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#as it happens i could figure out a way to just. sell the prior one myself

jimhines · 1 year

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2022 Writing Income

It’s that time again – for fifteen years now I’ve been writing an annual blog post about my income as a writer. Money tends to be an uncomfortable, even taboo topic, but I think it’s important to help counter the myths that we’re all multimillionaires living in Glass Onion-style mansions. (Side note: If anyone wants to pay millions of dollars for my book, I’ll happily update this blog post from my private island mansion.)

Remember, every writer’s career is different, and I’m only one data point.

Prior Years: Here are the annual write-ups going back to 2007: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021.

In 2016, instead of a personal income write-up, I did a survey of almost 400 novelists about their income.

My Background: I’m a primarily “traditionally published,” U.S.-based SF/F author with 15 books in print from major New York publishers. The first of those books came out from DAW in 2006. I have an agent, and have been with them since about 2004.

I’ve self-published a middle grade fantasy and a few short collections. I’ve also sold about 50 short stories to different magazines and anthologies.

I’ve never hit the NYT or USA Today bestseller lists.

I’m currently the sole parent of a teenager (at home) and a 22-year-old (at college). I have a day job that’s just over half-time, both for the paycheck and the benefits.

2022 in Summary: There’s no gentle way to say this. The last several years have kind of sucked. Losing my wife to cancer in 2019 completely derailed my writing. I was hoping 2022 would be a comeback year, but life had other plans…

I did write and sell two new short stories and one nonfiction piece, which was nice. I’ve got a finished middle grade book that’s been on submission for a while. I finished a standalone fantasy that’s been sitting with my publisher for a while.

Normally, my editor is pretty quick about responding, but last year wasn’t normal for DAW, either. DAW was acquired by Astra House. A lot of their time and energy went into that deal. I’m hoping for the best, but things still haven’t settled into the new “normal.”

Last year did see the release — finally — of Terminal Peace, the third book in the Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse series. I’m thrilled and relieved to see that book in print, but it came out right in the middle of the Astra House acquisition, which may have impacted things like promotion and publicity.

I also finished the first draft and started revising a new standalone middle grade fantasy with series potential.

2022 Income: The biggest check was the publication payment for Terminal Peace. All total, before taxes and various expenses, the writing brought in $13,957.16. While that’s absolutely nothing to sneer at, and I’m grateful for the success, it’s also a dropoff from the past couple of years. To be blunt, if you look at the cumulative graph, things have been slumping a bit.

Income Breakdown:

Patreon has been a small but steady and helpful source of income. My thanks to everyone for that!

As usual, my U.S. novels are the biggest piece of the pie. The short fiction category is a bit higher this year, thanks to those two new stories. I didn’t self-publish anything new in 2022, but if that middle grade book doesn’t sell, I’d like to publish that one later this year.

Novels (U.S. editions): $8,542.83

Novels (Non-U.S. editions): $473.25

Self-Published: $1158.24

Short fiction: $892.86

Audio: $521.04

Patreon: $1668.94

Other: $700

I mentioned earlier that things have been in a bit of a slump, and I need to focus on breaking out of that. Some things I can’t currently control. Tomorrow I could wake up to an offer from DAW on the book they’ve got, and maybe an email from my agent that the middle grade title he’s been shopping around went to auction and got a six-figure advance. But I can’t make these things happen.

Priority #1 is to keep writing. If I’m not doing that, other goals are pretty much moot.

Priority #2 is to figure out some alternate options. It may be time to put more time and effort into self-publishing as a complement to my traditionally published work.

The biggest thing making me anxious is that I’m pretty much out of contract. The paperback of Terminal Peace comes out this year, but for the first time in about 15 years, I don’t have the security, the luxury, or the deadlines of a signed contract. In some ways, this is freeing: I can write whatever I want. But there’s no guarantee as to when things will see print. Submitting to the traditional publishers is a long, slow process…

From talking to other writers who’ve been doing this a while, I’ve learned that pretty much every career has its ups and downs. Personal, pandemic, and publisher issues have been a bit of a perfect storm for me these past few years, but I’m not going anywhere. After 27 years as a writer, I’m excited to see what comes next.

Wrap Up:

I hope this has been helpful. As always, feel free to share the post and/or ask questions.

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munsonsreputation · 4 months

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I THINK THERES BEEN A GLITCH

CHAPTER FIVE: FASTENING MYSELF TO YOU WITH A STITCH

↢ chapter four | series masterlist | chapter six ↣

steve harrington x fem!baker + artist

word count: [20.5K]

warnings: no use of y/n, cursing, self deprecation (are we surprised???) overall fluff

summary: things get heavy with the farmers market making its quick approach — thoughts gnawing away at you and pressure building in your bones. slowly but surely, you’re back at square one, lost in the labyrinth, thinking that the plane was going down. but what happens when Steve comes along in the midst of the storm and mess?

There was a sugary sweet aroma that clouded your apartment — a mixture of freshly chopped fruit that simmered in lemon juice and the overwhelming heaps of sugar and vanilla you mixed together all day.

Racks of fresh baked cookies cooled on a wire rack on the counters while the next batch baked in the oven. You had gone as far as to clearing out most of your fridge space — pre-filled piping bags littering the shelves along with the rest of the precut ingredients you had prepared throughout the week.

Somehow, no amount of planning and prep seemed to matter because you hadn’t anticipated being responsible for a few hundred batches of sweets for Saturday’s Farmers Market. Perhaps you should’ve posed a few more questions and concerns before agreeing on the spot, but you knew you weren’t going to leave Nancy hanging.

She was always so good to you… welcoming, big-hearted, and most of all supportive. Even if she didn’t ask, you would’ve volunteered yourself the second she brought up that she would be hosting the event.

If there was any way you could help, you wouldn’t even think about hesitating.

However, the ache in your limbs and the tiredness in your eyes were speaking a whole nother tune than your heart and mind. You spent the entire week in and out of the grocery store picking up pounds and pounds of flour and sugar — even the sweet lady at the market had run out of fresh eggs to sell you, having already picked up a few dozen days prior.

There were too many baking dishes and itty bitty teaspoons littering the bottom of your kitchen sink.

Recipes that normally took you an hour to bake had tripled with the increasing measurements.

Grocery store runs became more and more frequent with you forgetting to pick up that one very important and vital ingredient.

The menu you had scribbled down on a random piece of paper had been crossed off and rewritten and crossed off again more times than you could count. At this point it was barely legible, the black ink a jumbled mess of your handwriting that only you could understand.

Safe to say you were a mess… literally and figuratively.

