#(or hang it in your window as a sun catcher)

[capricorn-0mnikorn]

✨Character Foils✨: What they are, and a list of all of them in Jane Austen’s _Persuasion_

I’ve been saying, in my “Persuasion Listen- and Read-along” posts,* that Jane Austen had threaded so many character foils through this novel, you could make a Christmas tree decoration from it 🎄. I’ve been thinking about which discussion would be the best place for a full list. But since no post seems better than any other, I’m just going ahead and posting a stand-alone.

In case you don’t know what I’m talking about:

If I recall correctly, the term “character foil,” and phrases like “Character [A] is a foil for Character [B]” actually come from jewelry-making. When light hits a gemstone, some of it bounces off the surface and makes it look shiny. But some of it also passes through the stone and out the other side (which is why gems are often semitransparent). So a jeweler will put a piece of foil in the setting behind a gem, so the light that passes through it will bounce back through the surface and make the gem extra shiny.

And authors will put a foil (contrasting) character behind / next to the main character to help make the main character’s most important traits clear to the reader.

Most study guides for Persuasion, aimed at high-school students, that I’ve come across, point out that Louisa Musgrove  (young, playful, charming, impetuous, obstinate, apparent rival for the Captain Wentworth’s affection) is a foil character to Anne Elliot (older, pensive, watchful, patient, Responsible, former love of Captain Wentworth). And leave it at that.

But Jane Austen did not leave it at that (Buckle up for Spoilers)

In order of appearance:

The Whole Musgrove Family (a wealthy, but not an aristocratic family, embraces new ideas and fashions, is friendly with the poorer cousins, and holds dinner parties and dances almost every night because they’re fun) is a foil for Anne Elliot’s family ([Her father, two sisters, and her godmother, Lady Russell]. Anne’s family is obsessed with being Aristocrats,™ and “upholding the dignity of a baronetcy;” her sister hosts an annual ball for their town every year only because people expect the aristocrats to host annual balls).

Admiral Croft (good natured, practical, with an unaffected sense of humor, who doesn’t care much about his appearance) is a foil for Sir Walter Elliot (obsessed with his own -- and everyone’s else’s -- appearance and social rank, and is always putting on airs)

Mrs. (Sophia) Croft (Cheerful, rational, practical, woman, who is clearly an equal partner in her marriage to the Admiral) is a foil to Anne Elliot’s own late mother (unhappy with her life, who spent all her energy trying to compensate for her husband’s faults)

Louisa Musgrove see above.

The Fate of Captain Benwick and Fanny Harville (Captain Benwick proposed marriage to Fanny and she accepted. But her family told them to wait until after Captain Benwick had more money. Captain Benwick survived the Napoleonic Wars with a large fortune, but Fanny Harville fell ill and died just before he returned home) is a foil storyline to Anne Elliot’s and Captain Wentworth’s backstory (Captain Wentworth was also a navel officer with little money, only instead of telling them to wait, Anne’s family told her to break off the engagement altogether).

Mr. William Elliot (Anne’s cousin, and most likely heir to her family estate. In the second half of the book, he courts and flatters Anne, and Lady Russell wants them to marry) is a foil to Louisa Musgrove (who spent the first half of the novel flirting with Captain Wentworth, and whom everyone assumes he will eventually marry).

Mrs Smith (An old school friend of Anne’s, now disabled, widowed and saddled with her late husband’s debts, has a generally positive outlook on life while still having a clear vision of human nature, and is highly skeptical of the advantages of money and status in improving a person’s intelligence) is a foil to Lady Russell (Generally thought of a sensible woman, she nonetheless lets her “prejudice in favor of the aristocracy” blind her to aristocratic people’s character flaws, and puts her in danger of being taken advantage of).

And Finally:

The Cultural Values of the Navy (as illustrated through the characters and actions of Admiral and Mrs. Croft, Captain and Mrs. Harville, Captain Benwick, and Captain Wentworth: keeping your property in good shape [shipshape], being generous to your friends and family, doing what you see needs to be done, and having marriages based on equality and respect) is a macro-level foil to the Cultural Values of the Aristocratic Classes (obsessed with gossip, social status, fashion, and rank, and all the aristocratic marriages that are described in this novel are unhappy ones).

*Links to those discussions (so far): Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapters Three & Four, Chapters Five & Six, Chapters Seven & Eight, Chapter Nine, Chapters Ten & Eleven, Chapter Twelve, Chapters Thirteen, Fourteen, & Fifteen, Chapters Sixteen & Seventeen.

#literary foils #Persuasion #Miss Jane Austen shows us how #Tie a string around this novel and hang it on your Christmas tree #(or hang it in your window as a sun catcher)

[shekiko]

1 Piece Owl Painted Window Hanging Sun Catchers Birds Sun Catchers Window Decor Home Decoration

#Adorn your windows with charm! 🦉✨ Our Owl Painted Window Hanging Sun Catcher adds a touch of magic to your home. Elevate your decor now! Wi

[kitchenwitchtingss]

50 KITCHEN WITCH TIPS TO MAKE YOU FEEL MORE WITCHY

(And other useful things I've learned over the years)

Hi! This is a list of dos, don'ts, tips, tricks, and other fun things that I've learned over the years. I always love finding more effective and efficient ways of doing things so if you have any cool things you'd like to add, leave them in the comments or reblog. I'd love to read it.

Anyways... On with the list ^_^

Light candles around your kitchen space (just make sure nothing flammable is near you)

Annotate your cookbooks with the correspondence of the ingredients.

Mediating is really good to calm the mind before cooking.

Cut oranges and lemons thinly, dry them, and hang them with twine around your kitchen

Need a cleansing tip? Open all your windows near your kitchen. Let some fresh air in.

Cutting sigils into apples, pie crusts, and carved potatoes.

Save lemon and orange rinds, freeze them, and then use them to clean the garbage disposal.

Make infused oils and honey: Things like garlic honey, lavender honey, herb oil, sun oil, moon oil, dandelion oil, and other different edible oils are very fun and useful to make.

Hid sigils in pages of your cookbooks and kitchen witch journals.

Add some plants! Snake plants and spider plants don't need too much light, and growing your own herbs in your kitchen is awesome too. Basil, lavender, thyme, aloe vera, rosemary, etc. are good fits. You could also add some plants that require more sunlight on the kitchen window sill. Like cacti and succulents.

Bring crystals into your kitchen space such as rose quartz, clear quartz, amethyst, or whatever you want the space's intentions to be.

I keep a small money tree on the sill, along with cacti for luck and protection.

Make a simmer Pot! Mostly because it makes the whole house smell good, easy, and fun.

Stir clockwise for best results!

Learning how to pickle things is actually pretty witchy. Plus, anyone could do it as it requires absolutely no kitchen experience. You could pickle any vegetable, even if you don't like pickles. I originally learned this after having to take shelter from a natural disaster. A person brought a bunch of stuff and taught us how to pickle things with different spices and herbs. Very fun!

Decorate your kitchen with your favorite stuff. Crystals, decor, heat mits, that cool mushroom cake stand you've been eyeing at the World Market for the past 2 weeks, cool looking curtains, sun catchers. Why stop there? Paint the walls, hang shelves full of marked-up cookbooks that are a little too well-loved and thumbed through.

Wanna be the person that has the amazing-smelling house every time people come over? Syrups take some time to simmer down, it's actually a pretty good time to leave it on the stove to simmer. Since syrups have a lot of aromatic ingredients, it acts as a really good-smelling simmer pot.

Hang up herbs to dry with twine from cabinets that are rarely used.

Invest in that new set of plates and cups.

Homemade jams, butter, sauces, and syrups are your best friend.

Crochet or knit your own dish rags, pot holders, etc.

Don't pour extremely hot things into a glass that's not Pyrex, it will break, and you will be very sad about it.

Don't cook anything while extremely upset or emotional (For safety reasons)

Make recipes you want to make, not just because you'll like the effect. Make it because you think it's tasty.

Chinese Five Spice works in place of herbs for protection and luck spells a lot of the time! It's cheaper to buy 1 spice than 4 different spices that total up to 15 dollars when you could just spend 3-4 dollars.

Take a shower before cooking (I don't know how to explain this one other than it makes you feel better)

Don't use microfiber/plastic material clothes on hot burners, it will fuse to the burner and melt. It is VERY hard to get off.

I don't know if I need to put this one but I did see someone do it so nonstick pan = wooden utensils and plastic utensils, metal pan = metal utensils. Do not use a metal spoon in a nonstick pan, please. It can make you very sick.

Keep your pets away from hot oil, open ovens, and hot pans.

You can proof bread dough in the fridge overnight if you don't have the time to bake, or want to eat fresh bread right in the morning.

Need a quick witchy meal for dinner in 12 minutes? Use premade tomato pasta sauce and doctor it up with thyme, rosemary, and garlic, for protection and distilling stagnant energies. Serve with pasta of your liking.

You can substitute Butter for Crisco/shortening, buttermilk for 1 cup of milk + 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, and heavy cream for 1 cup of half and half plus 2 tbsp of butter.

Use leftover animal bones to make bone broth

Teach yourself the art of bread scoring (It's fun, and you can show it off to your loved ones!)

Collect and hoard your own and others' family recipes.

Sometimes the food doesn't have to be a spell, sometimes it just makes you feel good and you don't know why.

Listen to your favorite music in the kitchen, it makes the monotonous things like chopping veggies move faster.

Invest in a vegetable chopper if you don't like chopping vegetables.

Find a really good hot cocoa recipe and make it once a week. Master it. Just for your own happiness because hot cocoa is really good. You could also be the friend/family member that makes the best hot cocoa ever.

Focaccia Bread Lasts a very long time, and it's very easy to make!

Keep a first aid kit near where the oven is, in case of burns, cuts, or serious injuries where time is everything.

Quick Bread and no-rise loaves are simple for beginners, tasty, and take little time. They also feel very witchy to make.

Study a bit of Herbalism! It's fun and really helps better understand the herbs you're putting into your food.

While something is boiling, put your wooden spoon over the pot to minimize the chance of something boiling over.

Try a bit of coffee magick, it's simple to get into, and gives you a boost of energy to take on the day!

If you're over 21, wine-making is a very interesting way to celebrate the sabbats. Just with that, make sure you KNOW what you're doing. With anything fermented, there's always a risk if you don't store things correctly. Apple wines, strawberry wines, dandelion wines, etc. all very cool to experiment with. If you're not over 21, vinegar is a similar way to experiment.

Hang up some witchy things, sigils, photos, cool magnets, and other things that give you joy on your fridge. (Sometimes if you are lucky they have some fun magnets at five below)

If you live in the US, for some reason, there are a lot of books in the book section dedicated to witchcraft and spirituality. At least where I live. And they are all under 5 dollars!

Teas are the cheapest and easiest things you can practice being a kitchen witch.

#witches #witchy #kitchen witch #witch #magick #witches of tumblr #kitchen witch recipes #modern witch #modern witchcraft #food #witchcraft #witchblr #food blogs #witch aesthetic #witchy vibes #wicca #baby witch #beginner witch

[witchboxco]

Litha Altar Ideas & Elements

Litha, also known as midsummer or the summer solstice, is a Pagan sabbat that honors the longest day of the year and the height of the sun's power. It's a time of light, abundance, and connection to nature. There are infinite ways to create a sacred space that captures the essence of the summer solstice, but here are just a few to get you started.

Choose a Sacred Space

Select a location for your Litha altar that feels harmonious and tranquil. It could be indoors or outdoors, depending on your preferences and available space. Consider placing it near a window to invite in the sun's rays or under a tree to connect with the earth's energy.

Colors of the Solstice

Embrace the vibrant hues of summer by incorporating colors that symbolize the sun and its energy reflected in nature. Opt for warm shades like gold, yellow, orange, and green. These colors evoke the energy of vitality, growth, and abundance.

Sun Symbols

Since Litha revolves around the power of the sun, incorporating sun symbols on your altar is a wonderful way to honor this celestial force. Decorate with solar discs, light catchers, sunflowers, prisms, Helios statuettes, ojos de dios, solar inspired artwork, or sun candles. These symbols remind us of the sun's life-giving energy and its powerful presence during the summer solstice.

Florals

Celebrate the beauty of nature's bounty during Litha by adorning your altar with a selection of fresh, seasonal flowers. Sunflowers, daisies, St John’s Wort, and marigolds are excellent choices. Arrange them in vases or make garlands and wreaths to hang around your sacred space. The vibrant colors and sweet scents will infuse your altar with a delightful atmosphere.

Elemental Representations

Litha is a time to honor the elements and their harmonious interplay. Consider incorporating representations of fire, water, earth, and air on your altar. Candles can represent fire, seashells or a small bowl of water for water, crystals or stones for earth, and feathers or incense for air. These elemental symbols help create balance and align your altar with the natural energies of the season.

Symbols of Abundance

As Litha celebrates the abundance of the Earth, include symbols of prosperity and growth on your altar. Wheat, corn, berries, honeycomb, and seasonal fruits like strawberries, peaches,or cherries can be placed in baskets or on decorative gold bowls. These symbols express gratitude for the bounty of the sun and the abundance it provides.

Ritual Tools and Divination

If you work with ritual tools or divination methods, consider placing them on your Litha altar. This might include a wand, a cauldron, a chalice, runes, or a tarot deck. These tools act as conduits for your intentions and can be charged with the heightened energy of the summer solstice.

Solstice blessings. 🌞

#litha #pagan #witchcraft #paganism #occult #witch #magick #wicca #wiccan #neopagan #summer #summer solstice

[thatsmzbitchtoyou]

My Queen Chapter 2

Steve Rogers is the newly inherited Duke of Brooklyn, struggling to fix the mistakes of his parents while enduring an overbearing, matchmaking mother.  He has no intention of anything romantic in his future, but will a forced love connection with the Queen change his mind?

Warnings: smut, slight domestic violence, minor character death

Friday came and Steve was fuming.  His mother was constantly hovering nearby, fussing with his collar as he left his room and chattering at him about royal protocol as he walked towards the front door.  “You’ve grown so much since you last went to an event, you’re so handsome!  I’m sure she’ll love you–”

“Ma,” Steve said warningly.  

Sarah put her hands up in surrender.  “Okay okay.  Well good luck my dear,” she said as he walked to the car pulling up for him.  The driver quickly opened the door and he settled into the seat.  He thanked the driver and nodded to his mother as the door shut then sighed heavily when they took off towards the palace.  He had not been to any royal events in years, due to his embarrassment.  His mother was right, he had grown physically over the years, so he was sure Queen Y/N wouldn’t even recognize him from the last time she saw him.  He probably wouldn’t recognize her either.  They had barely become adults the last he saw her, and it wasn’t like they were ever properly friends, just acquaintances.

When they pulled up to the palace the door was opened for him again and he was led inside and through some hallways until they reached a large sunroom with a table prepared with two places settings.  Steve marveled at the almost fully-windowed room.  There were sun catchers placed in the awnings above him, little iridescent mobiles tinkling against each other from the breeze of an opened window and casting rainbow prisms along the adjacent wall and floor.  There were scores of plants lining the long window sill with a section in one corner covered by a long cushion and a blanket folded up next to it with a book sat atop.  He was left to wait for her and in the silence he strode up to the window seat and picked up the book.  Steve didn’t recognize the title, “Beauty” by Robin McKinley, but read the synopsis and thought it interesting.  A fantasy reader, he mused.  He set the book down and walked along the window inspecting the plants.

