#it has stored my bathroom toiletries

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

The Lost 4

Warnings: non/dubcon, mentions of loss, grieving, death, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

Characters: nomad!Steve Rogers

Summary: You move into a shared flat and encounter a mysterious man.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

You don’t eat breakfast, not that you ever really do. You buy enough food to have dinner when you get home and that’s about it. As the clock ticks on, stretched longer by a sleepless night, you count down to the inevitable. You have to leave that room eventually.

You dress in the convenience store button up, an ugly shade of mustard and pin your nametag on. Not wanting to risk running into your housemates, you talk yourself down to quickly brushing your teeth and tidying up. You won’t shower.

You listen through the door but hear nothing. Not like the night before when you heard everything. When you heard too much.

You bring your little canvas pouch of toiletries and lock your door behind you, just in case. You look left then right, heading down towards the bathroom. You stop as you find the door closed. Shoot. You hesitate, struggling to make up your mind. You should just go back and wait in your room.

Too late. The door opens and you jump in your shoes. You stumble back into the wall, unable to hide your fright. S emerges, his blond hair slightly damp as he combs it back with his fingers. The scent of his soap wafts out with him, warm bergamot cutting through the dingy air of the aged house.

“Sorry,” he leaves the door open behind him as he steps out, “didn’t mean to scare ya.”

You nod and wave him off, mouthing ‘it’s fine’ but unable to summon your voice.

“It’s all yours. Hope you weren’t waiting too long,” he hugs tighter the folded towel in his arm, curled around a leather zip up bag.

You give an ‘mhm’ but his timbre just reminds you of the threats that slipped beneath your door the night before. In your head, the unseen menace was a slimy little ghoul, waiting to creep up on you. You look over your shoulder as S passes.

“He hasn’t bothered you again, has he?” He stops and turns back to you.

You shake your head.

“Good,” his chest rises as he glances towards the far end of the hallway, “Guy’s a freak. On parole…” he faces you again, “not to scare you but you should know.”

You lower your eyes and squeeze your pouch tight. You bite your lip and turn to the bathroom. As you approach the door, he shifts on his feet, the floorboards creaking beneath his weight. You stop but can’t bring yourself to look at him.

“Thank you,” you squeak.

He doesn’t answer right away. You linger in the silence before he musters his response, “no problem. Girl like you, can never be too safe.”

You don’t have a chance to reply. His door opens and shuts and you peek over to find him gone. You keep your hand on the door handle as his words cling in your mind. A girl like you…

Is it so obvious that you're alone? Vulnerable? Afraid?

If it is, maybe it’s better that you have someone like him watching over you.

🚪

You arrive for your shift and take over after balancing the till. It’s quiet and you don’t get much more than the usual pop-ins. An old woman takes up close to twenty minutes playing the scratch cards and a group of teens come in to buy energy drinks and ten cent candies. It makes you wish you only worried about wasting your money on unwinnable jackpots and unhealthy snacks.

You spend your downtime doing the crossword in the newspaper Aziz left behind. The pencil lead dulls with each letter you press into the newsprint. The door chimes again and you peek up as a greasy haired man looks around. His eyes scan the store and finally land on you.

You stand up straight and greet him in your small way. Your voice crackles beneath the drone of radio DJs as they discuss their weekend follies. The man nods and diverts to the magazine rack. You tap the pencil and go back to the puzzle, glancing up periodically as he browses the shelf.

When at last he retreats from his perusal, he approaches and lays down one of the magazines shrouded in black film. You try not to show your discomfort as you flip it over to scan the bar code, overly aware of its more adult contents. He doesn’t show an shame as he leans on the counter and breathes loudly through his nose.

“They all got fake tits these days,” he snivels, “I remember my dad’s rags they used to have the natural girls.”

You blanch and hit total, reading out the amount owing. He snickers and reaches into his pants’ pocket, feeling around a bit too long before dragging his hand out. He chuckles and reaches into his jacket instead, taking out his wallet. Ew.

The door chirps, signalling another customer. You don’t look over. The man across from you searches his wallet slowly, fluttering his fingers over the bills inside. His tongue flicks out like a lizard’s.

“Is cash or credit easier, sweetie?”

The pet name sends a chill through you as his tone tickles your memory. That’s the voice you heard last night. That sickly, simpering slither. You can’t help but take a step back, even with the shield of plexiglass between you.

The other customer appears behind the man and clears his throat, “pay and get out.”

You look past the greasy-haired man as S looms behind him. His fist closes and opens, as if he’s holding himself back. You gulp as the other man rolls his eyes.

“Mind your business, meathead,” he deliberately counts out the bills. “It’s the handsome ones that are mean…” he tuts, “nice guys like me, well, we’re hard to find.”

“She doesn’t care. She’s working,” S snarls.

“You don’t own the store, guy,” the other retorts, “you don’t scare me.”

“I don’t gotta scare you,” S steps closer.

The other man bares his teeth but shrinks, just a little. He throws down the money and shoves it through the slot. You gather it up. It feels almost as slimy as he looks. You reach your hand under with his change and he grabs your hand, closing it around the coins.

“You keep that, sweetie,” he squeezes, “pretty girl like you earned it.”

“Don’t touch her,” S grabs him from behind, wrenching him away. The suddenness has your front hitting the counter before the strange man lets you go. “Take your stuff,” S snatches up the magazine as he holds the man by his scruff, “and go.”

He throws him against the door before whipping the magazine at him. You watch helplessly. The smaller man, much smaller than S, catches the porn rag and tries to look fearsome against his accoster. It’s a pathetic attempt. He seems to realise as he slouches down and tucks tail, pushing out into the street with a grumble.

S shakes his head and turns back, marching to the counter. He puts his single protein shake on the other side of the glass. You swallow and put the change down shakily.

“Those are two for four, sir,” you say, “if you’re interested.”

He nods thoughtfully, his throat bobbing. “Thanks, uh, yeah, maybe I’ll grab another.”

He draws away and walks down the center aisle. He stands before the cooler, pulling open the door, before swiftly spinning on his heel and coming back. He places a strawberry shake next to the vanilla one. You scan both and the till applies the discount.

“Sorry, er, to cause a scene. I just… he shouldn’t be pestering you. Especially at work.”

“N-no, it’s… it’s fine. It’s… nice,” you stammer out as you accept his five dollar bill. “You don’t have to… do that.”

“It's not about 'have to',” he shrugs as you count out his change. He takes it, then the vanilla shake. He doesn’t touch the other one.

“Sir,” you point to the strawberry.

“You seem like the strawberry type,” he steps back on his heel, “it’s for you.”

“I… I can’t–”

“You didn’t eat breakfast. You should,” he insists.

“Sir, really–”

“I’ll leave it here,” he says, “in case you change your mind.” He nudges it closer to the glass, “make sure you give it a good shake. The flavour settles at the bottom.”

He turns away before you can argue. Again, he ends the conversation with his departure. As generous as he is, you get the idea he’s not into negotiating.

#steve rogers #dark steve rogers #dark!steve rogers #steve rogers x reader #nomad!steve #drabble #the last #marvel #mcu #avengers #captain america #series

[cookiescribble]

Doubling Up

A/N: I was rewatching 5x21 and it gave me an idea to write this… I’ve never posted smut before so i hope it’s not bad 🫣 but i’m a sucker for only one bed tropes and i wanted to write something sweet. - mod angel

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

Summary: A shortage of rooms means the team has to share, which leads to Spencer and his coworker getting closer than they anticipated.