There was a tingling feeling in your bones, an impatient restless prickle that flooded your senses in a way that was voicing to you that you were on the verge of a breakdown in the middle of your kitchen if you didn’t step away.

“Fuck this!” You hissed to yourself sharply.

You reached for the knob, turning it to shut off the heat completely and pulled the bubbling fruit compote away from the burner. The floorboards creaked under your heavy footsteps taking you away from the kitchen and into the living room where you fell against the couch cushions, finally letting your back rest after being on your feet all day.

“It’s gonna be okay… everything is fine, I’m just being dramatic.” You whispered reassuringly to yourself with fanning hands trying to get yourself to cool down.

But you and your consciousness knew you weren’t fooling anyone… not even yourself.

It wasn’t a foreign feeling at all — you had been here many times before staring up at the ceiling and trying to ground yourself in any shape or form. But it just so happened that you hadn’t felt like this in awhile, maybe because of how busy life had become with your new friendships and the less time you spent worrying.

You had done your best to keep it at bay, even when it came to your artist’s block, you never let it overwhelm you like this If anything you accepted it and waited it out, but now that you knew someone was counting on you… it just had to come back and bite you in the ass.

“I can’t do this!” You whined dramatically, standing up and snatching the phone off the coffee table, dialing in the numbers and pressing it tightly to your ear.

With every ring you paced back and forth from end to end of your living room. The cord pulled taut with each step you took before it was slack and taut again.

‘Hey this is the Buckley residence, sorry we can’t come to the phone right now… you should probably leave a message and we’ll try to get back to you but no promises!’

You groaned, pinching your eyes shut as you stood in place waiting for the beep to come but you really wished she would have picked it up and sounded off her lovely voice.

“Hey, Robs, it’s me,” you knew she would be concerned right away when she heard this, your usual bubbly greeting gone and instead replaced with dullness.

“I’m having a really shitty day right now and maybe you can give me a call when you get home? Love you and hope to talk soon.”

It never got this bad, to the point where you felt like you couldn’t move from where you were and even if you wanted to, you had no idea how.

The thought of letting someone you cared about down made your stomach twist and turn. You didn’t have many people in your life, let alone genuine friends. But that all changed when you met Robin and soon after her friends became yours.

Nancy trusted you and was counting on you to be there for her — to show up the way for her the same way she did you. And sweet Will was also counting on you, the boy pitched you the idea and you smiled in his face promising him that it wasn’t only great but that you’d be there to help.

You could already imagine the disappointment in their eyes if you had to tell them you weren’t sure you were the right fit just barely two days before the event. It would totally shatter them, maybe not completely, but enough for them to never ask you for anything ever again because you’d only let them down.

Even when you didn’t mean to, it always happened, and here you were about to repeat it all over again. Losing the people who genuinely cared about you the same way you cared about them just because you couldn’t get out of your own head.

All of your life you had believed that everything good and right just ended up breaking, burning, and ending — it was always your fate.

DING!

“Oh my god!”

You scrambled off the cushions in a haste, the phone toppling over onto the floor as you ran into the kitchen and threw on the oven mitts as quickly as you could. The smell of burning was only faint, the timer you had set on the microwave beeping two more times before shutting up.

You whipped the oven door opened, a big gush of heat enveloping the air whilst you reached in and grabbed the pan. Frantically searching your kitchen for any free space on the already cluttered counters, you made room on the kitchen table, placing it down on a dish towel to prevent it from developing a heat stain.

Much to your surprise, the cookies were not at all burnt: the colorful sprinkles of funfetti still remained vibrant embedded within the vanilla sugar cookies. You wedged the metal spatula underneath, checking and making sure they were perfectly golden, which in fact they were.

“Fuck my life.” You huffed, throwing off the mitt and raking your hands through your scalp.

The pressure was building, the weight on your chest feeling like the whole town was counting on you when you knew deep down they weren’t. The show would still go on with or without you but it just was principal – being inconsiderate or not.

The phone began to ring, muffled sounds from against your living room carpet as it had fallen over in the midst of the haste. It was probably Robin, concerned about the voicemail you left minutes ago.

“Hey sweet—”

“Steve!”

It was supposed to be a greeting of pleasant surprise not expecting him to be on the other line, despite spending the last week non stop on the phone with each other when you both were free. But all Steve heard was panic and distress, your warm and surprised hello replaced with everything opposite of that, making his mind race.

“Woah, hey, did something happen? Are you okay?”

You couldn't spare him from the truth or not, and it didn’t really matter because he’d end up finding out somehow. You sighed, peeking back into the disaster of your kitchen before looking down at your lap, fidgeting with your fingers.

“I… well, kinda, not really, I don’t really know.”

“Do you need me to drive down there? I can come right now.”

There was shuffling in the background, his bed squeaking from getting up from it and the sound of his car keys being swiped off the counters. It had you backtracking as quickly as possible, regretting being so vague and making him worry like this knowing he was so far away.

While the thought of him coming down to see you after a week apart sounded enticing, it would be entirely selfish to let him do so. You weren’t Steve’s responsibility to take care of, no matter how much you felt inside for him and how his presence could put you at ease right about now.

For now, you’d settle for the next best thing: him over the phone.

“Wait, no, that’s not what I mean, I’m sorry…” You squeezed your eyes shut, sniffling a deep breath in, “I just—just was having a really bad day and then I almost burnt the cookies I had in the oven. I’m not hurt, I promise.”

There was a deep sigh at the end of your sentence, the one where he could picture your shoulders falling defeatedly and that terrible frown he hated to see on your face. He could imagine it would be the same sight as when you sat across from him at the diner and felt so horrible about yourself.

If only you were a block away, he’d be at your doorstep in a heartbeat ready to tackle whatever was going on like it was his only duty in the world. To be quite honest he hated the distance between the both of you, like some sort of curse that only you two had to go through.

Way to go for Dustin and Suzies long distance problems.

There was another squeak, his back hitting his bed again before he spoke. “What’s going on?”

You shook your head, not wanting to dump all of it on him after the day he probably had. “N-nothing. I’m just being dramatic and getting in my head about the farmers market thing.”

There was a migraine already coming to life from the pulse on your temples just thinking about it again.

“C’mon tell me what’s bothering you.” He pressed, unwavering in his efforts to help you get it off your chest.

You took another deep breath, falling back onto the couch cushions and this time ready let all the pent up stress go by finally telling someone the truth.