“Rogers,” a voice gruffed behind him.

Steve turned and then smiled.  “Wilson.”

Sam laughed and approached him, giving him a long hug.  “It’s been a while.”

“It has, how are you?” Steve asked as he clapped Sam’s shoulder.

“Well, thank you.  I’m sorry to hear about your father.  I would have come to the funeral–”

“Please, I know you were out of the country with Her Majesty.  It’s fine,” Steve waved away his concern.  “We got her card.  All is well.”

“Hm.  So…your mother…” Sam raised an eyebrow at him.

Steve sighed again, hanging his head.  “I know, don’t get me started.”

Sam laughed again.  “It’s alright, Her Majesty is well aware of how Sarah is.  You have nothing to be worried about.”  Steve gave him a small appreciative smile.  “Speaking of, she’ll be here in just a moment.  I just wanted to come say hello before I’m dismissed.”

“And now you’re free to go,” Y/N walked through the door just then, her lady’s maids following behind and distracting her so her eyes were turned away looking at the fabric they were showing her.

“Ah, excuse me,” Sam gave Steve a head bow then turned to Y/N and bowed to her.  

“Oh, shoo, all of you!” Y/N snapped, pushing away the fabric and waving Sam away, who quickly pushed the lady’s maids out the door and closed it behind him.  “Ugh, I’m sorry, Your Grace, I–” Y/N finally looked at him and paused, her eyes slightly widening.

“Your Majesty,” Steve walked forward, bowing to her.  Y/N automatically gave him a small curtsy and gave him her hand which he took and kissed her knuckles lightly before releasing it and standing straight.  “Thank you for your card.  We were most appreciative of your condolences.”

“Of course,” Y/N said, giving him a polite smile.  She tried not to ogle him.  Steve had grown over a foot, gained a lot of muscle and had become incredibly handsome since she’d last seen him.  He was no longer the scrawny, sickly boy she’d met years before.  He sported a slightly longer haircut and a clean cut full beard, making him look rugged but put together.  “Shall we?” she gestured to the table.

“Yes,” Steve said and held out a chair for her.  She thanked him as she sat and he walked around the small table to the other chair facing her.  Once he was sat Y/N picked up a small bell and rang it, resulting in a few maids and footmen bringing out plates of food and drinks.  As they placed it all down in front of them she thanked each of them with a smile before dismissing them.

“So, long time no see,” Y/N ventured starting the conversation as she put her napkin in her lap.

Steve huffed a laugh as he did the same.  “Yeah, I uh…” Y/N watched him as she piled her plate with food from the dishes in front of her.  He snorted as he looked away.  “I know I should apologize for not being social, but I won’t.”

Y/N smiled widely.  “You have nothing to apologize for.  Being antisocial is not a crime.”

“Tell that to my mother,” Steve mumbled.  Y/N laughed at his deadpan tone.  Steve seemed surprised at her laughter and a wider smile lit up his face.  

“Yes, she is…tenacious,” Y/N said, hiding her mirthful smile behind her teacup while she took a sip, giving him a playful glance.

Steve smirked.  “I feel like I need to apologize for her, though.  I do not condone such behavior,” the crease between his eyebrows returned.  Y/N wanted to run her finger down that crease to help him relax.  “My parents sent you letters asking for increases.  That was not acceptable and you were right to deny them.”

Y/N felt for him.  His embarrassment was palpable, and she could tell he didn’t particularly want to be at this lunch date.  She sighed, setting her cutlery down as she leaned back in her chair.  Steve was surprised again at her change in demeanor.

“May I speak frankly with you, Steve?”  Y/N cocked an eyebrow at him.  Steve nodded warily.  “As your mother may have told you, I’m looking for a husband.” Steve’s eyes narrowed at her.  “But I’m not.  My advisors are.  I’m turning 33 this year and they have decided that means I’m becoming an old spinster.  They’re threatening a Parliamentary takeover if I do not secure a partner to help me create an heir soon.  And since our Parliament is full of imbeciles, I’m afraid of what that could mean for our country.” She looked away from him and out the window, watching the hummingbirds at the feeder outside.  “I do not need a husband to rule.  This is the 21st century, for fuck’s sake.”  

Steve couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled up his throat at her cursing.  Y/N laughed with him, shaking her head.  “I can tell you are embarrassed by your parents’ behaviors, believe me I know what that’s like, and now you have quite a load on your shoulders to bear when it comes to securing you and your mother’s futures.  A union with me would be highly advantageous to you.”  She leaned up against the table with her arms, looking at him conspiratorially.  “The suitors my advisors have been finding for me have been as idiotic as they are.”  Steve snorted at her candor.  “So when Sam said you were coming for lunch, I knew it was the work of your mother, but I thought it would be interesting to see how it goes, since I remembered you as a kind but quiet boy.  Now you’ve grown into a full-fledged man, and strikingly handsome if I do say so myself,” she smirked at him.  Steve blushed at her compliment.  “I don’t like playing games and I don’t like wasting my time.  If you do not wish to pursue anything romantic of any kind with me, please say so now, so I may know how to proceed with this lunch.”

Steve gawked at her.  Y/N had grown into quite the impressive woman, not just because she was the Queen, but also because of her tenacity and passion in governing the country.  She had made leaps and bounds beyond what her predecessors had been able to accomplish within just 15 years of her reign and made a reputation for herself as a blunt but fair ruler.  She was very attractive, he’d always thought so, but even more so now as she aged and grew into herself and her own personality.  He found her incredibly alluring and loved that she was straight forward with him.  

“To be honest, no, I wasn’t planning to pursue anything romantic,” Steve decided to be honest.  

Y/N nodded but didn’t look hurt or embarrassed.  “I appreciate your honesty.”

“Not because of anything to do with you personally!  Just because I have not wanted the same relationship I’ve seen my parents or others in nobility with arranged or advantageous marriages have,” he paused, trying to find the right words.  She nodded.  “But I do find you…quite charming.”

Y/N giggled at him.  “Charming?  I don’t think I’ve ever been called charming before.”

“Really?” Steve said, genuinely surprised.  

“Perhaps some polite euphemisms that refer to my blunt nature…sometimes intimidating,” she trailed off.

“That’s what makes you charming,” Steve then copied her stance and leaned forward on the table.  “Alluring.”

“Alluring?” Y/N’s eyebrows raised high.  “My goodness Steve, are you trying to make me blush?”

“Maybe,” Steve smirked at her.  He felt himself getting more comfortable with flirting.  “It does bring such a pretty color to your face.”

Y/N’s eyes widened as she did blush that time.  She couldn’t hold his gaze and quickly looked down at her food.  “Thank you,” she muttered, giving him a quick glance.

“Are you not used to receiving compliments, Your Majesty?” Steve teased her.

“Y/N, please.  And I receive plenty of compliments, but they're usually from people trying to get something from me,” Y/N answered honestly.  “They're also not usually coming from such a pretty face.”

Steve blushed deeply, having to look away from her this time and fight the smile on his face.  “Pretty, am I?” he laughed.

“Ridiculously,” Y/N laughed with him.  They stared at each other for another moment.

“Would you like to go on a date with me?” Steve said hopefully.

Y/N gave him a lopsided smile.  “Yes.”

The rest of lunch was them eating and getting to know each other better.  By the time they had finished their plates and the conversation began to wind down, the sun had moved in the sky, casting shadows into the sunroom as the afternoon wore on.  A knock came at the door, interrupting Y/N in a story about Sam, who walked through the door.

“Speak of the devil,” Steve laughed.

Sam gave them both a disapproving look then turned to Y/N.  “Your Majesty, your meeting with the Prime Minister?”

“Ugh,” Y/N rolled her eyes dramatically, wiping her hands and her mouth on her napkin then standing.  Steve quickly stood with her.  “I’m sorry to cut this short, Steve–”

“Short?  You’ve been talking for three hours!” Sam said incredulously.  Y/N’s eyebrows raised at him and he shut his mouth and looked down.  Steve chuckled.

“As I was saying, thank you for coming to lunch, Steve,” Y/N turned back to him and lifted her hand.  He quickly took it and kissed her knuckles again.  Instead of dropping her hand he decided to be bold and pulled her hand, making her step towards him.  He then dipped his head and kissed her cheek, making her inhale sharply, her fingers grasping his hand tightly.

“It was my pleasure, Y/N,” Steve said quietly next to her ear.  She looked up at him with wide eyes, her mouth slightly open.  “I’ll call you about that date.”

“I look forward to it,” Y/N said politely, but there was a hunger in her eyes.

Steve smiled and bowed to her before walking toward the door, Sam staring at him wide-eyed as he followed him out.  Once they were out of earshot Sam pushed him, making him trip forward a bit.  “What the hell?” Steve scoffed at him.

“What was that?” Sam chastised him.  “You can’t kiss her face!  Or call her by her first name!” 

“Well I just did,” Steve smiled.  “We have a date.”

“A date?” Sam whisper-yelled at him.  “How?  She hasn’t wanted to date anyone…ever!”

“Guess I’m a pretty good flirt,” Steve shrugged.  Sam led him back to the front doors, the car already waiting for him.  “Hey, what’s her favorite flower?”

Sam gave him an unimpressed look.  “Sunflowers.  Why?”

“Just checking,” Steve said, clapping Sam’s shoulder before getting in the car.  His mother would never let him live this down.

#marvel #smut #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers #duke!steve rogers x queen!reader #queen!reader #duke!steve rogers #royal au #modern royalty au #series fanfic #chapter 2

[kooktrash]

Vamp jk and witch reader plss, reader is not intimidated by him tho:)

oooo i love vampire jk. modern day witch x modern day vampire warnings: suggestive. blööd sucking. very slight dubcön but only kissing. strangers. thanks for sending request babes I hope this was okay <3 BEWARE THIS IS KINDA DARK

blood wife SPOOKY REQUESTS OPEN

The first time you ever saw him was through the window of the shop you worked at. It was hard to see him past the dangling sun catchers and hanging plants. You knew something was off about the man the first time he passed the shop. He passed every night at 11:03pm on the dot. Every night.

“Are you open?”

You looked at him as he crossed the threshold into your metaphysical haven. His voice was deep and seducing but you kept your voice straight. “It’s not.”

“Well the door was unlocked and you were standing in here watching me,” he said, still going in and looking around, “Mind if I stay?”

“I do mind,” you said, taking in his appearance. There was a sort of magnetic pull toward him but there was suddenly dark energy suffocating the shop. There was a paleness to his skin with no flush of red in his cheeks despite the coldness in the night air. You were careful with your words as he approached you. This man was not human.

Then suddenly he was next to you, two pointed teeth pressing against his bottom lip and a piece of silver metal on his lip. His skin was ice cold as his hand went over yours to take the black Shungite out of your hands to examine it. He looked to you to see if the sense of fear was creeping into your body now but you just stared at him unwavering.

Hm, he could smell the blood running through your veins and it had his mouth watering. He would prefer if you showed some fear, get the blood pumping, the chemicals running for a clear stream of crimson tide. He cracked a menacing smirk as he turned the crystal over in his large hand, “Who do you need protection from?”

“Dark creatures like yourse—“ your words were cut short as a cold hand came up to your hair, pulling your head back to expose your throat. His body was stressed against yours trapping you between him and the outdated wooden table you were working on. He brought his face closer to your neck but you didn’t even flinch and it was starting to piss him off.

Jungkook’s nose brushed against your jugular as he took in the rich scent of your blood with a low growl trapped in his own throat, “How is that going for you, little witch?”

You did move just slightly at the small nip of his sharp teeth against the skin. He was toying with you. When you didn’t respond he tightened his hold on your hair pulling. His face was against yours now, whispering in your ear.

“I can taste the warmth of your blood on my tongue.”

“You don’t scare me,” you said, attempting to push him back but it was no use. His leg was between yours keeping you flush against the table. You could barely make out his gestures using only the lit candles to illuminate the shop that was just under your apartment.

The movement was so quick that you didn’t even feel the tightness on your throat as he hoisted you onto the table so that you were more eye level with him. The force of the action was enough for you to bite down on your tongue already tasting metal in your mouth. Jungkook zeroed in on it, already smelling the blood from your tongue and without another word his mouth was on yours.

Your long black skirt fluttered around your spread legs trying to kick him back but his grip was hard. The black shawl you wore slipped off your arms exposing your shoulders and neck even more but he wasn’t focused on that. Jungkook was messy with the way he kissed you hungrily and the pressure of it was enough to make your lips move too as his tongue pried your mouth open.

His hand was still in your hair keeping your head from moving away from him as he greedily made out with you despite your efforts to back away. Your hands turned to fists beating against his chest.

You release a small moan [unintentionally of course] when a sharp prick sank into your bottom lip which released another short stream of blood that he licked away with a groan. It felt like minutes passed when he yanked you off his mouth, lips swollen and gaze darker than before.

You immediately brought your hand toward your sore mouth wincing at the small burning pain. Jungkook didn’t move back watching you with hunger in his eyes but it wasn’t just for your blood anymore. He smiled when you attempted to push him back again and this time he helped you by taking a step back. You glared at him panting for breath but he didn’t care. Instead he moved back in.

“Ah,” you squealed when you felt his teeth against the underside of your jaw near your ear. He pressed them into your skin, not enough to really hurt but enough to make you wince. It felt like needles. Your hands crumpled his shirt in your hold and without thinking you brought it to the top of his head and pulled on his hair. You hated the way your body reacted to the moan that left his lips as you pulled. He liked it, you can tell by the way he licked at the two punctures he left.

You could feel the pain turn to pleasure as he licked the wounds away, slowly healing the skin. You resorted to hitting his shoulders but it didn’t last long. Jungkook’s hands covered yours making you shiver at the coldness of them and he brought them down to the table he had sat you on.

There was a crack when his hands hit the wooden table and you had no choice but to cling to him as it crumbled below you with all your belongings on it. He held you with one arm, legs around his waist and without watching where he was going he maneuvered around the occult shop he found the daybed your black cat liked to lounge in when customers came to read a spell book.

You whined when you hit the cushions feeling him nearly crush you under his weight, eyes glancing to the broken table. He had incredible strength and when his hand tightened around the wooden framing of the daybed you heard the wood splinter too but not enough to destroy the cushion. “Get off me,” you groaned when he stared down at the forest green top you wore that pair nicely with the long black skirt and black shawl you lost.

“I like when my victims show fear but you’re different little witch and that upsets me,” Jungkook said lowly as he grabbed you by the chin harshly, “But you taste so divine.”

“Fuck you!” You spat jerking your head away but your efforts were useless. You can feel his hungry dark eyes trailing up your body licking his fangs.

“Don’t tempt me.”

With a displeased groan he dislodged himself from you bringing one of your hands to his mouth placing soft kisses on your palm, “Do you want to know why I haven’t killed you?”

“Oh you won’t be a victim, love,” Jungkook whispered even as he sank his teeth into your palm lightly like he had done against your neck. You winced at the puncture but like before the pain was replaced with a strange pleasure that you had squirming under him.

“I rather you kill me now—“ “That’s not what your body is saying,” he cut you off, staring down you again almost like he could see past your skirt to the growing wetness between your legs, “If I’m a sadist you must be a masochist.”

[if paragraphs are seen twice. I apologize. Tumblr is glitching so bad it’s deleting my writing and messing up paragraphs]

A bloody smirk came to his face, “Oh it’s going to be so fun turning you, my little wife.”