Word Count: 4.6k

CW: fluffy smut, virgin!spencer

~~~

“Looks like we’ll have to double up.”

Everyone in the room made a face. Private hotel rooms were usually silver linings after spending all day on a case. 

“I am not sleeping with Reid,” Derek said pointedly. Spencer furrowed his brows at the comment. 

I laughed softly as I walked over to him. I ruffled his hair lightly as I sat down on the couch next to him. “I’ll room with you if you want, Spence.”

He looked at me, the corners of his mouth turning up for a second. He nodded at me as he stood up, gathering his things. It was so faint I could’ve been imagining it, but I could swear I saw a light blush on his cheeks…

Everybody broke off into pairs and headed upstairs. Spencer followed behind me as we were shown to our room. I walked in and looked around, taking in the surroundings. The king sized bed in the middle of the room had extra pillows and blankets. It looked comfortable, at least. 

I set my bag down next to the dresser as Spencer sat gently on the end of the bed. He took a deep breath and set his hands on his legs, his fingers tapping his knees rhythmically.  He seemed… tense. 

I decided breaking the silence might ease his tension a bit. “Do you want to claim your part of the dresser? Or do you prefer using a closet?”

He looked at me, expression unreadable. “I usually hang my clothes in the closet, you can take the dresser if you want.”

I nodded at him and pointed to the go-bag by his feet. “You should probably start hanging up your clothes, then.”

He glanced down as if he hadn’t noticed his bag was there. “Oh. Yes, you’re right.” He stood up and carried his bag over to the closet opposite the dresser. He quickly began hanging up his collared shirts and started to empty the clothes in his bag. 

I turned around and focused on the dresser in front of me. I started unpacking the clothes from my bag, starting with stacking my pants in the bottom drawer. I opened the drawer above it for my shirts, stacking them neatly in rows. For the top drawer, I started unpacking my socks, underwear, and bras. 

As I was finishing filling up the drawer, I heard the shuffling behind me stop. As I was about to close the drawer, I turned to look behind me. Spencer was staring at the bras in the drawer I held open, a slight blush on his cheeks. I smirked at him as I lightly slammed the drawer shut, making him jump and turn back around quickly. I giggled quietly. I knew he was curious by nature, but this was something I didn’t know he would ever think about. 

I walked into the bathroom to store my toiletries bag under the sink. When I walked back into the room, Spencer was sitting on the end of the bed again, still looking tense. This time I thought about the look on his face as he was looking at my clothes in the drawer. I sat next to him gently. I seemed to startle him; he must’ve been deep in thought. 

He cleared his throat. “Do you have a preference of which side of the bed you like to sleep on?” he asked, struggling to look me in the eyes. 

I smiled warmly. “No, I don’t have a preference. Take whichever side you want.” He nodded at me and looked back down at his hands.

“Hey, Spence,” I spoke softly. “Can I ask you a question?” 

He looked up at me now. “Is there something about the case that’s bothering you?” he asked, starting to reach over to the nightstand where he stacked the files from the case. 

I grabbed his arm gently before he could pick them up. “No, it’s not about the case.”

He looked at me, startled, his eyes darting between my hand on his arm and my face. I let go of his arm. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking. I know you don’t like to be touched.“ I put my hand in my lap. “Was that okay?”

He swallowed. “No, it was okay. I don’t mind. I just… wasn’t expecting it.” He put his hands in his lap too, the blush on his cheeks growing. “What’s your question about?” 

I looked up at him sweetly. “It’s a… personal question. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.” He nodded for me to continue. I took a deep breath, resting my hand on the bed between us.

“Spence, have you ever kissed a girl before?” I asked quietly.

His eyes widened. Whatever question he was expecting me to ask, this wasn’t it. 

“I- uh, yes. I have,” he stammered, eyes darting down quickly in embarrassment before looking at me again. “Why?”

I smiled softly. His shyness about the topic was endearing. “I’m just curious.” I lifted my hand and scooted slightly closer to him on the bed. He blushed harder, his face a bright pink now. His hair fell in front of his face as he looked down. It’s gotten so long lately, and it made him look very pretty. I reached out and pushed it behind his ear. He swallowed hard as he looked at me, sensing I had more to say. 

“Have you ever… done more than kiss a girl?” I asked sweetly. His eyes widened again. 

“I don’t, uh, wh-what do you mean?” he stuttered nervously. I giggled lightly. He was really cute when he was nervous. 

I reached my hand out to touch his arm, stopping and looking at him for permission before I did. He nodded once. I stroked his arm lightly, tracing circles on his skin with my thumb. “Have you ever… touched someone? Or been touched by someone?” 

He stared down at my hand, his eyes darting around for a second before shaking his head decisively. 

I leaned in closer to him. “Have you ever… thought about it?” I backed away for a moment. “I mean, not everyone wants to, and that’s okay too.”

He looked me in the eyes for a moment, almost pleadingly. He looked back down at my hand still on his arm. “I- I’ve-“ he cleared his throat again. “I have… thought about it, sometimes.” He looked at me and saw me nod for him to continue. “I’ve just never had anyone… close to me like that.” He looked back down. “No one who wanted to be close to me like that,” he added softly. 

I gave him a sympathetic look, but he was still looking down. I moved my hand off his arm to lift his chin to look at me. He gave me another pleading look. 

I leaned over and kissed his cheek gently. I stroked his hair and cupped his face. “Do you… want me to show you?” 

He took a ragged breath as he leaned closer to me, nodding lightly. My thumb stroked his cheek as I leaned in to kiss his lips softly. His body relaxed as he rested his hands on my waist, pulling me closer. I closed the space between us on the bed, wrapping my arms around his neck. His kiss was gentle but firm; he deepened the kiss as he cradled my face, his lips parting as I ran my tongue on his bottom lip. He tasted faintly of chapstick. Our tongues moved together effortlessly. I sighed contentedly; he was a really good kisser. 

I pulled away for a moment, holding his hand and motioning for him to scoot up on the bed. “Here, lay back” I said, guiding him to lay back against the headboard. He nodded and did what I said, moving the pillows aside and leaning back, relaxing his body. 

I ran my fingers through his hair, resting my forehead against his as I hitched my leg up so I was straddling his waist. “Okay?” I asked, cradling his face. He nodded eagerly and kissed me again, running his hands down my waist and resting them on my hips. I smiled into his lips. His excitement was palpable, his heart thrumming underneath me. My heart was also beating pretty fast. 

I ran my fingers down the side of his face and rested them on his shoulders. I broke the kiss to gently kiss down his cheek to his neck, pressing light kisses across his throat. A soft moan escaped his mouth before he bit down on his lip to stop himself. “Sorry” he whispered, embarrassed. 

I lifted my head and smiled, resting my forehead on his. “No need to apologize, sweetie. It’s a natural reaction. Don’t try to hide it.” I bent my head down to put my lips on his neck again. “That feels good, hmm?”

He threw his head back and sighed, nodding lightly. I reached my hands down to unbutton his shirt, planting kisses all down his neck as I did. I ran my tongue along his skin. He moaned again, louder this time. I giggled against his neck, my voice vibrating his skin lightly, making him giggle in return. I looked up to see his beautiful smile. I planted another kiss on his lips, smiling back. My fingers continued to move down his body as I finished unbuttoning his shirt. He shrugged it off his shoulders, tossing it aside before moving his hands back to my waist. 

He looked from my face to my torso, biting his lip as if he had a question he couldn’t ask. I took the hint and guided his hands under my shirt, reaching my hands above my head so he could lift it off me. He looked my body up and down for a moment when he was done, a look of wonder in his eyes. I smiled down at him and kissed his lips gently once. 

I nuzzled my face back into his neck, moving my lips and paying attention to what made his breath hitch. I kissed along his collarbone, running my tongue across, earning another soft moan. I kissed down his chest, his fingers lacing in my hair as I kissed his stomach. He giggled softly. 

I looked up at him and smiled. “Ticklish?” I asked teasingly, planting more quick kisses as he giggled louder. 

“M-maybe a little,” he let himself laugh a little louder as my fingers tapped along his stomach. 

I sat up and bumped noses with him. “You’re so cute,” I beamed at him before kissing his lips again. He hummed contentedly as our lips started moving in sync again. I reached down slowly to undo his belt. He stilled under me as I unbuttoned his pants and slid them off his hips. I lifted off of him for a moment so he could wiggle them off his long legs. 

Before I could lower myself back down, he reached down to unzip my jeans. I steadied myself on his chest as he pulled them down my body one leg at a time. 

When he finished, I lowered myself back down, stroking his hair softly. His gaze lingered over my body before meeting my eyes again. I leaned down and guided his hands to the clasp of my bra. His long fingers unhooked it quickly, briefly surprising me how easily he was able to get it off. 

He held his breath for a moment, looking up and down my body. He looked at me with those pleading eyes again, cupping my face. “You’re so beautiful,” he breathed, stroking my cheek. 

A warm smile crept across my cheeks. I laced my fingers in his hair and kissed him slowly, softly. His hands started running up and down my back gently, his fingers leaving goosebumps wherever he touched. 

I moved my hips a little lower, joining them with his, causing him to moan again. Even through the underwear clinging to both of us, it felt electrifying. 

I grabbed his hands and guided them up my sternum, letting his fingers dance across my chest. I sighed dreamily as his fingers brushed against my sensitive skin. He smiled up at me as he realized he was making me feel as good as I made him feel. 

His fingers continued to move gingerly around my chest while I moaned softly above him. He suddenly stopped and his hands rested on my waist. I looked down at him quizzically, wondering why he stopped. 

He took a deep breath again, opening his mouth to speak. “Could I, uh… could you…” He cleared his throat, pointing down to the side of the bed. “Lay down?”

I nodded, swinging my legs over so I was kneeling next to him as he sat up, laying me down in the same spot he’d just been laying. 

Now he straddled my waist, our positions completely swapped from before. He leaned down to kiss me, pushing my hair back as he ran his tongue along my bottom lip. I smiled as I parted my lips and let our tongues intertwine again. I could feel him furrowing his brows in concentration as he pulled away to kiss down my face to my neck. I smiled. I guess he wanted to show me how fast a learner he was. 

His breath tickled my neck as his lips placed a gentle kiss. I sighed contentedly. His eyes darted up my face to make sure he was doing a good job. I responded by threading my fingers in his hair and stroking it gently, encouraging him. He swirled his tongue around my skin like I did on his. I moaned and leaned my head back, letting him continue to nip at my skin. I felt him smile at my noises of pleasure, pleased that he was the cause of them. 

He hovered over me, staying still for a moment. He took a deep breath and started kissing lower down my neck to my chest. I gasped as his fingers grazed my chest briefly before he used his lips instead. I moaned louder now, my hands tangled in his hair as his tongue swirled gently around the sensitive skin. He nipped and kissed slowly and gently, watching me as my face contorted in pleasure. I let out long, sighing sounds of pleasure, letting him know he was doing a good job. Did this really come so naturally to him? 

My head was spinning a little as I untangled my fingers from his hair to lift his chin and kiss him. I sighed into his lips as our kiss intensified. I touched his hand gently, guiding it down over my underwear between my legs. I bit my lip, my eyes fluttering closed at the pleasure I felt as his long fingers felt over the cloth. He took the waistband between his fingers, looking at me for permission. I nodded at him and he slowly pulled the underwear down my hips. I kicked them off as I heard his breath hitch. He looked down as I glistened underneath him. I took his hand and guided his fingers over the sensitive bundle of nerves. “Here,” I whispered in his ear. He nodded, his brows furrowing in concentration again. 

