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nat-20s · 3 years

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Wonderful! Au Part 6 <3. This one takes place IMMEDIATELY after part 5, so I’d recommend reading that one first if u haven’t or else it’s kind of nonsense. Another non episode exploratory bit babey.

~*~

The second that Martin stops the recording, they move in tandem. They remove their headphones, lean back in their chair, and let out something that’s more of a sigh than a word. “Fuck.”

Jon scrubs a hand over his face, while Martin simply stares at the message containing the shoutout. The following silence hangs in the air with a density that makes breathing feel like more effort than it's worth. When the atmosphere makes the transition from 'cloying' to 'actively suffocating', Martin blinks himself out of his trance and asks, "Did you...did you ever look them up? I mean, not when we we first got Here, obviously, but, after?"

Considering his answer, Jon twists his wedding ring back and forth. As far as nervous ticks go, it's by far Martin's favorite, because of the involvement of the aforementioned wedding ring. He'd, however, prefer that Jon wasn't nervous, and hopes that whatever nerves are present are more due to the inaccurate but nonetheless present feeling that they've been contacted by a dead man rather than because he's reading anything accusatory in Martin's question. Instead of answering, Jon asks, "Did you?" which means yes, but he's trying to gauge the direction of this conversation.

Trying to be reassuring despite the fact that he's currently, to put it lightly, considerably freaked out right now, Martin shakes his head. "No. Not for, um, lack of curiosity. I looked for us, first, and when I couldn't find anything, I just sort of assumed that..that none of them were out there either."

"Hmm. There is a logic to that line of thinking."

Martin lets out a weak laugh, and clasps his hands together to stop the shaking he now notices. "Thanks, love, but I think it was more avoidance than logic. That first year we were here was, uh, tumultuous? I think I would've done something, er, inadvisable if I had found any of the other online."

Sucking his teeth, Jon tells him, "I nearly sent out what would've been very confusing emails myself, but other than a quick perusal of public social media accounts years ago, I haven't interacted with any of them."

"Until now."

"Yes. Until now."

They both glance at the shout out, pixels seeming to burn into the screen, before glancing away. Martin opens and closes his mouth a few times before getting out, "Would you be willing to tell me? About- about what you found?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. It's gonna bother me now, and I'd rather hear it from you than from facebook or, or whatever."

"Basic rundown from about 3 and half years ago? Tim, as you saw, is still at the publishing house. At the time, Danny had taken up pottery, though has likely moved on from that interest since. Sasha is a cyber security expert and had adopted some ferrets recently. Melanie and Georgie still cohost What the Ghost as a youtube show, though it's significantly lighter in tone than Ghost Hunt Uk ever was. Basira, unfortunately, still works for the police, and I couldn't find an Alice or Daisy Tonner on social media that matched ours. Elias Bouchard, presumably not taken over by a certain dead bastard-"

"-rip in piss, you stupid fuck-"

"-may his memory be scorched from the earth and as insignificant as the worm he was, is the head of some prep school. Not a thrilling indictment for the next generation of Britain, but also not something I felt any particular need to get involved in. Did that, um, help things?"

"I..think so? I..it was easier, to act as if none of them were in this reality, but I can't really do that anymore, huh? So, yeah, it's nice..it's nice to know those basics. Raises a few..general existential questions that I don't want to get into right now, maybe, but. Yeah. Okay."

Grabbing one of Martin's hands and kissing the knuckles, Jon replies an infinitely soft, "Okay."

After delivering a deeply besotted smile, Martin adds on, "Still don't know what the hell to do about Tim messaging us."

With a sigh, Jon tells him, "I don't think we do anything. It's just a nice show of support from a fan who happens to resemble someone we miss. Good lord, could you imagine? You send a bit of money to some podcasters you do not know, and they respond by telling you they're so glad you're alive, and also, how's your mental health, and do you have a personal vendetta against clowns, because they're concerned. Utterly ridiculous. Plus..plus no one deserves to be looked at as a ghost, which..is probably the only thing we'd be able to see him as."

Martin blows air through his lips and concedes. "Christ. That sucks. You're right, but it sucks."

A beat passes, then Martin adds, "We're never doing liveshows."

Jon lets out a sharp bark of a laugh that helps re-establish the jovial mindset they try to record with. "Hard agree. Back to the episode?"

"Back to the episode."

#wonderful! au #jonmartin #tma #martin blackwood #jon sims #YES what the ghost is basically buzzfeed unsolved in whatever universe this is set in why do u ask

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bokutoslittlebird · 3 years

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Hey birdie 💕( that's a cute name ajhdjsnd) I wanted to ask if you could pls do a scenario with Karasuno, Nekoma and Shiratorizawa how they all would react if the reader/manager having her period and just doesn't feel well? Like having lots of pain and even have the feeling to throw up but still goes to the practice? 🥺 Shoutout to my lovely period 😙

Period sisters aye! Aren’t they just wonderful.

Manager on her period [Karasuno, Shiratorizawa, Nekoma]

Karasuno

-> These boys are clueless™️ when it comes to female bodies (except Daichi, a respectful knowledgeable man). So they have no idea what a period is, but they know when you’re upset.

-> Well, Tanaka knows what a period is and he knows mood swings are a thing. He just doesn’t connect the dots that you’re upset because you’re bleeding.

-> You’re a bit moody, you snapping at the first years more often. You also ended up crying because Daichi raised his voice, which in turn made him be outcasted for a minute while everyone coddled you.

-> It was almost sad, how moody you were but when Kageyama noticed you hunched over, he panicked. He thought you had actually hurt yourself and called for the managers because you were sick. Once Kiyoko gets over there, she’s like “oh, I know this position. Cramps?”

-> So Kiyoko takes care of you, massaging your stomach while the boys watch. Ukai is yelling at them because what the fuck are they doing over there. He is slightly less confused, he knows the period and blood stuff. Yachi fills in for Kiyoko with managing.

-> Once your cramps have died down, you tell the boys about your period and how you were feeling pretty bad. Suga yells at you for coming in when you feel shitty, but you tell him you didn’t want to miss a day. It’s then that Daichi decides that you’re not allowed to come in if you’re not feeling 100%. And if you do come in, you’re sitting still and being taken care of.

Shiratorizawa

-> You think Karasuno doesn’t know what periods are? GUESS AGAIN. These boys have only 1 braincell each except for Shirabu, who knows what’s going on. He is also the start of the drama.

-> Some of the boys have older/younger sisters, of course, but it isn’t like Tanaka. They don’t have Saeko as a sister. So they’re oblivious to how the female body works, probably barely knowing how babies are made. So when you’re on your period, everyone = clueless.

-> Shirabu has a sharp tongue and he says something mean to you, as he usually does. Instead of quipping back, you burst into tears. Everyone’s in chaos mode because omg she’s crying. Shirabu is sent to timeout.

-> For real though, Semi’s probably the one who notices you’re not feeing well because you look sick. You tell him you’re fine, but moments later you’re laying on the cold gym floor for some relief. It’s panic mode for everyone because are you okay???

-> You’re laying on the floor in immense pain as you groan and try to tell them you’re fine, this is normal, when Ushijima steps up. In his monotone voice, he says : We need to call the hospital. Panic pt.2 because it’s not ER worthy but Tendō is like ready to dial the number because you’re obviously sick!

-> Shirabu is out of time out and he goes “oh, you’re on your period? No wonder you’re so sensitive.” Which is how everyone collectively goes “huh?” With a head tilt. It’s a lesson in female anatomy in that gym. Hopefully them boys will be nicer to their sisters.

-> After that incident and you crawling on the floor in pain, Ushijima scolds you for coming in. Tendō tells you that his miracle manager can’t be feeling bad and working, so it’s time to take a break.

Nekoma

-> The best team to help you out, lol. First off, Kuroo ain’t no dummy, he knows what a period is and what happens. Yamamoto is also, surprisingly, not a dunce when it comes to these things because he has a younger sister. Who, similar to Saeko, has no shame around her brother.

-> Lev has a sister but he has no idea what a period is. I don’t think he knows what boobs are. He just knows his sister gets really sensitive around a certain time of the month which is what also happens to you.

-> Your cramps are really bad, but you go in anyways. It’s not long before Kuroo notices your hand on your stomach and your hunched posture, connecting the dots. He tells you to go home because you’re not feeling well, but the other boys are confused.

