#((You KNOW it's something serious when Julie (the Cat) sends Ames off to go with Lincoln btw. She rarely does that but it's an emergency-))

[kythed]

I have a fic request for Kuroo! A childhood friends to lovers situation based off the song Take my Hand by Picture This! (Just a cute song that has been haunting me because Kuroo ❤️)

I have been through and stalked your blog and I love it! I also saw the ficmas prompt list and I’m looking forward to requesting those too!

I hope this is okay and thank you so much! Your stuff is a joy to read! ❤️❤️❤️✨✨✨

take my hand

kuroo tetsurou x reader

hope you enjoy <3

five.

“You’re my best friend,” he tells you, swallowing the heart that keeps straining to burst from his throat, to lay itself at your feet in all its humiliating devotion. “Of course I love you.”

And he does love you, he reassures himself, letting you walk ahead of him. Just not in the way you think he does. He struggles to keep his eyes above your waistline, tearing his gaze from the hem of your skirt and pointedly pinning it to the back of your head, where your hair is loosely tied with a glossy silk ribbon. His efforts succeed for nearly thirty seconds before he again finds his eyes tracing their way down your neck, down your back, down to the arch of your waist and the flare of your hips, relishing the curve of your--

Damn it. He abruptly stops in his tracks, rubbing his eyes until he sees only stars. (Maybe if he rubs his eyes with enough vigor he’ll stop noticing things he shouldn’t notice while looking at his best friend.)

“Tetsu,” you say, turning around with a laugh. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” he says gruffly, blinking hard.

He’s not fine.

four.

Life is painful when you’re in love with your oldest, dearest friend. Let Kuroo Tetsurou be the first to testify that when you’ve grown up with someone your entire life, when you’ve made the long, tedious trek from diapers to graduation gowns with them, it feels almost sinful to find yourself slipping into daydreams about pressing that person against your wall, about hearing them whisper your name on soft linen sheets, about kissing them breathless and glassy eyed until the sun plunges beneath the horizon with a brazen wink.

He hates himself for staring at you and hoping to catch you staring back. He hates himself for letting your words wash over his head, unheard, in favor of watching the way your lips curve and curl when you speak.

Most of all, he hates himself for loving you so fiercely in a particular way that would surely sour your stomach and send you running.

“I love you too,” you say, waiting for him to catch up and fall into step beside you. You take his hand and lace your fingers with his as you make your way up the street to your house. The windows glow a domestic orange, dimly illuminating the patch of asphalt before your front door.

It’s nearing seven now-- the gentle clinking of silverware and some sort of faint, savory scent from within inform you of dinner’s impending commencement.

“I know,” he says, cracking a crooked smile. You roll your eyes as he brushes a mocking kiss over your knuckles. “I’m hard to hate.”

three.

Most of the summer passes uneventfully, according to Kuroo’s standards. He manages to keep himself in check, even as he spends each and every day with you, dawn til dusk, savoring your presence the way a starving man savors his last ration.

He manages to treat you almost exactly as he’s treated you his entire life-- like a best friend. He tells his silly jokes that make you giggle and groan simultaneously. He pushes you off the pier when you least expect it, howling with laughter as you resurface, sputtering and flinging fiery invective. He shares an earbud with you as he walks downtown with you by his side, arm slung over your shoulder with carefully calculated composure.

He almost makes it to autumn without incident.

The small, hidden moments are what gives him away, though, layered within false nonchalance and easygoing grins like brightly painted matryoshka.

The way his chest constricts almost painfully when you laugh at a pun he’s ad-libbed on the spot, sending a flurry of butterflies freewheeling in the pit of his stomach.

“It really wasn’t that good,” he chuckles, tenderly watching as tears of laughter prick at the corners of your eyes and you grip his forearm in an attempt to steady yourself as giggles rack your body.

“No, it wasn’t,” you agree, struggling to catch your breath. “It was awful, and that’s what made it so funny.”

(He makes about a dozen more puns that day, feeling like he’s won the lottery whenever you so much as smile at his pitiful attempts at wordplay.)

The way his hands tremble when you turn around and ask him to tie your bikini string before you jump into the lake, the way he bites his lip so some horribly incriminating comment about how he really thinks you’d “be better off without the bikini at all” doesn’t slip out from his mouth.

“Thanks Tetsu,” you chirp after he ties the string around the back of your neck in a neat double-knot. You give him a wink and take off towards the water, kicking up sand in the process. “Last one in buys lunch!”

(He was already planning on paying anyways.)

The way he sits up a little straighter when you lean over and slip a hand under his arms to press ‘skip’ on his phone while you listen to his playlist-- you’re so close he can smell your lip balm.

“Sorry,” you say, smiling apologetically. “I don’t really like that band.”

(Later that evening, Kuroo goes through his Spotify and deletes every single song from that band he has on all of his playlists.)

Yes, he manages to keep himself in check outwardly. But inside, he can feel himself digging his grave a little deeper with each passing day. He watches the sands of summer run through his fingers with the dread of a man counting down the days to his funeral.

He just knows that one of these days he’s going to slip.

two.

He’s right, of course. There’s only so much emotional torment one person can humanly endure. It’s just that he’s hoping he can extinguish this inconvenient, one-sided flame before August comes around. Maybe then everything can go back to normal, whatever normal might entail.

Needless to say, Kuroo’s hopes are dashed before summer comes to a close.

It’s a sticky July evening when you and he drive out to an empty parking lot at the edge of town, a blanket and an old transistor radio in tow. You’re wearing a pale yellow sundress that falls to just above your knees-- he’s glad it’s not any shorter, and that the breeze isn’t quite strong enough to lift your hem.

“I think I can see Orion’s belt,” you say, pointing towards somewhere far into the cosmos. Kuroo squints, trying to follow your finger.

“I don’t think that’s Orion,” he says. “Looks like a cat to me.”

The two of you are sitting on a blanket spread across the hood of his car, craning your necks to make out vague shapes in the stars. Between you, slow, muffled music trickles out from the radio’s small speakers, some sort of vintage tune from the forties.

“How in the world are you seeing a cat?” You shake your head, giving him a hard poke on the shoulder. “Looks more like a swarm of astral bees than anything.”

“Astral bees,” he repeats with a laugh. “Laziest constellation interpretation I’ve ever heard.”

“It’s not lazy,” you protest. “It’s accurate.”

Kuroo just smiles and shrugs, sneaking a glance at you. Your face is bathed in milky starlight, eyes wide as you peer up at the cloudless sky with a blend of wonder and appreciation. There’s some competition, but he thinks this might be the prettiest you’ve ever looked in a single moment.

As if you can feel his stare, you turn to catch his gaze. A gentle smile breaks onto your face, and you absentmindedly tuck a strand of hair behind your ear with the endearing shyness of a schoolgirl. “What is it?”

“Nothing, nothing,” he says, mirroring your grin. “You just… look nice right now.”

“No, seriously,” you laugh disbelievingly. “Is there something on my face?”

“I am being serious,” Kuroo insists, fidgeting with the blanket beneath his palms. “You look good. Yellow suits you.”

You flush, glancing down at your dress. You bought it two summers back, and he’s seen you in it a million times before. This is the first summer where he’s really seen you, though. “Well, thank you. It’s a warm night, so I figured I was better off in a dress than pants.”

“Yeah,” he says softly, breaking eye contact to squint up at the stars. He grins and points, finger trembling slightly. “I think I can see where you’re coming from, with the bees.”

one.

A staticky, syrupy waltz comes on the radio, bleeding into the cracks in the comfortable silence. You sigh contentedly, leaning back onto the windshield. “I like this song. It’s… nostalgic.”

Kuroo cocks an eyebrow at you. “You’ve heard this before?”

“No,” you laugh, biting the inside of your cheek. “But it reminds me of times gone by, you know? Like, this is the sort of music I imagine playing when a soldier reunites with his wife after the war.”

“When he comes running out of the train and drops his bags on the platform,” Kuroo continues, watching you carefully, “only to sweep his girl off her feet and spin her around wildly.”

You nod, sneaking a glance at him. “You really know me that well, huh?”

“Yeah,” he says, eyes crinkling with humor. “But I get it, too. It has that old fashioned romance thing goin’ on.”

“Mhm,” you agree. You reach over and fiddle with the radio’s volume, turning it up just enough to round out the sound completely.

Kuroo sits for a moment, watching you close your eyes and hum along to the music. Then, a sudden boldness taking the reins, he hops off the hood and walks over to you, extending his hand. “Take it.”

“What?”

“Take my hand,” he insists, so you do, gingerly placing your palm atop his. “We’re going to dance.”

“Oh, no,” you laugh, nonetheless letting him help you down from the car and resting a hand on his shoulder. He lightly places his own on your waist, leading you out into the parking lot. “You know I can’t dance.”

“I can’t either,” he reminds you. “But I want to dance with you right now.”

As you begin to sway slightly to the music, Kuroo pulls you a little closer to his chest, letting his chin brush the top of your head. “Why are you into that whole idea?”

“What idea?” you ask quietly, letting him lead you in slow circles around the lot.

“The idea of an old fashioned love.”

“Oh,” you say, laughing as Kuroo spins you in his arms, catching you before you stumble. “I’m not sure… maybe because it seems more constant than love today. Like, today, if you tell someone you love them, it’s a compliment, not a promise. But back then, it was a vow. It meant something.”

Kuroo swallows, looking down at you. His heartbeat pounds in his ears, threatening to burst out of his temples. I’m about to do something I might regret.

zero.

“I need you to do something for me,” he says, voice low and thick with caution. “Close your eyes.”

“What?”

“Please,” he says, voice breaking. He knows that if he doesn’t do this now, he never will. You look beautiful to him in this moment, dancing with him in the empty parking lot to the faint melody of an old waltz. Your eyes glisten with life, your lips gently parted, hair slightly curling over your cheeks.

You roll your eyes once but nonetheless close them obediently, relying a little more on his arms to steady you. He swallows. “Okay. So, imagine we’re living in the 1940s.”

“Okay,” you say, smiling slightly. “I’m imagining.”

“Imagine I enlisted in the war, and I just got back home. Imagine you’re waiting for me at the train station.”

“Mhmm,” you say, trying your best to envision the platform. “You look good in that uniform, Tetsu.”

He chuckles. “I look good in anything.”

“Yeah, yeah,” you say, squeezing his hand. “Get on with it.”

“Imagine I come sprinting out from the train and you’re waiting there with open arms. This song is playing on the platform speakers. I ask you to dance just like we are now.” Kuroo watches you grin, feeling his heart flutter. “Then, imagine I tell you something.”

Unconsciously, you shift closer to him, almost pressing your body flush to his. A breath hitches in his throat. “What do you tell me?”

He leans down, brushes his lips against your ear. “I love you.”

You open your eyes, head cocked, slight confusion cloaking your features. “You mean, like…?”

Kuroo shakes his head. “No. I mean, like, I love you. Not just in a friend way. In that old fashioned way you were talking about. I love everything about you. I’m in love with everything about you.”

“Tetsu…” you breathe, searching his face. He gazes down at you seriously, not a trace of humor tainting his stare. He takes a deep breath.

“I love the way your hair falls in the summer. I love your stupid, annoying laugh. I love how your hand fits in mine. I love the way you rant about anything and everything and expect me to listen, and I do because I can’t help but get excited about what you get excited about. I love you like a soldier loves his wife,” he says, the words flowing out like a river bursting from a dam. “I love you so much it hurts, and it scares me, and I’m sorry if this ruins stuff between us, but I just had to--”

“Shut up.”

He blinks, mouth gaping. “I-- what?”

“I said,” you whisper, gripping the back of his neck and guiding his face down to yours. “Shut up, Tetsu. You talk too much.”

Then suddenly you’re kissing him, and he can’t believe it, but he kisses you back like it’s what he was born to do. He lets you crash your lips into his and watches as shooting stars burst forth and the planets align. Somehow, your hands find their way up into his hair, tangling themselves in his dark locks, and his own travel down to your lower back, pulling you as close as humanly possible, so tightly he never wants to let go. He revels in the warmth of your skin, the icy, tingly sensation of your lips, and when you pull back, it’s all he can do to refrain from pulling you right back in again.

There’s a brief silence. His lips are swollen, his lungs are devoid of air. “I… wow. Just, wow.”

You grin wickedly, slipping your hand into his. “I’ve been waiting to do that for a while now.”

“You have?” he asks, eyes wide in disbelief. “I didn’t notice.”

“Of course you didn’t,” you laugh. “You were too worried about not letting me notice you staring at my ass every chance you got.”

Kuroo flushes but gives a sheepish smile, massaging the back of his neck. “You know, I really thought I was being smooth about it.”

--

As it turns out, you love him back. And not just in the best friend way. You love everything about him, his stupid jokes, his loud, booming laugh, his teasing, his smile, his successes and his failures. You love how your hand fits in his. You love that it took him years and years to admit to himself that he loved you, too.

Kuroo Tetsurou may not be the smoothest guy in the world, but he’s certainly the only one you want. And you’re certainly the only one he wants.

And that’s really the most you could ever ask for.

#haikyuu #haikyuu headcanons #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu!! #kuroo #kuroo tetsurou #kuroo x reader #kuroo tetsurou x reader #kuroo headcanons #kuroo tetsurou headcanons #kuroo imagines #kuroo tetsurō x reader #kuroo scenarios #kuroo x y/n #kuroo x you #friends to lovers

[dream-a-little-bigger-x]

An Unforgettable Halloween | Luke Patterson

Requested by anon:  hiiiii! can i do a jatp luke x reader imagine where it’s halloween and reader runs into Luke and they spend the whole day making Luke forget he’s dead? thanks! <3 love your writing by the way

A/N: Thank you for this request, anon! I really enjoyed writing it! I hope you like it!! Idk why I always need to have the reader and Luke/Charlie singing together, but here ya go anyway. The song used is Favorite Place by All Time Low. :) 