He moved his fingers in a circular motion, making me gasp in satisfaction. He kissed me again and I moaned into his mouth. He somehow knew exactly how to make me squirm underneath him. I cursed under my breath. How was he so good at this?

I broke the kiss suddenly. He looked at me for a second. I brushed my fingers across his lips. “Put your mouth where your fingers are,” I ordered, speaking softly in his ear. As he began kissing down my body I moved his fingers down slightly so he could start to push into me. 

His brows furrowed together again as he opened his mouth to let his tongue continue where his fingers left off. I let out a loud moan before biting my lip to quiet myself. The last thing I needed was for anyone to hear us. 

But it was hard to stop the sounds of bliss as his long fingers made their way inside, filling me as his tongue worked its magic on my skin. 

I threw my head back. “S-so good…” I sighed, tangling my fingers in his hair. I tapped his hand lightly. “Curl your fingers,” I instructed. He followed what I said. I sucked in a breath as the sensation hit me, making me a little dizzy. I pat his head lightly. “Good boy,” I praised, making him blush. 

He kept going, my fingers tightening in his hair as the pleasure built up. “Oh, sweetie,” I sighed after a few minutes. “I-I’m-“ The words stopped in my throat as waves of pleasure started hitting me. I bit down on my knuckle as the high continued to wash over me for a few more moments. I cursed under my breath again. 

When my body relaxed, he picked his head up to kiss me gently. I rested my forehead against his and laced his fingers with mine. “You’re sure you’ve never done this before?” I questioned. 

He let out a quiet laugh and nodded. “I’m sure.”

I smiled and shook my head. I tapped him lightly on the chest. “Lay down,” I insisted. He nodded and we switched positions again. 

I looked at him and bit my lip as I ran my fingers under the waistband of his boxers. He blushed, nodding for me to take them off. He lifted his legs up so I could pull them off of him. I looked down and blushed, my eyes widening a little automatically before I controlled my expression. 

I looked at him intensely as I positioned myself over him. “Ready?” I asked softly as I took his hands in mine, lacing our fingers together.

His pleading eyes looked up at me sweetly. “Yes,” he whispered back. He leaned up to kiss me gently before fully leaning back. 

I lowered myself onto him, causing us both to groan in pleasure. I hugged him and touched our foreheads together, taking a minute so I could adjust to him. I looked at him intensely again and he nodded at me to keep going. 

He whimpered under me as I started moving rhythmically, our hips meeting over and over. I grabbed his face and kissed him intensely to try to mask both of our panting. 

My hands moved to his shoulders, my fingernails digging into his skin as I gripped him tightly. He gasped a little at the sharpness of it. I loosened my fingers immediately. “S-sorry,” I whispered into his ear. He shook his head quickly, opening his mouth to dismiss my apology, but what came out instead was a loud moan. 

I giggled softly and kissed him again, my hips starting to move a little more erratically. I could feel him twitching inside of me, sensing his need for release. I moved his fingers back to where they were earlier and he moved them in fast circles. I quickly felt the pleasure building up again. I pushed his hair back and leaned down to whisper in his ear again, letting him know it was okay as I felt both of us coming together with a crescendo.  

I stilled my hips and relaxed my body against his as we both struggled to catch our breath. I kissed his forehead gently, then the tip of his nose, then his lips. I gave him a few sweet pecks before lifting off of him and laying down next to him. 

He took a minute to come back down before looking at me with those sweet eyes of his. “That was…” he trailed off, trying to find the words to describe the ecstasy he was feeling right now. 

I smiled sweetly. “Good?” I offered as the end to his sentence. 

He laughed softly. “I don’t think that word is enough, but… yes.” He looked at me lovingly and stroked my hair. 

I pecked his lips again lightly. “You’re sure that was your first time doing that?” I inquired again, giggling. 

He nodded. “Why do you keep asking that?” 

I laughed and shook my head. “I guess you really are a genius, huh?” I lightly poked the tip of his nose. He smiled back at me before kissing me again gently. 

I rest my head against his chest, his heart still thrumming intensely. His hands stroked my back as we lay there for what felt like forever. I could have stayed there forever, in that intimate moment with him, our hearts beating together as we lay skin-to-skin.

Finally, I sat up slowly. “Okay, pretty boy, I have to go take a shower now.” I pointed at the pajamas he laid out on the nightstand at the beginning of the night. “You should get dressed too. We have an early day tomorrow.” 

Before I could leave the bed, he kissed my cheek sweetly. “Yes, ma’am,” he said jokingly before sitting up and grabbing his clothes to get dressed. I smiled as I closed the bathroom door behind me. I had a feeling we were both going to sleep well tonight. 

. . .

Breakfast with the team the next day felt… off, for some reason. Everyone was acting a little differently than usual. 

I brought my breakfast over to sit at the table with the rest of the girls. They all looked at me as if they were trying not to smirk. 

“Slept well?” JJ asked, a hint of teasing in her voice.

I bit my lip, fighting back a smile. “I did,” I responded nonchalantly, “what about you?”

“Oh, it was alright. I have no complaints.” She paused for a second, looking at the other girls mischievously before continuing. “Except maybe that the walls are a little thin.”

I blushed, laughing awkwardly along with them. “So I guess you heard-“

“Loud and clear,” Penelope finished for me, everyone breaking out in a giggle. 

I glanced over at Spencer, who was sitting over with the rest of the guys. He met my eyes, sensing I was getting the same treatment from the team that he was getting. I smiled as I saw his beet red face. I could tell he was embarrassed. I couldn’t hear the conversation at their table from here but I could see Derek laughing and shaking his head at him. Okay? I mouthed at him. 

He sighed, defeated, as a response, turning back around to the other people at his table. I smiled and shook my head. “We’re never going to hear the end of this, are we?”

“Nope,” the girls at the table chimed in. I could sense a long day ahead of me as they all asked me questions about my night. 

“How did that even happen?” JJ asked.

I smiled. “He was… curious. So I gave him a little lesson.”

“You were really loud giving that lesson,” Emily scoffed. “Was it really that… informative? He really learns that fast?”

I laughed. “Yeah, he wasn’t kidding about the genius thing.” I shook my head. “He really is a natural at everything, huh?”

Everyone mouthed a surprised “wow.” They seemed like they were a little curious, but also that they didn’t want to think too much about it. 

I saw files start to be spread around the other table. Everyone tried to put their professional faces on as our workday began. 

. . .

At the end of the day, Spencer and I came back to our room. The case was all finished, so we packed our things so we could meet everyone on the jet in a few hours. 

Spencer had been acting awkwardly around me all day. It didn’t help that several people on the team couldn’t help snickering at us whenever we were together. 

 After I packed all my things, I sat at the end of the bed. I let Spencer finish getting all his things together before I patted the space next to me, motioning for him to sit down. He obliged and sat next to me, lacing his fingers together and staring at them. 

“Spence?” I reached my hand out to tilt his chin toward me. He looked at me questioningly. 

I let my hand drop between us. “Do you… do you regret what we did last night?”

A look of shock spread across his face. “What? No, not at all,” he answered quickly. “Why?”

I let out a breath. “You just seemed to avoid me today. I was worried I rushed you into something you weren’t ready for.”

He shook his head. “Trust me, I don’t regret anything that happened.” He reached out to cup my cheek. “I just… didn’t know how to act in front of everyone else. I was embarrassed that everyone else knew what happened.” 

I smiled at him, kissing the palm of his hand that was right next to my mouth. He smiled back at me. 

“I guess my only concern is… I don’t know where we stand after this.” He looked at me expectantly. 

I smiled, reaching out to tap his nose lightly. “How about, when we get home, you take me out to dinner?”

He smiled widely at my show of affection. “I feel like we did this out of order,” he remarked. 

I laughed once and shrugged. “Sorry, I just couldn’t help myself.” I reached up to push his hair out of his face. “I could tell you were curious… and you looked so sweet when you were all nervous.” I stroked his hair gently. “Plus, I know how to make a guy feel less tense. And I could tell you needed it.” I laughed lightly. 

He ran his fingers up my arm gently before speaking softly. “Have you… done that a lot before?” 

I shook my head slowly. “Not really. And definitely not like we did.” I moved closer to him so I could wrap my arms around his shoulders. “I was never treated so nicely,” I said quietly, resting my head on his shoulder. 

He ran his fingers through my hair and rested his head on top of mine. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me close to him. 

I looked up at him and gently traced his cheek with my finger. “I… wanted to make sure that your first time would be with someone who cares about you.” I looked down sadly and laced his fingers with mine. “I wanted you to feel like you’re loved, and not just…” I trailed off, not sure how to finish the sentence. “The experiences I’ve had… they weren’t bad… but they weren’t good either. I never felt like anyone really cared about me.” 

I looked back up at him, his big eyes looking at me intensely. I smiled softly. “And then I saw the way you look at me… like I’m the only person in the world who matters.” I reached up to touch his face. “And it made me feel like, finally there was someone who cared about me for more than… what I could do for them.” I pushed his hair out of his face. “And I knew that this would be good for both of us.”

He cupped my face and stroked my cheek with his thumb. “I care about you, y’know?” he spoke softly. “I’m sorry you weren’t treated very well in the past.” He looked at me with sad eyes. “I… would treat you better than that.” 

I smiled and touched my forehead to his. “I know you would.” I kissed his cheek gently. “And I know you’re going to. We’re gonna do things right when we get home.”

We were interrupted by a knock on the door, signaling it was time to get on the jet. We both stood up so we could walk out the door, hand in hand, ready to go home and start this new chapter together.

#criminal minds #spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x fem!reader #spencer reid smut #spencer reid fluff #spencer reid fanfiction #criminal minds fanfiction #fanfiction #mod angel

[ghcstao3]

john gets stranded in what is essentially the middle of nowhere on a road trip because of his car breaking down out of the blue and a torrential downpour that had not come up once on the forecasts he made sure to check a million times over before leaving for his voyage.

it’s strange, the place he finds himself in. he hasn’t seen another car in ages, surrounded by thick forests and no civilization, save for an old general store he remembers passing just before his car called it quits. the rain and dark skies appeared out of nowhere, almost like he’d entered some bubble isolated from the rest of the region.

in any case, in all his panicked stupidity and the hope that he’d maybe be able to get help sooner, john decides to trudge back the kilometre or so to the shop.

dim yellow lights glow in the midst of all the rain, and he’s mercifully greeted by a fading open sign just as he approaches the door. he pushes in without a second thought, eager to escape the downfall.

inside is about everything he’d expect; essentials, canned foods, toiletry, snacks. hardly anything special, though soap is immediately filled with a pleasant warmth that melts away the shiver that would have otherwise set into his bones.

he doesn’t browse. only moves toward the empty counter and prays someone will show up eventually.

not that he’d hate waiting around in the store. it’s far better than his car, in any case.

but just as john takes a step forward, a throat clears behind him.

“‘bit wet out there, is it?”

the deepness of the voice reverberates through john, startling. comforting. he whirls around to face the owner of said voice, and all he sees is tall, broad, dark as his eyes climb to meet irises the warm colour of black coffee.

“a bit,” john agrees, albeit slowly. he realizes he had never heard footsteps, let alone saw anyone else in the store just seconds before. he’s not sure what compels him, but he adds, “my car broke down.”

the man inclines his head toward john, his eyes almost analytical, considering something about john that has nothing to do with his current predicament. it’s hard to judge what he’s thinking, with the mask obscuring the lower half of his face.

