#more harshly once my mom found these resources

[justjessame]

Starting Over Chapter 6

When I first came back, after poofing back into my bedroom in a house devoid of any of my loved ones, once the powers that be contacted me and group therapy was proven a dud, I was pushed toward the idea of a pet.  

“You should adopt a cat,” my best friend, looking so sincere and so much older, intoned.  “Or a dog.”  

I wasn’t against having a furry pal, but considering I’d been basically trapped in nothingness for five years and I came back looking like I did before I got poofed, well I didn’t think I was in the right state to go forth and take care of something else.  I would have found adopting a baby just as ridiculous, but I heard that a few too many of the returned thought that would help them reintegrate too, so what did I know?

After Bucky left and I locked up, I made sure the lights were off downstairs and I brushed my teeth, washed my face, braided my hair and gave myself the pep talk I gave myself right before bed every single night since I had the first nightmare.  

Green eyes staring back at me from the mirror, I took a deep breath.  “The flashes aren’t real.  You can’t remember what happened during those five years.  No one remembers what happened during the past five years when we were lost.  You are NOT that special, Brooke Ashley, so stop with the fucking nightmares.”  A stiff nod and then I was clicking off the bathroom light and heading for my bed.  Praying that tonight would be the night that the pep talk actually fucking worked.

Flashes of red and blue, then colors that I couldn’t name.  It always started with the flashes.  If I were prone for seizures, I would worry for my health, but I wasn’t, so this part was almost soothing, but it was what came next.  The feeling of being pinned down, of being stuck in place and forced to watch, but I couldn’t SEE what I was watching.  It was terrible, I could FEEL the fear and the terror, but I couldn’t actually SEE it.  Which was worse, somehow.  Then the flashes would come, more colors with no known names, and then blue and red and I’d scream myself awake in a sweating, gasping mess.

 I was having breakfast in front of the news.  Juice and a cold slice, judge me as harshly as you dare.  I was semi-listening, the daily paper spread out in front of me on the coffee table, when I heard something that made me raise my head.  Reaching for the remote, I pushed the volume button until I could hear the words that I knew would make Bucky’s day incredibly bad, and I sighed because I’d put MY number in HIS phone, but forgot to get his number.  That showed excellent clarity and forethought. Maybe I shouldn’t add those to my resume.

I tried, throughout the day, to put my mind on more menial tasks.  I had a resume to pad.  I had a life to get back on track.  Bucky Barnes had my phone number, so he could call me if he wanted to.  Right?  Right.

I had my laptop open, trying desperately to utilize all the resources available online to give me a leg up in the job market.  My mind kept drifting to Bucky and the shield being handed to - but I couldn’t do that.  I had a life to live.  Whether Bucky needed me in his or not.  

A few more additions and my cell phone chirped.  I picked it up and sighed.  Spam. Always spam. That hadn’t changed in five years.  Sitting it down, I went back to ‘work’.  

I was considering whether I wanted to finish off the pizza from Romeo’s when my phone finally rang.  Glancing at it didn’t really give me any clue as to who it was, and since I’d uploaded my resume to about a thousand job sites, I knew I couldn’t ignore it.

“Hello?” I was staring into the fridge, hoping for a sign as to what dinner might be.  Nothing came from the other end.  “Hello?”  I tried again, sighing and leaning away from the Magic 8 ball that wasn’t, and leaning against my countertop.  “Listen, if you’re a telemarketer, you’re going to have to give your pitch because you and I both know that you get recorded and you’ll end up fired if you don’t speak. If you’re a pervert, could you go ahead and start heavy breathing so I can toss out my best low blow and get on with my night? I have to make a choice for dinner and you’re cutting in on my decision making time.”  

A sharp inhale and then that laugh that I’d decided I wanted to get used to came through loud and clear.  “Do you always answer the phone like this, Brooke?”  

“Do you always just lurk on the other end of the phone, Bucky?”  I was smiling like a loon, happy that he’d reached out after the crappy news about Cap’s shield from this morning.  “What’s up?”  

“The sky.”  I chuckled and rolled my eyes at the old Dad joke.  “Since you treated me to dinner last night,” I bit my lip while he worked through his pitch.  “I thought I’d treat you, if you wanted to that is?”  

I waited a beat, then two.  “You started out strong, then you sort of faded on me there, Buck.”  He snorted and I grinned.  “Come over, I have everything I need to make -” I reopened the fridge and took stock again.  “Something edible.”  I sounded vague, but I was pretty confident that we wouldn’t starve.  

“I’ll be there in an hour?”  I laughed and he sighed.  “I don’t want to -”

“Presume, I know, Buck, I know.”  I licked my lips and remembered our dinner at Romeo’s.  “If you want your beer, you might want to do a pit stop at a bodega for some, I don’t -”

“Drink that rot gut, I know.”  I could swear I heard his smile through the phone.  “I’ll be there in a little while, Brooke.”

“And I’ll have dinner at least partially cooking,” I promised.  

I found all the ingredients for a recipe my mom used to make when my dad would invite friends over without ample warning. She called it a dump recipe, but it was always really filling and it was comfort food.  Chicken breasts, cream of chicken soup, chicken broth, then once it was all bubbly and shredded, a can of refrigerated biscuits cut up into chunks to make dumplings.  Sometimes she’d add some carrots or other veggies, either to the gravy or on the side, but other times she’d just serve it alone.  

The best part?  I could literally dump it and leave it.

It would take over an hour to cook, but I thought that Bucky probably wanted company to go along with the food.  At least I hoped so.  

The knock was softer than I expected, but then again, I didn’t think he was gonna use his metal arm to pound through the side of my house.  Opening the door, seeing Bucky standing in the halo of my porch light holding a bag from the store at the corner of my street in one hand and - my grin grew as he held up a clutch of flowers.  

“They were near the till,” he murmured, holding them out for me.  “And I thought -”

“Thank you,” I took them, biting my lip and moving aside so he could come in.  “Dinner is going to take a little longer than I thought,” I warned him, walking toward the kitchen so he could put his burden down.  I turned to see him pulling his gloves off after he put the bag on the counter.  Smiling at how comfortable he was around me, I pulled a vase from the windowsill and filled it with water.  

“What are you making?”  I watched in the window as he put the beer away in the fridge.  “It smells like,” he stood up and I could see him take a deep breath.  “Sunday morning.”

Turning around, I put the vase on the kitchen table.  “Mom used to make this all the time, it’s dump chicken and dumplings, so it makes sense that it would remind you of Sunday mornings.”  I smiled up at him as he opened one of his green bottles.  “I just have to remember to cut up the dumpling part in like an hour.”  I grabbed the turquoise plastic owl shaped timer and set it and then led the way into the living room.  “How was your day?”

Bucky let out a long breath and took a drink as he sat in the chair.  “Therapy,” I nodded, curling up in my spot on the sofa and putting the timer beside me on the table.  “Had lunch with a friend,” I smiled while he studied me.  “He was trying to talk me into asking our server out,” I raised my eyebrow, and he shook his head.  “Had to tell him I had plans.”  

“Plans?”  I could swear that I swallowed a few live butterflies.  “Do I know the lucky person?”  

His eyes fell to his lap, a smirk playing on his lips while his teeth worried the fullness of his lower one.  “I really wish you and Steve could have met,” when he raised his head, those silvery orbs locked on mine and the wings inside my belly seemed to go into overdrive.  “He’d help you bust my chops, give you extra help. Not that you need it.”  

“That Steve,” breathless, it came out hushed.  “He’s a lot to live up to.” 

“Yeah,” those brilliant white teeth of his, tugging at that impossibly full lip of his was probably going to kill me.  “I didn’t want to make time with another girl, Brooke.”  He took another drink out of his bottle, but his eyes didn’t leave mine.  Fortified, he continued.  “Not when I have you.”

“Well, I mean, who would want to waste time with anyone else, Buck?” I took a deep breath and bit my lip.  “When I remind you of your tiny, asthmatic, anemic, smartass best friend who picked fights in alleys with people three times their size?”  His teeth met his lip again, but I wasn’t through.  “Who had also had a dick.”

He snorted, eyes flashing and I shook my head, smiling back.  “Yeah, exactly.”  He nodded.  “This is MUCH better than a date.” 

#bucky barnes/oc #the falcon and the winter soldier #alternate universe #fluff #slow burn

[srprincess]

Guess what!?! It’s Fictober time again! So – new prompts, but I’m still out here (making an attempt at) finishing my same old fic.

