit more carefully. She’s managed to burn through most of the day with her reckless bullshit.

She calls Lloyd and Caroline that night; telling them about her first week, skirting around details that might sadden them. Going to the F.A.N.G Center is reduced to just going there, nothing of being overwhelmed and leaving. No mentions of Pratt tricking her when she talks about Peaches, just an old lady with a cougar Dahlia got to carry. No mention of being left out everytime Pratt and Hudson go to the Spread Eagle. No mention of Lonny, the threats, the religious group that seems much more involved with the community than she originally thought. Everything is fine, perfect, ideal.

The pain of her little crash has mostly faded by the time she shows up to work the next day; uniform properly on when she comes into the station bullpen.

“What the hell happened to you?” Hudson calls out and Dahlia can’t help the heat crawling up her face at the attention. Her forearms and some of her upper chest that’s exposed are covered in bruises; mottling blues and purples.

“Oh, uh, I had a little bike crash yesterday.” She shrugs.

“Jesus christ,” Pratt grumbles and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Rook, you need a hobby,” Dahlia starts to say something, but Hudson continues, “one that doesn’t injure you.”

She likes to dance, but dancing completely alone isn’t as much fun, not awful but not as fun. And there's not exactly dance clubs in Hope County. Hmmm. Unfortunate. She shrugs, if her hobby kills her, it kills her.

During patrol, Pratt and her don’t talk about the F.A.N.G Center, they don’t talk about him being angry at her. An awkward cloud hanging over them as they patrol. She doesn’t even bother to ask to give tickets when they pull people over; already knowing Pratt won’t let her and not wanting the conversation. An emergency call to what’s called Sergey’s place breaks up the monotony, suspected overdose.

She digs her nails into the leather of her seat as Pratt flips on the sirens; what if it’s Tweak? Doubts of if she did the right thing running through her head. She wanted to help him; but if he ended up just being put on a waitlist and overdosing right after, how much good did she do?

Sergey’s place is a wooded area filled with abandoned train cars where homeless people and drug addicts gather. Dahlia rushes to where she sees a group of them gathered around; screaming and crying coming from the center.

“Clear the way, so we can help,” Pratt tells them, the crowd dispersing, a woman is seizing. Her entire body jerking and drool pooling from her mouth; another woman holding her close, crying over her.

“Did she take anything?” Dahlia asks.

“We were shooting up and then she was on the ground, I, it’s all my fault, I-”

“Understood, we’re gonna do everything we can to save her.”

Dahlia holds the seizing woman as still as she can, getting out the syringe of narcan that's kept in patrol cars. She plunges it into the woman’s arm, forcing the medicine into her system, watching as her seizing slowly starts to lessen. Removing it, she notices the large bruise and cut on the woman’s forehead.

“Dispatch,” Pratt radios in, “we need an ambulance out to Sergey’s place, confirmed overdosed, head trauma, female early twenties. Junior Deputy Hale has administered a dose of Narcan, over.”

Dahlia stays with the woman, to make sure she doesn’t seize again and hurt herself further. Meanwhile, Pratt clears the way and helps get the ambulance into the area when it arrives; the woman being taken away on the stretcher. They find out the one who was holding her was her sister, allowing her to go with her to the emergency room, while Pratt asks some questions of those who were around. Nothing suspicious; just an overdose, no one to blame.

The younger deputy sighs and a hand clamps down on her shoulder; gently squeezing. Pratt is next to her and she raises an eyebrow at him.

“We got here quick, she should be fine.”

“Maybe, lets get going.”

The conversation is still more than a little stilted as the day goes on; but it isn’t quite the awkward silence of before. Pratt making little comments and saying things, while she nods or hmms along.

Later in the afternoon, when they’ve stopped back at the station, for lunch and paperwork regarding the overdose. She yawns and stretches her arms, standing up from her desk to get coffee. Maybe she needs caffeine or maybe she’s just tired of sitting in one place; but either way she’s up and moving.

She rubs a hand down her face as she enters the kitchenette where the fridge and coffee machine are. Dahlia grabs her mug; one that was bought for her by Lloyd and Caroline. It’s a little embarrassing, the picture of a black cat with the message, ‘horrible and adorable.’

Warmth presses in close to her back, looming over her. The smell of Pratt’s cologne hits her just as a large hand plucks her mug off the counter. Pratt holding the mug high above her head.

“Hey!” She tries to grab it from him but can’t reach, Pratt grinning as she makes the effort to stand on her tiptoes but still can’t quite get it.

“Something wrong?” he smirks, “you can’t reach your kitty cat mug?”

“Can you go five seconds without being an ass?” She turns to face him, glaring at his shit eating grin, the mischief in his eyes as he crowds her and holds the mug just out of reach.

“Hmmmm, no. Can you go five seconds without pouting?” He reaches up with the hand not holding her mug hostage and cups under her jaw to squish her cheeks together and force her lips to pout out; laughing at her.

She smacks away his hand, making a grab for her mug, knocking against his chest in the attempt before he jumps back.

Dahlia whines and he just laughs, dodging her again as she tries to take her mug back. Her fingers can barely reach his face, let alone high above his head where he’s holding her mug hostage. She clambers to grab a hold of his bicep; trying to pull herself up high enough to grab it, laughing at the ridiculousness of trying to essentially climb her coworker to get her mug.

“Jesus christ, you fuckin’ spider monkey!” He nearly falls over, but catches himself and switches the mug to his other hand, placing it on top on the cupboards.

She glares for a beat, still hanging off of Pratt’s arm before letting go. Dahlia can’t even reach the top shelf in the cupboards.

“I’m actually going to strangle you.”

“Something wrong, Thumbelina?” He taunts and ruffles a hand through her hair, the gesture far more rough and teasing than when Whitehorse does it to comfort her.

“Yeah, my coworker is an ass.”

“Not my fault you’re short.”

“If I get dirt on the counter, you’re cleaning it.”

“What do you-” he bursts into laughter when she box jumps up onto the counter, grabbing her mug. The deep rumble of it makes her smile, it’s ridiculous, but he’s left her no choice.

“The hell are you doing, Rook?!” Whitehorses’ voice cuts through Pratt’s cackling and she jumps down with a yelp.

“Pratt did it.”

The older deputy straightens up, after nearly bending over doubled from his laughing fit. Whitehorse pinches the bridge of his nose, Dahlia swears she can see the migraine forming in his head.

“I didn’t do anything,” Pratt defends himself, “she managed that all on her own.”

“I, I just...no feet on the counter, that's where food goes, for fucks sake, ” Whitehorse looks from Dahlia to Pratt, “and no whatever you did.”

With that the sheriff leaves; weary of their bullshit. Dahlia jabs her fist into Pratt’s ribs, hard enough to jostle him but not enough to truly hurt.

“You got me in trouble!” She yells, sounding every bit a kid who just got ratted out to the teacher, and Pratt only snickers.

By the time Dahlia manages to get her coffee, her face hurts from smiling. The ache of happiness followed throughout the day, until Hudson and Pratt cap off the night with another day of chatting at the Spread Eagle, Dahlia left to go home alone.

The next day a call comes in from Adelaide Drubman, Hurk Sr’s ex wife who owns the marina as Dahlia’s been told. She’s seen advertisements around for the older woman’s real estate business, telling people to call Addie. The woman pictured on the signs of those advertisements is a fair representation, albeit maybe a little more airbrushed, of the woman standing before them when they arrive. Older with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes, a red bandana tied in her hair. She’s all sly smiles and winks when she sees the two deputies walking towards her.

“Well, hey there, hon’,” she greets them, the southern Montana accent one of the strongest Dahlia’s heard since she’s arrived here.

“Hey, Addie,” Pratt replies in kind and Dahlia gives an awkward wave, “what’s wrong?”

What’s right, Dahlia can’t help but wonder as she looks at the property, clearly abandoned and dilapidated.

“Well, I think some squatters might have moved in on me, sweetheart. And, apparently threatening them with my gun is illegal, but having y’all run ‘em off with yours is fine. Go figure.”

“Yeah, the law is pretty picky about that kind of thing,” Pratt says with a laugh.

“I mean, I’m not complaining , at least I get a chance to see some young pieces of ass in uniform.”

Dahlia chokes and coughs; heat flooding up to the apples of her cheek. That was blunt. Really blunt. Pratt doesn’t seem the least bit bothered, maybe he’s just used to this. Despite her embarrassment, she’s smiling. Something about Adelaide is comforting, warm and friendly, the kind of person who doesn’t know a stranger. Dahlia remembers the gross curmudgeon of an old man that use to be her husband.

“Speaking of which,” Adelaide continues, looking at Dahlia, “I don’t think I’ve seen you before, honey.”

“Uh, yeah, I’m new at the station.”

“Our probie junior deputy.”

“Adelaide Drubman, pleased to meet ya.”

“Uh, this might be impolite,” she pauses, rethinking for a moment, but she needs answers, “but were you seriously married to Hurk Sr?”

“Un-fucking-fortunately.”

“Did you lose a bet?”

Adelaide starts laughing and Dahlia can’t help but smile, the sound absolutely heartwarming.

“I’m serious; lose a bet, piss off a witch and get cursed, broke a mirror and had seven years bad luck… It’s gotta be something, ‘cause that just don’t add up.”

“Well, aren’t you just the cutest thing,” the older woman tells her, “word of advice, don’t let anyone tell you you gotta stay with a man just ‘cause he knocks you up.”

“I’d rather die.”

“Good, keep that mentality, save you years of suffering.”

“Okay, enough chat, let’s go check out the place,” Pratt says, nudging Dahlia to get a move on. She sticks her tongue out at him as they walk into the rundown house.

There’s trash strewn around, thankfully no needles or sign of drug users here. Adelaide must have a lot of trust in whoever she has cleaning these places up for resell. They pass through rooms, looking for anyone who’s not meant to be there, knocking on doors and calling out. Most of the house is cleared through and the two of them head to the attic, a good place for any squatters to hide.

The stairs creak under her feet as she takes them two at a time, moving ahead of Pratt in minutes. She hears him grumble, he tells her to slow down, but she doesn’t.

It’s dimly lit, some abandoned furniture and old antique crap littering the area; blocking the window that might have let in even a glimmer of sunlight. She flicks on her flashlight. The light illuminates the dust that hangs heavy in the air, drifting across her vision. Something rustles, a box shuffling across the floor.

“What was that?” Pratt asks as he finally joins her in the attic.

“I don’t know, yet.”

Scratchy noises echo through the room and she walks towards where she saw the box move. She crouches down and shifts the boxes out of the way, finding nothing but a dusty floor beneath them. Then something presses against her leg, a soft sniffing noise.

“Oh my god!” She gasps as she looks down at the cute opossum staring up at her; baby pink nose sniffing at her jeans. A white face, tawny gray almost black body, with big soft dark brown eyes, its wiry whiskers curling at odd angles.

“Is something wrong?!” Pratt yells out and comes rushing over, feet stomping across the floor; the heavy thuds making the opossum hiss and creep backwards.

“You scared it, jackass.”

“I,” he looks down at the hissing opossum, “I thought something happened.”

“Shhhhhh…”

Dahlia reaches out; tentatively brushing her fingers against its narrow snout, feeling the short slightly rough fur. The hissing stops and it sniffs at her hand, letting her scratch up its face to the top of its head. It relaxes into her touch and she scratches behind its ear.

“You can’t pet every animal, you meet, Rook.”

“Watch me,” she says before scooping the opossum up in her arms, holding it close to her chest. A tongue licks over her cheek, the marsupial content in Dahlia’s arms.

Pratt shakes his head and leaves the attic; Dahlia following him down the stairs. Adelaide is waiting outside the home when the two deputies exit.

“Good news, Addie-”

“I acquired a baby.”

“Jesus fuck,” Pratt rubs a hand down his face at her interruption, “there’s no squatters.”

“’Preciate ya coming out to check and taking care of the opossum problem.”

“I fail to see the problem.” Dahlia’s new friend is trying to climb up her head, licking her scalp.

“You really gonna try to sale this mess?” Pratt asks, rolling his eyes and ignoring the younger deputy’s new pet.

“It’s my best chance of making any profit anymore; those fuckin’ Seeds are buying up any place thats actually worth a damn thing. Flipping run down places is the only way to even hope of making money anymore. You know those bastards even tried to by the Marina.”

“They’re gonna own the entire county before we know it.”

Deputy Pratt shrugs his shoulders and Dahlia chews her lip; unsure if she likes how casually they talk about the local religious nutjob owning the county. The older deputy doesn’t even seem bothered by the thought; the idea of them buying everything just thrown out as blasé as one would say the time of day.

“I swear to god, I can’t figure out what I wanna do more; punch John Seed’s face or ride it.”

Dahlia raises an eyebrow at the older woman; she’s unsure what that means…but it sounds vaguely inappropriate… Her nose scrunches, brows furrowing as she tries to reason through this. Riding…like sitting on someone’s face? So, oh… Heat flares up Dahlia’s cheeks as the meaning hits her; definitely inappropriate. Very inappropriate. She covers the opossum’s ears, as if to protect the innocent being from the filth, meanwhile her own ears are burning.

“Addie…”

“I know, I know,” Adelaide waves her hand dismissively, “but you know what they say, the pussy wants what it wants.”

“Not sure that’s the saying.” Pratt laughs

Dahlia raises an eyebrow before looking down at the opossum in her arms as if the little critter could answer her unasked question. Instead, its doe eyes just stare up at her. What cats have to do with Adelaide wanting to fuck John Seed is beyond Dahlia’s comprehension.

“You alright over there, hun?”

“Don’t worry about her,” Pratt dismisses Adelaide’s concern, “she’s probably just wondering what cats have to do with anything.”

“Oh lord.”

“How did you know?” Dahlia whispers, wide-eyed at Pratt, only getting a throaty laugh in response.

“How old are you again, sweetie? Pussy, vagina, cunt; what’s between your legs. Well, maybe not yours, I ain’t got a chance to check y-”

“I would like to change the subject!” Dahlia blurts out; face feeling like it’s been set on fire and no doubt a vivid flush a red. Adelaide’s little grin and Pratt’s laughter only serving to make her face more crimson.

“Well…if we’re on the subject of faces I wanna ride, the Ryes are having their barbecue next Saturday, you and Hudson gonna make it out?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“I’ll be seeing you then, Pratt, and hopefully you too, junior deputy. I gotta call my remodeling guys.”

They say goodbyes and wave off Adelaide, going back to the patrol car. Dahlia cuddling her new opossum friend as she goes. This is her baby now and will comfort her through humiliation at the hands of Hope County’s sex perverts.

“What are you doing?” Pratt asks, when Dahlia opens the car door.

“What do you mean?”

“Fuckin’, put the opossum down!”

“No.”

“You’re not bringing that thing into the car.”

“I’m not abandoning my child.”