“unfortunate,” the man says. “you’ll have to wait out the storm for help.”

john’s heart sinks. he still had so much travel left ahead of him—and who knew how much longer this weather would last?

disappointment must be clear on his face, as the man’s furrowed brows soften into a polite sort of pity before he lets out a quiet sigh and silently directs soap toward the counter.

“wait here,” he instructs.

the man disappears into another room, returning very shortly with a styrofoam cup of coffee and a set of clothing of which he unceremoniously drops on the counter.

“better you’re in dry clothes while you wait,” he explains. “bathroom is just in the back. i have a call to make.”

john nods, swallows. “thank you,” he says, hesitantly reaching for the clothes, “i really appreciate it.”

the man huffs. he stares at john a few moments too long, john almost feeling itchy under his gaze—though, somehow, in a good way.

“my name’s simon, if you need me,” he grunts.

john nods again, offering a polite smile before turning to head to the bathroom. he pauses after only a few steps and turns back to say something, but the words die on his tongue as he sees simon has all but vanished.

john bites his tongue, shaking his head before he continues on his way.

the patter of rain is still heavy outside, nearly matching the squelch and squeak of wet shoes on the tile. the bathroom isn’t difficult to locate, and john finds it easy to admit to himself that he’s more than grateful to not be in clothes that cling to his skin.

though maybe had his mind not been so preoccupied with a dark gaze and full baritone, john might have noticed that the products lining the few shelves were not in fact all normal. perhaps he would have noticed jars of herbs and bones, bottles sealed with wax and labelled as spells. maybe he’d have seen the array of things considered otherworldly.

but he doesn’t. instead, john returns to the counter and the cup of coffee; to simon once he returns and a shadow that doesn’t quite follow his movements as it should.

maybe having his car stop working didn’t have to be such a bad thing, for the time being.

(part two)

#i should probably make a proper tag for the au ideas huh #anyway mildly supernatural au #john soap mactavish #simon ghost riley #ghost mw2 #soap mw2 #ghost x soap #ghoap #soapghost #ghostsoap #alternate universe #writing #drabble

[brehaaorgana]

People joke about ADHD all the time, even swear up and down they totally think they also have it, but then if you ask for an accommodation, to please please please provide things in fucking writing, EXACTLY what they want and need, you will even work it out WITH them, like they promised they would do — repeatedly over and over, and then you don't get it people really will fucking be like:

I am using the incorrect bathroom (TM) to place my shelving and store my things. Homegirl literally removed various sundries and toiletries from a CLOSED CABINET and SHELF because she's interested in boundaries and accountability for my mess.

I said months ago I wanted to improve things for her comfort level and needed a written list of what precisely that fucking looked like in order to achieve it and not miss anything she deemed important. I explained how ADHD works, why I needed a written reference. Why I had to have it laid out, and if something needed changing we needed to write it all out. I would've made the list myself, but they said they would make it for the whole house to hold up their end of things. And, thinking this was a very reasonable adult solution to keeping the house in good shape, I said okay, come up with the list of expectations and what is needed and that way we can update how we handle chores. Awesome. I will do that to uphold my end.

No list ever gets made or drafted or anything despite my bringing it up, knowing we need to do it, but I DO get berated for failing to meet expectations and boundaries that were never fucking provided or delivered and include "don't store toiletries in this particular bathroom because I don't like it."

I can't believe I am a goddamn adult who gets treated like an idiot child for expecting adult communication instead of snide ass passive aggressive bullshit and basic respect for my things.

Because when I fucking get home, my shelving has been removed and a cabinet emptied of my things and placed in the "correct" bathroom.

🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃

Oh shit she solved it, this doesn't look cluttered at all!

What a vast improvement to storing things in appropriate storage!

#my mortal sins include a laundry basket in the kitchen which is where the laundry room is #doing something INCOMPREHENSIBLE to work with my adhd like use the downstairs bathroom to get ready in the morning #instead of the upstairs one because that works best for me and keeps me moving in the morning #storing hobby supplies i was using in the living room in a milk crate basket to clear space at night easily #i left an oil painting to dry on a tabletop easel on MY coffee table and she tried to clean it up causing some of the paint to come off #i used to keep an empty up placed on the mat next to the cat water fountain to remind me to fill up often #not a mess of cups not half emptied cups. a dedicated refill cup tucked behind the fountain #when it kept getting removed i switched it up and placed the cup on top of the cat food bin to clearly indicate it was a cat item #no this is UNACCEPTABLE #also all my coats were removed from the coat rack i feel insane #coats GO ON THE COAT RACK #have you ever had someone actively sabotage your tools to manage your adhd bc its not fun lol #'i can understand why it feels shocking now' literally the most vile snide snake shit when you didnt communicate boundaries at all #its not communicating an expectation to gather up my personal belongings and dump them somewhere else and then text me about it during work #this is how you know shes only ever lived with blood relatives before this lol the entitlement #adhd blogging

[unproblematickingcharlieswan]

Bella Swan Was A Rich Bitch

I’m slowly making my way through the Twilight series for the first time since 2009 and I have a lot of thoughts. Here are some: 

Bella claims she grew up poor. I disagree. I think she grew up at the very least middle class for the USA, despite being raised by a single mother.

(We all know Charlie paid that child support on time.) 

Firstly, she grew up in a house, which her mother seems to own, as there is no mention of a landlord or paying rent. 

Renée even leaves this property unattended for months on end while she lives in another state with her husband, Phil. When Bella returns to the house at the end of Twilight, it’s empty, so Renée didn’t need to rent it out during her absence and, presumably, simply owns two different properties simultaneously. 

She’s even still paying the electric and phone bills, as Bella can turn on the lights and use the phone although the house has been empty for months. (p. 476)

This house, I imagine, had more than one bathroom, as sharing a bathroom with a parent is embarrassing to Bella. 

When describing Charlie’s house, Bella says, “There was only one small bathroom at the top of the stairs, which I would have to share with Charlie. I was trying not to dwell too much on that fact.” (p. 9)

She finds it foreign and off-putting to share a bathroom with someone, to the point that she keeps all her toiletries in a bag that she stores in her bedroom, and brings the bag with her to the bathroom whenever she goes. She is described doing this multiple times over the course of the book. 

The book takes place c. 2005, and Bella has a computer with internet access. She accepts these as given, rather than privileges.  “The only changes Charlie had ever made were switching the crib for a bed and adding a desk as I grew. The desk now held a secondhand computer, with the phone line for the modem stapled along the floor to the nearest phone jack. This was a stipulation from my mother, so that we could stay in touch easily.” (p. 9)

The author repeatedly uses the marker “secondhand” to insinuate Bella’s relative poverty, but the mere fact she has a computer of her own, as well as home internet access, sets her apart from truly socioeconomically disadvantaged kids. 

Bella participated in at least one extra-curricular activity as a child. 

And a very expensive one at that: ballet. (p. 454)

Come on.

Bella and her mother have a piano.

“I suddenly remembered my childhood fantasy that, should I ever win a lottery, I would buy a grand piano for my mother. She wasn’t really good—she only played for herself on our secondhand upright—but I loved to watch her play.” (p. 351)

The author makes a point of mentioning it’s an upright piano (cheaper than a grand) and that it’s secondhand. However, unless the piano came with their house, they would have had to pay for the piano itself (often several thousand dollars for a used upright) as well as to transport it to their home (professional transportation of pianos can also cost several thousand dollars). Pianos require maintenance/tuning (usually a couple hundred dollars per tuning session), which are additional costs. Unlike a ukulele or a fife, a piano is not a cheap instrument to own or play and there are more than upfront costs. 

Her mother has nice clothes, and pays to maintain them. 

Bella’s mother e-mails her asking whether she knows where her pink blouse is. Bella responds, “Your blouse is at the dry cleaners—you were supposed to pick it up Friday.” (p. 34)

Dry cleaning a blouse implies that not only it is made from an expensive material (silk, chiffon, linen, suede, leather, etc.), but also that the owner has the monetary resources, time, and transportation to bring it to a dry cleaner and pay someone to clean it for them. 

Bella doesn’t bother to bring most of her clothes with her when she moves to Forks. 

“I had only a few bags. Most of my Arizona clothes were too permeable for Washington. My mom and I had pooled our resources to supplement my winter wardrobe, but it was still scanty. It all fit easily into the trunk of the cruiser.” (p. 5)

It seems odd to me that Bella never thought about layering her lighter clothing in Washington, particularly because this was written in the early 2000s. I think the “my mom and I had pooled our resources” line is an attempt by the author to demonstrate they don’t have money to buy her new clothes, however, when she gets to Forks, Bella has enough pocket money to consider doing some shopping on a trip to Seattle later in the book. (p. 160)

Bella, who notoriously feels guilty about everything, goes to the hospital twice in Twilight, including for several days at the end of the book, but never worries about how much it will all cost her family. 

She suffered life-threatening bleeding and broken bones (leg, ribs, and skull), and was admitted for several nights. I’ve never lived in the USA but the internet tells me this is extremely expensive. She isn’t remotely worried about it.

Bella doesn’t have a job, but she has money.   

She’s 17 and unemployed, so I’m not sure where it comes from. An allowance? But an allowance is only possible if parents have wealth to spare. 

In all her reminiscing about Arizona, Bella doesn’t so much as recall a babysitting gig. So where do her funds come from? The only time she uses Charlie's money is to pay for groceries.

“I had more money than I was used to having, since, thanks to Charlie, I hadn’t had to pay for a car. Not that the truck didn’t cost me quite a bit in the gas department.” (p. 84)

She doesn’t get a job until New Moon, but she planned on using her own money to buy a car and fuel it without even considering applying for a job in Twilight (and we know every thought that goes through her head). Further, unlike any truly poor kid, she doesn't seem to consider walking or cycling options despite living in a small town (I assume a community the size of Forks would not have a robust public transportation system).

She eats at restaurants, considers clothing and book shopping, etc., without any care about paying for anything. She is supposed to be a conscientious girl who made sure her mother’s bills were paid, so if money were an issue, we should expect her to think about it.

TL;DR

Bella wasn’t poor. Renée wasn’t poor. Charlie wasn’t poor. 

The author was certainly never poor. 

#my thoughts #twilight #twilight renaissance #Charlie swan #Bella swan #Bella was a rich bitch #Carlisle Cullen is the 1% #eat the rich #renée #twilightcore #twilightcore is rich people pretending to be poor

[harlowcomehome]

I have a request but don’t wanna overwhelm you so if you don’t wanna write it, it’s totally cool! I was thinking about the Harlow family doing a grocery run, just reader and Jack teasing each other and hazel and jade picking everything they see and putting it in the cart lol I live for those family moments 😅 - 💀

“Can I has?”

It was five in the morning and you were up getting ready for your grocery run, you liked to go early in the day hoping you would avoid other people.

Jack was still in bed, he had a long night so you were trying your best to tiptoe around him. You wanted to make sure that he got as much sleep as possible.