Prompt 1 – “No, come back!” // fandom – omgcp // fic rating – T for language reasons

Notes: This is actually chapter 19 of the Spookydoo AU I started last fictober. I can’t believe it’s been an entire year. I guess months worth of pandemic related block and a cross country move will tend to slow these sorts of things down, but, yeah – a year. Wow. Back at the start I had thought this was going to be a quick month long project, but here we are! If you’re still following me from way back then, here’s the long promised update. If you’re new this will make NO SENSE without the rest of the story - and honestly only minimal sense after - so I’ll drop a link to the rest of the story on Ao3 in the replies (since tumblr hates links)

---

“Are you sure I don't need to head back and get them?” Will asked, for the third time.

“Nah, they’re resourceful. Quit worrying,” Nursey told him, also for the third time. At least. Maybe he had asked a few too many times.

He, Nursey, Shitty and Lardo were gathered back around the table in his kitchen, while Sammy sat at the edge of the doorway leading into the mudroom, happily chewing on a length of rope that Will had knotted up for her. He didn't have much to offer in the way of snacks while they waited, but he’d managed to scrounge up a bag of not quite stale pretzels and some cold sodas. Not the best spread, but good enough he didn't think his mom’s memory would judge him too harshly under the circumstances. Said circumstances being that these particular guests and their friends had basically wiped out his pantry over the course of their previous visits.

They were waiting, with varying levels of patience, for Holster and Ransom to show up with their lunches, and - maybe more importantly, it depended on who you asked - to tell them what they'd found out about Lou’s place. Or rather the house that she had been...haunting? It was still hard for Will to think about it that way, about his longtime friend being a ghost, but, well, could he deny it anymore? Honestly? It was strange, but if she was a ghost - which she was - and had been staying in and around the house - which she had - what else could you call it other than a haunting? At any rate, finding out the property had been sitting vacant might have explained how it could have had a ghost-in-residence for so long without attracting too much attention, but it opened up a whole other set of questions. Who would leave a house on the water empty for years? Sure, it needed some upkeep, but still, it was a nice enough place in a great spot. Where were the owners? Why hadn’t they been trying harder to sell it? Or failing that, using the property themselves? He also wanted to know more about how Lou had ended up connected to the property, but that was going to have to come from her and not a simple property search. Unfortunately, she hadn't seemed any too eager to talk about her final days when he and Nursey had talked to her earlier.

After his stomach grumbled, Nursey checked the time, again, and sighed.

“I said I could head back in for them,” Will pointed out. “It’s not an issue-”

“Might be a while, but I’m sure they're on the way,” Shitty assured him. “I think they were looking for an excuse to rent that bike, and a ride’ll take them a minute.”

“Not the tandem!” Lardo shook her head, “I thought we talked them out of that.”

“Yes, the tandem, and you tried to talk them out of it. I, on the other hand, might have offered to pay the fee as long as they took pictures.”

“They'll never make it here in one piece on that thing.”

“Oh, ye of little stature and faith, they are perfectly synced. They'll make it fine.”

“Whatever. Then why did you want pictures, hmmm? A 20 says they'll crash and burn at least once.”

“Hopefully they don’t fall on my sandwich,” Nursey muttered under his breath.

“Because Jack can't be the only one with pictures of these trips, that’s why. So, deal?”

“Deal.” Shitty and Lardo were just shaking on the bet when the sound of tires on the rocks outside was followed by a knock at the door. They all turned to look at Will, who looked blankly back before it clicked -

“Oh. Yeah. My house. My door. Best be getting that.” He rushed to the answer, more to hide his blush than out of a hurry to let the two in.

He opened the door to the double whirlwind that was Ransom and Holster pushing through, arms loaded with bags.

 Shitty took one look at them before holding his hand out to Lardo. “All in one piece. Well, two pieces. As expected. Pay up.”

“Not so fast,” she told him, attempting to shove his hand away before turning to them. “How did you manage to carry all of that on a bike?”

“No bike,” Ransom told her.

“It was already rented,” Holster added.

“Ha!” She slapped Shitty’s hand down. “No payday for you.”

“You neither,” he pointed out.

“Hmmm. I still say you owe me ten,” Lardo argued.

“The hell I do,” Shitty scoffed back.

“But if they would have ridden the bike they would have fallen, and you know it.”

“Says you. Wrongly.”

“My. What an excellent defense. I can see why you're the high-powered attorney here.” Lardo pulled a face at him before stating her case, “If they had tried to ride that bike they likely would have fallen. If they tried to ride it while holding all those bags, they for sure would have. I see no possible way that they would have made it here safely, and so I still deserve half the original bet winnings.”

 “Incorrect,” Shitty took a final sip of his drink and a deep breath before standing. Full attorney mode. “First, both these fine individuals have a history of athletic excellence in a sport known for quick moves requiring great balance skills, coordination and teamwork,” he counted off each point in his hands. “Second, they've been known to safely carry much more than a few bags of food, over unfamiliar terrain, in the dark-”

“Well, I did fall on Rans that one time we-”

Shitty hushed Holster before continuing, “Shhh - You aren't helping the case.”

“Why are we even on trial?” Ransom asked, confused. “Anyways, I remember that. Kind of. You only almost fell, bro, and we were hella fucked up that night.”

“You,” Shitty pointed to Ransom, “are helping. Thank you. As I had said - teamwork. While, errr, shall we say inebriated? They were able to use teamwork to accomplish their goals. Mostly safely. Sober, and in the clear light of day, making it here safely would have been no problem. Thirdly, if the bet had been that they `likely’ would have fallen off the bike with their arms full, I allow that you might have won. Unfortunately, for you, it wasn’t and so you didn’t. In closing, your point is dismissed for being unprovable. Case closed. The End.” He, smugly, picked his cup back up to drain the drink.

“You can't just close the case yourself-” Lardo argued.

“And yet, I have,” Shitty shrugged.

She growled under her breath, “this isn't over,” Lardo pointed at him before asking Ransom and Holster, “So, no bike? How did you get here?”

 Will, who had been watching like the exchange like it was the most interesting show he’d seen in years, and, let’s be real, with television as spotty as it was out there it kind of was, turned to them, curious himself to hear the answer.

Nursey, who had been enjoying watching Will watch the others, said, “Probably an Uber.”

“No Uber round these parts.”

“Fine, Lyft, whatever.”

“Nope, don’t have those either,” Will told him. “We do have a Martha, but there’s no way that’s how they got here.”

“What’s a Martha?” Nursey asked.

“She calls herself a taxi service, but truthfully she’s just a busybody who got herself a fair reliable rig and a business license. Let’s her keep up on who’s new around, see what they're about and then give them a mandatory tour of her favorite places. Takes her forever to get anywhere. Guaranteed it would have taken them at least another hour to get out here with her.”

“An hour!? How is this town even big enough to take that long?”

“Well, if you drop her a ’tip’ she's sure to add your place on the route, yeah? Bunch of shops do every year. That's a lot of side roads and loops. Now me? I throw her some money every season to miss The Light entirely. She would have tried stalling and distracting them as long as possible before heading this way.”

 “So, don’t take ’a Martha’, noted for future.” Ransom cut in.

“We didn't need to anyway,” Holster told the group. “Did you know, if you order food for delivery, you can get yourself delivered along with it?”

“That's not a-” Nursey started to argue before looking to Will for confirmation. “Is that a thing?”

“No. Definitely not a thing.”

Holster gestured at the bags and then at himself and Ransom, “I do believe it is.”

Will frowned, confused, “You know what...I don’t even think they do delivery at all. Outside of town, leastways.”

“You’d be amazed how far friendliness and a smile can get you,” Holster said, flashing a near alarming display of teeth.

“Maybe you should try that sometime, Poindexter,” Nursey joked.

“Ha fucking ha,” Will said, flashing a smile that veered more towards frightening than not.

“Hope you tipped well,” Shitty told Holster, ignoring the shoulder shoving across the table.

“Pfft, of course dude.”

“Good, then. Now, important business, where’s my sammie?”

A whine came from the doorway.

“Sorry, I meant my sandwich, not you Sammy,” Shitty turned to tell the dog. She sniffed in their direction, clearly looking for attention in the form of food of her own but not wanting to leave her new rope unattended. “But, yeah, her food, where’s it at? Guys?”

But he’d lost the attention of Ransom and Holster. With a nudge and a head tilt to where Nursey’s ankle was practically hooked around Will’s, Ransom smirked at Holster, who in turn sighed and pulled some money out of his pocket to hand it over.