-> You explain that the pain is bearable and you just wanna finish practice. Kuroo refuses to continue with you obviously in pain, which is when the rest of the team gets nosy. Then it’s decided that someone will take care of you (Yaku) while practice continues.

-> Yaku isn’t the best at women anatomy, but he is good at taking care of others. He stays by your side and even massages your tummy when you feel cramps come on. He also massages your back when that hurts, keeping a trash can nearby in case you hurl.

-> 20/10 team to have imo.

#shiratorizawa x reader #Karasuno x reader #Nekoma x reader #BB.Requests #cw.blood #cw.periods #tw.blood

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purplesurveys · 3 years

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1274

Department One: Apparel And Jewelry

What are you wearing today? Just a white duster dress. Very loungewear-y, hahaha. I didn’t feel like wearing shorts today.

What does your favorite shirt look like? At the moment I’m obsessed with my Vante shirt. It’s fanmade but it was made tastefully; the designs aren’t too loud and I love the cute little shoutouts and tributes to his past paintings, so it had been a ridiculously easy decision for me to want to buy it.

What kind of underwear do you prefer wearing? Eh I don’t really have a preference as long as I don’t find them uncomfy.

What are your favorite kind of jeans? I’m definitely still stuck in my mom jeans phase. Idk man, I just love how they match nearly all kinds of tops.

What do the last pair of shoes you wore look like? They were adidas sneakers. Not a big fan of chunky shoes but it’s an Ivy Park and it was on a big discount HAHAHA so I didn’t hesitate to get them.

How many shoes do you own? A little more than 10. I love shoes and wanna collect them someday...just not today, hahaha.

How much jewelry do you own? Not too big on jewelry; most, if not all the ones I wear are just borrowed from my mom since we share the same style anyway.

Do you own any real diamonds or other expensive jewelry? Yeah, the ones I would borrow from my mom are pretty pricey.

Has anyone ever gave you jewelry as a present? Yes, I received rings and necklaces from my ex. One of my aunts also gave me a necklace when I turned 7.

Do you like diamonds or gemstones better? I just stick with diamonds...which is...also a gemstone too, if I’m not mistaken.

Silver or gold? Silver.

Department Two: Electronics

Do you have a DVD player in your car? Not in mine, but we do have one in the family car. I used to watch movies on there often but after one grueling road trip where my motion sickness acted up, I haven’t wanted to use it since.

If you have one, what does your camera/camcorder look like? I just use the camera in my phone but back in the day I used to have a DSLR; that was when I thought I wanted to take up photography, heh. It was a Nikon D3100.

How much did it cost? I’m not sure since my dad gave it to me as a present, but a quick search told me it would’ve cost him around P20,000 which issssss wow more expensive than I thought.

What kind of cellphone do you have? I have an iPhone 8 with an LCD screen that’s deteriorating by the day HAHA. I really need to get a new phone.

How often do you send texts? I text just for work purposes now, so it really depends on how busy my accounts are. Some days would require me to send out more texts than usual.

Do you have your own computer or does your family share? I have my own laptop. My workplace also provided me with what’s supposed to be my work laptop, but they had it sent to me when I was already a couple of months into my job and all my needed files and programs were already in my personal laptop. Since I was too lazy to start everything all over again, I’ve never actually used the work laptop haha.

How many computers are in your house? We have three laptops in total - my siblings and I each have our own. Kind of a necessity these days.

Do you still have a VCR? I don’t think so.

How many DVDs do you own? We probably have around 30-50 but most of them are movies from like the 2000s that we just haven’t thrown out. Personally, I have about five DVDs of old films like Gone with the Wind, Rebel Without A Cause, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, etc, and recently I’ve been buying BTS merch so DVDs are part of that mix too.

Does your car have a GPS? No. I use Waze on my phone instead.

What kind of iPod/MP3 player do you have? Haven’t used an iPod in like a literal decade. I use Spotify for my music.

How many songs are on it? Spotify doesn’t work that way since it’s technically a database of songs.

What size is your TV? Never bothered to ask/check.

How many TVs are in your house? Four. Living room, dining room, master bedroom, my brother’s room.

What video game systems do you have? We have a PS3 and PS4.

What about handhelds? Switch. I believe my sister also still has her DSi stored somewhere.

How many video games do you have? Probably somewhere around 50-60. My dad and brother are content with repeating their games lol.

Department Three: Home

What kind of shampoo do you use? It’s a Dove variant but I’m just blanking out on the specific name/what it does.

Soap or shower gel? Shower gel.

What does your comforter look like? It’s pretty colorful and has geometric shapes and lines.

Does it match your pillows? Yep, they come in a set.

What size is your bed? Twin.

Do you or your parents like to decorate the house with various things or is it plain? My mom puts considerable effort in decorating the house but it’s nothing overboard that it feels tacky. There’s enough decor in enough spaces.

Does the furniture in your house match? Sure. I imagine my mom would be very irritated if she felt something was uncoordinated at home.

What does your couch look like? It’s a gray L-shaped couch. Gabie broke a portion of the couch’s springs when it had only spent its like first two weeks at home but surprisingly my mom has not noticed it yet; probably because she barely sits on that side.

How many does your dining room/kitchen table seat? It has six chairs, though since we’re five one of the chairs is almost always unoccupied.

Do you have any fancy china? No, my mom isn’t the type to collect those.

Do you have outside furniture? Yeah we have a table and chairs up on the rooftop, if they count.

What do your curtains look like? My siblings and I have pull-down blinds. The other rooms have these pulled-back gold curtains that’s accompanied by white sheers.

Department Four: Grocery

What kind of bread do you get? Sliced white bread, always. Sometimes my mom will pick up pan de sal, but she gets those from a certain bakery and no longer the grocery.

What is your favorite kind of cake? CHEEEEEEEEEESECAAAAAAAKE.

Do you get a lot of sweets from the grocery store? Eh, nah. Not a big fan of sweets.

What kind of soda is your favorite? Don’t like soda.

Do you drink juice? What kind? I can take it or leave it. I wouldn’t buy it for myself.

What is your favorite chewing gum? Doesn’t matter to me. The flavors last for only like a minute anyway.

Do you usually get candy from the check-out aisle? Nah. Those are far more accessible so who knows who could’ve touched or tampered with them. Plus, I mentioned I don’t like sweets.

What is your favorite soup? Miso or cream of mushroom.

Have you ever had soup when you were sick? No. I don’t enjoy hot beverages/liquids very much so I doubt I would feel comfort from soup when I’m sick.

What are your favorite canned vegetables? Not sure if it’s a cultural difference thing but canned vegetables kind of sound gross and I don’t think I’ve encountered those (I actually had to look it up lol). My parents always buy fruits and veggies as is.

What do you eat for breakfast? Fried rice is a constant but my mom switches up the set of viands every time. Some of the meals she serves would be hotdogs, eggs (either scrambled, omelette, fried, or sunny-side up), corned beef, dried fish, hashbrowns, luncheon meat, tapa, and Vienna sausages. Poptarts or toaster strudels? Poptarts. I’ve never had toaster strudel and I’m honestly not sure what that is.

What salad dressing do you prefer? Spicy mayo.

Ketchup, mayonnaise, or mustard? MAYONNAISE. I can live without the other two.

What kind of cookie do you like best? I only ever eat chocolate chip.

What kind of snacks do you get at the grocery store? Salted egg chips or Pringles. Not a big fan of snacks either. This survey is making me realize I’m way more into full meals than anything else.

Do you get the meat from the deli? Er, we don’t have delis here. Too fancy a concept lmao. If we have them, they are most likely in those extremely upscale, boujee neighborhoods.

What is your favorite frozen dinner? I mean my dad buys frozen meat, fish, etc, but the frozen dinner sets that I see in American culture, which I’m guessing is what’s being referred to in this question, are not common here.

Do you prefer frozen dinners to actual cooking? I honestly can’t imagine how it’s filling, but then again I’ve never tried it. Personally, food made from scratch is still the best.

What is your favorite kind of pasta? Fettuccine.

Do you eat meat? And if not, do you eat vegetarian meat? Yes, I eat meat. I get vegan options if they’re accessible and affordable, but those choices are hard to come by here.