“It’s literally a wild animal.”

“It’s a opossum, not a bear, calm your tits,” Dahlia tells him firmly, opening the door and plopping down with her critter in her lap. Pratt groans and jumps in the driver side.

“So, what, you’re gonna take it home and make it a pet?”

“No.”

“Then what?”

“You know how some stations have like animals and stuff?”

“You mean K-9 units, trained dogs? You wanna train a fuckin’ opossum?”

“No, don’t be ridiculous,” she rolls her hand flippantly, “I’m not gonna train her, she’s perfect the way she is.”

“Have fun getting the sheriff on board with this, that thing could be rabid for all you know.”

“Opossums don’t carry rabies; like they physically can’t have rabies.”

“Okay, fuckin’, opossum expert.”

Dahlia spends a mile or two, just watching out the window at the world passing by as she scratches at her new friend’s ears. Passing by a sign for Rye and Son’s Aviation, she remembers the conversation with Adelaide.

“Who’re the Rye’s?” She turns her head towards Pratt, head cocking to the side in curiously.

“Huh? Oh, they’re a couple who live not too far from Falls End. They have these big barbecues that basically the entire county shows up to; everyone brings some food, it’s a whole thing.”

“That’s nice.”

“You should come.”

“I don’t know them.”

“It’s open invitation, you live in Hope County, cook some food, show up. It’ll be fun.”

“Just like the F.A.N.G Center?” She raises an eyebrow

“Well, if you don’t freak out and run off halfway through, yeah, things can be fun.”

“Yeah, sure, whatever.” She rolls her eyes and sticks her tongue out at Pratt.

Side eyes and double takes are taken at Dahlia as she walks into the station carrying a opossum. Dahlia just nuzzles her face against the top of the opossum’s head as they reach the office, plopping down in her chair and propping her feet up on her desk. Pratt walks past with his lunch and Dahlia grabs a handful of apple slice off his plate; making the older deputy stop and glare at her.

“Can I help you?”

“I gotta feed her.” Dahlia shrugs, letting the opossum munch on one of the slices of fruit.

“Feed her your lunch.”

“My lunch is an energy drink and a twinkie.” She ate the last of the lunches Caroline sent with her; an empty fridge and a sink full of Tupperware waiting for her at home.

“How the hell are you still alive?”

“The world’s too cruel to end my misery.”

“Jesus fuck,” he rolls his eyes, “calm it down, Hot Topic.”

“What are you doing, Rook?” Heat zings up Dahlia’s cheeks when she hears Hudson’s voice and sudden fear that being the weird opossum girl might not be what she wants.

“Is that a fuckin’ rat?” A guy next to her, dressed in the standard officer uniform asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Feeding...opossum…Who are you?”

“Rook, this is Brennan, he’s one of our officers, Brennan this is-”

“The rookie deputy, I know, I’m officer Beau Brennan, nice to meet ya,” he says, extending a hand and she moves the opossum to properly shake it. Beau Brennan, possibly the most southern sounding name she’s ever heard, especially this far up North.

“Nice to meet you, too.”

“But, uh, Rook,” Hudson looks at Dahlia, “should you really be bringing a wild animal into the station?”

“Maybe not...she’s friendly, though.”

“So, Joey questions you and she has a point,” Pratt swings his hand in an angry gesture, “but I do it and I get mocked?”

“Yes.”

“Well, why don’t you tell Joey, how you want the opossum to be the station pet?”

“Do you?” Joey raises an eyebrow at Dahlia, the younger deputy’s face turning a deeper shade of scarlett.

“...yes..”

“If you want the thing so bad, why not just take it home as your own pet?”

“That’s what I was asking!” Pratt butts in.

“Five seconds ago, you were asking how the hell I kept myself alive, you want me in charge of keeping something else alive?”

“She’s got you there,” Hudson looks back to Dahlia, mirth lighting up those olive green eyes, “what's her name gonna be?”

Dahlia suddenly has no coherent thought in her head. Just cricket noises as she realizes she’s never actually named an animal in her life. Every time she’s ever had a pet or something close to one, she just refers to it by species or someone else names it. The cat’s name is cat, dog’s name is dog.

“....Opossum…?”

“Not how names work,” Hudson pets behind the opossum’s ear, “Petunia?”

“Petunia, it is,” Dahlia flusters to say grinning, she’s actually okay with this, Hudson doesn’t mind the weird opossum girl.

“Why are you encouraging her!?”

“‘Cause it’s annoying you.”

“I think the girls have you outnumbered, Staci.”

“Staci?” Dahlia looks over at Pratt, is that his first name? She’s never actually heard it before. His face completely falls, hazel eyes harsh and angry.

“Shut up.”

“Your name is Staci, oh my god.”

“Spelled with an ‘i’,” Beau adds, grinning as Dahlia starts cackling.

“Oh my god, you have a sorority girl name!”

“Laugh it up, you know when Whitehorse comes back, you’re gonna have to say goodbye to your new friend.”

“Eh, it’s Rook, so he won’t mind much,” Joey says, shrugging her shoulders.

“Huh?”

“You don’t know?” Brennan raises an eyebrow at her, “everyone knows that the sheriff is soft on you. Been hardly a week and it’s like he’s adopted you.”

Her cheeks hurt from grinning, Whitehorse sees her like his own child? She knows she’s lucky to even have gotten the job; let alone the way he’s been going the extra mile to make her feel at place here. But knowing he may see her like family lights up her heart. The sheriff already reminded her of Lloyd before, but hearing that cements the comparison.

“Dear god, if you were a dog, your tail would be wagging,” Pratt-Staci, grumbles as he pinches the bridge of his nose.

“It's cute,” Brennan defends her, “we don’t even need a canine unit with her around. Ow!”

Brennan jumps when Dahlia kicks him in the shin, hard enough to bruise she’s hoping. Hudson and Pratt laugh. Petunia is content and nuzzling into Dahlia’s neck as the four shoot the shit, the topic of the Rye barbecue coming up. Hudson and Brennan both plan on being there as well. Dahlia finds herself sinking deeper into her chair, holding Petunia closer. Taking her phone from her pocket and checking the notifications on John’s little video. Other than someone claiming he looks familiar and another person saying he’s hot; it’s mostly more taunts.

“What’s going on here?” Whitehorse’s voice cuts through the chatter, the sheriff coming through and spotting the gathered deputies and officer. His eyes landing on Petunia within a second, “Rook?”

“Yeah?” She scrolls past someone using a gif of John’s light up yes sign as a reaction gif.

“Why are you holding a opossum?”

“She likes being held.” She doesn’t bother looking up from the phone.

“She?”

“Her name’s Petunia.”

“You can’t have a opossum.”

“She’s the station opossum.”

“Rook,” Whitehorse sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose, “just go put her outside.”

“So, she’s an outside station pet?”

“I don’t care as long as she’s outside.”

“I’m taking that as a yes,” Dahlia says, finally looking up and grinning ear to ear. Whitehorse shakes his head and just waves her off before going into his office, no doubt looking for some Tylenol or Aspirin at this point.

“That’s it,” Pratt lets out a heavy exhale, shaking his head at Dahlia.

“Told ya, soft on Rook.”

“I’m gonna take Petunia outside, to her new home.”

“Do you think she’ll stay around?” Hudson asks, as her and Pratt follow after Dahlia, towards the little lot of land behind the department.

“If I keep feeding her, she should, right?”

“I’m gonna have to start bringing two lunches, aren’t I?”

“Nah, you don’t wanna overfeed her.”

“Hilarious.”

The wind is blowing just a bit; breezing by and shifting the grass around them. The sun starting to set as the evening arrives. Petunia licks her cheek and then runs up on Dahlia’s shoulder, little hands grabbing at her skin as she clambers up onto her head; curling up like she belongs there.

“Pffft,” Hudson sputters out a laugh, “look this way, Rook.”

Dahlia faces Joey, grinning with the apples of her cheeks flushing red. The older deputy has her phone out and snaps a photo of Dahlia with Petunia perched on her head. She’s not sure why the moment is worth catching, but she’s glad it was.

“Send that to me, if you don’t mind…” Dahlia asks as she puts Petunia down in the grass.

“No problem,” she taps away and Dahlia feels her phone buzz, “and don’t worry I’ll send it to you, too, Pratt.”

“I didn’t ask for it.”

“Didn’t have to.”

Dahlia sits down on the ground, petting Petunia as the sun sets. As always Hudson and Pratt leave that evening for the Spread Eagle, she catches Brennan talking about going to the Hollyhock Saloon with some fellow officers before she leaves. Everyone has their friend group, their routine. And it’s time for her own; going home to an empty trailer.

And an empty fridge, she remembers. Oh god, she has to go shopping doesn’t she? It’s a break in the monotony but she’s not sure it’s a welcomed one. She also has to do dishes at some point…and laundry… Adulting sucks.

There’s a little family owned market in the Henbane River region; just a bit more to it than the general store in Falls End. The fluorescent lights irritate her eyes as she pulls off her helmet to look around. Never the cooking type; Dahlia’s hoard comprises of things that don’t require more than a microwave to prep. Frozen meals, snacks, and absolute garbage pile high in her cart as she scours the shelves for more. This might get her through for a week.

Her phone buzzes, another Twitter notification, she’s sure someone else reacting to the Eden’s Gate commercial. She tugs her phone from her pocket; just like she thought a Twitter notification, but the message beneath it catches her eye. A text from Hudson, where she sent the photo of Dahlia and Petunia. The young deputy hasn’t gotten around to opening it; mind preoccupied. She opens the message.

Dahlia doesn’t take pictures of herself and has never been particularly enthralled with her own appearance. But, she likes this photo of her. Petunia is perched on her head, dark eyes warm and soft. The evening sun setting behind Dahlia illuminates her in golden light; dark hair mussed, brown eyes lighting up amber where the light hits, and a wide grin on her face.

Beneath the photo is a message from Hudson captioning it;

‘cant tell who looks better here’

Heat makes it way up to her hairline. Is…did Hudson call her cute? She’s comparing Dahlia to Petunia, a opossum, both Petunia specifically and opossums in general are cute. So if Hudson’s saying Dahlia’s looks are on par with a opossum; does Hudson mean she’s cute? But, not everyone thinks opossums are cute… Some people think they’re gross little trashy goblins, does Hudson think she looks like a trash goblin? She seemed to like Petunia, but just cause she was nice to the animal doesn’t mean she thinks opossums are cute. Dahlia leans her forehead against the freezer section for a moment; letting a turkey meal cool her flushed face as she forces herself to not agonize over this.

A few deep breathes and a concerned passerby make Dahlia straighten back up, getting her bearings before heading to self-check-out. She quickly rings up her items and bags them, leaving the market with her grocery bags in tow.

“Leave me alone…please…” A soft demure voice whispers, a woman about Dahlia’s age stands beside the road a man towering over her with a beet red face. The smell of liquor coming off him on the wind. His hand is wrapped tightly around her wrist, her skin indenting under his grasp as she tries to fold in on herself to avoid his touch.

“Wh-what, you scared daddy Joe’ll call you a sinner for spending some time with me?”

The stench of alcohol wafts off his breath with every drunken slur; even at a distance, the smell churns her stomach. She drops her bags on the cement and makes a beeline towards them, she needs to keep this from escalating, or someone will get hurt.

“Leave me alone!” The girl’s voice shakes as she tries to pry herself from the man’s grasp.

“Fuckin’ peggie whore!”

“Hey!” Dahlia yells out and runs as his other hand starts to raise and pull back.

She gets between them just in time to feel the crack of his hand striking her face. An ache and echo of pain rings through her jaw; a metallic taste where her cheek scraped the inside of her jaw. Glassy eyes widen, the man shocked at the interruption.

“Wh-who-”

“I’m a deputy with the Sheriff’s Department, and unless you want some jail time for assault, I recommend you get the fuck out of here.”

“Pssh,” he scoff, whiskey scented spittle spraying into the air, “li-”

“I’m giving you to the count of three to get out of my sight, sir. One,” she leans into his space, glaring him down and sneering as she counts, “two, th-“

“F-fine, fine, fuckin’ bitch.”

He makes a dismissive hand gesture as he grumbles a curse, but he stumbles away, leaving the two girls alone. Dahlia rubs absent mindedly at her cheek before turning towards the girl; a peggie, he called her. One of the followers of Eden’s Gate. She’s beautiful, five or so inches taller than Dahlia, with long black hair falling in waves down her shoulders. Delicate fine facial features, the deputy can’t help but feel the girl’s face might have shattered has it been struck. Like the handful of peggies she’s seen, traces of tattoos and markings are on her. ENVY etched across her chest and a delicate tattoo of vines with blue flowers curling up her forearm.

“Are you okay?” Dahlia asks her.

“Oh yes, yes, I’m fine, but are you?”

The girl reaches out, fingers nearly brushing over Dahlia’s cheek. She instinctively ducks back, avoiding the touch. Strangers touching her is never something she’s been fond of, though she can’t imagine many people are.

“I’ve taken worse from better; I’ll be fine. You be careful and have a safe night, ma’am.” Dahlia nods at her and makes the quick walk to her abandoned groceries and bike.

She stoops down and begins to collect the food that fell from her bags. A pair of slender hands join in, helping gather up a bag of microwave meals for her, the girl offering it to Dahlia once it’s secure.

“Thanks,” Dahlia murmurs, taking it from the stranger, stashing her groceries in the little storage space under her motorcycle’s seat.

“It’s the least I can do…I’ve never seen you before.”

“I started here about a week ago.”

“Really, that’s incredible…The Lord placed you here at the exact right time.”

“Nah, I just needed groceries,” Dahlia shrugs, “well, hope you have a nice night.”

“Wait,” she knots a hand in the deputy’s shirt, “I’m Layla…”

“Nice to meet you,” Dahlia offers, Layla’s dark brown eyes are darting around, avoiding eye contact.

“I…was on my way to a sermon at Father Joseph’s church and-”

“Look, Layla, if you need my help just say the word. But, if this is the beginning of a conversion spiel; save your breath and my time, ‘cause it ain’t happening.”

“I don’t feel safe, going there alone, right now. What if he comes back?” Her arms cross over herself, the thin cardigan not doing much to protect her from the night chill.

“Oh, uh, you don’t have anyone who can go with you? Aren’t religions like, community things?”

“I was gonna walk there by myself, but…”

“Fuckin’ hell, where is it?”

“Up the north bridge, one of the island’s in the middle of the county, it isn’t far.”

“Here,” Dahlia shoves her helmet at Layla, “I got one helmet and if anyone’s brains are splattering on the road, I’d rather they be mine.”

Layla pulls the helmet on over her head, body still shivering. Dahlia shies and shrugs off her leather jacket; it’s only going to get colder on the ride there with wind whipping around. She hands it to Layla who smiles and takes it, pulling the worn black leather jacket on. Oversized on Dahlia and still marginally so on Layla.