::.

if it seems incomplete it’s bc tumblr keep glitching 😭😭😭it’s deleting my drafts even if I’m transferring them docs.

personal taglist: @notmyfaultbutours @rerefundslocals @fandems @sugaluvmyg @guvgguk @kimyishin @libra04 @kooromiwrld @classycreationcupcake-blog @alwaysdreamingnotsleeping @cherrymonlightt @nikkiordonez12 @asking4-sanity @thvlover @saweetspoiled @uwu2rawr @shaybts-blog @babycandy111 @tearyjjeon @joons-uparupa @aris-ink

personal taglist: @notmyfaultbutours @rerefundslocals @fandems @sugaluvmyg @guvgguk @kimyishin @libra04 @kooromiwrld @classycreationcupcake-blog @alwaysdreamingnotsleeping @cherrymonlightt htt @nikkiordonez12 @asking4-sanity @thvlover @saweetspoiled @uwu2rawr @shaybts-blog og @babycandy111 @tearyjjeon @joons-uparupa

#jeon jungkook #kooktrash requests #jungkook drabble #jungkook fluff #jungkook au #jungkook request #jungkook smut #jungkook hybrid #jungkook imagine #jungkook angst #Jungkook vampire

[tears-of-amber]

WITCH TIP: Enchant Your Sun-Catchers!

I enchanted mine for protection! And it’s charged by the sun’s energy to keep it active! I hang it in my bedroom window and voila! Magic ✨✨✨

#wards #spells #witchblr #witchy things #witch tips #suncatcher #magic #velvetrosewitchery #witchcraft tips #baby witches #baby witch #baby witch tip #witch tip #solar witch

[annawrites444]

Luke Castellan X Child of Iris! G/N Reader

A/N This is my first Drabble for Luke lmk if you have any cool ideas or thoughts to include in my next one :) also let’s pretend that the minor Gods had cabins back in the early PJO timeline (before Percy). 

This was also not proofread...

Word Count: no clue (it’s short-ish)

DO NOT REPOST ON ANY OTHER PLATFORM (this is my only account)

You had been in camp for a total of 3 weeks already, and you were claimed the second you stepped foot onto camp grounds. A glorious rainbow shone over you head and you felt this unmeasurable glow of happiness within you. You had journeyed so far from your home, leaving behind your father and younger siblings to go to camp, to protect them from harm. And although you had been so anxious and worried you couldn’t help but feel excited for finally finding a place that could answer all of the questions and suspicions you’d had since you were a child. Your face practically glowed as you were claimed by your godly parent, Iris. You were met with the applause of nearby campers who had witnessed the bright glow of colors floating overhead. 

Camp so far had been a blur of excitement and curiosity, you were soon caught up to speed by fellow children of Iris, your half-siblings. They introduced you to the many camp activities and rituals. While it was a lot to adjust to, you soon fit right in and made as many friends as possible. 

Your cabin was the epitome of sunshine and rainbows… in the best way I promise. There were sun catchers hung up all around the interior nearby windows, light woods and pastel colored materials were used all throughout your cabin and bunks. And the walls of your cabin were littered with paintings and canvases hung up to display the artwork and passions of you and your siblings. The few spaces of bare wall left, and even the ceilings and floors, were covered with either small paintings or dried splatters of paint. (Think of the inside of Rapunzel’s tower in the movie). 

You awoke on a warm summer’s morning to the sound of incessant pounding on your cabin door. While children of Iris are always pictured to be bright happy people, you were quite the opposite in the early mornings, especially if someone woke you up. You grumble as you slowly climb out of your bunk and walk towards the door. “Whoever you are, you better have a pretty good reason to wake me up.” You open the door in annoyance only to be met with Luke Castellan’s grinning face. “Morning Sunshine.” As he invites himself inside the cabin, you roll your eyes at his impromptu visit. Luke was one of the first campers to befriend you a few weeks back and ever since then he never seemed to leave your side. You didn’t really mind since he was kind to you had begun to harbor a small crush (not small at all) on him. However, you DID mind it now that he woke you up from your sleep. 

“Luke, don’t get me wrong I love hanging out with you, but why are you here so early?” You cross over to your bunk, starting to get ready for the day since it was obvious you weren’t going to go to sleep anytime soon. Luke turns to you with an amused look, “You forgot didn’t you.”, you look over at him contemplating what you could have forgotten. “What do you mean… OH training was this morning!!” You exclaim as you hurriedly grab the brush and begin to brush your hair and run into the bathroom with your camp t shirt and a pair of shorts you had laid out, slamming the door shut. Luke’s smile only grows wider as he watches your crazed antics about being late to training. He chuckles as you run out the bathroom with toothbrush in mouth, hopping on foot to slid on your socks and shoes. “mrMPH. mmmrfelM” you try to say as your toothbrush is hanging out of your mouth. Luke just shakes his head smiling to himself “Maybe finish brushing your teeth first, there’s no rush since the training ring’s emptier this morning because of the volleyball game between Cabins 5 and 7”. You rush into the bathroom again to finish brushing your teeth before emerging with a shining smile that practically melted Luke’s heart. 

“Okay, I’m ready. Let’s go.” you grab his hand running out of the cabin, your regular energy and optimism shone through once again. Luke laughed aloud and held your hand tighter as you both bounded over the hills and trails toward the training arena. You were so elated you almost missed the giant rainbow painting the clear blue sky. Despite being woken up, you were still going to have the best day. 

Thank you for reading this far, please like or reblog if you liked it <3 

-Anna :)

#luke castellan #fluff #headcannons #percy jackson #x reader #drabble #headcanon #luke x reader #child of iris

[thelostchaoswitch]

June is upon us, bringing the warmth of the sun and the lushness of summer! As the days grow longer, there’s a magical energy in the air that’s perfect for our witchy practices. Here are some enchanting things to do this month, including a few you might not have thought of! 🌞🔮

1. Celebrate Litha (Summer Solstice): On June 21st, the Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year. It’s a powerful time for manifestation and gratitude. Decorate your altar with sun symbols, fresh flowers, and candles. Consider a sunrise or sunset ritual to honor the sun’s peak.

2. Herb Harvesting: Many herbs are at their peak potency in June. Gather rosemary, thyme, lavender, and sage. Dry them for use in spells, teas, and incense. Remember to thank the plants and leave offerings in return for their bounty.

3. Midsummer Night’s Dream: Inspired by Shakespeare, embrace the fae energy that’s strong during this time. Create a faery garden or leave offerings of milk, honey, and shiny trinkets in your garden to invite the fae into your life. ***Be cautious and be aware of who you are working with. Make sure you study before you call forth anything***

4. Solar Water: Create solar water by leaving a jar of water in the sunlight for several hours. This water can be used for cleansing, charging crystals, or in sun spells to bring energy and vitality into your life.

5. Nature Walks: Take long walks in nature to ground yourself and connect with the Earth. Collect natural items like feathers, stones, and leaves for your altar. Pay attention to animal sightings, as they might bring messages from the spirit world.

6. Fruit Magick: June brings a bounty of fruits like strawberries, cherries, and apricots. Use them in kitchen witchery—bake a pie with intention, make a fruit salad charged with positive energy, or create fruit offerings for deities or spirits.

7. Seashell Spells: If you live near the coast or have access to seashells, use them in your magick. Seashells represent water and can be used in love spells, for emotional healing, or to enhance intuition.

8. Firefly Meditations: If you’re lucky enough to have fireflies in your area, watch them in the evening. Use their gentle light to guide your meditation, symbolizing illumination, hope, and the beauty of small things.

9. Sun Gazing: In the early morning or late evening when the sun is not too strong, practice sun gazing. This can be a form of meditation and can help you absorb the sun’s energy directly.

10. Journaling with Intention: Reflect on the first half of the year and set intentions for the months ahead. June is a midpoint, a perfect time to reassess and realign your goals and dreams.

11. DIY Sun Catchers: Craft sun catchers with crystals, beads, and other shiny objects. Hang them in your windows to catch the sunlight and fill your space with rainbows and positive energy.

12. Create a Summer Spell Jar: Fill a jar with items that represent summer to you—sunflowers, sand, seashells, and herbs. Seal it with a yellow candle and use it to attract summer energy into your home.

13. Moonlit Bath: On a warm night, take a moonlit bath with flowers, essential oils, and sea salt. This can cleanse your aura and connect you with the moon’s feminine energy.

14. Dance Under the Stars: Gather friends or enjoy a solo dance session under the starry sky. Let the rhythm connect you with the universe and raise your vibrations.

15. Make Sun Tea: Place tea bags in a jar of water and let it steep in the sunlight. As it brews, infuse it with your intentions and drink it to absorb the sun’s energy.

Let’s embrace the magic of June and make the most of these sunny, enchanted days! What are your favorite witchy things to do in June? Share in the comments! 🌞🌸🔮

Stay strong, stay well, stay safe. 💕

#thechaoswitch #witch community #witchcore #witchcraft #spiritual #spirituality #witchblr

[minato-division03]

ARB Birthday Special: Miku Shirazuki

~ January 13th ~

“Speak your mind, even if your voice shakes.”

Login Lines

“Happy Birthday to myself. May the universe bless me with a new year of cherished memories and also inner peace.”

“It’s been another 365 around the sun. Hopefully, this time around, I’ll learn to make the most of every moment.”

Voice Lines

“If I’m gonna be honest… I don’t know what to make of my birthday… so much has been happening that my own birthday was sorta the last thing on my mind. But I guess since I’m still here, I should be grateful that I’m still surviving.”

“I don’t really know how to celebrate my birthday now that I’m not an idol… I used to do long zatsus on SNS with my fans. But that’s not really an option now. I know I asked for peace this time around, but now I actually don’t know what to do with all this… free time?”

“Oh, Your Majesty… You? Made something for me? What is this? Holy shit, it’s a sun catcher… I… I don’t… thank you… thank you so much…”

“Your Majesty… I don’t know what to do… I’m a whole year older and yet… I can’t seem to grow up past the age of thirteen… I’m stuck down here… The future is in my hands… thank you… I’ll do my best to remember that.”

“Oh, hi, Reiaki. Oh, thanks… Well… I told the Queen that I still don’t feel like I’m a whole year older yet… She told me that I’ve learned and grown since I was thirteen… So you too? I figured that’s what she intended… I just hope I can live up to her expectations.”

“A new lunar calendar… it’s really pretty… I didn’t get to find one for the new year yet. But you found like the perfect one… Okay… thank you, Reiaki… Let’s do it.”

Queen Card Lines

“Miku-chan, a happiest of Birthdays to you. For a day to celebrate the day of your coming into this world, I am bestowing you with a gift, made with my own two hands. Trust me, my dear, you know what this is. Right on the money, my darling. And it is designed to hang in your window. Infuse it with the crystals you cherish so and it shall turn ordinary sunlight into a scattering waltz of rainbows, turning your room into a whimsical world of colors.”

“It would seem something is troubling you, my dear. Talk to me, what is the matter? Miku-chan. Miku-chan, listen to me. Your thirteen-year-old self was unaware and was searching for something beyond her. You’ve learned from then, and you’ll continue to learn and get stronger as you continue to grow. You’ll turn fourteen one of these days. Until then… do me a favor, love, and remember this… the past is in your head. Your future is in your hands, now. Our future is in your hands.”

Reiaki Lines

“Happy Birthday, Miku-chan! How does it feel to be another year older? I see… So you’re also stuck in the past… She’s right, you know. I still feel like I’ve never moved on from that day… and I don’t think I ever will. But I think Her Majesty doesn’t expect us to fully grow past our pasts. Just for the both of us to know that there’s a future to look forward to.”

“How about this? I might have the perfect present for you. Go ahead! Take a look! Hehe! You like it? It’s a lunar calendar for the new year! It tracks the lunar cycle and it also is an astrology planner. I got one for you before you could buy or make one yourself! Keep track of the upcoming days with this. Happy Birthday, kiddo… you deserve peace for yourself… Let’s both grow up at own paces, okay?”

#hypnosis mic #hypnosis mic oc #hypmic #hypmic oc #hypnosis mic arb #hypmic arb #minato division #r.i.p märchen #miku shirazuki #queen card #reiaki suzubayashi #happy birthday miku #miku birthday 2024

[toomanybandstocare]

{Sweet Child of Mine, Guns N Roses}

Program: It's summer and you have no where to be. To be quite honest, there's no where you'd rather be then held close in Steve's arms. Hidden in your own little world and enjoying each other's presence on a sunny, summer afternoon.

Pairing: Steve Harrington x GN!Reader

Genre: Fluff

Length: 662w

Camp Upside Down Masterlist

Soft rays of sunshine dare sneak past the safety ward of the sheer window shades. Casting rainbow fragments across the walls, the sun catcher crystal twists and dangles languidly on the curtain rod.

The low frequency AC hum lulls softly in the air. Only broken by the scratching turn of book pages. Not even the occasional drone of passing cars can impose on the lovers’ lazy, summer afternoon tucked away.

Sinking your front into the top of the bed’s comforter, you nuzzle closer to the crook of Steve’s neck. Half laying on top of him, half hanging off him onto the bed as he lounges with a book held in his hand. Relaxed breaths fill you with complete ease of mind.

Steve’s left arm holds you to his side, and his fingers unconsciously dance atop your back. His other hand supports a paperback copy of The Outsiders with his fingers securely holding it open. The need to advance through the book is the sole movement he allows to disrupt the peace.

Halting his fingertip waltz across the expanse of your slumbering figure, Steve grazes his thumb across his bottom lip in thought. Squeezing you closer to his side, Steve’s tongue darts out to wet his plush lips and the pad of his finger. He almost pulls you on top of him completely each time he then reaches over to rub the page corners together and fall deeper into the fictional world. Harmony restores when you fall back into place and his fingers resume their dance.

A huff of approval slips past your parted lips and fans across his skin. Without fail, your reaction ignites a spark of joy in Steve’s chest. A domestic reaction, he has yearned for his entire life.

Nestled in your own home, time stops for the two lovers. There’s nothing to worry about. Nothing to do. And no reason to think about anything other than each other’s comforting company. The two of you could just simply exist. Bask in the gentle caress of summer. Tucked away from reality.

As the shades become tinted with light hues of pink and fade into warm oranges, you clumsily push up onto your forearms. With your sudden activity, Steve pulls his gaze from the text to focus on your tired form. His eyebrow quirks up and his warm half-smile blooms in amusement. What could have possibly convinced you to grace him with your presence? Taking a quick glance at the clock- it’s probably food, he determines. 

However, the tingles spreading across his jaw accompanied with a gentle caress with your hand beg to differ. Allowing you to easily turn his lovingly dazed expression to meet your adoring, drowsy smile. Steve is flooded with awe and melts at your sleepy gaze.

You peer at his tender look and swell with happiness. This is all you wanted in life. Steve by your side and to have a place to call home. At this point, they're becoming one and the same. And you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Wading past lethargy lulling you back to the world of daydreams, you push up further and feel Steve’s chuckle resonate between the pair of you. Hovering just before his lips, you take note of how everything stills.

All noise fizzes out as languid breaths float from both of you. His eyes sparkle with reverence and admiration. A custom perfume envelopes your senses with vanilla and worn books.

Steve Harrington is home to your heart and soul.