What is your favorite fruit? Avocado is really the only one I’ll give a pass to. Everything else tastes horrible.

What about vegetable? Broccoli, bell peppers, green beans.

Department Five: Health And Beauty

What kind of makeup do you normally use? None. If I absolutely have to put on makeup, I will begrudgingly put on foundation, maybe some eyeliner, and lip gloss. And they will all most likely be borrowed from my sister.

Do you wear more makeup on special events? Not necessarily.

What is your favorite makeup brand? I wouldn’t be the right person to ask because I would just say none of them.

Do you use any acne products? Mmm no, I just splash water on my face, really. I actually got into a conversation about skincare with my co-workers yesterday and besides the usual shocked experessions I get when people find out I don’t use products, they recommended I at least get moisturizer and sunscreen. Idk, let’s see but historically it’s been hard to convince me to invest in skincare haha.

What kind of perfume do you use? I have one of Beyoncé’s perfumes, Heat Rush. I don’t actually know if that’s still in production but it’s been my staple for like a decade or so now.

Have you ever been on a diet? No. I never really had to be on one.

What products do you use in your hair? Shampoo and conditioner.

How often do you brush your hair? Only when I have to leave the house or have an important virtual work meeting.

What do you take when you have an upset stomach? Nothing. The toilet usually solves that for me lol.

Do you take any prescription medicine? Nope.

Department Six: Movies, Music, And Books

What is your favorite movie of all time? It’s been Two for the Road for a solid nine years and it doesn’t look like anything’s on its way to dethroning it anytime soon.

What genre of movie do like best? Drama. The more realistic it is, the better.

What was the last movie you watched? It’s a Korean film called Be With You. I liked it and I cried waterfalls, but the ending was so rushed it was kind of disappointing.

What was the last movie you purchased? I don’t buy movies. If I wanted to see a film I’ll check if Netflix has it, then if they don’t I just try to scour one of those illegal movie streaming sites that always happen to have thousands of pornographic ads hahaha.

What is your all time favorite band? Paramore. Do you still buy CDs? Only from artists I’m an extremely huge fan of. Right now that would be BTS, so I’m catching up on all the albums they’ve released in the last eight years.

What was the last CD you bought? I got the Butter album set, if that counts. If it doesn’t, the last full-length album I purchased was Dark & Wild.

What was the last song you listened to? I think it was Permission To Dance.

What is your favorite book? I haven’t found it yet.

Do you even like reading? I used to love it a lot more, to the point that back in grade school I was known as always having a book in my hand. I just don’t know where that passion went.

How often do you read? Nearly never. I mean...I do read fanfics, I guess; but I won’t count those.

Department Seven: Sports And Fitness

Do you own a bike/scooter/skateboard/etc.? We do have a bike at home, but that doesn’t mean I know how to ride it. We don’t have the other two.

How old were you when you learned to ride a bike w/o training wheels? I still don’t know how to last on a bike without training wheels heheh.

Have you ever been camping? Nah.

How often do you work out? Nope but at work my boss just started another fitness challenge, so I’ll probably have to get back on working out soon just because I would want to accomplish the challenge.

Are you in good shape? Sure, I think so. I’m not like fit fit because I neveeer exercise haha, but I also don’t make it a point to constantly eat unhealthy foods or have an unhealthy lifestyle to the point that it affects my body.

Do you go to a gym? I do not. I thought of getting a membership at the start of the year but I’m glad I didn’t push through with it because all the gyms are still closed anyway.

Have you ever been fishing? No. Idk if it’s my kind of pastime or not.

Have you ever been on a boat? Yeah. My country has like 7000 islands so I was bound to get on a boat at some point in my life haha.

Can you play golf? Never seemed interesting to me so no. Even on Wii Sports I barely picked golf.

Ever rode on a golf cart? Yeah, in resorts where we had to ride them to be taken to our room.

Would you ever go hunting? That’s an easy no.

What is your favorite sport? Pro wrestling or table tennis.

Ever played on a sports team? No, my school didn’t have a table tennis varsity.

Department Eight: Toys

What was your favorite toy as a child? Cash registers because I liked the buttons. Also Play-Doh sets that had those contraptions that would squirt out the clay in various shapes.

Do you still play with toys? Well, no.

Do you collect any toys? I don’t, but I’m not opposed to start buying Funko Pop figurines of people or characters I’m interested in.

Did you ever have building blocks? Sure, but I was never creative enough for them.

Did you play with dolls? No.

Barbies or Bratz? Which were better? BRATZZZZZZ

What is your favorite board game? Scrabble.

Do you like to do arts and crafts? Hell no.

Do you think that kids now have it better than when you were young? For sure, but isn’t that kind of the goal?

#survey #surveys

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drawlfoy · 5 years

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Drawn to You (cheesy but i refuse to change it)

masterlist request guidelines requests are open!

pairing: draco x ravenclaw!reader (finally! my first ravenclaw reader!)

request: yes! i’m pairing two together, kind of...if you requested the draco x ravenclaw reader without any other plot specifications other than him being jealous, this one is kind of for you. i didn’t know how to fit the jealousy part in, but you sounded thrilled to have anything ravenclaw and this was next on my list and i didn’t know what to write since i had no other plot points. also...the person who sent this request in, this is for you as well! it’s getting out much sooner than expected, but that’s just because i’m combining.

summary: draco notices a ravenclaw girl doodling him in class and decides to confront her.

warnings: none! just sweet fluff, maybe some cursing.

a/n: oof i’m so sorry for not posting anything for a while! i’ve been going through a rough introspective moment in my life when it comes to my relationship and i feel like i’m on the verge of a breakup and i just kinda feel shitty, so that’s why i’m not writing as much as i should be. i’ll be okay, though, i have no doubt about it. if you have words of wisdom i’m all ears haha. also shoutout to my laptop for deleting the draft of this and making me rewrite the whole thing LOL

music recs: orpheus under the influence from the buttertones

word count: 1,812

taglist: @accio-rogers

Umbridge was a horrible teacher, even when she wasn’t acting bigoted and racist. Her classroom was so soulsuckingly boring that even her Slytherin pets found themselves tired of it.

So, naturally, as Umbridge instructed the students to copy down a passage from their blasted textbook three times, Draco Malfoy couldn’t help but let his eyes wander across the room.

He was always an efficient writer and made quick work of the task, but as he scanned the room, he found that no one else was in the same boat as he was. He ran his fingers through his hair, already drafting the letter that he’d send his father when he got back to the dorms about how Umbridge sucked the life out of every class and that the ministry ought to do something about it. His father would find something to do to make her treat students, or at the very least, Slytherin students, better.

The back of his neck tingled, like someone was watching him. Draco’s eyes shot around the room, trying to see if another pair of eyes were trained on him.

There.

It was a brief moment, but he had seen a girl with Y/H/C hair duck her head down at the table by the door. Looking closer, he could see a blue and bronze tie around her neck. The girl was wearing her uniform, but it looked slightly tampered with--a brooch and a flower were attached to her lapels and a midnight blue scrunchie resided on her wrist.

Ah, he knew who it was. He had never spoken directly to Y/N Y/L/N before (he was never close to any Ravenclaws), but he often saw her floating through the halls, conversing quietly but passionately with her friends at meals, and curled intently over what he thought was a journal in the library. She had a slightly dreamy vibe, but not in the loony Luna fashion...it just seemed as though she looked at everything around her through a different, more delicate lens.

Draco knew he needed to stop observing her like a creep, but there was something off about the Ravenclaw. She was intently focusing on a piece of parchment in front of her, but her textbook was forgotten and pushed off to the side.

She swiftly glanced up again, meeting his eyes and freezing for a moment. A soft rose began blooming on her cheeks as she tried to nonchalantly scan the room, pretending like she wasn’t just looking at him. After she seemed satisfied, she ducked back down to whatever she was working on.

Then it hit him. Her hand was moving in methodical but varied strokes and she often spun the parchment to regard it at a new angle. Draco realized that she wasn’t writing--no, she was drawing something.

He leaned forward in his chair, attempting to catch a glimpse of the picture. His tries were in vain, however, as he was much too far away to make out anything.

Draco was overtaken by an intense curiosity to know what she was drawing, and in typical Slytherin fashion, he had a plan.

Raising his hand, he asked Umbridge if he could go to the loo. She quickly granted permission--he was one of her favorite students, after all.