Pairing: Luke x fem!reader

Warnings: fluff

Words: 4,447

Halloween. It’s never been my favorite holiday. My poor, feeble heart can’t handle all the scares and creepy stuff. And besides, it’s over commercialized, in my opinion. Capitalism just needed another reason to exploit a holiday. My best friend, Ava,  tells me I hate the holiday because it reminds me of two years ago when a Halloween party traumatized me for the rest of my life. “Just because Brent made that day terrible, doesn’t mean the day will forever be terrible, Y/N,” she’d always say. Though that might be true, I still like to believe that’s not the only reason why I  hate the holiday. “Just come with me to the party tonight, and you’ll see it’s not as bad as you think it is!” We’re on FaceTime while I’m doing homework and she’s trying to figure out what to wear to the annual Halloween party at Charlotte the popular girl’s house. Another reason to hate the holiday. Charlotte Parks is the typical popular girl trope in this story. Pretty, popular with the guys, a cheerleader. The cliché. “I don’t think I’m gonna do that, Av,” I say whilst tucking my pencil behind my ear and staring down the phone in front of me, balancing against my backpack on the end of my bed. “You know Charlotte and I don’t mix well together.” That’s true. Charlotte has always despised me, God knows why. For some reason unknown to me, she always has to find a way to ruin my life. “Her house is so big, you won’t even see her!” Ava reasons from her walk-in closet before walking back onto the screen, another dress in her hand. This one is a black bodycon number with a white collar at the top and fringes at the sleeves. “How about this one?” “That’s very Wednesday Adams!” I exclaim with a wide smile on my face, to which I receive a very impressed nod from my best friend. “You know Bobbi’s coming tonight, Av. Can’t cancel on her!” Roberta’s my cousin of 13, and she’s one of my best friends, no matter how lame that sounds. We’ve always been pretty good pals, since we’re the only girls in the family. We kind of had to stick together against the testosterone of our other cousins. She’s not actually coming tonight, but I needed a good excuse to get out of this party. “Take her with you!” she yells both excited and kind of desperate at the same  time. “Ooh! How about I wear my pleather pants with, like, a black body and cat ears?!” She disappears into the wardrobe again. “She’s 13, Av! I’m not going to take her to a high school party!” I yell back whilst shaking my head in disappointment. “Wear whatever you want, Ava. I’m sure you’ll look amazing.” She appears into the picture again, her pleather pants halfway her butt and her bra on show. “Hey, is that my bra?!” I recognize that black lace with the gold detailing down the bust anywhere and I’ve lost that bra three weeks ago. “What? No! This is mine!” she says, but I can tell she’s lying. “You are unbelievable, Av!” I shake my head, grinning at my best friend. “I’m gonna have to go though. Send me a snap of  your outfit once you’ve chosen!” She nods her head in response, walking up closer to her phone, which she had balanced somewhere on her drawers. “I really can’t convince you to come?” Her expression has suddenly turned serious. She really is bummed I don’t want to come out, but I don’t care. I can’t care. This is for my own good. At least then, I don’t have to see Charlotte. Or Brent. “I’m really sorry, Ava.... Maybe next year, yeah?” She sighs mournfully before nodding her head. “Have fun, okay? And be careful!” A smile appears on her face again. “I will, babes. Have fun with Bobbi!” She offers me a wave, which I return before yelling ‘bye’ and pressing the red button on my phone screen. Lying to my best friend is not my favorite thing to do, but she wouldn’t shut up when she found out what I’m actually gonna be doing. With a sharp exhale, I crawl off my bed and head downstairs where my parents are getting ready for their little get-together with their friends. Dad’s dressed in a pin-stripe suit, a fake mustache stuck on his upper lip and his hair gelled back tightly whilst mom’s wearing a black dress with a deeply cut V-neck and a large slit down the side. Gomez and Morticia Addams. Very spooky. “Don’t you two look dashing,” I compliment, watching them from the middle of the stairs, sitting down. Mom shoots me a kind smile as she fixes her slick hair. “What are you gonna do tonight, sweetie?” Dad asks, tightening his tie. “Probably gonna go get some food and watch some movies,” I shrug, placing my head in my hand, my elbow resting on my knee. “You know, the use.” Dad exhales sharply, smiling sympathetically. “Don’t give me that look, dad.” “I’m sorry, sweets. But I just wish you would act like a seventeen-year-old instead of an eighty  year old.” I scoff at his statement. We had this discussion last year too. Both of them know what happened and why it’s so hard for me to enjoy this day. But they still give me shit for it. “I’m gonna have plenty of fun by myself. Even more so than if I did go to the stupid party,” I reason with him. He raises his hands in defeat before turning to his wife. “Just make sure the kids get their candies, yeah?” mom says instead, climbing a couple of stairs to press a kiss to my head. “I love you,” she whispers and heads down again. “Love you too. Have fun, guys.” Dad comes up to kiss me too before heading to the door with mom. With his hand on the doorknob, he looks back at me. “You know we only want you to be happy, right?” he says. I nod my head, offering him a smile. “I love you, sweets.” He walks out and shuts the door behind him, leaving me alone in the empty house. I sigh deeply before heading down and grabbing my Vans. Once they’re on my feet, I grab my wallet and exit the house. The cool October air hits my sweater-clad arms, sending a chill down my spine. As my feet tread down the pavement, my mind wanders to this day two years ago. Around this time, everything seemed normal. I was happy and excited to get to the Charlotte Parks Halloween extravaganza with my boyfriend Brent. We’d picked out a great couples’ costume. He was a wolf, and I was dressed as Red Riding Hood. I’d even taken the liberty to go all out with makeup and put a slash near my eye as though I’d been attacked by the wolf. Ava was a fan of that costume, more than Brent was. But when we neared the end of the night, everything crumbled down into shreds of sadness and anger. The residue of that anger wells up again until it’s knocked out of me when I bump into someone, making me stumble backwards. I would’ve fallen on my ass if it wasn’t for the hands capturing my arms to keep me from doing so. “I am so sorry, I--” I stop in my tracks as I look up into the gorgeous green eyes that belong to the attractive brunette that saved me from landing on the cold pavement. “A-are you okay?” he asks, letting go of me. “I--wait…” He furrows his eyebrows in confusion. “You can see me? And you can touch me?” That’s the weirdest question I’d ever gotten. My eyebrows knit together now too, trying to figure out what’s happening and why this boy is so confused about our entire interaction. “Uhm, yeah? Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do with people?” “No. I mean -- yeah, but I’m not a person, technically,” he replies in a mumble. He cautiously looks up at me again. “I’m a ghost, actually.” I let the words sizzle through my brain until it decides to send me into a fit of laughter. “Right, yeah, it’s Halloween. Ghosts. I get it. Good one,” I say between laughs, patting the boy’s shoulder, which only sends him to more confusion. To be fair, he doesn’t feel like a normal person. His arms don’t feel like they’re made of flesh and blood, but rather something light and airy. He gapes at me with this inquisitive look on his face, which calms down the laughter abruptly. “You’re not really a ghost, are you?” I ask, just to be certain. “I am, actually…” he mutters and jams his hands into the pockets of his black jeans. “Me and my bandmates died in 1995 and this girl, Julie, brought us back as ghosts… She’s the only one who could see us… Until now,” he looks up at me with hope and confusion written all over his face. “But she can’t touch us… Are you sure you’re not dead either?” I snort at his last question. “Kinda wish I was today,” I blurt out. My eyes widen after the words left my mouth. “That sounds way too dark…” I chuckle, and the boy does too, but I think it’s more out of awkwardness than finding it funny. “Are you okay?” he asks. At first, I think about answering it superficially, but there’s this look on his face that makes me want to spill all the beans. He, too, seems lonely and distraught on this Halloween night. “I’m not actually,” I glance down at my feet, finding his feet are clad in the same shoes. I then let my eyes glide from his shoes all the way up to his face. He’s urging me to continue by tilting his head a little, shooting me a questioning glance. “Halloween isn’t my favorite holiday…” I clarify. The boy nods his head understandingly. “That explains the lack of costume,” he says, which makes me glance down at my doodled-on mom jeans and oversized sweater before chuckling. “You don’t do the dressing up either? Or is that not something ghosts do?” I query, pointing at his ensemble. He’s wearing black jeans with a shirt and long-lined jean jacket. “I mean, it’s not like anyone would see,” he jokingly says, which lets a giggle escape from my mouth. His smile widens upon hearing this ridiculous sound coming from me. “Where were you going so determinedly before I smashed into you?” he asks after a few beats of silence. “Oh, I was getting some food from the place on the end of our street. They got pretty decent sushi, and since I’m home alone tonight, I thought, why the heck not treat myself, right?” I curse at myself for sharing this much with a complete stranger, who is a ghost, nonetheless, but the chuckle that reaches my ears comforts me a little. “No parties to go to? Back in my day, Halloween parties were always the best.” I feel the smile on my face fade away at the reminder of the Halloween party I’m not attending tonight. “Yeah, no… I haven’t gone to any Halloween party in two years… Like I said, Halloween isn’t my favorite holiday.” He offers me a sympathetic smile. A silence then falls over us as we stand in the middle of the street, looking at each other, debating what to say. “So… I’m gonna go and get my sushi. Uhm… Sorry for bumping into you,” I apologize and lift a foot to start walking away, but his voice stops me. “Would you mind if I tagged along?” he asks, which renders me surprised. “I don’t eat, so you don’t have to buy me sushi, but I think I could use some company tonight… If you don’t mind, of course.” His eyes are filled with hope, and some sort of desire to hang out with someone other than those bandmates he was talking about. “Uhm, no… Yeah, sure. You can tag along. It might be a nice change from that lonely Halloween I always have,” I chuckle, and he does too. “I’m Y/N, by the way,” I say as he turns and falls into step with me. “Luke,” he introduces himself with a smile. “Why don’t you go to Halloween parties, Y/N?” I inhale sharply at this question. I was hoping he wouldn’t ask too much about it. But I guess I can never get out of that question anymore. Halloween is a big holiday around here. “Two years ago, I went to one with my boyfriend. It’s the party where I found out he was cheating on me with the one girl who always had it out for me.” It rolls off my lips with ease. Normally, I’d choke or start bawling my eyes out. But Luke’s aura is so calming and reassuring that I can’t help but feel okay telling the story. “I haven’t been able to go back since, much to my best friend’s dismay.” I roll my eyes amusedly thinking about Ava and her desperate attempts to get me to go each year. “That sucks, I’m sorry,” he says as we enter the sushi place. “You better grab your phone now if you wanna talk to me. People tend to give weird looks at people talking to themselves.” I get my phone from my back pocket and pretend to dial a number before pressing it to my ear, glancing up at Luke with a smile on my face. “Hey, how you doing?” I say into the phone, which makes Luke giggle. “Just know that your ex-boyfriend’s stupid for ever cheating on you,” he tells me before looking down at his feet. “I would never wanna hurt someone as pretty as you.”  I can feel a blush creeping its way onto my cheeks, but decide to conceal it by jokingly saying, “Aw, you think I’m pretty.” He rolls his eyes, an amused smile on his face. “Next!” the guy from the sushi place yells. “Oh, hold on,” I say into my phone before placing it on the counter and facing the employer. “Uhm, the Halloween surprise box, please,” I order politely. The man nods curtly before getting into action. I grab my phone again and press it to my ear to continue talking to Luke while we make our way to a couple of chairs and tables set up for waiting customers. I let my eyes wander around the room. It’s decorated to the max with spiders in spiderwebs, pumpkins, skeletons, ghosts,... The lot. Then, my eyes fall onto Luke. He’s glancing around the place, letting his eyes wander until they find their way back to me. A shimmer appears in them when he finds me already looking at him. “So, you said you were in a band?” I ask, pretending to talk to the person on the other side of the line. “Oh, yeah! Me and three of my best friends were in this band called Sunset Curve. Three of us died on the night we were supposed to play the Orpheum,” he explains, and my eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets upon hearing the name of the venue. “The Orpheum?! You’re kidding, right?” He shakes his head, smirking. “You would’ve been legends.” The words come out in a whisper, hoping it wouldn’t upset him too much. “Yea, we would’ve been,” he sighs, then suddenly perks up again like an excited puppy, “But the girl I told you about, Julie? She can make us visible whenever we play with her! We’re now a band with her called Julie and The Phantoms!” I giggle at his endearing enthusiasm. “We would’ve had a gig at this really cool party in the Bel Air, but Julie got sick and had to cancel.” My eyes widen upon the words ‘party’ and ‘Bel Air’. Charlotte Parks lives in Bel Air. “That would be the party I’m not going to tonight,” I tell him, chuckling. “So, we would’ve met tonight either way.” He adds with a cheeky smile, “Some would say it’s fate.”  I shake my head at him, but can’t help the smile on my face either. I want to add something to debunk his theory, but my name is called out by the sushi guy. I get up and take the box of sushi from him, shooting him a quick thank you before leaving the joint with Luke in tow. “Where do you wanna go?” he asks, bouncing up and down. “Oh, I was planning on watching some movies at home, but if you have a better idea to spend tonight? Anything is better than going to that Halloween party.” He purses his lips in ponder, his eyes darting up to the night sky. “Ooh! There’s this park I like to hang out at sometimes?” I raise my eyebrows at his suggestion, popping a piece of sushi in my mouth. I’m way too hungry to wait until we sit down to eat. “You haunt children’s playgrounds?” I ask after having swallowed the seafood. His eyebrows knit together at this as he narrows his eyes at me. “I don’t haunt children’s playgrounds. I hang out at them,” he corrects me. “You’re a ghost, sweetie. That’s haunting.” “It’s not!” he shouts. “It is so!” I laugh loudly, throwing my head back. “You’re lucky the kids are all trick or treating tonight, so we can go there. Might be a little more secluded for me to talk freely to you without worrying people will think I’m crazy.” He nods his head agreeingly. Once at the park, we take a seat in the grass. I have my legs crossed whilst Luke’s are spread out, his hands supporting the rest of his body behind him. “So, what do you do in life, Y/N? You know, besides avoiding parties,” he asks with a little smile plastered on his face. I look at him for a moment, chewing my sushi. This gives me the time to really look at him. He has really great bone structure. Sharp jawline, chiseled cheekbones, fine nose, deep-set, dreamy eyes. “Eating sushi,” I reply jokingly after I’d swallowed the piece of deliciousness. Luke lets out a laugh too. “I’m still in school, so I’m spending most of my time studying. And I like to think I’m a pretty decent writer.” He stares at me, giving me his undivided attention with the cutest smile plastered on his face. “What do you write?” he asks curiously as I pop another sushi in my mouth. I lift my hand to my mouth, and reply, “Poems,” before continuing to chew quickly. “Kinda like songs, then?” I shrug my shoulders. “They could be, but I don’t play any  instrument, so I haven’t tried,” I reply and place the half-eaten box of sushi to the side, pulling my legs up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. “Do you write your own music?” He nods his head. “I wrote most of the songs in our band and now, I write with Julie for the new band,” he answers. As I’m thinking how much I’d like to hear him and his band play, he cuts those thoughts in two by asking, “Can I see your work?” I open my mouth, then close it. Then open again. I must look like a goldfish breathing. “I’ve never really shown anyone my work…” I trail off, debating whether or not I should show him. “Besides, my notebook is at home.” Luke suddenly gets up from the grass and reaches out his hand for me to take. I hesitate. Am  I really going to take a complete stranger, a ghost, to my house to show my poetry, only to find out he hates it because it’s nothing like his songwriting? The answer is yes. I place my hand in his and let him pull me to my feet. Without letting go of my hand, he grabs the box of sushi and then guides me out of the park and lets me lead us towards my house. “Wait here,” I tell him as we’re in the foyer. He simply jams his hands into his pockets and nods his head curtly. I run up the stairs, taking them two at a time, and then go to grab my notebook from my room, quickly storming back downstairs where Luke’s still waiting. I make my way to the living room and sit down on the couch. The boy cautiously trails behind me, and only comes to sit down after I pat the spot beside me. “It’s not that great, but… You know, it’s fun to do and a great outlet for anything I may be feeling.” I hand him the notebook and let him flip through all the pages. He stops on a few, reading it a little more thoroughly. It’s building some suspense in me. What if he doesn’t even like them? What if he, a songwriter, hates them? “Ah! This one!” he exclaims, and suddenly, with a whoosh, there’s an acoustic guitar on his lap. “One of the perks of being a musician spirit,” he tells me with a grin before strumming the instrument a little. He abruptly stops, looks at the page in my notebook again, and then softly tickles the strings. A beautiful melody pours out of the instrument before his melodic voice joins in too with the words I wrote. “I saw your face in the fire again I touched the flames and burned down everything I hear the sirens west of 8th now” He looks at me with a questioning glance as if asking for encouragement of some sorts. I offer him a smile, unsure of anything else I could be doing right now. His voice has rendered me silent. I think I could listen to him sing for hours.  “Wonder if you're hearin' them too And I know you don't belong  Know you don't belong to anyone” He focuses on the instrument again, making sure he’s still playing the right chords.  “No you can't be tamed love Maybe I was wrong  Maybe I was wrong for this But you feel like the perfect escape now Just like the sun on my face” His voice grows a little stronger, almost sounding raspier and more like a growl as he looks up again. I always thought it’d be cliché to melt when an attractive boy sings to me, but it’s actually happening to me right now.  “So can we close the space between us now It's the distance we don't need  Yeah, you're everything I love about The things I hate in me  So come on, come on, come over now and Fix me with your grace 'Cause I'm not too far and you're my favorite place” “You sing this last part,” he tells me, pushing the notebook towards me before going back to playing his guitar.  “I can’t sing, Luke,” I tell him, slightly panicking.  “Sure you can. I’ll sing along, don’t worry,” he offers me a reassuring smile before putting more power behind his strumming while also leaning closer toward me to read the words.  “So come on, come on, come over now and Fix me with your grace 'Cause I'm not too far and you're my favorite place” He now quits playing, placing his hands flat on the strings, and for a while we just stare at each other in disbelief. Disbelief about the song we just made together. Disbelief about how beautiful a voice he has. Disbelief about how attractive he is.  I cough, breaking the eye contact, “That’s a great song, Luke… You can have it if you want,” I offer with a smile to try and hide the blush from heating up my cheeks.  “No, Y/N, I couldn’t. That’s yours. Those are your words. Your words made this a great song.”  “They’re just words without a melody,” I mutter, folding the edges of the paper nervously.  “A song is quite boring without words though, isn’t it?”  For some reason, I’m starting to think all of this could be a metaphor for us. Him being the melody and me being the words. I would be a plain and simple poem without him, and his life -- though I doubt it -- would be boring without me.  “It would still be a song though,” I add, looking up at him again. One corner of his mouth curls up into a smirk, which makes me think he caught onto that metaphor I was thinking about. He suddenly grabs my hand and laces our fingers together. Before I can even register what’s happening, the front door suddenly opens, revealing a distraught-looking Ava. I let go of Luke’s hand and get up to help my best friend.  “What’s wrong?” I ask her as she stumbles inside. I grab her just in time before she can hurt herself. She looks up at me, her makeup run out all the way to her chin and blood trickling down her nose, though I’m not sure if it’s real blood or part of her cat costume.  “I punched Brent in the face and Charlotte punched me back,” she get out through sobs and hiccups. My eyes dart over to Luke, who’s watching this from the sofa. I almost forgot she can’t even see him. He offers me a small smile.  “Why?” I ask and guide her to the couch. She nearly sits down on top of Luke, but I’m quick enough to guide her next to him while he vanishes. He pops back behind the couch, looking down at the drunk girl lying down on the sofa.  “Because he was boasting about how he even managed to wrap the prude around his finger two years ago and got her to anything he wanted,” I swallow, remember those times people called me a prude because I covered up unlike girls like Charlotte who wore short skirts and plunging necklines. “I really don’t get what you saw in him, Y/N,” she mumbles while cuddling up to the pillow and letting her eyes flutter shut. “I hope you find someone that looks at you like I look at pizza.” I giggle at her drunken words before looking up at Luke to find him already looking at me. Kind of the same way Ava looks at pizza. A smile then finds its way to my face. Maybe Halloween isn’t as bad as I always thought it was. 

Taglist: @hannahhistorian92 @marinettepotterandplagg @thequirkybookaholic @bookdealer5 @tenaciousperfectionunknown @hemmingsness @iainttakingshitfromnobody @ifilwtmfc @angryknightstatesmantrash @kiss-themoongoodbye @rudysbay @thedarkqueenofavalon @caitsymichelle13 @calamitykaty @parkeret @lukeys-giggle @gingerxarmy @lovesanimals @lolychu @perfectlywrongformend3s @luckylouiebug @camiladelrio98 @myfriendscallmebeans

#julie and the phantoms #julie and the himbos #jatp #luke patterson #luke patterson x reader #luke jatp #luke patterson fic #luke patterson au #charlie gillespie #reggie jatp #jeremy shada #alex jatp #owen joyner #julie molina #madison reyes #savannah lee may #carrie wilson #nick jatp #sacha carlson #flynn jatp #jadah marie #halloween fic #halloween #favorite place

[katiechat]

Beneath a Canvas of Stars

This is a fic that was first intended to be for Ladynoir July, but then I kind of gave up on it and just kept it in my WIP folder. A few months later I decided to return to it because I really liked the concept and wanted to finish it!

Dedicated to @mininoire and @inkjackets to @helgabatwrittings for a very late birthday present! <3

Tagging also @fallsofnoir @ange-lica-3 @swiftieanimecat and @sassykittynoir @smileytrinity in case you want to read it. Please let me know if you want to be put on or taken off the tag list. <3

Written for @ladynoirjuly2020 Day 2: Stargazing.

Summary: Ladybug and Chat Noir learn a bit more about each other under the stars.

Ao3

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

Adrien arrived at their spot with a notebook in hand. Thousands of questions filled its insides, crammed through so many pages. Ever since Ladybug gave him her promise, these questions were all he could think about.

Ladybugs filled his stomach with a strange combination of hope and dread. He walked closer, his hand gripping his notebook tightly.

His partner already sat with her back to him, gazing up at the darkening sky. The sight of her was as familiar as the mask he currently wore, and yet he still froze in place. The last rays of sun made her shine in a strange ethereal glow. It was as if, just like him, the sun didn't want to let her go.

But night was rapidly taking over, coloring the sky with an inky black. Stars would soon emerge, and then the time would come.

He swallowed.

“Kitty,” Ladybug faced him. Her eyes seemed brighter than the early stars amidst the darkness, more powerful than any surrounding lamps. “You’ve been standing there for a long time.”

Adrien shook himself. “Yeah, I was just... thinking,” he explained.

He let his legs lead him to her, and absentmindedly sat beside her: close enough for a friend, but far enough to keep it that way. 

“I was worried something happened to you,” Ladybug admitted. “I'm glad you're okay.”

He lay his notebook behind himself. “All thanks to you, Milady.”

He winked, and she laughed.

“You're giving me too much credit, mon Chaton.”

The tension left her shoulders. Before Adrien could say a word, she scooted closer. Her warmth taunted him, as if he stood just a step away from heaven. She lay her head on his shoulder as they looked at the night sky, her strong hands gripping his arm like a treasure she’d never want to let go.

She smelled sweet: like the croissants Marinette often brought to class, beautiful pastries with a wonderful flavor. He let her scent envelop him, taking him to a place far from all of life’s troubles.

But then the cold night air emerged, making him shiver. It bit his skin mercilessly, like a reminder that the warmth of the girl beside him was never truly his. And yet, he still felt the pace of his heart slow, as if this really was good enough.

He gazed at her. Who was he kidding? She was more than enough. It didn't matter whether she was a friend or something more.

Yet a part of him still hurt. Because this moment was so close to what he wanted, yet still so far away.

“Kitty? Is something wrong?”

Before he could answer, Ladybug cupped his cheek. A warm thumb ran over his skin, sending sparks everywhere it touched, and Adrien’s pulse quickened once more.

Somehow, she still held that power over him.

Her gaze roved over his face, taking in every little secret he held. Her sky-blue eyes shone brilliantly in the weak fluorescent lights, lighting up a part deep within him. It was as if the darkness brought out even more of her potent courage, and he was powerless to resist.

He didn’t know how he found his voice. “I-I'm fine, Milady.”

She didn't immediately let go. Only after a few more minutes did she back away before, once again, resting her head on his shoulder. She grabbed onto his arm, this time even tighter, before letting herself relax. Adrien breathed a sigh of relief as the tension left her body, giving way to more of her warmth.

The sky gradually grew darker, shrouding them in a world of their own. Ladybug’s grin widened the more time passed, making the night seem so much brighter. Adrien basked in her happiness. Sweet, innocent contentment filled his insides, as if all he needed in life was her smile; as if she was his whole world.

When she spoke again, it was with a grin so powerful, it lit up the whole city. “One question for each star,” she repeated, just like the promise she had made to him earlier that day.

Adrien frowned. The sky seemed more like a blank canvas waiting for its painter than a dark fabric riddled with stars. His heart sank as he realized the meaning of Ladybug's words, and his shoulders slumped in defeat.

“There are no stars,” he choked. At least, not in this sky.

But his words didn't deter her. Ladybug shook her head before pointing once more to the night’s black canvas.

“Maybe we can't see them, but they're there. Waiting for us to find them. Just imagine.”

Adrien found his hand reaching for the stars. A strange and wild hope filled his heart, bringing a smile to his lips. Maybe he couldn't see them, but they were there, just waiting to be found.

Ladybug chuckled. It made the hidden stars seem so much closer, as if he could simply find them, reach for them, and they would make his way to him.

He dared a glance at her. A slow smile crept across his lips, saying more than he ever could with words.

Somehow, she was the only one who could make him feel so invincible.

She giggled, as if his enthusiasm reached her too. “Yes, kitty. You can ask your questions. Tonight, I'll share with you any little thing you’d want to know.”

He leaned toward her, mischief now playing across his lips. “And what about me? Can I also tell you about meow-self?”

His lady bopped his nose. “As long as you don't disclose too much, I’d love to hear.”

Adrien backed away, so once again cold air separated them. The sting in his heart disappeared as she cuddled closer, her warmth the best medicine to his pain. 

“So, what are your questions?” she whispered.

He glanced at the notebook behind him. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but all of them paled in comparison to what he really wanted to know. And so he let his heart lead him, because that was all he knew.

He imagined civilian-Ladybug; the unknown girl behind the mask, who lit up every room she entered. There was so much he didn't know about this stranger, and all he wanted was to find out more. 

So he decided to start with the basics.

“What are your hobbies?”

Ladybug hummed as she pieced her response together. He could almost see the wheels of her mind turn, trying to figure out a way to answer him without revealing too much about who she really was. 

“I love anything I can do with friends, like eating ice cream at Andre’s or going to a party. But other than that… well, currently I enjoy something that includes lots of drawing and hands-on crafts.”

“What do you mean?”

She winked. “That's a secret, kitty.”

Adrien nodded. He loved this glimpse into his lady’s life, but he understood how much was required of her to share these little details. What she gave him wasn't much, but it was enough to teach him a little more about the girl of his dreams.

He couldn't ask for more.

Ladybug’s gentle voice woke him from his reverie. “What about you?”

Adrien laughed. “Well… I play piano.”

“That sounds beautiful, Chaton. Maybe one day you'll play for me?”

His breath caught. “You’d really want to?”

“I'm sure I’d love it.”

For a moment, he envisioned himself sitting beside Ladybug in front of the piano. He pictured her slender fingers, light and gentle, touching the keys; unlocking the most beautiful sounds from within. He imagined the melody she would play, reaching him in places only music could.

“I'm not that surprised, though,” Ladybug mused, “you do know cats love tune-as.” 

She playfully flicked his bell, eliciting a light chuckle from his lips. 

“Who would have thought?” he teased. “The great Ladybug making jokes.”

He froze when she touched his hair, her hands playing with it as if its golden strands really were pure gold.

“I'm not so boring, kitty.”

His heart softened. “I know you're not. Nothing about you could ever bore me.”

Her voice weakened. “How are you so sure?”

The words just left his lips. “Because it teaches me more about you, milady.”

“You're such a tease,” Ladybug laughed. He was surprised when her lighthearted smile turned serious, and powerful emotion suddenly filled her voice. “But thank you.”

They settled into a short silence, before Adrien spoke again. “Tell me more, please.”

“Well, let me see,” Ladybug pondered, “my favorite subject is art.”

“Because you like to draw?”

“Well… yes and no. I guess I love how simple it is. All you need to do is think of an idea, find the necessary materials, and you can create it. It just… makes me feel like anything is possible, you know?”

He couldn’t help but glance at her. “Yeah, I do. I feel the same way when I look at…” he hesitated, taking in her expectant gaze, “my compositions.”

Adrien sighed as he remembered the compositions he kept hidden at home. Those were his treasures, secrets only Plagg knew about. There wasn't much, but every piece had its own place in his heart.

“You're a real musician, it seems,” Ladybug teased.

He shrugged. “You could say that. But I'm more into linguistics.”

She bumped her shoulder with his. “You? Who would have guessed.”

“I am that surprising.”

Ladybug rolled her eyes, but a small smile still lit her features. “What other questions do you have?”

Adrien frowned. There were so many possibilities, and yet they didn't seem satisfying any more. How helpful would knowing her favorite color be if he could never see her out of her mask?

He hesitated. A question rose in the depths of his mind. It was risky, but he needed to know. 