“I don’t know if I can do it… I mean, I didn’t anticipate for it to be this stressful, you know. Which is stupid of me, I mean what did I think it was gonna be? A walk in the park? I swear, I’m not lazy or anything, I just didn’t realize—”

He cut in before you could even think about finishing that sentence, scoffing incredulously, “Stop it, you don’t have to tell me you’re not lazy because I know you’re not.”

His voice was soothing and sure, not a hint of uncertainty behind it that made you think otherwise. You couldn’t help but roll your eyes at your own negativity that you promised yourself you would stop doing but would always have a habit of.

“Saying it out loud makes me feel like I am.” You attempted to laugh at yourself to lighten the spirits, but Steve let out a disapproving grunt and you almost see the visual of him shaking his head.

“You’re such a hard worker, I mean, that’s why Nance picked you. She knew you could do this and I do too.”

Even over the phone he never failed to make your heart melt and cheeks blush. Call yourself cheesy or whatever, but he was the greatest pick me up on days like these.

Staring up at your ceiling you began getting lost in him despite the lack of visuals. “I kid you not, I think I went back to the grocery store like five whole times. My arms are going to be ripped with how many pounds of flour and sugar I’ve been picking up.”

He chuckled, trying to picture it in his head. Poor you having to lug bags and bag of flour from the store all the way to your car then back home.

“You know you could’ve called, I would have come down and helped sooner.”

“I didn’t want to bother you. You’re already doing a lot at work and—”

“Cupcake, I categorize tapes. My job is far from stressful.” His tone went stoic, pretending like he didn’t know what you were talking about.

Steve did more than just categorized tapes. He dealt with the horrible and impatient customers, even the rowdy teenagers who kept wandering back to the adult film section. He put up with a whole lot at work — but you were never someone he had to deal with.

A relief of sorts is what you were – someone he’d call or run to with no hesitation because it just felt right. No obligations, no whys or hows, just because in his bones, you felt like that person for him.

His almost.

You’re the one he looked forward to calling after a long hard day knowing that you would be able to make him forget all about it. He could lay there in his bed, eyes shut with the phone glued to his ear and you on the other end of it. Maybe it wasn’t the best substitute for sleep, but in his eyes it was the best rest he could ever get if you weren’t here laying beside him like before.

Still, your apologies never ceased, too concerned for his own wellbeing. “But you’re on your feet all day and you’re really tired and—”

Steve cut you off, stopping your unnecessary yet thoughtful concern for him.

“And I still would’ve come down even if I was all of those things. You don’t have to worry about bothering me, you know you never do.” He said it sincerely, a happy and eased way about it like there was no other way to explain it.

“How do you always do that?” You murmured, voice finally settling into a more relaxed mood the longer you spent away from the chaos.

“Do what?”

You wiggled around, tapping your fingers against the phone, “You know what I need to hear even when I don’t say it outloud.”

Steve had always been great at that and for someone who claimed to never be good with words, he just knew exactly what to say. He’d like to think it was because the kids needed constant advice in their teenage lives and he came to be better at guiding and explaining things to them.

But you never asked for advice nor did he feel like you ever needed it. Everything that he’d spew to you came from the bottom of his heart, things that he always wanted to tell you without reservation.

He pretended to think for a second before replying obviously, “Hmm, maybe it’s because I care about you?”

“You care about me?”

His laugh echoed lightly, thinking you were playing around because how could you not know? Your silence answered his question, and he just knew he had to tell you how serious he was.

“Of course I do!” You could tell he sat back up on his bed, voice a little stronger now as he continued, “I care about you and I can’t stand hearing you talk so badly about yourself when I’m head over—”

A loud ring erupted through the receiver, a second call on the other line completely cutting Steve off as he was about to put it all out on the table.

“Shit!” You winced pulling the phone back and rubbing your ear from where it was ringing.

“What!?” Steve shouted loud enough to hear with the phone still pulled away from you.

Looking down at the display, the last name ‘BUCKLEY’ illuminated in bright orange.

“Umm, Robin is calling… I left her a voicemail and she’s probably worried and I—”

Steve let out a breath of relief, sighing out as he settled back on the springs of his bed. “You can put me on hold, it’s okay.”

“O-okay, sorry, just a minute.” You squeaked, switching the line with your brain still processing what he was on the verge of saying.

“Hey Ro—”

You couldn’t even get the full greeting out before her voice came to you rushed — you could imagine that’s exactly what Steve heard when you picked up his call a few minutes ago.

“Oh thank god! I thought something bad happened for a second. Are you alright?” She asked worriedly.

“Yeah! Just kinda had a mini breakdown, but I promise that I’m—”

“Do you want me to come down? I can call Steve or Nance and get a ride there.” She offered quickly without hesitation.

You truly had the best friends in the entire world… how did you manage to get so lucky?

“No! No! I swear I’m okay… it was just some stupid thoughts about the farmers market thing. You know the stress and whatever.” You reassured her, hoping she wasn’t too strung up on it.

“Are you sure?” She pressed again just for good measure, “I know Steve would drop everything for me and him to come down and help you.” Her voice lifted with a bit of teasing that you caught.

You smiled self indulgently, happy to know you had people who were willing to come all the way down here to be with you — it showed that they really cared, and even if you didn’t need them to, hearing it outloud warmed your anxious heart.

“You’re so sweet, Ro…but I swear, I’m okay! Steve actually called me.”

“He did?” She gasped.

She wasn’t actually too surprised considering that these days after scoring your number all Steve would talk about was getting home from work to give you a call before you headed to bed.

The next morning she would be bombarded with him going on and on about the conversation you two had — little things like what you had for dinner, a stray cat you started feeding, entirely mundane yet sappy things that had him hooked because you were the star of those stories.

Nevertheless she loved hearing about it — a perfect start to her morning, lunch break, and the entire shift of the day before doing a full repeat the next day.

“Yeah, he’s on the other line right now.”

A squeal ensued from her end, one that made a smile pop upon your features because her happiness always had its special way of radiating and lifting up everyone around her.

“Oh perfect! Merge the call!”

“Are you sure? I can tell him I’ll call him back later.” You offered, wanting her to know she would always have your full undivided attention.

“You can merge it! I actually have something important I really want to tell the both of you if it’s okay?” She said making your mind race with a million different things she could be planning to tell you and Steve if it was this important.

“Of course, give me a sec.”

You heard her “mhm,” before you switched lines again and this time Steve’s whistling came through the receiver.

“S-sorry, she was checking in.” You cleared your throat, not doing a great job of masking the croak.

“Was she jumpy?” He joked, knowing she had a habit of doing that all the time.

“A little,” you snickered, “she wants me to merge the call. Has something important to tell us.”