You were in your shaded bathroom when you heard the door squeak open “oh!” You jumped, “you scared me.” Jack smiled and let out a yawn “grocery day?” You nodded, giving him a kiss on the cheek to avoid his morning breath. “Can I come?” He rubbed his eyes and you smiled “of course, shower while I get the girl ready.” He nodded and turned on the water.

You went into the girls rooms, waking them for the day and having the both of them get ready. Jade hated being woken up, so you knew you were in for a struggle. Hazel however already knew what today was and quickly got ready while you tried to tame her very emotional little sister.

“Is too early!” Jade cried out as she wiped her eyes. “I’m sleepy” she sniffled as you picked her up and held her close to your chest. “I know baby bug, but it’s grocery day.” She continued to cry “I don’t wanna go!”

Eventually Jade calmed down and also got ready for the day.

Jack helped get the girls ready to go, he also reminded you of the list you had written down and stuck to the fridge.

When the four of you arrived at the grocery store there was only a handful of cars that you could have counted on one hand. That was usually the case, which gave you the opportunity to shop freely. 

“Get a cart please” you motioned to Jack as you got Jade out of her car seat, Hazel followed him quickly leaving the two of you behind. Jade was still grumpy, she didn’t like having to wear clothes instead of pajamas this early. “I don’t want my jacket on” she grumbled and you smiled “bug, it’s cold out and I don’t want you to get sick.” She groaned but agreed as you met your husband who was waiting with the shopping cart. Hazel was sat inside it and Jade was now sitting in the front of it.

“Let’s start with basics” you yawned and Jack smiled noticing now just how tired you were. “Toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant and hairspray?” He smiled and you nodded “body wash too” he nodded giving you a kiss on the cheek “I’ll go grab those things while you go get paper towels?” You nodded and he was immediately out of view. You pushed the cart to the toiletries isle, making sure to get paper towels, napkins, toilet paper and tissue boxes. Hazel giggled as the cart filled around her. Jack came back to you holding all the previous things mentioned and handed them to Hazel, who “organized” the mess around her.

“Someone’s eager to get the shopping over with” you teased and Jack smiled “I just want to make sure you don’t get the cheap toothbrushes” he laughed and you shook your head at that.

You passed the toy isle on the way to the food and Hazel and Jade immediately started to point things out. Jack looked at you with eyes that screamed “just one toy?” Which made you giggle considering he was the one who complained about the amount of toys the two girls had already.

You helped Hazel get out of the cart, knowing she’d want to explore the toy isles with Jack. Jade was still interested but less interested to walk around herself so you pushed the cart through the isles as she pointed out things. “Can I has that doll?” She pointed to a doll on the shelf and you smiled “do you want some outfits for her too?” She nodded and pointed at something else. Hazel and Jack returned with a remote control car, you laughed and nodded as they put it in the cart.

“Okay! Food!” You said in a rushed tone as you kept an eye on the time. When you made your way to the snack foods both your daughters and Jack kept constantly sneaking things into the cart. “We already have chips” you laughed as Jack added more to the cart “you can never have too many though.” You shrugged as Hazel eyed a package of Oreos, “go ahead” you sighed and Hazel quickly threw them in the cart.

“We need eggs and milk” you told Jack and he went to grab them immediately as you continued to move on to the cheese area. “Mommy, I wanna try this!” Hazel pointed out a pepper jack cheese and Jade looked up at you “cubes!” You laughed at both of your littles “oh! Daddy loves that cheese but I’m not sure if you will Hazey, we can try it though!” Hazel picked up a package and put it in the cart as soon as Jack was back. “Pepper jack? So good” he smiled and you laughed at his timing.

Jade was annoyed that nobody acknowledged her. “CUBES!” she shouted and you were taken aback by it. “We still have some at home pumpkin” you reassured her as a pout grew more evident on her face. “Not those ones” she mumbled.

You were moving on from that area when Jack realized something, “do we need more yogurt?” You paused for a minute “I don’t remember.” Hazel reminded you that you did and you smiled “thanks Hazey.”

You made your way to the frozen meat, buying a range of items for dinner this week. “We should do kabobs this week” Jack suggested and you smiled “already on the list” he laughed and went in for a kiss “you’re always in my head woman!”

“Mommy, cereal?” Jade huffed as she pointed at the boxes. “Just one” you agreed as she pointed at a colorful box.

“Can we get hot chocolate?” Hazel asked and you nodded. Jack could see you were running out of energy. “Let’s go get some while mommy finishes this area, yeah?” Hazel agreed to go with Jack as you finished up most of the isles.

“Mommy” Jade said as she held her doll close to her. “Yes baby bug?”

“Can I has some of those fuzzy fruits?”

“Which ones?” You smiled as you pushed the now much heavier cart around.

“The brown ones” Jade smiled and you walked over to kiwis, “these?” She nodded and you added a package to the cart. Jack and Hazel came back shortly Hazel immediately getting sidetracked by the bananas and sneaking some into the cart.

Jack pushed the cart to the checkout just in time for your grocery run to be over.

Once everything was in the car and settled, Jack turned to you “Chick-fil-A for breakfast?“ You smiled “you know me so well.”

#💀 anon #jack harlow #jack harlow concepts #jack harlow blurb #jack harlow imagines #dad! jack

[no-phrogs-in-hats]

If I Could Turn Back Time

Larissa Weems x fem!reader

Chapter 15

And give into the temptation I did. Monday night, after dinner, Larissa and I drove into Jericho to my townhouse. 

“How’s your cat?” Larissa asked. “Gingie, right?”

I giggled. “Gingie is fine. He’s gonna be even happier when he has a whole castle to roam around in.”

I put the car in park and we both got out, making our way to the door. Immediately when I stepped inside, Gingie ran over, meowing like he wouldn’t meow again. He was rubbing on my legs before practically attaching himself to Larissa’s. 

She scooped him up in her arms, pampering him with chin scratches, and leaving faint lipstick marks where she kissed him on his head. Even when following me through the house to my bedroom, Larissa refused to put him down, and only dropped him when she decided on helping me pack.

I looked down at her as she sat on my bed, meticulously folding each item and placing it gently into the duffle bag. “Wow,” I said. “I would’ve just thrown everything in the bag and then complained when nothing fits.”

Larissa chuckled. “Yeah, I bet you would.”

I leaned against the door frame of my closet, biting the inside of my lip and watching as she continued to fold. Eventually, she stopped and sighed. “Can I help you?”

“There is just something so hot about that…” I muttered, taking slow steps toward her. “Taking such care to make sure my…” I trailed off, thinking about all of the things I wanted her to do to me and vice versa. “Fuck it.”  I reached down and quickly shoved the bag onto the floor before straddling Larissa, taking great delight in the way she giggled as I pushed her onto the bed.

After fitting his harness and leash on him, Gingie seemed almost ecstatic to be leaving the house. Larissa couldn’t stop giggling as she kept looking into the back seat to see him mesmerized , staring out the window at the streetlights and cars flying by. 

“How often does he get to do this?” she asked.

I looked in my rear-view mirror at Gingie and smiled before glancing at Larissa. “We used to do it every chance we got. But life got in the way, and we haven’t gone out in a while. Sometimes I would take him to the Weathervane. The baristas loved him. I’m surprised the harness still fits, though. He was barely a year old when I got it for him.”

“We should take him out more,” Larissa laughed. “He seems to love it.”

When we arrived at Nevermore, we rushed through the entrance hall and made our way to Larissa’s office, Gingie in tow (and quite the pain in my ass having to force him away from sniffing statues and corners of the room).  Once the door was shut, I let him roam the office and followed Larissa into her quarters.

As we unpacked some of my clothes and toiletries, I couldn’t get the thought of Marilyn out of my head. 

“Larissa,” I called from the bed where the duffle bag sat. “Do you get any weird vibes from Marilyn?”

Larissa poked her head out of the bathroom. “Erm…No. I don’t think so. Why?”

“I dunno,” I shrugged. “Something feels off.”

“Why? Because she’s trying to get with you?” Larissa snickered.

I rolled my eyes and chuckled. “No…there’s just something. I can’t put my finger on it. Like…I know her from somewhere, I’ve seen her before. I just don’t know where.”

Larissa turned off the bathroom light and made her way over to me. Wrapping her arms around my waist, she pecked me on the cheek, “Maybe you two…I dunno…maybe you knew each other in a past life.”

The school was on full lock-down after Mayor Walker was hit by a car. No student was to leave the building unless given special permission. But, as always, there would be a few stragglers who didn’t abide by the rules.

I sat in my car, the engine and headlights off, distracted by my phone. I had just gotten back from the store, and when I looked up, to my not-so-surprise, Wednesday Addams and Enid Sinclair were traipsing down the path to the gate. 

I huffed, and for a moment, debated on whether I should tell Larissa or follow them. I chose the latter. 

Watching as they got in someone’s car, my gut was practically screaming at me to turn around and tell Larissa. But, once I arrived at the destination a few minutes after them, there was no turning back. I had no signal on my phone, and now, telling Larissa was no longer and option.

I stood in front of the Gates Mansion, the abandoned building looming over me. I opened the door and was met with three startled faces.

“Really?” I scolded. “The school is on lock-down!”

Enid was practically shaking. “Miss Foster! Um…It was Wednesday’s idea. Tyler and I had no idea this was going to happen!”

“Somehow I believe that,” I said. “Okay…um…Wednesday, Enid, out. Now.”

Wednesday’s eyes widened and she seemed to be growing frustrated. “But this is imperative to my investigation!”

“Miss Addams, you’re 16! You shouldn’t even be doing something like this!” I watched as she ignored me and continued to search the first floor. 

The first thing spotted was a blue car, to which Wednesday informed us that it was the same car that hit the mayor. The next, an altar for Joseph Crackstone. 

Enid, Tyler, and I continued to follow her into an office that was cobweb-ridden and covered in dust.

She shined her flashlight at a portrait where five people stood: two teenage boys, a little girl, and a man and woman. 

“Garret, Laurel, Ansel…” Wednesday muttered. “Who’s that, though?”

I looked at the picture closer–everything was so familiar. Like I had seen these people before.  It gnawed at my insides as I racked my brain for everyone I had ever met in my life. But there was nothing. 

Knowing that I couldn’t force the three of them to leave, I decided to accompany them so that I could at least keep them out of trouble–but that was far too late. When Wednesday proposed that we split up, I had had enough. 

As always, though, I was ignored by Wednesday, with Enid backing me up and Tyler as well, both of them saying how bad of an idea it was. And they were right. 

After discovering that a single room, belonging to Laurel Gates, was completely refurbished and had obviously been slept in, everything took a turn for the worst. 

A clatter from downstairs startled the three of us. We ran out of the room to the top of the staircase before hearing a loud growl and Tyler’s scream. The shadow of the monster could be seen on the wall of the staircase and I immediately pushed the two of them behind me.  “Go! Now!”

Wednesday looked around quickly and spotted something across the hall. “The dumbwaiter!” 

I opened it for them, urging them inside before I climbed in after. Inside, the only sound was our heavy breathing. Wednesday leaned forward, taking the scarf from her neck and tying it around the handle of the dumbwaiter door.

For a moment, I thought we would be okay. I could hear the growling of the monster outside and before I even had a moment to think, claws ripped a gash through the metal. Behind me, Enid screamed, and just as the monster began to tear through the door, we plummeted two floors.

I was thrown out onto the dirty floor of the basement, Wednesday and Enid following behind and falling on top of me. 

“Are you okay?” I asked as we got onto our feet. 

Enid was shaking and trying to catch her breath. “I think so.”

Wednesday seemed to be unaffected as she walked around the room, shining her flashlight at the shelves until heavy footsteps were heard above us. Tiny pieces of rubble from the ceiling rained down on us and they continued to grow closer and closer to the basement door. I ushered the pair of them to a window on the other side of the room and Enid happily obliged. 