“Can you tell me anything else about your life? Your friends? Your family?”

He regretted it the moment he said it. Adrien searched for the right words to utter as an apology, but Ladybug’s voice broke through his thoughts. 

“It's okay, kitty,” she reached for his hand. “I’ll answer your question.”

A content sigh escaped her lips as she cuddled even closer. “My friends are everything to me. They support me through so much, and every day I find myself grateful I have them. I wouldn’t have been the same without them.”

She shifted slightly.  “As for my family, I love them. They're a bit strange, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. My parents are romantics at heart, and all they want is for me to be happy. My grandparents love me just as much, even if in their own way.”

Adrien wiggled his brows. “Really? Your parents are romantics? Have they ever mentioned me?”

She groaned. “Honestly, they really love you.”

“You don't?” He asked in mock hurt.

She rolled her eyes. “You know I do, kitty, but not like that.”

“Meow-ch, milady!”

They laughed. Happiness flooded his insides like powerful light filling a dark room. He basked in its warmth, wondering how this girl managed to take all his breath away.

“Milady, I have one more question,” he said once their laughter died down.

Adrien could barely speak. His throat was all clogged up with the weight on his heart, yet he still forced the words out.

Because some part of him had to ask. Even if it hurt.

“The boy you're in love with… could you tell me more about him?”

Ladybug blinked. Her mouth slightly opened in surprise, before an uneven voice left her lips.

“W-why do you-?”

A ghost of a smile rose to his lips. “I need to know what he has that I don't.”

Time ticked by as he waited for her answer. She pulled away from him, the topic like an invisible barrier between the two. Cruel thoughts pricked his mind, but Adrien didn't pay them any attention. What he was about to hear would be a thousand times worse.

 “This boy… he’s…” She gathered her words carefully, as if she knew how hard it was for Chat.   “He’s the kindest person I know. He wouldn't hurt a fly, much less a person. If it was up to him, he would protect every human in the world from cruelty.”

Her eyes sparked with pure, unknown happiness, making Adrien's heart constrict inside his chest. If only he could bring such a smile to her face.

“He always puts the people important to him first, no matter what. He’d do anything for his family and friends, and never complains about all the harsh things he goes through. I’ve never met anyone like him. He's so pure, sometimes I wonder how someone like him could really exist.”

Adrien knew he asked to hear these words. He knew the price to pay for that clarity, but it didn't stop his heart from breaking all over again. 

He wished he could be that boy.

Maybe he should have stopped there. Maybe he should have just let it go, let the night wrap him in its darkness as if he was a shadow that didn't want to feel. Maybe asking his next question was a mistake.

But he needed this so much it hurt.

“What do you think of me?” He blurted.

Ladybug turned to him. Her face softened as she silently took him in, before a small smile rose to her face.

“Oh, kitty,” she whispered, casually pulling herself closer to him. “You're one of the most important people of my life. We’re partners, and yet so much more than that. You're my best friend and a confidante I can always come to. You're the only rock I can hold onto, whether it has to do with our superhero powers or just everyday life. You mean so much to me, and I really want you to know that.”

She reached for his spare hand, and intertwined her fingers with his. Silently, she raised their hands and placed them right above where her heart lay, its beat slow and steady.

Adrien lost himself in its sound. It was so familiar, and yet he couldn't tire of it. It was like listening to his mother singing him a lullaby on an old recording, or watching her movie for the thousandth time. Something about these moments spoke to his very soul, unlocking an unknown feeling deep inside him.

He met Ladybug's eyes, and suddenly his heart filled with a rush of warmth. She was the light of his day, the beauty of his night. She was everything he needed and everything he wanted to be.

He loved her.

Reluctantly, Chat pulled away. He brought his hand closer to his side, slightly farther from the place it lay before.

It didn't escape her attention. “Chaton?”

He couldn't look at her. Not now, when he felt so much longing fill his chest.

But there was one more question he needed to ask, even if he knew it was a bad idea. 

He needed to know if he had a chance; if maybe some part of her felt the same.

“Milady?”

She reached for him just enough for her fingers to touch his. “What is it?”

Adrien's eyes drifted from her hand to her face. She looked at him with such softness in her eyes, Adrien knew that now was the time.

“About this boy…”

She tilted her head. “Yes?”

If you had to choose between saving me and him, who would you pick?

It seemed so simple. The question lay at the tip of his tongue; the words in waiting, begging to be released. Ladybug looked at him with so much affection, he knew that now was the perfect time.

But looking at her… really looking at her, made him stop.

He couldn’t do this to her. Not to the most important girl of his life.

So he forced a smile. “Is there a chance he’s secretly me?”

He didn't know how convincing his smile was, or what her reaction would be. But in his heart he knew that he made the right decision, and that was the most important thing.

And if there was a shred of doubt before, if there was any lingering pain, his lady’s raucous laughter took it all away. 

“You’re hopeless,” She replied, playfully elbowing him in the side.

He winked. “Hopelessly in love.”

Ladybug rolled her eyes, but he could still detect a hint of a smile on her face. “One day, kitty, we'll both find someone. Things will work out.”

And as a silent promise, she covered his hand with hers, letting the gentle night encase them in its calm.

#miraculous #ml #ml fanfic #ladynoir #mlb #ladybug #chat noir #my writing #miraculous fanfiction #ladynoirjuly2020 #ladynoirjuly #ml fanfiction #fluff #angst #fluff and angst

[cryptidvoidwritings]

10. July | hurt/comfort

*nudges part one (1) into the void because ho boi did this one get away from me*

“... ase stay in the yard, just for one more night. I promise you can leave tomorrow if- ”

Alonzo’s ears perked and swiveled from his sentry post on the tire. He lifted his head in the direction of Munkustrap’s voice, but the silver tabby was still out of sight behind one pile of junk or other.

“Straps, stop.”

The Rum Tum Tugger. Alonzo cocked his head and licked a paw absently as he listened in. The conversation wasn’t necessarily meant for him, but he doubted they thought they were speaking privately. Any cat who’d been in the junkyard a week ago had been bunking down after a swarm of screeching rats- stinking of Macavity’s acrid flame-scented magic- attempted to overrun it and there weren’t many places one could go to be completely unheard.

“I’ve stayed put like a good kitten,” Tugger’s voice continued, “but the last time I was away from the family this long they’d printed out fliers. They’ll make an awful fuss if they think I’ve gone missing again and it’s not like I can explain to them.”

“I know, I know. But... please, Tugs, one more night. I’ll go with you first thing in the morning.”

Tugger and Munkustrap came into Alonzo’s view and paused by the old bed frame. Munkustrap’s body was a line of tension; Tugger seemed oblivious to it. Neither cat seemed aware of him, but Munkustrap knew Alonzo had the watch and Tugger could surely smell him. Alonzo watched curiously. Neither he nor his siblings were new to the tribe anymore, having been taken in almost two years ago, but the Rum Tum Tugger occupied a weird space that Alonzo had yet to understand.

“What, you can’t send someone to babysit me now?” Tugger asked.

He sounded almost amused, though not mocking. Alonzo re-examined and revised his observation: Tugger was purposefully lounging on the bed frame with both paws hooked into his belt and his face held an open, relaxed half-smile. Everything about him was an invitation for Munkustrap to unwind- not that Munkustrap was taking him up on it.

“It’s just... It’s last minute and I added- ” Munkustrap paused, letting his words hang in the air as though putting off inevitable ridicule.

The silence lasted too long. Tugger’s body language changed. His chest heaved visibly with a sigh and the smile melted from his lips. He pushed off from the bed frame and bumped his forehead gently against the Guardian’s. Alonzo felt envy burn at the bottom of his spine. The Maine Coon didn’t show anybody that kind of familiarity- not even Quaxo.

“Straps, just tell me,” Tugger murmured.

Munkustrap gave a tiny, almost pained, smile. “I added a third party to all patrols and I have them going out every two hours. It gives everyone time to have a nap in between watch and patrol.”

The Rum Tum Tugger’s mane ruffled in surprise. “That’s... that’s a lot of extra, Straps.”

“You’re not wrong,” Munkustrap agreed grudgingly. “I can’t help it. I just- I’m so sure that something is going to happen. The swarm wasn’t random but I can’t fathom the intent behind it. It’s driving me batty.”

“Letting some rats have my job?” Tugger asked glibly. “Rude.”

“Tugs,” Munkustrap said flatly.

“Look, Straps, it’s unlikely that anything is going to happen in broad daylight. Macavity likes to work with his tricks and they’ve always worked better for him at night. Anyway, you think he’s really going to be looking for me? He knows I’m the show cat of the yard. What good would it do him? Coming for you or Quax on the other hand...”

Munkustrap knocked a paw lightly into Tugger’s side, snorting. “It took ‘Lonz to get him good enough that the rest of the tribe could drive him off. He had me hypnotized and threw me across the clearing. Twice.”

“And you got back up.”

Alonzo’s ears perked again. He wouldn’t have believed Tugger capable of soft but steely respect. Then again he hadn’t believed that the large cat did ‘supportive’ or ‘admiring’, but Tugger had certainly been that for Quaxo. (Alonzo was still a bit galled that Tugger had known the extent of Quaxo’s magic but he’d had to learn about it with the rest of the tribe. He was even more annoyed that he was impressed with Tugger for how he’d handled the whole night.)

“Rum-”

“Cats who fight Macavity don’t tend to get up. He’s going to take it as an affront to his reputation. He’d want revenge on the tribe for thwarting whatever his great plan was regardless, but if he’s going to target anyone specifically it’s going to be Sparkles and you.”

The intensity in Tugger’s voice was very much at odds with the cat that Alonzo knew. He frowned thoughtfully. Munkustrap having insight into Macavity made sense; it wasn’t a secret that the Mystery cat was his brother. But Tugger was rarely among the patrols, and if he took a watch at the yard he was more likely to be found napping under a pile of kittens than anything else. When had he learned so much?

“I’d still feel better if you’d wait until I could walk with you-”

“I’m a big boy, Straps,” Tugger said, smiling crookedly.

“Pretty sure I’ve still got an inch on you.”

“Pretty sure you’re delusional.”

Munkustrap held out a paw and let it hover in a silent question. Tugger was notorious for shaking off just about any touch that he didn’t initiate but this time he nodded and the silver tabby burrowed his paw gently into his mane. The gesture was thick with meaning that Alonzo couldn’t work out. He couldn’t tell if Tugger was purring (he rarely did; there was some speculation that the Maine Coon couldn’t) but the contented expression on his face suggested he was.

“Alright,” Munkustrap said at last. He sounded... resigned. “Go. Please, just, go straight home. Don’t dawdle or get sidetracked. Okay?”

Tugger knocked his nose into Munkustrap’s cheek. “Yes, dad.”

“Cheeky,” Munkustrap protested halfheartedly.

Tugger laughed softly and left. Alonzo watched Munkustrap claw anxiously at the ground for about five seconds before he couldn’t stand it any longer. He jumped from the tire and slinked up to Munkustrap as Tugger’s fluffy gold and black tail disappeared from sight. It was a testament to the silver tabby’s state of mind that Alonzo was actually able to sneak up on him; he’d barely brushed against Munkustrap and the older cat jumped an inch to the side.

The patch tom sat back, head cocked. “You okay?”

“Oh, Alonzo,” Munkustrap breathed, blue eyes warming as he relaxed, “Sorry. I’m just... wool-gathering.”

“I saw you talking to Tugger.”

“Ah, right. You were on watch.”

“Mmhm. Plato should be along soon. Once Skimble relieves him, I’m on patrol with George and Tumble.”

Munkustrap gave him a soft, distracted smile. He turned to look at the main gate even though Tugger was gone. Alonzo followed his gaze. He wondered why Munkustrap let Tugger leave when he wouldn’t have done so for any other cat.

“You don’t have to let him get away with everything,” he said hesitantly.

He couldn’t quite stop it from coming out as a question. Munkustrap broke out into startled laughter. Alonzo flattened his ears, unprepared for the sudden sound given the quiet worry of just a moment ago.

“Sorry, sorry. I’m not laughing at you.”

Alonzo shrugged sheepishly. “I’m poking my nose into your business.”

“Conversations in the middle of the yard are the business of anyone who can hear them,” Munkustrap said kindly. “Anyway, I wasn’t going to win. Tugger, loathe though I am to admit it, is an adult and can take care of himself. The silver-tongued git can charm a pollicle when he tries.”

“He’s not taking the rats very seriously.”

“He’s thinking of his humans. He’s right that he’s only been away from them for so long once before, and they didn’t take it well. He isn’t entirely irresponsible or fickle. He just wants everyone to think he is.”

“Why would anyone want that?”

“Seems to suit him,” Munkustrap said, shrugging.

His burst of good cheer left him and his face grew serious, clawing the ground again. Alonzo felt his face screw up dubiously- Munkustrap wasn’t usually the sort of cat to dance around explanations. The silver tabby didn’t continue, though; his gaze went back to the main gate.

“I’ll go after him,” Alonzo blurted. His brain caught up with his mouth. He bit his tongue.

Munkustrap blinked at him, bemused. Alonzo couldn’t fault the reaction. He hadn’t meant to offer that. Going after Tugger might mean a conversation. He wasn’t very good at those, and in his experience with Tugger, the Maine Coon was often flippant. Alonzo knew he could be too earnest so he stumbled when cats were irreverent.

Far easier to admire the tom’s beautiful form dancing at the ball, moonlight glimmering over his thighs and trim waist. Or to watch him nap on the old car with his mane like burnished gold in the sun. Or to listen in on the outrageous stories he told to his court of admirers (nobody really believed them, but almost every cat stopped to listen). All of which could be done safely from afar.

“You don’t have to,” Munkustrap said, “You haven’t had a chance to sleep. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

It was exactly the excuse Alonzo needed to back out. Just say: No, you’re right, I shouldn’t. So naturally what came out of his mouth was: “No, it’s alright. I’m not sleepy. I don’t mind. He’s probably not gotten very far, I’ll be able to catch up in no time.”

The silver tabby looked uncertain. “If you’re sure... I don’t like you being on your own, either. Macavity knows your scent. I’ll take your patrol. Stay until he’s ready to come back.”

Alonzo blinked. “You think he’ll let me?”

“I think he’ll be more interested than you imagine,” Munkustrap smiled crookedly. For just that instant he looked almost exactly like the Rum Tum Tugger. ”Thank you, ‘Lonz.”

#CATS #stage cats #cats the musical #rum tum tugger #alonzo #alonzoxtugger #summer altugger week #altugger week #altugger #Hal: It’s about cat(boy)s #fanfiction #fanfic #hi help i have no idea what i'm doing

[aleksadnezz]

Sweet Night 3

Jae x Reader

I was sleeping peacefully when I heard a very loud knock on my door. I opened my lamp beside my bed and reached out my phone. It’s freaking 4am. I stood up and slipped on my slides. I heard another knock after another and another and another until I opened the door. I didn’t wait for my eyes to adjust because I already know who it is.

“What the fuck do you want?” I asked and rub my eyes.

“Good morning!”

"It’s fucking 4am.”

“That’s why I said good morning and not good afternoon.” I rolled my eyes. “You know it’s been a while..”

“Just say it.” I cut her off.

“Can you take care of my cat for a month?” She pointed the cage with a cat inside. I looked at her and she’s giving me a pleading eyes for me to say yes. Duh as if.

"Why"

“I have a business trip”

“When are you going to come back?” I asked. Her pout became a big smile.

“I don’t know yet, but it will be around July and august.”

“That sounds more than a month.” I put my other hand on my waist.

“Come on!! for me? For the nicest cousin you ever have.” She pouted again. This girl really think she’s cute when doing that.

“If it’s for your cat then I’ll be more than willing.” I smirked.

“Please.. for my cat.” I laughed. “Happy?” She asked and I nodded. Lucky her we’re allowed to have a pet inside our apartments cuz to sum it’s prohibited.

“Take care of my cat, okay? She eats 3 times a day, don’t missed one meal because I will definitely hire someone to pinch you.”

“You can hire someone to pinch me but can’t hire someone to take care of your cat?”

“Isn’t 4am? Where does all your sassy ass come from?” From you. My cousin Ashley is 3 years older than me but act as a 15-year-old school girl. I still have no idea why we’re the closest cousins. Prolly because we like to tease each other. I looked up to her and see her as a big sister even though she acts like that. She lives on the other city, close to mine and this girl don’t bother to see me. I mean I don’t bother to see her too so, I guess we’re even.

“Anyway, you can bath her twice a week or once a week, just make sure she’s clean. I have everything that she needs here in this bag.” She hands me a bag that looks like a bag for babies. This girl is so extra. I feel like I’m actually babysitting a kid.

“What if she ran out of cat food?” I asked her. I’m not going to buy a cat food using my money plus her cat might only eat those food in a can.

“Here.” She hand me a small envelope and it’s thick. Looks like her cat’s getting a one-year supply.

“Labor.” I transfer the envelope to my other hand and raised the other.

“It’s included already.” She slaps my hand down. “But if the money is not enough just call me.” I smile at her.

“I have to go, my flights at 6 and I still need to finish packing. Take care of my cat okay.” I nodded. “Anyway, I missed you.” She hugged me. She should have said that before I opened the door earlier. I hugged her back.

“I miss you too, you never visit me.”

“Sorry I got busy these days, but I will totally make it up after this trip.” She let go off me.

“Your treat?” I smiled and I saw her shakes her head. “Come on!”

“Fine.. so I have to go now, take care!” She walked away but then looked back just to send a flying kiss and I mouthed ‘Ew’ she laughed. I raised my hand and waved goodbye which she did the same.

I closed the door and locked it. I was standing for a minute trying to figure out what I’m missing. I feel like I forgot something. I heard a noise from outside my room. Shit. The cat. I left the cat outside. Damn I’m already failing as a catsitter. I quickly opened my door and before I even crouch down to pick up the cage the door in front of me suddenly opens

I saw him in come out his room while he rubs his eyes. He prolly woke up because of the whining of this cat.

“I’m sorry did you woke up because of?” I pointed the cat.

“A little.. you got a cat!?” His sleepy eyes became bigger. I think he’s now more awake.

“No, it’s my cousin’s, she asked me to take care of it.” I explained. He crouched down see the cat, he looked at it as if it’s his first time to saw a cat.

“So, you like cats?” I asked. He nodded not giving me a glance.

“Yeah. I think they’re so adorable.”

“Why don’t you get one?”

“I’d love to but sadly, I have allergies.”

“Omg I didn’t know. I’ll take her insider.” I grab the cage. He stood up. “Sorry.” I added.

“It’s okay. I’ve been exposed to cats before, nothing bad happened when I take antihistamine.”

“Do you have sum?” He nodded. “Take them right away. Okay? I’m sorry again if you woke up because of this.” This is all the cat’s fault; I’m not taking any responsibility if something happened to him. I mean the cat is cute, I’m not just a fan of animals but I don’t hate them either.

“I will. One last thing..” I looked at him waiting for him to continue. “Can I pet her?” I gave him a ‘are you serious?’ look.

“Promise I’ll take the med after this.” I put down the cage and took the cat out. Luckily, Ashley’s cat not that aggressive. I’ve seen this cat before in Ashley’s old apartment and she’s still this calm when the first time that I pet her. I hold the cat near to him but he never gets it in my hands, he only pets it while it’s in my hand. He strokes the fur repeatedly. Seems the cat liking it cuz she becoming heavier.

I was surprised when I felt a huge hand under my mine, trying to help me carry the weight of the cat. His hand feels warm and feels comforting too. Like when you held your hands, you’ll feel safe. Alright where does that come from.

“What’s her name?” I came back to my senses when he spoke.

“Uhh.. her name is Minnie.”

“Minnie.. that’s cute.”

“Yeah, I though so. My cousin liked to watch mickey mouse when we were kids and her cat is a female so..” Funny how Ashley named her cat to Minnie which is is a mouse and cat hate mouse. Very cute.

We both looked when we heard a sound of door opened. It was our neighbor that looks like she’s in her mid-40’s. I’ve seen her before but we never really talk, we just usually smile when we see each other. She looked at us and smiled.

“Early errands.” She spoke. We nodded. She looked down to the cat that we’re holding “You guys have a cat?”

“Ah- no. it’s not mine.” I said.

“Oh it’s your boyfriend’s? That’s so cute.” I mouth hangs open from what she said. Where does that comes from? We don’t even look like friends. I looked at our positions. Jae and I were like 8 inches away from each other, his right on the cat’s and his other hand on mine. Okay woman I understand you now but I need to clarify sumthin here.

"Actually he’s not m-“ She cut me off before I even explain.

“See you guys later. I have to go now.” She waved she hands and left.

Woah. She never let me explain. Also why am I the only one who was trying to defend my reputation here? I looked up to him and saw him trying to contain his laugh. This guy.

“Uh you didn’t even try to do sumthin.” I reminded him. He removed his hands from mine and let me hold the cat properly.

“I thought you can do it alone.”

“Well obviously she didn’t let me speak.” He laughed. I hold the cat to my arm and slapped his arms.

“It’s 4am, you laugh is so loud.” He stops but still trying to contain his laugh. His laugh is not even a laugh. It’s like ‘skhhhhskhshsshs’ instead of ‘hahahahahaha’ He’s a different breed.

“Sorry I just achoo-“ I quickly turned around. He just sneezed. A very loud one. And another one. And another one.

“Geeze, you really need to take a med sir.” I saw him rub his nose.

“This is your fault.” I looked at him raising my eyebrow. “For bringing such a cute cat.” I watched him walked to his door.

“You can have it.” I pretend to hand the cat to him and before he could aim to reach it from me, I shoved away his hand and he laughed.