Nursery watched the exchange before he narrowed his eyes. “And what’s this about?”

“What?”

“The money?”

“That? He owed me for the, umm, dog dishes.”

“Yeah, sure he did.”

“Right, Holtzy?”

“Absolutely, the dishes. We were going halfsies. Because, uh, gift?”

Ransom scrunched his face up before he mouthed ’gift, really?’ back at him, but Holster just gave a small shrug.

Nursey still looked doubtful and Shitty, who had given up waiting and was rooting through the bags for himself, distracted them when he asked “Well, where are they?

“Where are what?” Ransom asked.

“The. Dog. Dishes.” he answered slowly and deliberately.

“Shit. Fuck. Damn. I, uh, forgot them?”

“Uh-huh,” Nursey shook his head. “You forgot to bring the dishes. That you just bought. As a gift. Suuuure.”

“Don’t worry about it. So long as you brought the food, I can find something to put it in.” Will got up and dug through a cupboard by the sink that was little more than a jumble of used butter tubs and came up with two bowls.

 One bowl he filled with water and set in front of the dog. The other he handed them to Lardo who filled it with some of the food Shitty had found in the bags, leading to a very happy Sammy, who flopped on top of the rope before digging in with enthusiastic messiness.

“Isn’t that uncomfortable? And look at that-” Nursey pointed out the puddles and food pieces spread all around the dog.

“It’s fine,” Will waved him off.

“What about your precious floor? All I did was drip on it the other night and-”

“Oh, let her be. Unlike people, she can’t help it if she makes a silly little mess.” Will ruffled the fur on top of her head. “Besides, she’s a good girl, aren't you Sammy,” Sammy wiggled at the good girl comment and went back to happily working to empty her bowl. Dog mess was fine, Will told himself, nothing he couldn’t clean up later. He wondered if maybe he should consider a dog of his own. The company might be nice. He shrugged off the thought for later and went to wash his hands before grabbing a stack of plates to take to the table.

 All business of bets and money exchanges temporarily forgotten, the gang worked as one to pass around the lunches.

A giant sub was split between Lardo and Shitty. She flicked an olive that had stayed to her half at him, which he easily caught with his mouth before flicking a pepper back towards her. When he went to grab a drink, she swiped another pepper and one of his tomato slices too. Ransom passed her his pickle spears, and she gave him half her lettuce. Holster split his bag of BBQ chips and the salt and vinegar ones in front of Ransom between them 50-50. Okay, maybe 60-40. But neither complained. Instead of being split up, a large bag of fries was just torn open and left for each to pick from as they wanted. Ketchup squeezed out onto one of the wrappers that had previously held a wrap. All the exchanges spoke to the habits of friends who’d shared a meal many times over. Will eyed the onions that Nursey picked off his sandwich, wanting them. Even though no one else had made a move for them, he wasn’t quite brave enough to push his way into their rituals. No matter, because as soon as the look was noticed, he found them deposited on the side of his own plate. Happily piling them on his own sandwich he spared a slice of bacon back, but just one. He wasn’t that generous.

Will had originally thought they had brought back too much food not realizing some of the others had gone, but the reason for the pile of random extra sandwiches dropped in the middle of the table became clear as each was picked apart and passed around until everyone was full.

 As the last scraps of their meal were being cleared away Ransom spoke up, “So, I got in touch with that realtor,” he told them. “The property is up for sale. Technically. Has been for a while.”

“What do you mean, technically? Then why isn't it listed anywhere? Being shown?” Will asked.

“Well, that's the thing. Apparently, they tried? But the seller wasn’t very motivated and only interest at the price was for a package deal.”

“A package-” Will paused and frowned. “Wait. What was the realtor’s name again?”

When Ransom told him, Will’s face clouded over and a hint of rage built up at the set of his jaw.

“So, I take it you do know him. He said you'd, hmmm, spoken? Before.” Ransom filled in the others, “There’d been a big deal in the works with a developer, but they wanted this whole area or no deal.”

 “Yeah. Those assholes. Not likely to forget them. Wanted to turn this place into some ridiculous restaurant.”

“Waterfront restaurants can be nice,” Holster tried to play devil’s advocate, “a good draw for the area.”

Will was having none of it. “My grandfather and father both would roll over in their graves if they knew I sold this place. After all the work they put in on the updates? Especially to some stiff from away. All so someone could open a restaurant we probably wouldn't even be able to afford to eat in? No way. No how. I think not.”

Shitty agreed, “I get it, yeah. People like that’ll suck the soul out of a place to make a buck. Fuck ’em.”

They’d only met recently, and it was hard for Will to tell if Shitty was motivated to agree with him in an attempt to stay on his good side, because he actually did agree or just because he couldn't resist joining in on a potential argument. In any case, fueled by the agreement, Will’s knew he was headed into full ’soapbox mode’ but couldn't help himself. “It’s the developers ruining towns like this all up and down the coast,” his voice rose and his arms flailed as he got more worked up. “For years we’ve helped our own. Didn't need anything from anyone other than basic neighborliness. Share and share alike, and everyone makes it just fine. Then some upstart comes in with his fancy ideas and a pile of money and, and, we’re supposed to sell up and then what? Go where? Do what-”

Holster, who seemed to have finally realized what can of worms he opened up, tried to back it up, “I didn't mean- not your place. Just, like, in general? Attractions, well, attract. But you're here, using the place. There's open land out there and they shouldn’t-”

Will steamrolled on, “-always say they want the authentic experience getaway but that’s not what they're really after. What they really mean is some bland cookie cutter experience that’ll get copied at every seaside town. So they can do the same things and share the same photos as everyone else. Nothing is genuine anymore. Where’s the originality of that? If they have their way every place will be the same as the next. Whatever happened to-”

Ransom held up a hand before interrupting, “Dex is right about that. It does seem to be what they were after here.”

Will grumbled out an “Obviously” but other than that let the other man continue speaking.

 “This particular buyer wanted everything from the lane out to the water. All the lots. They’d had plans to turn this place into a restaurant, private outdoor seating at the top. The couple houses as you’re coming out this way redone and connected by a huge kitchen in the middle to make a big bed and breakfast or inn type situation. And then uh,” Ransom paused, “well, your friend's house? That was going to be turned into a gift shop. Upscale souvenirs they told him. But, without adding the rest, there wouldn't have been the traffic to support a shop. So - all or nothing.”

“There was, and is, no way I'm selling up and moving out,” Will shoved himself back from the table angrily.

“Hey, I’m not saying you should,” Ransom held up his hands. “Just passing on what he said. Pretty sure he knows that now.”

“Why do ya say that? I mean, good, but why?”

“He described you as - now keep in mind this is coming from him, and not me. I think you're great, and so don’t-”

“Spit it out.”

“he-called-you-the-lighthouse-lunatic,” came the quickly murmured answer.

“He what?!” Will yelled.

“Come on man, don't make me say it again,” Ransom said with a wince.

“He called me - Well that's - that’s rude is what it is. Imagine invading a man’s home, after he’s - then you're going to call him names? Rude. Even more glad I didn't sell. Lunatic,” Will huffed.

“I wouldn't call you a lunatic,” Holster said, as the others added their agreement. “You do get...excited, but no.”

“At the risk of getting you all, you know,” Nursey gestured vaguely at Will before scooting himself back to a safe distance and continuing, “I’m just saying, coming from a person you tried to forcibly eject days ago, is it completely inaccurate?”

“Yes!”

“Is it though?”

“I will throw you back into the ocean with my bare hands. Right now. Let’s go.”

 Nursey offered back a weak smile to show he was kidding, mostly, and the rest started to throw out other words in Will’s defense.

“Not lunatic.”

“No, of course not.”

“Excitable?”

“Touchy, edgy?”

“Nah, opinionated?”

“And, fiercely determined”

“Oh, good one.”

“And hermit like?”

“That’s territorial.”

 A woman’s voice from the other side of the room said, “he’s enthusiastically defensive.”

Nursey snaps his fingers. “Exactly!”

“Enthusiastically defensive,” Will repeated before turning and nodding in the direction of Lou, who had appeared over by the sink. “I can accept that.”

She smiled before disappearing again.

 “Okay, so, big picture-” Nursey tried to take control of the conversation, “it boils down to, without Dexy’s place here, the whole deal was off the table.”