Wednesday however, was not so easy to convince. 

With her flashlight pointed at it, she examined a jar with a severed foot, completely ignoring the fact that the monster was quickly creeping down the stairs. “These are the body parts missing from the monster’s victims!”

“Wednesday!” I shouted. “Now! Out the window!”

She finally listened and hurried out the window, helping me through just before the monster could grab hold of my foot. The three of us laid on the ground, chests heaving and hearts racing. 

“Are you okay?” Wednesday asked. 

Enid, who was fed up with her at this point, stood up and snapped at her, “Since when do you care?”

She stormed away as I got up, helping Wednesday too. 

“Tyler,” she gasped. Before I could register what she meant, she turned and ran.

Enid’s eyes went wide and her voice started to shake. “Wednesday, what the hell are you thinking?” 

That night seemed to drag on. We found Tyler, injured badly with gashes across his chest. This was all my fault. I was the adult. I was the guardian. It was my job to protect these children, and I had failed miserably. 

As soon as I got a signal on my phone, messages from Larissa came flooding through.

Where are you?

I’m getting worried. It’s late.

Please call me.

And I did. She picked up almost immediately and her voice was frantic, asking where I was and why I was out so late. As soon as I explained everything, she was livid. 

I walked Wednesday up the main staircase where Larissa stood with a clenched jaw and flared nostrils. To put it bluntly, she was pissed.

“You directly violated my explicit order and left campus during a lockdown,” Larissa said, her body stiff with anger and frustration. “Not to mention, putting your peers, yourself, and a teacher in danger.”

I stood there quietly as Wednesday began to defend herself. 

“Which is grounds for expulsion,” she said. “I know. And you have every right to exercise that option. I do believe it would be a grave error on your part.”

Larissa scoffed and it went back and forth between them until Wednesday pulled out a piece of parchment with a drawing on it. Flames seemed to encase the Quad and man–Joseph Crackstone–stood in the center with a girl–Wednesday. 

She handed it to Larissa, whose eyes changed from anger to fear. “Is this why he tried to kill you?”

Wednesday explained everything–how Rowan’s mother drew it before she died, how she believed Wednesday was destined to destroy the school. 

“But I believe I’m meant to save it,” Wednesday said.

After sending Wednesday bed, Larissa looked at me as I climbed the stairs. It wasn’t until we stepped into her office that she finally addressed me. Her voice was stern,  “Why didn’t you call?”

Truly, I had no idea. I couldn’t even come up with an answer.

“Do you know how worried I was?” she cried. “Thank god nothing happened to you!”

She pulled me into a hug, and something about it made me break down into tears. I was expecting a scolding, a tongue lashing from her, but instead, I got nothing but concern and worry mingled with relief that I was okay.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered into her chest. 

Her hand came to my head, brushing her fingers through my hair and holding me close. “I’m just glad you were there to keep them safe.” Larissa pulled away and looked me directly in the eyes. Her face dropped and her glare was icy. “But don’t ever do that again.”

“Oh trust me,” I said. “I won’t.”

#gwendoline christie #larissa weems #larissa weems x reader #wednesday #fanfic #gwendoline christie x reader

[yxkanna]

FAST AND DIRTY GUIDE TO AMERICAN CORNER STORES FOR @kxllerblond AND OTHER PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT TF IS GOING ON OVER HERE. mostly based on my knowledge of road tripping down south, on the west coast, the east coast and in the midwest.

gas station:

very normal. usually designed for cars and have a small convenience store attached. bigger ones also allow bigger rigs to fill up and might have a fast food restaurant or two attached. there's a lovely one in louisiana that has a nice actual sit down restaurant and a pie store attached to it and also sells small home goods but this is rare for gas stations.

"big american truck stop:"

literally meant for Truckers to Stop. similar to a gas station except that there's also lots of parking for big rigs so truckers can have a place to sleep at night and there's often showers inside that can be rented.

bucee's:

a texas original. biggest fucking gas station you'll ever see in your life. great bathrooms. the store is endless. you can buy basically anything at a bucee's. the only lord i submit to is bucee beaver. i have like 3 different bucee's shirts. only reason to ever go to texas imo

convenience store:

usually what's attached to gas stations but can also be stand alone depending on where you are (in texas, for example, i've only ever seen them attached to gas stations, but in massachussetts it's a mix of gas stations and stand alones). this is where you can get snacks, toiletries, some groceries, smokes, lotto tickets, limited beer/wine/hard seltzer, etc etc.

bodega:

much smaller than convenience stores and typically tucked into corners in big cities like new york. very rooted in puerto rican culture and can be found in their purest form(?) in hispanic neighborhoods. sell most of the same things as convenience stores but with more of an emphasis on groceries (lots of people get their groceries exclusively from bodegas) and maybe sometimes have other unique features like a fresh bakery or a sandwich shop, but they're not exclusively a deli or a bakery.

hope this helps <3

#ooc #moopisms #HOPE THIS HELPS #had to drop bucee even tho he has nothing to do with this post. my king. my liege

[missspringthyme]

February 8th, 2024

So before I explain today, I have to give a little context for last night. Due to not having a period in over a year, I missed the retrospectively obvious signs of what was about to happen and bled onto my sheets while I was blow drying my hair. Why was I blow drying my hair? Because I decided to make sure I showered before coming to my sister's because from what she's described, I'm not stepping foot in hers. This also meant that I didn't go to bed until past midnight even though I had an alarm set for 5am. Lovely.

Alarm goes off, I'm in hell. After a few too many snoozes, I get up and start to get ready. I've packed all my toiletries already, so I'm using my B list backup products. This includes a brand new tube of concealer that is allegedly the same shade as the one I've packed, but this is a lie. It looks clown white on my face. I decide that perhaps I could fix it with some bronzer, but I don't use it very often and the one I have in a palette I mostly use for my eyes. Now, I look like an orange. I try my best to fix what has gone wrong, but I look at my clock and see I'm running out of time. I drop third culture Australian's hairdryer in front of his door, skip breakfast, grab snacks and rush out the door. Google maps estimates that I will not get to the bus station by 7am, I still have to try.

I power walk through the cold, misty morning where the only signs of life are the bakeries. I press my feet into the ground again and again until my 30 minute walk becomes a 24 minute walk. I'm going to make it in just the nick of time. I get there and I wait and wait and wait before discovering the heist I've pulled off on myself. I put the time the bus leaves as 30 minutes earlier in my calendar so that I would get there on time. I only wish I had stopped to eat breakfast.

Bus ride is fine, I mostly sleep. Get off at Rotterdam to get my train to Utrecht and sit freezing for about an hour. I manage to get on an earlier train and sit next to a woman who smells like my grandma. Like a bathroom after someone's blowdryed their hair, a little perfumey. I haven't smelled that in a very long time and I think about it the entire train ride.

At the station I text my sister and tell her I arrived early. I lean against a railing near the turnstiles and wait for her to show up. I'm a little zoned out so she manages to scare me when she comes to say hello. She gives me options for lunch and we decide to find a restaurant in the city center because she never eats out and it's her birthday. We walk for a bit and pop into a store that I loved in Scotland. Inside, my sister finds one of those hats with a propeller on top and I take some pictures of her wearing it. She keeps saying she wants to go back and buy it. She also seems entranced by a geldautomaat that is just a yellow room filled with ATMs. She explains that it's because there's "no real banks here".

We find a little cafe that looks like it has good options, it's raining so we were looking for somewhere indoors but not too expensive. My sister doesn't like making decisions and she keeps telling me to do it for her because it's her birthday. She tries to order in dutch and doesnt do half bad, but eventually switches to english. I also find out she doesnt know what halloumi is, but we get fallafel pitas anyway, She does pay for my lunch, I'm guessing because she knows that I've not really had a ton of money because of the paying for family therapy thing, but I tell her that it's done. We talk about how and why that ended and about our family and speaking German and a bunch of other things.

We head back to go pick her bike up from the huge storage building. She's very excited to show me it, and she's talked about it repeatedly since moving here. The only empty spot we had found was a rack that was off the ground that seemed to be stuck, so I has helped her lift the bike up into it. Alas, when we retrieved the bike we discovered how to get it to slide out and down, you live and you learn

She has class today so we have to head to her campus quickly, and she offers for us to either take the tram or for me to ride on the back of her bike. I've never ridden on the back of a bike before so I go for that option. It's more difficult than I thought it would be (I was warned it was an ab work out but its actually my hip flexors that are burning), and I have to be careful with my legs because my sister keeps riding a little to close to the side of the road (she smacks me into a cone at one point). As she bikes, she point s out things we pass. Why this or that building is important or interesting, or the grocery stores that she likes best.

At her dorm, I drop off my stuff and meet the people she lives with before we go to pick up some flowers that are waiting for her at reception. The note says they're from my mom. Afterwards, she gives me a tour of her campus. I can see why she chose to go here, it suits her well, but it feels like a little bubble. Everyone here stays and lives on campus and everything she needs is a 5 minute walk away. Very American style. After she comes back from class we get ready to go out and eat dinner with a few of her friends. We go to a pizza place 15 minutes before the kitchen closes, but they still bring out a birthday tiramisu for her, which was incredibly delicious. We eat quickly and leave so that the restaurant can close. We stop and look and look at some tiles painted with chairs on the way back and I think of my insane AP lang and comp test that had the most batshit pieces of text i've ever read in my life including a long on essay on chairs and what they tell you about their owners.

Back on campus, my sister decided to take a running leap into a puddle and fell fully on her ass in the mud. Luckily, she was wearing her yellow raincoat, but her backside was still fully covered in mud. She decided the best course of action was to shower fully dressed in her concrete shower, but eventually I had to help her using the little hand held shower head. She was sad she couldn't wear her jeans anymore because she was counting on them to make a more basic top work, so I tried to help her find a different birthday outfit. Eventually she settled on something and her friends started arriving for the little get together she was having. She served chips and blue takis(?) And frantically washed cups and mugs so everyone would have a glass to drink out of. Their kitchen has a mouse so she doesn't trust any of the dishes in there.

They took photos and eventually everyone left to go to a reggaton night except for a few of her friends who brought out a cake covered in different photos of things that she likes/represent her. She thought for a moment and then blew out the candles, before begging everyone to please eat as much of the cake as they could. We then went to her campus bar, where we played some darts and danced. Initially my sister wasn't going to do this tradition where you stand on the bar and drink a cup full of shots while "its my birthday" plays in the background, but she caved and did it anyway. She also finally agreed to wear a paper party hat while we danced. Her friends kept trying to get her to dance with guy, but she was not having it. If she ever ends up dating anyone, I will be truly shocked.

We go to bed at 3 in the morning.

#sister #febuary #travel

[casspurrjoybellbittner]

Wreckless - The Beach House

*Warning Adult Content*

Emmett

Yesterday I got a text from Finnegan telling me that Megan had found us a place and with almost no begging and Peter gave me the go ahead.

He complained that he'd actually have to work for a week but was happy for me, for us.