“For real take your med.” I warned him. I’m not concerned, I just don’t want to him to be an addition to my responsibility. Okay maybe I’m concerned a little.

“Okay mam.” He raised both of his hands. I drag the cage inside my apartment.

“Sorry again, I guess see you around?” I mean he lived across so there’s possibilities that I will be seeing him again. Gosh why I sound so defensive.

“It’s okay. See you and I’ll see you too Minnie! Bye” He waved. I took Minnie’s paw make it waved to him back. He smiled widely that I can’t barely see his eyes. I smiled back and slowly closed the door.

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#Day6 Jae #Jae Park #Jaehyung #Jae x Reader #Day6 #Day6 x reader #EajPark #eaj #Fanfiction #AU #Sweet Night #Day6 Imagines

[lovemesomesurveys]

“I’ve got my fuzzy socks on and I’m ready for summer”

You arrive in New York at 10 AM. What's the first thing you do? Find a nice, cute cafe to get a coffee and pastry from and chill at for a bit while sorting out my plans for the day. You go by your locker & your bf/gf is cheating on you. What comes to mind? I’m not in school anymore, but hypothetically I’m sure I would feel a lot of emotions--angry, hurt, upset, confused... like wtf?? And damn, right in front of everyone, too? That would be humiliating. 

You have to take out the trash & clean your room. Your reaction? I’m 31 years old, you gotta do that kinda stuff when you’re adult. I don’t personally take out the trash because it would be really difficult for me to do in a wheelchair, but I have other stuff I have to do. I don’t particularly enjoy it, it just is what it is.

How many siblings do you have? I have two brothers.

Have you ever made fun of a homeless/ mentally challenged person? No. What a shitty thing to.

Make up a funny word with your first name in it. I don’t know.

Do you like campfires? Yes. I love the smell, it makes me think of fall. And just the coziness of it.

What's your favorite color to write with? Black.

Do you write poetry? No.

When's your 20th birthday? [Day & Month is fine. Year if you want.] I turned 20 back in July 2009.

Do you spit in public? Ew, no. I don’t spit at all except for when rinsing my mouth after brushing my teeth. It makes me gag seeing people spit. I also have to watch out for that when wheeling around outside because I would DIE if it got on my wheels and then me. akjkslfjldsfjkldsfjkl. I’m going to throw up just thinking about it.

Are you in high school/middle school/college? I’m done with school.

How many push ups can you do? Zero.

How would you react if your cat/dog died? I’ve been through that twice before with my doggos, it’s absolutely heartbreaking and devastating. My dogs are my family. It’s no different than losing any loved one; they’re a loved one, too. I had a really hard time when my dog, Brandie, passed. It was so sudden and unexpected. 

Are you trustworthy? Yes.

“when I make it shine...”

Do you play video games often? I’ve been playing Animal Crossing just about everyday since earlier this year. Prior to that, I’ve played a few other games in their entirety since having my Nintendo Switch that I got over a year ago. 

Do you like life, love, funny or boy quotes the best? I like # relatable quotes. 

Have you ever been cheated on? No.

Have you ever had fruit pizza? No.

Would you like to learn karate? No.

Do you think it would have been cool to live in the 80s? Maybe.

Do you think we'll have robots in the future? They’re already a thing, they’re just not like easily, readily available to everyone like a Rosie from The Jetsons or something.

Was the sun out today? Not yet cause it’s 5:54AM and it’s still pitch black, but it will be.

Do you know what 143 stands for? “I love you.”

Does it get up to 100 degrees where you live? Ugh, yes. And higher. D:

When you play video games, do you like the sound on or off? I generally have it low or off.

When's the last time you saw fireworks? Fourth of July.

Do you like Dr. Pepper? Yeah.

Will you be seeing the new Transformer movie? I never saw any of them. Not my thing. 

What made this week, one to never forget? Election 2020 will be talked about forever. This year in its entirety will be, but this election was a huge one.

“Tell me why you’re leaving me”

Did you wear shorts today? I don’t wear shorts.

Do you own a fur hat? No.

Do you still use the old time mail? I still receive mail, yes. I pretty much never send anything, though.

Have you ever played flag football? Yeah.

What color is your laptop? It’s silver.

Do you like Paris Hilton? I don’t have anything against her.

Did you smile at all today? Not so far, but it’s only 6AM. 

Do you have an Xbox? My brother does and I’ve used it.

When you were little did you have a magic 8 ball? Yeah.

Have you ever ate grass or birdseed? Eww, no. I wasn’t the kid that stuck everything in their mouth or ate weird stuff. 

Do you and your friends have secret codes? I don’t have any friends.

Have you ever seen the Lincoln Memorial? Not in person.

What's your profile picture on Facebook of? Me with my It/Pennywise mask on. It’s his mouth.

Do you own a yo-yo? No.

What celebrity is your fashion icon? I don’t have a fashion icon.

“How do you love someone without getting hurt?”

Do you hope you live to be the age 70 or older? I don’t want to think about dying.

Did you go to preschool? Yep.

Do you usually wear your hair up when it's hot out? Yeah. I wear my hair up all the time cause I don’t have the energy or motivation to do anything else with it.

Where were you when 9/11 happened? I was bedridden at home because I had spinal surgery a couple weeks prior.

Which would you rather play: guitar or drums? Guitar.

Have you ever gotten detention? No.

When you were little, did you used to watch Franklin? Yeah. Aww, he’s adorable.

What's the most exciting thing that's happened during your lifetime? 9/11 and this pandemic are definitely the most memorable, but I wouldn’t use the term “exciting” to describe them. A few of our blizzards, perhaps. <<< Yeah, definitely not exciting, but certainly major, life changing, go-down-in-history events. 

How high can you count in a foreign language? I could go on and on in Spanish like I could English, but let’s be real I’d stop at 100 haha.

What's the best thing to do on a hot day? Stay indoors with the AC or go to the beach.

Would you like to go to Rome? Sure.

Do you use Febreeze? Sometimes. I prefer my Bath & Body Works room sprays, though.

Have you ever been to a rainforest? No.

How many days of school are left for you? I’m done with school.

How do you usually get tan? That only happens when I go to the beach. Sadly, I didn’t get to go this year. 

“Last name ever, first name greatest”

Snickers or Twix? I like both. 

Have you ever tried to sleep on an airplane? I tried, but couldn’t.

When you were little, did you like Dr. Suess books? Yes. Those are classics.

Are you more afraid of snakes or death? Both are scary to me, but death is just a little more serious...

Would you like to go to Australia? Sure.

Do you like Drake? Yeah, I like a lot of his songs.

What color are your headphones? Black.

Do you live in the past? Yes. :/

When it's spring, do you plant flowers? No. I don’t do any gardening.

Have you ever laughed for 10 minutes? I don’t think I ever have for that long.

Do you help your friends every time they need help? I tried to as much as I could.

Ever seen a Koala Bear up close? No.

Would you rather be blind or deaf? I’d obviously rather not be either one...

Once your done, are you done for good? Really depends on what I’m attempting to be done with.

Does it annoy you when girls wear a lot of make up? No? I don’t why I would care.

“Blow the world a kiss”

Do you live by a river? No.

Do you like being outside when it's storming? I like enjoying it from inside.

Ever thought about becoming a cop? No. A cop in a wheelchair... that’d be interesting.

Have you ever tried sushi? Ew, it’s disgusting.

When you were little, did you use to roll down hills? No.

Do you like store bought cakes or homemade ones better? I’d enjoy either one.

Do you think your a good kisser? No. Now I’m really out of practice.

Do you like long or short sleeves better? I like my sleeves to be like halfway from my elbow if that makes sense. Not a quarter sleeve, but a bit above that. Unless it’s cold, then I like long sleeves. I love when the sleeves are long enough to be able to pull down over my hands, but it’s hard to get the perfect fit when you have long arms like I do.

Do you like the name Jacob for a boy? Sure.

Could you live without electricity? Like, for how long? It would be a struggle, no denying that. I’ve never experienced going more than a few hours without it. I know people have to experience long periods without it sometimes or not have it at all, so I’m definitely fortunate. 

Have you ever ate/drank something that was blue? Blue Gatorade, Pepsi Blue, the blue Mountain Dew, Kool-Aid, blue candies and cakes.

When is your last day of summer this year? I’m not in school, so no summer break anymore. However, summer is over and it has just recently started to feel like fall, so I’m quite happy about that.

Would you rather hang out with people who are loud or quiet? Quiet.

Have you ever had a pet turtle? No.

Do you want an iPad? Nah.

“You look like you want to party”

Are you double jointed? My thumbs are.

Have you ever done karaoke? Definitely not publicly, but at home.

What's your middle name? I’m not sharing that.

Do you wish on stars? No. I did when I was a kid.

Do you recycle? We recycle plastic bottles and cans.

Do you believe in love at first sight? No.

What's something you'll do when your older, but not now? I don’t know. Are you currently drinking anything? I’m finishing a Starbucks Doubleshot energy drink.

What color is your shirt? Black. 

Have you ever played laser tag? Nope.

Does your best friend live within 5 minutes from you? My mom and I live together.

If you got dared to dye your hair purple, would you? No. I dye my hair red and I want to keep it that way. It would be a big, annoying process to do another color and then to go back if I wanted, so nah.

How many contacts do you have in your cell phone? Not many.

Do you own earmuffs? No. It doesn’t get cold enough for them here.

Nothing worse than being sunburnt, don’t you agree? I’ve experienced much worse, but they are awful.

#personal #text #survey #surveys

[apartyofone]

My 2020 – a not-short-enough story.

(Because the 2.7 people still following this blog want to know)

“Ouch”, I said rubbing my left foot in January. Huh – there’s a nasty cut. And swelling.

Hospital stay 1. MRIs. Xrays.

Hospital stay 2. CAT scan. More Xrays. Two exploratory surgeries in foot. Learn that many hospital meals include green jello.

“You’ve had a big staple embedded in your foot for years” says Dr.  “Huh,” I said. Never felt it.  Guess I really am an unfeeling bastard.

“Oh….and your bone is infected – we have to hack it out,” says Dr.

Two options:

1.       Chop whole foot off at heel, wear silly faux shoes rest of my life and I’m back hobbling around in 4 weeks.

2.       Remove infected bone. Insert temporary pins and spacer. More surgery 6 weeks later to place permanent cadaver bone with pins, rods, plates and everything else from some aisle at Home Depot. And a 4-6 month rehab but with my same foot, sans embedded ouchie metal staple.

Spent a sleepless night in hospital thinking it through.

“Dr, is Option 2 kind of a ‘Hail Mary’ play to save my foot?,” I ask.

He considers the question. “No,” he says. “More like a Philly Special.”

Game on then. Surgery 1 is on March 3. “Thumbs up,” said the sweaty Dr to me in post op. He spent 5 hours opening my foot up with a can opener and rearranging all the parts. No problems and I’m gonna be sprung from the joint very soon.

Or not. The next day my kidneys decide to go on vacation. Maybe jealous of all the attention to the lower body parts?  Maybe there was a staple in there,too?

Now I’m in a 10-day haze of dialysis, antibiotics, painkillers and countless doctors shaking their heads.  My kids and even my cold bastard of a brother is concerned.

Me, I’m just enjoying the hell out that green jello.

For absolutely no good reason, my kidneys suddenly return from the dead. Numbers stabilize. What happened? Docs have no clue. They’re more interested in something I’m just now hearing about: some new virus that’s filling up the ICU and other hospital beds. What’s a “covid19”?

Quarantine stops life but I’m blissfully unaware. Until the nurses tell me they’re getting worried about me being surrounded by people dying of this dreaded plague. Pushed out of the hospital in late March after a 26 day long stay. 

No more fucking green jello. Ever.

My medical odyssey scorecard to this point:

Minus: 1 old staple.

Add: Lots of stitches and hardware in my foot

Minus: About 60 lbs, or so I reckon looking in the mirror. 

Home health nurses, physical and occupational therapy folks come and go through a revolving door at my house for a month. My kids cater to my every need. Feeling blessed by both great health insurance and my family.

Everyone chafing from the locked down experience. Meanwhile I’m happy as hell to just be home. I’m in a bubble inside of a bubble of a world of mask, face shields and social distancing.

Hospital stay 3 is mercifully short. Follow up surgery goes according to plan. I decided to name the cadaver bone in my foot as “Kobe” to piss off a co worker who is a huge Lakers fan.

Now it’s just a matter of rest and keeping all weight off my foot. While I’m flat on my ass through April and May a plan starts to form. An adventure. Exactly what I need for today and tomorrow.

More Xrays. Bone graft is doing nicely. I ask my accountant if my cadaver bone implant qualifies as another dependent on my taxes. (Accountants have little  imagination and no sense of humor) 

Still no walking but at least I can start working from home.

June 1 and I’m back to work – albeit 30 miles from my old office. Love the new commute – stepping over two large and snoring yellow cats. Miss the workplace camaraderie and casual conversations that are part of my management style. Really miss walking back to the print shop and watching all the different books come off the press.

Learn Zoom. Move some pictures on my wall behind me to get a better backdrop. Immediately wish I had bought stock in the company that produced it. Takes awhile to get back into the swing of things at work.

I’m admittedly distracted. The afore mentioned plan pops up into my thoughts more and more. Already told my kids about it back in May as a “maybe”. It’s now a “oh hell yes.”

I surprised my financial advisors when I let them in on it. Spending evenings and weekends doing researching, reading books on the topic and formulating my own plans. When I get serious about something I make spreadsheets. Lots and lots of them.

So now it’s mid July and the plan is in full bloom.

I’m going to stay gainfully employed as the president of my company until around March, 2022.

On or around May 2022 I’m moving. Far away. Really far.

France. Or maybe Portugal, Greece or Spain. Or maybe all four for a little while because that’s what you can do when you retire.

I’m very happily leaving the (not) United States of America within 22 months. My decision has something to do with the ongoing political and social climate but it goes deeper. America now seems like a very backward place in so many important ways. Here’s one: Even though we lacked the good sense and discipline to obey scientists, wear masks and social distance, our idiot leader in Washington, D.C. insists that we risk our children’s lives to send them to school this fall.

Does this sound like a civilized nation? Because it doesn’t to me.

Love it, or leave it – say the cult45ers. M’OK.

I’ve offered the chance to live to Europe to both kids. Looks like my son is signing on – and I’m thrilled about that. Yeah, I could have handled this challenge alone. But it’s going to be easier – and nicer – to share it. And this could be an amazing fresh start for him.

Going to keep the house in the Philly suburbs. Daughter can live here as long as she likes. If she moves out I’ll probably rent it. Selling the house and completely pulling up stakes is the number one mistake people make when they go the ex-pat route.  I learned that early in my planning. And I’m keeping notes because….

All those books I was reading on the subject of retiring overseas? Horrible. Just plain awful. Every single one. So, yeah, I’m going to write my own book on the topic that will be THE end-all, be-all guide to the experience.

And if you need any advice on the ex-pat topic before the book comes out – such as how you can live large on $2500 a month in the south of France – give me a shout. Preferably not in French – I’m going to start learning the language sometime next year. 

FYI - ‘vert jello’ is the french translation of “green jello”. 

The best I advice I can give all 2.7 of you reading this – staying or leaving this country – is this:

Don’t step on staples.

#2020 #2022 plan

[jordm]

Heartland 13x08 - Legacy review

Previously on Heartland: Caleb is over the moon happy about being a daddy and I’m over the moon for them. But unfortunately, it’s back to “mention only” land for Cass. That’s the life.

Georgie and Jade

Jade is the worst roommate, and even if part of the cause for Georgie’s mood is because of Quinn going back to Florida, seeing how she’s woken up by Jade in the morning and the place is seemingly a mess, I don’t really blame her. She moved out to have her own space, and Jade being there kind of defeats it. And even so, why is Jade so surprised she has no waffle maker?! She obviously goes over to the main house to eat most meals. Is Jade even paying rent? Where is Jade even sleeping? The Sofa?

Besides the point, Georgie and Jade decide to have a little friendly competition. Georgie bets she can jump rope a horse better than Jade can jump a horse. Amy can do both and i’m reminded that Amy, in Heartland world is an anomaly. What can’t she do? She can even joust and do archery on a horse.

Back to the main point, they go to the jumping course and Georgie, getting flashbacks of her time with Quinn and clearly still missing him and possibly regretting sending him away on such a bad note, elects not to jump. To say that she is missing him is one big understatement and it’s nice to see Jade acknowledge that she’s sorry about Quinn (even if she doesn’t know the full story) once they call the match a draw. Georgie needs friends and in time, I do believe that something that talking to Quinn may help her feel a little better. We know he shows up near the end of the season... so here’s to some conclusion.

Amy

Ty and Lyndy still aren’t back and Luke is off to Summer Camp (hey that’ll be fun and a totally legit way to write someone off of the show for the episode instead of say, MONGOLIA). Anyways, we get a really cute video call between the fam and I still wish we saw this visit with Ty’s mom but hey, at least he isn’t off in Mongolia right? Plus, the framing for their house is on the way so bets on if the house is going to be done by the end of the season?

When riding Lisa’s cross country course, Spartan ends up breaking his leg (torn ligament or something) and this situation with Spartan is not nearly as serious... but more on this next week. Amy acknowledges he isn’t as young as he used to be (at the very least 13 years old since she rescued him in season 1) and perhaps might need to take it easy. We get a Cass mention that she checked out the Spartan and I wish that with Ty out of town, we got to see some more Cass/Amy scenes; even a scene where Cass is eating breakfast at Maggies with Amy. 

Tim and Casey

So, we hear from their own words, that they simply decided not to get engaged oh so long ago (how long ago? last season ended with Georgie going to Europe, so let’s say July and she’s now graduated and into her summer job at Fairfield, let’s say it’s been one year). I know we’ve said this a thousand times but just because they decided not to get married, why does that mean that they had to break up?!

We find out that it was mutual, and apparently Casey is marrying Greg because he isn’t as challenging. So... it was mostly Tim? I get it, Tim is challenging and runs a thousand miles a minute but this still seems like a VERY thinly veiled excuse (i’m sure @the-real-tc will agree). Casey didn’t say “he’s a better fit for me” or “we just connected”, it was more of a “he’s easier to handle and more predictable” but sometimes we need a little bit of unpredictability in our lives right? And Tim isn’t that unpredictable and always means well, at least in my opinion. I don’t know about all of you, but it sounds like maybe Casey is settling, although I am willing to give her the benefit of doubt because we haven’t actually seen this guy and she may be trying to protect Tim’s feelings.

Anyways, Tim makes a wise choice to not buy Casey’s business. By buying Casey’s business, he is still holding onto that Casey connection but he makes the wise choice to cut ties completely. Hopefully now we can move on from this ridiculous excuse to end a relationship even though Casey promised to never leave.

Jack

Jack is going around recruiting rodeo legends for the Hudson classic when he runs into Butch, who is having trouble the past few years due to concussions; so is the life of a rodeo star back in the day I suppose, when they competed with little protection and no health insurance or pension. 

Jack, being the good guy he is, wants to start a foundation to support retired rodeo vets. And while he, the rodeo owners and the vets all realize it’s a good cause, when it comes to cutting into profits, the rodeo owners are a little more stingy. They want to make money off these legends/riders but don’t want to support them after their retired. And not that i’m saying the owners being skeptical was right but perhaps Jack should have given them some time to think, look over their books and work out the kinks of this like, how it’s going to be spend, distributed... etc. before just saying “donate % of your profits” because let’s face it, they could be like, “okay, we agree to 1% of profits” and it amounts to nothing. Perhaps he should have proposed “okay, 5% of profits to a maximum of $5,000 a year” or something and outline the tax benefits or the social benefits.

Frankly, i’m surprised that 40 years later after Jack was in the circuit, the rodeo riders/participants haven’t started a union they can pay into and get a benefit (ie. pension/insurance) from yet. Granted, I don’t know how hard it is to start a union but generally, a union helps to negotiate these benefits. I’m actually pretty sure that in real life, some kind of union does exist.

Jack manages to get Tim on his side and at the event, through part of Jack’s speech but probably mostly peer pressure, he gets all the rodeo owners to agree to donate a percentage of the profits and all the proceeds from the Hudson Heritage Classic.

Lou

JD Worth is campaigning around Hudson for mayor, but Lou is worried that this change he keeps campaigning for is too much. I say the giant posters of his face on the walls are way too much.

Lou thinks somethings up and even thinks about running for Mayor. And... i can’t say I didn’t see it coming. Especially once she sees JD’s plans to completely modernize main street - something I dare say small towns in real life have had to contend with in order to stay alive - and once she hears JD’s opponent has dropped out, I dare say as a local resident and business woman, she has a pretty good chance of winning. 

This reminds me of Randall’s storyline on This Is Us, anyone else?

Songs in this Episode @heartlandians​

Long Wet Day - Sunday Jones

Without - Sunday Jones

Lean on Somebody - Caution Cat (LOVE this name lmao)

Frank, AB - The Rural Alberta Advantage

#heartland #review #season 13 #legacy

[thewritewolf]

Inseparable Chapter 31: Waiting on You

And so we finally reach the end of my story for Ladynoir July 2019, Inseparable. It’s been a ride and this story really made me think - not just about the relationship between Ladybug and Chat Noir, but about the miraculous and how they interact with each other. I hope you all enjoyed this, and I hope that you’ll keep an eye out for the smaller stories that I’ll be working on in the near future. Thanks for reading!

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

@ladynoirjuly2019

Enjoy!