“Okay, cool, yeah that’s fine. She called out of work today so I didn’t get to talk to her all day.”

Robin calling out of work was a rarity, sure the job was a little boring, but working with her best friend compensated for that. Steve was usually up to date in advance whether she would be calling out or not – so getting to work today and not seeing her was incredibly weird.

You cleared your throat once more, fingers twirling around the cord as you spoke kindly, not wanting to let what he did for you go unnoticed. But Steve never did things to be thanked for, you knew that for sure, but still, you would cherish him for taking the time out of his day to be there for you.

“But umm, I really appreciate what you said earlier, y’know… encouraging me and whatnot.” Your voice was soft, filled with a mixture of gratitude and warmth.

“You know all you have to do is ask and I’ll be your biggest supporter.” Steve responded happily, making sure that it stuck with you.

Your fingers hovered over the merge button, contemplating your choice of words before you decided to let it go at the last second. “And Steve?”

“Hmm?”

“I-I care about you too…a lot, just so you know.”

You said with an oath-like-whisper hearing his breath hitch with a thick swallow. Clearly he was a little taken aback by your sudden leap of boldness that was usually hidden under your bashfulness that he found endearing, nonetheless. Before Steve could say anything else, you clicked the merge button, a quick static ringing through the receiver before it cleared up.

A joyful Robin came through the other side. “Can you guys hear me, alright?”

Steve coughed, trying to steady his heart that was pumping faster as he hung onto your words for dear life. He tried to think of something else in the meantime, knowing he needed to at least survive this phone call before he got to pace his room for the rest of the night and replay the words in his head.

“Y-yeah.”

“Yuppers!”

You obviously did a better job at trying to seem nonchalant.

Robin squealed, the sounds of her getting comfortable on her couch filling the line before she spoke again.

“I have some really big major news to spill but—”

“But first tell me why you called out of work, dingus? I had to deal with Keith all alone today!” Steve retorted.

She scoffed loudly, “God, do you ever shut up and listen, Harrington? It’s a part of my story.”

“Wait, you called out of work because of this big major news?” You asked suspiciously.

“Yeah…well actually no! I called out of work for a reason that led up to the big major news.” She informed you both.

“Oh! Well, whenever you’re ready!” You chirped ready for the news.

“Okay so remember Vickie?”

Steve clicked his tongue a few times, “Isn’t she still dating that jerk from Purdue?”

“Not since last month!”

“What happened between them?” You wondered, not knowing much about Vickie and her history with Robin.

There was a heavy sigh before a devastating confession. “He cheated on her.”

“Ouch.” You grimaced, biting down on your lip.

“What an asshole.” Steve muttered.

“Exactly! But anyway, we ran into each other this morning at the bus stop and we kinda just hit it off and we spent the day together then she kissed me!”

You gasped and Steve cursed. The both of you were shocked by not only hearing about poor Vicky’s cheating situation, but on top of all that, the fact that she and Robin had swapped spit after how many months of pining.

“You blew me off for a girl!?”

“Oh shut up Steve, as if you didn’t do it to me before either!”

If you weren’t so flabbergasted, you’d make a comment about how the two still fought like siblings even over the phone, but you didn’t, too intrigued and wanting to know more details.

“Did she initiate the kiss?”

“Yes!”

“Like a peck kiss or like a full fledged make out kiss?” You pressed.

“I-I don’t know! Maybe a little bit of both? I was just following her lead, okay? Last time I kissed a person was back in sixth grade when Donny Humberford dared me to… it was unpleasant and quite honestly was my awakening that I never liked boys.”

You giggled as Steve went for his round of questions, the two of you taking turns like it was some sort of interrogation.

“Well, c’mon tell us, was this kiss at least pleasant.”

Robin sighed a sigh that sounded straight out of a rom-com, you could picture her kicking back her legs and looking so enamored by just the memory itself.

“The most pleasant kiss I think I’ll ever get.” She sing-songed cheerfully.

“What about if Phoebe Cates kissed you?” He challenged.

“Okay, woah, that’s totally unfair! Vickie and Phoebe are both hot babes!”

You jumped in again, this time with a very important question that needed to be answered. “Did you foot do the pop up thing?”

Stuttered words came from Steve, who had no idea what you were talking about. “The what? Is that some sort of sex thing?”

Robin snorted. “Ew no!”

“Steve!” You shrieked, covering your face.

“What?! You said foot and thing in the same sentence and that makes me think of some really gross stuff that I don’t even think the rated X section has.”

Robin gasped, slapping a hand over her mouth, “You’re totally right! Wait, do you think Keith stole all the foot fetish tapes?” She speculated seriously.

“What the hell is wrong with your boss?” Your face twisted up in horror.

“He’s a creep.”

Steve was next with a considerate yet weird warning, “Please, if you ever come to visit us, do not wear opened toed shoes at the store.”

“Jesus Christ, yeah, I’ll make sure I remember that. Anyways, the foot thing!”

“Oh yeah, the foot thing!” Robins snapped gleefully.

“Would someone just explain the goddamn foot thing?” Steve complained.

“You know! When you kiss someone you really really like and your foot does that little pop up thing because you’re enjoying it because it’s with them.” You tried your best to explain.

“Guys don’t really do it though… they pop something else, if you know what I mean.” Robin cracked with a laugh before Steve choked on his spit at the vulgary.

The line reduced to chortles, you and Robin dying at the joke, while Steve couldn’t help but smile, waiting for you both to settle.

“And you want to call me filthy?” He pointed out when it finally died down.

“No but seriously, she kissed me out of nowhere and I didn’t get the chance to really even process it and I’m just realizing that and, holy shit! I kissed Vickie!”

“She actually kissed you first but okay.” Steve corrected, though Robin didn’t seem to catch it.

“Vickie and I’s lips were pressed together! I felt her mouth on mine! Oh my god! I kissed Vickie!”

It wasn’t long before the call was filled with her squeals and screams, Robin completely forgetting about you and Steve while she remembered it all in her own world. Her heavy panting filled the line then, taking a breather from the screams and her recollection of every detail.

“Honey, do you wanna process that alone?” You suggested indulgently, hoping she would take you up on the offer because it really was a special moment you wanted her to process.

Thankfully she didn’t even hesitate. “Yeah, I gotta go!”

“Bye-bye now, don’t dream too much about it.” Steve sing-songed before she hung up with a heavy clunk.

The static rings through for a millisecond as she disconnects, before you and Steve are alone once again. Good-natured and proud laughter comes from both of you, so ecstatic for your friend.

“That’s adorable! I’m so happy for her!�� You gushed with a squeal.