“Thank you,” Layla murmurs as Dahlia straddles her bike, then climbs on the back. Dahlia takes in a deep breathe when arms wrap around her midsection, Layla pressing in close to the deputy’s back as she starts the engine. The familiar nature of the touch contrasting with the fact they’re strangers.

As Dahlia makes her way up to the bridge, Layla lifts the visor just a smidge so that she can whisper directions in the deputy’s ear. Once she’s past the bridge coming from the Henbane, the roads have fencing and barbwire, making it nearly impossible to go from the road into the woods on the island. She rides down the winding road, taking a left turn off the paved road onto a beaten path, rounding the corner she sees it.

A cold sweat builds on the back of her neck, heart dropping into her stomach. It’s a collection of small white buildings, dark roofs, with Latin scrawled across some of the buildings; Luxuria, Acedia, and more she’s sure. All of it on a large piece of land, within she can see picnic tables, bundles of white flowers, where they might gather for picnics or barbecues. She pulls her bike to a stop just a distance from the white gate; Church of Eden’s Gate etched in the upper arches.

People are all around, getting out of white trucks and cars, greeting each other with hugs and waves; throwing side eye glances at Dahlia when they notice her. Dogs are barking somewhere; she doesn’t know where from. Layla clambers off the back of Dahlia’s bicycle, pulling off her helmet and handing it back to her.

“Sister Layla,” a deep masculine voice rumbles out, a familiar man standing by the white gates. Tall with a thick dark beard, his deep dark eyes are focused on Dahlia as he speaks to Layla. Theodore is what the other man called him that day when Dahlia caught them stealing from The Spread Eagle. He looks a moment away from ripping the deputy’s head off her shoulders; his shirt dipping in a way that exposes the way PRIDE etches across his chest, crossed out as are all sins the church members wear.

“Brother Theodore, this is-”

“The new deputy, we’ve met, why is she here?”

“I was just getting ready to leave, don’t worry.”

“What,” Layla’s eyes widen and she grasps Dahlia’s arm, “you can’t.”

“I can’t…?” Dahlia raises an eyebrow and shoots a pointed look where Layla’s grabbing her, making the girl let go. Layla’s trying to rope her into this shit, isn’t she?

“You came all this way Deputy, why not just come in, listen to the sermon.”

“Not happening, I already told you, not my scene. Just give me back my jacket, so I can leave, okay?”

“But,” Layla chews her lip, gears in her head turning, “how am I suppose to get home?”

“I saw at least thirty people go in that church, I’m sure someone will be willing to give you a ride home.”

“Oh, uh, I-”

“Brother Theodore, Sister Layla, service will be starting soon!” Someone calls out from within the compound.

“I have to go, I’ll be right back, Deputy!” Layla rushes to say and then runs off towards the church, Dahlia’s jacket still on her shoulders.

“Hey, wait!” Dahlia jogs after Layla, hurrying through the little compound, but the woman vanishes into the steepled church ordained in cross symbols.

She stops, just before entering the door and takes a step back. The crush of boots in dirt echoes beside her before coming to a stop, the looming of someone nearby. Body heat lingering near her side as she looks up at the cross on the topmost steeple of the church.

“You going in?”

“No.”

“Have fun out here,” Theodore tells her, moving to press a heavy hand against the church door.

“Those dogs,” she starts, listening to the barks ringing out around her, “they friendly?”

“Why don’t you go find out?” He leaves her with a smirk, walking into that church.

Dahlia lets out a harsh breath and pushes her hand back through her hair. A breeze pushes through, her t-shirt and thin uniform shirt does nothing to keep out the chill. She’s not leaving without her jacket; her wallet and phone all in the pockets. Music echoes from inside the church as she plops down onto the ground outside it, balancing her helmet on her knees and resting her chin on it.

If your soul has grown weary, and your heart feels tired…

She fidgets with her helmet, chewing her lip. Please let this Joseph guy be short winded, she just wants to leave. The entire place sets her on edge, makes her skin crawl and she wants to hide away.

Let the water wash away your sins…

A cool breeze passes by, a soft whipping sound mingling with the singing. She scans the night sky, searching for her favorite and only known constellation, she has a feeling she’s going to be here a while…

#far cry 5 #fc5 #this is love #Dahlia Hale

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syms-things-5 · 4 years

Text

Clear The Area - Chapter Five

Previous chapter HERE

Warning: Language

Summary: Sarah gears up to explain her choice to meet with her birth mother and finds Chris to be a bigger comfort than he realises.

Note: Bit of a shorter one, sort of a bridge into the next few situations...

Chapter Five

It was an unusually cold afternoon in Concord. Sarah had opted for a run for the first time that week and took a scenic route through Emerson Park to view the new sculpture exhibition the Mayor had opened back in March. it was rare she this time to herself and she had found her anxiety spiking pretty badly of late. Running always seemed to help with that.

She circled back around through the local town centre but soon regretted decision when she had to take shelter in a shop doorway during a sudden downpour. Thankfully, it didn’t last long but the strangest thing happened on her way home: she would up buying cream cakes in Bryson’s Bakery a couple of blocks away from their apartment. Hell, she’d put in the effort. she deserved a sugary treat.

Walking into her apartment, she was greeted by an obscene number of shopping bags, suit bags, and what looked like a hat box. There was almost every designer brand she had ever heard of or at least had recognised from the episode of America’s Next Top Model Shan had made her watch that one time. Speaking of which, she could hear the enthusiastic chatter between Shanna, Carly and Lisa coming from Shan’s bedroom and managed to climb over the bags to find her kitchen as she’d left it, complete with movie star hiding out with a newspaper and a beer. Chris looked so chilled out, she was almost jealous. She looked down at her jogging clothes and the few extra pounds clinging to her thighs and then back at him dressed casually in a black tee and jeans, as toned as he ever was. Fucking effortless. Jerk. He hadn’t been to the gym in weeks - something he would proudly broadcast to anyone within earshot - yet still managed to avoid putting on a single pound. He was eating and drinking whatever he wanted. He was just lucky with his metabolism, he explained. It was a goddamn deal with the devil, thought Sarah.

Chris looked up from his paper in time to see Sarah walk in and clock the bags on the floor. It took him all of .4 of a second to eye the box in her hands. He loved Bryson’s. Often, one of the first things he would do when back in town, after seeing his family of course, was to buy whatever they had left in store. He figured at this point he was one of their most valuable customers, probably more so than the unnamed NFL player Chris was certain was Julian Edelman. He hoped more than anything else that Sarah might have a strawberry cream donut in there especially for him but kept this thought to himself until he could ascertain just how annoyed she was with the mess taking up space in her home.

“Sorry, it’s for my birthday party next week. Some designers sent some things over and Mom’s evidently lost her shit. Hey, have you heard of a designer called Migos?” Chris asked as Sarah planted the box down on the kitchen island. “There is a neon yellow jumpsuit by him that I think Shanna has chosen and honestly, it’s the worst.”

“Migos? No clue I’m afraid. Why are they all sending stuff over for your party?” She opened the box and handed him his donut. Chris could have kissed her.

“The production company thinks it would be a good idea for me to have some pictures taken for social media. Show I’m an average guy or something, so they sent some outfits for the girls to wear.” Chris shrugged, too wrapped up in the donut to overthink it. Sarah could have sworn she blinked once and it was gone.

“And you’re OK with that? I thought it was just going to be a small thing? Family and close friends?”

“Yeh, I’m OK with it, I guess. As soon as Mom found out, they all got really excited about it. Didn’t have the heart to say no.” He gestured to his family currently laughing in unison down the hall. “It’s OK. It’ll get Matt off my back for a while, too.”

It wasn’t often that Sarah felt sorry for him, all tall and handsome and wealthy as he was, but she knew he prided his privacy above all things where his career was concerned, and he tried hard to keep his loved ones out of the limelight as much as he could. This couldn’t have been a decision he took lightly. As casual as he was trying to come across now, she could tell her was nervous about it, about what would be said and where the pictures would end up.

“You know I could hook you up if you like?” he offered. “There’s a lot of stuff coming in apparently. I’d bet you look great in Chanel. It’s not neon, I promise.”

“What and spill something on it? I don’t think I could live with myself.” she scoffed, mouth half full of cheesecake.

Chris look a little wistful for a moment as a comfortable quietness fell on them while she enjoyed her cheesecake. Soon, the only sound filling the apartment came from two doors away as someone had clearly made a great choice, the distinctive sound of expensive heels clicking on the wooden floor. Sarah contemplated hiding the other cakes from them and keeping them for herself but knew she couldn’t go through with it.

“Do you think I’m boring?” She asked after a couple of minutes.

“Define boring.”

“How many different ways are there to define boring?”

“Well, there’s...” he looked up from his paper for a moment, trying to think. “No, you’re not boring.”

“OK. That took a while. Appreciate it.” she threw her fork into the sink.

“Who said you were boring?”

“No one, really. Just the other day Greg said I was unassuming.” She made air quotations with her fingers.

“Unassuming isn’t the same as boring.” he reasoned. “Unassuming just means you’re quiet, y’know? What you see is what you get type of thing.”

“And that’s not boring to you?”

“No. It’s nice. It’s....comforting.” He smiled trying to reassure her but saw the concern etched across her face. “Sarah, you’re not boring. I wouldn’t be here as much as I am if you were boring.”

“But I’m no exciting, am I? Like, you wouldn’t call me a risk-taker.” Sarah wasn’t sure if she was asking him a question much less wanting to hear an answer. Compared to some of the people Chris hun out with, she was practically Mother Theresa.

Chris couldn’t work out if she was laying a trap for him here. Her had flashbacks to conversations he’d experienced relationships, times when he tripped up. Do I suit this Givenchy? Do you think your co-star is pretty? Were those sex scenes easy to shoot? Often, he found, there was no right answer. Difference her was that Sarah wasn’t like that.

“Sarah, you wouldn’t suit being a risk-taker. Trust me. It doesn’t get you anywhere fast.” He sounded serious. “You don’t need that shit in your life.”

She was grateful, of course she was, but nothing could stop the niggling doubts in the back of her mind that maybe she played things a little too safe at times. Why did she feel awkward accepting a date with Greg? He was nice and clearly into her. Maybe she was a little too quiet and careful. Maybe she could afford to be a little rash with her decisions every once in a while. What harm could be done? Audrey was right. She could learn to have a little more fun without worrying about the consequences.

“Sarah! We thought we’d missed you!” Carly came bouncing into the kitchen and wrapped her arms around Sarah’s shoulders from behind where she was sat. “Chris, you should see some of the clothes and shoes. I don’t know how you could ever get tired of this.”

Chris flicked his gaze to Sarah who looked a little apologetic, before he turned back to Carly. “Well, I’m glad you guys are having a lot of fun. Figured it out yet?”

Carly nodded. “Oh my god, yes! You’re gonna be so proud of us baby bro! Hey, Sarah? Have you figured out your plans with your folks? They should be arriving soon, right?”

“Um, yeh, that’s a good point actually. I should probably check in to see where they’re at. I’m not actually sure they remember when I live.” She grabbed her phone from her pocket and headed to her bedroom where it was quieter and she could focus on something different. She closed her door and took a breath. This wasn’t what she needed to be worrying about right now, whether a guy she was - at best - half interested in seeing thought she was a “safe” option. Her folks would be arriving at some point that day and she could look forward to spending some much needed time with them. That was all that mattered.

She located Jocelyn’s number in her iPhone and hovered her thumb over the dial, psyching herself up to call. Just as she was about to do it, Chris appeared in her bedroom holding up a garment bah with the unmistakable Chanel logo emblazoned across it.

“i grabbed this for you. Seriously, take a look. It’s pretty cute and it might make you feel better.” he laid the bag carefully on your bed, stroking down the front to remove any creases. Sarah was grateful. The only other time she’d worn a designer brand was at her graduation ceremony and she kept the label attached inside so she could return it afterwards.

“Thanks Chris. That’s really kind.” she smiled at him. Chris paused a second before backing out of her door, aware that she was gearing up to call her folks.

“Hey, just for the record?” he stopped and leaned back into her bedroom, arm leaning on the door frame. “I think you’re great just the way you are.”

Next Chapter HERE

#chris evans #chris fic #chris evans fic #sarah bernette #chris evans x original female character #clear the area #evans fic #Syms Writing

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minkyuvld · 4 years

Photo

come and find me~

“It’s been a while! I have something for you.”

It was only a quick v-live today, just long enough to get the word out. Kyuu had spoken to his manager earlier in the week, and while he knew that the rest of his group had been enjoying the downtime while it lasts, it was close to torture for him. In the last few weeks it had become painfully apparent just how much he relied on PS for support beyond his immediate network of friends and group members. Everything he did, he did it for PS. To read their comments online, to hear them cheering for him at concerts, and to look into their eyes and hold their hands at fan events. So far, he’d mostly used his free time to focus on himself. Sure, he had pushed out a little bit of content, but it wasn’t enough. That’s where the next idea came in.

“I’ve missed you, hello~ Yes, yes I have something exciting for you. It’s going to be happening very soon. Can you guess what it is?”

Already, Kyuu was feeling a warmth that was slowly moving through his body as he read all of their curious comments, PS trying to guess what he would be doing. Of course, mixed between were various comments telling him that they love him, asking where the other members were, and asking for shout outs for various countries and birthdays. It was his pleasure to oblige on occasion, straight after reading a plethora of KYUU NOTICED ME!!!! comments. This is what he lived for. Literally. After letting them guess what he would be announcing for a minute or two, the idol pretended to rummage around in his shirt, humming as he searched before pulling out the painfully obvious finger heart, followed by a very cute laugh and a wink.

“I’m only joking! I always have hearts for PS, so that isn’t a surprise. The thing I wanted to tell you about, is that tomorrow at ten am on our Instagram, I’m going to be having a competition! I’ve tried to make it as fair as possible, but it’s kind of a work in progress so please bear with me~”

Pausing for another moment, Kyuu scanned the chat to read the excitement of the fans, watching them all speculate over what he was going to be doing.

“I will be posting a picture to Instagram with a question for you, one that only PS should know the answer to. For ten minutes our DMs will be turned on, and you can send your answer to us, along with a brief comment about why you want to win the prize... Are you ready to find out what that is?”

Another pause for dramatic affect, allowing PS to build excitement. Before he spoke again, he banged gently on the table like a drum roll.

“The prize is going to be drawn randomly for fifteen lucky PS. Which will be a meeting and a meal with me~ As well as the other lucky winners, of course. I suppose the title of this v-live isn’t correct, since you won’t really be finding me, but we’ll be telling you where I am.”

There was a bright smile across his face as he watched the chat go wild. Both with positive and negative comments. As predicted, there were the international fans who felt slighted by the Korea based competition. There had been some PS kind enough to translate parts of what Kyuu had been saying, which he was thankful for.