Read on Ao3

(Really hoping the Read More works since this is like a 3k long chapter)

The two of them exchanged a look before getting up, slowly and cautiously. It was late, past midnight and much later than they would expect any of their friends to drop by. Even assuming that they would appear without calling ahead first - both Adrien and Marinette lived busy lives, after all, and showing up unannounced was a good way to miss them entirely. So whoever was on the other side of that door knew they were there, despite how infrequently they were home or awake at this hour.

Adrien crept ahead of his lady as he approached the door. Names ticked through his head as he tried to puzzle out who it could be. Nino had a DJ gig today. Alya would be sleeping. None of his model coworkers knew where he lived, and neither did most of their friends from lycee. They hadn’t been in this apartment for that long - they had only entertained guests a couple times so far. Ready to pounce if this turned out bad, he opened the door.

Looking up at him, peaceful as ever, was none other than Master Fu. A dark green bag with faded yellow symbols hung from his shoulder.

“Greetings, young one.” He leaned to the side to look behind Adrien. “And hello to you as well, Marinette. I see the two of you have completed the final stage of your training.”

Marinette approached slowly. “How did you…?”

The old man smiled. “To those attuned to the flow of energy, it is clear as day. There is an unbreakable bond between the two of you.” His smile faded and his face became serious. “A bond that I am afraid I will have to test today.”

Pulling Marinette closer to him instinctively, Adrien eyed the old master suspiciously. “It’s been a while since we’ve talked and that’s one of the first things that you say?”

His hands rested on the gnarled old cane that he carried. “I understand your protectiveness, Adrien Agreste. But I promise you, this is for the good of all. Will you at least hear what I would ask of you?”

With a sigh, Adrien stood aside. “Okay, okay. I at least owe you that much.”

“At the very least,” Master Fu confirmed with a small smile.

While Adrien sat back down to where, just a few minutes ago, he’d been occupied with kissing his girlfriend, Marinette pulled a chair in front of the couch and took her spot next to Adrien. Master Fu nodded his thanks as he settled into the repositioned chair. To Adrien’s immense surprise, the guardian almost seemed… uncertain. Not as composed as he remembered from his earlier years.

Wayzz appeared from Fu’s hawaiian shirt and floated above the others. Tikki and Plagg rose to meet him and the three of them sailed towards the kitchen, no doubt looking to scrounge for some snacks. Adrien watched them before returning his attention to Fu.

“I know that you don’t like to make house calls unless you absolutely have to,” Marinette said, finally breaking the silence. “So I understand that whatever you are here for, you consider to be very important.” She wrung her hands from nerves and Adrien settled one hand over them. “But I get the feeling you don’t like what you’re going to ask.”

After a moment, Master Fu nodded slowly. “You are correct. I am here because of this,” he reached into his bag and pulled out an object that Adrien was all too familiar with - the Peacock miraculous.

It had been years since he had seen it last, but it had been seared into his memory as the end of his family, such that it was. From what Master Fu had told him, it was what had made his mother fall into a coma, and his father’s possession of it was a major reason Adrien had realized his father was Hawkmoth. But Adrien also remember that it was…

“You want us to fix it,” Adrien blurted out.

Fu’s eyes widened ever so slightly, but he nodded. “The creator of the miraculous is long gone. The secret knowledge and techniques of my order has been lost for over a century. The only power left in this world capable of restoring this miraculous is that of the Ladybug and Black Cat miraculous, working in tandem.”

Beside him, Marinette gasped. “You knew!” At Adrien’s confused look, she elaborated. “You knew that the Peacock was damaged from the beginning. All this time, I had wondered why you chose to send out the two miraculous that Hawkmoth had wanted but… it makes sense now. You needed us to fix the Peacock miraculous.”

“It was a gamble, but I had faith in the ones who I had chosen.” Master Fu’s eyes were resolute. “My faith was rewarded when you successfully returned the long missing miraculous. For that, I am grateful.” He bowed his head in respect. “I had resigned myself to wait for years for your powers to mature, but both of you became stronger far quicker than I had ever hoped. I simply wish that you had not been forced to access your abilities so prematurely.”

“But we were,” Adrien stated. “And now it sounds like you’re asking us to do it again.” His hand tightened around Marinette’s.

“I understand that you feel trepidation after what happened last time…”

“I nearly watched the love of my life die!” Adrien growled. “You honestly think that-”

“Adrien.” Her voice was calm, but stern. His anger that had been slowly building up evaporated in an instant as his attention turned back to her. “We have to help. It’s our duty.”

He cupped her cheek and through the mask of determination she wore he could see the fear buried deep in her eyes. “...Haven’t you given enough already?” His voice broke as he added, “I don’t want to lose you. Not again.”

“Chaton…” She kissed his nose and pulled him close. “We have to do this. It’s something only we can do.” His arms wrapped around her so he could hold her tight. He buried his face into her shoulder. “If it isn’t us, then someone even less prepared will try and fail. Right, Master Fu?”

“Indeed. It is rare to see a pair as inseparable as you two. That bond will be your weapon and your armor in this coming battle.” Adrien heard the chair squeak and the sound of something being placed on the table. “You know where I live. Take all the time you need.” His voice became distant. “Good luck, young ones.”

The door closed behind him. The apartment was silent for a few minutes as Tikki and Plagg floated over the damaged miraculous.

“Oh, poor Duusu… I can barely feel her presence. She must be so weak.” There was sadness in Tikki’s watery eyes. Plagg placed a comforting paw on her head.

“Don’t worry, Sugarcube. Won’t be too much longer before we’re one big happy family again…” he peered over his shoulder to Adrien, an uncharacteristic seriousness on his face. “...Right, kid?”

Adrien buried his face in his hands. “...Right, Plagg.”

Marinette’s hand rubbed circles on his back while her other one rested on his knee. She was quiet when she spoke. “I know you’re worried, mon chaton.” She wrapped her arms around him. “I am too.”

“I don’t know what we’re about to be getting ourselves into.” He returned her hug, holding her as tight as he could. “But I’m glad that it’s you that’s going to be by my side for this. For all of this. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better.”

Her smile was weak but radiant, like a glimpse of the sun seen in a rainstorm. “You took the words right out of my mouth.” Brushing aside the nascent tears, she stood up. “Are you ready to start?”

“You want to do this now?” Adrien rose as well, glancing between the kwamis and the broken miraculous.

“I’m afraid if I think about this too much then I’ll chicken out.”

A surprised laugh forced its way out of him. “That’s fair.” He turned to the kwami. “Do either of you need any recharging before we get started?”

“Kid, this goes against everything I stand for but... No, I’m full. Let’s do this.” Plagg narrowed his eyes and nodded at Adrien.

“I feel stronger than I have in generations.” Tikki swirled around Marinette’s head. “I’m so lucky to have such a wonderful chosen. Both of you are so brave.”

“So…” Adrien looked into the silvery metal of his ring. “How do we do this?”

“Traditionally, it starts with you transforming, ya dingus.” Plagg’s tail flicked back and forth irritatedly.

“Yes, Plagg, I managed to figure that part out on my own. But what about after that?”

Tikki floated into his field of view. “You have to remember, Adrien, that this isn’t a common event and we are always inside the miraculous when it happens. The only advice we can give you is to do the meditations as usual and just… focus your energy on Duusu’s miraculous. The rest should make itself clear.”

After a moment, Adrien nodded slowly. “Alright… let’s give this a shot then. Plagg, claws out!”

“Tikki, spots on!”

And just like that Chat Noir and Ladybug stood in the middle of their living room. It had been over a month since he’d gone through the familiar transformation and despite his fears, it felt like slipping into a favorite outfit.

“Are you ready to start?” Adrien asked.

Ladybug nodded and put a pillow on the ground next to the table where the miraculous sat. She handed one to Adrien and nodded towards the opposite end of the table. Once they were seated, they locked hands and Adrien was reminded of old timey seances. Who knows? Maybe this is where they got the idea from in the first place.

With a slight effort of will, he discarded his thoughts like he was shrugging off his jacket. His mind became unanchored and within moments he felt her presence beside him in a way that went beyond the physical. He didn’t have long to enjoy it, however, as he felt himself being pulled toward… something. The sensation of being moved was unlike anything he’d experienced yet during their meditation - he hadn’t even realized that was a thing that could happen.

But before he could make any sense of it, let alone figure out how to resist the pull, he felt himself collide with what he could only describe as a cloud that brushed painfully over his skin as he tore through it.

Wait.

Skin?

He opened his eyes and discovered that while he wasn’t outside his own body any more, he also wasn’t inside his apartment. He was laying on his back and staring up at the sky, which was fractal and reflective like lavender crystal. Large cracks broke up the patterns and from those cracks came red storm clouds that crackled with lightning as he struggled to get his bearings. Rolling over, he saw the ground was covered in a dull red dirt. As he stood up and looked to the horizon, he saw that same dirt spread out into infinity, utterly flat and barren. His ears perked up when he heard coughing and he whirled around toward the noise.

Ladybug was groaning as she sat up, her eyes widening as she took in her new surroundings. She gladly took the hand that he offered and they both stood in the open area, looking around.

“Any idea where we are, bugaboo?”

She was staring up at the clouds and crystal sky. “You ever wonder what the inside of a miraculous looks like?”

“I- You don’t really think…?” He frantically looked around at the desolation. His sympathy for the kwami increased - is this what they had to live in while waiting for new chosen?

“No… usually it is much more… pleasant.”

A tiny voice made both of them jump and they turned toward the source, already pulling out their weapons. Behind them floated a blue kwami with a large, beautiful tail that reminded him of a peacock.

“...Duusu?” Adrien whispered as he stepped closer. Getting a better look, he realized that there were darker patches all along her body, her eyes were sunken, and even her tail seemed ragged and torn. “What… happened to you?”

“I’ve been trying to hold on…” The kwami sniffled. “But they can slip in through the cracks. I don’t think I can make it much longer… Not before they push me out completely.”

“Who? Who are ‘they’?”

“The darkness that seeps in from beyond. They’re coming.” The kwami coughed and Ladybug lunged to catch her as she dropped like a stone. “Please… help.”

Lightning struck and instead of thunder reaching his ears, he instead heard roars like those of wild animals. He looked toward the noise and saw creatures made of a substance like a dark purple, liquid shadow. The analogy of wild animals was accurate, to a point. They ran on four legs, and there was a sense of claws and fangs, but that was where the similarities ended. Just as he was getting ready to fight, he felt Ladybug slip something into his pocket.

“Take care of Duusu. I don’t know if she can handle any more punishment.”

“As you wish, my lady.” He extended his baton into a staff and settled into a defensive stance. “How about I take the dozens on the left and you take the ones on the right?”

“Duusu has been at this for ages, chaton. Beating these things is only part of the problem.” She pointed toward the cracks in the crystal. “I think we need to do something about those if we’re going to make any kind of real progress.”

“I don’t know how to even start fixing that, but before we can try…” The monsters were almost upon them. “...Let’s drive these things back.”

It had been years since the two of them had a fight that pushed them to their limits. Adrien had been worried that they would be rusty after all that time, but they rose to the challenge. Never before had he ever felt so in sync with his lady - no matter how hard the monsters pressed, they couldn’t manage to break their flawless defense. Despite their horrific appearance, the shadow creatures were individually taken down easily. Maybe it was because they didn’t need to worry about an innocent person being inside, or maybe they had just gotten that much stronger over the years, but it felt incredibly easy to destroy them.

At least, the first few waves.

It quickly became clear that while they weren’t the most threatening on their own, they had numbers on their side and were slowly wearing them down. Hits began landing, sneaking their way through their defenses. Adrien began accumulating cuts. He could feel bruises forming on his skin. Growling, he pushed aside the pain and pressed on. In his focus, he began to hear a voice in the back of his head.

Grab that one throw it into that one keep Chat’s back clear how to deal with the crystal sky don’t know keep fighting have to keep fighting

He was surprised, but in recognizing the mental voice as belonging to his lady, he submerged himself entirely into the fight.

Before long, he felt her surprise as well and the voice in his mind became stronger, more coherent. Without the burden of words, their reactions become as quick as thought. They lost themselves to a zen state of fighting, sinking further than they ever had before into a trance-like state. He wasn’t sure when he became they, but before long they controlled both bodies with one mind.

Things became foggy after that point. The monsters kept pouring after them but they couldn’t make it within twenty meters before being erased like shadows by the sun. Their attention turned as one towards the crystal skies, the clouds evaporating as the crystal began regenerating. Their light became blinding and all that they remembered next was searing white light.

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

Marinette woke up in her apartment. Her back hurt as she pulled herself out of the awkward angle that she had been sleeping in, draped over the edge of the couch behind her. In front of her, Adrien had sprawled out on the floor. Her heart skipped a beat in panic and she stared breathlessly at him, fearing the worst. As she stared, however, she saw his chest rise and fall like she always did late at night. She crawled over to him and shook his shoulder, wincing at the sunlight streaming in through the windows.

It was at this point she realized she was no longer in her suit. That wasn’t too surprising - she could go long stretches of time these days transformed but after what they did-

Her eyes widened as she remembered what it was they had been trying to do. While Adrien groggily sat up, pawing at his eyes, Marinette turned her attention toward the miraculous sitting on the table.

Floating above it was a blue, smiling kwami. Adrien noticed her too.

“Hey, boss,” Adrien croaked with a smile. “Looks like we did it.”

He reached over to brush away the tears she didn’t realize she’d been shedding and she immediately launched herself into Adrien’s arms. Marinette’s heart was so full of joy it was close to bursting. They’d done it. Neither of them had gotten hurt, and they could go on with their lives unburdened by the past.

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

Down below, in a place running on backup generators and reserve power, only a single light flickered above a sarcophagus of glass and metal and and doubtless a touch of magic.

Inside was a woman.

She opened her eyes.

#Miraculous Ladybug #Marinette Dupain-Cheng #Adrien Agreste #Adrienette #Chat Noir #Ladybug #Ladynoir #Plagg #Tikki #Master Fu #Duusu #ml fanfiction #my writing #Inseparable

[radishearts]

ladynoir july : Confession week

Ladynoir July day 1: miraculous 

“you two are together then.” The reporter asked

“it’s complicated.” Chat answered

“were nothing more than platonic friends.” Ladybug budded in.

“so you’re not?”

“ Alya, please stop with the prying questions, this kind of stuff is personal.”

“you are then?”

“no.”

“so your telling me, you two aren’t dating? With all that flirting and awkward stuff that happens in combat it sounds like your more than just ‘platonic’ friends.”

“I can only dream….”

“oh do shut up cat, were nothing like that Alya!”

“then why did you kiss…twice?”

“like I said, the first time I was saving him,”

“So kissing the opposite gender, on the lips is heroics, rather than a display of romantic attraction, generally occurring between two people who have some sort of amorous relationship?” 

“You seem to have thought about this a lot.” 

“the thought may have crossed my mind once or twice, but that's off topic, how did you know it would work.” 

“True loves kiss breaks the spell, remember?” 

“True loves kiss huh? How did you know it would work if you didn’t have some sorta attraction to our beloved furry?” alya rebutted, pointing at a smug faced chat. 

“Yeah M’lady.” chat taunted in a flirtatious voice, staring her down with a sly grin. 

At first she was at a loss for words, blood rushing to her cheeks, before taking a deep breath and composing her flustered self. 

“ the love of friendship?” she suggested, unsure herself if it would be a sufficient answer for the three smug faced teens around her that had already managed to pry way too much information out of her already. 

“Why would you kiss him on the lips?” 

“I- i-” 

“Why did you smile after?” 

“How is that information available to the public eye?” she exclaimed 

“I have my ways.” alya plainly stated 

“Your not denying it, Ladybug.” chat added 

“Good point chat, so your saying you enjoyed it.” 

Ladybug’s face at this point was as red as her costume. 

“No… can we talk about something else?” 

“Not until you answer my question, why did you kiss him the second time.” 

“ the second time was not applicable, we lost our memories and obviously were lunatics.”

“I dunno, we looked more like in love, than borderline psychopathic.” Chat smiled slyly at alya

“you’re not helping, chatton.”

“see even when your angry with him your flirting!”

“that was soo not flirting!”

“honey, either I’m blind or your just clueless.”

 Ladybug sighed in desperation, luckily nino saved her from another round of awkward and embarrassing questions that would surely convince her and the rest of the world  that she was ‘in love’ with chat noir. 

“Dudettes and dudes, take a chill pill- “

“I don’t do drugs.” 

“not what I meant Alya…but good to know, seriously though, chill out, lets relax a little and play a few rounds of WATO.”

“WATO?” the two superheroes exclaimed  in confusion

“What. Are. The. Odds.”

“oh, I heard about that game, sounds fun.” Chat grinned

Nino and Alya exchanged sly glances, this was a window of opportunity for them, and by the look of their wolfish grins, ladybug did not like it. 

“I don’t really like these types of games….”

“come on milady, it’ll be fun, I promise we won’t make you do anything weird or stupid.”

“come on LB! I’ve always wanted to play a game of WATO with you !”

“Dudette, I’m 100% down if you are, trust me, I may be ‘Mr dare’ according to the school, but I hate playing these games!”

Ladybug smiled, she remembered the first time they got Niño to play truth or dare, even though he chickened out on hugging Chloe, to encourage him for being a good sport, they gave him the nickname  ‘mr dare’ and it stuck, and now he was renowned for doing stupid dares involving parkour or any type of physical challenge, the only time ‘Mr dare’ would chicken out is when it came to girls, anything to do with them and he was out. He was a strange child, but that made him all the more awesome.

“ok, I’ll play, but only a few rounds and then I’ll have to split!”

“awesome, I’ll go first, Ladybug, what are the odds you and chat noir would ever end up together.”

“zero percent.”

“that’s not how it works.” she laughed “say a number from 1- 3 and if we have the same number then you have to do it.”

“so if we get the same number then me and chat noir would have to...”

“yep.”

“would you like a lucky charm LB?”chat teased

“no need, you keep it kitty, besides the chances of that happening are 2- 1, the odds are in my favour.”

“the odds are never in our favour.” Chat noir and Alya said simultaneously almost if rehearsed.

“you and your pop-cultural references!”

“there are much worse games to play LB.”

“you did not just…”

Chat noir gave a Cheshire grin.

“go on LB, and may the odds be ever in your favour!”

“3, 2, 1…”

“two! Three!” they shouted together.

Chat held a smug grin on his face, “well I ever, do you really think that there’s 3 percent odds of us being together, I’m quite flattered!”

“really chat? Who’s next?”

“I volunteer as tribute.”

“seriously?”

“I’m as serious as black.”

“harry potter references?”

“always.”

“I’m done with this; I’m going home to go to bed.”

“mind if I slytherin?”

“you did not just…”

“he did, and he executed it perfectly!” nino laughed 

“you’re not leaving yet LB, we got another round of WATO to play first, then you can.” alya said 

“but, I- “

“I can and will livestream the next akuma attack on the ladyblog.”

“your gonna blackmail me into staying here? That’s low even for you.”

“or I could just update about my new, ladybug and chat noir are together theories.”

“you have a list?” 

“she sure does.”

“can I see it?”

“maybe latter chat.” She turned her attention to ladybug “ it’s your choice.”

“fine, I’ll stay.” 

“Great!” she exclaimed. “Nino i believe you have a plausible dare to play with chat.” 

“Indeed,” he replied with a smile, “ what are the odds you and LB will be together by the end of the week.” 

“Nino!” ladybug slapped him on the knee 

“Ni- yes.” he said “you up for the odds chat?” 

“I think there’s a pretty good chance.” 

“3, 2, 1,  3!” they exclaimed in unison 

“ I am not going along with this.” ladybug huffed 

“She’s just playing hard to catch!” alya said 

“Good, i’ve always wanted to do this, alya get a live stream going i have an announcement to the internet to make!” 

“Sure thing cat boy,” 

Alya introduced herself nino and the superheroes before she let chat take the reins. 

“To all the internet to see, hello my adoring fans, yes it is i, chat noir, coming to you with a special announcement!” chat said with a dramatic flair, “there have been rumors that me and m’lady over there are dating, as much as I would love for this to be true, they are only rumors, however we just played a few rounds of what of the odds, and it seems I have been dared to steal m’lady’s heart, I have 7 days to do this and the countdown has already begun. Now since i have the courage to do this, I think everyone who has the window of opportunity to do so should confess their feelings and send their reactions to me @chatnoir_official, wish me luck!”

 He blew a kiss to the camera  handing the phone back to Alya 

“Well you heard him folks, it seems this week has become confession week, now isn’t that, miraculous. Signing off Alya from the ladyblog!” 

She ended the video, it already had several hundred views and the live chat was buzzing with excitement. Chat noir's ring beeped, signaling his obligation to leave. 

“Your going to try and win me over, in one week, it takes a lot longer than that, chat noir.” ladybug teased.

“Remember i have the upper hand m’lady, #ladynoir is trending on twitter, the entirety of the world ships us together, remember that. Making you fall for me is easy, see your flustered even now!” he said, pointing to her rosy cheeks. He leaned in closer to her.  “The only thing that's going to be hard is getting you out of your denial.” he bopped her nose and ran off the roof tops, leaving her in shock. 

“And you say you don’t like him!” alya laughed “your a flustered mess He could win you over in 5 days.” 

“Whatever!” she said rolling her eyes.

 But in truth he already started making his way into her heart, even if she hadn’t realised. And by the end of ‘confession week’, chat noir and ladybug would be (hopelessly) in love.

#ladynoirjuly2019 #ladynoir #chat being dramatic #confession week #alya #nino #wato #ladybug

[ladyofmind]

July... Oh, July

Where did you go?

Seems like it was just the other day that I got home from that weekend trip and tried to find my routine again. Yes, I didn’t post much about my Nano camping or victory, but that editing work got done. The book itself isn’t finished, but I need a break!