“I should’ve known something was up! She never calls out of work like that and doesn’t give a reason why.”

“I bet you she’s screaming into her pillow right now.”

“Or she could be pacing her room with her face in a pillow and screaming.” He added as you both agreed that it would be a very possible ‘Robin-thing-to-do.’

Steve seized the moment with a question of his own. “Have you ever done the foot thing?”

Laughter came out the second he finished the query, you just couldn’t help the fact that he was asking about that all of a sudden – not that you minded, but you just never imagined Steve Harrington asking about a corny foot pop.

“Now all I can think about is foot fetish.” You fake gagged.

“You’re so dirty minded! Okay, okay, has your foot ever done the pop thing…that’s better?”

“Much better,” You crooned, thinking for a moment about all the times in which you’ve been kissed with nothing sticking out, “And, no, I don’t think it’s ever happened to me.”

“Really?” He sounded surprised, as if it was some sort of shock that you’ve never experienced such a thing.

“The foot pop is, like, totally memorable, trust me.”

Steve was half regretful of bringing up such a dumb question, hoping it didn’t make you feel uncomfortable. The last thing he wanted was to remind you of your ex that he already knew you weren’t too fond of.

“Well who knows? Maybe one day right?” He put it out there into the universe, crossing his fingers that his optimist came through the way he wanted.

Your small laugh was all it took for him to know everything was just right. “One day.”

Perhaps it was the hour and the lack of sleep you had been getting for the past couple of days, but you let out a yawn, apologizing in the middle of it as Steve chuckled and told you not to worry about it.

“I should probably go… I need to get started on the cupcakes and package the cookies up.” You groaned, reality hitting as you looked around your place that was still a complete disaster, and didn’t magically clean itself up.

“Why don’t you call it a night huh? I’m sure you worked all day.”

Steve’s voice filled with the same concern as the beginning of the call, still not understanding why you were putting yourself through so much when you were already doing the best you could.

“Been up and moving since 7 a.m..” You yawned again, rubbing your eyes.

Steve shook his head, not that you could see him, but he was sure you must have felt his discontent for overworking yourself through the phone.

“You did so much work, you deserve a break.” He repeated sternly.

You rubbed your forehead, knowing he was more than right. “Yeah but then that means I’ll still have more work to do tomorrow and—”

“And I’ll come and pick you up and we can bake the rest of the stuff at my place. I’ll help and it’ll be a nice change of scenery for you.”

Steve was notorious for doing and saying things without using his head, oftentimes leading to horrible and awkward situations. But when it came to you, more times than not, everything he did and said was without thinking of himself and more for the best interest of you.

He knew you’d been bending over backwards for this event and the last thing he wanted you to do was go at it all alone. Steve knew you were more than capable of doing it all by yourself, but he didn’t want you to – not when he was there willing and able.

“Don’t you have the morning shift tomorrow?” You suspected, having both his and Robin’s schedule memorized by heart.

“Well Robin owes me so not anymore.” He retorted cheekily.

Sure, maybe he should have given Robin a break considering kissing Vicky to be an incredible milestone, but if he could survive a shift alone with Keith so could she. Plus, it was for you, so Robin couldn't be too upset if she wanted to.

“If you’re going to call out I don’t want to make you do more work.”

“You’re not making me, I want to.”

He’d do anything when it came to you without even second guessing it. There was something deep down inside of him hoping that you knew and understood that because he needed you to.

“You’re too good to me.” Your chest rose and fell, a happy breath that was a glimmer of hope to his ears that you knew.

He took his own breath, glancing over at the alarm clock on his bedside table, “Get some rest and I’ll be over in the morning.”

“I could drive there if you want? Save you some gas and let you sleep in a bit more.”

“I know you could, but I want to. So please?”

Why Steve was so generous when it came to you, you’d never really understand considering the mess you were. A part of you liked to think that you were the mess he wanted and there was nothing more you wanted to be than his.

“Y-yeah, sure, thank you.” You stuttered, gripping the phone tightly

“Get some sleep okay? You deserve it.” He cooed, a smile leaking through his voice that you could see even over the phone.

“I will.” You promised to smile at the thought of getting to see him so soon.

“Night sweetheart.”

“Night Stevie.”

Steve shouldn’t like the idea of waking up at the crack of dawn and proceeding to drive to a town an hour away on the one time he called out of work — but when it’s Roane and he’s coming for you, he loved the journey.

He felt more lively than ever even if he had woken up ten minutes before his alarm and ran out of instant coffee to make before he left. All of the little inconveniences didn't matter when he was taking the roads that led straight to you.

There’s a vast difference between the town he grew up in and yours. Hawkins should feel like home, and at times, it really is — his closest friends are there, but then again his parents always come back eventually. And when they do, it feels less than that — like him playing a game of hide and seek trying to avoid them until they go out of town again.

Sometimes there were moments where he just wished that they both packed up their things and relocated permanently so he could stop banking on the moment where they finally woke up and made an attempt to be an actual family — the one he still yearned for even after all of these years of disappointments.

It’s the harsh truth he’s had to face since he was a young teen realizing that they’d always come home, but never for him. A feeling of cruelty that reminded him that no matter how patient he was, his parents would never notice the way they’ve neglected him through the years.

He kept quiet, stayed hidden in plain sight when they were around knowing they could never make up for it — the damage had been done and his home was never going to be home as long as they were around.

But in hindsight, that’s why he enjoyed visiting Roane these days.

He didn’t have to hide or worry about running into one of his father’s friends from the office or his mother’s girlfriends, trying to uphold a conversation with them that he clearly didn’t want to be in. He knew close to nothing about his parents and their whereabouts and didn’t want to unless it was them coming home early and him needing to leave for the next few days.

In Roane there’s no one he’s hiding from… just someone he’s desperate to get to.

But of course an early morning in town isn’t complete without a pit stop at Taylor’s. He’d be damned if he showed up at your doorstep at this hour without a dozen cronuts and your favorite coffee.

He was welcomed with the chime above the door, inhaling the smell of freshly ground coffee and baked breads, a type of homeyness that could never be replicated unless it was coming from your kitchen.

Like second nature he knew what to get, an order of assorted cronuts, your rose latte with an extra pump of vanilla syrup, and his very plain iced mocha with an extra shot of caffeine to get him through, but he doubted he really needed it when you’d be there beside him the whole day.

“It’s going to be $19.89.” The cashier announced, ringing up the total and he nodded, reaching into his back pocket.