This morning I worked, then came home and tried to get ready to leave the house for a week.

Andy said he'd come by and feed and play with Marten which was the biggest thing to take care of.

I did laundry, cleaned out the fridge and took out the trash.

I pulled the cooler out of the basement and filled it.

I've learned that Finnegan likes to snack at all hours and most of the hotel rooms near the beach have those little refrigerator/micro combos so I brought some fruit, string cheese, drinks and microwave popcorn too.

At the last second I remembered to grab one of his cups.

Finnegan is supposed to be back by now so I text him.

Emmett Locke: Hey darling. Is everything going okay over there?

Finnegan Walker: Stupid stupid-heads aren't even HERE YET. I have to see them before we leave so I have to wait.

Emmett Locke: Did you call and confirm?

Obviously big Finn would have but the whole 'stupid-heads' is making me think he may not be quite his normal work self.

Finnegan Walker: Of course. They're at another job and on their way. They have been on the way for the last two hours. I need a vacation.

Emmett Locke: You're getting one tomorrow. Anything I can do to help?

Finnegan Walker: Any chance you want to pack for me? I don't have much, we can buy stuff there right? I'll do my toiletries in the morning but my shorts and sleepies and a few t-shirts?

He's right, he doesn't even have a weeks worth of casual clothes because his dress clothes took up so much room.

I'm going to handle that for him since he handed me another huge check this morning.

Emmett Locke: I've got you, darling, no worries. I recommend going to the bathroom. People always show up as soon as you gotta piss.

Finnegan Walker: I'm desperate enough to try anything. TY :)

He's not the only desperate one, I can not wait to have some more time with him next week.

I try 'Old Navy' because they make slims, which will look amazing on Finn and they have some fun stuff that I think he'll like.

I end up scoring big and get him an extra pair of trunks with sharks all over them and a matching blue rash-guard shirt to protect his poor shoulders, two pairs of shorts, three t-shirts and a really cute short sleeve button-down.

I get him two fun graphic tees, a funny pair of socks and a pair of flip flops for the beach and pool because all he has are fancy leather sandals.

That will do him but still give him room in the suitcase to shop if he wants to.

I stop by the dollar store on the way home grab a few ridiculous things that we probably won't ever use.

I get two bubble wands, two squirt guns, a beach ball and a raft that probably won't hold either of us.

I pack his jeans because damn he looks good in them and if it rains the evenings may be cool, a pair of long pajama pants and pretty much everything else he has at my place that doesn't involve wool or need to be starched except for one outfit that I leave folded on my dresser for tomorrow and of course his night undies.

Then I let Marten out and play with him for hours before cleaning his cage.

Finally, hours after he should be, Finnegan is back home.

"Hi darling," I holler from upstairs when I hear the door.

"I'm done," he says gleefully.

He comes careening up the stairs and leaps into my arms.

"Can we go now?"

It's not THAT late but...

"I thought the booking started tomorrow."

"Nope. I had to do weekly Saturday to Saturday. I know it wasn't the plan, I just want out of here. I want to be with you and forget about work. I just need to change and pack some stupid work stuff but I can be ready in like ten minutes because you're amazing and packed for me."

He's not usually so impulsive but how can I say no to wanting more time together?

"I'll get the toiletries and put the suitcase in the car. I assume we're taking yours?" 

I'm looking forward to driving it, actually.

"Yeah, of course. I can't believe we're really going."

His excitement is contagious and I'm grinning like an idiot.

"Okay, in the car by six p.m. Darling. We'll stop and get something to eat on the way."

He kisses my cheek before dashing towards his office.

"Thanks, Emmett."

********

Finn has the address in his cell-phone's GPS so I pay no attention.

We're going east so I assume it knows what it's doing.

When we get close I ask...

"Which hotel is it?"

"She got us a house... a block away from the water. Sorry she couldn't find anything closer... we'll plan better next time."

He's kidding, right? I've never stayed within walking distance of the actual ocean and a house?

There are some adorable beach cottages all clustered together not far from the beach, maybe it's one of those.

That would be sweet.   

I follow along as the phone chirps directions at me and when Finnegan points and says...

"That looks like it."

I slow down. 

"Yeah, 303. That's us Emmett... the blue one, right here."

He's shitting me.

It's the cutest house I've ever seen and it's huge.

Well, probably not huge by his standards but it's a lot bigger than my rowhouse.

"This is crazy, Finnegan. Seriously?"

He doesn't answer, he jumps out of the car as soon as I put it in park and runs to the door.

He punches in a code and disappears inside as I grab my bag and his suitcase.

The porch light was left on for us but he's running around flipping on more.

"It's so CUTE," he squeals.

"Emmett... Emmett... look at the pool."

There's a pool? Of course, just what you need next to the beach.

My jaw drops open when I look through the huge window and there are fountains shooting water across the pool.

Finnegan is turning them on and off but soon tires of that game and runs upstairs.

"Our bedroom."

He meets me halfway up the stairs, grabs his suitcase and lugs it the rest of the way.

"There are three... well two and an office with a sleeper couch but this is ours."

It's beautiful.

I was in a torn up old palace once but this is definitely the nicest room I've ever been in.

It looks like the 'after' on one of those remodeling shows.

The whole house does, actually.

It even has a door to a little balcony and I'm pretty sure that in the morning we're going to be able to see the ocean because it's way too dark over there to be anything else. 

"Can you start unpacking while I get the cooler?"

I guess I shouldn't have worried about having a fridge.

"Okay but then I wanna go to the beach."

"Tonight? It's late."

"Please? I just wanna see it and smell it and hear it. Please? Ten minutes... that's all," he promises.

"Sure Finnegan, I could use a walk to stretch my legs."

[moon-uswatun]

Luxury 2 Bedroom Apartment MG Suites Setos

Address: Gajah Mada, Jalan Petempen No. 294, Semarang, Central Java

Location: 10/10

Easy access to the location. It's only under 10 minutes from the train station by car. The street is not too busy. It is also close the convenience store. Food also not hard to find.

The host: 10/10

The host is fast to respond. She is also understanding and friendly when I messaged some of my concerns.

Internet speed: 10/10

I connected 3 of the devices I brought. The place also has 2 smart tv connected to the internet. It run smoothly when all the 5 device running at the same time. It's only lagged in one device when I played games while downloading and there are 3 device watching video streaming.

Bed comfort: 10/10

Both the bedrooms are clean. Both beds can fit 2 or 3 adults. The blanket are thick and clean. Both bedrooms also have an air conditioner and a smartTV each. Big wardrobe and a bathroom and toilet each.

Total comfort of the place: 9/10

The place is very comfortable for staying wether for the short or long period of stay. The place also spacious enough for maximum 4 adults. And it is child friendly.

3 pros and 3 cons

Pros:

1. They have 3 smartTV. One for each bedroom and one for the living room.

2. We also don't have to worry about the toiletries if we happen to forgot to bring them (soap (for adult and kid), shampoo, detergent, hand soap).

3. It has a balcony facing the east so if we happen wash our wardrobe we can dry them outside.

Cons:

1. Some of the kitchen utensils are not working properly.

2. The host also needs to check the electricity. One of the lamp are not working when I was there.

3. With a big wardrobe I was expecting they have a hanging tools, but we couldn't find one.

#moon reblog #review #Airbnb #Semarang #February 2024 #vacation

[202310271]

Website

Survival

1. Maybe, the people monitoring me in private care that I have “food on the table,” but, after “money in the bank” and “innocent,” I need food in the kitchen! I don’t just wake up and eat rice, beans, and cereal… I’d rather have 2 donuts and a drink. It’s not something I eat. It’s like spinach for a child or Chinese for a German American.

2. I’m in rude Cleveland, and I’m mostly Pennsylvanian from my dad and New Yorker. I’m from “sunny” Florida and New Orleans, Louisiana. They even schedule to bother me for their next week the way they arouse me on the road, or used to. I keep getting a stupid look, after being handed to human resources or gestured thru the door down the hall to the doctor’s office. So, I am from partially a farming family from Pennsylvania, and I managed to store up food for the month after my struggles completely unfairly and unbased, without help, like I am punished. So, I stocked up food in my freezer and refrigerator for the month, as I mostly eat fresh food. I get pissed off still, like my chicken is going to fly out the window or my toilet paper with sprout legs and run out my apartment “studio.” Cleveland is not gonna like Thanksgiving. When I came, no one was worth anything regarding adapting and getting settled with money and food. They have the mentality you don’t have to eat every meal. They are blind and don’t listen to things humanity has learned since the wheel. They think you are bad if you don’t have to work and send you to crappy college experiences if you wanna make more than minimum wage ever, while most grocers are future college students, which Up North knows is not something everyone goes thru. In New Orleans, it was rich kids partied one night and left, to something better. Oh, and you need to set up maybe your whole house, save for the books on yout bookshelf. Get a screen device up on all the time, where you can see it from where you lie down during the day, like the top of a bed, and your chair with a back. Get a makeup or getting ready table. Get a planner up where it’s open all the time, a big regular one dated with a calendar and weekly calendar. Oh, make sure you have a floor fan and floor heater. Drawers. Bathroom and kitchen shelves. Make a comfortable place to eat, be it “breakfast in bed” or a little table next to your reclining chair. A drawer or container for mail. Speaker/s. I have a bed with a head that I use for ballet and a firm thick mattress, bamboo sheets. Bathroom trashcan, kitchen trashcan you take out regularly. If you have tissues out a trashcan there, like by your chair. Things come up. I want another room if I get good at dance, a room for extra refrigeration, freezing, and displaying dry food, as well as storing emergency food for power outages. Store extra necessities, like toiletries. Fill stuff, too, like if you like any crafts. A place to exercise. I want time to go out so may not want a white or if possible black tailed wild ferret?

[shield-maiden-of-sherwood]

A Dream Deferred - A Short Story

Summary:

A chorus of crickets fills the night air as Abby trudges through her New York apartment. Little does she know that a fateful encounter with Pete, an aspiring actor, will challenge her pessimistic view of the world and open her up to something new. Yet when success follows Pete, Abby's envy threatens to destroy what could have been. A story of envy, fragility, and hope, this tale will leave readers wanting more.

Part 1 - Not Ideal

The subway rattles and clangs as it speeds down the rail. The sickly fluorescent lighting hurts my already tired eyes, but I continue looking down at my phone anyway as my music plays in my earbuds.

It wasn't exactly ideal given that my head hurt as though somebody had hit me with a sledgehammer, but what are you gonna do? You make do. At 5 AM, I was on my way home from yet another late shift at the Old Tar Bar where I worked as a bartender. Another situation that wasn't ideal. I had no idea why the place was called "Old Tar" and quite honestly, I didn't care to find out. It was only a necessary evil. Bartending at night gave me the freedom during the day to work on my life's work. Like many of my fellow delusional creatives, when I had money, I packed up my stuff and moved across the country, leaving the comfort, or I guess lack thereof, of my home in Colorado for the bright lights and dirty streets of New York in hopes of making a name for myself as a writer.

Listen, I wasn't entirely delusional. I wasn't expecting to become an instant success or anything. I know better. But did I want to strike it big like Stephen King and write something so good that it was made into movies or a tv show? Of course. Did I think I would become famous and rich beyond my wildest dreams? Probably not but you can bet your ass I would try. 