“For those of you not eligible for the prize, I haven’t forgotten about you! If you are a winner and you aren’t able to attend the meeting, please let us know if you’ve been chosen. What we will do instead is, when it’s released, send you a signed copy of twentytwenty’s next album. Hopefully this will brighten your days, too. Please do know it won’t be me personally messaging on Instagram, it will be some of our staff so make sure you are extra kind to them.”

For the next few minutes, Kyuu continued talking to the PS in the chat, telling them about his days during the month that had been uncharacteristically quiet for them. When he could he tried to reply to some English comments, in English himself. He told them about his dance cover of La La La and learning with Fantizy’s Yuri, and he promised he’d been resting and eating well. They told him he looks healthy, and the truth is that he kind of does feel it too. As bored as he is, he wakes up feeling refreshed, and goes to sleep feeling content. Not to mention he knew that when he finally went back to work, they would be using his own choreography to promote their comeback. Overall he felt... Content, and he was sure he would feel even better after the competition.

“Okay, I’m so sorry but I need to go! I have plans, but I will hopefully be seeing some of you tomorrow. Goodbye for now, I love you.”

And with his last few hearts to PS, he turned off the v-live, filling with excitement as he thought about the next day.

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

It was funny to think about, Minkyu wasn’t sure if he’d ever put as much effort into a real date as he had done with the event he was hosting today. Well, he thought that this could be considered a date too, in a sense. He was the Nation’s Boyfriend, inviting someone ( people ) to share in a fully paid for meal with him. Even if it wasn’t a romantic date, it was a similar gesture, and he couldn’t deny the excitement that was bubbling in the pit of his stomach. While it had only been announced yesterday, this is something he’d been planning for much longer.

According to his manager, organizing this with the fans online had been surprisingly easy, and out of the random, lucky PS that were drawn to win, there were about twenty that were unable to attend and were going to be sent signed albums in the future. He was assured they were all very excited to meet him, and they’d been sent a small list of rules to follow. They were simple things like the place and times of the event, not crowding around Kyuu, being courteous of other fans also attending, no video recording, and no intimate actions like asking for kisses or about invasive topics. His manager would be there the whole time, and there would also be security at the door... Just in case.

While the whole restaurant was booked out for a few hours for them, there was a private room that Kyuu was waiting in until everyone showed up. He knew it would be awkward if he sat there as they trickled in one by one, especially since, as predicted, some of them were showing up early. At one o’clock they were finally let inside, and within minutes all fifteen were seated, with obvious seats vacated for Kyuu and his manager to join them. There were some at either side of the table, so he could try to spread his time between everyone equally. At the very least, there was going to be opportunities for photos and hugs later, so there would be a chance for all the winners to get their own personal experience with him.

The idol could hear the quiet chatter of some PS mingling with each other, excitement so thick in the air you could almost see it. Which, he tried to get a peek out of the private room door, peering out of a crack he’d made. It was about two seconds before the Nation’s Boyfriend was spotted by a keen eyed fan, a gasp escaping from some of the girls at the table who had seen him.

Peeking his head out of the door a little more, he offered a small finger wave at them, and a quiet greeting of “hi~”. Shyly, they all greeted him back, offering their own waves and versions of hello and thank you. Some of them even began tearing up, hands covering their faces to hide how emotional they were. Once he’d stepped out from the room fully and closed the door behind himself, he offered the fans a bow in a proper greeting. “Hello, I’m Han Minkyu, twentytwenty’s performance leader, it’s nice to meet you~” He was grinning from ear to ear as he spoke, his manager watching close by with a keen eye to make sure everything was going the way it was supposed to.

“It's my pleasure to invite you here, thank you for coming. I’m so excited to get to know you, and I promise I’m going to find the time to speak with each of you.” As he spoke, he finally made his way over to the vacated seats of the table, bowing once more before he pulled it out to sit down with them. The girl that had been lucky enough to choose the seat next to his looked like she too was about to cry, even more so when he made eye contact with her. The idol asked her for her name, and shook her hand gently with his the sweetest grin imaginable, squeezing her fingers between his own and kindly assuring her he wasn’t worth crying over. But, if she did cry, it was perfectly okay.

Continuing his way around the table and flashing smiles at everyone as he went, he briefly asked them about themselves, leaning forward to show that he was listening intently, and that his entire focus was on them in that moment. It was just a little something to break the ice before their meals arrived and they could ask him questions and speak to him if they so wished. Some of the guests were perfectly fine speaking to him, some of them weren’t, becoming even more emotional when his words were directed at them.

The next hour or so was... Fun. The questions he was asked were actually well thought out, once the atmosphere had settled down no one else cried, and they were all courteous of him changing seats once their meal was over so that he could spend some time with those at the other end of the table. Plus, there was going to be some sweets after if they wished to indulge. Only the best when you’re on a date with the Nation’s Boyfriend.

Eventually it was time to start wrapping up, and as sad as Kyuu was about it, he had been looking forward to it. Only because he knew this would be the time where he could spend one on one time with PS. At the end of the day, the hard work he puts in, the late hours and early mornings, and the clothes saturated with sweat after he pours his heart and soul into his practice. It was all for them. To have them look at him with hopeful, bright eyes, telling him that he’d made a difference in their lives. The fame and the money was nice, but that’s what it was really about. It was about them.

Hearing that they cared for him, that they wished for him to stay safe and healthy, and that they were proud of him always hit in a way that was unexpected. Something about hearing it from PS never failed to make his neck and his ears heat up. Almost like it felt intimate. Perhaps, he was craving those words of approval from a loved one more than he thought.

Now isn’t exactly the time to go into it.

Another of the young girls stepped forward once he was finished saying goodbye to the person before her, leaving her with a selfie of them for a memory of their time together. Opening his arms, he allowed her to embrace him, his body hunching over just a little with the action because of how much shorter than him she is. “Hello, Hyun-mi, isn’t it?” He grinned as he pulled back, taking both of her hands in his own “Thank you so much for entering, and thank you for coming. I hope you had fun. I hope I lived up to your expectations~” The last sentence was spoken with a bright smile and a laugh, clearly a joke. Although, this particular PS had something to say about it.

“Kyuu-oppa, you’ve been very busy. I hope you had enough rest during your break, you really deserve it.” The young woman paused, squeezing his fingers back. “You need to take care of yourself, because all we want is for you to be healthy and happy, and you can’t be those things if you’re exhausted. Please promise you’re not working too hard.” The idol swallowed thickly with the words, another quiet chuckle leaving his lips. It was an attempt to hide the action of breaking eye contact and looking down at his shoes for a moment, trying to brush off what she was saying as if it were something casual, and not like the words were digging into his core like knives.

The sentiment that health and happiness is more important than success and perfection is still a concept that’s foreign to Kyuu. His entire life it's been forced upon him, if you don’t succeed then you’ve wasted your time, and you simply didn’t try hard enough. Anything can be achieved with hard work, determination, and talent. The idol prided himself on having all three of those attributes. So, if he isn’t perfect, who’s fault was it really? If he’d practiced longer and harder, perhaps he would have been better. Perhaps he would have been the leader and not the performance leader. Perhaps he wouldn’t be stuck in a group with twelve other boys, overshadowed and constantly fighting for the spotlight.

The doubts in his mind can sometimes be debilitating, words echoing through his head with the voice of his mother. There were often times where he didn’t want to get out of bed, he just wanted to sleep for another hour and enjoy the comfort and warmth before he headed outside to their practice room. Again and again, day after day.

As miserable and drained as he often felt, it was his job to assure her of the exact opposite.

“Thank you so much for caring about me, I truly appreciate it,” the Nation’s Boyfriend responded in a soft tone, a hand coming up to gently cup the side of Hyun-mi’s cheek as he once again looked into her eyes. “I promise you I have been resting well.” He hadn’t. “And I promise you I am eating well, and that I am very happy.” He isn’t. “Being with you all today has made sure of that. PS, people like you, have filled me with enough happiness to last a life time. As long as I have you all cheering for me, everything I do is worth it.” Perhaps, that part was somewhat true.

Another hug was exchanged along with a selfie, and if you squinted you could possibly see the way his watery eyes glistened with the lights from the restaurant. Some would say they were sparkling because he was so handsome. Kyuu knew better than that.

More thank yous and goodbyes were given, the twentytwenty member consoling some fans who were becoming upset once again. Before he knew it, it was over. The restaurant staff were moving the tables and chairs back to their rightful homes, and his manager was telling him it’s time to go. After a thank you to all the staff that served them that day, Kyuu gathered his things and did as he was told, getting into the car that was waiting for them outside.

If anyone asked, it had been a fun, lighthearted day, a way to give back to some fans with some of his spare time. In reality, he knew it was going to keep him awake at night, causing him to stare into the dark abyss of his room, thinking over and over again about the kind words he’d heard today, and the way he would cling to them for dear life whenever he started to doubt if this was worth it.

Han Minkyu had organised a special day to give back to PS, but maybe he was the person who needed it the most.

#solo #vldtask2 #gif credit: user junkuys #ive been writing this for about 5 hours and its almost 3am pls forgive any mistakes #theres 2.7k words of my emotions inside #vldsolo

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hereticpriest · 5 years

Text

Powdered Sugar Chapter 2

Warnings: Kinda nsfw I guess? Nothing actually happens, it’s just thoughts and not super descriptive. Descriptions of domestic violence. Reference to past rape.

Duncan changes before going over to Margaery’s for dinner, though he can’t necessarily nail down the reason why. He puts on a black sweater he hasn’t worn yet and a pair of trim black pants, fixes his hair, and grabs his bottle of retirement whiskey in case Minnie feels like indulging. With such a short walk between houses, he can’t imagine why not. He’s surprisingly fond of his new neighbour, which may have something to do with his instinct to protect kicking in, and perhaps something to do with the fact that he wants her. Both feelings often lived together, as did his insufferable interest in women far younger than him.

When he approaches Margaery’s cabin, he notices her through the window singing while her dog, Theo, dances around her feet and howls along with her. From what he can hear, her voice is beautiful, but scratchy with disuse. He heads to the door and knocks gently, listening to her hush the dog and call out that she’s coming. He hears a crash and almost instinctively opens the door but stops himself.

“Are you okay?” he shouts, and he hears muffled cursing before a response.

“Yes, yes, I’m fine, sorry, I just kicked my gun safe on accident.” Minnie says just before opening the door hunched over with her left foot crossed over her right knee, her hand squeezing her toes. She smiles wryly at him, adjusting her cozy socks, “Sorry, I was going to wear normal socks, but the floor is cold unless you’re by the fire.”

Duncan simply nods, stepping past her into the house when she moves aside for him. He removes his shoes and holds up the bottle he’d brought, smile tugging at his lips when she cheers. The house smells amazing, and he finds himself drawn towards her kitchen. She’s dressed comfortably in a pair of black leggings and a navy sweater dress with pockets in the front, a metal lighter in one pocket and a pack of cigarettes in the other. He likes it. He’s used to his flashy world of bright colours and women dressed in tiny clothes. It is surprisingly sexy to see a woman dressed comfortably. Is this what happens when you retire? You get old and suddenly cozy socks and leggings are sexier than miniskirts and backless dresses?

Minnie smiles as she watches Duncan breathe in the smell of their dinner, Theo hot on his heels for pets. When he bends down to pet the dog, she eyes him appreciatively for a moment before heading over to check the lasagna.

“Hey, Duncan? Can you set the table while I finish the salad? Don’t worry, it’s not a boring salad. I put some effort into it actually being worth eating.” Minnie laughs to herself, slicing grapes into halves with practiced ease. She feeds a couple of slices of apple to Theo as she goes, listening to the gentle sounds of clinking as Duncan puts down plates and cutlery.

“Thank you.” Minnie’s voice is low, almost a purr. She finds it comforting that Duncan is so quiet. He fits into the comfortable hum of her cabin, the only sounds usually the crackling of her fireplace, Theo panting, and the occasional record on her old record player. She sometimes sings, but that is a recent development. She hasn’t felt comfortable or happy enough to sing in a long, long time.

“Are you a hunter?” Duncan asks, his voice quiet and rumbly, and she can’t help the shiver that runs down her spine.

“Oh, no. I mean, I can… I know how. My dad was a hunter. They’re for… self defense.” Minnie swallows around the lump in her throat, “I should… actually tell you this. As my neighbour. I just… I just don’t w-wanna ruin the mood before we eat.”

“It won’t.” Duncan replies simply, opening the bottle of whiskey and picking up the two glasses she had laid out. He pours them both two fingers and slides the glass across the island to her.

“Thank you. Uhm, I… I moved out here for a reason. I was dating a guy and it… I mean, it was the typical abuse story, you know? He was nice and then he began verbally abusing me, and then gaslighting me, and then punching my teeth in. Then, he’d soothe me and apology and say it was never going to happen again. Eventually, after he got drunk one night and raped me when I refused him, I broke out of things and decided to leave. He duct-taped my mouth, tied me up in the basement and kept me there for a week before I managed to get free. He raped me while he had me down there, but he didn’t hit me. I was tied up, so he didn’t feel the need, I guess. The police were fucking useless, as there were no reports of abuse and no evidence of him holding me hostage. He beat the shit out of me again, but a neighbour got me out while he was sleeping and brought me to a women’s shelter. Lived there for a while, got better, got an apartment. Got Theo. And then he found me.” Minnie isn’t looking at him, but she can feel his eyes on her. Theo lays at her feet, comforting her with his presence.

“I got away again, packed up all my shit, and found this cabin. I had been training with my gun since I got away from him the first time. It’s been… Nearly a year, actually, since I left him. Hard to believe.” Minnie licked her lower lip, finally looking up at Duncan. He looked murderous, but she wasn’t afraid of him in that moment, oddly enough. She felt safe, surprisingly.

“What does he look like? And his name.” Duncan asks, and Minnie finds a picture on her phone for him. He looks around Minnie’s age, broad chested and shouldered, maybe the same height as Duncan. His hair is brown, cut short military style, and his eyes are a cold blue.

“His name is Cody Grant.” Minnie informs him quietly, setting the salad on the table and taking the lasagna out to rest and cool before they eat. Duncan sits after she gently touches his shoulder, the contact drawing him out of the dozen imaginary murder scenarios going on in his head. They eat in relative silence, both being quite quiet people in general even without the emotional story. Minnie serves the lasagna when they finish their salad, with Duncan giving soft praise of the salad for being a good mix of vegetables and fruits that actually tasted good instead of tasting like bland lettuce. The lasagna goes down with the same silence followed by quiet appreciation, and the two down the rest of their whiskey nearly in unison.

“Dinner was nice.” Duncan says as he leads Minnie out onto the porch to smoke. Minnie smiles in return, putting her hand over his when he begins to take a cigarette of his own out.