Flipping open his wallet, there was a giddy smile that spilled on his face. The yellow notepad paper folded up and placed within the clear pocket of the billfold, your handwriting reading ‘to: stevie <3’

It’s probably the worst way to store his most prized possession, but the damn thing got him through long work days and even longer ones at the arcade when Max and El begged for $5 to spare — he doesn’t mind them asking if every time he opens his wallet, he’s greeted by something that reminds him of you.

He probably looked like a psycho taking too long to grab a $20 bill with him distracted. Finally sliding the cash across the counter, he waited for his change before tucking it back into his wallet and stuffing the receipt into his pocket and stepping off to the side waiting for the drinks to be done.

“Steven!”

The greeting came from the woman walking through the front door, the chime of the bell above her not at all audible with her voice bellowing within the small space. She wore a big big smile, arms held out wide as she approached him.

He cracked a grin, letting her pull him in as he hugged her warmly. “Dorothea.”

She was just as lively at seven in the morning as she is at ten at night at the diner.

“I haven’t seen you around in a while. You two haven’t stopped seeing each other already have you?” She lifted a weary brow, voice laced with a bit of teasing.

Steve shook his head, shyly smiling at her insinuation of what you two had going on. “I’ve just been working a lot, these days. I’m going to see her right now, just came by to pick up some breakfast for us.” He gestured towards the counter of packaged goodies.

“Aren’t you such a gentleman? You know if I could clone ya, I would!” She pinched his cheek playfully.

God, she reminded him of his great grandmother he hadn’t seen since he was seven.

“That’s uh…very sweet of you. Thank you.” Steve smiled sincerely, hoping he didn’t look too strained.

She gripped onto his arm, squeezing as she smiled from ear to ear. “Well tell her I said hello! She hasn’t been to the diner in a while, must be locked up in her apartment painting or something.”

“That and baking.” Steve replied with a proud grin. “She’s in charge of a booth at the Hawkins market tomorrow.”

“No kidding?” She tilted her head, strikingly, always amazed at the amount of things you were able to juggle.

“You should come, she’ll be happy to see some familiar faces around.” He extended the invite warmly, cursing himself for not having a flyer on hand to give her in case.

“Order for Steve.”

He gave her another smile, “Hope we see you there,”

“I’ll try my best, pumpkin! You two enjoy your breakfast, now.”

And he was off, back on track to his destination with the goods secured knowing it would make your morning better even if you were not so much an early bird. It’s little things like this that he knew he could do to make your day a little less stressful especially since he anticipated plenty of baking for the next few hours.

But he hoped with his presence you’d find it in yourself to not put so much pressure on yourself. He was there for a reason, wanted to give you a hand and take some of it off your plate so that you could relax a bit.

Sure, he didn’t really know much about baking, but he was willing to learn for you.

The drive to your place was short, not too far away from the cafe. Your apartment complex was tucked away from the main parts of town, hidden just a few miles away from Taylor’s and the diner.

It was a quiet yet cozy neighborhood, everything about it screamed your name.

Flowers of all kinds littered the boulevard, bright yellows and pinks peeking out through the tall green grass and dancing in the sun, accompanied with a light breeze of air as he drove by.

Stray kittens and puppies roamed the sidewalk like community pets, nuzzling up against the ankles of children who walked hand in hand with their parents and siblings towards the bus stop for school.

Tall oak trees that had been standing for years lined the sidewalks housing birds and their babies on branches where they also got the best view of the sunrise at their peaks.

Elderly couples mingled with others, dressed in their cozy morning attire and some still in their pajamas hoping to get some exercise in the summer nice weather that would soon be replaced with autumn.

Quite frankly this place held everything and more that Steve wanted for his life. The atmosphere filled with some sort of magic potion that had him wanting to stay forever if it meant that he got to walk these same sidewalks and drive down the same roads with you by his side.

It was stupid and far-fetched idea considering the circumstances he was in, but he’d still like to think that someday this would be the place he called home. Somewhere where he didn’t have to just watch happy people living their lives with the ones they loved, but where he could be doing the same too.

“Here we are.” Steve whistled, turning his wheel into the complex a few blocks away from the main homes.

He was glad you lived on the ground floor, not because it would save him time to take all the items into yours, but because your place greeted him through the windshield every time he pulled up and placed his car into park next to yours.

Your front porch, while not having much space, was still decorated with everything that made you, you.

Fresh herbs planted in a small basin that sat on the railing of the entrance and a trellis of green vines resting against the wall beside your front door. There was a welcome mat placed at the doorstep along with a pair of gardening boots that were too big your size, an attempt to scare off potential burglars who want to mess with a hypothetical giant with a size 10 foot — Steve laughed like a maniac when you told him about that.

He shut the car off, reaching for the coffees and juggling the box in one hand as he shut the door with his hip and approached your front door steps.

Setting down his drink, he brought his fists up to the door knocking firmly. “Sweetheart, it’s me!”

He waited, listening to hear your voice call out for him followed by your footsteps thudding against the wooden floors as you ran towards the door, but all he heard was silence. Not even the sound of music playing through your record player or the morning news on your television.

Just pure silence.

He frowned, knocking again this time a little louder. “You in there? It’s Steve.”

Still no answer.

He pressed his ear to the door, complete silence, not even a peep of water running from the shower which confirmed his suspicion that you were still very much asleep. Though he wasn’t surprised, you were probably in bed sleeping soundly after all the work you did yesterday.

Steve set the items down on the porch, looking around the area until his eyes landed on the pot tucked away in the corner — it was a fake succulent where you planted a spare key. He tried to tell you how unsafe it was to keep a key out there in the open but you claimed no one would try to pluck a key out of a creepily real looking cactus.

Smart girl you were.

“Gotcha.” He smirked, plucking the key away from the bottom of the pot and approaching the door with it in hand.

“I’m coming in, cupcake.” Steve called out one last time with a knock. A warning, hopeful that you finally had woken up but to no avail there was still silence.

He sighed, sticking the key into the lock and turning it open and carefully pushing the door in not wanting to startle you. But alas, he didn’t think that it was even possible when you were cramped up on the couch sleeping soundly.

“Oh, christ.” He said under his breath, quietly stopping in his tracks.

You had a blanket partially pulled over yourself keeping you warm enough to bear the entire night. Your hair was sprawled out across the cushions, strands resting along your cheeks. You slept like a baby, curled up in an awkward yet comfortable position.

Steve quickly picked up the coffees and baked goods, shutting the door as quietly as possible as he toed off his shoes and rested the items onto the coffee table.

He looked towards the kitchen, finally aware of the sheer magnitude of work you had been doing. Sure it was a bit of a mess, but he was relieved a bit to know that you got some rest like he suggested.