With the pleasant press of his hand against your back, Steve tenderly kisses you. Unhurried, he devotes all his attention to you.

Slowly pulling a part, he presses another to your forehead. In love with the memories and stories that have shaped you.

To the tip of your nose. In love with all the little reactions and quirks you express- conscious of them or not.

And return to your pouty lips. In love with you. 

Utterly and completely, in love.

#steve harrington #stranger things #steve harrington blurbs #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington blurb #steve harrington imagines #stranger things blurbs #stranger things imagines #stranger things blurb #stranger things imagine #counselor mythos post #camp halfwit bulletin post #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington x you fluff #steve harrington x reader fluff #steve harrington x gn!reader #steve harrington x gn!reader fluff #steve harrington x yn #steve harrington x yn fluff #reader insert

[scloglassstudio]

#stain glass #stained glass #suncatcher #window decor #glass art #art glass #panel #custom pics #flowers

[rabbitcruiser]

National May Ray Day

Go outside, plan a picnic, and break out the shorts or summer dresses to usher in the warm rays of May sunshine, flowers, and fresh outdoors air.

National May Ray Day lights up our calendars on May 19th, allowing everyone to enjoy the sunshine. This day is about stepping outside, soaking in the Vitamin D, and embracing the sun’s warmth.

It marks a time to celebrate the brighter, warmer days as we move further into spring and edge closer to summer.

The reason behind celebrating this day is quite interesting. It ties back to a historical event in 1780, when an unexpected and unexplained darkness covered New England, causing confusion and fear.

This event, often remembered on May 19th, serves as a backdrop for appreciating the light and warmth the sun provides.

The day also stems from a personal celebration by Richard Ankli in 1977, honoring his brother Ray’s birthday. Thus, we all have a reason to cherish the sunlight and the joy it brings.

History of National May Ray Day

National May Ray Day, celebrated on May 19th, has an interesting history tied to a personal commemoration and natural phenomena.

It began with a comedian named Richard Ankli, who decided to honor his brother, Ray Ankli, by celebrating his birthday on this day back in 1977. This personal celebration occurred in St. Joseph, Michigan, specifically at the Broadway Fun Spot, a place associated with the Ankli family.

This marked the beginning of National May Ray Day, a day to celebrate not just a person named Ray but also to appreciate May’s sunshine and warmth as we transition from spring to summer​​​​​​.

The day also coincides with a historically dark day in 1780 when an unexplained darkness covered much of New England. This event, known for causing widespread fear and confusion, contrastingly underlines the importance of sunlight in our lives, adding depth to the celebration of May Ray Day​​.

Although initially meant to honor a specific individual named Ray, the day has evolved to celebrate the broader concept of enjoying and appreciating the sun’s rays. It encourages people to step outside, enjoy the warmth, and participate in outdoor activities.

Whether taking a walk, gardening or simply enjoying the company of those who bring sunshine into our lives, May Ray Day reminds us of the joy and benefits of spending time in the sun. It’s a day that represents a personal celebration and a universal appreciation for the natural world​​​​.

How to Celebrate National May Ray Day

Celebration tips include leisurely walking, outdoor activities, or relaxing in a sunlit spot.

Whether it’s by getting into gardening, reading outdoors, or having a picnic, the essence of National May Ray Day is to relish the outdoors and the myriad benefits of sunlight, from boosting mood to enhancing health with essential vitamin D.

Some Ideas to Celebrate the Day

Stage a Sunrise Greeting Party: Who says you can’t have a party at dawn? Grab your coziest blanket and a cup of your favorite morning brew, and head to a spot where the sunrise is impeccable. Celebrate the first rays like rock stars making an entrance.

Embark on a Solar Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of sunny spots in town that feel like little slices of happiness. Parks, murals, quirky sculptures—anything that sparkles under the sun’s gaze. Snap a selfie with each find and share your adventure online.

Picnic with a Twist: Pack a picnic but ditch the usual spots. Find a place where you wouldn’t normally eat—a rooftop, an alley decked with art, or right in your front yard. Bonus points for sun-themed foods like sun-dried tomatoes and sunny-side-up eggs!

Dance in Daylight Disco: Why wait for the night to dance? Create a playlist of songs with ‘sun,’ ‘light,’ or ‘day’ in the title, and throw a daylight disco in your living room. Invite friends or have a solo jam—just let those rays be your disco ball.

Craft Sun Catchers: Get crafty and make sun catchers to hang in your windows. Use colorful beads, glass, or even recycled materials. It’s a great way to catch and scatter joyful light around your home.

Host an Outdoor Game Marathon: Gather your pals for a series of sun-friendly games. Think frisbee, beach volleyball, or a good old-fashioned water balloon fight. It’s all about laughing under the sun.

Sunset Serenade: Cap off May Ray Day with a tribute to the sun’s daily curtain call. Find a cozy spot, perhaps with a view of the horizon, and enjoy the changing sky. Then, feel gratitude for the day’s light, perhaps with some acoustic music or quiet reflection.

Source

#Jasper National Park #Vancouver #Watson Lake #Alberta #British Columbia #Yukon #Oregon #Bend #USA #Canada #summer 2023 #travel #original photography #vacation #tourist attraction #landmark #cityscape #architecture #landscape #countryside #National May Ray Day #NationalMayRayDay #19 May

[endless-galaxy]

$15.99 (20%OFF) Sun Catcher Window Hanging *Unique Amazon Find*

To Buy it or Gift it to your favorite person, Click Here (Link to Amazon)

About: Suncatcher - Amethyst Moon Crystal Sun Catcher Window Hanging, Good Luck Charms Gifts for Women Christmas Thanksgiving Birthday Crystal.

2 Other Variants also available. Price Normally $19.99.

#suncatcher #Amethyst #moon #crystal #window hanging #home decoration #interior design #home decor #window decor #christmas gift #thanksgiving #gift for women #aesthetic #butterfly #good luck #charms #amazon finds #amazon products #amazon deals

[chickensarentcheap]

Never Gonna Be Alone- Chapter 94

Title: Painful Truths

Warnings: some angst, brief mentions of child abuse

Tagging:  @c-a-v-a-l-r-y, @youflickedtooharddamnit, @asirensrage, @residentdormouse, @tragiclyhip, @secretaryunpaid, @raith-way, @jvstjewels, @arrthurpendragon, @ocappreciationtag​

Link to Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28860450/chapters/103593033

He watches her from the top step; wayward strands of dirty blond hair tumbling into her eyes and down the sides of her face. Her focus intense and unshakable; immersed in the masterpiece that she’s in the midst of creating. Two years ago they’d turned the old storage area above the main house garage into an art studio laying down new floors and putting in insulation and allowing Millie to go cover the walls with brightly coloured, hand painted murals. In the past twenty four months, the space has become her escape; retreating there with life gets too hectic and she needs time away from it all. It hasn’t been easy being the oldest of seven; often put on the back burner in favor of the much smaller kids. Art has been her one constant; the comfort and the relaxation that she sometimes so desperately craves. And she’s turned the space into her very own; paintings and sketches tacked to the walls or displayed on easels, intricately designed wind and sun catchers -made from wire and pieces of beach glass- hanging in the windows and dangling from the ceiling. All of her supplies stored in plastic bins neatly organized on wheeled carts; paints, markers, pencils, and various craft ‘must haves’.

No words are spoken as he joins his daughter; setting a plate of food on the tv tray she'd set up alongside her work station. A buffet of fattening goodies she’d gathered before fleeing the house; an open bag of chips, a container of gummy bears, and a half eaten package of Oreos. She’s always had a sweet tooth; inherited from her father along with his incredibly fast metabolism and his inability to stay still for more than five minutes. And squeezing the meal in between the generous helping of snacks, he steps behind her chair, settling his hands upon her shoulders. Disheartened when he receives no reaction or acknowledgement; ignored when he lightly squeezes her arms and then drops a kiss on the top of her head.

“What’cha working on?”

“A project for school.” She doesn’t look away from the project in front of her. “I know we’re not going right now, but I still gotta hand things in. I don’t want to flunk.”

“Nothing wrong with repeating a year if it comes down to that. A lot of people have done it. Especially when things are out of their control.”

“I do NOT want to be behind. I don’t want to be stuck in that place for an extra year. All my friends will have graduated and I’ll still be going to school with my little brothers and sisters. And I’d be in the same grade as TJ. Uhhh, no thanks. I’d rather not be in a class with him.”

“You know, your brother isn’t as bad as you make him out to be.”

“He’s a pain in the ass. He thinks he’s just soooo cool.”

With a dramatic roll of the eyes, she tosses a dull charcoal pencil to the side and reaches for another. A habit she’d learned from watching him sketch over the years; arming himself with a healthy selection of fresh pencils and using each one until they’re dull and need sharpening again. He isn’t nearly as devoted as his daughter; Millie often spending hours at a time hunkered over a painting or a sketch or painstakingly sanding down beach glass in order to use in mosaics or for jewelry. But he can vividly remember the effort he’d put in as a kid; when his old man was either at work or gone on a drunken bender. Sometimes he’d be gone for days and even weeks at a time; long enough for the happiness and peace of mind to return to their home and for his mother’s easy going nature and smile to resurface. It had been here that had fed his love for art; recognizing his talent before he even started school and always making sure he was well stocked with pencils and paints, canvases and sketch books. Drawing had been his strong suit, and he’d sit out on the back porch and sketch his surroundings; his mother’s flower gardens and the expanse of beach a hundred yards away and every ripple of the ocean and shimmer of sun upon the surface. When his father was gone, mother and son were content; able to chat at the dinner table and dance around the kitchen to music flowing from an old transistor radio. They laughed easily; cuddled on the couch with bowls of popcorn and sugary drinks as they watched reruns of eighties sitcoms.

And he could create. He didn’t have to worry about his father’s old fashioned ideas about what ‘made a man a man’. In the old man’s mind, art was for females, and there was no way any son of his was going to indulge in ‘girly shit’. Tyler had rebelled; refusing to abandon his love for drawing in favor of pursuing more physical pursuits. He was already playing football and soccer and surfing as much as he could; art was what helped him relax and express himself in ways words couldn’t. And when his mother passed away, it was the one thing that made her feel close to him; the hours they’d spent bonding over their love for drawing and the way she’d always praised his talents and efforts and continued to nurture him despite his father’s beliefs. His defiance had led to more than one severe beating; bruises, a busted ear drum, split lips, broken noses and orbital bones as small price to pay in order to keep doing what he loved. But eventually the old man had completely snapped; locking his son in the backyard shed with nothing but a bucket to piss and shit in while the drunk burned all of his drawings and supplies.

He’d spend two days in that dark, confined space. His father eventually coming to his rescue; dragging him out by the hair and forcing him into the house and into an ice cold shower. Then packing his things and abruptly shipping him off; a month-long stay at a military style camp that whipped troubled boys into shape.

It would be decades before he’d even consider drawing again. Sitting on the back deck at the place in Telluride and watching as Millie -only four years old at the time- filled up the pages of a kids’ art pad with various doodles and sketches of the world around her. The house she lived in and the enormous backyard with its goat and chicken pens and the mountains looming in the distance. Pictures of her family; her little brothers making messes and her mum baking delicious goodies and her dad fixing something around the house. And there were drawings of just the two of them together; recreating their trips to the ice cream store or the ‘daddy and daughter’ dates he’d take her on and the snuggles they’d have on the backyard hammock. Everything so intricate and well executed; right down to the smallest details like the bump on the bridge of his nose or his various scars or the freckles on her mother’s face. And one day he’d ripped out a page of paper and grabbed a pencil and joined in; Millie watching with wide eyed wonder -and surprise- as he effortlessly drew a picture of Esme as she puttered around in the vegetable garden. After that, Millie would always request that he either draw with her or for her; climbing into his lap and then quietly and intently observing as he created whatever she requested of him.

But then financial worries had started to consume him; working construction and doing renos and landscaping jobs around town weren’t paying cutting. They were still drowning in a sea of debt; a steep mortgage and car payments, day care expenses and grocery and utility bills. And the lingering medical expenses they’d racked up in both Dhaka and Australia; the long and arduous road of healing that had taken place in order for him to even get back on his feet again. He didn’t have any other skills that he could capitalize on; he’d joined the military fresh out of high school and eventually passed the training for SASR and planned to make special forces his lifelong career. Once he couldn’t handle the physical toll of it, he’d become an instructor; one of the many in charge of whipping standard soldiers into peak physical and mental condition under harsh and brutal circumstances. But his son’s illness and his terrible decision during those weeks leading up to his death had completely destroyed his best laid plans. Turning him into a grief and guilt stricken man that sought solitude in the outback as a form of punishment; turning to booze and pain meds to numb both the physical and the mental anguish. Eventually he’d find his way to the job; a chance meeting in a bar in Broome that would put him in contact with a mercenary who would then pass his name and number along to Nik Khan.

He’d been good at it. A successful soldier turned mercenary with no concerns for his own well being. And it had paid damn good money; he knew he could get his young family out of debt and put food on the table and clothes on their back and shoes on their feet. There’d be left over cash, even. He could spoil his wife and buy her tokens of his love, affection, and appreciation; a brand new car and her closet filled with the brand new wardrobe she hadn’t had in years.

But he’d gone about it all wrong. Returning to the job without discussing it with her first. Annoyed by her apprehension and angry towards his decision; not understanding why she’d doubt his skills and his abilities and try and talk him out of earning easy money. He wanted to provide for his family and so far, he felt as if he hadn’t done that; the overdue notices and the mounting interest on their previous debt were all testaments to what a horrible job he was doing. Being a mercenary was something he could do in his sleep; sometimes killing people nothing more than a small price to pay in order to be able to financially support his wife and children. But as the tally climbed in regards to the lives he took, his body began to pay the price; old war time injuries that were aggravated and new ones that would leave him hobbling and bed ridden at times. And the PTSD; undiagnosed at the time yet relentless and excruciating. At first he relied solely on drinking to numb the pain; Esme able to handle living with him as long as he kept things under control and didn’t become the man he was before. And despite promising her he wouldn’t, it all began to slip away from him; his self control spiralling and his mental issues increasing. He once more fell into the chaos that was alcoholism, and when booze suddenly wasn’t enough, he returned to the Oxy.

And nearly lost his family in the process.

It’s been eight years. Almost nine. Since Esme had kicked him out of the house and the world began crumbling around him. What had followed had been the longest six months of his life; court appointed supervised visitations with the kids, the nights that his wife would call him and express her loneliness and her desperation and her undying want and need for him. Every so often, he would spend the night at the house; arriving after the kids had fallen asleep and allowed to make love to her and to fall asleep in his bed. THEIR bed. But the heartbreak of his disintegrating marriage that would settle in as the sun began to rise; knowing he had to be out the front door before Millie and the boys woke up so as not to confuse them. It had been incredibly toxic, yet either of them had been able to stop; sex was the one thing they’d always been amazing at and it was the only time they weren’t at one another’s throats. Eventually Esme pulled the plug on their ‘arrangement’; she couldn’t handle seeing him wander out the front door and then endure the agony of worrying about whether he’d ever walk back in. In turn, he threw everything had into the job; taking on more and more dangerous missions that could easily end his life. He’d felt used and slighted. And angry. Despite knowing she’d been in the right to throw him out in the first place. He had become a monster; a drug and booze addicted piece of shit that punched holes in walls and ripped doors off the hinges and said horrible, hurtful things to the person he loved more than life itself.