He rose up from his chair, carefully maneuvering his path so he would be forced to walk past Y/N’s table to get to the door. The girl was so engrossed in her work that she didn’t even hear him approaching.

However, once he saw what she was drawing, his previous swagger and slyness crawled into a hole and died, instead leaving him frozen with shock.

Y/N’s careful hand was meticulously adding eyelashes to a sketch of him leaning over his own textbook and writing, as he had been doing just minutes before. Picture Draco’s eyes were narrowed in gentle concentration, her handiwork capturing the intelligent glimmer in his eyes just perfectly. A piece of hair hung over his forehead, just barely tickling his brow.

Suddenly self conscious, Draco reached his hand up to feel his forehead, and sure enough, a stray hair lay there.

She had done a really good job. It was almost as if she had taken a picture and pressed it into the parchment, and he wasn’t sure how to feel about it.

The sudden rustling of his robes jolted Y/N out of her trance, and just as she was beginning to look up at Draco, he bolted off, his mind racing even faster than his feet.

♥♥♥♥

“You’ve got an admirer, Y/N!” Melanie, a fellow Ravenclaw, giggled into her ear.

“Huh!” Y/N responded, looking up from her dinner plate.

“Yeah, look over at the Slytherin table, you’ll see.” The blonde shoved her shoulder playfully, motioning with her head.

Y/N raked her eyes up and down the table, not seeing anyone in particular, until she stopped at the very end of it.

Draco Malfoy’s eyes were unnervingly bore into hers from across the hall, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

“Are you sure he’s admiring me, Melanie?” Y/N quipped, nervous amusement creeping into her tone. “He looks like he’s going to skin me alive instead.”

Melanie shrugged, spearing a roasted carrot on her fork.

“You never know with those Slytherins. They’re so unpredictable. One day they’re all over you, the next...” Melanie sighed, and Y/N had a feeling that her friend was no longer offering advice, rather sharing her own personal experience with one Pansy Parkinson.

“I’m sorry, you didn’t deserve to be treated like that,” Y/N comforted, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You’re more than someone to experiment around with, and you’re gonna find your person one day!”

They were silent for a few moments.

“Speaking of finding people,” Melanie said, “Where did Draco go?”

Y/N looked over to where he had been sitting moments before, only to see his seat vacant. The Slytherin table looked oddly empty without their token head of silvery blonde hair.

She only had a few moments to wonder before a throat cleared behind her. Spinning around, Y/N was greeted with the sight of a rather flustered looking Draco Malfoy.

“Er... hey, Malfoy, can I help you?” Y/N cringed at how professional she sounded, like a saleswoman welcoming him into a store.

He cleared his throat again.

“Yeah, can I talk to you for a second?” He stayed stationary, his eyes flickering nervously and refusing to meet hers. “Alone, if that’s alright?”

Y/N shot Melanie a what the fuck look and received an identical one back before standing up.

“Sure, where do you want to go?”

♥♥♥♥

Y/N followed the Slytherin out of the Great Hall and to a quiet corridor, all the while wondering what was wrong. Draco had never spoken directly to her, and while she’d always admired him from afar, she never imagined them having a conversation. Maybe he had seen her drawing him?

She pushed the thought away. There was no chance.

“Let’s sit here.” Draco’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts as he motioned to an empty staircase.

They sat down, leaving a healthy few inches between them. Draco fiddled with his robes as Y/N picked at her fingernail polish, justifying her actions by reminding herself that they were chipped anyways.

“What’s up?” Y/N finally asked, breaking the awkward silence.

“Well, I, er, noticed something in class today that I wanted to speak to you about,” Draco said.

Were his hands shaking?

Y/N had no more time to wonder as the truth of the matter hit her. Of course he had seen the sketch of him in DADA. She had thought she was sly about it, but there was no other reason for him to be talking to her.

Recognizing the realization displayed on her face, Draco leaned a bit closer.

“It was a beautiful drawing, by the way,” he informed her softly. “But I’m sure you already knew that.”

“I’m sorry,” Y/N blurted. “I know that I should’ve asked first. That was super creepy of me to do. I swear I’m not some sort of stalker...her class is just so--”

“Boring?” Draco cut in, one eyebrow raising in amusement. “Yeah, I know. And it’s alright...I just want to know why you did it.”

Y/N froze, another blush creeping up on her already hot cheeks.

“I don’t know, I was bored, and you were in good lighting,” she lied, hoping he wouldn’t notice.

“Why didn’t you sketch Goyle or Crabbe? They were next to the window with me,” Draco pushed, bumping her shoulder and making her suck in a quick breath.

“I...er....I just do whatever my inner artist desires,” she responded lamely. “You just looked so focused, and your hair is really fun to draw, so...”

She stopped herself before she could let anything else slip out.

“Oh, so you’ve done it before?” he teased, an infuriatingly calm smirk forming on his lips.

“None of your business,” she grumbled, breaking the eye contact and scooting away from him.

Draco waited a few painful seconds before shifting the same distance closer to her.

“I don’t want to upset you,” he said truthfully. “I honestly think it’s cute.”

Y/N blushed again, resting her face in her hand to try and hide the evidence.

“You don’t think it’s creepy?” she asked, cautiously meeting his eyes.

“No, how could I?” he answered, mirroring her actions. “I’m flattered, truly.”

She allowed herself to smile shyly at him.

“Thank you for understanding, Draco, I appreciate it.” She let the words hang out in the air for a few moments before finishing. “I should really head back to my friends though, they’re going to start to get worried.”

Draco smiled too, a rare break from his snarky facial expressions. Y/N made a mental note to recreate the exact scene in her sketchbook as well.

“I know, me being a Slytherin and all,” he agreed. “Your friends are probably seconds away from telling Dumbledore that you’ve been kidnapped and murdered.”

“We really don’t think you’re that bad,” Y/N soothed. “They’d only assume kidnapping. They don’t think you’re cut out for murder.”

Draco looked like he was about to argue, but he shut his mouth and grinned.

“Well, Y/N, I’m glad I got to finally talk to you,” he said as he stood up, offering his hand to her.

“Me too,” she admitted, taking his hand. “I’ve got to be off now, but if you’d like, I can give you the sketch.”

Draco was positively glowing.

“I would say yes,” he began, “but then I’d lose my excuse to talk to you.”

Y/N’s heart stopped. She would’ve clasped her hands together as an anxious movement if she wasn’t clutching one of Draco’s.

“So what do you propose then?” she pressed, only stumbling over her words a little bit.

“I hear Hogsmeade has even better lighting than Umbridge’s classroom.”

final a/n: woah this request was adorable and i’m in love with the person who sent it in tysm. also did not edit this and i don’t have any beta readers so i apologize for any glaring plot holes/mistakes. let me know what you thought of it!!

#draco #draco malfoy #draco lucius malfoy #draco x reader #draco imagine #draco x oc #draco malfoy x reader #draco malfoy x oc #draco malfoy imagine #slytherin #harry potter #harry potter imagine #ravenclaw

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treatiseongrace · 4 years

Text

Welcome to my brain... injury

I need to write this out apparently. Memorial day weekend 2020: my patient kicked me in the neck/head. I am a nurse on a traumatic brain injury unit; I am not unaccustomed to violent patients. In all fairness, I was trying to take his belt away after another staff member "lowered" him to the floor. However, he kind of started it by trying to smack me with said belt. I don't blame the guy. He has a severe traumatic brain injury and was very confused, experiencing paranoia. Nevertheless, he kicked me..hard..with work boots on. This detail throws everyone off and I frequently get asked:

Well why was he wearing work boots?

The answer is because I work in an acute rehabilitation hospital. We pick up the pieces after the initial hospital/ICU stay and try to reassemble these people back together as best we can. It's a team effort: doctors, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapist, psychologists. We dress these people in their own clothes and get them used to their new normals. They spend a significant amount of time outaide of their hospital rooms and gyms and treatment rooms with other patients. They need clothes on, not hospital gowns and socks. They really need to be in solid shoes. Shoes tell alot about a person I have found. Socioeconomic status, lifestyle, and personality can be hinted at when looking at someones shoes. I don't know this patient's work history but since these were the only shoes he had at the hospital, he probably wore them everyday.