“And other than that offer there wasn't any real interest,” Holster, who had listened in on Ransom’s call with the realtor, finished. “With no package deal, and the other house owners not willing to take the low offers coming in, he decided it wasn't worth coming all this way to show it to people who are never going to buy anyway. Without the potential sellers pushing him, he stopped promoting it. He’d almost forgotten about the listing himself because no one has ever checked up with him in the last few years. Said it was like the owners themselves had even forgotten about it.”

“Yeah yeah yeah, what he said, zombie property. But now back to THAT.” Ransom frantically waved his arms. “What the? Who the? Tell me you all heard that.”

“Uhhh well-” Will stalled.  

Ransom looked around at the rest of them, who were visibly trying not to react.

“Is no one going to mention the fucking ghost in the room?!” He shrieked. In a manly way. If you asked him, he would have called it a shout. A very high-pitched shout. That he made while pushing himself as close into the corner, behind the table, as he could.

“Oh, that’s - Lou?”

“Yes, Derek?” she answered from over his shoulder.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to call you, I was just telling him - but since you’re here-”

“Your friends seem a little troubled.”

Will snorted.

Most of them were only staring, quiet, and more than a bit shocked, but remarkable not freaking out. At least not externally. But Ransom - well, his face was doing its best fish impression and - try as he might - he couldn't manage to force another word out.

Holster tried to help by giving him a slap on the back and he managed to eke out the words `girl’ and `ghost’ before slipping under the table.

“Is he...okay?” she asked.

“Eh-” Lardo said, tilting her hand side to side.

“Not really.” Holster reached under the table and gave a supportive shoulder squeeze.

“Hi,” was all Shitty got out.

“Maybe I should go,” Lou said, slowly fading.

“Hi?” Shitty asked.

Will thought it was weird to see her fading, when he’d already found himself getting used to her quickly blipping in and out. Then he realized how weird it was he found himself getting used to anything at all to do with this situation.

“No, come back!” they all yelled. Well, all minus Ransom. He whimpered unintelligibly from his hiding place.

Lou faded back in, “are you sure?”

“Hi.” Shitty repeated, prompting a choked back laugh from Lardo.

“I think he means yes,” Will told her. “Stay a while.”

#fictober20 #omgcp #nurseydex #spookydoo au #near year same bullshit #i swear i will finish this one day #I've been adding a few hundred words here and there for ages #and this seemed like the perfect time to update it #even if I wish I had gotten a little further in the writing... ah well #little writer who could etc etc etc #does tumblr still hate links? #or just me? #because this time my header pic kept me from showing up #ah well deleted that now too

[mynameisdreartblog]

Architectural Styles 2

Leo: Mission Revival. So, my mom wants to run from a senatorial seat this incoming election, and I think it'd be really hopeful if you campaigned for her Napoleon Dynamite style. I know that's a lot of info to lay on you at once, so I'm gonna give you some resources to aid you with the campaign as well: dates, notes, mottos, early poster designs, bare speeches, and decorative pencil toppers. Oh, and I also must tell you that you're one of her contenders for a running mate, and you have a three-month period to set all this up before. All this is awaiting you only if you agree to any of it. But, I'd really favor you a lot more because I handmade this fancy suit just for you and I made sure to put Scooby-Doo patterns on your tie. No, they didn't have Velma — your favorite — because Scooby's the icon, and they're not gonna waste money printing designs of the other characters. Also, I'd like to mention that, on a $50 basis, I'll come to your house and suck your cock for this if you don't do it. I expect a response from you by tomorrow. […] I like you but only because you come off strong, and I like people who come off strong. You're the exact opposite of the guy who cut me off in that jeep with obnoxious stickers, and that example is exactly the model we need for… the running mate of a senatorial politician: that's what we need at this moment. […] Listen, I can flatter you all day with my compliments, but the choice (at the end of the day) is ultimately yours… but it'd really make my mom happy if you agreed, so please do it? Ok, that's it <Oro pulls out a gun.> You listen here, you piece of human garbage. You will be my mom's running mate when she runs for a senatorial seat, and you will do it in a humorous style à la Napoleon Dynamite. Did you fucking hear me? You will help her run, and you will get a Scooby-Doo tie! FUCK YOU!

Taurus: Akbari. A trucker hat, left abandoned on the highway; how sad. It was probably a long-gone reminder of a time of joyous festival by the roadside, but it's best not to linger about those thoughts for too long; you could end up feeling remorseful over what happened. [,,,] Anyways, let's get back to getting in the nitty-gritty of this abandoned truck stop. First things first: break through the entrance; get the crowbar then. Argh, you see the, unf, glass here is very strong here because what the truck drivers used to do is, well, to put it harshly: they rammed themselves into the place usually on accident. It would leave the place with a ton of damage and a lighting condition that eerily warns of domestic verbal abuse <the glass is lifted out of the window frame, offering an entrance into the truck stop.> […] I love these places because they're like convenience stores on meth, and this location in particular was part restaurant, part hotel, and part gas station: a three-way tie between unsanitary conditions! […] Purpose? Why, there was no purpose here except the pure curiosity of it all. There were no Hopper-esque scenery that we could take in, nor beer we could stash, nor are there any gas pumps to feed myself with. «Wait, what?» We're here purely for the adventure: this baby's gonna be demolished by the next month, and we gotta make a lasting impression of what once was while we still have the chance. […] Woah, is this the ice machine I saw on that internet video? It is: it's a Hoshizaki ice machine! «Uh, Koil? There's still trucks outside.» Wow, a 2014 calendar for Paris glitz, and it has kittens too! Aw man, you can still smell the grease left on these fryers. Oh, and there's a bag of Jelly Bellies here too? «Koil, they're coming inside; they have flashlights and batons!» Ooh, a headset! I bet this is wired up to somewhere that's still operating: "Ah yes, please come in, Olligestaia, we're having an emergency here: I just shat myself." «Koil, they're right outside the door, I can clearly hear the barking dogs and intense yelling to get out of the establishment!» Yo, they got a TV!

Aquarius: Art deco. A cop thought that we were smoking weed when we were actually smoking plain-old cigarettes. You see, that's how you mess with their heads: you make it look like you're doing something illegal, but you're actually doing something in the same vein as what they presumed you to be doing only legal. I could picture the look on his face, he looked at us with a disappointment in his eyes that he couldn't bust some younglings for three ounces of weed (thanks for the stash by the way, Ali), but at least I didn't give him candy cigarettes instead. You know, the ones that always felt and tasted like chalk and came in those superhero-themed boxes? Yeah, I ended up circulating those enough as a young age to build up a drug empire somewhere in India: it's crazy how that turned out, but I don't associate with that much anymore (I just let it do its business and I have a coconut in the receptionist's desk with a recorder to answer any complaints). [,,,] <Roaches scurries to taste the crumbs of the candy cigarette left on the ground. Comically, its tiny coughs can be heard from attempting to eat the repackaged chalk.> […] Heh, that was a fun run-in with the law… wait, I'm above twenty-one and I've been so for years now. Why the fuck was he investigating us for illegally smoking when I'm clearly not a minor? Was I with other people who happened to be minors? Was that what set him off? Wha-, those candy cigarettes are getting to me, man. I think I may've imagined that entire encounter: those kids weren't there with me, that cop wasn't there to approach me, and you weren't here to talk to afterwards… where's that goddamn chalk? I need it: it's the only thing that holds the cure to my newly acquired madness. […] <The roach has now started its own miniature drug business from the stash of crumbs it managed to take upon its initial encounter. It's build a monopoly based on the supply.> Come on, where is it? Don't do this to me, Ali.

Pisces: Maghreb. I specifically remember there being an entire roleplay here involving some sort of anime-esque sky fortress that revolved around three main characters interacting with each other. What compromised the structure of it was a single person who had a godlike presence within the world: he watched over a giant, green field of earthen hills that was populated by titanic golems. What he led on was that he was secretly the master of these beings, but he was also a creator that struggled with restraining his own madness. They were our star of the show and an explicit name was never given, only "Dr. G." — I swear, he stole that from somewhere. [,,,] Accompanying Dr. G was a distant traveler from an astronautical world: his name was unknown, but he went by MC and said that his backstory consisted of being chased down by intergalactic bounty-hunters before landing on the planet of Dr. G. On that planet, he had a newfound purpose to write and create filthy beats. [,,,] Then there was… Austino. He was the one whom Dr. G despised with all his might but had to keep around for necessity. Austino was the one who'd make it his job to annoy all other characters and break the fourth wall as often as possible. He was the one whom, in past roleplaying sessions, Dr. G often tried to murder but kept reanimating to spite him… Oh, and there's Pandora, I guess. […] I might be misremembering this, but I'm pretty sure there were various homoerotic elements within it at various intervals, as there was a scene where Austino stops to showcase everyone else this cool thing he found online, and it was the Moby Huge (a three-foot dildo). […] It was weird as hell, and all I remember from the climax was that some green dude appeared at the end and foreshadowed what I'm doing now after an epic battle between a demon — created by Dr. G — that imitated the powers of MC. I think it was for the purpose of a hero's trial, or something? […] Dr. G later tried creating a cyberpunk roleplay, but it never went anywhere.