Where else did July disappear to? Some good things came with my minor query attempt... I am waiting for more answers and managed to find myself an AMAZING editor to help me get this massive series into some shape. (Seriously, message me about her, I will be glad to share!) So yeah, that’s where I’ve been, plus or minus a sugar coma birthday weekend... 32 years old now, and that was way too much food. Well loved and over fed for sure.

As with any of my month end wrap-ups, I do like to keep those hashtag games in one place... For the above-mentioned reasons, I didn’t finish all my games this month so I will try my best next month...

More after the jump...

#wipwordsearch

1- Woods started tuning and testing his guitar before finally deciding on the one he wanted, a wicked little smile of his own forming. Two could play this game.

2- Pulling into the parking lot of Woods' building, Remmy stayed silent again, about what was ahead for Tweet.

3- Malta went in bounding search of Remmy, flying at the man for the second time that day.

4- Unfortunately, Malta took his compliment, despite his eyes traveling Tweet's form as discreetly as he could.

5- "He's certainly got my attention, cute little fishy he is." When both girls gave Tweety a look, she shrugged "You know like plenty of fish in the sea?

6- Tweety wanted to be Woods' muse, his sexy little siren, the thing he didn't take his eyes off of and drew inspiration from.

7- NO TURQUOISE

8- Rounding, she held the giggle at Brandon's confusion, even as the show went on. She felt a bit like those streakers that ran through sporting events, the way she was disrupting things. Though this time it wasn't her fault, but if you're already making a spectacle of yourself, might as well go full on.

9- Grabbing his music player and speakers, she continued on, shirt starting to climb up her back as she walked to the bathroom, tossing it just inside the doorway.

10- Woods wasn’t helping the cause, leaning against the door he held open, a mix of dented pride and cat with the canary.

11- NO BLOSSOM

12- She started to move again, softly swaying to the song.

13- He could tell Bebe was the type to do as Tweety wrote, and now Sly wondered if that was the reason miss Tweety sponged down that particular table so.

14- In Frost's mind, this was what a successful operating business looked like; something he'd been trying to have happen in the years he'd been the manager.

15- He had to think a moment to make sure he hadn't said anything other than a comment on food. He couldn't help but smirk, she looked as if he just said the smartest thing ever, and he knew himself well enough to know that couldn't happen.

16- That left Malta and Tweety to finish attempting to send the men on their way. Of course they were not being forced out, but the party had wound down nicely, and those boys needed to be up early to ship out, so they were trying to be mindful of this.

17- It could be called pretty, even if it sorely needed some updating. She looked past him, down the row of empty spaces, her own history easily meshing here too.

18- NO CHISEL

19- She somehow had bags of stuff again but knew the last stop she needed to make before getting to work; ordering two boxes of assorted cupcakes from her bakery boys, who seemed a bit surprised (she) came back.

20- Tweet just felt it more, the enormous mistake this would be.

21- That didn't quite help because he gripped the edge, and sunk down a little. "Maybe you should take ten first? You don't look so good."

22- Returning her attention to the drinkers, who had abandoned all the empty bottles, moving instead to the couch, swigging from some dented flask.

23- NO ZOOM

24- She'd lost count of them all now, and that probably wasn't a good thing to admit to. Just because she chased after one man, didn't mean she wasn't being tailed by more than enough of her own.

25- "Maybe if I could get another drink? I guess I can't drink through my skin." Deej gave the stink eye to Roger, before shrugging and rubbing the back of his head with a chuckle. "Anyone got an extra shirt?"

26- Woods laughed with a nod to the rest of the group, stepping a little closer to the microphone "I do believe the naughty nurse Trouble just issued another challenge, one we intend to take on."

27- Malta started to sway to the music, causing Tweet to do the same, and then they covered an ear each when the club could hear the way Frost boomed "Lass!"

28- Making a face as he downed the drink, Collar figured partying too hard wasn’t as bad as alliteration. "Good luck sir." He saluted and then wandered off, finding a nice table of random people to bother.

29- She could write a book about how to divert attention from yourself.

30- NO HAPHAZARD

31- Her back ached as if she had jumped into a pool and met with the solid wall of water, stinging her all over.

#CharactersTell

1/7- "Ballentine Rajneesh Siyamak, but you can call me Sly for short." In an old school fashion, Sly bent at the waist. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance, and welcome to Soulful. Are you here to see Tweety about the Red Letters series?"

2/7- Sly- "Back in the old country, I slept under the stars, or in a tent a time or two. Now? I suppose one might consider me a hotel camper, if one sees the club's bedrooms as a hotel, even if I hardly use it…"

3/7- Sly- "I know my way around a few things, been around a while. I once managed a spider infestation with a loo brush and pail."

4/7- Sly- "I love the outdoors, big fan of walking around at night, contemplating life in the darkest time of day."

5/7- Sly- "I don't get scared, so I must be telling them? I am not aware I am telling scary stories though, given that I am already often told how terrible I am at noticing flirtatious behavior aimed at me."

6/7- Sly- "Cooking? I am more of a concocter. I make a mean milkshake, and have been known to mix up some drinks and make something new."

7/7- Sly- "I like music, I do, but I don't sing. Not unless it will lighten the mood, and that is a last resort option."

8/7- "Oh? I've never been to camp! Hey fellow campers, I'm Raven, and I'm in a cabin all by my lonesome, stop by for a visit won't you?"

9/7- Raven- "Stargazing? I mean there was this one time, in an outdoor hot tub," *blushes* "We were under the stars but I didn't notice them much…"

10/7- Raven- "Why do we talk about me so much? I want to know about you. What's your favorite activity? I'll try anything once, twice if it's a good time…"

11/7- Raven- "Why ask me something like that? Do you want me to follow you? Because I totally would."

12/7- Raven- "Depends on if I'm taking that dip alone or not. Will you be joining me? I'd do it with you."

13/7- Raven- "Of course I am, anything you want, I'm willing to do, even change for you, so long as you love me."

14/7- Raven- "The bar that was home changed, so that sense of home is gone for a while now. But if you're offering to have me move in with you, of course I will!"

15/7- "Cop" Collar- "Hm, the Intel said that scumbag was here. Better let Nira know Tim's still out there." *texts back and forth* "What do you mean go camping for a while? I wasn't prepared to camp here…."

16/7- "Cop" Collar- *chuckles while unloading car* "Depends on the mountains… More of a poolside camper lately, but apparently I'm stuck in this forest for a few days."

17/7- "Cop" Collar- *finishing pop up tent* "I flirt all the time, ladies love the man thong, men too. Unless you mean a different kind of tent?" *pulls half deflated blowup doll from trunk into tent* "Leftover from a prank, but a good mattress you pervs."

18/7- "Cop" Collar- "I really shouldn't because alcohol starts the party… but I am off duty for a few days before the big bash…" *Chugs a large high proof bottle*

19/7- "Cop" Collar- *bleary eyed* "Always… Where's my thong? WHO TOOK MY THONG?" *spies a guy lost on the path* "You! You must have taken it!" *gives chase to poor guy* (this author spares some details for PG purposes)

20/7- "Cop" Collar- "Oh, great with knots, not so great with shelters."

*finishes hog tying guy with only man thong as rope*

"Collar, dude, it's Nathan Winners. Chef Nathan, you know, your buddy? I never stole your thong! You gotta stop that. Man, Deej owes me for this mess."

21/7-"Cop" Collar-"Usually I'm great at weathering a storm, but in this case, I gotta head back, someone has to help with club security. The big bash is a big deal. If you can get free & bring my man thong, you can get home Wieners." *pats hog tied man & leaves.*

22/7- Chef Nathan Winners- *struggles to get free* "It was a cute joke or pet name the first time. Haha, Chef Wieners. I am never helping Deej by delivering a meal to the woods again. Never stole the stupid thing!"

23/7- Chef Nathan- "I like walking thru the parks and taking the scenic route on my 4am supply runs. It's calm and quiet, plus who doesn't love getting the freshest food to cook with?"

24/7- Chef Nathan- "Did… did you not see what happened this time? That's the worst it's ever been for me. I prefer going alone and wandering the farmer's markets. No danger there, just me and the ingredients."

25/7- Chef Nathan- "I am not adventurous beyond my food. Unless you count navigating the strange people that are my friends, like Collar and Deej."

26/7- Chef Nathan- "I wander and take the long way home on nice days, but never get lost. Probably why a certain cat man calls me whenever he's hungry or lost but not lost."

27/7- Chef Nathan- "Urban legends? Not that I know of. I know a lot of food legends, and there are myths about some of the wilder things that happen in the bar's front of house."

28/7- Chef Nathan- "Is anything weirder than getting hog tied with Collar's man thong? Like seriously… I better get it back to him before he comes back to torture me more."

29/7- Antag Raven- "OMG I SING!!"

MC Sly- "… I suppose that means I shall be forced to play music?"

30/7- Yes! NO!!

SC Collar- "What do you mean no?"

BG Nathan- "You are not someone I want to turn my back on, let alone close my eyes around…" *returns the rope thong*

31/7- Sly- "Tell stories?"

Raven- "Karaoke!!!"

Collar- "Can't we just drink instead…?"

Nathan- "Time to pack, definitely time to leave camp."

#WIPJoy

2- Quick pitch? A women's journey through a life that is 'Cheers' crossed with 'Animaniacs' and surviving mostly sane. That's the Red Letters series!

3- Tweety took a breath before a gorgeously wicked smile spread her face. "Wouldn’t you like to know deary?" Shoulder lifting in a halfhearted shrug, "Probably will have to stick around to find out."

Song- Trouble for me/Britney Spears https://youtu.be/DQNm-P_1VVY

4- Woods started tuning and testing his guitar before finally deciding on the one he wanted, a wicked little smile of his own forming. Two could play this game. #RedLettersTeasers

5- Side char love?

-Malta the Cockney with a bold streak.

-Bebe that crazy friend who makes you do things.

-Roger the lynx cat with an attitude and cupcake addiction.

6- #1randomques Tweet's sorta done this before. But she'd say "It's just a woman's life, full of love, friends, and some legendary stories. It's up to you to believe me or not."

7/8- Tweet's care package includes:

-purple and red pens

-fun notebooks

-new music for her player

-cupcakes

9- Tweet likes pancakes and bacon or chicken fingers with french fries.

10- Tweet's got some food issues, being a picky eater… But Woods, another MC is allergic to cherries.

11- …close enough lol…

"He's certainly got my attention, cute little fishy he is." When both girls gave Tweety a look, she shrugged "You know like plenty of fish in the sea?" #RedLettersTeasers

12- Cupcakes. Thank goodness there is a temperamental cook or two that can make real food too…

13- #1randommques I'm a Gordon Ramsey fan. So, one char would be in trouble for the "herbs" in his brownies. Another might have a distance contest about flinging food, while a third would just be trying to figure out how to frost the chef…

14/15- Tweet has a chef to cook, but left to her own devices, it's candy. Or basics learned as a kid- cereal, quick processed foods, the no cook, doesn't expire for 5 years types of things. So, might be going to the diner to eat.

16- Tweety- "Things were rough growing up, but I always enjoyed chances to be near the water. Pools, oceans, it always called to me.

17- Antag- Brandon- "That's simple. Get off the stage, drink until that night's groupie is ready to play, and pass out around dawn."

18- Collar stepped up to the sink, like he would wash out his shirt, careful to slur his speech as well. "Swell party, til your drink ends up on your gut, not in it." #RedLettersTeasers

19- Tweety- "I can't tell you that. I have a few regrets in my life, but I also try to be a private person, even in the middle of a crowded nightclub."

20- #1randomques - Let's see… My chars are glad that I have managed to overcome bouts of depression, and that I am progressively working on the crippling anxiety. But they are still concerned about what part of the brain "Tim" comes from, and the things he does…

21- Antag- Lady S- "I hired her."

22- Most tech savy- Nira, considering he runs and watching the security system

Least- Deej fries his fur on the jukebox regularly.

#month recap #july #writer #game #characters #characterstell #wipjoy #wipwordsearch #editor

[soepicsokim]

Chapter 20

July:

  The moonlight is hitting my face as I hover above the clouds.Taking a deep breath I close my eyes and start to listen to the world below. Car horns, a child crying, fireworks popping, heavy breathing, and feet pounding on the pavement. I continue to listen until I find his heartbeat. I know that heartbeat over everyone else's. I normally fall asleep to that heartbeat. A smile plays across my face as I listen to the steady heartbeat of my marshmallow. 

 I honestly don’t know what it is about hovering above the Earth. Being suspended in the higher parts of Earth’s atmosphere, it’s so calm and peaceful. So I just float there listening to Dick’s heartbeat as he patrols the city below. Every now and then I hear his remarks, “Yeah because a brick wall is so much easier to punch than a face.” “Why? Why do they always run?” “Nailed the backflip. As usual.”

  I giggle as I listen to him. But that ends quickly as his thoughts and heart starts to race. The hell? There is an assassin at the apartment. O GOD LYDS! BABE? Are you okay? I’m following this assassin.

  My eyes shoot open and I use my x-ray vision to look below me at the apartment, only to see Dick and an assassin running away. I follow them for two blocks, until Dick corners the assassin in an alley. I hover above the clouds and listen to him question the assassin.

  “Why the hell are you here?”

  The assassin narrows her brow and looks at Dick in his Nightwing outfit. “I'm here for Cat.” I hold my breath.

  “But why? What does Ra’s want with her?” Dick took a step towards the assassin. His hands were balled into fists and I could tell he was fighting every urge he had about pounding the assassin into the ground. I sigh and turn invisible as I descend causing a small hole in the clouds.

   The moon shines through the hole onto the assassin and her eyes fill with fear and she mumbles something under her breath. Dick clenches his jaw and narrows his eyes, “WHAT?”

  She looks at him, “Death from above.” She looks around, darting her eyes all over the place. I grin as I hover beside Dick. “Why are you not scared? This is how she plays with the people she targets. I saw her do this once in Spain. The guy she was after was the target. She cornered him into a alley and killed him from above. Just like this.”

  My grin turns into a frown, “That’s not exactly how I remember that mission. Matt was with me and he killed the target.” I become visible and take a step towards her, “Besides, I only killed two targets the entire time I was in the League.” I take another step and pull out her katana. I look it over and smirk, “Thank you.” With that I walk away and the assassin falls to her knees.

   Dick looks from me to her then back to me. He shakes his head and follows me as I walk away. Babe? What just happened?

  I turn around and face him, “I don't want to talk about it. But Ra’s didn't send her.” I sigh and fly up to the rooftops continuing the next three blocks back to the apartment.

  I beat Dick back to the apartment and I hoover high above the building. I take a deep breath and just listen again. Dick tries to talk to me but I ignore him and float in the peace of space.

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

 It’s 8am, the following morning, when my phone starts to ring. I groan and answer, “Hello?” ”No Stacy I didn't forget.” “Stacy it's 8am. I don't come in until 9:30.” I sit up instantly, “Who?” I wave my hand like Stacy is in front of me, “Yes, I know I have a meeting at 10. But who did you say is was with?” “I’ll be there in 30 minutes.”

 With that I hang up and get out of the bed I was staying in. I hover to the other side of the apartment and open the door to Dick’s room very carefully, that way I didn't wake him up. But he isn't there, I sigh and move to the closet and grab a pair of black slacks and a blue v-neck. I quickly get dressed, brush my hair and teeth. Then as I leave I write Dick a sticky note:

Babe, I have a meeting at 10am. See you for lunch around 1.

Love you,

Lyds.

  I grab my keys and head for the office.

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

  I walk into the office and walk up to Stacy, “Why are we even talking to LexCorp? Bruce is supposed to be handling everything with them.” I hand her a coffee that I picked up from the coffee shop next down.

  “Mister Luther called and said he was sending a representative to talk with you about a research project between Wayne Enterprises and LexCorp.” I nod my head towards my office door and start to walk inside. Stacy quickly gathers a couple of folders and follows me into my office.

 Why Lex? What does he want? Please don't let him be the one coming to this meeting. I sit down at my desk and look at the folders Stacy hands to me. I talk as I look over the files,“You can't be serious? Lex wants to partner with us to research the different types of Kryptonite?” I shiver and try to hide the panic in my voice. Stacy sits down in one of the chairs across from me.

  “Those are the files I was able to look up from Wayne Enterprises in Gotham.” Stacy tells me and I nod my head.

  I CAN'T DO THIS! I CAN'T BELIEVE HIM! WHAT? Why? Why does Lex want us to help him research the different types of Kryptonite? I don't even- Ugh. I take a deep breath, hoping to hear Dicks response to my thoughts but I don't hear them. So, I frown and look at Stacy.

  “I'll listen to the representative but the answer is no. Just like Bruce and Mister Fox has told Luther in the past. No.” I look at Stacy and she nods.

  “Yes, Miss Kent.” Stacy stands to walk away but she doesn't move.

  My eyebrow shoots up, “Everything is fine Stacy. Dick and I had a small fight last night.”

  She looks shocked that I answered her question without her even asking. “Oh, ok. Um, is he still coming to take you to lunch at 1?”

  I sigh and give her a fake smile, “I believe so.”

  Stacy walks out of the room and sits at her desk. I lean back in my seat and let out a very deep and very sad sigh. “It was our first misunderstanding. I didn't even get to tell him bye this morning.” I let out another sigh and look over the files getting ready for this meeting.

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

  Dick watched me enter the room that morning. He watched as I looked around then got ready. He wanted to go up to me and pull me into a hug but, he didn't do it. His eyes followed me from the corner of the room. He saw me fix my hair and brush my teeth. He smiled at the thought I was wearing his colors. But he stayed in the dark corner of the room.

  He heard me leave but he waited a while to get up and move around the apartment. He walks into the kitchen and grabs a bowl of lucky charms and sits on the couch. “Death from above. Then she did something to the assassins mind.” Spoon after spoon of cereal, he empties the bowl and washes it out. That's when he sees my sticky note.

  “I love you to, Princess.” He smiles at the note, but that’s when my first set of thoughts hit him. Why Lex? What does he want? Please don't let him be the one coming to this meeting. His eyes widen, “Oh, Lyds. I hope so also.” He goes to his closet and puts on a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt that had the same shield and the Bat symbol on it. “I’m on my way, Cat.”

  Dick leaves the apartment and gets on his bike to ride through the city to your office. He dodges traffic by bobbing in and out. Couple of cars would honk at him but he needed to make sure I’m ok. He calls Bruce as he makes his way to me.

  “I thought you said you would handle all of Luthor’s meetings with Wayne Enterprises?”

  “I am. Why?” Bruce’s voice was stern.

  “Because Lydia has a meeting with Lex this morning. I'm on my way over there now.” Dick was worried about me.

  “I’ll look into it for you Dick.”

   “I'm not losing her again, Bruce.” Dick slows down as he sees the office building up ahead.

  With that Dick’s hangs up and parks his bike outside of the office building. Dick looks at his watch, “I still have time. So, I'll surprise her with a raspberry tea.” He looks up to the fourth floor and smiles as he walks into the coffee shop to get me a tea and him a coffee. He orders and stands off to the side while he waits he looks at the newspaper articles, tabloid covers, cell phone pictures of us. It makes him smile. But one photo and a sentence catches his attention.

   He walks up to the photo by the front door and looks at it. It’s from last night, I’m hovering above his apartment building. My hair was fluttering behind me and I looked like you had been crying. The piece of paper below the picture says, ‘Like father like daughter.”

 Dick is lost in thought with this picture. Why was I crying and why was I above the building? He looks closer at the picture, where his apartment window is and he sees himself in his sweatpants gazing out the window. Why did they caption it the way they did? “Grayson. One tea and one coffee. Order for Grayson.” Dick whipped his head around at his last name. Walking up to the barista, he offered her a ‘thank you’ grabbing the drinks. He turned and started the walk to my office next door.

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

 My phone rang so you picked it up, “This is Lydia.”

 Stacy responded, “Um, Miss Kent. Your 10 o’clock is here.”

 I check my clock and shake my head, “Stacy, It’s just now 9:30.”

  “I know ma’am but Mr. Luthor’s representative is here.”

  “Stacy just give me a moment ok. I’ll call you when I’m ready.” I hang up the phone. Rubbing my face I let out a sigh and turn my attention to the door. X-ray vision don’t fail me now. I see through the door and I can see Stacy typing on her computer. I move my gaze across the room and see. My breath hitches. Mercy? Why did Lex send Mercy? Why is she here? I can do this. I can be professional. I can stand here and be civil with this woman who helped ruin my life.

  I nod my head. Yeah, I got this. I pick up the phone and dial Stacy’s number, “I’m ready when they are.” With that I hang up the phone and watch as Stacy motions to the door. Mercy walks to the wooden doors ready to enter the room and talk to me about whatever Lex truly sent her for.

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

  Dick walks into the elevator and that’s when he hears me screaming in his head. I CAN'T DO THIS! I CAN'T BELIEVE HIM! WHAT? Why? Why does Lex want us to help him research the different types of Kryptonite? I don't even- Ugh. His eyes widen and he was about to turn and run out of the elevator but the doors had already closed, so he has to finish this ride. “I swear. If Lex is using this research to hurt her.” He closes his eyes and breathes deeply, “I won’t let this happen again. I won’t let him hurt you again princess.”

  Dick is holding the drinks and tapping his foot when the elevator doors open and he sees Jason arguing with the woman at the front desk. “Listen, I know Lydia. Something is wrong. Where is she?”

  “Jay, what are you doing here?” Dick gives him a concerned look. Jason turns around to see Dick standing there. He narrows his eyes and pulls dick around the corner.

Jason gives a huff, “Where is she? What happened? Why is she stressed and worried?”