But when all seemed irreversibly damaged and lost, Esme had reached out to him; she missed him and wanted him to come home. But only under certain rules and stipulations; he had to agree to rehab and counselling before he could even think about being under the same roof as his family again. The decision had been easy; he’d devoted himself to doing everything she asked and then some. Together they began repairing things between them; attending individual and couples therapy, learning how to communicate properly, and acknowledging the mistakes that both of them had made. Slowly but surely, things began to improve and the bond between them was rejuvenated; growing stronger with each passing day as they found themselves appreciating and enjoying one another more. And they’d found themselves falling in love all over again; somehow deeper and more profound than it even before. Intently focused on feeding and nurturing the sides of their relationship that extended far beyond just being spouses and two people raising children together. Faithful lovers. Loyal confidants. Steadfast supporters. Fervent and hungry lovers.

And best friends.

Years later, there’s days it’s STILL a lot of work. Where they’re exhausted by their hectic lives and they don’t remember to prioritize one another; so caught up in the kids’ schedules that their marriage gets pushed to the back burner. But somehow, they always find their way back; whether it be through a lunch date or a weekend away. They take time out to rediscover each other; finding joy in all those things…those moments and those memories…that make their love and their bond unlike anything either had ever experienced before.

******

“He’d be the first to have your back, you know.” Tyler says now, as he helps himself to a handful of chips and then snags a wooden chair from the corner; old and rickety and splattered in paint, glue, and various shades of glitter. “If you ever got into some deep shit, TJ would be the first to stick up for you. And bust some heads.”

“I don’t need my little brother sticking up for me. I can bust heads all on my own.”

“There’s only eleven months between you guys,” he reminds his daughter, and bites back a wince as he carefully lowers himself into a chair. The pain is widespread; a dull and continuous ache that has taken up residence in every inch that separates the roots of his hair from the tips of his toes. A stronger dose of medication is keeping it somewhat under control; a powerful narcotic that he’s been assured is less addictive than Oxy but far more effective than anything he can get over the counter. “And I wouldn’t exactly call him little. He’s at least two inches taller than you are.”

“Doesn’t matter if it’s eleven months or eleven years. He’s still my younger brother. I don’t need him fighting my battles for me. I can’t fight them for myself.”

“You’re blood, Millie. And I know he gets on your nerves. In the same way you get on his. But he’s still your family and he’d still beat the hell out of anyone that even thought of messing with you.”

She gives a derisive snort.

“ You know what else I know? I know that things are really tough right now. They’re scary and they’re stressful and we are all feeling it. Whether some of us want to admit it or not. And you’ve been in one hell of a mood today.”

“Do you blame me? You’ve been in a hell of a mood since you got back from Tasmania. You haven’t exactly been a ray of sunshine, you know.”

“No. I suppose I haven’t been. Guess I’m not holding it together as well as I thought I was. But I’m not immune to it, you know? Yeah, it’s your mum that’s missing. And that’s hard enough. But she’s my wife. I wouldn’t have any of you if it wasn’t for her. She is the love of my life. The one holds me together when I’m falling apart. And now she’s not her. And I’m sorry if I’m having a hard time dealing with that.”

Millie chews pensively on her bottom lip. “You don’t have to apologize. I’m just saying that…”

“Whatever mood you’re in right now? Trust me when I say that I’m in an even bigger one. I may be a mess, but I’m still your father. I’m still capable of taking care of you. Of ALL of you.”

“I never said you weren’t. And I don’t blame you for being a mess. You have more reason than anyone to be that way. You’ve known mum the longest. You’ve been through a lot of bad things together. Mind you, it’s normally YOU getting into trouble.”

“Yeah, the irony of it all isn’t lost on me, either. And you know who has always been the one to pull me out of bad spots? To keep me going? Your mum. And now she’s not here and I’m feeling pretty goddamn lost. She’s been the one constant in my life. The same way she’s been yours. Who is the one that’s always been around? The one that’s taken care of you when I haven’t been able to? Who keeps shit running when I’m off working?”

“Mum.”

“She always steps up. She always makes sure that you guys are taken care of. No matter how stressed or scared she is. There is no one in this world I trust the way that I trust her. And I miss her. More than you could ever imagine. And I’m scared too.”

“That you’ll never see her again?”

“I worry about that, yeah. I worry that the last time I saw her really WAS the last time. It terrifies me, Millie. Thinking about a life without her. She is much more to me than just my wife and the mother of my kids. That is my best friend. The person knows everything there is to know about me. Every deep, dark, and even dirty secret. Yet she still sticks around. She still loves me. And a life without her scares the shit out of me.”

“You wouldn’t do something stupid, would you? If that DID happen. Like you wouldn’t go back to the way you were in Colorado? You wouldn’t do something to yourself, right?”

“No. I wouldn’t go back to being that guy. And wouldn’t do anything to myself. Because my kids need me. And I would owe it to your mum to keep going. But I’m not going to lie to you, Millie. I’m in a bad place. Same way you are. And it would make things a hell of a lot easier if we were on the same team here. Instead of butting heads all the time.”

“I don’t mean to, dad. I really don’t. I just…I don’t know…” Sighing heavily, she returns her attention to the drawing in front of her; chewing on the inside of her cheek as she concentrates on her creation. “...I feel too many things. And I don’t WANT to feel ANY of them.”

“We don’t have a choice. We feel what we feel. And believe me, I am NOT faulting you for that. And I do NOT want you keeping all that inside. I don’t want you thinking you have to. It’s not going to make things worse for me because you get emotional. What is going to make them worse is you getting emotional in the wrong ways. And that’s what’s been happening. Understand what I’m saying?”

She nods.

“I know what it’s like to keep things bottled up. I did it for years. I was doing it when I met your mum. Hell, I was doing it after I met her. For a long time. Because that’s what I was taught to do. Because it was drilled into me that I was somehow less of a man if I didn’t.”

“Grandpa taught you that?”

“I wasn’t even allowed to be sad when your grandma died. I was a little boy. I never even got to say goodbye to her. My entire world fell apart. And you know what would happen if I cried about it? You know what he would do to me? If he even thought I was going to cry?”

“Beat you up?”

“It screwed me up. For a very long time. And it taught me some very toxic things. That your mum helped me deal. That she’s STILL helping me deal with sometimes. And I don’t want any of my kids to grow up thinking there’s something wrong with them for being emotional. For feeling the things they do. But what I DO want is them dealing with things the right way. That’s all I’m asking. Remember how I was? In Colorado? Even when we first moved here?”

“A little. You’d get super angry. If mum tried to talk to you about how you were feeling. And then her feelings would get hurt and she’d get upset and then you guys would start to fight. I always hated that. When you’d fight. I hated when you guys yelled at each other. I always used to worry that it meant you hated one another.”

“We’ve never hated one another. Not even when things were at their worst. There’s never been a second I haven’t loved your mum. In the same way I know she’s always loved me. Even during those times she didn’t like me very much.”

“It’s been nice, you know. How you guys are now. The way things have been the last couple of years. It’s like you’re a different couple. You guys talk more. Like REAL talk. No one getting irritated or pissed off. Just nice and calm. And you guys laugh more too.”

“Your mum and I have had to work really hard at things. To get to where we are. And sometimes we still have to work at. You won’t ever see us give up though. Neither of us knows what those words mean.”

“That’s ‘cause you’re both stubborn as hell,” Milllie muses. “Sometimes I think mum is even worse than you.”

“She is definitely worse than I am. But you know what else keeps us going on? Finding ways to keep shit together? We love each other. More than any of you could ever understand. We want to be together. We LIKE being together. I mean think about it…” Reaching out, he tucks loose strands of hair behind her ear. “...would we have seven kids if we DIDN’T like one other?”

“Oh God….” Grimacing, she makes a dramatic gagging noise. “...dad! Ew. Just….ewwww.”

“I know, I know. You hate hearing stuff like that. You hate when we hug or when we kiss or…”

“It’s just…I don’t know….you’re my parents! I don’t want to see that stuff! It’s bad enough that I know how babies are made and it’s obvious you guys do stuff like that. Just…gross. So gross.”

“One day, you’re going to meet the person..guy or girl…that will totally change your mind about that stuff. But in all seriousness, I really do need you to calm your shit, okay? I know it feels like the entire world is falling apart.”

“Falling apart AND on fire.”

“But we need to stick together. We need to help one another. We’re all on edge and we’re all sad and we’re all scared. But I need you on the right side of things. I need you working with me, not against me. I don’t want to fight with you, Millie. I don’t want to lose my patience. You think I like snapping at you? You think I enjoy hurting your feelings? I feel like shit knowing I’ve done things. And I’m sorry. I am. I didn't mean to make it seem like I was taking things out on you. I would never hurt you. You know that.”

“I know you wouldn’t. I know you don’t mean the things you say. I know you don’t mean to yell.”

“Acting like you have been? Getting lippy with me and Nanny Stel and grandpa Koen? Losing your temper? Throwing fits? Even getting physical with your brothers? That’s not good, kiddo. You’re just pushing us away. Don’t do that. Please. We need each other. Right now more than ever.”

“I don’t mean to freak out. And I’m sorry that I did. But everything is annoying me. Every time TJ or Declan open their mouths, everytime Addie whines. Which is A LOT.”

“Addie’s six years old,” Tyler reminds her. “She’s still a little girl. And she’s a little girl that feels huge emotions. She’s scared, Millie. She’s looking for comfort. From anyone and everyone. And you’re her big sister and despite all the times over the years you’ve called her annoying or yelled at her for getting into your stuff, she wants to be with you. She loves you. You make her feel safe. So cut her some slack, okay? That’s all I’m asking.”

“I knew she’d go crying to you. She’s a big time daddy’s girl. And everyone said I was when I was little.”

“You were. We’ve always been close. But you’ve always had a very independent streak to you. You’ve always been a strong kid. Addie’s made of different stuff. She’s more fragile. Emotionally. And she’s very clingy and needy. Always has been.”

“She’s always been your precious,” Millie grumbles. “Always.”

“I remember a time when you wanted a baby sister. I remember how excited you were. To find out mum was having a girl.”

“Until she became the center of the universe. YOUR universe.”

“Have you been holding onto that all this time?” he inquires, as he stands and makes his way across the studio. “ For the last six years? Is that how long have you been waiting to bring this up?”

“I suppose so.”

Fetching the plate of food he’d brought with him, he sets it down in front her. “Eat.”

“Thought I wasn’t allowed to. For making Takota cry. That’s what grandpa Koen said. After he kicked me out of the kitchen.”

“Grandpa Koen means well. He does. But he’s pretty old school. Personally, I don’t want any of my kids to starve. No matter how big of a pain in my ass they are.”

Tugging playfully on her ponytail, he leans down to press a kiss to the bridge of her nose when she tips her head back and smiles up at her. “Do you want to talk about it?” Heading to a bar fridge located across the room, he snags himself a bottle of water. Uncapping it he rejoins her, taking a swig as he takes a seat on the edge of the desk. “This thing about Addie? Being jealous of her?”

“I never said THAT.”

“It’s what you were getting at. Calling her ‘the precious’ and saying she’s the center of my universe. Sounds like jealousy to me.”

“I guess maybe I’m a BIT jealous. That she gets so much attention. You’re always taking her side for everything. The second she goes to you and says that one of us has done something to her. You never even give us a chance to defend ourselves. Or let us explain why we did what we did. You just take her word for her.”

“When my barely forty pound six year old comes to me and says someone pushed her down the stairs or clotheslined her off her bed or tripped her in the hall, it’s hard to ignore. And I think a black eye or a bloody nose or a goose egg on her head is evidence she’s telling the truth.”

“We don’t MEAN to hurt her. She always wants to play with the bigger kids. And she always gets hurt when she does. That’s not our fault.”

“She’s a lot smaller than you are. Don’t you think you should take things a little easier on her? If you’re going to let her join in, don’t you think you should calm it just a bit? She’ll eventually get bored and move on to something else. And you can’t tell me you’ve never hit for the sake of just hitting her.”

A blush creeps into Millie’s cheeks and settles in the tips of her ears. “She gets on my nerves.”

“She’s just a little girl. A VERY little girl, compared to you. You really think we’re going to sit by and just let you smack her about and pull her hair and push her around just because she ‘annoys’ you? Why don’t you just tell her to leave you alone?”

“I do. She doesn’t listen! And then she whines that I won’t pay attention to her and the whining just drives me insane and it makes me snap! Dad, she’s so annoying! And you and mum just let her get away with it. You don’t even scold her or anything. You just keep spoiling her. And if you keep doing that, she’s only going to get worse.”

“Addie’s…” He searches for the correct words. “...different. Than the rest of you. And way different than you ever were when you were little. She’s more fragile. Especially her feelings. And she’s nowhere as independent and confident as you. Or even Brookie. She needs more than you do. And I know maybe that makes it seem like your mum and I don’t have as much time for you and that we…”

“We used to do lots of things together,” Millie laments. “Before Addie came along. And then mum had her and everything changed. All you seemed to care about was the new baby.”

“New babies are a lot of work. I couldn’t just let your mum do it all by herself, could I? I’ve always been hands on. With all of you. And Addie was a preemie and she had some issues and your mum and I may have gotten a little too caught up in them. But we weren’t trying to ignore the rest of you. We still tried our best to give you what we could.”

“I miss doing stuff with you. I miss going into town and just browsing around. I miss just the two of us going places together. Remember how we used to go and get ice cream all the time? Just us? And we’d always have the best talks. I know I was just little, but it was always the best time. Because you never talked to me like I was a baby and you always listened to me. Why don’t we do stuff like that anymore? Just US.”

“How many times have I tried to? How many times have I asked you if you wanted to do things? Especially on weekends. Are you really going to sit there and act like that doesn’t happen? That I don’t ask you if you want to do things? You’re not gonna deny it, are you?”

“I mean, you do ask but…”

“You’re the one that always comes up with excuses. You’re the one that’s always busy doing other things. And I get it; you’ll be a teenager soon and there’s things that are more important than hanging with your parents. But how long did I try, Millie? To keep our Saturday mornings going? The breakfasts out, the surfing or the bike riding or the hiking or the fishing? Once I was back on my feet after Nathan, how long did I try for?”

“I don’t know. A year. Or so.”

“Two years. For two years I tried to keep things going. And for the first eight months, you were all in. You never missed a Saturday morning. You were the one who’d be awake before the alarm and come in and wake me up. And then suddenly that stopped happening and you started missing a Saturday a month. Then it turned into two. Then three. Then you’d skip entire months all together. But I still tried, didn’t I? To get you into doing things?”

She nods.

“I never gave up on that stuff. You did. And you know what? That kinda hurt. Because we always WERE close. You were my first. After Austin. You made me a dad again. You were the one that made me clean myself up and get my shit together. So I could be the dad you deserved and the husband your mum deserved. So we could be a family. And when you started backing away…”

“I didn’t mean to hurt you. I wasn’t doing it to hurt you. I just…I don’t know…things just got…weird.”

“And that’s what your mum said. When I talked to her about it. She said that she remembers being that age and how everything started to change. Her body, her emotions, the way she dealt with things. She was the one who assured me it wasn’t personal. That it was just you growing up. Whether I wanted to hear that or not. And now you’re almost thirteen and…”

“Not for a couple more years. I’m still a kid, dad.”