#Zodipunc #Zodiaccupuncture #Leo #Taurus #Aquarius #Pisces

[s-w-s-h]

Blood Will Out

The blood drained from Jacob’s face. Was she - she couldn’t -

… Could she?

As he listened to Mary talk, about the British Men of Letters and the vampires, he realised - she could. Mary Winchester could stand there and brag about genocide as if it was nothing. As if he and his kind were nothing.

Monsters didn’t deserve to live.

“… You’re talking about genocide.”

The words came from Claire, not Jacob, and he turned to see her just as white-faced as he probably was.

“They’re monsters, Claire,” Mary dismissed, “We’re talking about the end of hunting here.”

“No, actually, we’re talking about genocide!” Claire gestured fruitlessly, trying to convey the depth of her horror. “They’re sentient beings!”

“They’re not human!”

“Sentient! Beings! We’re not - African warlords or something who go around slaughtering people who don’t look or act like us!”

Mary scoffed. “What kind of comparison is that? They’re the ones slaughtering innocent people - are you gonna tell me scum like that doesn’t deserve death?”

“That’s not the point!” Claire cried, “This isn’t justice!”

Mary rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure the innocent women and children in Africa feel justice -“

“We have the fucking Hague!” Claire spat, “We have the International Criminal Court, we have the fucking Geneva Conventions, the UN, because we’re not monsters and we won’t stoop to their level.” Her eyes blazed like miniature stars. “We give people a fair trial. We hold them accountable. We do not senselessly murder them on the basis of what they might be, and not what they’ve done!”

It’s not what you are, but what you do that matters.

Claire’s voice was shrill and piercing by the end of it, but all Jacob could think of was a teenage vampire he’d met in Chicago, Nithin. Dark-skinned, gangly Nithin, who sent him shitty Bollywood videos at 2 AM and even shittier memes at 4, whose sharp fangs had never once pierced human flesh, who watched trashy vampire movies like Twilight just to complain about what they got wrong.

It’s not what you are, but what you do that matters.

Nithin was going to be his roommate at Northwestern. They’d filled out the paperwork and everything.

Except, now he wouldn’t, because in this reality, Nithin was dead.

Murdered.

For what he was, not anything that he’d done.

Sam was wrong.

“… I don’t understand,” Jacob said, voice so small in his own ears that he wondered if anyone would hear him, “We’re - we’re family, aren’t we?”

“Wait,” he blurted out, “Does this mean I can call you ‘grandma?’”

Mary’s eyes were flinty, and Claire was shaking with fury. Jacob was selfishly, selfishly glad that Jesse wasn’t around, because God, Jesse was just a kid, and his heart was softer than all of theirs, and if this hurt Jacob so much he couldn’t breathe, then how much more would it hurt Jesse?

“I don’t understand,” Jacob repeated, feeling lost and hurt and confused, “‘Cause I’m a ‘monster,’ too.”

Mary looked conflicted for a moment. “Look, kid… I get it, you haven’t hurt anyone. And that’s great. But can you speak for every other monster out there?”

“I can speak for those of us who try!” Jacob said hotly, “Some of us have never hurt another person and just want to be left alone!”

“That’s all well and good,” Mary said, lips pressing in a thin line for a moment, “But can you say for sure that you never will?”

Jacob’s jaw dropped in horror.

“Look…” Mary sighed briefly, a worn expression flickering across her face. “I’m sorry to be so blunt, but even you’re thinking it - blood will out.”

Claire and Jacob found themselves speechless.

“Blood will out?” A soft voice repeated.

Claire and Jacob swore in unison, and all three of them turned to see Ben and Jesse standing in the doorway, faces grim.

“Jesse, honey -“

“Ben, get him out of here -“

“No.” Jesse cut Claire and Jacob off, moving into the room. “I want to hear this. Blood will out - do you really believe that, Mrs. Winchester?”

The formal reference struck Mary as wrong, but nodded curtly and crossed her arms. “History has proven it time and time again.”

Jesse nodded, almost thoughtful. “I see.” His gaze turned sharp and incisive. “What about Sam’s blood?”

Mary’s brow furrowed. “Excuse me?”

“Sam’s blood,” Jesse repeated evenly, “Or rather, the blood in Sam.” Jesse’s expression turned vicious. “Azazel’s blood.”

Mary rocked back on her heels, the memory of her last night on Earth - or what was supposed to be her last night, anyway - flashing through her mind. Azazel making a fist over Sam’s mouth, dripping down dark red blood -

Sweeter than mother’s milk

- before she was slammed against the wall, sliding up and -

“What does that have to do with anything?” she snapped harshly, forcing the memory away.

“Do you know what the blood did to him?” Jesse asked curiously, “It’s an open secret amongst hunters by this point, I think. The demon blood changed him, gave him powers. It made him into Lucifer’s perfect vessel.”

Mary paled.

“They called him a monster, too,” Jesse continued ruthlessly, and Mary could swear that the shadows in the corners of the room flickered. “Your fellow hunters hunted him - would you have joined them?”

“Wha - of course not!” Mary replied, aghast.

“Really? But he was different.” Cruelty looked wrong on such a young face. “Unnatural. Everything the people you’re in bed with want to exterminate.”

“That’s enough!” Mary shook her head, hands clenched into fists to keep them from trembling. “Sam isn’t a monster!”

“At least we can agree on that,” Ben sneered under his breath.

“He is to them!” Jesse retorted fiercely, “I don’t care what you think about us, but Sam - Sam is who you’re trying to kill!”

Mary’s eyes flashed, but before she could respond, Ben commented, “You know, maybe Dean would be a better example.”

Mary narrowed her eyes.

Ben shot her a nasty smile, voice dripping with venom. “Oh yeah. Sam may be psychic, but Dean? Oh, your little boy’s been around the block - vampire, demon - you gonna exterminate him, too?”

“What are you talking about?!”

“He got himself turned into a vampire a couple years ago,” Ben answered, eyes glittering with malice. “Stood outside my bedroom until Mom finally kicked him to the curb. And then - and you’re going to love this - he got himself a Murder Stamp from Cain himself and turned into a demon, black eyes and all. Knight of Hell, actually, which should tell you exactly what he was.”

“Sam cured him,” Claire picked up, shooting Ben a warning glance. “In fact, the vampire cure came from your family.”

Mary’s mouth pressed in a thin line and they could practically hear her teeth grinding against each other. “Is that your plan? Go around the country curing monsters?”

“If that’s what it takes! We have the knowledge, we have the resources!” Claire gestured to them all, “We save people, not slaughter them! We find a better way, and this black-and-white racist bullshit isn’t it!”

“So, what?” Mary snapped, “You want to let monsters roam free on the chance that some of them might play nice?”

“They will,” Jacob protested immediately, “I know plenty of them!”

“Don’t be so naive, sometimes you have to put the needs of the many -“

“My family is not collateral damage!”

There was a ringing silence following Claire’s pained cry, and the teen swore softly, raising a trembling hand to rub at her wet eyes.

Mary’s expression creased in regret, and she reached out hesitantly. “… Claire…”

“Don’t,” Jacob growled lowly. He rubbed a hand down Claire’s back soothingly, his sharp glare warding Mary off.

Claire choked back her tears, wiping her eyes dry. “My family isn’t collateral damage,” she repeated, softer, but no less fervent. “And neither should be yours. Not Jake, not Jesse, not Sam.”

“Can you really look him in the face and do this?” Jesse pressed quietly, “They will hunt him. They’ve already tortured him. They will hunt people like him, people just as kind and good, who are trying to make the world a better place, no matter the cards life deals them. People with families who love them and depend on them - just as much as Sam loves you.”

“Are you going to sacrifice them, too?” Ben asked, standing behind Jesse like a guardian. “Where are you going to draw the line? White witches? Wiccans? What gives you the right who in the supernatural world gets to live and who dies?”