Like the others, when I first arrived in New York, I found the cheapest studio apartment I could find. It wasn't easy and, if I'm quite honest, I'm not even sure how I found the antique building tucked away behind some Russian deli place that always reeked of salami. It wasn't the most glamorous place but I knew that this was the way to do it; Pay my dues and all that shit. Apparently, this place was practically a right of passage for new transients looking to make it big as each apartment was filled with some other young, and some not-so-young, hopefuls.

Each floor has about twelve inhabitants, with six on either side of the ancient stairwell separating them, and a bathroom on either side, with each side sharing one bathroom. Each floor, I found, contains different types of hopefuls. On my floor, there are two musicians, three actors, one makeup artist, and another writer. My side of the floor consists only of an annoying actor by the name of Pete and the makeup artist, Yuri. Yuri isn't too bad. Like the rest of us, she holds down a daytime job while honing her craft after work, and taking up random gigs on her weekends to gain experience. She works at some big-name makeup store, giving makeovers to tweens and Karens, but I can't remember which one. 

Shortly after I had moved in, we ran into each other in the cramped mailroom on the ground floor at the entrance. I was struggling to open my mailbox with the shitty key the landlord had left in a stained envelope tucked under my apartment door. She came over and showed me the stupid little key jiggle I had to do to get the key to cooperate. Long story short, we got to talking and she invited me over for coffee.

Our other neighbor, Pete, was a bit more of a nuisance with his frequent visitors occupying our only bathroom every morning, usually hungover. It was usually this time I would be impatiently waiting outside the bathroom door with my toiletries, anxiously glancing at the time on my phone while he would saunter out of his apartment, hair askew and wearing nothing but some worn plaid boxers and a lazily tied bathrobe, as he went to check the mail. He'd return as his guest exited the bathroom, clutching her various items to her chest as she muttered an apology before scuttling past me. They never returned to his apartment, as he would head back inside and shut the door behind him with little regard for anybody else. When Pete wasn't out auditioning for various minor roles or out prowling the night clubs for new "talent" (as he so charmingly referred to them), he was a waiter. He wasn't a good one, however. By the time I moved into the building, he had already been fired six times from various restaurants across the city. How he kept getting hired was beyond me.

The rocking of the subway makes my eyelids feel heavy, but I try my best to remain awake. Though I am the only one in the car, I have learned early on that it is always wise to stay awake, especially when traveling alone. You never know when somebody else might suddenly appear and catch you unawares. That has happened once, but I don't care to talk about it, and we'll leave it at that – just don't.

Luckily, we slow as we reach my stop. With a sigh, I rise from my seat and wait as the doors slide open before making my way back up to the surface. I am lucky, I guess. The subway station is a block away from my building, which is good since my legs are killing me, as they always do when I stand around for hours on end, listening to the drunken mumbles and stories of regrets and lost loves that frequently come with a couple of drinks in a dimly lit bar. 

The door to the building, a thick, antique-looking thing, creaks loudly as the old hinges protest. During my short walk from the subway, I think about checking my mail, but my body seems to be on autopilot as I trudge past the wall of mailboxes and up the stairs. Like the others on my floor, my apartment is very modest with a large, single room. As it's just me, I don't have any issues with it. In fact, I think it's easier since everything is close by. My full-sized bed, which I got from a Facebook marketplace ad for a cheap twenty dollars, sits against one wall, opposite my small kitchenette. In between the kitchen and what I guess you could call my "bedroom" is a threadbare sofa that I found on the curb the day I moved in. It served as my bed for the first month, but after waking up sore and feeling bruised every day, I paid the twenty and got some sheets and blankets from a nearby secondhand shop. It's not much, but it's home.

I once read that "inconsistency is a writer's greatest enemy". They explained to me that, like for athletes, the brain was a muscle, and like with any muscle, it needed to be worked otherwise it would atrophy. Because of this, every night, no matter how tired I was when I got home, I brewed some coffee, sat on my couch, and wrote as much as I could before I was no longer able to keep my eyes open. With money being tight, I couldn't afford a TV. At least, not if I wanted to be able to eat. I tried to tell myself that it would only be a distraction anyways.

When I left Colorado, I had been living with my mother recently. She had a habit of disappearing for days, sometimes weeks or months, leaving me to my own devices. Most of the time she'd be out with one of her poor choices of men, but she somehow convinced them to pay for our streaming services even though she was never home to watch them. I guess she figured that if she was going to be absent, I should at least have something to entertain me. She didn't count on not paying her electric bill and rendering the service basically useless. Once the electricity was shut off, I gathered the little money I had saved from my old part-time job after school and occasional babysitting gigs, then I quickly left. Now, I have only my writing and streaming platform on my phone to entertain me.

As I climb the stairs, I'm so exhausted that I don't even notice the light above flickering as it usually does. It's that type of tiredness where nothing seems real and time seems to stand still. This time, as I trudge through the door to my half-empty apartment, I don't even bother taking my earbuds out of my ears before flopping face down onto my bed, and I pass out immediately. So much for exercising my brain.

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5

#short story #creative writing #a dream deferred #Ana Hawke #hurt/comfort #enemies to friends trope #original story #fiction #enemies to lovers #enemies to friends to lovers

[fabulivindia]

SAY "NO" TO A FILTHY RESTROOM| BATHROOM SHELVES

Can you picture a washroom without a cabinet? We shudder just thinking about it. For your house, check out this collection of restroom shelf suggestions! Look it up!

The majority of us enjoy arranging our towels and amenities. Storage alternatives are necessary for this, too. The army has given way to shelves. Ancient scribes kept their treasured religious manuscripts in shelving that served as little cabinets in the rear of Christian churches.

Will We Mount With A Ladder?

Nobody has ever claimed that shelving in their washroom is unnecessary. It should go beyond saying that shelving is necessary. With its distinctive stone side wall, enormous circular copper mirrors, and gorgeous marble floors, this bathroom is one of a kind. A straightforward yet unique restroom shelf style is situated next to a beautiful ceramic tube. This washroom shelf's ladder-like design makes storage easier. Get some towels stacked now.

An Exquisite Cabinet Design

The opulent bathroom's historical design transports us to the time of the Titanic. Focal lights and vintage pendants can be seen in this restroom. The wall's distinctive darker beige dollar tiles are precisely spaced apart. The amount of area allotted for shelving and cabinets in this restroom is astounding. This lavatory finishes off with a high unit of shelves and cupboards and a lovely white vanity unit with storage.

White O'right Shelving for Restrooms

"I stand strong staring down at the white stone flooring and the toilets." This is a well-liked option for the restroom shelf. For those who desire clutter-free storage areas, there are these bathroom shelf. With a vaulted roof, every washroom may accommodate tall white laminate shelves. From the toilets to the ornamental divider, all in this restroom is white, including the jali doors cabinets.

A Very Tiny Bit Of Both These And Those

A touch of earthy, a touch of contemporary, and a touch of industry. Oh my my, what a quirky restroom. These simple washroom shelving or racking may be employed to store soap bars, tiny houseplants, seashells, or even sanitary tissue rolls.

A Bit of Timber! Don’t ever go overboard!

Decorations in restrooms with a woodsy theme are not popular with so many folks. Individuals with the courage to act will discover that it's not a terrible decision. The timber shelving in the washroom that hangs across the basin is ideal for storing products and toiletries. The aesthetics of these bathroom shelves are improved with the addition of a mirror.

A Fairy story that Floats

The rustic gravel showering cubicles in this lovely white deluxe washroom and the white oak open shelving are a perfect fit. Your greatest selection of shampoos and body wash will look great stored in these cabinets.

Dark and light! Two Optimal Hues

If you're alone and prefer not to interact, this restroom is ideal for you. This restroom shelf that mounts to the wall is perfect for a single because it has just enough storage for your shampoo cologne and grooming cream.

Convert a crowded nook into a compact beauty area

Building shelving over a basin in a restroom edge is a superb idea. Take note of the built-in rack, as well as the hovering and floor-standing types. Built-in shelving and cabinets for restrooms that surround the basin are useful and ideal for Indian restrooms.

restroom napkin rack

There are more options for wall shelving besides just wide, smooth surfaces for storing. Hanging boxes on the wall to pile your washroom linens in is one creative method to keep them. Not only are baskets for flooring. To hold napkins and other bathroom essentials, such as toilet rolls, and wire buckets make a wonderful hanging shelf.

WRAP UP

Do you require to get your bathroom necessities while getting in and out of the bath? Why not use this built-in rack in the bathroom area to solve your problems? It is ideal for storing hair care and body cleansers. Additionally, the mosaic tiling at the rear lends this space a distinctive attractiveness. 

We anticipate that you have already made a list of your top restroom shelving ideas by this point. We are overjoyed with these designs since they are the ideal blend of usefulness and aesthetics.

#bathroom shelves #wathroom shelf

[wallmounted]

You wouldn't want to pair marble

You wouldn't want to pair marble or granite bathroom vanities with wicker living room chairs, for example. Instead of confusing yourself with details and tables and charts, do yourself a favor and start browsing stores - retail or online.Is it within your budget? This is, of course, why most of the items don't make it to the shortlist. Where bathroom vanities are concerned, this is a quick how-to-choose list born out of many people's home furnishing experience. 1. If the vanity has passed the test, you're ready to buy it.4. Unless your bathroom is tiny, a second person should be able to walk past you while you stand at the sink. Look for vanities on discount, refurbished ones, and don't wrinkle your nose at something just because it's cheap!3.Is it the right size for your bathroom? You should be able to walk - or run - past your bathroom vanity without bumping into it. When you see something that catches your eye, visualize it in your bathroom and give it a closer inspection.

 Still, there's hope. Alternatively, you could go for bathroom cupboards or wall-mounted racks. If you would like to keep changing the look  of your home once in a while, go for cheap, refurbished vanities that aren't wall mounted. Heck, throw stuff out - most people could use a therapeutic de-clutter session! But don't back out on a good buy just because it doesn't hold your entire wardrobe. Decorative purposes are secondary.  These can be placed on the floor or wall-mounted, single or double, with a mirror or without. There are people who have bought furniture and lived to tell the tale. ((However, there's a reason this is the last item on my list.Bathroom vanities come in multiple materials - wood, stone and glass being the most common. "Within your budget" doesn't have to mean "stretching the edges of your budget".Does it do what you need it to, I.Does the finish suit your overall color scheme?

Make sure that your bathroom vanity fits in with your home decor.e.Considerations of budget, convenience, and style can leave the best of us feeling like unpracticed jugglers. This will let you experiment without pinching your wallet too hard. Pick a style of vanity that will hold what you want to keep in the bathroom - toilet items, towels, makeup, bathroom cleaning tools, etc. The types of sinks and faucets available range from vessel sinks with long, narrow spouts to the shallow basins with squat, wide-mouthed faucets. If your chosen vanity China Bathroom cabinet set with solidwood legs Suppliers is the right size, color and price, you can always choose to limit the amount of stuff you'll keep in your bathroom.hold your toiletries nicely without letting them spill over? In the end, a bathroom vanity needs to a) hold your sink and b) hold your toiletries

#bathroom vanity cabinet