“But you’re not that little girl anymore. The one that thought it was cool to hang out with their old man. You’ve got friends and you’ve got your surfing and your MMA and soon you’re going to have boys...”

She arches both brows and stares at him pointedly.

“And girls,” he adds. “And I’m alright with all that. I remember what it was like to be your age. That weird stage of being an ‘almost teenager’. But for you to say it’s because I don’t make the effort to be with you? That’s not fair Millie. Because I make every effort to be here for you. And for your brothers and sisters.”

“But you didn’t always.”

“No. I didn’t,” Tyler admits. “There were times…a lot of them…where I didn’t put any of you first. Where my family came second. And believe me, I’m not proud of that. I may have been a grown ass man, but I still had a lot of growing up to do. I still had a lot to learn. And if it hadn't been for your mum giving me chance after chance…”

“She saw the potential. That’s what she told me. That when people used to meet you, all they saw was a total mess. But she didn’t. She saw past all of that bad things and the mistakes and she saw this really nice guy. Someone that deserved a better life.”

“She was the first person who ever saw any of that. Or maybe she’s just the first person I LET see all of that. And I am sorry. There were a lot of times I wasn’t a good dad. Where I didn’t put you first. But I’ve been trying Millie. Since we moved back here. I’ve been trying to be the best dad for you. I really have.”

“I know. And you HAVE been. You’ve been an awesome dad. You ARE an awesome dad. But I guess I’m just angry about things. I don’t want to be. But I am.”

“Angry about things I’ve done?”

She nods. “I’m angry you left. After you came to the house in Mumbai. Mum begged you to stay. I saw it, you know. I heard her crying. I was supposed to be asleep, but I HEARD her. You guys were outside. In the driveway. So I spied on you. Mumma was grabbing onto you and you were trying to get in the car. She kept grabbing at your clothes and begging you not to go. To just stay. To let someone else handle things. To just walk away and stay with her and all us kids. And she was crying. Really hard. I’ve never heard or seen her cry like THAT.”

Tyler hasn’t thought about it in years; the utter heartbreak and devastation that he witnessed his wife go through in just a flicker of time. The tears that had pooled in her eyes spilled down her cheeks; the ferocious way she’d clung to him and attempted to keep him from leaving. At the time, he’d chalked it up to her hormones and the unpredictability of the situation they were all caught up in. Not only had she just found out that baby number six (and seven, unbeknownst to them at the time) was on the way, but she was stuck in foreign country while her husband returned to the very place that had nearly claimed his life years before. Anyone would be emotional considering all the cards that were stacked against them.

“She begged you dad,” Millie continues, as she struggles to hold back tears of her own. “She was worried something bad was going to happen to you. And she begged you to stay. But you left anyway. And I’m mad at you for that. Still. But I’m not mad for me. I’m mad for mum. Because you didn’t even care. You didn’t even listen to her. You just left.”

“I DID care. And I did listen to her, Millie. But I didn’t have a choice. I couldn’t walk away. I had to take care of things myself.”

“No. You didn’t. There were all kinds of people that could have helped. And you were already hurt! Yet you still went back out there. And you broke mum’s heart. But you didn’t see it. We did, though. All us kids. We saw what it did to her. How sad it made her. How worried she was. We were the ones that would crawl into bed with her. When she cried. We were the ones that took care of her. TJ and Tanner and I. Just like we used to be the ones to try and make her feel better. In Colorado. When you left us.”

“I never left you. That’s not what happened. I would never leave you. Not unless I had to. We’ve been through this; why your mum and I couldn’t stay together and I couldn’t keep living at the house. I had nothing to do with you or your brothers and everything to do with me. I HAD to go, Millie. I wasn’t in a good place. And I certainly wasn’t being a good dad to any of you.”

“You could have told her you were staying. Just like you could have listened to her. In Mumbai. But you left both times. And both times mum totally fell apart. You think I don’t remember? Because I was so little? I remember a lot. About Colorado. About how you guys used to fight. How mean you used to get. All the times you punched holes in walls and stuff like that. I remember ALL of that.”

“And I’m sorry that you do. Because that was the last thing your mum and I wanted; you and your brothers hearing and seeing all that. But there was a lot going on. And none of it good. You were too young to understand then and you’re too young to really get a grasp on it now. And I won’t put that on you. Adult stuff. You don’t need to know about what went wrong. All that matters is that your mum and I made things work. Because we wanted to be with one another. We wanted to keep our family together.”

“Why did you leave? You could have told mum you were staying. You could have…”

“I couldn’t stay, Millie. I was really screwed up. Your mum had every right to kick me out. It was for the best.”

“The best for WHO? Not for us kids. We thought we did something wrong. That maybe you left because you didn’t want us anymore. Mumma always told us that wasn’t it. That it had nothing to do with us.”

“What she told you was the truth. It didn’t have anything to do with you. Your mum and I had issues. I was a mess. And you all deserved better than that. Better than what I was giving you.”

“Then you stopped coming to see us. You just stopped showing up. You didn’t come to the house, you didn’t come to school stuff, you didn’t even call on my birthday! It’s like we didn’t exist anymore! We thought you didn’t want us! That you just forgot about us!”

“Millie, it was never about you or your brothers. Or even your mum. It was about me. MY issues. And they were bad and they were causing really bad problems. Your mum didn’t want that around you guys. And I don’t blame her. I wouldn’t have wanted someone like me around you either.”

“But we didn’t know all that. Mum tried telling us. She did. But it still felt like we did something wrong. And when you’re little, it hurts. A LOT. When your dad stops living with you and then suddenly doesn’t come around anymore.”

“And I’m sorry. That I made you and your brothers feel that way. There was never a time I didn’t love you or I didn’t want you. I wasn’t a good person. It was better that I wasn’t there. And I’m sorry that I got so screwed up that I stopped coming around. But I wasn’t in a good place, Millie. I was drinking, I was taking pain meds. I was really messed up.”

“I just wish we’d known that then. Mum never told us stuff like that. I mean, we knew you guys weren’t getting along. You were always fighting. But we didn’t know all that other stuff.”

“Because you were too young. You were just a little girl. You hadn’t even turned five yet when things started going really bad. You didn’t need to know everything. Not at that age. But I am sorry, monkey. That I hurt you. And your brothers. I never meant to. And I wish it never happened. I wish things had been different. In Colorado.”

“You’re glad we left though, right? You’re glad we came back here?”

“I think leaving and coming back home…our REAL home…was the best thing we could have ever done. I don’t think your mum and I would have ever survived. If we stayed there much longer. And to be honest, I don’t think I would have survived. I was killing myself. Slowly. And if your mum hadn’t called me and said she missed me and wanted me to come home? I probably would have been dead within a couple months. If not sooner.”

“Don’t say that, daddy,” Millie whimpers. “Please don’t say that.”

Curling his fingers around her wrist, he gives a gentle tug; the wheels on her chair gliding smoothly across the floor as he pulls her into him. And as her arms circle his torso and she buries her face in his chest, the mountain of emotion finally crumbles; her sobs loud and gut wrenching as they echo throughout the studio. It’s extremely rare for pre-teen Millie to have emotional breakdowns; her stubborn and assertive personality creating misguided stoicism. And his heart aches as he attempts to hold back his own tears; a palm cradling the back of her head and an arm wrapped securely around her waist. Despite her age and the trials and tribulations of impending teenage-hood that often wreaks havoc around the house, she’s still his little girl. That beautiful blond haired, blue eyed miracle baby that he’d once cradled in his arms; rendering him speechless and leaving in him complete and utter awe of her mere existence.

After Austin had died, he’d never once considered the chances of becoming a dad again; a life of love and happiness and domesticity only awarded to men far better than him. It hadn’t seemed truly real until Millie was squirming and whimpering in his arms; securely bundled in a blue and pink striped blanket with the matching beanie covering a head full of dirty blond hair. It had been one thing to anticipate and plan her arrival; painting the spare room and putting together a crib and rocking chair and hanging impossibly tiny clothes in the closet. To experience that sense of both disbelief and joy when attending doctors appointments and ultrasounds; speechless every time they got to see her moving in the womb and were able to hear her heartbeat. And the wonder every time he’d feel her kick and squirm; seeming to respond to his voice and the weight and the warmth of his hands upon Esme’s stomach. But to actually witness her birth had been something else entirely; a moment he’d missed out on with Austin and had always regretted. The relief and the happiness so profound, he’d wept like he ever had before; entire body trembling as he stood by the bassinet and watched the doctor clean and tend to his brand new daughter. And the way his hands had shock when it came time to cut the cord; needing assistance from one of the nurses in order to be successful.

So many things had been rushing through his mind at that moment; unexpectedly meeting the love of his life in the midst of a mission and his extremely close brush with death. Had things ended differently, he wouldn’t have never known about Millie Had he perished on the bridge, Esme would have gone back to the states; sentenced to a life as a single, expectant mother without even a picture of her child’s father to share. And if she’d chosen -despite his survival- to cut all ties with him and head home, there was a chance that she never would have informed him she was expecting; possessing no contact information for him and likely harboring a fear of rejection.

But he HAD lived and she had stuck around, and now they were face to face with the consequences of their five days together; a wedding band on his finger and a brand new child in his arms. An eight pound, seven ounce blessing with his blue eyes and her mother’s feistiness. The best possible ending to what had been a frightening and unpredictable time; two lonely and broken people finding each other in the midst of chaos. Love somehow finding them; blossoming in the most unusual of places at the most stressful of times. And they’d been determined to create something out of almost nothing; succeeding in making not just a comfortable existence together, but an incredible little human being.

Despite the initial struggles both he and Esme had experienced adapting to the departure of their old lives and the new one together, he soon found himself relishing his roles as a new husband and father. Money had been extremely tight, but they’d been happy; content in that little two bedroom apartment with its second hand furniture and its close proximity to the beach. His ongoing physical healing and the continuous fight to stay clean and sober had kept him from any thoughts of returning to the job, instead concentrating on taking care of his wife and his daughter and bettering himself as a human being.

Every moment he’d spent with Millie had seemed wondrous: marveling over her impossibly tiny feet and hands, obsessed with every sigh and coo, and every yawn and stretch. He’d missed out on the first eight months of Austin’s life; his boy already crawling and exploring by the time he returned home from a tour in Afghanistan. With Millie he’d been able to sit back and enjoy every second; present through Esme’s entire pregnancy and able to attend every appointment and coach her through labor and delivery and witness their daughter being born. And he’d enthusiastically thrown himself into the dad experience; wanting to be as hands on and attentive as possible. Fetching the baby in the middle of the night and bringing her to mumma for a feed, proudly carrying her down the streets in a baby carrier or even in his arms, showing her off to every curious pedestrian or beach goer that couldn’t resist taking a peek at her.

Perhaps some of his attentiveness and devotion had been guilt driven; he hadn’t been around during Sarah’s pregnancy and hadn’t been there for Austin’s birth. Or his death, for that matter. And his mistakes the first time around had fuelled his desire to ‘get it right’ with both Millie and her mum; filling him with the desperation to be a good husband and father instead of an epic failure. In return, his bond with Millie had been firmly cemented. In fact she’d been a daddy’s girl right from the start. Responding primarily to his voice while in utero and then contently snuggling into his chest in the delivery room; her grip surprisingly strong as her hand closed around one of his fingers. And he’d been pretty certain he’d never seen two more beautiful beings in his life. His newly born baby girl with her bright blue eyes and her smooth, pink skin and his exhausted yet exhilarated and relieved wife; tears streaming down her face and her hair damp from sweat and matted to her forehead. The love and pride he’d felt for so profound and all consuming; growing stronger with each second that she battled to bring their daughter into the world. HIS daughter. A life he’d had a hand in creating. And truly didn’t think he deserved.

*******

“Don’t talk like that,” Mille sobs. “Please, daddy. Don’t say things like that.”

Pressing a kiss to her temple, he runs a palm down the length of her hair. It’s so bittersweet; how quick she’s growing and maturing. Somewhere along the road she’d stopped being that little girl that was practically glued to his hip. The one who paired shimmering tutus with her favorite superhero t-shirts or teamed flowing princess dresses with a pair of extremely well loved Spiderman sandals. Who’d sit between his legs or on the kitchen counter while he tended to her hair; excitedly rambling about her expectations for the school day or what she’d play with her friends at recess or the weekend activities she was looking forward to. And every Saturday since moving back to Australia, they would stick to an established routine; waking up before the rest of the house and having breakfast together. Millie standing on a chair pushed against the stove; chattering away while she proudly mixed pancake batter or cracked eggs into a bowl.

Afterwards, if the weather and the waves were just right, they’d go surfing; Millie riding on his back at first until confident enough in the water. She had taken to it quickly; possessing phenomenal balance and talent, a love for the sport, and a respect for the ocean and its power. On the days where the conditions weren’t favorable, they’d go hiking together; taking pictures of their surroundings as they followed a well beaten path through the woods and to a clearing that led out to a stretch of the beach. Once there, they’d splash in the surf and Millie would insist he hold her plastic bucket while she hunted for shells and intriguing rocks to add to her collection and pieces of beach sea glass that she could use in her craft making. Sometimes, their day together would extend past lunch time; driving into town and grabbing a bite to eat and then following it up with ice cream and some shopping. Millie always insisting that they bring something back for mummy; a bouquet of flowers or her favorite cupcakes or even a new journal to write in. After all, mum was stuck at home; relegated to taking care of all the other kids while Millie and daddy got to spend time together. She didn’t want mum to feel bad for being ‘left out’, and it was only right that they got her a little something to let her know that she was loved.

And then Nathan happened and everything changed. Esme’s attempt to protect Millie and the others from the direness of the situation backfiring; Millie turning against her when the truth was finally revealed. After that, she became even closer to her father; possessive and overprotective and jealous when anyone else got to spend time with him. Including Addie and the twins that would arrive several months later; hating when he took the time to feed or nap with them instead of devoting all of his attention to her. It should have been dealt with at the time; a simple ‘sit down’ to answer all of Millie’s questions and explain the decisions that were made would have done all of them a world of good. But their lives had been upended and they were struggling to cope. Tyler facing complication after complication; overwhelmed by physical therapy and counselling and unbelievable pain. Esme trying her best to hold things together on her own; take care of him and keep the house running and look after their horde of children. What should have been an easily solved problem between Millie and her mother became a years-long ‘grudge match’; the little girl hurt and bitter that her mum had lied to her and unwilling to listen to reason. Or forgive.

Drawing away, he cradles her face in his palms and uses his thumbs to clear away her tears. “I didn’t say it to hurt you. Or punish you. I said it because I think you needed to hear it. About just how bad things actually were. How bad I was. I think you’re old enough to know the truth. All of it. Especially if it helps you get rid of some of this anger you’ve got going on. Especially towards your mum.”

“You went away. Mum was begging you not to go. And you STILL left.”

“I didn’t have a choice. People were threatening my family. I couldn’t trust anyone to get the job done. I had to do it myself. And your mum understood that. I didn’t leave to hurt her. Or you.”

“And then you got hurt. You almost died. And she lied to me about it. She didn’t tell me the truth. I deserved to know!”

“You were six years old, Millie. A little girl. And your mum did what I would have wanted her to do. And that was to keep things from you and your brothers. Until she knew the outcome. One way or another. She did the right thing. Exactly what I would have asked her to do. You’re older now. Almost a teenager. You must be able to understand why she did it.”