“We can share, Duncan. I don’t know if I want a whole one right now.” Minnie hums, flicking open her lighter and lighting one of her own. She takes a long drag off of it, then hands it over to Duncan, shivering as a gust of wind bit through her clothes. A warm jacket is placed around her shoulders, and she sighs contently, bumping her hip against Duncan’s.

“Thank you, cher.” Minnie hums, taking the cigarette from his lips and taking another deep pull from it. She can feel Duncan’s eyes boring into her, but she doesn’t feel scared. Another puff, and she lifts the cigarette to Duncan, her fingertips brushing his lips as she slid the cigarette between them. It almost felt like he was leaning in to the touch.

“D-do you w-wanna stay for a movie? Uhm… uh unless you’ve got plans, of course?” Minnie hesitated, but Duncan merely nodded.

“I was just going to watch one at home. Company would be better.” Duncan replies, taking a puff from his cigarette, then stubbing it out and walking back into the cabin with her. They watch a romantic comedy together, tucked onto her little sofa together. It surprises her how quickly she finds herself comfortable with Duncan, but he is just a very easy person to be around. Theo lays at their feet, dozing away in the light and heat of the fire. Minnie falls asleep just before the credits, curled up against Duncan’s side. Duncan joins her moments later, the warmth of a body against his lulling him to sleep.

When Minnie wakes, Duncan is gone. His jacket is still draped around her, and she’s tucked under a blanket. The fire has been fueled again so that it wouldn’t die on her, and Theo has only moved a couple of feet through the night. She sighs, surprised to have slept without nightmares, and stretches until a series of pops in her joints break the silence. She makes breakfast, letting out Theo partway through cooking when he wakes up to the smell of bacon. In a particularly good mood, Minnie decides to go into town after breakfast to return her DVDs and perhaps rent a couple more. Her day is dull, but she sees Duncan when he goes outside to smoke, and she waves at him from her own porch, a smile tugging at her lips.

They spend the next couple of days together in one way or another. On Monday, Duncan goes out to chop wood while Minnie is out for a run, and by the time she returns, he’s lost his sweater and his undershirt. She watches for a moment, feeling somehow like she’s seeing something she shouldn’t be seeing, especially when she notices his vast collection of scars. She had noticed the first time she had seen him shirtless, but this was a longer view, and she wasn’t nearly as shocked. When Duncan notices her, he gives a little wave, so she approaches and tries to look at anything but his chest. He’s got a lovely coat of fur on his chest and belly, and she has an awful itch to see how thick it is around his dick. The thought of which immediately has her blushing, taking a not-so-subtle look at his crotch, and stammering about needing to check something at her house. Duncan watches her go, partly because he’s questioning what the hell just happened, and partly because she’s wearing yoga pants that hug her ass so tightly it looks like they’re painted on.

Tuesday, Minnie brings Duncan some croissants and muffins, claiming they are extras from the batches she made and that she’ll never be able to eat them all on her own. Duncan does not complain and is very pleased when the sight of him in his reading glasses has her blushing and stammering again on her way out.

Wednesday, they meet in town for lunch at the local diner and then have dinner at Duncan’s cabin, where they once again drink too much and fall asleep watching a movie. Minnie wakes from a nightmare to Duncan holding her against him, petting her hair and shushing her. She takes advantage of the moment to snuggle in close, enjoying the gentle human contact after so long without. Duncan lulls her to relaxation again, then carries her back to her cabin and tucks her into bed. He lets Theo out for her, then puts him back in the house and heads home to find rest for himself again.

Thursday, his accountant calls to arrange an appointment to look into some issues with his other properties, and he agrees to a meeting on Monday. He spends most of the day trying to decide whether or not it is a good idea to ask his neighbour to go with him. He waits until after dinner, knocking at her cabin door and asking if she minds company. He’s brought a book, and she understands his intentions, so they end up sitting on the couch together with quiet piano music in the background. Her feet are under his thigh, and he occasionally takes a break from reading to rub her ankles and calves when his eyes get sore. It feels right, and good, and neither of them say it, but they both wonder if there’s such a thing as ‘meant to be’. Duncan doesn’t ask her about Seattle until he’s about to leave, and he’s shocked when Minnie agrees to spend Saturday to Tuesday with him. She doesn’t complain when he says he’ll pay for Theo to be boarded, and for her flight, and for the hotel. Minnie just thanks him sweetly and presses a kiss to his stubbly cheek.

Friday, Duncan arranges the trip. He shells out, because he can and because he wants a little bite of what his life used to be. He wants to make Minnie feel special, part of him hoping his actions can speak louder than his words since he can’t seem to find the right ones to tell Minnie how he feels. They’ve known each other less than a month, but he feels at home with her, and his retirement is beginning to feel quite good. He checks in with Minnie in the afternoon to find her packed and cheery, cupcakes littering every counter and her table. She gives him one, and when he gets icing in his moustache, she wipes it away with her thumb, then leans in to kiss away another smudge of icing on the corner of his lips. He melts into it, tilting his head and kissing her as if she were as delicate as a butterfly wing. Minnie feels safe, and warm, and home. Once the kiss is broken, she presses her forehead to his and brushes her nose against his with a smile.

Duncan thinks for a moment that maybe this is what peace feels like.

#polar au #polar #mads mikkelsen #duncan vizla #duncan vizla/oc #duncan vizla/original character

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hollandsmoose · 6 years

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star-crossed (part 4)

A/N: Thank you so much for all the feedback on part 3! So grateful for all the support on all the parts of this series! This is the final part, and I'm honestly so emotional about posting this. So here you go, lads, here's 2.4k of pure fluff! Love you guys!

part 3

—————–

Eventually, Friday comes along, and that means that Shawn has to leave your apartment for the first time since arriving a few days before. The event he mentioned is a record label party, and though he begs you to let him stay home, you don’t give in.

You do - however, find it difficult not to give in to him later in the evening when he’s changed, and you see him in his midnight blue suit, first two buttons of his white dress shirt unbuttoned. Your determination is still strong, though, so you do manage to practically push him out the door, giving him a quick kiss.

Saying goodbye to Shawn seems hard now, but you know there’s an even harder goodbye coming up. He had quite reluctantly told you about having to fly to Toronto Monday morning, explaining that he had to go back for his mom’s birthday. As much as you want him to stay in Los Angeles with you, you know that he has to go.

Maybe it’s a good thing, you tell yourself, I can spend my time alone to figure out what to tell my agent. You and Shawn both fear having to come clean to your agents. There’s no knowing what they’ll say. It's not that they are bad people or anything like that, but the two of you getting “back together” means that they will have to do a lot of extra work. You wouldn’t blame them if they got just a little angry.

When Shawn is gone, you can’t help but feel somewhat lonely. You’ve had his constant company and affection for several days now, and the apartment just feels so empty without him. You settle on the couch, putting on an episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, needing a distraction.

—————–

You’re half asleep on the couch when you hear the door open, signalling Shawn’s return. There are two audible thuds as his shoes are kicked off, followed by the sounds of his feet carefully padding on the hardwood floor. A quick glance at your phone tells you that it’s only 11.30 pm, and he really shouldn’t be back this early, barely three hours after leaving.

“Hi, baby,” Shawn greets you when he sees that you’re awake.

“Hi,” you reply, sitting up a little straighter. “You’re home early.” He smiles and nods, then he joins you on the couch.

He puts his arm around your shoulders, pulling you closer. “I missed you,” You know you should reprimand him for not staying at the party a while longer, but you can’t even pretend to be mad.

You snuggle into his warm body. “I missed you too,” He presses his mouth to yours for a short, chaste kiss, and it’s easy to taste the whiskey on his lips.

Shawn is not yet legal, not yet old enough to drink here, but it’s never stopped him. In Hollywood, the rules have never stopped anyone. You can’t count how many people you know here who break the law on a regular basis. It really is the norm.

“You tired?” Shawn asks, offering you a sympathetic smile.

“A little,”

“Wanna go to bed?”

“Yeah. Don’t wanna sleep just yet, though,” His eyes widen at your suggestive comment, but then he laughs, shaking his head slightly. “Fine by me,”

—————–

“I want you to go to Toronto with me,” Shawn says the next morning while you’re both in the bedroom getting dressed. You’re about to protest, but he speaks again. “I know, I know. It’s very out of the blue, but I’m gonna be miserable without you.”

“Shawn,” you sigh, trying to be rational, though his words cause a flush travel to your face. “We can’t just go to Toronto together,” You pull on a pair of loose-fitting pants, aiming to be cozy. “There are gonna be paps in the airport, and you know it. Besides, we haven’t even told our agents yet.”

A mischievous smirk appears on his mouth. “What if we didn’t tell them?”

You squint your eyes, confused. “What do you mean?”

“Why don’t we mess with them?”

“Them?”

“Our agents,” he explains, rather excited by his idea, and it’s incredibly endearing to see his boyish grin. “Let’s mess with them. You know, not tell them about us and just show up at the airport together,” He pulls his Nike gym shorts up his long legs, and then he looks at you, a glint in his eye. “It’ll be fun!”

You’re not entirely sure how “fun” it’ll be. You’d already pissed off your agent when you had run home from New York, and you don't want to test her patience. Maybe she deserves to have it tested, a tiny voice in your head says, after all she was the one who started this mess. After some consideration, you huff out in defeat.

“Fine,” you say with a small smile, and he returns it with a large one. “But before you ask, I’m not coming to your mom’s birthday,” He stares at you in wonder, and you know you’ve taken the words out of his mouth. “It’s a family thing.”

“First of all... how did you even know I'd ask you that?” Shawn asks, laughing. “And second of all, “family thing”?”

“Well, it's a family event, you know?”

“So?”

“You get so little time with your family,” you explain, and you put on a fresh t-shirt. “I don't want to… well, I don't want to disturb you guys,” You shrug. “And your mom probably won't want me there.”

“What are you talking about?” he says and rolls his eyes playfully. “My mom really likes you. My whole family does!” You sigh heavily, but you can’t help the smile that creeps onto your lips. “I’ll talk to my mom, okay? But if she says yes, you’re coming - whether you like it or not.”

You fake exasperation, rolling your eyes too. “Fine,”

—————–

As you had predicted, there are paps at LAX. In fact, there are a lot of paps. Upon seeing you and Shawn together, it’s almost like they go into shock for a few seconds, but those seconds are all the peace you get. They pull up their cameras after the initial shock has worn off, and then the flashes start going off.

Shawn squeezes your hand with his own, intertwining your fingers. It’s comforting; it makes you feel safe. You attempt to block out all the shouting and all the questions, but it’s not easy. Shawn squeezes your hand once again, and you look up at him. He’s smiling down at you with so much love in his eyes that it actually makes you feel a little dizzy.

You’d been lucky enough to get two tickets next to each other on the same plane. You had really not thought it possible, having to buy tickets with such short notice, but it seemed like the universe was on your side.

Therefore, the two of you - thank God, get to cuddle for the entirety of the flight, a solid five hours long one. You don’t necessarily mean to fall asleep, but you’re so exhausted that you can’t help it. Since your first time, you and Shawn have not exactly been abstinent. It’s hard to think of a surface in your apartment that - at this point, hasn’t been the location of some sort of sexual escapade. It’s a rather impressive feat, truth be told.

When you wake up again, it’s because Shawn is shaking you ever so gently. He explains that the plane is landing soon, so you start to gather your things, packing your carry-on bag.

“Hey,” Shawn says quietly, catching your attention. “When we land, there’s gonna be fans in the airport,” You wonder why he’s telling you; you already know that. You couldn’t spend seven months with him and not know that a horde of fans would be waiting everywhere you went. “Let’s not stop for pictures, though.”

That honestly surprises you. You can most definitely count how many times he’s declined photos with fans on one hand. You’d told him off before for not being more strict with them - especially the airport people. There are always new faces among them, but they are far fewer than the regulars. Somehow, they always have Shawn’s exact flight information, and it honestly freaks you out.

“That’s fine,” you assure him and run a hand through your hair, which is fairly tangled up at this point. “I’d prefer not to take pictures, to be honest. Pretty sure I look like I’ve died.”

He scoffs and shakes his head. “You look beautiful,”

You roll your eyes, giving him a small smack on his bicep. “Don’t lie to me. I look like a corpse,”

“A very beautiful corpse, then,”

—————–

It’s not until you’re in Shawn’s condo that you get that fateful call. You fail to answer your phone the first time, not getting to it in time, and not even a second passes before it rings again.

“What the fuck?” your agent says before you can even get out a word. “Are you fucking kidding me?” Her voice is shrill, and you can sense the confusion and frustration in it. “What the hell are you and Shawn doing together? Why are you holding hands?” You try to give her answers, but she keeps going. “What the fuck is going on?”

“Well, hello to you too,” you joke, attempting to lighten the mood, but you’re not sure it helps at all. “Please don’t be mad at me,” It’s not a plead you can expect her to give in to. “I can explain everything, I promise.” This is the moment Shawn comes into the living room, and he only has to take a look at you with your phone to understand what’s going on.

Your agent huffs out. “You better, then,” Shawn comes to sit beside you on the couch while you tell the whole story, his hand stroking your thigh in an effort to calm you. You give your agent the full details of everything that’s happened, and at the end it’s like her anger has dissipated, a relieved sigh escaping her.

“I can’t pretend I’m not still a little mad,” she admits on the other end of the line. “This is gonna have to be spun in exactly the right direction to be good publicity. It’s a lot of work,” You feel a little bad, but then she laughs. “Though - personally, I’m happy you guys are back together. Even if it makes me feel like a terrible person for forbidding you to fall in love and all that,” Both Shawn and you can’t help but laugh as well in response to that. “But, hey. I’ll talk to Andrew, and we’ll figure it out. People loved that Selena and Justin shit, so maybe they’ll love this too?”

“Thank you,” Shawn answers her, grinning at you. “We’re sorry for pulling a fast one on you guys.”

She chuckles briefly. “Yeah, well, just don’t ever do it again, because I will actually kill you,” You really don’t think she’s joking.

—————–

It’s rare that your nerves get the best of you like this. You’re tapping your foot against the floor mat, your heartbeat rapid as Shawn turns the wheel, pulling into the driveway of his parents’ house. You’ve met his family before, of course, but under entirely different circumstances. Back then, you were his “girlfriend”, and now you are his actual girlfriend - no quotation marks needed.

You’re aware that Shawn has given his parents a run-down, having heard him telling them about your relationship over the phone. So they know what there is to know, but that only makes you worry that they won’t like you anymore. After all, you had been the one to run away with no explanation, breaking their son’s heart in the process.

It’s a worry with not much foundation, you discover when you’re received with an excited bear-hug from Aaliyah who comes to greet you both in the driveway. You can tell she’s being genuine when she says how glad she is to see you again, and it calms you right down. Inside, you’re met in much the same way by Manny and Karen, and you make sure to wish her a happy birthday. You frankly enjoy how she also makes sure to tell you how happy she is to have you here.