“Sweetheart,” Steve whispered softly, bending at the couch where he shook your shoulders gently.

You only stirred, keening as you nuzzled yourself deeper into the cushions, eyes pinching tighter to stay asleep. He felt terrible for having to be the one to wake you up, but it had to be done.

“Honey, it’s almost seven… you gotta get up.” He spoke a tad louder, brushing back your hair out of your face until you pressed your cheek to his hand, gluing it there so he couldn’t move.

“Hmmm, no it’s not.” You argued sleepily with your eyes still closed, licking your lips as you remained comfortable.

You were cute even at this early hour and he would have loved to let you stay in bed but he knew it would throw off your entire game plan and have you rushing more than you already were.

“C’mon doll,” He shook you again, this time with enough firmness to get your eyes pinching and peaking open.

He gave you a small smile, mouthing ‘good morning,’ as you stared blankly at him, not a single thought behind your tired eyes other than it had to have been a dream that felt too real.

“I had to use the key to get in… you fell asleep out here last night.” His voice was faint, not wanting to rudely pour all this information on you so early in the morning.

Clear confusion accompanied the tiredness, just starting to really wake up and fathom that Steve was hovering above you and it wasn’t a trick your brain was playing on you..

“W-what?” You yawned, shutting your eyes again and giving them a rub.

“It’s 7 in the morning, sweet thing. You overslept a little.” His thumb moved up to caress the skin under your eyes, soothing your harsh rubbing.

You moaned out an objection, shaking your head against his hand, “No, I didn’t.”

He laughed, shaking his head at your positivity before finally pulling his hand from your cheek to lift his sleeve and hover the watch over your face.

“Look, honey.”

It took you a second, eyes still clouded with fatigue as you squinted up at the hands of the clock. Slowly you began to process it, the short hand pointing sharply at the 7 and the mere fact that Steve was in fact before your eyes with the purest look of fondness despite the hour.

“Holy shit!” Your eyes widened, pushing the blankets off yourself in a haste and sitting up.

“It’s okay—”

Your eyes darted to him, frowning deeply, torn between embarrassment and stupidity for having him wait out there for god knows how long.

“I swear I set a timer for fifteen minutes,” you huffed, pointing towards the coffee table for the stupid kitchen timer that he proceeded to pick up and shake.

“I was supposed to take out the trash and pack up the cookies.” You explained, watching as he sat it back down and gave you a reassuring shake of his head, unbothered by the situation.

“It’s okay, maybe you just didn’t hear it.” He tried, hoping you would give yourself the benefit of the doubt instead of beating yourself up.

You took a deep breath, offering a tight smile as you patted the space next to you and gathered the blankets over your shoulders. He took a seat, getting comfortable beside you, watching how you closed the space until your knees were knocking against each other.

“I’m really so sorry… were you waiting long?” You glanced over to him.

He shook his head, reaching over to brush your hair over your shoulder. “Nope, I just got here. Thought I told you to rest up last night?”

“You did,” You said guilty, watching his hand drop back down to his lap, “Buuut I just wanted to get a few more things done and I was supposed to have a power nap then clean the place up.”

You combed your fingers through the roots of your head, resting your elbows on your knees as you realized the mess was still very much there and Steve had to be here to witness the catastrophe.

Just as quickly as his hand dropped to his lap, it came back out to rest over your knee, fingers rubbing assuringly as he gave you a sequence of squeezes to get you looking at him again.

“S’okay, you needed it.” He assured you, his touches never ceasing as his chin poked out towards the coffee table. “I got you some coffee and your favorite.”

Sure enough there was a box of piping hot cronuts filling your apartment with their decadence, and a cup of your favorite morning drink rested right beside his half finished one.

Steve’s generosity was something you never thought you could get used to, but by now you should’ve known that he always went above and beyond… at least for you.

“You didn’t have to.” You whispered thankfully, closing your eyes as you tilted your head onto his shoulder.

He slotted closer to you, keeping his thumbs rubbing your skin in random patterns as you felt him shake his head against yours, simply murmuring, “I wanted to,” in the quiet space.

For once, in the last few days that you spent in the haze of stress and anxiety, today felt like the calmest morning you had all week. Despite you nearly burning your apartment down and falling asleep in the living room in less than 24 hours, with Steve here, it seemed like he brought some sort of magical potion that had you thinking everything was going to be okay.

It was difficult for your heart to swell and get tight in the confines of your chest when you realized that peace could be this. The two of you spending mornings like this, even when you were the farthest thing from peace – maybe it was him who could give it to you.

The two of you sat around for a few minutes in complete silence, just enjoying each other's presence for what it was worth right now. Something about it felt domesticated in the best way possible, knowing the simplest things in life like this were free.

“I’m gonna go shower really quick.” You announced, slowly pulling away from his side and stretching your arms out.

He retracted his hand from your skin, being the first to stand up, “I’ll put your coffee in the fridge for now.” Steve headed towards the kitchen with your drink in hand.

Your feet continued across the floors padding towards your bedroom, bed still freshly made having not slept on it the night before. Sure your back should have been aching from sleeping on the less than suitable couch, but you got the rest you needed and that’s what mattered.

You pulled open your closet, settling for a loose dress to sport instead of jeans knowing they’d probably be covered in flour and sugar by the end of the day. You pulled your towel from the hanger on your door and walked across the hall towards the bathroom.

Catching a glance at yourself in the mirror, you looked exhausted — the clear fatigue that had been building up over the last couple of days settled and ended up with the after effects of the burnout showing on your skin. A cold shower was what you needed, icy water cascading your body, doing its very best to wake you up and rid you of the exhaustion.

You didn’t keep Steve waiting long, out of the shower in less than fifteen minutes and by then you could hear the slight clambering of dishes coming from the kitchen.

“Have you eaten yet?” You shouted loud enough to hear, combing your fingers through your semi-damp ends.

More clambering came through the door, before you heard a loud dramatically loud scoff, “Without you? Of course not!”

You grinned in the mirror, rolling your eyes at his quick wit before finally shutting off the lights and heading down the hallway to see what he was up to.

Once you got him in sight, his hands were drying the dishes in the rack and there was no longer the clutter of the dirty ones in the sink. He stacked the mixing bowls on top of one another before noticing your presence lingering behind him.

“I took out the trash and did some dishes. Didn’t want to get started without you.” He hung the damp towel over the oven handle before gesturing over to the empty trash can that was once overflowing.

“Steve, you’re a guest.” You chastised, going around the kitchen to pick up the small bits of trash that stuck around.