“It just hurt. That she would lie to me. I’m supposed to trust my parents. And then she went and lied and…”

“And you never gave her the chance to explain. It’s been FIVE YEARS. That you’ve been holding onto this grudge. This hate for her.”

“I don’t hate her. I could never hate her. She’s my mum. I’ve just been angry. And hurt and…”

“And you let it destroy things. Or try to. Between you and her. And that broke her heart. To have you turn on her like that. To not even let her explain her side. She didn’t lie to you to hurt you. She lied to you to protect you. You must realize that now.”

“But you’ve always taught us that lying is bad. That we should never do it. No matter how bad the truth hurts.”

“There’s times where you don’t really have a choice. That protecting the people you love means you HAVE to keep things from them. It’s being able to figure out just what those things are. What’s worth keeping to yourself and what’s worth bringing out into the open. I’ve not always made the right choice. I’ve kept things from your mum that came back to bite me in the ass. That caused nothing but problems. But there’s other things that I was smart to hold onto. And I did it for her. To protect her. In the same way she was protecting you. Understand what I’m saying?”

“How do you know what to lie about? How do you know if it’s better to lie or tell the truth?”

“Trust your gut. It normally doesn’t lie to you. Sometimes, you’ll screw up. You’ll make the wrong decision, but you'll learn from it. And next time you’ll do better and you’ll be better. Your mum did the right thing, Millie. When she kept what happened from you. Had I been conscious and able to talk to her, I would have told her not to tell you.”

“And you’re not just saying that? So I’ll stop being mad at her?”

“I’m saying it because I believe it. Because your mum is an incredibly smart and strong woman and has always done what she thought was best for her family. Especially for her kids. And I’m sorry that you felt hurt or betrayed by the decision she made. But she deserved so much better than what you gave her. What you’ve been giving her. Believe me, I’ve been in your place. I haven’t always been the best husband or man or friend for your mum. And I regret those times. I always will.”

“But she’s always stayed with you. No matter how bad things got.”

“I’m a lucky man. I met someone that loves me. Bullshit and all. That knows the kind of person I am and the kind of person I WANT to be. But I made life really hard on her. In Colorado. And I can’t take back the things I said or the things I did. I can’t erase the times I hurt her. All I can do is hope she forgives me. For all the times I screwed up.”

“If she didn’t forgive you, she never would have taken you back. She never would have stuck around. Do you think she’ll forgive me? For how bad I’ve been?”

“I think she already has. I think she realizes that you were going through some pretty heavy stuff too. We made a huge move and we had Addie and we were trying to get settled here. And then I started the business and went back to work and then Nathan…”

“Is she mad at me? For how horrible I’ve been? Do you think she hates me?”

“Millie, she could NEVER hate you. She’s your mum. There’s nothing you could do to make her hate you.”

“I said some horrible things, daddy.” The tears fall once more. “In New York City. Horrible, mean things that hurt her feelings. That’s why TJ got upset and kicked my ass. Because I was so mean to mum. The things I said to her…”

“She told me. And while it wasn’t right for him to beat you up…”

“I just get so mad at her sometimes. Because it always seems like she likes everyone else more than me. That she’s nicer to them. She’s always nagging me and getting on me about stuff and…”

“Because you don’t listen to her the first five times she tells you something. Everyone has limits. Including your mum. And you haven’t been making life easy on for a while now. And we’ve talked about that, haven’t we. Many times.”

Millie nods.

“Your mum isn’t perfect, Millie. She’s never claimed to be. And I know she can be neurotic and overbearing and hard to deal with at times. But you’re not exactly a picnic to be around. You’ve made things miserable for her. And she’s tried to fix things and she’s tried to talk to you and…”

“I just snapped. I said things I didn’t mean. And I thought things too. Really bad things. About how I wished she would just disappear. Go away and never come back. I didn’t mean them! And now I can’t tell her I’m sorry. Because she’s gone and I don’t know if I’m ever going to see her again!.”

“You’re going to see her again. I promise. I’m going to go and find her and bring her home. And nothing or no one is going to stop me.”

“You don’t even know where she is. Or if she's even alive. You don’t…”

“I talked to her. She called me. Or one of the people who has her called me, I should say.”

“What?” Millie’s hands swipe at her tears. “You talked to her? You talked to mum?”

“There’s someone that’s helping her. He’s going to get her out of wherever she is. And he’s going to take her somewhere safe and then he’s going to call me and I’m going to go and get her. Bring her home.”

“But she’s okay? She’s not hurt? Who has her? Why did they take her? Why…?”

“She’s okay. Hanging in there. Your mum’s the strongest person I’ve ever known. And the smartest. She’ll be alright. I don’t have answers for the other stuff. I’m still trying to piece all of that together. Once Auntie Nik and Yaz get here and we start working on things, we’ll find out more.”

“But she seemed okay? Did she seem hurt? Or scared? Did she…?”

“She’s scared. But she said she’s not hurt and no one has tried to hurt her. And now she has someone on the inside that’s keeping an eye on her. He’ll make sure that nothing happens to her. He gave me his word.”

“And you trust him?”

“I’m not one hundred percent sure yet. But your mum does. And she’s got damn good instincts. I’ve got nothing but faith in her. She knows what she’s doing. Even when I don’t trust anyone else, I always trust her. Always.”

“Did she say anything? About us?”

“She said she misses you. And loves you. All of you. You gotta be strong, yeah? For her. That’s what she needs right now. And it’s the only reason I haven’t completely lost it already. Knowing how much she needs me to keep my head on straight. But I DID talk to her and she said she’s okay. That gives you some hope, right?”

“I wish I could have talked to her. I could have apologized. If she calls back, can I talk to her, too? Just really quick. Just so I can say the things I need to say. I just want her to hear them. Can I, dad? Talk to her if you hear from her again?”

“Millie…”

“Please? I just want to hear her voice. I just want to tell her I love her. That’s all.”

“IF I hear from her again, I’ll let you know. Everything is so crazy. Crazy and unpredictable. But at least we know that someone is watching over her. Making sure she’s okay. That’s all we can ask for right now. But I will find her, Millie. I will find and I will bring her home and everything will go back to normal.”

She manages a shaky smile. “I know you will. You never go back on your word. Or break your promises. And if you’re promising to bring mum back…”

“It’s a promise. Your mum will come home. Now…” Clearing away the last of her tears, he leans in to press a kiss to her temple and then reaches for the plate of food. “...I want you to eat up. Gotta take care of yourself.”

“You know….” Millie crosses one leg over the other and settles the meal in her lap. “...you really should practice what you preach, dad.”

“I know. Sometimes I’m a ‘do as I say, not as I do’ kind of guy. But I’m doing alright. Aren’t I?”

“Not as well as you think you are. We’re all pretty smart, you know. We know when you’re struggling. We can see it. And you’re always telling US to be open and honest about what we’re going through, so why can’t you do the same?”

“Because you’re kids. And kids don’t need to be burdened by adult problems.”

“Aren’t we already? I mean, our mum was kidnapped. It’s kinda hard not to be burdened by THAT.”

“Just know that I’m hanging in there. I’m keeping shit together. At least up in my brain.”

“Are you going to be okay? To go and find mum? ‘Cause those guys really did a number on you and…”

“I’ll be fine,” he assures her, and then reaches out to affectionately ruffle her hair. “Kinda better each hour that goes by. So…” His knees crack as he stands, and he tries -unsuccessfully- to bite back the grimace that accompanies the discomfort. “....just WHAT are you working on? I get it’s something for something for school. But what kind of something?”

Millie wheels her chair over to the desk. “We had to pick a picture. That means a lot to us. And then draw it. I picked this one.”

She holds aloft the item in question; a glossy print of a photo he’d taken -via cellphone- nearly twelve years ago. An exhausted Esme just mere minutes after their first child had been born; damp hair matted to her forehead and the sides of her face and tears spilling down her cheeks. Her head tossed back against her pillow and her eyes closed; completely overcome by pure, raw emotion as she cradled her baby girl against her bare chest. She had waited so long for that moment; before they’d ever met in that shack in the outback. Longing to be a mother yet doubting it would ever happen; her tumultuous marriage to Mark leaving her broken and battered and vowing to never trust another man. Truly believing she’d never allow anyone to get that close again; refusing to offer up her heart and soul only to have them crushed once more. But fate had intervened; life had put the wheels in motion and caused their paths to cross under the wildest and most dangerous of circumstances.

“ It was in that memory box that mum made for me. Do you remember it? She gave it to me on my tenth birthday.”

Nodding, he plucks the photograph from his daughter’s hand and once more perches on the edge of the desk. It doesn’t hurt as much as he thought it would; seeing such a beautiful memory while caught up in something so ugly. And he wonders if it was the phone call earlier; the relief of knowing that she’s alive and unharmed. For now.

“She started putting that thing together when she was pregnant with you. She used to sit at the kitchen table in our old apartment and work on it. Putting ultrasound pictures in it and clipping out newspaper articles about important events. Carted that thing all the way to Colorado. And then all the way back here.”

“None of the other kids got one. They just got baby books. How come?”

“Your mum wanted something special. For her first one. Something none of the others would have. You know…” He once more perches on the edge of the desk. “...I actually remember taking this. You were only about ten minutes old. If that. I remember the nurse giving you to me; talking about how you already looked like your daddy. It didn’t even seem real. Holding you. I was afraid it was just a dream.”

“It must have been pretty emotional. Considering…well… you know…Austin.”

“I never thought I’d be a dad again. I actually never thought about it all. I figured a guy like me? Someone who screwed up as bad as he did? He doesn’t get second chances. Thought I was going to spend the rest of my life miserable and alone. It’s what I thought I deserved. Punishment.”

“And then you met mum.”

A smile tugs at the corners of his mouth. “Yeah. I did. In the strangest and most screwed up way possible. I don’t regret it though. How things happened, where things happened. Maybe a lot of people would say it was all wrong; getting caught up in something like that while on the job. I just figured that something that felt that right? No way it could be wrong. I’ve never regretted a thing.”

“I don’t think mum does either. She told me once that it was meant to happen. That so many things had to take place to lead her to you. And that’s GOT to be true, dad. I mean, she was from Colorado! You’re Australian. How else would you have met? I mean, I guess mum could have come here on vacation. But Australia is a big place and then chances of running into you…”

“Highly unlikely.”

“Was she happy? When she found out about me? That she was going to have a baby?”

“She was scared at first. Mostly about how I’d react. Having a baby is a huge deal and we hadn’t known each other that long. Guess she was worried I wouldn’t take the news too well.”

“But you were okay with it? Having a baby? Especially so soon after meeting each other?”

“Once I got over the shock, I was good with it. I didn’t realize I had even wanted to be a dad again until she told me about you. And yeah, your mum was happy; once she knew I wasn’t going to lose my shit and tell her to get lost and never contact me again. Which never would have happened in the first place, but…”

“She told me that she wanted to be a mum for a long time. And that she never thought it would happen once he broke that asshole she was married to first. She thought that was her one and only chance. I don’t why she’d think that. I mean, look how pretty she is. How smart she is. She’s a good catch. Why wouldn’t another man want her?”

“Sometimes you believe the awful things someone says to you. Especially if they’ve spent a long time saying them. He’d told her a lot of things that weren’t true. That she was stupid and ugly and that no one else would ever want her. That she was lucky to have him. Someone abuses you for that long, you start to think it’s true. That you’re not worthy of anything better. So you stick with what you have. You convince yourself it’s better than being alone.”

“I’m glad she got rid of him. What a drongo. Too bad you didn’t get a chance to kill him. I bet you wanted to.”

Tyler nods in agreement.

“If she’d never gotten the courage to get away from him, she never would have met you. And none of us kids would even be here. And that’s kinda sad to think about. How close we came to never existing. If she’d never left him and met you…”

“But she did. She walked into my life and turned it upside down. She was a handful. Right from the start. I remember looking at her and thinking there was no way she could handle being in Dhaka. She was so tiny and I thought that made her weak and fragile. I tell you, I found out right quick that that wasn’t the case.”

Millie laughs. “She put you in your place, huh?”

“More than once. And she’s still doing it. Twelve years later.”

“Well someone has to keep you in line,” Millie chides, and then plucks the photo from his hand. “You really remember taking this?”

“I remember everything about that day. Like it happened not long ago. Or should I say those THREE days. You were a stubborn thing. Thirty six hours it took. From start to finish. You weren’t in a hurry, that’s for sure. Your mum was amazing. The nurses and doctors kept pushing her to have a c-section but she wouldn’t budge. She was determined to have you the normal way. Only reason she said she would ever give in is if you were in danger. But you weren’t. You were just giving us a hard time.”

“In other words, some things NEVER change.”

Grinning, he reaches out to ruffle her hair. “You’ve got your moments, that’s for sure. It was incredible. Seeing you born. Helping your mum through it. I already knew how strong she was, but seeing THAT? Totally cemented her status as the strongest and fiercest person I’ve ever known. She’s tiny, but she’s mighty.”

“Looks like it was pretty emotional for her. Getting to hold me.”

“A lot of emotions all around. But seeing her holding you? All tired out and crying like that? Happy because her dream of becoming a mum finally came true? She’s never looked more beautiful.”

Millie smirks. “You really are a sap, dad.”

“Sometimes,” he admits. “Guess I have my moments too. You okay now? After your chat?”

“Not entirely. But I will be. And as much as some of the stuff hurt to hear, I really did need you to say them. I guess I’ve been a failure as a kid, huh?”

“No. You haven’t.” Getting to his feet, he clasps her face in his hands and presses a kiss to her forehead. “You’ve just been a kid. Who’s gone through some pretty heavy shit. You could never be a failure. I’ll leave you to it, alright? Give you some time alone. I know the house has been pretty insane the last couple days.”

“More insane than usual, that’s for sure.” Readjusting her ponytail, she tucks wisps of hair behind her ears and then returns to her artwork.; chewing pensively on her bottom lip and tapping the pencil before calling out to him. “Dad?!”

Pausing in the stairs, he glances over his shoulder. “Yeah?”

“Just so you know, you’ve never been a failure either.”

Emotion threatens to choke him, tightening both throat and chest. Yet he manages a smile and gives a nod: one of both acknowledgement and appreciation before continuing on his way. “I’ll try and remember that.”

#Tyler and Esme series #Tyler Rake #Tyler Rake fan fiction #Extraction fan fiction #Chris Hemsworth #Chris Hemsworth Extraction #Tyler Rake fan fic #Extraction fan fic #Tyler Rake x OFC #Esme Rake #Rake kids

[spirit-x-ing]

@paraphysics continued from 📷

“ Oh. ” the woman nodded and placed her hands on the table, one on top of the other. “ Yes, I’m … I’m sorry. ” she sounded confused, uncertain of her own words — as if her mind was pushing itself just to make sense of where she was, what she was doing. “ that’s fine. ” Tom leaned forward, assembling his patience along with a pleasant smile — “ I uh, hear you’re interested in a cemetery. ”

The woman looked outside the diner window, slowly blinking out blinding midday sun. A smile slowly pulled her wrinkled lips to the side. It struck Buckley as sad … in a way. “ We used to play there. Me and Carol — and Janice. We would chase each other between the gravestones, closing our eyes and holding out our arms as we spoke in tongues … ” she laughed to herself. A bitter sweet expression graced her creased features. Tom immediately recognized the gleam in her dark eyes. ɴᴏꜱᴛᴀʟɢɪᴀ.