The entire scene was a fiasco of epic proportion. But in all honesty, I didn't even feel the kick. The only reason I knew I had been struck was because I had the sensation of the air being knocked out of my throat. I actually turned to my coworker after the patient had been calmed (i.e. IM injected with a heavy sedative) and asked him if the patient hit me. It all happened so fast it didn't seem real.

Yes he hit you...hard.

Fuck. Which ironically was the exact word I had yelled into the phone at the covering physician when I saw a belt flying towards me out of my peripheral vision.

I felt my neck. No bumps or pain but I did feel stiff. I wondered when it was going to start to hurt.

I worked the final 2 hours of my 12 hour shift. Apparently, taking a moment to send out a snapchat to some select friends. I stayed an extra 30 mins overtime trying to chart everything and also fill out an incident report. The neck pain was settling in. Luckily, the weekend supervisor actually witnessed the entire event. We laughed about the craziness of the day.

The headache and neckpain really hit (no pun intended) when I got home. I resolved to call out the next day if I woke up in pain. I was surprised to wake up in the morning feeling perfectly fine. I guess I just needed to sleep! The headache gradually returned throughout the day and I took up the supervisors offer to leave at 3pm. I just needed to rest. I was totally drained. After taking a shower thinking that would loosen my tight neck muscles, I felt the room start to spin and the nausea set in. Of course I call another nurse, one who had worked at my hospital for 30 years. She yelled at me for going to work at all and told me to call work and tell them what was going on. It was loving and I knew thats what I had to do; I just needed someone to tell me that. They told me to go to the ER.

My dad picked me up. He made jokes the whole time and kept easedropping on the patient next door who kept screaming for someone to call "Big Eddy." Shoutout to ER nurses, because she was a handfull.

However, the B team was apparently running the ER that night because no one caught the concussion. They said it was a headache from neck spasm and sent me home with a muscle relaxer and advil. I slept the whole next day. The photophobia and dizziness became unignorable so I went to the occupational health office and saw a nurse practitioner. She skillfully performed a neuro exam and said without a doubt I had a concussion.

Also, did you drive yourself here?

I had. I could tell she was both scared and kind of impressed. I like to believe we had a moment of acknowledging each others "tough badass nurse" personalities. Her diagnosing what those ER docs missed and me pushing through a mild traumatic brain injury. But honestly, thinking back now, she probably thought I was nuts. I, the brain injury nurse, didn't diagnose my own concussion? No, I was in denial. I was an invincible force who juggled 4 to 6 patients with severe injuries for 12+ hours. I was a ringleader in the 3 ring circus of acute rehab. I was an unstoppable 27 year old who kicked ass at being a nurse. One little kick was not going to take me down. Except it did.

Was really excited to catch the nystagmus in my right eye on camera. Well, excited and terrified.

This is really just the beginning of the story. It has now been 3 months since my concussion and I am still not back at work. I have been to many physical, occupational, and speech therapy sessions. I have a new appreciation for what my TBI patients go through. I have gotten a small taste of their world. It fucking blows.

To be continued.

#nurse #concussion #post concussion syndrome #nursing #tw violence #brain injury

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starswornoaths · 4 years

Note

❝ the world showed no compassion to me. ❞ (insert eyes emoji here)

INSERT EYES EMOJI BACK

(also special shoutout to @holyja for bringing me to OT4 hell, I’m so glad I’m here adsfjk;rsilghsigjl)

Serella’s disappearance from the very star itself had been such a sudden thing, an unexpected thing that even hours after Tataru had given the news, it had left those closest to her reeling. As Tataru told it, Serella had had notified Hyana that she made for the Syrcus Trench in search of clues for what ailed the slumbering Scions, then in the span of moments after she had begun that search in earnest, she had disappeared in a flash of light.

“She said a voice called to her. It was hard to hear her as she was fading, though…” Tataru had said in a voice warbling with tears. After a long moment, she had handed Hyana a stack of sealed envelopes, tied together with a purple ribbon. “She left these in her room. I think...I don’t know what she wanted to do with them, but they’re all addressed to you.”

Even in the time it had taken her to drift from the Rising Stones to the Firmament, to home, Hyana still didn’t know what to make of the stack of letters that weighed as a stone in her hands.

That Vardr and Danuja didn’t immediately pounce on her the moment she got home meant someone else was here, too, occupying them— and when she wandered up to the bedroom and saw Aymeric and Estinien sat on their oversized bed with letters of their own, she knew why.

“Tataru sent them to all of us, then.” Estinien mused, turning his own unopened, untouched stack in his hands, his thumb smoothing over the red ribbon holding them together.

Aymeric said nothing, his fingers faintly trembling as he plucked at the blue ribbon binding his. Hyana joined them on the bed in silence, setting her letters down on the duvet as though they were made of glass. Vardr, sat in Aymeric’s lap, nosed at his hand as if to encourage him. Danuja, sat at Estinien’s side, sprawled to put her head in Hyana’s lap in an attempt to comfort them both.

“D’you suppose Serella was ever going to send them to us?” Hyana asked, breaking the weighty silence that hung in the canopied bed.

“Not while she is Acting Antecedent.” Aymeric replied quietly.

“Too tied up in politics to let herself feel anything.” Estinien snorted. “Sounds familiar.”

That got a flinch out of Aymeric, though silence reigned again. For how close the three of them were, even without Serella, it felt like none of them knew what to say to one another anymore. That tension wound them all taut, the air tense and still. Vardr and Danuja were not enough to soothe them, and the additions of Riley, Rhalgr, and Menphina were no better, though not for lack of trying on the part of their remaining dog and cats.

With the bed filled to near capacity (for there was still one important occupant absent,) and no one truly knowing what to say, they all agreed to wordlessly read the letters given to them— possibly compare to see if she had simply copied her words over and over to them.

A silly thought— each letter was different, though the longing in them remained consistent. Though much of the contents remained private between them, ere long there were water logged phrases shared with exasperated warmth. “She must know we miss her greatly.” “Thinks we’re carrying on fine without her. Hmph.” “Doesn’t she know she can still turn to us?” It took little to get them all to thaw, just a little, just enough to smile in tired fondness.

She had that effect on them, even so far away.

“Wait—” Estinien paused when he reached the last letter in his pile, a thicker envelope than the others by far. “This...is not only addressed to me.”

“Hm?” Aymeric, only just setting his last letter aside, newly read with red rimmed eyes, leaned over to see what Estinien was talking about. “Tataru did not sort these ahead of time— Ella did. Meaning—”

“She must have hoped I’d come home to you both.” Estinien said for him with a disbelieving chuckle. “Can’t stop worrying over the lot of us to save her own life, can she?”

When Hyana peered curiously in kind and saw that it was addressed to all three of them, she felt something in her chest twist unpleasantly. Just the act of looking at the envelope felt like beholding a goodbye.

Even as she didn’t want it, she took the envelope from him and opened it without preamble. When Estinien made a noise of complaint, she held up a hand, “I’ll read it out loud.”

They watched her expectantly as she unfolded the letter, took a deep breath, and began to read.

“My Dearest Ones,

I don’t even know if you’ll ever see this. Maybe I just like to talk to you all. Maybe I just need to pretend I still can. I’m not sure of much of anything anymore, save for that someone— I can only presume it’s the same someone who has taken the Scions— has bid me seek answers in Syrcus Tower.

I’m assuming it’s a trap. It usually is. It probably is. But I’m going anyway. We have no other leads, and I have no other hope of coming home again. Because that’s what I’ve been laboring for: to come home to you all. It’s all I’ve wanted— even speaking in the day to day with you, Violet, or coordinating supplies and movements with you, Aymeric, I have mourned not being able to come home to you in any sense of the word. Estinien, I hope you came to be with them, to remind yourself you aren’t alone, but even if you’re reading this without their company, know that it’s been hard not to reach out to you at all, and that I hope you’re as well as you can be.”

Estinien sniffed, but Hyana didn’t tear her gaze from the letters scrawled on the pages in front of her.

“Every day I’ve had to remind myself that what I’m doing is only temporary. That it’s the right thing to do— if I can, I must, right? But I just...write to you all in what time I have left to myself. When I can’t sleep. When I don’t know what to do. And then...then I stuff it in a desk drawer and tell myself it’s selfish to send something like that when I still can’t be with you all. It would be unfair. How could I ask you all to support me when duty demands I keep you at arm’s length?