Faced with four teenagers, fierce and hurt and angry, with traces of Sam shining out of their eyes, Mary had no answer.

#Claire Novak #Ben Braeden #Jacob Pond #Mary Winchester #Jesse Turner

[lordofthebigtimesupernatural]

the newest dad shiro and baby keith was so beautiful. I love their relationship so much! We know about Keith's mom, but what about his biological father? What if his father actually showed up while slightly older Keith was home alone !! hc that he'd try tugging keith with him and keith would obviously freak out and like lock himself up and call shiro (but what if shiro didn't answer the first time and has to hear a panicked voice mail) and calls his grandparents. his grandfather kicks this(cont)

(part 2) grandfather kicks this guys butt and calls the police but they can’t exactly calm keith down because he’s super overwhelmed and scared and begs for shiro and of course shiro all but crashes his way home and despite keith being much taller and more gangly pulls his little boy into his arms after thoroughly checking him over for injuries and wow is he pissed at the bio father though and with keith’s permission charges the heck outta him. AH.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh, that was my reaction to this prompt. OMG nonny this was so good. So good, that I made this one shot so freaking long. I hope you don’t mind. But ahhhh, if I didn’t have work I would have kept going. This was so great. Protective daddy Shiro and badass Grandpa Shirogane. Yes please! This was a good prompt because admittedly, I didn’t like Keith’s dad from season 2….Anyway I hope you enjoy and keep sending in these prompts!

x.V.x

“Who the hell are you?” Even as Keith spoke the words aloud, he knew the answer to his own question. It was blatantly obvious who this stranger was, standing intimately outside his dad’s front door. This strange man, who towered over Keith (probably even Shiro) but with a face that was oh so familiar to Keith. His eyes might be brown instead of blue, but there was no denying that face.

Considering Keith saw that face more and more when he looked in the mirror these days.

There was no mistaking that this man was Keith’s biological father.

Man he must have the best luck in the world. First mom, now dad.

Keith hadn’t heard from his mother since that day when he was seven, after Shiro and he had sat down with the social worker. But after learning more about his mother, he’d decided to stay away; maybe when he was older, he would try to reach out to her, but even now at eighteen, Keith was still a bit bitter about his mother.

He was never curious about his father and was surprised that he hadn’t cared as much as he could have. He simply figured that his father had actually died or really did abandon them and never gave him much thought. That is, until he showed up on Shiro’s front steps.

And of course Shiro had to be at a meeting, all the way on the other side of town, leaving Keith alone. A perfect opportunity for the man whose sperm had helped to produce Keith’s organism.

“Why son, don’t you recognize your old man?” The man simply smiled and Keith’s eyes were drawn to the long scar that ran down his left eye. Like Shiro. Though, Keith couldn’t help but think that Shiro’s scar was a symbol of bravery and honor. What could this man’s scar mean?

His smile was fake too. Too cheerful to be real and Keith hated that. He hated when people tried to lie or fake it around him, because it was confusing. If everyone could just tell the truth and be as blunt as he was, then Keith would have a much better time understanding other humans. However, people weren’t like that and Keith hated it.

“You look nothing like my dad. Shiro’s scar is on his nose.” Keith stated, making sure to keep the front door in between him and the other man. He saw the smile twitch on the man’s lip and his eyes narrowed for a split second.

“Aw, of course I’m not your adopted father, son.” The man laughed too loudly and Keith winced. His heart began to beat a little faster in his chest. He didn’t like this. No he didn’t like it at all. “I’m your real father. The one that really matters.” When the man moved to place a hand on Keith’s shoulder, he flinched back violently and put both hands on the door with a tight, white-knuckled grip.

“Shiro is my father. Not you.” Keith hissed darkly, causing the man to falter in reaching out for him. “He’s the only father I have. The only father I need. And the only father I want. Not you. Not anyone.” The man’s eyes darkened once more, only this time they did not return back to normal after a second.

Keith’s heart skipped a beat.

“Now son, that’s not very nice. Is that any way to treat your father after I haven’t seen you in so long?” The man took a threatening step towards the door and Keith attempted to close it, only to have the man stick his foot through the opening. “Come on now, there’s so much we need to catch up on. After that bitch ran away from me with you, and then you suddenly weren’t even in Korea anymore. Do you realize how much work it was to find you?”

“How did you even know where I was?” Keith couldn’t help but ask. He knew that this man was dangerous and it wasn’t a good idea to humor him any more, but Keith had to know. Especially if it involved Shiro’s safety and his own.

“I have my resources.” The man leered, sending cold shivers down Keith’s spine. However, he did not back away and despite the erratic beating of his heart and sweat pooling in his palms, Keith glared his infamous Shiro Glare.

“I can tell you all about it and anything else that you want to know. Just let me inside, and let’s talk son.” The man grinned again, while Keith swallowed. He couldn’t deny that he was intrigued and curious, but what the man didn’t know was that the only thing Keith was curious about was finding out how this man had managed to find him. And if he could hurt Shiro.

Keith debated the consequences of talking to the man. If Shiro’s safety was on the line, Keith would do anything; even sacrifice his own safety.

Keith, remember, stay calm. Don’t just jump into decisions. In the end, you’ll only get more hurt than you would have if you had taken the time to think.

Keith’s eyes widened when Shiro’s familiar words floated into his head. His heart beat picked up in back and his hands began to tingle due to feeling anxious. He stared at the man in front of him, eyeing the impossible fake and dangerous smile on his face, and the way that he had tried to shove himself between the door to keep Keith from closing it.

There has to be a reason on why your mother would run away from him. Shiro’s voice continued to float into his head.

“What do you say Akira, how about you let your old man in and give me a hug?”

She wouldn’t have ran if something hadn’t been wrong. Look at him Keith.

“Akira?”

Please Keith, I love you.

“Akira?”

“No.” Keith was stunned by his response, and his biological father seemed just as stunned as he was. However, even with his surprise, Keith found that he didn’t regret telling this man no.

“What?”

“I said no.” Keith said, much more firmer than before and grabbed the door in a much tighter grip. He began to shove harshly against the door, causing the man to stumble back for a moment. “Get off my property or I’m calling the cops. I don’t want to get to know you. I don’t want to speak with you ever again. Get the hell away!” Keith continued to harshly shove at the door and the man finally removed his foot, but he had then placed his arm on the top of the door and pushed back to keep Keith from fully closing it.

Keith’s heart dropped to his stomach.

“Now, now, that’s not quite the answer I was looking for Akira.” The man frowned and his voice let slip a low growl. Keith’s eyes widened.

“My name is not Akira. I am Keith Shirogane and you are not my father.” Keith snarled and tried shoving his entire body against the door, however, he found it to be of no use since this man was much, much larger than him. He had Keith in height and muscle mass. There was no way Keith would be able to beat him with strength.

“You are my son!” The man hissed before shoving the door open with a bang. Keith stumbled back from the force of the door opening. His heart jumped out of his chest when the man stepped into Keith’s house. “Whatever delusion you have with that army one-armed freak is nothing! I’m your father. No one else!” The man reached out with a blindly fast speed and snatched Keith’s wrist in a grip that was sure to leave a bruise. Keith couldn’t help but cry out.

“You’re going to come back with me, whether you like it or not.” The man grinned wickedly and Keith felt a lump in his throat. “Now, no screaming or something might just happy to that Shiro of yours.”

“You leave him alone!” Keith snarled, feeling a new hot-blooded fury burning in his veins. “Shiro is a better father than you ever will be.” He couldn’t deny the pleasure he got in seeing the man’s face morph from smug joy to a cold fury.

“You brat!” As the man raised his hand to strike at Keith, there was a vicious snarl and a blur of yellow fur before Keith found the man letting go of him. He jumped back in shock when he realized that Red had latched onto the man’s arm in a deadly grip and was snarling. Despite the man crying out and trying to shake the dog off him, Red never once let go and bit down hard enough to draw blood.

Keith was astounded as last he remembered Red was outside during this whole ordeal and she must have managed to get over the fence of the back yard to run to the front and towards the stranger that was hurting her master. Keith was always amazed by Red’s dedication.

Though, his relief didn’t last long when the man managed to shake Red off him, sending her sprawled across the floor. Luckily, she was on her feet and Keith nearly felt his heart drop at the blood coating her fur. The man clutched at his arm, momentarily distracted and Keith saw his chance to make a break for it. He couldn’t do nothing. It wasn’t safe.