 Dick doesn't have the time to answer. That's when my thoughts intrude again. Mercy? Why did Lex send Mercy? Why is she here? I can do this. I can be professional. I can stand here and be civil with this woman who helped ruin my life. Dick points his finger at Jason, “We’ll talk later about how you know what's going on with her. Follow me.” Dick walks back in front if the elevators and rounds the corner to see my office door close. Stacy looks up to see him and she offers Dick a smile.

 “She is in a meeting, Mister Grayson.” Stacy says turning back to typing on her computer.

  “You can call me Dick. Do you happen to know who the meeting is with?” Of course he already knew, but he needed the confirmation.

  Stacy eyed Jason standing a step behind Dick. “She is in a meeting with a representative of LexCorp. But I’ll send her a message saying you and,” she pauses, “your friend are here. Also that you brought her a tea.” Stacy starts to type out the message and as she hits send she smiles. “You know, the two of you are really cute together. Whatever the fight was about I hope the two of you can work it out.” With that she goes back to the work on her computer.

  Dick sits in the seats across from Stacy, he leans to the side and puts my drink on the table next to him. He takes a sip of his coffee when Jason starts in with a low voice, ”It was back in the League. In fact she is the one who put me in the pit.”

  Dick holds up a hand and looks at his brother, “I want to know. Trust me I do, but I don’t want this conversation while she is in there with Mercy.” Jason’s eyes narrow as his attention turns to the door I was behind.

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

 Mercy opens the door and walks in, “Miss Kent it is nice to meet you.” She reaches out her hand for me to shake. I meet her hand with mine and give her a fake smile. After I retract my hand she looks around the office.

  “The office isn’t bugged, she witch.” I glare at her as I take my seat behind my desk. I can feel her gaze on me and I look at the message that popped up on my desktop. It make me happy to know Dick was outside the door and all I had to do was scream and he would come save me.

  “Well experiment I'm not here to talk about the Kryptonite. Like your files say I am.”

A/N: Mercy, Mercy She witch! What could she and Lex want? What did Lydia do to the assassin? Or did she do anything at all? Why is she scared of fireworks? Does Dick really want to know about Lyds and Jay? STAY TUNED

tags: @solis200213, @kathlyan, @memento-amare, @speedypan, @bat-lakota, @pinkwitch21, @queen-of-all-the-fandoms, @femdamian, @just-a-girl-maybe, @teachingpanda, @keepjasontoddsafefromeveryone, @wynterrobin, @gobydana, @chi-townbatgirl, @nightwingdiva, @ellana-ravenwood

#main story #all new #get ready

[fanfic-collection]

Angel!Loki x Reader: Pt 2

Julie cast you an amused look as you sidle into the kitchen. Yawning weakly, you shook your head, not entirely sure what you were denying.

“I see you kept our guest company last night.” Julie muttered into her coffee.

You rolled your eyes, “He couldn’t sleep, the storm was freaking him out.”

She raised her eyebrow, “Afraid of storms?”

You began searching for breakfast materials while shaking your head, “I wouldn’t say afraid of storms, more like,” you paused, trying to think of the word, “apprehensive? He clearly has bad memories associated with a storm. Something deeper than just afraid of lightning or whatever.”

“You think he fell from a storm, all Wizard of Oz style? Where’s his little dog I wonder.” Julie giggled, handing you the bag of bread.

“Seriously?” You grumbled, “You’re teasing someone for obvious trauma?”

The notion sobered Julie and she frowned, “Sorry, just a strange thing to be freaked out by, given his appearance and all.”

You shrugged, “I’m not judging, we all have our quirks.”

“Great, now I feel like an ass.” Julie cursed softly, nearly dropping her coffee and you spun around. Loki stood in the doorway, legs trembling as he struggled to stay upright.

“Loki, please,” you groaned, rushing to his side and struggling to help him, “stay in bed, you’ll make it take longer to heal if you keep getting up like this.”

“Apologies.” Loki muttered, trailing off. “I didn’t see where you went to.”

“I just went to get you some food for breakfast.” Loki nodded absently at your words as you slowly led him back to your room.

Julie followed a short distance behind, coffee still in hand and watching closely. “I’ll finish the toast for you.” She offered, seeing that things were under control and left the room.

You sighed, brushing Loki’s hair back from his face to get a better view of him. He looked pale, eyes sunken and dark circles underneath, but the irises were as vividly green as any you ever imagined.

“What?” Loki finally asked, breaking the silence.

“Sorry,” you shook your head, “just trying to make sure no signs of other sorts of injuries, if you hit your head, that’s out of my league.” You didn’t want to admit that you were simply admiring him and appreciated him not calling you out on your half lie; perhaps he couldn’t detect half lies as easily?

Julie appeared moments later, two plates of food in hand, “You’re lucky I’m the most loving roommate in the entire world.” She announced, inclining her head at the eggs. “I know post-surgery patients really shouldn’t be eating a lot, but seeing how fast he seems to be healing, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

You pursed your lips, passing the plate to Loki. Part of you wanted to disagree or comment on it, but she had a good point and he probably needed the extra calories.

“Can I talk to you a sec’ though, alone?” Julie added.

“Here Loki, you eat, please stay put, I’ll be right back.”

Loki glanced back and forth between you and Julie and nodded slowly, after a moment of distrustful inspection of the food, he began to ravenously devour it.

You and Julie moved into the hallway, speaking in low voices. “What’s up?”

“It’s our one day off, so you know I had all my shopping plans for today, but I’m not leaving you alone with a possible crazy winged creature person.” Julie hesitated, “but I really need to get to some stores, these errands have to be run.”

“Go, don’t worry about it, I’ll be totally fine. He’s nice.” You motioned her off.

Julie grabbed your wrist, “I’m serious, and I hate that we live in this dead zone. If you even doubt for a second, or need anything at all, the end of the drive has a better signal, I’ll be back in a flash, just call me, alright? Please? Don’t take any unnecessary risks, be smart, please.”

“You worry too much, he’s probably just going to sleep while I read or something, it’ll be totally fine. Go get your errands done.”

Julie eyed you warily before nodding tiredly, she let out a heavy sigh before hugging you. “Seriously, be good, just a phone call and I’ll be home. Don’t doubt that I won’t call every police agency in the state too, I’m serious.”

You laughed, waving her off, “Have fun, get out of the house, you need the break as much as any.”

She shook her head wearily, waving at you as she left. As soon as the front door shut, you rushed back to your room, Loki casting hopeful looks at your still untouched breakfast plate. He glanced up at you upon your entrance, “Where is your friend?”

“Julie went to town, so it looks like it’ll be just us today.” You handed him the plate, “here, you can have it, you certainly look like you need it. When was the last time you ate?”

Loki frowned as he practically inhaled the food. “Not sure.” He managed between mouthfuls, “I would assume a while though.” He managed an apologetic laugh before continuing to eat until the plate was scraped clean.

You watched him eat in silence, amazed that he was able to pack so much food away.

Loki slowly looked up, “Apologies for that…” He trailed off.

“Nah, don’t apologize for being hungry, it’s completely normal.” You slowly wrinkled your nose, looking at him, “perhaps we should get you cleaned up though.”

Loki raised his eyebrow, looking for signs of a spill.

“A bath, Loki, your hair is a mess from the rain and mud and I think you had a fever from a slight infection for a time. Honestly, it’ll probably make you feel better too. Julie and I managed to find a house with a massive bathtub when we set out to rent, I think it’ll comfortably accommodate you and your wings.”

“Very well.” Loki reached down for the strings on the sleep bottoms you had lent him.

“Woah, woah, hey now!” You held up your hands as Loki looked up at you confused, “don’t just strip in front of me!” Loki frowned, raising his eyebrow again. “I haven’t even started the bath, just wait here a moment.”

“You told me I wasn’t to leave this room or to walk anywhere.”

You scowled at him, noting a certain glimmer in his eye as he stared at you. Though his voice’s tone held no humour, you couldn’t be certain if he was teasing you or not. “Fine, let me help you there, where you will sit and wait for the tub to fill, then after I leave you can undress and get in.”

Loki shrugged, wincing lightly at the movement, “It makes no difference to me.”

“Well it does to me. I’m starting to wonder if you came from a nudist place or something.”

Loki chuckled, “Perhaps, I don’t remember either way.”

You did your best to support Loki while guiding him to the large bathroom you and Julie both used. He leaned on you heavily but you suspected he could have made the short distance himself, given that he already had made it to the kitchen unaided. Still, you didn’t want him to strain himself any more than he already had today.

Loki slowly sank to the floor, sitting down and leaning against the tub as you turned on the water. His eyes drifted shut as he listened to the tub fill. You found some plastic wrap to cover the heaviest of his bandages while he watched you work in silent curiosity and perhaps a small amount of amusement.

“Is the water a good temperature?” You asked, guiding Loki’s hand in to feel it. Your hand slid the length of his arm, carefully dodging the effective minefield of injuries before dipping it into the water. You had noticed he was a slightly colder temperature than the average human and had attempted to adjust the water accordingly.

Loki smiled, eyes opening as he nodded, “That feels lovely.” He murmured.

Your hand still rested on his as he spoke and you quickly withdrew it, smiling back at him. “Good, I’m glad to hear.” Looking down at the bottoms he wore, you thought of how they had belonged to one of Julie’s exes, barely fitting him. “The tub is going to keep filling, I need to make a phone call outside, I’ll be right back. Please, for the love of everything, don’t move, I don’t want to have to redo your stitches.”

Loki laughed, “I’ll stay put, I promise.” His eyes drifted shut once more as he waved his hand lazily through the water, feeling the faucet pounding on the water’s surface.

You nodded sharply before rushing from the room, grabbing your phone off the counter and running outside. It took one ring for Julie to answer.

“Do I need to come home?” She barked, fear evident.

“No, no, everything is totally fine. I was just wondering if while you’re out, you could maybe get him some bottoms that actually might fit and a shirt too. Just something cheap so we could cut holes for his wings or something.” The phone was silent and for a moment you worried your call had been dropped. “Julie? Julie, are you there?”

“I’m here.” Her reply was short.

“You know the signal is weird, you can’t just stop answering like that.”

“He’s not some stray cat we’re taking in, he’s a person.”

You blinked, looking at the phone confused, “I know that, just trying to help the guy back on his feet while we figure out how to get him home.” Admittedly, you hadn’t considered sending him home and you didn’t know where the words came from. It felt as though Loki had always been a part of your life and your stomach twisted at the thought that he would eventually leave.

Julie sighed heavily into the phone, “Just don’t get too attached, I know how you are. You care so much about things and sometimes they leave, I hate seeing you hurt.”

“Julie, it’s fine, I’m just trying to help him out. If he really is an angel, it’d look pretty bad sending him wherever without at least making sure he has some clothes and isn’t injured.”

“Yea, yea, I’ll pick something up.” You could mentally picture her shaking her head, “I really wish I was better at talking you out of these things, yet here I am.” She managed a weak laugh, assuring you she wasn’t upset and promised to be home as soon as possible, though still probably another couple of hours.

“Alright, see ya then!” You hung up and rush back into the house. The sky had started to drizzle a little, rain falling in small specks and you didn’t wish to be outside any longer than necessary.

True to his word, Loki hadn’t moved from his place in the bathroom, merely staring attentively at the doorway. A noticeable ease seemed to fall over him, his whole body visibly relaxing upon your return, as though he had been holding his breath the entire time he waited for you.

“Julie’s going to grab you something to wear while she’s in town, so you won’t be stuck half naked in those awful pyjama bottoms.”

Loki glanced down at them and shrugged, “They’re not so bad.”

You shook your head but didn’t have it in you to argue with him. The tub had finally filled up to your liking and you turned it off. “Alright, I’m going to wait in the hall while you undress and get in. If you need anything, I’ll be just out of the room.”

Loki glanced over at the doorway then back to the tub, he had been smiling at the bubbles that foamed at the top. “What if I should fall while attempting to get in?”

You blinked hard at him, not expecting the sudden doubt. Once more, you were struck by the thought that he might be teasing you.

“What about your privacy, I don’t want to be rude.”

“Does my naked appearance perturb you?”

You flushed deeply, looking away as you crossed your arms, “No, I just want to be respectful, it’s rude.”

Loki chuckled, a deep and warm sound that worsened your blush. “You’re so modest. I do run the risk of falling, as you’ve said multiple times in reference to the severity of my injuries.”

You pinched the bridge of your nose scowling, “Fine, I’ll turn my back while you undress, then get a towel and help you into the tub that way. Is that fair?”

Loki flashed you a pearly grin, “A marvelous idea.”

Turning your back, you listened for the sounds of fabric falling to the floor. You reached for the cabinet and grabbed the first fluffy white towel you saw, slowly turning back and holding it up at waist height so you wouldn’t invade his privacy. Though truth be told, a part of you was curious, would he look human there as well.

Loki rolled his eyes, “Truly, a beautiful maiden such as yourself, I don’t mind you seeing me.” He grinned again as you blushed. You managed to guide the towel forward, covering him while still looking away.

“Not that there’s anything to it, but I doubly don’t want to take advantage of an injured patient.”

“You fear taking advantage of me?” Loki gripped your arms as he leaned back against the tub, the towel covering his waist as he looked down at you, wings curling behind him. His hands gently slid up your forearms, stroking them before returning to your wrists and holding them.

You looked up nervously, eyes meeting his. “What are you doing?” You struggled to ask.

Loki tilted his head, hair falling slightly, the rise and fall of his bare chest and muscular torso distracting you greatly. “What do you think I’m doing?” He murmured back.

“Just get in the tub.” Your voice wasn’t as firm as you had liked but nonetheless, Loki listened. He turned around, his wings folded tightly to his back as you stood close behind him, fearful that he might fall. Tentatively, Loki sank into the tub, turning around and laying on his back as his wings unfolded, settling out and onto the floor. They flapped listlessly as he lay there, sighing heavily before sinking beneath the water.

Loki straightened back up, breathing in deeply as his hair floated in the tub around him, smiling up at you. “Thank you, sweet one.”

You tried to bite back a smile but failed. “Don’t try and flatter me.”

“Is that what you think I’m doing? I’m merely complimenting the kindness of your personality, no flattery involved, unless you choose to be flattered by my comments.”

You looked away, eyes fixing on his wings. “Do you, ah, need help washing them?” You were uncertain what manner of bird species his wings most resembled and you hoped he remembered well enough to tell you whether water would be effective or not on them.

Loki blinked languidly at you, reaching for your hand and placing it gently on the large feathers that were close to his back. You ran your fingers through the feathers, admiring their softness, stroking them gently and just enjoying the sensation of them.

Loki groaned softly, tilting his head back and letting out a deep sigh. He smirked at you, “Darling...” He began slowly, letting out another groan as you absently continued to stroke at the wings, fingers petting the feathers and searching for signs of imperfections. Loki let out another soft moan and you pulled your hand away, turning to him in shock. “I suppose I should have warned you, that’s an erogenous zone.” He grinned cheekily, eyes sparkling as he looked up at you.

Your mouth dropped open as you quickly pulled away, resting your hands in your lap. “I’m so sorry.” You stammered, blushing deeply.

Loki chuckled, “You can do wonders with your hands, pet. In time, I would love to return the favor, if you’re willing.”

You eyed the length of his body, his head lounging easily against the rim of the bathtub as he looked up at you. Slowly, you found yourself nodding.

Loki hummed and practically purred, “I can’t wait.”

#Loki x reader #multi chapter #next part is smut

[find-your-rp-partner]

Tales from the Borderlands [+ others!]

heyo everyone! you can call me persenche. for a short about me - 23, south dakota, mountain time, classic Cat Lady Lesbian™, long-suffering college student, 11+ years of roleplaying experience under my belt. my casual typing style on here doesn't reflect my writing style when roleplaying, by the by. here's the tl;dr gist of it, fellas - + long-term one on one + e-mail only for the roleplay --> for ooc talk, i'm chill with e-mail, skype, hangouts, or discord + adv. lit+, quality over quantity [though both are lovely tbh] + m/m, f/f, f/m, nb; platonic or romantic + i'm lgbt+ and neurodivergent friendly and you need to be too + not keen on doubling, but i can be swayed + let me know if you want to ditch the roleplay + my main limits are i fade to black and don't do rape/bestiality/etc. + love, love, love angst and character development the most + primarily seeking a one on onewriting partner for Tales from the Borderlands [dibs on Rhys] if any of that caught your attention, my e-mail is listed at the bottom. otherwise, i'll be more detailed in what i'm looking for and what you can expect from me next. __ i'd love to find a partner who adores plotting and swoons at the chance to chat ooc about our characters and the possibilities between and before them - headcanons, discussing [serious or silly!] potential scenarios and twists, playlists, art, you name it. i enjoy making friends out of my roleplaying partners, so talking out of a roleplay is a strong preference. however, let me know if you're not into that! quality over quantity, but a middle ground is solid, too. i'm able to write 4,000+ words if a reply calls for it, but i don't want length for the sake of length, you know? i can match and mirror - if the roleplay calls for longer posts, don't hesitate to hit me with a novel. i looove that shit. just as much, if only a page works then that's fine! e-mail only for roleplaying. i'm all for giving you my skype/discord/google hangout/whatever once we're getting things going and we're both comfortable chatting on there. it's summer right now, so i'm on frequently for talking. on the topic of frequency, i'm not the quickest at roleplay responses. i'm more of a one to three days gal. if unfortunate life stuff occurs, i might end up as a once a week for roleplay replies. however!! i will always let you know if it will take me longer than three days for a response, or if i'll not be around for a day or two in the case of ooc chatting. the plus side is i'm near always around for ooc chatting and willing to sacrifice all hopes of a productive sleep schedule to talk. generous, huh? lmao. don't ditch. if you want to call quits, let me know. even if all you write is "bye", it's better than me getting to fret over if something happened to you or if my e-mails aren't going though. i'll keep my grubby fingers off the keyboard and not reply if you prefer, just please let me know! on this topic! i recently had an issue with gmail marking my responses as spam and popping them in that folder for others. it seems like it was fixed, but please, please, please feel free to shoot me a message if, after a day or two, you haven't heard from me! it's likely an e-mail issue. dark, angsty, nitty-gritty ideas? my name is at the top of the 'loves the shit outta that' list. i'm all about hard choices, plot twists, making characters suffer - good ol' and well done angst with a purpose. character development is also one of my favourite aspects of roleplaying, so slam me with all the details - really let me know what your character is feeling, thinking, doing, and show me how they're changing from what's happening to them, yadda yadda.  also! if you have a character craving, i'm 100% fine with you playing a character from a game/book/movie/whatever in the universe we go with. wanna slam your favourite character from a different video game into another game/plot/whatever's universe? i'm down with that. character and/or plot transplants are good with me. ocs get a thumbs-up, too. __ what i'm looking for is Tales from the Borderlands. i'm open to almost any pairing, chill with ocs, all that jazz. we can go post-game, during game, au, anything. my one stopping point is i am not comfortable shipping Handsome Jack and Rhys together; if you wanna cook up a platonic plot with them, sure, but i'm personally not willing nor comfortable in pairing them romantically. --> i have two small plot ideas, or we can come up with something together. --> i'd like to try my hand at writing Rhys  --> i'm fine with whoever you want to play - an oc, Vaughn, Fiona, Sasha, Handsome Jack, August, an original character, etc.  --> my preferences are Vaughn/Rhys, Sasha/Rhys, and Fiona/Rhys __ otherwise, if that doesn't strike your fancy, here's some others i might be willing to roleplay. i'll list who i'd like to play as in it. - + Fallout 4: small plot idea. would prefer to play as my Sole Survivor. however, i've played all Fallout games released, so i'm also game for New Vegas, 3, 2, 1, or a mix. + TellTale's The Walking Dead: Ben Paul. have played seasons 1 and 2. + NieR: Grimoire Weiss, Kainé + NieR Automata + Silent Hill series: Angela Orosco + We Happy Few: Arthur Hastings + Kentucky Route Zero + Dishonored 1 and 2: Kirin Jindosh, Daud, Billie Lurk + The Evil Within: Joseph Oda, Tatiana Gutierrez, Juli Kidman + Resident Evil 7 + The Last of Us + The Adventure Zone: Taako + Dragon Age: Origins, 2, and Inquisition + Mass Effect 1, 2, 3 + Until Dawn: Josh Washington + Left 4 Dead + Portal: Wheatley + and a shit ton more i can't remember enough to list. if you send me a suggestion, i'll likely know it [and if i don't, again, i'm down with character/plot transplants] i'm not strictly limited to fandoms. others include - + [post] apocalypse [have a plot and a couple small ideas] + horror/survival + some ghost hunting show gone horribly wrong + androids and all their sad little existential issues [small plot idea] + desolation, being lost, an abruptly empty/decaying world - something weird and otherwordly in our world and the discomfort of it no one dares to put in words + hit me up with topics - i'm flexible! __ finally, if you're interested you can drop me a message at  ----> [email protected] feel free to include things about yourself, limits, ideas, and if you have any cutie pets

#rp partner search #rp partner ad #rp ad #rp search #fandom #original #videogame #email #submission

[sinningsquire]

Cut Your Losses

A modern-au Kylux fic, written for @twistedsardonic

(Chapter 1 - 1996 words)

Ben stares at the flight tickets. Boarding pass, seat 14F. Ten hours flight eastwards, into the future. God, Leia is serious.

“Mom, you can’t be serious.”

“I am. I take your wellbeing very seriously, Ben. And it wouldn’t have come to this if you would, too.”

She hands him a suitcase. Ben almost expects, in his surprise-stunned, this-isn’t-happening haze, that it would be already packed for him. A half-hysterical giggle escapa him when he finds it still empty.