“Easily.” Aymeric whispered.

“I don’t know what I’ll find at the end of all of this. I don’t know what price I’ll have to pay to see the Scions restored, but I’ll pay it. For us, it’s worth it. I can’t promise many things, not the least of which is whether I’ll be the same person at the end of all of this. I can only promise that I’ll still be yours, for as long as you want me to be, and that I’ll bring us all home. I would be a fool to break that promise. The world was never kind to me, not until it led me to all of you. And I’ll fight my way back any way I can, to come home, to keep that kindness for myself. One way or another.

So lets all hold our heads high, as we always have, my darlings, and see this through, yeah? Have the kettle on for me, I’ll be home as soon as I can.

Your shield as sver,

Ella”

Hyana lost track of when her voice grew warbled with tears, but she felt them stick to her throat when she swallowed thickly. Her knuckles ached for how tightly they gripped the letter, even as she had taken care not to tear it. She would not cry over this. She hadn’t for months now, what did words scribbled on pages change any of that?

“God dammit.” Estinien snarled under his breath. When Hyana looked up at him, he had turned his head to hide from them both, the heel of his hand pressing firmly against his eye. “God dammit.”

When Aymeric sniffed, she looked to him. With a hand pressed tightly over his mouth and tears falling from full, sticky lashes he seemed to be the only one who had it in him anymore to cry. She wondered if he had taken all of their tears for himself in Serella’s place.

Hyana was not one for idle sorrow, not when productive rage was a more attractive option. The tears she swallowed couldn’t douse the fire in her chest, the sparks of indignation struck against her ribs, the smoke filling her lungs. How dare Serella just decide to do this alone— again —and all for those held dear to her as though they were only dear to her! As if she was not an occupant in their lives, their hearts! The unmitigated gall of her!

She had shrugged Danuja off her lap and stood before she had fully realized she had done so. The anger ran hot in her veins but she hadn’t felt so alive in months, not since home hadn’t felt the same. It was something, rather than the dreary emptiness that had weighed her down.

“Hyana?” Estinien looked up, pinned by Danuja fully now.

Unceremoniously, she tossed the letter down and gathered the letters that had been addressed to her specifically. Hastily tying them back together with that purple ribbon (violet, the nerve of her,) and tucking the lot of them in with her gear, she made to hastily pack her bag.

“Violet?” Aymeric called softly.

“She went to Syrcus Trench.” Hyana’s words all rushed to get out, hands scrambling to throw what clothes and supplies she might need into her pack. “Then she disappeared, but I have a starting point— and I think I know who took her.”

“What—” Estinien managed to stand first, burdened with fewer pets weighing him down. “Hyana, I don’t—”

But she’d already finished what packing was needed— or at least, what she could think of amidst swirling thoughts and pounding pulse. Standing upright and swinging her pack upon her back she was already making for the door before either of them could even approach her.

“I’m going where she went. I’m going to track her down— and no, I don’t care where she went, I will find her— and I’m going to beat her stupid fucking face in.”

She’d propped her lance against the wall when she came in, but snatched it up and turned toward them, fully prepared for them to look scared, or upset, for them to try and talk her down from leaving. She hadn’t prepared for them to both look at her with slow, faint grins spreading on their faces.

“Ordinarily, I’d advise against hitting her face.” Estinien’s grin widened. “But she’s been a stubborn ass. Slug her once for me, would you? I’d follow you, but Tataru reached out to me for more than just the letters.” With a roll of his shoulders, he explained, “I’m being contracted to fill in where you lot need aid the most. So at least take comfort there will at least be one dragoon out in force.”

“We all have our part to play.” Aymeric agreed with a nod. “I return to the front tonight.”

Where the room had been near stifled with the oppressive weight of sorrow there was an almost electric buzzing of motivation— of energy where there had been none. Moved to action, enthusiastic action, for the first time in weeks had them almost intoxicated with vigor, and they stepped out into the night, into their roles, with every intention of seeing the dawn together, all four of them.

They had that effect on one another like that.

#vesnaint #I am as ever your shield #unstoppable forces and immovable objects #Aymeric de Borel #Estinien Wrymblood #Hyana Geriel #Serella Arcbane #5.0 spoilers #shadowbringers spoilers #(tagging just in case)#hi yes I'm a peddler of angst but I also live for the moment where the characters go 'no fuck your angst'#it's a personal favorite source of dopamine #ty for the ask!!!

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notgoingtohappen · 7 years

Text

Revenge, Interrupted (Part 12)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

A/N: shoutout to @mysterolineheart444world for helping me with a plot point for this chapter!

Stefan watched affectionately as Caroline did a small jig around the pool table as she exclaimed “I won, I won, told you I’d win!”

And then he wiped the smile off his face as he could practically hear Lexi’s voice in his head: pathetic, Stefan, stop looking so whipped.

And the Lexi in Stefan’s head was right. He still had to figure it what was real and what was part of the pretence, but he wasn’t going to go and develop a crush on her and make the whole situation awkward. The fact that he really couldn’t distinguish between what was real and what wasn’t meant his “feelings” were nothing but the after-effects of a drunk hook-up. She was adorable, as a friend, he told himself.

Caroline was next to him again and looked up smiling, her hair coming undone, eyes bright, cheeks flushed and panting a little.

“Tired from your victory dance?”

“Being a winner. It’s exhausting.”

“So is being serious. I wouldn’t know, of course.”

“Oh yeah, I’m sure.”

“I plan to pay you back for that game, by the way.”

They stood there smiling at each other and on an impulse, Stefan reached out to tuck a lock of hair falling in her eyes behind her ear.

Their friends were around, after all. It had nothing to do with the fact that he’d been wanting to do that for days.

Her cheeks seemed to get redder and she looked down. He stepped back quickly and was just about to open his mouth to say they should get back to the others when someone else beat him to it.

“Caroline Forbes?” came a voice from behind him.

The accent wasn’t exactly British but something about the voice was strangely familiar. Caroline froze and Stefan turned around to see a light-haired, lean man walking over to them, grinning from ear to ear.

“Klaus, hi.” Caroline mumbled.

“Hello, love. Fancy seeing you here!”

“You too…”

“I was certain the next time we would run into each other would be at the Palace of Versailles—one of my favourite locations in the world, of course—under a painting we both admired greatly and stopped to marvel at…” he trailed off with a slightly manic smile.

“France, huh? Maybe someday.” Caroline said, clearly at a loss for words.

Who was this dude? Stefan realised that his name was kind of familiar.

“Splendid! How are you doing, then?”

“Good, good… graduated, got a job.” Caroline wasn’t chatty for once and it struck Stefan as surprising, and he moved slightly closer to her.

“Excellent! And who is this fellow?” he motioned to Stefan.

“Stefan Salvatore.” He held out his hand.

The man shook it, somehow looking both pleased to meet him and annoyed that he was standing protectively next to Caroline. Then his eyes widened and he clapped Stefan on the shoulder. “Young Salvatore!”

Stefan looked at Caroline, perplexed, and she shrugged with a don’t-look-at-me-man-I-don’t-know look. “Excuse me?”

“Klaus Mikaelson! Do you not remember? It was high school, I believe, when I first made your acquaintance.”

Everything came back to Stefan and he wanted the ground open up and swallow him, and Caroline didn’t look that different.

“Oh god, yeah, sophomore year, you were a senior and my-“

“Supplier of herbal sensory enhancers, yes.” Klaus cut in. “A self-made businessman at so tender an age, no wonder I control my family’s fortune.”

Caroline looked from Stefan and Klaus and then back to Stefan, dumbfounded.

“Er, you can call it that.” He said.

Her mouth fell open slightly. “Wait, herbal enhancers… were you… his drug dealer?”

Stefan cringed and he knew she instantly knew the answer.

“Ah, that is so base and crude a term, love. The profession is far more than that.”

“Uh… okay then.” Caroline didn’t look like she wanted to contradict him.

Stefan turned to Caroline. “After my last summer there, I lost touch with V but whenever I wanted some, Klaus sold it to me that year.”

Klaus smiled fondly at Stefan. “How shattered you must have been when I graduated. My sincerest apologies.”

“No, it was good, I got sober pretty quick after.”

Klaus nodded, looking moved. “Good for you, friend.”