He watched as she saw slides from her childhood projected against her mind’s eye :

𝙥𝙖𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙘𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡’𝙨 𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙨 - 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙪𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨. 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙞𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙨, 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨. 𝙖 𝙜𝙞𝙧𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙞𝙡𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙧, 𝙡𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧, 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 — 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙪𝙥𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙘. 𝙖𝙡𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙪𝙨𝙠.

The Investigator sensed her yearning ; 𝘢 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵 𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘮 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘺. His back eased into the steel skeleton of his chair. Tom’s urgency melted, feeling as though the resurgent spark of youth in this woman’s eyes had the power to simply stop time from progressing. 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙢. 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣. 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨. 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙤𝙣. 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙞𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧 — confined to the edges of their sliver and black freckled table.

“ We would each take turns. ” she continued, “ ‘Til we couldn’t run no more. Then we would lie down and catch our breath telling each other ghost stories. ”

“ You know what they say about falling asleep on a grave ? ” Tom’s brow raised, surprised she had suddenly deviated from her reminiscing to address him. he opened his mouth and faltered … “ ah — no. what do they say ? ”

“ Souls that can’t rest in peace pass into your dreams. ” Tom smiled, “ I guess that’s why people hang dream catchers above their bed. ” The woman closed her eyes and turned her face towards the window again, basking in the sun “ Won’t sleep without it … ”

The young man sitting beside her stood. His chair grunted against the linoleum floor as he stepped back and turned toward’s the diner’s open door without a word. Buckley watched him as silence elapsed. He watched the man through the window he sat next to, step towards the curb and take a small red and white box from his baggy jeans and position a thin cigarette between his lips. “ did you sleep there. ”

It was easy to imagine the woman young, carelessly drifting away on a bed of soft grass — eyes rolling beneath her dark eyelids as they were entertained by phantoms from urban legends … “ Often. It is a place of rest … for some. ”

Buckley looked from the man outside towards the elderly woman before him. She was still smiling, eyes shut, soaking in daylight — completely at peace and detached from the chatter around them and the sound of hissing grease combing from the grill just beyond the diner’s counter.

He felt similarly indifferent to the slow buzz of life that possessed new orleans on days such as these.hot. humid. bright. But his stillness wasn’t at all derived from a contentedness. The physicist wanted to understand and appreciate the woman’s superstition as a cultural fallacy. He stared at her without moving a muscle, his lips closed to conceal a confession that constricted his tongue. 𝙢𝙮 𝙨𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤𝙤. not by ghosts or a guilty conscience. It couldn’t exactly be identified through the lens of a metaphysic obsession or psychological analysis. Tom’s tongue felt dry.

“ do you believe something left the cemetery with you. ” He asked quietly, his pale eyes still entranced by something far beyond the diner’s light pink walls. The woman nodded and inclined her chin : “ I do. ” she stated. “ Sleep was sweet then. Never tainted by thoughts more troubling than what I’d wear the next day … they were so simple, and warm and that must have called her out of the earth. ” “ her ? ”

“ Dolores. ” “ your ghost ? ” “ Yes. ”

They rejoined time together. The old woman looked over Tom as he finally blinked and slid his elbows off the table. His fingers found a piece of crinkled paper from a straw and his forearms rested against the aluminum edge of their table as the wrapper was twisted between his fingers. “ dolores … ” he repeated, absently watching the paper fray as it was twisted into a fine line. “ so, why do you want my help. ”

The woman sighed and tilted her head, “ Well, I was under the impression that I was going to see a healer. My son sent for you instead. ” she chuckled. Buckley looked out the window. Smoke lazily billowed up above the man’s sunbathed shoulders as he watched cars and people pass down the street. His suspicions were correct.

“ why do you want to see a healer. ” He asked the woman, trying his very best to hide his analysis with an ignorant smile. The woman paused, pursing her lips before answering cautiously. “ I don’t have much time left mister buckley. I’m going to sleep in that cemetery soon — and for good. but I’m still tethered to this lost soul. ”

“ dolores ? ” “ Mhmm, she’s holdin’ on. I don’t want to be stuck here with her. ” Tom nodded. His fingertips lost interest in their mangled piece of paper and rested flat against the warm tabletop. “ well … I’ll see what I can do. ” He stood and shook the woman’s hand. She thanked him, and with one final dry smile he left her to join her son out on the curb.

“ She always talkin’ bout death. ” Buckley scarcely stepped outside when the man addressed him without bothering to look away from the street. Tom squinted in the sunlight and placed his hands in his pockets, “ she’s just scared. ” The man shook his head. A whisp of white smoke quickly shot from his nose. “ She old. Thinks she knows better than the doctor. She sick — did she tell you that. ”

“ no. ” The man flicked his cigarette away and scuffed it out with his work boot, leaving behind a small black smudge. “ Well the only reason she gonna die is because her heart’s too weak for this ghost - shit. ” he responded shortly. Tom looked down and pressed his lips together “ I don’t know if I can help … I can call someone. ” The man shook his head silently. Buckley lingered for a moment longer, before making his way towards his car. 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘁.

Usually he liked to spend evenings with only the voices of talk show hosts to keep him company as he dug around inside some old piece of tech. Even when he felt restless he’d find a quiet public corner to tuck himself into as he observed others. Though, this was one of those evenings where Tom preferred to disappear in a place where the drum of life would drown out his thoughts. 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙬𝙖𝙮. If it weren’t for the fact that he kept to himself, he would have stuck out sorely as an outsider.

He only regretted his decision slightly, after a third drunk patron grabbed his shoulder to stabilize themself as they stumbled past the bar. “ jesus. ” he muttered to himself as he swiped a coin from beside an empty coaster on the bar top and began flipping it between his fingers.

CRAP!

She was running late and this bus kept stopping at practically every stop to pick up passengers. The elderly man with his wheelchair didn't help. Though that was life. Lorelai checked her makeup as she pulled out a compact mirror and rubbed off some smeared eyeliner. She had her hair up in a neatly curled ponytail, a black and white, cute, polka-dot dress. It was nice as if she was going out on a date. Soon her stop came as she pulled the string, the bus stopped. She stepped out quickly not surprised to see people waiting to get on. Lorelai moved quickly dodging the tourists and locals walking along the crowd as she stepped into her new job. She rushed to the bar where she saw the blonde owner busy making drinks behind the bar.

❝I'm here! Sorry, I'm late,❞ Lorelai announced and immediately apologized as she leaned against the bar. The woman turned and looked her over with a scoff-like laugh. She shook her head as she turned, holding a bottle with one hand and an empty glass with ice in the other.

❝Great...you're overdressed,❞ she responded. Lorelai's head tilted with confusion.

❝How?❞ she asked immediately. ❝You said to dress pretty,❞ she added as she looked herself over. The woman threw her head back as a few patrons along the bar stared over her as well, smiling.

❝Lorelai...that's your name right?❞ she asked. Lorelai nodded. ❝I know we're a relatively new establishment but you're obviously new around here. Darling, don't you know where you're at?❞ she asked loudly as the place was buzzing with chatter.

❝Uhhh...a bar?❞ Lorelai answered. The woman shook her head.

❝Sit down for a moment...watch...eyes on the stage,❞ she added as she continued to make her drink. Lorelai decided to turn around and lean against the bar instead. It was dark for the most part, the tables full, light on the stage with a glittery curtain on stage. She assumed the band was behind the curtain as the music started playing. Then the curtains suddenly opened and there were three ladies on stage in very risque costumes. They strutted out as the audience began to cheer and clap. Lorelai's jaw dropped in confusion as they started dancing, a pianist was playing behind them. It was the guy who decided to give her a chance. ❝This is the House of the Rising Sun. We're a cabaret bar, specifically focused on burlesque,❞ the woman leaned in and said loudly near Lorelai's ear.

❝Oh....❞ Lorelai let out realizing what she meant.

❝Gloria!❞ she called out suddenly. A woman who was carrying a tray of empty glasses neared. ❝You still wanna work here?❞ The woman asked. Lorelai swallowed as she looked at Gloria who neared. She was dressed a bit scantily but overall she was well-clothed. She took a deep breath and released a heavy sigh. She nodded finally. The woman held back a chuckle with a smile. ❝Find some clothes for the new girl,❞ she decided. ❝My name is Phyllis...JP, my husband, and I,❞ she paused nodding to the guy at the piano. ❝We own this joint, you wanna work here, you better be a fast learner and even faster on your feet, got that?❞ she asked as Lorelai nodded once more. ❝Okay....go,❞ she said.

❝Follow me," Gloria said dropping off her tray on the bar with a smirk. Lorelai quietly followed Gloria across the bar and to another area. It was a dressing room, that looked like something a Las Vegas showgirl would have. Lit-up vanities, mirrors, clothes, costumes scattered about. ❝Well...new girl...my name is Gloria what's yours?❞ She stated with a southern draw as she turned checking her over.

❝Lorelai.❞

❝Well, Lorelai, looks like you'll fit into most of the things we got here,❞ she stated. ❝Most gals are on the curvy side, Lita's kind of thin, and Mable is a bit short and curvy...I guess people would call her thick if ya know what I mean,❞ she stated with a wink. ❝We waitresses usually come to work dressed so...❞ she paused. ❝Though you'll be surprised what people leave behind,❞ she stated going through a pile of clothes. ❝Cute dress by the way...ain't goin' to do no good here,❞ she added. She pulled out some fishnet stockings and a pair of black sequence shorts. ❝Here...try these on,❞ she tossed them to Lorelai who caught them. Lorelai looked them over and sighed. She nodded.

❝Well...what the heck,❞ she said bobbing her head. She quickly found a curtain and started changing. Gloria thought it was funny that Lorelai looked for a place to change behind. She supposed modesty wasn't an issue in this line of work. She soon stepped out with a black bra, fishnet stockings, and black sequence shorts. Gloria chuckled but nodded.

❝Here...I just found this,❞ she spoke as she tossed her something else. It was a striped black and white off-the-shoulder top. Lorelai quickly put it on and examined herself in a vanity mirror. Gloria snuck up behind her placing her hands on Lorlai's shoulders. ❝Not bad, Lorelai,❞ she sang looking at her reflection as well. ❝Oooh,❞ she let out looking down at the vanity. She leaned over and grabbed something. ❝Try this on,❞ she added. ❝It's Tiffany's but she doesn't mind if we borrow her accessories as long as you give them back,❞ she added as she put on a black silk choker. Lorelai gulped. She didn't have too much clothing with her and she was starting to realize what she did own was not like this. ❝Now look at ya, you lookin' good now...come on let's show the boss,❞ Gloria said excitedly.

Lorelai quickly stepped back into her shoes and followed Gloria out. Gloria led her back to Phyllis as she Phyllis looked her over and smiled. A guy she had just served and was hearing the whole situation looked her over and whistled. Lorelai blushed out a smile.

❝Well, well, JP might be right after all,❞ Phyllis decided. ❝Greg seems to give his seal of approval,❞ she added as Lorelai looked at the older patron and flashed a smile.

❝That's Greg, he's a regular here," Gloria spoke leaning into Lorelai's ear because of the noise.

❝Hi, Greg Broflovski,❞ the older patron stuck his hand to shake. Lorelai nodded and shook it.

❝Lorelai...❞ she greeted. He nodded and let go.

❝Welp, Gloria...get Lorelai settled in with the basics,❞ Phyllis decided. ❝Chop-chop,❞ she added with a clap of her hands.

Gloria gave her the basics of how the establishment worked. Though since she was just a waitress her job was relatively easy. Take orders, type them in the register, take money give change bring back used glasses, and toss bottles. Keep tips. She was quickly getting the hang of things. Plus the TIPS! The tips were good, she chatted up a few patrons, flashed a smile, charmed the pants off a couple, and bang money! She could see that the girls on stage clearly made a lot more, however. Lorelai headed back to check up on her makeup as she came back out and noticed Greg wave off.

❝Good luck, have fun, it's nearing my bedtime,❞ Greg waved and stumbled off his stool. Lorelai held back a snicker as she waved and got back to work. She saw Greg grab onto another patron to stabilize himself for a moment. ❝Sorry,❞ he grumbled as he regained his balance and started heading out. Lorelai's color drained from her face as she caught a glance of who he held onto. When did he get here?

She swallowed as she glanced down at herself. SHIT! Well, it wasn't like she was dressed badly but this was not the place she wanted to run into Snooping Wedding Photographer. She huffed as she decided to grab a tray once more and head out towards the tables instead. She put on a smile and walked up to a full table.

❝Get you guys anything?❞ she asked. A few people smiled as they began ordering. Lorelai took note and headed back. She headed to Phyllis. ❝Three Budlights, one Corona, and Jack on the Rocks,❞ Lorelai said quickly, handing a twenty to Phyllis. She glanced nervously in Tom's direction hoping he wouldn't notice her. The place was packed and it was dimly lit. Phyllis punched it in.

❝A dollar-seventy-five, short but take the beers over for now,❞ she noted.

❝Got it,❞ Lorelai said grabbing the beers putting them on her tray, and taking them over. She got the remaining cash and headed back, Phyllis placed it in the register as she handed her the Jack on the Rocks. Lorelai once again went back to hand the patron their remaining drink. She sighed as she continued her best to work, she didn't need the distractions at the moment. Though another one walked in. It was Kevin and his buddies. Lorelai rolled her eyes and groaned. WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?! She yelled internally.

Kevin and his entourage of buddies waltzed in. He looked at the bar and noticed it was crowded so his pals headed toward the stage area to find a table to sit at.

❝Be right back, I'm going to order some drinks,❞ Kevin told his buddies and headed toward the bar. Lorelai turned quickly to face the other direction. ❝LORELAI!?❞ he shouted as Lorelai swallowed. ❝Lorelai is that you girl?❞ he asked. "I recognize those brown locks and ponytail anywhere,❞ he added as he neared. Lorelai turned and sighed.

❝Hey, Kevin,❞ she greeted defeatedly. Kevin gave a hardy chuckle.

❝What are you doing here?❞ he asked. Lorelai sarcastically tilted her head as Kevin looked her over, noticing her tray in her hand. ❝Wait you're working here?❞ he asked shocked. Lorelai looked to the side as she neared, grabbing his shoulder.

❝Yes!❞ she hissed loudly at him. ❝You gotta promise not to tell the others...❞ she added. ❝I told Miriam I'd get a job so I can help pay rent and well...just look, promise not to tell the others about it,❞ she whispered as Kevin dropped his head laughing instead.

❝Okay...but-❞

❝No buts...look I gotta get back to work. It's my first day,❞ she added Kevin found this even more hilarious as he laughed loudly.

❝Fine...get your fi- I mean ass- forget it. Don't tell the others I was here too alright!?❞ he decided to bellow out as Lorelai headed back to the bar frustrated. She pushed her bangs back as she could hear the stage get ready for another performance.

She sighed as she finally had to acknowledge the elephant in the room as she rolled her head in his direction. She flashed a smile as she turned to face him. She leaned her elbow casually on the bar. ❝So... I hope you enjoy the show,❞ she stated as she stared in his direction, pretty sure he was casually snooping in on her minor drama. ❝Do you want anything?❞ she decided to add as she was technically still on the clock.

#paraphysics #/// Cause Tumblr Said NAH on the last post when CUT #IT double MINES and borked #SO new thread #Anyways #I was like R U SURE? theyr'e at the same place #also super cool ability to see ones memories and visual thoughts :) //