All your anxiety about coming here evaporates in the course of a few minutes, as you’re happily led around the house by Karen who introduces you to the other members of Shawn’s family that you haven’t met yet. It’s perhaps a little overwhelming, but Shawn is by your side the whole time, keeping his hand on your back. He’s always been able to make you feel at home, and just that tiny little gesture has you feeling that way in an instant.

While Manny makes dinner a few hours later, Shawn takes your hand and almost pulls you upstairs, bringing you to his old room. It’s not your first time in there, but there’s a different feeling to it now. It’s like being teenagers again, sneaking off to his room for some alone time.

“Shawn!” you whine halfheartedly, pushing at his chest when he comes in for a kiss. “We can't just leave them all downstairs!” He only laughs and shrugs, sitting down on the edge of his bed. You take the chance to explore a little, looking at all the pictures and posters with great curiosity. You'd never really given them much thought, but now you can't help but think of them as some sort of window into his childhood. You linger particularly on an adorable photo of him with his grandmother, and he seems to notice.

“She really likes you, you know?” Shawn speaks, making you turn to face him. “My avó. She told me that while you were in the kitchen with Mom,” A blush adorns your face, and it's only intensified by his next words. “She also said you have good birthing hips - whatever that means.” You giggle at his grandmother’s observation, hardly knowing what it means yourself.

“Well, I'm glad to hear that,” you say, moving to stand in front of him. “Not gonna put them to use just yet, though.”

His hands find your so-called good birthing hips, fingers digging in. “I'm not expecting you to. But they are nice hips,”

You smile at his poor attempt at flirting. “Thank you. Grew them myself,” He returns your smile and pulls you closer until you're straddling him. There's no underlying motive this time, however. He just wants you close. You press a kiss to his forehead, resting your face in his curls.

“I love you,” Shawn says.

“I love you too,” you answer because you do. You really, really do.

—————–

@infiniteshawn @flickershawn @crazyhousemomslife @muffinmendussy @shawnficrecs @fallininyou @peachnpomegranate @rishlo @sauveteen @shawnkillsmeanyway @chambers1998 @couple100miles @mendesftoakley @shawn-mendes-thirst @nikitarosemay

#text #mine #shawn mendes #shawn mendes fic #shawn mendes fanfiction #shawn mendes imagine #shawn mendes oneshot #shawn mendes fluff #shawn mendes fanfic

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alphawolfice1989 · 5 years

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Barney and Robin moments in Season 4

Okay, here’s the list of B/R moments I noticed and loved from the second half of Season 4: 4.13 -This one was bereft of B/R moments, considering they didn’t even share a single scene. But I have to give mention to how sexy Barney is in this episode. I don’t know what it is exactly, but he’s fantastic in this episode. -On a side note, I’ve always wondered where Robin is when Barney and Ted bring “Puzzles” upstairs after they leave MacLaren’s. She’s living in the apartment, so you’d think she’d be present, especially since Lily’s out of town and she can’t be at work either because she doesn’t have a job yet. -(As we’ve already discussed) Marshall and Robin’s conversation foreshadows one of the problems of the B/R relationship to come and how the group tries to force their idea of what it means to be in love onto B/R and the disaster that follows because of that. 4.14 -This is a B/R goldmine. Of course there are the obvious things like Barney being so distraught after hearing about Robin’s deportation that he drops the letter he was holding, and then being willing to marry Robin (and even trying to propose to her). But the part where Barney says he doesn’t think he can use any of the footage he already has of her is interesting too. I still don’t believe he actually has a sex tape, so it’s fun to surmise what footage he could be talking about. It could be Robin Sparkles’ videos or old Metro News One shows (but why couldn’t he use those?), or depending on how sleazy you believe him to be I still remember that line that got cut from “Glitter” but was on the extra DVD footage about how Barney gave Robin a stuffed bear as a present but it actually had a hidden camera inside so he could record her in her bedroom. -Once again, we are shown Barney going to tremendous effort to help Robin and make her happy. I love Future Ted’s line “Thanks to your Uncle Barney we got to keep Aunt Robin”. -The scene at the end where they hug is perfection. First, right after her initial quick hug, Barney looks so shy and bashful, receiving such praise from her. But the second hug….the way she looks at him and the way he looks at her, and then she throws her arms around his neck, hugging him so tight, and his hand stroking over her hair, it’s just beautiful. I also love the way they look at each other as they’re pulling back from the hug. It’s hard to see because they cut away really quickly, but they’re both smiling, staring into each other’s eyes and Barney slides his hand down to her hip. 4.15 -Robin is very resistant to the idea that Barney has a girlfriend, and then when they’re following his cab, she looks upset and says that Narnia line being debated above. - Barney is so embarrassed that his mom said he calls her every day in front of Robin, but Robin thinks it’s cute. -When Barney’s fake wife comes down the stairs, he immediately looks nervously to Robin (and doing the introductions too), afraid of what her reaction will be. And Robin does seem the most angry of the group, and she's the one to confront Barney about this “wife” and “son” before he tells them that they’re both fake. -When they’re all waiting around for dinner, right before Ted goes to talk to Margaret by the table, Robin can be seen behind the couch looking at a childhood picture of Barney and then actually picking it up to study it. -After he flubs his lines at dinner, Robin defends the little boy playing Barney’s son, and after she speaks up Barney listens to her and just tells the kid to go eat his ice cream. Later, when he “cries” after they find Ted and Margaret kissing, Barney and Robin exchange an impressed look. -And of course the scene at the end where his mom tells him if he meets someone special not to run away but to try, and then Robin comes to the door and they have that look and smile in the cab.

4.16 -When Robin is laughing over a monkey wearing two tuxedos, Barney’s just stares raptly at her, watching her laugh and smiling because she’s laughing (also, interestingly enough, Barney had footage of a monkey in a suit – the funnest thing Robin can imagine – in his video resume). -Robin smiles over at Barney when he gets so hysterical about the pants story. -Barney reveals the fact that he really hates that Ted and Robin are living together. 4.17 -This episode hints pretty strongly that deep down Barney is actually okay with the idea of marriage, and that kind of connection is something he even longs for subconsciously. 4.18 -This, once again, shows how alike Robin and Barney are because they are the only two who seem to know what all the sex acts are at Canadiansexacts.org. -In the very first scene where Robin reveals she once went home with a celebrity, Barney and Robin are sitting very close together, so close their arms are pressed together (and much closer than even Marshall and Lily, who are married!). -When Robin is telling the more provocative parts, she keeps looking over at Barney, including the part where Lily guesses the “Sticky Flapjack” and Robin says “That I would have done”, to which Barney looks intrigued. -Barney thinks Robin is talking about him and he’s flattered, but more interestingly he brings up a time when he “only put the mask on as a joke” (and he even says “for the last time”, like they’ve discussed this event many times already). He can’t be referring to the “Sandcastles” incident because Robin is talking about a time when she went home with a guy but he wanted to do something so freaky she left without anything happening between them. So at the very most Barney must be referring to one of the times he propositioned her that he alludes to in Season 3’s “Ten Sessions” (although I did see it suggested somewhere that maybe Barney hit on her when she was over at his apartment during “The Possimpible” because with all the costumes he had lying around that he used in her video, he could have easily had a mask that he put on too).

Also in 4.17, though it's technically a T/R moment since they're the ones making the pact to marry at 40, one could draw parallels between the fact that they had both Barney and Robin bring up marriage in the same episode, showing that they're both open to the idea, at least at some point in the distant future.

4.19 -Barney and Robin are so great together, but even more so this is an episode where you can really see Robin’s appreciation of Barney. She loves this side of him. She loves it when he’s being ridiculous and zany like this. They’re just having so much fun playing together, but especially it highlights how much Robin enjoys Barney’s company. It really shows how Robin is the perfect woman for Barney and he is the perfect man for her. -When Barney first says “Challenge accepted”, Robin is smiling in delight. And when he begins his speech about how he’s going to do everything on the list, she’s looking up at him in awe with a hint of “The Fight”’s level of attraction/desire. -Robin chooses to spend the entire weekend constantly with Barney when she did not have to go along with any of his stunts at all (which again proves how much she enjoys his company and how perfect she really is for him and he for her). -Robin is concerned for Barney’s ear, both when he first pierces it himself and later at the bar when it has become infected. -Barney and Robin similarly both want to stay young while Ted wants to be old, showing their connection and compatibility. -Of course their joint phone call is adorable, and the fact that they made their own anti-Murtaugh list together. -I love the little looks Barney and Robin keep exchanging in the scene where they show their list to Ted. And she seems so impressed with Barney when he raises the stakes on the bet. -Their little rave dance is too cute (and I think it’s funny that they together probably helped to unknowingly rob that apartment). -Robin is the one who insists Barney call off the bet for his own good. Also when Barney says after laser tag he needs to go to the hospital, he’s looking directly at her, like he knows she will go with him or at least he knows that’s an answer to her concerns for him. -At the very end when they’re toilet papering the laser tag place, when the manager first comes out, Robin looks very concerned for Barney and what will happen to him. Then when he says Barney is reinstated, Robin is grinning with happiness for him. And when he takes it back, she looks concerned again and even starts to approach Barney. 4.20 -At the beginning when they're talking about Ted not hiring an assistant he can sleep with, Barney and Robin keep sharing little looks and smiles as they jointly make fun of Ted. -There are a ton of very obvious moments from Barney, of course, with him being so upset that Robin is sleeping with Ted’s assistant, but then also when Barney reveals his feelings for Robin to Marshall. But what I really love is this very subtle moment when Barney storms away from the table after first hearing that Robin is sleeping with PJ, and you can see him in the background, standing there dejected with his head and arms actually facedown in defeat on the bar. -It’s very telling that after learning Marshall has known all along, the first thing Barney says is “you’ve been laughing at me behind my back this entire time”. He just automatically jumps to those insecurities that of course M/L would think it’s ridiculous that Robin would ever want to be with him. But then he’s so touched when they’re actually being supportive instead and think Barney and Robin would be perfect for each other. It’s like it gives him this little vote of confidence. -It is certainly a case of foreshadowing that in the episode immediately following “The Murtaugh List”, which makes it so clear that Barney and Robin are perfect together, Robin describes her ideal man as “smart, funny, passionate, challenging” which is an exact description of Barney. We’ve seen countless examples of Barney’s intelligence, and how he challenges Robin. If we’re talking passion in a sexual sense, we’ve seen plenty of that between B/R too, and if we’re talking passion meaning enthusiasm and dedication to a goal, “The Murtaugh List” immediately preceding 4.20 was a shining example. And the very next episode, 4.21, shows us how funny Robin thinks Barney is.

I love "Murtaugh". Like you said, it shows how perfect they are for each other in a million different little ways, and also how they have the same kind of life philosophy. Plus, it shows how much fun they can be together. And I don't know why, but not only do I love that Robin goes along with all of Barney's crazy stunts without him asking, I also love that she does it all without seeming affected by it while Barney is exhausted. I have no idea why I find that funny, but I always do.

And yes, I think it's super cute/sad that Barney's insecurities make him jump immediately to the thought of Marshall and Lily laughing at him and making fun of him behind his back. And Robin's description of her perfect man definitely does seem to fit Barney, and I obviously think that was on purpose.

4.21 -There is this really cute interplay between Barney and Robin at the beginning when Barney starts talking about girls who names end in ‘y’ . Robin laughs at his joke and Barney stops and looks over at her with this look on his face like he’s very pleased that he made her laugh. And when he looks at her, Robin starts playing with her hair, putting it behind her ear. Then in the middle of his monologue on the origins of the 3 Days Rule, Robin starts laughing hysterically, and Barney glances over to her again, quite pleased with her laughter and it seems to spur him on in his story. And again, right before they cut away to the theme song, when Barney says “True story”, Robin giggles at him, and Barney turns to her, smiling at her laughter. -When Robin says Ted having only three months to live would be way more shocking than gay dreams, she mimes a head explosion with her hands in the exact same way that Barney does in “The Leap”. -In the tag scene, when it first fades in from black, Barney’s got his arm up around Robin on the back of the booth and they’re sitting very close, smiling at each other, and staring intently into one another’s eyes. Barney is the first to look away, but Robin keeps staring adoringly at him. It’s only when Stan comes that Robin looks away and Barney removes his arm from around her. 4.22 -There’s this great little look between B/R when Barney says “B-smooth don’t do nothing roughly” when they’re talking about how many women Barney hits on in a week. -They make a point of highlighting how Robin has also supposedly had a high number of sex partners (and they touched on this a little in the past when she was dating Ted), yet another thing she and Barney have in common, sharing a healthy desire for sex and the ability to separate the physical from the emotional (except for with each other), and one would assume then also not judging each other based on their pasts. -Robin shows a fascination with Barney’s list of women he’s slept with. Whenever we see her, she is studying this list, reading it over with much more attention then anyone else has shown.

And yeah, while I assume that the number of men Robin has slept with is way (way, way, way) lower than the number of women Barney has slept with, they do seem to share a similar outlook on sex in general. They did touch on that in Season 2, implying by Ted's reaction that Robin had slept with more people than he had, which obviously bothered him.

4.23 -Robin is clearly charmed by Barney’s ‘what up quake’ joke. -When Robin hears that Ted got Tony to dump Stella, she requests a fist bump and then says she’ll be waiting (with her hand still raised) until Ted gets back to receive her fist bump, just like Barney does in “Intervention”. -Ted’s ringtone for Barney is “Let’s Go To The Mall”. -When Lily comes back at the end and mentions the joke Barney told that so disgusted and offended her, Barney looks guiltily over at Robin like he’s worried what her reaction will be, or at the very least like he’s ashamed of being called out in front of her. 4.24 -There are so many B/R moments in this one. Of course the Mosbying in the hospital was actually unintentionally deeply honest, particularly when Barney asks her “Why are you so afraid of giving this a chance?” and she answers “Because I’m afraid of how much I like you”. Then of course there’s “With you I want the trouble”, which is classic. -Possibly the most telling moment when it comes to Robin’s feelings is her inner debate when discussing this with M/L at MacLaren’s. She says, “It's Barney”, in a disgusted ‘he’ll always be a womanizer’ tone. Then, a second later, “I mean.....it’s Barney”, in a soft, tender tone, and it’s like she’s stopping and really thinking about all that she feels for Barney and the times they’ve shared. But then she jumps right back to, “But it's Barney”, and the ‘he’s a womanizer’ tone returns again. You can really see the debate within Robin that continues to rage pretty much up to this day: her heart wants him but her heads says it’s a bad idea. (But maybe now that Barney has gone so far as to become an engaged man, it will show Robin that she was wrong about him. Of course what happens in the aftermath could bring those fears back…) -I also like how Barney starts out by Mosbying Robin too at Ted’s party. He’s wanted her all this time and yet when he thinks he’s finally gotten her, he’s terrified, doesn’t know what to do, and runs away – much like we’ll later see Robin do in “Tick Tick Tick”. -The looks on their faces as they leap are fantastic. First, when Robin leaps, Barney is clearly terrified for her safety. Then when Barney is preparing to leap, Robin looks anxious for his safety too, but then it’s about so much more than just the physical leap, and you can see such excitement and hope on their faces. -I love it that when he lands on the other side they let Barney and Robin share a hug, just the two of them, as a symbol of the relationship they will now start.

https://barneyrobin.livejournal.com/858373.html

#barney x robin #livejournal entries

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impulserp · 5 years

Photo

I could’ve sworn I saw that ‘97 LINER, KATHERINE AKAHOSHI walking down the street! She’s the MAIN DANCER of SENSE and goes by the name of KT. She really reminds me of HIRAI MOMO, can’t you see it?