And then he turned to Caroline. “You, my dear, are light. I have not forgotten that night at the fraternity house’s annual party. If you ever want something more, do come to me, for I will show you the allure of art and culture and passion and darkness and you shall be a queen among women.”

Stefan felt incredibly uncomfortable listening to this and was growing increasingly more annoyed at Klaus. He was aware of the urge to punch him but instead turned to check on Caroline, who looked mortified.

He hadn’t said anything before because this guy seemed to be an ex of some kind, but her expression made him step ever closer to her. “Back off, man.” Stefan looked Klaus squarely in the eye.

She moved so close to Stefan she bumped into his side and slipped her hand into his. “Actually, Klaus, I’m with Stefan, and I told you the last time, I was drunk and mad at my ex-boyfriend and it was nothing.”

Klaus nodded gravely. “I understand. Nothing gives me greater joy than to see two dear friends deeply in love. I wish you all the joy. I have only one request, invite me to the wedding. Farewell.”

He turned around and left, leaving a stunned Stefan and Caroline in his wake.

Caroline sighed, sounding relieved, and her head slumped against his shoulder as loosened her tight grip on his hand.

“What the fuck was that?” Stefan said, astounded.

“Wedding?” Caroline spluttered.

“Paris?” Stefan added.

“I cannot believe you bought drugs from him!”

“I can’t believe you… you know, had sex with him!” He hoped his cheeks weren’t red as he remembered that they’d almost had sex last night, and probably would have if no one had knocked.

“He was just this guy at the party who kept checking me out and telling me nice things and seemed like a bad boy…”

“Still, him?” Stefan was aware that on some level he was jealous but a part of him was relieved they were back to their easy banter again.

“I was new to college and mad at Tyler, okay? Might I remind you Stefan, you let him sell you drugs.”

“I missed getting high after that summer with Vicki, okay!”

She stared at him and then they burst out laughing and couldn’t stop. They looked drunk but it was amazing how they didn’t even need alcohol to laugh hysterically.

“Oh my god, what even was that?” she gasped, visibly trying to stop laughing.

“I have no idea.”

Stefan rubbed his eyes and then led her back to the table, holding hands.

“Hey guys!” The others greeted them.

“Don’t you look chipper.” Enzo commented.

“Your phone was buzzing like crazy, Steffy.” Damon said.

Stefan grabbed it, read the email and his face split into a huge smile. “I got the job!”

Before he knew it, Caroline’s arms had flown around his neck and he was holding her, her perfume that reminded him of flowers at the estate and now her, sent a pang of longing through him. What for, he wasn’t sure.

She landed on his feet and pulled back. “Congratulations!” she said softly and then he did what he’d wanted to all night. He cupped her face and pulled her close with his other hand, and kissed her. Again. In front of the others. Again.

For show, of course.

He could hear some hooting and laughter from their friends but all he could think about was Caroline. The way her fingers snaked into his hair, the way she gently pulled him closer, her kisses that he could never get enough of.

They finally pulled away and sat down with their friends.

Stefan was kind of relieved that kiss had been a far more casual one than the previous few. He had been starting to fear he wasn’t capable of kissing her without it turning into a full-blown makeout session.

“Uh, congratulations, Stefan.” Elena patted him awkwardly on the shoulder.

“Knew you had it in you, mate.”

“Awesome news!” said Bonnie.

“I’d hug you, but you still look dazed,” Damon smirked. “You and Blondie are interesting, to say the least.”

Stefan shot him a puzzled look, aware of Caroline’s gaze on him.

They were supposed to be believable, not ‘interesting.’

“What do you mean?” he asked his brother.

“Well, for starters she’s not insane like Katherine, or annoying like Valerie, or dull like Ivy, or my type like Rebekah.”

Stefan scoffed, relieved. “Wow.”

“Or mean like Lexi.” Enzo muttered.

Elena laughed. “You just think she’s mean because she rejected you that time when she dropped by to visit Damon.”

“It was unkind.”

“You were being an idiot. And everyone could tell you liked Bonnie.”

Bonnie and Enzo smiled at each other.

“She was taken then.”

“I’m taken now too. By you.”

They kissed and Damon rolled his eyes. “Never stops being weird. It’s like seeing my parents kiss. Anyway. I’m just saying. It’s different.”

“Don’t worry, you’re cute!” Elena reassured them.

Caroline smiled at Stefan and the hint of nervousness didn’t escape him. It was an odd thing for Damon to say. He moved closer to her and put his arm around her to somehow ease her.

“DAMON! BONNIE! ENZO!” Elena yelled suddenly.

They all stared at her, a little alarmed.

She looked elated, grinning at her phone. “Liam and Nadia and Kai are gonna be in town tomorrow!”

Damon looked like he was going to pass out from excitement, Bonnie was giggling with Elena, and Enzo sat back with his arms crossed, a muscle ticking in his jaw.

“You okay?” Stefan asked him.

“This Kai, he was always hitting on Bonnie. I loved the gang, but never particularly him.”

Caroline, also excluded from the excitement, leaned over. “You have nothing to worry about Enzo, take it from her best friend. She’s crazy about you. Go and enjoy, I would give anything to have my college friends in town.”

“I would give anything to have Lexi in town.” Stefan muttered.

“Not helping.” Enzo sighed and then cheered up when Damon mentioned something about Liam and the four went outside to talk to him on Damon’s phone so they could have the “best signal possible”.

“Who is Lexi?” Caroline asked him curiously.

Stefan grinned. “She’s my best friend.”

“Enzo said she was your ex, right?”

Stefan looked at her, shocked, and then started laughing. “What?”

“Yeah, he said, “Or mean like Lexi” when Damon was listing your exes.”

Understanding dawned on Stefan. “Oh, he didn’t mean anything. He probably just said that because she’s the first girl most people associate with me, but she’s like my sister.”

Caroline nodded quietly, and sipped on her coke, looking around.

Wait, why was she asking? Like, she remembered Damon and Enzo’s exact words on his ex-girlfriends. Was it interest… or maybe jealousy?

He pushed the thought away, chalking it off to wishful thinking.

And it became even clearer it was nothing of the sort when she leaned over and softly asked him something that made him feel far more uneasy than he should have.

In fact, he shouldn’t be feeling anything, least of all uneasy or sad.

“Stefan, I was thinking, what if we meet someone we actually want to date?”

Stefan swallowed his feelings and forced himself to answer, wondering if seeing Klaus had inspired this. “What do you mean?”

“It’s just a hypothetic scenario. We should cover all our bases, right? I mean, you should see the way that girl is checking you out.” She nodded to a dark haired, leather jacket clad girl who was sitting at the bar and sipping a martini.

She looked a vaguely familiar, and he tried not to stare as he racked his brains. He realised it was because she looked like Katherine and looked away.

Caroline had been watching him and her expression was different, more vacant. She wasn’t cheery anymore.

He hated not being able to gauge what she was thinking.

“I guess we… date them in secret? Until this is over.” he said, wondering if Caroline wanted to date some guy she’s seen at her interview or maybe the building or mall or- wow, he needed to chill.

She nodded and he could feel her pulling away somehow, the dynamic between them shifting from playful to something far less intimate.

He was about to say something so things would feel normal again when someone behind him cleared their throat. He turned around and it was the girl from the bar.

“Hey.” She said confidently, looking at Stefan from behind her lashes. She was pretty, but weirdly resembled Katherine, which unnerved him a bit.

“Hi” he replied.

He found himself thinking Caroline, with her wavy hair like sunshine and bright, expressive blue eyes and easy smile, was so much more beautiful.

“I’m Rayna.” She held out her hand.

He was pretty sure he knew where this was going. “Stefan.”

“Nice to meet you. Are you free tomorrow night?” she asked.

So she was direct.

He hesitated, wondering if he wanted to go out with her. She wasn’t really his type… if he had one. His ex-girlfriends had nothing in common. She was hot, but…

He looked at Caroline without meaning to.

Caroline saw him looking at her and seemed to think hard about something for a few moments and then turned to the girl, her expression resolute. “He’d love to, he was just telling me how hot he thought you were.”

The girl smiled seductively at Stefan her smile reminded him even more of Katherine. “Great.” She said, handing him a napkin. “Here’s my number. Call me.” She said and then walked right out of the bar.