“You’ve picked up three fights in the last two weeks, Ben. I am tired of parents threatening to sue me. If you want to come back to that school in September, we’ve got to work on this.”

“But - you can’t just send me away for the whole summer! I got friends here!”

“These ‘friends’ are the ones who get you in trouble, and make sure you’re standing front and centre when it goes down!”

Leia takes him by the shoulders. She hasn’t been able to stare him down for the past three years now, remaining small and getting seemingly smaller with every inch and every trouble Ben grew into. But God, her eyes didn’t lose any of their strength even from this angle.

Ben doesn’t know what to say. It stings with shame but he knows she was right. One of the reasons he is so quick to throw punches is that he isn’t good with words, and couldn’t lie if he tried. His ‘friends’ are assholes. But it is either them or…. no one.

“I can’t just drop my training, Mom. Couch Snoke wants me–”

“That psycho,” Leia snarls through gritted teeth, “only wants to exploit you. You’re his best boxer now, when you listen to him telling you to rely more on rage than technique and discipline, but how long can you keep it up before you burn out? He’ll toss you away when you’re no longer useful to him. You could be so much more, Ben. I agreed to let you do boxing when I thought it would help with your anger management issues but Snoke only makes it worse.”

“Please, Mom. Don’t take this away from me.” Ben wishes he could punch something now. Snoke - yeah, maybe he is a bit creepy but he also is the only one who keeps telling Ben he can when everyone else seems to say he shouldn’t.

“I’m not. It’s only for the holidays. It’s up to what you want, and what you want to do with your life, but I want you to make the decision after the holidays. That’s all I’m asking for. Take a little time away from all the things that keep making you angry. If you still think Snoke hung the stars when you come back–” she draws a long breath, “–then I’ll step back. Promise. But now I want you to get some perspective.”

“By sending me away?” Ben hates how small it sounds. For fuck’s sake, he’s almost nineteen.

“Oh, Ben.” She huggs him tight, ignoring the roll of his eyes. Thankfully not commenting on the way he returns the embrace, clinging to her like a child. “You won’t be alone. I spoke to the school counsellor. She suggested you should spend some time somewhere quiet, preferably with animals.”

“Mom, I’m not going to therapy to pet dogs and cats all day–”

“I know darling. That’s why I’m sending you to Luke.”

“Oh God.” Ben groans. He hasn’t seen his hippie Uncle in ten years, Leia maybe in five. “Old bat’s grown tired of his hermit cave in Greece? So now he’s running an animal shelter in what, Transylvania?”

“He’s having a go at organic farming somewhere in Czech Republic, actually,” Leia says primly. Ben suspects she disapproves a little of her brother’s bohemian ways, too.

“Somewhere,” Ben parrots after her. “So you don’t even know the name of the middle of nowhere place you’re sending your only child to. Splendid, Mom.”

“Hush,” Leia pats his cheek. “I’m sure it will be a lovely place.”  

*

The ‘lovely place’ is a decrepit mouldy farmhouse surrounded by seemingly endless muddy fields, with nothing but earth closet and no cell phone signal. The farm’s only connection to civilization is a unkept bumpy road and a bus connection, operated twice a day by a loud, dilapidated, overheated trashcan driven by a smelly, grumpy driver. Not to mention that said civilization is a sleepy hollow of a town where nobody speaks English and everything is hopelessly closed on Sunday. Including the only café with a free wi-fi.  

Ben is hunched over his phone under a convenient balcony, trying to shield the screen from the obnoxious drizzle that’s been dampening his clothes and his mood alike since– well, forever. He shivers. It’s July but this country seems to have no concept of summer. It’s been raining, pouring, or at least drizzling every day since Ben came here and it doesn’t look like stopping anytime soon.

The sharp trill of a bell behind him startles him so much that he almost drops his phone into a puddle. His phone - the only thing keeping him same in this organic farming hell. He growls and turns, about to tell whoever startled him where exactly they can stick their stupid bell - not that he hopes anyone would actually understand him - when his eyes catch on a flash of ginger, the colour as bright and shocking as sunshine in this dreary weather - and the indignant reproach dies on his lips.

A young man with gorgeous fiery hair and icy glare is standing in the half-opened glass door, an expression of angry disapproval written all over his freckled face. He’s saying something, it sounds like a rude question from the lilt at the end of it. For all Ben knows of Czech, he could be saying anything. Ben tried - contrary to what he sometimes lets people think, he can be smart when he wants to - but there’s probably a special circle of hell set aside for this language. To be fair, this man could be wishing him a nice day. Ben’s experience with locals has taught him that they tend to look as if someone got their knickers into a twist every morning without actually being cross with anyone.

The man keeps talking and Ben suddenly notices he’s been blocking the door to a shop. His gaze flicks up to read a sign: Kadeřnictví Kroutilová. There are big glossy photos of artfully arranged hairstyles in the shop window. A hairdresser’s saloon, then.

The air coming through the crack in the door is warm, smelling of shampoo and cologne. Ben hasn’t seen a boy his age - well, one that wouldn’t be doggedly driving a tractor on weekdays and mindlessly driving around a badly tuned car on weekends - in so long and he has nothing better to do. He smiles.

“Could I get a haircut?”

The hairdresser shuts up and frowns. Oh, right. No luck with English here. Ben shrugs and points at his hair, fingers snipping in an imitation of scissors. It’s been getting a little into his eyes lately, anyway. Even when he won’t be able to chat, he can still get an eyeful of good looking guy.

The hairdresser replies with something that sounds a little more polite and steps aside, holding the door open.

It’s a little saloon - two revolving chairs, two sets of tools, and one old woman dozing off on a flower-patterned sofa in the corner, with dye applied to her thinning hair. Ben folds himself into the narrow chair by the washing stand and tries not to be too obvious in staring at the nice ass that presents itself when the redhead bends to sweep away the hair clippings left by previous customer.

He thinks he catches a smirk when the boy straightens - and wouldn’t that be finally something worth his time in this awful place - but then every last hope of a change of luck is squashed when the boy lifts an elegant, finely-boned hand and plucks a piece of straw from behind Ben’s ear.

Ben feels his face burn in anger at the unfairness of it all. It doesn’t matter that he comes from a city with more people than live in this whole goddamn country. Here, in front of this gorgeous, sharp, clean-shaven man, Ben is the country bumpkin, with straw sticking out of his hair from when he was helping Luke muck out the stables this morning. Hell, he probably still reeks of manure.

He looks away, eyes sweeping over the yellowed photos decorating the walls, hairstyles that were last in style in the eighties, and heaves a long-suffering sigh. One of the perks of being an American in a Czech country town is that he can let his thoughts run loud and freely whenever he likes.

“I suppose you wouldn’t know how but if you could make me look something other than your great grandfather, that would be nice,” he huffs. As predicted, the hairdresser shows no sign of offence. He simply adjusts the water temperature and begins to massage Ben’s scalp with his fingertips, and… well, it feels fucking amazing.

Ben is a bit sorry for his pettiness. The boy is probably doing his best, stuck in a town where every man wears the same haircut their father wore. Not much chance to practice the hipster lumberjack sweep around here.

Hair dripping, smelling nice and hopefully free of any straw, Ben relocates into the revolving chair. The mirror in front of him is a bit rusty around the edges and when Ben ducks his chin a little, he can see the reflection of the other mirror on the opposite wall. The hairdresser is quite tall, so tall that he has to lean forward a little every now and then to clip the hair around Ben’s ears and hairline, and his ass in the mirror is a masterpiece.

The quiet snip snip snip and the light touches, tilting his head here and there, lull Ben almost into a trance. He snaps into focus only when the cloth around his neck is pulled off, and for the first time since he sat down, he takes a look at his own reflection.

He looks… good, actually. More than. He never thought his locks could look this good parted on the side, with the layered haircut letting them fall over his forehead in a lazy, self-confident wave. Behind him, the hairdresser, sporting an intense look of concentration, is running his fingers tacky with some waxy product through the locks, making sure they stay the way the should. Ben is impressed.

“Um...thanks, I think,” he scratches his neck, itchy with the fine bits of hair that always get under the collar no matter how many towels he’s wearing around his neck. The boy gives him a quick smile. He looks very pleased with himself. Well, Ben thinks, he should be.

The hairdresser rings him up using a honest-to-God calculator and Ben leaves, lighter of a considerable sum of money and feeling better than he had in… forever, truly.

Which lasts exactly until the next morning when he climbs down the stairs to get breakfast and Luke greets him with raised eyebrows:

“Did you try cutting your own hair using a bowl?”

Still bleary eyed and only half-awake, Ben snatches the first mirror he can find and freezes.

The parting on the side is gone, his hair having reverted to its natural down-the-middle parting it’s grown into for the past nineteen years. With no product to keep the hair falling forward, it’s taken to fall backwards and around, as his locks usually do….

...and it looks like a bowl cut.

The fucking hairdresser gave him a fucking bowl cut.

For a moment, Ben wants to think that the boy simply made a mistake. Small town, not much practice… Then he recalls the small, self-satisfied smile on those full, pink lips.

That asshole knew precisely what he was doing.  

To Be Continued 

Link to AO3

#kylux #benarmie #star wars fanfiction #humour #meet-cute #or more like a little shit Ben meets a pretty asshole Hux

[tessietakesonx]

The Shift

So I met this guy and I wrote about it because I had no place else to put it. Does anybody else feel this way? He sat there, six, maybe 7 inches to my left, the morning sun beaming in on us. We passed my favorite coffee mug back and forth, the one I bought at Fanny May’s the first time I came to Chicago, taking sips as if it were the most natural thing in the world. That little moment, those 5 minutes of waking up with coffee together almost undid me. It felt old, it felt sacred. It felt like easing your foot into your favorite pair of boots, worn soft over time, and shaped to the curve of your foot.              He felt like we’d already grown old together and this is just what life with him would be. Simple and beautiful and filled with music and early morning shared coffee and his tousled bedhead and watching him blink against the sun through the steam from the coffee.  It felt like something I had always known and was just discovering for the first time.              Its July 2020. The Caronavirus is still raging in the US, and some people are still quarantined. Most of the states reopened too early and there’s a second wave that’s hit, even worse than the first one. I quarantined alone for almost 4 months, in my 400 square foot studio apartment, when the states gave the shelter-in-place order. It was my first year in Chicago. Total isolation. At one point, I really did think I was actually starting to go insane. I just started questioning the reality of everything, because after so many weeks of looking out my one window onto the alley below, it really did feel like that’s all that there was to the world. This alley, my cat, my bed and my books, and me.              But it isn’t just me. He’s here too. Josh was sitting on the edge of my bed drinking coffee with me, sharing a mug with me, and I don’t know why but I can’t get away from the idea that sharing a single mug of coffee with someone else as you wake up is maybe the most intimate thing there is.              He’d been only too clear about the fact that he didn’t want to be in a relationship yet, with anyone. He’d been broken too. More recently than I had. But he wanted something good, I could see it, he was just terrified. Looking at him felt a little bit like looking at me two years ago. I’d been so scared to trust anyone with anything deeper than a first date with me then. Because even those usually ended badly. But he connected with me. I knew I wasn’t imagining that, and he had to feel *something* too, or we wouldn’t be here now. These are all the things I’ve told myself since I haven’t actually worked up the guts to ask him how he feels about me yet.              We’d watched this eerie Jake Gyllenhaal movie called Enemy, and then gone on a walk because his place didn’t have AC and it was a Chicago July night, weighing in at 93 degrees and full humidity. It was cooler outside, like he’d said it would be, walking around the quiet park than it was in that big, creaky old house filled with stories.              By the time we got back, our sweat was sweating and I didn’t think I could go much longer before I soaked through my whole shirt.              “I have an air mattress at my air-conditioned apartment. If you want, you’re more than welcome to use it.”              I could see him start to shake his head, maybe out of habit. We were both raised that way. You refuse everything out of pure politeness at least once. I’ve never understood that. If you offer someone something, you should be expecting that they will take it. If you’re expecting that they won’t, then why offer? Refusing help, or a gracious offer of any kind out of pure habit and social etiquette feels like a Midwestern thing. He’s from Texas and I’m from KC, so it tracks that we both have that automatic, “No thank you” built in. His head stopped mid-turn and he said, “Are you sure?” Ever the gentleman.              “Yes. This is miserable.”              “Okay, let’s go.”              Within 5 minutes, we were on the road back to my apartment. He hasn’t seen it yet, I just moved in last week. I called my last place, “The Shoebox” because it wasn’t much bigger than a shoebox. This new place is still a studio apartment, but it is bigger than The Shoebox, and as such has been upgraded to, “The Hatbox”. I live on the fourth floor at the very end of two incredibly long hallways, and it feels the most like me that a space has since my big airy loft in downtown Kansas City.              I let him in, and he fits right in with the furniture, the walls, moving easily past the colors flung across every surface of the apartment, as if he’s done this hundreds of times before. Maybe I’m desperately overthinking things. Maybe it’s because I’ve been isolated from all human interaction for four months and longer from human touch. Maybe it’s because he feels solid, and like someone I’ve already known my whole life, maybe it’s because I identify with his particular type of broken-ness, our parents both fucked us up and our very few and very serious long-term relationships made sure they fucked us up even further before they ended. And maybe I’m romanticizing things because that’s what I’ve always done and maybe he’s not that great but that’s just the thing.              He is the most wonderful person I’ve met since Houston. That distinction is important, because since Houston died, I’ve loved two men, but they were both terrible men with many little wonderful things about them. He is the most wonderful person I’ve met since Houston, like warm summer nights and winter evenings when the wind howls and crisp autumn mornings, the way the air smells after the rain in spring. He’s all of those things, and I think I could Love him. I think maybe I already do. I know that’s not as true as it could be if I’d known him longer, lived enough life with him to Love him in the way that you do when someone is just sewn into the fabric of your life over time.              But I think I Love him in the way that you Love those very few people, who, when you happen to stumble across each other, you discover that they’ve been sewn into the fabric of who you are all along, the good and bad, and you’ve only just noticed them. He could be none of these things, but seeing him turn in slow circles on my brightly patterned rug and exclaiming again and again how cute the apartment is, over old pictures and red paintbrushes, lit by the candles scattered through the room, I’m pretty certain that he is all of these things, that he’s as deeply a part of me as my bones and blood, that he always has been, and that he just hasn’t been yet.              So we make tea. I make the tea, and he blows up an air mattress and we sit at opposite ends of the tiny room like perfect strangers and we laugh about things I can’t remember and talked about things that were important and drink the tea slowly. But just now, all I can remember is the way the shadows danced across his face, the way his eyes are green and gold and brown and how it all depends on where you and the light catch him.              I gave him his choice of blankets, and after carefully running his thumb and forefinger over the textures of two or three, he picked a big navy blue velour one that my mom bought for me for Christmas three years ago. She loves comfort items. He rolls over, his hair curling up from the base of his neck to rest against the lavender pillowcase. Since I shaved my head I’ve missed the feeling of running my own fingers through my hair, it was a lifelong habit that felt secure, and I wondered what it would be like to run my fingers through his, through anyone’s again.              It’s midnight and we turn off Netflix, say goodnight, and I wait for everything to go dark. It’s 3:00 AM, and I can hear him saying, “Tess?” He asked me earlier tonight if I preferred Tess or Tessie. I told him either, and the fact that he chose the shorter, more familiar of the two sends something through me as I wake up, a feeling too quick to identify.              “I’m freezing, can we turn the AC off?”              I think I mumble yes as I sleepily flip the icy-cold window unit off. Minutes pass, maybe seconds, I’m not sure. Then I hear him say my name again, and my stomach does the thing again.              “Is there room up there?”              “Yeah, come on.”              I roll over to move pillows around and feel him slide in behind me, that old, familiar feeling of sharing the bed with someone else’s body heat coming back with a vengeance. It’s a twin bed, and it wasn’t made for two adults, but my sister said once that you’d be surprised what you can fit into a twin bed if you really put your mind to it, and she was right. It’s tight quarters but it only means that his entire body presses against mine, from his breath on my neck to his feet beneath mine.              Up to this point, there’s been no touching. He’ll hug me goodbye when he leaves, and I think our hands brushed once when we were trying to open a bottle of wine. But we haven’t touched. He’s careful to maintain distance. And now he’s everywhere. His scent, his hair, his warm body and his arm around my waist, tugging me into him.              I had to remind myself to breathe slowly. It’s too much. It’s way too much and in the dark I can’t feel or take anything in besides him. “Are you okay?”              “Yeah, I’m just really cold.” He says.              I snuggle deeper into his arms and let my hand drop below the blanket and on top of his arm, tracing tiny patterns into his skin with my fingers. Unexpectedly, he pulls me around until we’re facing each other and wraps both his arms around me, burying his face in my neck. My arms encircle him, running my hands through his hair and gathering it in fistfuls. The rhythm of my breathing has changed. It’s choppier. Ragged. His is too. He has to feel this, I know this, this is the brink, this is the moment on the edge when you make a choice and you can’t breathe the deep lungful’s of air you’re pulling in but you keep trying to anyways, and you suddenly feel like your body couldn’t possibly contain you for another second. Everything feels like a pulse, you are just your heartbeat.              It’s all done with a sort of sleepy fluidity, with the unspoken understanding that what’s happening now is not binding, it’s exploratory. With the knowledge that you probably won’t talk about it when you wake up, and if you do, it certainly won’t be in detail.              I couldn’t tell you if I kept my writhing under control, I just know that I felt like I was coming out of every edge and corner I’d ever known every time I felt his breath on my chin, brushing my lower lip, in the same choppy rhythm as mine. And then, just as suddenly, he moves again and I’m moved with him, his arms sliding up my sides to encircle my back, and then my head is on his chest and our breathing slows down again.              “I’m not trying to confuse you, but it is nice to cuddle.” He murmurs above my head, bringing his hand up and down my back in a slow, careful motion.              “I know that.”              I say it before I can stop myself. It was a reflex, the need to present as perfectly fine no matter the situation. I’m not confused, I want to tell him. I know exactly what I want. It seems like every time we get a little too close to each other for comfort, anytime the potential is there, he pulls back and makes sure to reiterate that we are just friends. It feels like he’s trying to convince himself as much as me, but maybe I’m just wishing for that.              And in any case, 3AM in a twin bed with a grown man that you have a unproportionately large crush on hardly seems like the ideal time to say, “Actually, this question has been killing me. How do you feel about me? Do you also feel an ancient, deep connection? Do you also feel safe enough to think about, for the first time in years, seriously exploring this romantically and sexually?”              It’s a loaded question, and he’s looking for a reason to run away at the first sign of danger. I won’t give him one. I know that look, I’ve worn it often enough. So I keep my mouth shut and decide that I will be the safe place, that he should set the pace if he needs to take this slower than I do.              I lay there and think about the fact that within the last year, I’ve come out to myself and publicly as bi. And the thought drifts through my head that I will never know what it would be like to have a female partner, because as early as it is, I’m already so far gone. And then I think about the fact that he is demi, and then that it really doesn’t matter “what” he is or, “what” I am because that is the whole point. To Love who you Love regardless of the body they come in.              Its 6AM. We push the snooze button on the alarm repeatedly, and once I get up to make coffee. He nods, a tangled, dark gold head buried in the pillow when I ask him if he wants coffee before he goes to work. He makes room for me as I pull back the covers to climb into bed again and pulls me tight against him once more.              When he pushes snooze again, I laugh at him and realize that it takes as many alarms to get him out of bed as it does for me. He says sleepily, “Not usually, but just today.” And buries his head in my back, nuzzling into my T-shirt and squeezing my hand. I haven’t stopped smiling since 3AM when he got into bed with me. Am I crazy? Was he really just cold, and touch-starved, like me? Does this really not mean anything to him? Can he really not feel this?              The sun streams through the blinds, insisting that we leave what has become a small cocoon, a tangle of arms, legs, and blankets, and we pull ourselves upright slowly. I fill a to-go mug with coffee and set it aside to cool, pouring the remaining coffee into my Chicago mug. I blow the steam off the top and try to reconcile that feeling of being fluid, of being warm, of being held all night. It’s foreign, like tasting a dish of food from your childhood and knowing that it is an old friend, but you haven’t seen each other in years.              His dimple disappears into a cavernous yawn and I pass the coffee mug to him without speaking, as if we’ve done this every morning at 7AM our whole lives. We both drink it black. He takes it without speaking too and turns on, “Speechless” by Lady Gaga, (one of his favorites, he tells me) and there is no need to talk. We take in the sunshine and the morning and the inevitable shift that occurs when you spend the night in the same bed with someone in comfortable silence. That little moment, those 5 minutes of waking up with coffee together almost undid me. It felt old, it felt sacred. It felt like easing your foot into your favorite pair of boots, worn soft over time, and shaped to the curve of your foot.              He felt like we’d already grown old together and this is just what life with him would be. Simple and beautiful and filled with music and early morning shared coffee and his tousled bedhead and watching him blink against the sun through the steam from the coffee.  It felt like something I had always known and was just discovering for the first time.              Its July 2020. That all happened last night. I’m still half-convinced I dreamed him up, that I’ve hallucinated the whole thing, the weeks of talking and the picnic we went on for our first date, and the phone calls and the movie nights and discovering a rainbow with him after a thunderstorm, and crying to each other on my old rooftop for old wounds, high above the city where no one would see but us, and falling asleep with him, and all the things that are just everyday life but also the most spectacular.              Its been just over two months since we met, and yet I’m more certain of this than things I’ve known and studied for years. I guess the best part of this, is that the whole story is left to be told, and I get to live it, whatever it looks like.  

#story #writers #writersoftumblr #storyteller #lovestory #ramblings #justastringofthoughts