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Katherine tends to be the more ‘girl crush’ of the group. She slides into the harder concepts a lot easier than she does the cuter side. That being said, she tends to keep this image throughout her time on vlives, variety shows, and interviews. KT simply does not do cute, and if she does, it is begrudgingly. Though, this is only an act, for the most part. While Katherine is rough and tumbles off stage, and is a tomboy above all else, her true personality is a lot less masculine than she portrays on camera. The brash American is a bit of what she has been cast into rather than something she feels reflects more than just a surface level aspect of her personality. She cries very easily, something her stage persona wouldn’t do. She is quite cuddly, enjoying physical affection, something her stage persona wouldn’t like. Her love of Disney Princesses is something her persona could and would never declare. To say she is jealous of her members for having cute plush toys given to them or more adorable fan interactions would be an understatement. While Katherine is very happy she rarely gets asked to do aegyo except for times where it is played off as a joke, she somewhat yearns for the kind of fan connection her other members have.

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If given the chance, Katherine would show off her softer side true. A very emotional and passionate being, she isn’t just the tomboy the company has pushed forth. The femininity she struggles to show both on and offstage would be more present. Less resentment towards anything girly. While she is still not a girly person, Katherine thinks her current image is rather ridiculous. She feels she can have girly interests such as princesses, pink and flowers while still being a tomboy, and if given the chance, she would show more depth to herself. Whether or not this would be successful is uncertain. Katherine knows she is there to appeal to girls. Boyish personality, mixed in with a ‘strong’ attitude means anything soft would take away from the 'girl crush’ image.

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Picture of supposedly her underage drinking in the States as a teen. (it was her). Light Entertainment released a public statement that it was not her, and given how blurry the image is, it has been deemed debunked. Some anti-fans still bring it up.

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Trigger Warnings: Casual Racism

They were young when they knew they were going to have a child. And both reminded each other that they can get through it. Neither of their parents agreed with them having a child at such a young age, but John had a duty. He could still go to school and work to make ends meet, as a friend working the night shifts would be able to watch the child during the day. He was going to take care of his child, regardless. Only a few weeks after Katherine was born, her mother walked out. No trace, no note, just the clothing from her side of the closet was gone, her shoes and keys. Any trace of her was removed from the house.

And there John was, holding onto his daughter knowing he was the only thing she had. He dropped out of his studies, putting in the effort during the night to make sure Katherine was taken care of. A decent job writing freelance made it easier for him to be home full time, even if the pay wasn’t very consistent. A smaller apartment in New York would do, for now. The single room would be for her, and the couch would be for him. Even if money was tight, he wanted to make sure Katherine didn’t feel any of it.

With each stage Katherine had, her father made sure she got to experience it. The love of princesses and Disney films was the phase she never quite grew out of. Taking extra articles to make sure she could have the toys she wanted for whatever movie came out. Making whatever cuts he needed to ensure that Katherine could be given the dance lessons she needed to ‘be like a princess’. While eventually, Katherine grew out of her princess stage, going so far as to deny she even had one for a good chunk of her pre-teen years, dance had always stuck with her.

Her schooling was never impressive, Katherine found her way into the rougher of circles, dance was the one thing she excelled at, and felt she was skilled in. Katherine was passionate about it, spending most of her hours ignoring her schoolwork in favor of long practices.

A group of students, erroneously mistaking her for Korean, asked if she knew of the Korean Pop dances and if she was willing to teach them. With corrections to her being Japanese, and no she could not teach them a language she didn’t know, she agreed to help them learn the dances. The troupe was born. A few videos on YouTube were just for fun, to share their dances with online friends and to send it to family. Nothing special. And Katherine was enjoying the music. The industry had an interesting selection of music, mainly solo artists, that she followed. And the groups had fun dance numbers to learn. From boy groups to girl groups, Katherine and her troupe were learning just about anything that caught their eye.

Being cast was an accident. The reason for joining the dance troupe was never to be noticed by an entertainment company. It anything, it was a way to get in extra practice before eventually working a teacher for the dance studio she attended. A record to show that she was a capable dancer that could easily teach a new line of future artists. But at sixteen, the offer presented her a future she couldn’t pass up. Perhaps be a woman younger girls can look up to, fantasize about being, much like she did with her princesses.

Katherine took the opportunity to be a trainee under Light Entertainment. Adjusting to everything was rough. The amount of dance and vigorous training was nothing new to her. She had already subjected herself to that regiment back in the States to ensure her goal as a dancer would be met. The culture was different. The loud, abrasive personality she had didn’t gel well with the more conservative Korean culture. The language and her thick accent prove to be extremely difficult. While attended an international school, the Korean lessons were never easy for Katherine. Even now, speaking and reading it is fine, writing it is still just as difficult as it was when she was learning the language.

After three years of trying her best to adjust to life as a trainees, Katherine’s name was tossed around for a possible girl group. And Katherine felt her stomach flip. Even with all her time preparing for debut as an idol, the idea becoming something tangible never felt real. She wasn’t exactly idol material, still. Her personality was still a bit brash for a girl group, especially given Aurora’s original concept. The idea of cute or aegyo being thrown her way was out of the question, but it was a contract she signed. As debut rolled closer, and everything was being set, a bit of relief fell over Katherine. A group that focused more on dance songs was more her style.

Though, debut was still not easy for her. The language was the biggest issue. Katherine, during interviews, was particularly slow to answer questions as she translated them in her head before answering. She often lost words or phrases and was unable to find the right Korean replacement. Netizens and the public were not impressed.

After three years, her Korean had gotten leaps and bounds better, often earning compliments from hosts after seeing her improvements. The struggle is still there. As Sense constantly moves concepts, the cuter, more silly ones don’t feel like Katherine at all. Smiling through them, pushing through the cutesy choreography and lyrics proves itself to be difficult. With fans, mainly girl fans, Katherine knows she has to stomach it for those who look up to her.

#im.follow

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timelock97 · 5 years

Text

Out of Order Love

Chapter Three: Getting Started

tomhollandxreader

Summary: It was meant to be a fun time in Vegas. Spending time with the best friend and celebrate getting done with college to turn the page to a new chapter in life. If only (Y/N) realized she would be turning a few extra pages by accidentally marrying her favorite actor.

Word Count: 1508

Part 1 Part 2

It's been two weeks since Emily and I left Las Vegas. I talk to Tom on a daily basis, and I have been trying to get my life in order before he flies out. He has one more interview in London and has explained to me that this is the one that he'll have to tell 'our story'. I rub my eyes, trying to get the strain out of them as I search for an apartment on my laptop that I think he and I will like.

My phone buzzes next to me. Flipping it over, I see that it's him. "Hey." I murmur as I continue to scroll, wedging the phone between my ear and shoulder.

"Hello, love." I smile at the pet name. "How are you? How did telling your parents go?"

I let out a sarcastic laugh. "Oh, well, it kind of went how I expected."

I had explained it to my parents separately. Being a daddy's girl, I figured it would be easier telling him first, leaving out the fact that we had had sex, of course. He thankfully wasn't mad, he cancelled appointments that day to help me with the legal stuff. He was glad when I told him that Tom was moving to (W/Y/L) so I wouldn't be going anywhere. My mom on the other hand had a cow. Mom argued with me for about twenty minutes until I explained to her that since it was a new relationship we wanted to see how it went. If it didn't work out then we would figure it out. My brother simply stated if Tom hurt me, he would hurt him, typical overprotective brother speech.

"I'm glad it wasn't awful." Tom mused.

"Well, 'wasn't awful' is not how I'd say it, but it could have been a lot worse." I laugh, typing in another location slightly further away from my new job. "Ya know what?" Tom lets out a small hum, signaling me to continue, "I actually really dislike all these apartments I've looked at today."

Tom laughs on the other side of the phone, a laugh that makes me smile instantly. "I wondered why I hadn't gotten anything from you today." He teased.

I sigh and shake my head. "I'm serious, these apartments are awful, they are closer to my job at least. The furthest in this list is only twenty minutes away."

"That's not bad-"

"But it's a no pets and the one they are offering were former smokers."

"Ah,-" he pauses- "Yeah I guess that doesn't work."

"Oh gosh," I murmur, "I'm sorry, I'm rude. How did your family take it?"

"You're not rude, love. They were not happy, but reacted differently then I expected as well. My mum didn't believe me when I told her about how we met. As soon as I finished explaining to my family, she is dragging me into the kitchen and goes, 'there is something else going on and I demand to know. You never keep anything from me, what's different now?' So, I explained that you and I were going to see how it went. If we didn't work, there would be no hard feelings."

"That's what I told my mom too. God, she was furious." I laugh, shaking my head at the thought of arguing with my mother.

"At least that's over." He lets out a long breath before continuing, "Now, may I ask a question?"

"Shoot," I lean back in my chair so I don't continue scrolling and move my phone from one ear to the other.

"You had mentioned that the apartment did not allow pets, did you get one and that's why you are looking...?"

"Oh, well," I pause, playing with my lower lip. "I just thought, I didn't know if you were planning on bringing Tessa. I wanted to make sure that if you did, that we wouldn't have to worry about it." I shut my eyes, worrying about my jumping to conclusions.

"I honestly never thought of that. I mean, that would probably be for the best if I was moving out to you. Especially since I will be there for three months." He lets out a short laugh, "At least one of us is thinking about that."

"Okay, I just wanted to be sure."

"Thank you for thinking about that, love."

"No- no problem," I stutter.

"You know, if you and I will be living together with Tess, why don't we look at something bigger? I already think that it is a complete pain to take her outside from my apartment here in London."

"Like a condo?" I wedge the phone between my ear and shoulder so my hands are free to type.

"Yeah, that would be fine, or maybe a small house."

"I've looked at houses, there is nothing to rent that is close enough."

"Send me whatever you like, and we can narrow it down to three or four and go look at them."

"Sounds like a plan to me." I smile, , "How long til your interview?"

"Not long," he pauses. "I actually have to hang up now, darling."

"That's alright, I'll talk to you later."

"You too, love. Bye." The line goes quiet as I pull it away from my ear. Sighing, I go back to house hunting, hoping that the search will be much faster now.

"Thanks for driving with me to pick up Tom and Haz, Em."

"My pleasure!" She squeals, "Plus I can record the 'happy reunion.'"

"Yeah." I smile.

"Are you nervous?" She pokes my side causing me to flinch away.

"Don't do that, I am driving." I say swatting her hand away, causing her to giggle more. "I am nervous about the paparazzi, and him meeting my parents and other friends. Besides that no, Tom and I have discussed a lot of things so I'm not too worried about much else."

"That's a good thing, you have your priorities straight, and I wondered why you put so much effort into your appearance today! I thought you were just trying to look good for your man." I roll my eyes as I switch lanes heading to the airport. We ride the rest of the way there in silence until I am parked in the 'pick up' lot. I grab the small sign from the back seat before locking the car. Emily giggles, "Holland, Tom Holland?"

"He always said that it's a dream of his to play James Bond, so I thought it would work."

"You really are a fangirl." She giggles while linking arms with me. Inside is a little more hectic. There are security holding back groups of fangirls and paparazzi and when we walk in a security guard walks over and asks for I.D. which is understandable with the situation at hand.

"Your hubby is responsible for this chaos." The guard complains, handing back the I.D.

"I'm sorry, I asked him to fly to the next airport since its smaller, but it didn't work out."

"Well,-" the security guard sighs,- "I'm just glad this isn't everyday." He waves at us as Emily and I make it to a side where we can see when the boys get here.

It doesn't take long for the crowd to cheer louder, basically screaming. I find Tom in the small crowd with Harrison walking slightly behind him with a few security guards. He takes a few pictures and signs a few autographs before he sees me. I watch as his smiling face lights up more than I thought was possible. He laughs before moving a little faster toward me, Emily pulls out her phone and records as Tom runs to me, me meeting him partway, and picking me up, spinning me in a small circle. "Thanks for picking us up, (Y/N)." He mutters in my ear.

"What kind of wife would leave her husband and his best friend stranded?" I tease.

He laughs in my ear then sighs. "I'm going to kiss you, is that alright?"

I nod against him as he sets me down, taking my face in one hand and leaving the other on my waist, he presses his lips to mine. The kiss doesn't last long, but it doesn't have to. It's the first kiss I've had in a very long time, and it causes all sorts of emotions to erupt. He pulls away and rests his forehead to mine and smiles at me. "Ready to go home, handsome?" I murmur, still slightly flustered from the kiss. He nods and grabs his bag before waving at the crowd one last time, leaving the airport. Security walks us to my car and once we are all inside we let out a sigh of relief.

"Well," Emily interjects, "That was something."

"We're used to that." Harrison laughs.

Tom looks at me as I finally get us back out to the highway. "Think we fooled them?" Tom smiles.

"I don't know, Holland, what do you think?"

Tom grabs my hand and holds it, making me smile slightly. "I think we did."