Stefan turned to Caroline. She’d really wanted him to go on that date for some reason. She obviously didn’t feel anything for him, and he owed it to himself to give it a chance. And he probably didn’t feel anything for Caroline either. If you spend that much time with someone cute and pretend to be a couple, some confusing feelings are bound to emerge. He was just going to have to get a grip until this was all over and they could go back to being just friends.

Maybe he’d like Rayna anyway. Maybe he’d like her because she reminded him of Katherine. It had been years anyway. Who knew?

“I’ll totally help you sneak around,” Caroline said, her expression still serious.

He was supposed to be the serious one.

“Okay, thanks.”

“Pinky promise.” She added and held out her little finger.

He gazed at her.

Who was this adorable?

His last pinky promise had probably been when he was three, with Damon over not confessing to spilling kool-aid on the sofa.

He held out his pinky too. “Same. If you want to date Klaus, my help is at your disposal.” He said dutifully, trying to make her smile.

She looked at him incredulously and then laughed. “What? No! Have you seen him, Stefan, or heard him? Honestly, my taste is way better, give me some credit.”

He’d succeeded in making her smile and in making things normal again, but that’s not why his mood shot up.

#i wrote this sooooo fast bc i knew how it was gonna go 100%#steroline #steroline fanfiction #steroline fanfics #sterofic #this was really one of my fave chapters to write #hope you guys liked it #also i hope someone noticed the parallel between klaus drinking blood with stefan/forcing the ripper out and dealing him weed here #😂#ri

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jellababe · 7 years

Text

My 18-hour L&D Journey

When I was still pregnant, I always envisioned myself going into labor and giving birth on either the evening of March 9 or in the wee hours of March 10. I didn’t want to have Adel be inconvenienced on a work week so I’d rather have it on a weekend. I also kept on talking to Damian back then and telling him that if we go to the hospital we should be accepted and not sent home as what happens sometimes when women are in labor but not yet dilated enough to be admitted. I honestly never thought that my water would break though. I’ve read that only 5% of pregnancies have their water broken before going into labor like what they usually portray in the movies. So as I was saying, March 8 was a pretty normal day for me. Adel on the other hand though was insistent we should see a doctor that day because my last ultrasound showed that my EDD was March 7. I was starting to think that Damian might get too comfy in my tummy and I might need to be induced or be placed on Caesarian delivery. I made an appointment to meet with a Gynecologist on the hospital where I want to give birth but I was told there’s no available appointment for that day and it would have to be the next day, March 9 at 4PM. Thinking it wouldn’t hurt to wait another day anyway, of course I agreed. I was watching TV when I suddenly felt something. I guess the best way I can describe what I felt that afternoon was that it felt like I was hungry that I might faint and at the same time that feeling when you really need to go do #2 and you’re sweating. I wasn’t hungry and definitely not need to do #2 so it was really weird. Thinking it would pass, I ate and just sit while waiting for Adel so we could pick up Miles. True enough, it would pass after a while. Adel was anxious and kept on asking me if I was feeling okay, which I am actually. I just shrugged what I felt earlier that day. I did not feel any contractions at all. So when I woke up at 4AM on March 9, I was still not feeling anything except that I needed to pee which is my usual time to wake up every morning. I did what I had to do, then went back to sleep. At around 5AM I woke up with the sudden urge to pee but my bladder was not full but it really feels like I should get up and pee. When I got up though there was a gush of discharge and I thought of it as normal since I was not having any discharge at all for the past week. I tried to walk and another gush came again so I told Mama about it. She asked me to check because it might be my water breaking. I was actually in denial though, still thinking it was just a discharge but when I went to the bathroom and sit it all came gushing out and I haven’t even consciously tried to pee yet. I calmly woke up Adel and told him we needed to go to the hospital because my water broke, he was a bit disoriented actually and was trying to take in what I had just said. So when we arrived at the hospital at 6AM I was actually a bit embarrassed because I was leaving trails of water wherever I walk. They checked me and said I was at 2cm and it’s definite that my water broke so they let me stay to monitor Damian and I for any distress. I was getting steady, gradually increasing level of contractions and the nurse kept on asking if I can feel the pain, and since I have high level of pain tolerance I honestly could not feel anything except when the doctor did the internal exam. So there I was at the hospital transferred from the ER to the Delivery Unit after 4hrs and still not progressing with my dilation so the doctor decided to put in some suppository to soften my cervix in preparation for induction. I don’t want to be induced, I wanted to labor naturally so I kept on talking to Damian about it. Another doctor came in to do an internal exam and of course, the suppository fell off. I was told then that if that is the case they will have to put in the induction med on my IV drip and will just have to wait for the doc’s go signal and asked me to walk to try and help with the dilation. I did just that and after 2hrs the doctor checked me again and said I didn’t need to be induced and just keep walking. I was starting to feel the contractions at this point and thus making it a bit more difficult to walk and add the fact that Adel was asked to step out of the induction room because another patient was there. At around 7:45PM I was transferred to the delivery room and since I am the only one there, Adel is allowed to be with me. By that time, the contractions were stronger that I can feel them but still manage the pain that I kept on telling the nurse to lay off on the pain meds for a while and my cervix was starting to dilate gradually. By 9PM I agreed to put the pain meds, I instantly felt dizzy and sleepy but the pain was still there. The nurse told me that it might not help with the pain anymore because I was already in the transition period and they’re just waiting for me to say that I wanted to push. The pain was increasing gradually, from trying to pass it off with deep breaths until I can feel like I might not get a break from the pain anymore. Unlike other mommies in the other delivery rooms that sounded like they are Mariah Carey singing their hearts out and whistling / shouting through labor, I was pretty quiet. In fact the nurse and Adel had to ask me multiple times if I can still handle the pain and gave me the “red button” if I can’t take it anymore. Adel was there, everytime I would get a contraction I try to hide the pain by trying to smile because I know how hard it was for him to be there. At around 10:30PM I can no longer handle the pain because they kept on coming like waves and I can’t get any break. I asked Adel to push the red button and the nurse came in asking if I was ready to push. Hesitant since I have not eaten or drink anything since 10AM except for a piece of cupcake and a few sips of water, I said yes. She called the doctor and they asked me to push. I didn’t know where my energy came from, to be honest. My lips and throat are dry, my legs feel like jelly, and I am thinking that I might pass out anytime but when they told me to push, I just did what they said and pushed. I was even stubborn enough to remove the oxygen because I feel like instead of bringing the air I needed when I push, it’s taking it away. The nurse had to put it back everytime I remove it, and they said to just keep pushing and “DON’T STOP”. I told them I might lose air or worse, my veins might pop out if I continue pushing without stopping for air. Honestly, of all the things I can say, I still had the energy to argue even if I feel like all my bones are breaking all at once. 😏 It was an out of this world experience, and after hearing the doctor say “YESSSSS! YESSSSS! GO!” and feeling Damian down there, I mustered all I can and told myself “to not stop pushing even if it kills you” just to get him out. After pushing hard with a sound that I think can beat the cows and pigs when they are in pain, Damian was out and crying. With him out of my body, all the sensation I was feeling went away too. I wanted to cry, scream, laugh and shout but I just smiled and looked for Adel, just to make sure he hasn’t fainted or anything. He was smiling and I told him to go check on Damian to which he obliged and the first thing he said was “babe, kamukhang kamukha mo” to which I thought “dapat lang, ako nagpakahirap dalhin yan” and I thought of the past 18 hours inside the hospital. 😂 Kidding aside, little MiLo’s 2 weeks now and life as a new parent is still difficult and there are times when I feel like I might want to just cry the whole day but when I read articles about moms who have had the same situation as I’m in right now and realizing that this phase of their newborn life will not happen again, I start to calm down and relax. True, my baby’s not going to be a newborn forever, he won’t be grappling my breasts and scratching my chest, he will not be dependent on me as he is right this very moment so I guess I’ll live with it and enjoy it while I still can. P.S. I wanted to give a big shoutout to the kabayan nurses who assisted me and Adel throughout our stay at the ER and Delivery Unit and my nurses at the 6th floor of SPECIALIZED MEDICAL CENTER. Ang awesome nyong lahat! Especially nurse Kristel of delivery room 6. 👌🏻 P.P.S. This has been sitting on my draft since 10/03 and I only had the time to finish this now. 😂👌🏻👊🏻

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