“Red! Get grandpa now!” Keith shouted to the dog. Red looked at her master and then back to the stranger in her house, momentarily confused but the tone in her master’s voice was enough for the command to sink in. With one last vicious howl, Red had booked it between the man’s leg and was sprinting down the street in the direction of Keith’s grandparents new house that they had moved to.

Keith knew it would take probably ten or more minutes for Red to get to his grandparents house and get them here. He just hoped that wouldn’t be too long for Keith’s sake.

When the man stumbled towards Keith, looking more furious than ever, with blood all over his arm and shirt Keith jumped back. He landed a hard kick right at the man’s face and dropped the man to the floor before booking it into the one room that Keith figured he could be safe in.

Shiro’s room.

Shiro’s room was the only room with more than one lock on the door, and the only room in the house where Keith knew there was a gun. Even though Shiro didn’t like Keith using guns or using them himself, his paranoia and experiences from the military had made him teach Keith how to handle weapons and keep extra locks in his room.

Keith bolted up the stairs and could hear the man beginning to stumble through the house. Just as the man began making his way up the stairs, Keith had slammed Shiro’s door shut and locked every lock on the door, before shoving a dresser up against it. Keith stumbled back when a loud bang came from the other side of the door, signifying the man had shoved his entire body against it.

Before even reaching for the gun, Keith grabbed his phone and dialed the one number he knew by heart.

It rang and rang, and every time it rang the man threw his body against the locked door, and Keith crouched in a corner.

Please dad. Pick up. Please pick up.

x.V.x

The oldest Shirogane male had been having a great day so far, for someone who was in their seventies. He’d weeded in the garden. His wife had made a wonderful soup for lunch. His son had asked him and his wife over for dinner tomorrow to celebrate Keith’s upcoming graduation.

Life was good.

At least, until Red came barreling down the street, barking like mad. He was surprised to see his grandson’s dog, without his grandson and making such a ruckus. However, his heart sunk when Red got closer and closer to the house and he could see the blood staining the front of her coat.

That was when his heart sunk.

“Oh my, is that Red I hear? Is Keith with her? I still have some soup ready.” Thace’s wife said, from where she was still in the kitchen. She couldn’t see the state of Red’s coat and therefore couldn’t feel the terror that Thace was feeling now.

“Honey, call the police now!” Thace shouted, before making a break out the front door. His wife jumped in surprise as he snatched keys off the key ring.

“What’s happening? What’s going on? What is - oh my god!” His wife clamped a hand over her mouth in horror after she had run out after her husband and could now see Red barking madly at them. Red had stopped at the very edge of the property and was whining and barking again, looking over her shoulder. “Oh my god, Keith.”

“Sweetheart, I need you to call the police, I’m going to Takaszhi’s house now. Send the police there!” Thace yelled over his shoulder, already jumping into the front seat of their truck. He whistled for Red, who momentarily hesitated, as if debating if she would be faster running back to the house.

“C’mon girl! I know you want to help Keith, I’m coming!” Thace tried to soothe the dog, as Red whined again, ears flattening on her head. Finally though, she barked and lept into the bed of the truck, allowing Thace to hit the gas and drive down the block.

The entire drive to Takashi and Keith’s house, Thace’s heart was racing and his thoughts were running to the worst of possibilities. He could never forgive himself if anything had happened to his grandson. And to think of how this would affect Takashi, only made Thace’s stomach plummet to the gravel below him.

His heart sunk even further when he pulled up to Takashi’s house to see that the front door had been broken into. The truck had barely been put into park, before Thace jumped out the truck, leaving it still running. Red was hot on his heels and normally Thace would have bene impressed by his insurance and speed at his age, but right now he only had one thought:

Protect Keith.

Thace heard the sounds of loud thumps, which sounding like someone slamming against a door and his blood boiled.Red howled beside him and race up the stairs even faster, though Thace was not far behind. As he made it up the steps, he heard an unfamiliar man scream in pain and Red snarling. The sight he saw in front of him, was one he would never forget.

A stranger, who looked eerily like an older, more crazed Keith was pressed up against Takaszhi’s door, which had marks and missing wood pieces, with Red’s teeth clamped down on the man’s leg. He kicked wildly, barely avoiding Red and Red bit down harder.

“You son of a bitch!” Trace hissed, storming towards the man. He could now hear the sounds of sirens coming from down the block and he thanked his wife’s ability to remain calm and do as she was told in situations like this, because all Thace wanted to do was kill this man.

Thace snatched up the man by the collar of his shirt when Red finally let go, but she continued to take on a defensive stance and put herself between them and the door. Thace had no doubt that Keith must be hiding in Takaszhi’s room.

“How dare you try to harm my grandson?!” Thace slammed the larger man up against the wall and the man grunted in pain. After years in the military, training soldiers and the adrenaline that coursed through his veins right in this moment, Thace was a force to reckon with despite being in his seventies. “How dare you break into my son’s home?! How dare you try to bring harm to my family?!” He slammed the man back against the wall, satisfied at the gasp of breath that left him.

“Sir, sir. Please calm down. We’ve got this situation now. Let us handle it.” Thace could barely hear the officer that was speaking to him, and hadn’t even realized the police were already here. All he wanted was to make the man who had hurt his family pay. However, it was then that Thace heard a quiet sob that came from within Takashi’s room and was quick to drop the intruder. Thace didn’t even hesitate when he went to the doorway and tried to open the door, only to hear Keith’s sobs grow louder and louder.

“Keith. Oh Keith, it’s alright.” Thace said softly, trying to soothe his grandson. He knew that Keith was an adult technically now, but he never sounded so young or scare until in this moment.

“Keith, you’re safe now. I’m here. The police are here. They’re taking him away.” Thace tried to open the door but found it of no use and Keith didn’t sound like he was calming down. In fact, he sounded like he was only getting more and more upset. It’s no wonder. He must be traumatized after all this.

Thace desperately tried to soothe his grandson and coax him into opening the door, but it was no use. There was only one person who could calm Keith down and Thace prayed his son was on his way.

x.V.x

Shiro was sprinting like his life depended on it.

Only, his life didn’t. Keith’s did.

His only goal was to get home before it was too late. But with every second that ticked by Shiro felt like he was failing Keith. His house was now in sight and the sight of police cars surrounding it made Shiro want to scream.

The voicemail replayed over and over in Shiro’s mind. Burned there forever. He’d been in a meeting when Keith called, but after the third attempt, Shiro had finally excused himself from the meeting and listened to a voicemail. A voicemail that would haunt Shiro for the rest of his life. Only ten seconds into the voicemail and Shiro had sprinted out of the building without telling anyone anything.

“Dad! Dad! Please, you have to pick up dad!” Keith sounded so terrified. And then there was the ominous thumps in the background. “Please dad! Grandpa’s coming but he might get hurt! Please help dad!” The thumps grew louder and a muffled shouting was in the background. Keith’s voice hitched. “Dad, I’m sorry. I’m sorry! I tried to stop him from getting in! I tried to make him leave but he was too big! I couldn’t fight him! I’m sorry - please dad! Please!”

The voicemail had cut off with a haunting cry from Keith and Shiro thought that this was all just a nightmare. But as he shoved past officers, ignoring their shouts Shiro knew this wasn’t a nightmare. He saw the blood on the floor and the broken front door. He saw Red whining at the stairs covered in dry blood. He saw his dad whispering against another broken door.

Then Shiro saw him.

The man that had caused all this. The man that hurt his precious boy.

“You.” Shiro’s voice was eerily calming and an icy chill filed the hallway. No one dared to speak, after seeking the ex-legendary war hero, Takashi Shirogane. The man in handcuffed scoffed at Shiro, until he was suddenly hoisted into the air by Shiro’s prosthetic and Shiro’s eyes were blazing with vengeance. “You come into my house and try to hurt my son and my family. You scare my son. You hurt my dog. You hurt my father and you dare think that you can smile at me like that!” Shiro pressed his arm against the throat of the man, who had finally stopped sneering at Shiro and stared at him with wide eyes. Still no one moved.

“I can find a hundred different ways to kill you right now, without any sort of weapon. I should destroy you for hurting my family. You are scum. People like you don’t deserve happiness in this world and I can break you.” The man looked around wildly to see that no one bothered to move and he weakly gasped.