Part 4

#tomhollandxreader #fakedating!tomholland #husband!tomholland #tomholland2013 #tom holland #accidentalmarriage!tomholland

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rorykillmore · 5 years

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what kind of gifts would your roster like receiving? what do they like giving?

hmmm....

a good ask in time for the holidays,

lucille likes books, rare or first edition books especially, though i imagine on denny she’d also appreciate people getting her old music records or something as a kind of extension of that. she just. likes old things. and she likes things that are kind of pretty and a bit dark at the same time. if all else failed you could get her like, some kind of insect themed pendant or something, because she likes insects,

as for what she gives other people, it probably depends on the person, but her gifts probably tend to have a sort of... timeless unusual quality to them. she finds very unusual but strangely fitting things for the people she knows well

siobhan is kind of ??? about gift-giving, so she’d probably be startled into liking just about anything someone got her as long as it was someone she actually liked (a limited category,). she probably has a growing affinity for like, southwestern style decorations and jewelry and like, handmade stuff like that, so you’d probably be able to impress her with that.

i feel like she is a TERRIBLE gift giver though. she’s probably a gift card person because “here go spend some money on something you actually want” is more her style, and she’s generally not very personal. thankfully the exceptions are people like red, and siobhan could probably find like a pretty feathery charm or something a raptor could rare, or else just offer to take her out to do something she likes, like hunting.

sara is not really picky, she’s pretty appreciative of like, anyone going out of their way to get her something as long as they’re not too insistent about it being for some very personal occasion like her birthday or something. she likes jewelry, but especially rings, which she likes to kinda collect and vary with her day to day outfits. and she. admittedly likes weapons. like you could get her a cool bo staff or a pretty set of throwing knives and she’d be happy. but she’s also a sucker for like... gifts with a lot of personal meaning behind them, even if they’re very simple.

as for what she gives out, she’s actually a really good gift giver! she has a talent not only for reading people well, but being pretty conscious and articulate about their strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, so at least once she’s comfortable in a dynamic she usually has a pretty good idea of what to give someone. she’s oddly the kind of person you’d go to if you needed advice on what kind of present to get for someone else.

dolores likes stuff she can keep as mementos. so like, picture frames, distinctive jewelry, unusual hair ornaments, that sort of thing. on denny she might also appreciate any kind of gift that ties into a unique experience she hasn’t had, like tickets to a show or something. but beyond that i don’t think she really has strong set opinions about what kind of gifts she prefers, because she doesn’t have a lot of experience with that. oh but! an easy go-to is horse care stuff, because she’ll love you if you love her horse,

i think the gifts she gives out probably run in a similar vein of being very... personal and tied to some memory a lot of the time. but she also has a strong eye for aesthetics; she’s good at picking out clothes or accessories that someone would not only look good in, but that say something about their personality. and i think she also just likes... kind of abstract gifts, like just doing something for someone that she knows they’ll appreciate, or doing something special to show her affection.

sophie-anne is the most extra person imaginable, in all senses. if you wanna impress her, you have to pick something flashy. she likes expensive things or just really unique or unusual oddities. shiny, pretty stuff or designer clothes or something that will hold her attention for its novelty or rarity. she also has a lowkey appreciation for vintage stuff and antiques because, you know, she’s 500 years old,

her gifts to other people tend to be pretty... impersonal, like a lot of the time sophie isn’t going to be the person who gives you something special and meaningful. but on the other hand, she WILL spend a lot of money on you, because she has plenty to spare, so there’s that! if she has an occasion to give someone she’s fond of a present she probably just spoils them tbh

camille is honestly a difficult person to shop for, so i’m sorry to anyone who wants to try. she doesn’t really... want for a lot and isn’t really used to the whole gift exchange thing. i don’t know. you can’t even really buy her clothes -- or like, i guess you could, but she only wears stuff that covers a lot and most people don’t know why that’s such a rigid rule with her. idk. most people would probably just give up and give her a gift card or something, unless they were really determined to put more effort into it, but they’d have an uphill battle because camille is... so closed off, i don’t even know if she knows what she appreciates from other people

she doesn’t particularly consider herself a good gift giver either, and often finds herself a little bit of a loss when searching for something for a particular person. but as per usual, she doesn’t give herself enough credit, because the ideas she comes up with or the things she picks out can be a little... sardonic, sure, but also sometimes unexpectedly sweet

sly has an appreciation for fine art, good wine, pretty museum-stolen artifacts... you know!

nah typically if he wants something of that nature, he’ll just steal it. from his friends, tbh he’ll appreciate it if you even just buy him like, a book or a video game or something that says you were thinking about him. or just take him out to eat or something. he’s a pretty chill guy. if you’re looking for something REALLY special, anything with like... some family history behind it or something would say a lot to him, all things considered, because kind of sharing his own family legacy is how he reaches out to people he trusts the most

also when it comes to giving gifts he’s. kind of a disaster. like don’t get me wrong, he loves getting nice things for the people he cares about! you know. really nice things. one of a kind, stolen things. that thing you said you wished you had enough money for months ago that is now suddenly, mysteriously missing from the shop it came from. just don’t ask him for the receipt!

cordelia... honestly you can win cordelia over by just getting her flowers (although check the meaning of the flowers you get her first, because she’s the kind of person who knows them). or, barring that, some kind of supplies for her greenhouse or something. she also likes scented candles, and special charms, and vaguely witch-y stuff like that. and earrings are her favorite kind of jewelry. honestly she’s pretty easy to get gifts for, compared to some of my roster.

when she’s looking for gifts for other people she generally takes a kind of... practical but thoughtful approach. like she’ll get someone something she knows they can use, or something she knows based in prior experience that they enjoy. she also has a bit of a habit of making her own gifts, which - when you’re a witch - is honestly pretty valuable, because we’re talking protection charms and stuff like that.

if you’re looking to get susie a gift try: human sacrifice, ritualistic dance, etc.

just kidding! except only kind of,

susie grew up in a mennonite community, and her family in particular were like, borderline puritanical, so she doesn’t really... have a lot of material possessions, and she’s not used to placing a lot of value in them. plus she’s now rediscovered her true identity as a goddess who pre-dates christianity, so just, how do you shop for that!,

but i think both because she is and isn’t used to people doting on her (does this make sense? she’s a goddess who is accustomed to shows of devotion and that kind of thing, and also a girl who’s hardly experienced that in her mortal life) she’s quite charmed by shows of affection and loyalty and extravagance from people, so any kind of gift or gesture that communicates that. or you could just get her new dance shoes,

i don’t even know how she’d approach shopping for other people. technically she can cheat and discern the things they desire most, but does it really count when you do THAT? actually honestly... susie’s idea of gift-giving can be a bit abstract and potentially like, the wrong side of extreme. it might not be worth her deciding to bestow a miracle on you, depending

and my cats don’t really get the concept of exchanging gifts, so,

#long post #thanks storm!!#cuts dennys lvad wire #numinousbones

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davids69811 · 3 years

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Rhode Island Boudoir Photographer 2831 - Rich Epstein Photography

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Boudoir Photographer Rhode Island

Preparation a wedding celebration is a long process and also can in some cases be a very stressful minute for a new bride. Effectively charging particular wedding celebration issues can get a handful of work from your shoulders, as well as would give you time to concentrate on a specific subject that you would want to be assigned to you. Among one of the most important matters that ought to not be left unnoticed is getting a team of specialist photographers that would certainly record the occasion. Recording your every emotion as a pair as well as your relatives, buddies, colleagues and also visitors is just one of one of the most essential things in your wedding event. Getting a Boudoir Photographer Rhode Island or professional photographers will certainly guarantee you that every little thing concerning your bride-to-be will certainly be captured, from the bride-to-be's make up to the bride-to-be's stroll down the aisle too to the after celebration or function happenings Rhode Island

Remarkable wedding photographs are treasured by the couple throughout their lives. This can be a stunning remembrance of their most unique event that they will definitely prize. Attaining this realistic objective can be done easily as soon as you hire a superb Boudoir Photographer Rhode Island that has the eye for excellence, imagination, originality and appeal. Talented professional photographers can make an ordinary situation appear like paradise. In addition to their premium cams as well as the latest accessories, they use photo enhancing software program that can enhance the image's comparison, brightness, hue and appearance. Unnecessary objects can also be cropped out of the picture to more limelight the subject.

It is also suggested to talk with your digital photographer or digital photographers concerning your concepts as well as suggestions. It is essential to impart your thoughts as well as allow the digital photographer recognize your choices and also hostilities. Let your Boudoir Photographer Rhode Island recognize your total wedding celebration information as well as event schedule as well, for him or her to understand where he or she ought to go to every particular time and also area. Even more relevant details ought to additionally be provided to your professional photographer such as instructions and your call number, in addition to the wedding planner's.

Pre-nuptial picture sessions should also be arranged. Strategy this beforehand and also educate your entourage as well as family relating to the details date and also venue. You can additionally do this before the appropriate wedding ceremony, to save up time and also cash money Rhode Island.

Exactly how to Select a Boudoir Photographer Rhode Island.

Lets admit it, choosing a professional photographer for any kind of circumstance can be challenging, and when you are discussing intimate boudoir pictures, its even more vital you discover a skilled digital photographer you count on. Here are some suggestions of what to try to find, and ask, when you are searching for a digital photographer for wedding bedroom portraits.

1. Meet the professional photographer for a get in touch with. The most likely area to begin looking is with a photographer you are booked with or considering for your real wedding photographs. Bridal bedroom is something of a fad currently, as well as wedding event professional photographers are more than likely used to the questions, or might also have a person to advise if they don't supply the solution. All Bedroom Photographer Rhode Islands worth your factor to consider need to want to consult with you to talk about your session. During that meeting, you need to go over profile's, concepts, limits, as well as any other questions or insecurities you might have. A real professional's answers and attitude need to put you at complete convenience during the get in touch with. Having a photographer that has gotten your trust to develop spectacular pictures of you is essential Rhode Island.

2. Consider area. There are many different design's as well as types of boudoir digital photography. Looks can range from grunge or edgy designs, to haute couture, pin up, and also glamorous flick design plumes as well as pearls. The place where your shoot will take place ought to be in line with the style you and your professional photographer pick to pursue. Despite the style, the location of your shoot need to be a private place you are completely comfy with. The majority of specialist Bedroom Professional photographer Rhode Islands will certainly have private locations available, be it a physical studio room, fancy hotel, bed and breakfast, or a personal location outdoors.

3. Sight their profile. The majority of developed professional photographers will have a great deal of pictures they can show you from various other boudoir shoots. Bedroom is in style presently, as well as lots of digital photographers are offering boudoir sessions with much less experience than desired. Making you look your best in a sexy and also tasteful method takes an ability rather various than that of a portrait or wedding event professional photographer. That is NOT to say a wedding event or portrait photographer can not also be an amazing and established Boudoir Photographer Rhode Island. The factor is it requires time, effort, and also technique to add the electronic camera, illumination, and also retouching skills to shoot bedroom at a high level. A large portfolio with various customers or models reveals you their effort as well as commitment at learning their craft.

4. Do not just go shopping on rate. Most of us have a spending plan as well as you need to select a professional photographer who fits within that spending plan, but choosing a Boudoir Photographer Rhode Island on cost alone more often than not will leave you desiring. See to it you ask the inquiries about session costs AND print prices to see to it you fit with all the rates before you book your session. An accomplished Boudoir Photographer Rhode Island that examines all the boxes above will certainly most likely be in demand with many clients and an active routine. Their services will not be the most inexpensive that you will find, and forever reason. Their proficiency, time, and attention to information has actual value as well as well worth. Its crucial that you discover a Boudoir Photographer Rhode Island that is very first as well as primary a proficient professional, and after that make certain their rates fit your budget plan Rhode Island.

Things to Look For When Picking a Boudoir Photographer Rhode Island.

To start with, I do not seem like it is unreasonable to satisfy your digital photographer face to face prior to the shoot with this sort of intimate photography. They are made use of to this kind of request and also it truly does make the shoot go smoother. After all, you need to make certain that you are comfortable with this individual and that you connect with them sufficient to not look or feel nervous. Ask to see their printed work, which can differ a great deal from what you see online. Pay close attention to complexion. Do they look all-natural? To individuals look as well tan, pale, blue or red?

Ask a lot of questions. Allow the professional photographer understand what the least favorite thing has to do with on your own as well as have them tell you what they can do to concentrate on things that are you preferred. They should be able to tell you concerning flattering posing, lighting to minimize difficulty spots, and so on. Discuss the level of Photoshop that will certainly be utilized. Do you want to look flawless? Do you want to still see your crow's feet? There are great deals of possibilities, and your concept of the perfect quantity of retouch may not coincide as the digital photographers.

You are delegating a digital photographer with your safety in addition to with your pictures. Many specialist females want to know that their pictures will certainly not be shown anywhere which no person else will see them. See to it that this is covered in an agreement. The professional photographer might want you to authorize for authorization to publish in a password secured gallery online, however ensure that this is the only means they can be seen online. See to it the contract states that the photos might not be utilized in any kind of online or print advertising and marketing material.

Inquire as to if the photographer has an advised makeup artist he/she likes to take care of. Typically they have their favorites and also this is something that makes a substantial distinction in the outcomes of your shoot. It is remarkable how an excellent one can still make you appear like "you", yet the most effective feasible you. It is absolutely an art kind in itself and also is well worth the financial investment to have your makeup done prior to your shoot. It constantly is an excellent chance to indulge on your own.

When a lady makes a decision to have actually boudoir pictures taken of herself for an event such as a wedding, a wedding anniversary, or for no reason whatsoever, she may believe that she has made the hardest choice of the process. When any type of anxiety or apprehensiveness at the idea of glamour digital photography has actually been managed and she prepares to explore the sophistication and elegance of the type, it may effectively appear that the most awful mores than. However, currently a brand-new difficulty arises: actually dealing with the procedure. For a newbie to boudoir digital photography, it may be tough to recognize who to head to, who to depend on, and also what to do. Right here are some valuable hints in finding a Boudoir Photographer Rhode Island you can trust.

High quality

If you're going to do something like boudoir digital photography, you're going to intend to see to it it's done right. The most effective way to do this is to look around. The website of the studio in question is an excellent place to start. There you'll have the ability to check out sample pictures in their galleries and see what type of work you'll in fact be getting and obtain a suggestion of just how your end product will certainly look. While evaluating the example images, pay attention to the illumination, the setting, as well as the digital retouching. Not all workshops supply electronic enhancement. You'll also be able to see the credentials of the digital photographer you'll be collaborating with. You'll want an experienced workshop and also a skilled photographer. With the increase of bedroom photography, some wedding professional photographers have started to occupy beauty fires on the side. This may be budget-friendly, but it might not be the level of top quality or experience that you're seeking.

Image as well as Variety

One more aspect of the studio that should have some focus is the sort of photography that they create. If you have a certain picture in mind that you want to communicate, you need to ensure that the studio supplies that choice, as not all workshops run similarly. You additionally need to make certain that they really enable the sort of images that you desire. Some boudoir workshops permit complete nakedness, also allowing the use of suggestive props. Other studios do not permit any nudity whatsoever, as well as there is a whole range between the two extremes. Locating the best fit for you and also the specific pictures that you desire is key in the bedroom experience.

Input

Not all studios offer client input, and this may be a concern. If you do not elegant on your own the artistic type as well as wish to leave the photo work to the professionals, after that this may not be a large offer to you. Nonetheless, these are your pictures for your better half, and they are of you and also you alone. If having a hand in the final choice, the touch-ups, and the procedure overall are essential to you, you need to consider this when picking a digital photographer.

These easy pointers will go a lengthy way when choosing a studio and also seeing to it that it's the ideal workshop for you. Boudoir digital photography is everything about a distinct final product, and also it is necessary to see to it that the results you get are the ones that you want.

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