“You’re pathetic. Coming in and thinking that you could get away with hurting my son.” Shiro pressed his face closer to the man’s red face. “I have a pretty good idea of who you are and let me tell you this: Keith is my son. He has been for eighteen years and since the day I saw his picture, I have loved and cherished him. I watched him grow into the stunning young man that he is today - a man that I am proud of. I was there for his first steps, when he stumbled and fell to kiss his wounds. I was his first words and was there when he gave an entire speech in another language because he is a brilliant young man. I was his father these years when he needed one - as someone to have a shoulder to cry on, to shout out when times got rough, to love every single day of his love. I have loved Keith and I will always love him. Not you. Not ever. Keith is my son and I am proud to be his father.”

Shiro wished that he could have done more. That he could have socked the living daylight out of the man. That he could have made him hurt just as Keith had. But how would that make him any different than this man.

“You will never get to know Keith. You will never watch as he builds his family and loves them as my family has. You will never watch the success he will become. You will never know how amazing this young man is, because you will rot in prison for the rest of your life. I will make sure of it.” With that, Shiro had shoved the intruder, wheezing desperately, into an officer’s arms before turning around.

He was shocked to see Keith in the hallway, staring at Keith with wide, red eyes filled with tears. A large bruise was blossoming on the pale skin of Keith’s wrist and Shiro’s heart broke.

“Oh Keith…”

Before Shiro had the chance to say anymore, Keith had launched himself at his father. He was tall, with gangly limbs, no longer the tiny little boy he once was but in this moment, Shiro almost imagined the tiny scared little boy from his childhood. Keith sobbed again into Shiro’s shirt, clutching desperately onto the fabric, overwhelmed by the entire ordeal, but one thing was for sure.

He loved his father. Now and forever.

Shiro ran a soothing hand through Keith’s longer hair and began to check him over for injuries while whispering soft soothing words into Keith’s ears.

“Oh Keith, I’m so sorry. I love you so much.”

Keith smiled, despite his tears and held his dad tighter. “I love you too dad. Only you. To the moon and back.”

“And brighter than any stars.”

#single dad shiro AU #single dad shiro #kiddie!AU #kiddie paladins #voltron legendary defender #thanks nonny #this made my day before work #so angsty and then fluff #you all love your angst huh? #me too #this was great #i miss this AU

[stefanhaveman17-blog]

Recuperate From A Major Oversight At the office.

I've found men that needed, skinny, and nerdy-looking stroll right into a nightclub as well as entrust the trendiest girl in the place. A male examining a hippopotamus may in some cases be actually drawn to pertain to a hippopotamus as a massive error; however he is actually also goinged to confess that a blessed inability stops him personally coming from creating such mistakes. That is actually for that reason important that you first of all get to know about the popular membership website mistakes prior to you deal with the whole entire procedure. Recorded under the functioning name The Basement, no person anticipated the film until an unanticipated trailer decreased in January. Carry out certainly not let because you have brought in a handful of oversights to stop you off attempting to deal with the relationship. Our team merely possess one opportunity to show our children the perseverance and also technique necessary to permit them to profit from the errors that our company've all made. When people read physical body foreign language, in this short article you will discover a variety from usual blunders helped make. A very common blunder produced is using the wrong pads or shoes for a lorry. At that point you will not see errors on your account that could possibly be actually costing you a whole lot from amount of money, if you don't look at your claims correctly. OVERSIGHT 7: Having dated records- Making a great web site is not completion from duty, when that pertains to online search engine optimisation. Acquiring points that coworkers possess is actually one more common mistake brought in through individuals that are actually attempting to improve their appeal, particularly their reliability at the workplace. If you treasured this article and you would like to receive more info with regards to yellow pages online indonesia (http://losobjetivosy--lvisiondmivida.info/) nicely visit our own site. Possibly this will certainly be actually a blunder that nobody notifications, maybe it is going to be actually a blunder that a single or 2 individuals notice or perhaps it will certainly be actually something bigger, like the mistake that J. C. Cent, ChapStick or I created, that has the prospective to absolutely anger all of your current clients and leads. I may even provide some recommendations coming from my own mistakes in lifestyle to help all of them coming from making the exact same blunder once more. Making oversights is the opportunity of the energetic-- of those which may fix their mistakes and also put them straight. Following opportunity you think that you've made a mistake, just smile and be happy that you simply made a massive deposit right into you experience profile. This is much much easier in a knowing culture than in a performance-focused society, where oversights are typically viewed more harshly. Many people create the mistake of certainly not getting the pre-approved finances just before seeking homes. By staying clear of these usual mistakes you are going to quickly begin ending up being an effective communicator as well as individuals will certainly start valuing as well as appreciating you extra. Some may be actually challenged by either evaluating one's personal, or others, for mistakes, or even by not having the ability to take ownership of one's very own blunders. When opening their own business is actually to somehow fail to remember to place apart a particular budget for advertising, the first error firms make. As a matter of fact, lifestyle's best sessions are normally found out at the worst times as well as coming from the worst errors. This insurance is created to safeguard specialists and his employees against lawsuit coming from injury, neglect or even residential property damages. My Large Excess fat Classical Wedding celebration is simply one of the best motion pictures ever before made regarding shut family members and also their heritages. Additionally, the defendant's reliance on some of these resources must have been reasonable, just like error from fact. A great perk of making a mistake is actually that you will definitely find out something you really did not recognize in the past, and perhaps you can utilize this session in your future. I'm not sure that the selections I created as functions manager of the Orbital Maneuvering Car (OMV) program nearly three years earlier were essentially mistakes, but the concerns that ultimately got rid of the OMV were certainly actual. Popular music Licensing For Film makes certain that these seemingly unfamiliar but talented entertainers receive discovered and also they can easily approach producers that may be able to offer a proper path to their occupation. Acquiring the ability to quit house on your errors will create you a lot more helpful, will definitely improve your self-confidence, and also are going to produce you healthier. . Vernacular), blunder (casual), misjudge, goof (informal), fall a clanger (laid-back), place your foot in that (casual), be actually large of or be actually off the spot I assumed I had actually made a mistake, so I redesigned that. While your oversight may have influenced several other individuals, it is actually still as much as you to elbow the majority of the after effects. Because of the higher quantity from plagiarism that was being actually pushed at him, I ensured him that it was not usual; that the directory site proprietor had most likely created a blunder. Any individual who possesses ever before had the guts to go out into the world and do something recognizes there are simply 2 kinds of blunders: ones our company can easily bounce back off and also ones we can easily not recoup coming from. To discover the best options to oversights when mounting marble flooring ceramic tiles discussed in this particular article, you can possibly do therefore listed below. And consistently, ONE HUNDRED% of the moment, I created the assessment costs back in renegotiations along with the individual. It is actually consistently smart to discover and remedy the inaccuracies right before the final represent the year are actually made. When you can relinquish recent, release the sense of guilt linked with the blunder, as well as let go of the anxiety that making that blunder has triggered, you can easily reside in today along with even more gratification. Another common mistake that lots of people produce is actually to rush in factors and also certainly not hold your horses sufficient. The greatest oversight folks make is actually assuming if one thing is hidden off viewpoint, that can not be actually accessed in any way. Michael Keaton produced the very same error as Jenna - as well as on a much bigger stage - but he failed to drop any kind of rips for the mistake. In my THIRTEEN years as a Rhode Isle Kid Guardianship Attorney, I have actually found a lot of dads as well as moms make inane and also silly choices throughout the training program from Rhode Isle Little one Safekeeping Procedures. Bring in a list from the celebrations from your lifestyle that you remain to emphasize and cannot appear to allow go from. For every event, jot down exactly what your blunder was actually, exactly what you learned from this mistake, and something favorable you have today because of the scenario. Errors may hurt, however if our team do not 1eaai coming from the mistake our experts have actually created, the discomfort our experts've dealt with it has been actually for nothing at all. The only folks which don't make oversights are actually those which sit around alone pondering their navels. Look for the points to be thankful for the moment you have actually opted for a mistake to magically enhance into great things. However when I create the same mistake twice (and I acknowledge, this occurs regularly than I would certainly like), that is actually when I am definitely tough on myself. However given that, in practice, nobody is actually reliable, this is frequently necessary to reposition past celebrations so as to present that this or even that mistake was actually certainly not created, or even that this or that imaginary triumph actually took place. The primary mistake supervisors make-and due to the fact that it is effectively unconscious this is essential to be caring with ourselves and each other-is to certainly not hear of, combine, allow, and also possess your personal authority. Nevertheless, this is simply worsening the error you have actually made in increasing up on a shedding profession by urging you perform the same thing upcoming opportunity you remain in this setting. Paradoxically, many of the mistakes that mamas as well as daddies make are actually mistakes created in an attempt to obtain an unethical benefit.