“A considerate one at the least.” He shrugged his shoulders, following you around like a lost puppy and offering his hand out to take the remnants of the garbage from you to toss into the bin himself.

“Well, thank you.” You grinned, moving around him to throw it in trash, before he grunted out a snicker.

“C’mon let’s sit down and eat before we get going.”

He had already brought some plates out, moving next to the drawers to grab some utensils. For whatever reason, warmth bloomed in your heart, happy to see that Steve was just as comfortable in your home as you were in his. Simplicity in him knowing where things were was a sort of happiness you couldn’t explain.

You bit your lip, walking over to the fridge to open it before looking over your shoulder. “Did you want me to make some more food?”

He shook his head, opening the box of cronuts and fishing two out for the both of you. “I’m okay, but I could whip up some scrambled eggs for you?”

He looked up from the sweets, seeing you nod your head with a desperate look on your face as you held your stomach. Last night you hadn’t eaten much so you really needed to make up for it by having a hearty meal to set you up for the rest of the day's work.

“Coming right up.” He drummed his fingers off the dining table, as you switched places.

The kitchen was soundly, not much with chatter this early in the morning, but with the sizzling from the pan as Steve poured in the eggy mixture and the soft buzz of the toaster oven where you warmed up the cronuts. It wasn’t like the morning at Steve’s where you waltzed around the kitchen — it was much slower, yet filled with the same amount of domesticity.

Steve could tell you were still tired, the grogginess seeping slowly out of your bones the more you sipped on your coffee and tapped your toes against the tiles watching the oven closely. You weren’t trying to hide it from him on purpose, but he noticed that with every small yawn you let out, you turned away from him, trying to brush it off with a headshake.

He didn’t put a spotlight on it though, just happily smiling to himself as he stirred the eggs and watched you in his peripheral vision. The high pitched ding rang through the small space and you sighed contently, slipping on the oven mitt and reaching for a pair of tongs to grab the pastries, plating them nicely on two plates.

“You can start eating if you want.” He insisted, turning his head to follow you when you skimmed past him

You hummed disapprovingly, setting them on the coffee table before making your way back to him,“No, come on I’ll wait for you. Let me wash the–”

He lunged over, getting in the way of you turning on the faucet, “Stop it, you’re gonna overwork yourself.”

You huffed at the absurdity of the situation, seeing as though he was the one who was already overworking himself and it was barely 8 in the morning.

“I’ve barely done anything all morning.” You argued with a light laugh, attempting to get past his arms and switch the water on.

Still he stood his ground, not letting your pushing move him with your nudges, “Considering the amount of work you did last night, you shouldn't be doing anything right now.”

You crossed your arms over your chest tilting your head at him. “You’re not gonna give up, are you?”

He shook his head, pointing back at the living room with the spatula still in hand. “Not a chance! Now go sit down, I’ll be there in a second.”

“Fine!” You drawled, heavily stomping your foot down and turning on your heel back to the living room.

Steve’s eyes never left yours, even when his back was turned to you, he could feel you attempting to tidy up your living room in the slightest way, to which he simply bellowed, “sit and relax,” before you were shuffling back into the couch cushions, mumbling how he had eyes on the back of his head like a mother would to which he laughed.

The kids would certainly agree.

After a few minutes, you heard the burner shut off, and his footsteps walking over to you.

“Breakfast is served.” he announced, setting the eggs in front of you.

“You’re an angel.” You looked at him, grinning as he handed you a fork from where it was hiding behind his back.

“I’m flattered.” He took a seat beside you and picked up his plate, “So tell me what’s the plan for today.”

You took a bite out of your eggs, chewing and swallowing them down. “Yesterday I made the frosting for the cupcakes so today we’re gonna make them and ice them.”

“What flavor?”

“Maple and Raspberry.”

His face twisted, lips curled up before he spoke, “I’ve never heard of that combination before.”

“No silly,” You covered your mouth from giggling, “The maple frosting is for the brown sugar cupcakes and the raspberry frosting is for the hibiscus cupcakes, but they also do have a little bit of raspberry in them.”

His bottom lip jutted out over his top one, nodding at your correction, before he lifted a playful brow at you. “But can’t you tell I trust you so much that I thought Maple and Raspberry would be good together?”

Steve trusted you more than he trusted himself which said a lot considering that he was usually pretty set and stone with the way he did things in his own life. After all, his parents didn't play a big role in his so he had to figure out a lot of it by himself. But when it came to you, trust came easy knowing you wouldn’t drop his hand if you told him you wouldn’t. That was the territory between you both, promising and keeping your word – never letting the other fall.

“If we have any extras maybe we can test it out.” You suggested with a nudge of your elbow into his arm as the two you both smiled and continued to eat.

“How was work yesterday? I didn’t get the chance to ask you over the phone.” You shifted your knees towards him.

His face covered with mock horror, while you playfully gasped, watching him set his plate down.“Hell. I honestly think it was the most grueling eight hours of my life.”

“It couldn’t be that bad.” You tried to reason with disbelief in your voice, because really, how bad could it have been?

“Being forced to work a shift with Keith is literal hell. I mean for one he could not shut up and for someone who claims they love movies, he just kept talking over all of the stupid tapes I put on to try to shut him out.” Steve rolled his eyes at the recollection, so thrilled that he wasn’t stuck in the same predicament today.

“And isn’t Robin working with him today?” You stifled your laughter, for your dear friend who was probably dealing with Keith all by herself right now.

There was a devious smirk replacing his distaste for yesterday realizing he had planned it accordingly without realizing.

“Yep, but she’s got a half day so technically she’s only spending half a day in hell with him.”

“You’re horribly considerate for someone who was upset that she called out for a girl.”

Steve shrugged nonchalantly, knowing he couldn’t be too upset at Robin. After all, she was his best friend and sure he was pissed for having to work with Keith, but he was happy that she finally got to spend time with Vicky, the same girl she had been pining over since forever.

“Had I known it was for Vicky I would’ve called out too and came down here to help out sooner, but I thought she caught the flu or something.” He turned his nose up, happier that his best friend didn’t catch anything bad except the love bug.

Your face contorted with irritation at yourself, waving your hand in the air, “Trust me when I say you’d be glad you skipped out on the mess yesterday.”

He didn’t skip a beat, shaking his head at you being ridiculous because he’d never miss out a chance to be with you.

“I wouldn’t have minded anyway.”

While his words were true, and you definitely believed that he wouldn’t have minded considering he cleaned up the place while you were showering, you felt a little hopeless knowing he was picking up the pieces when he didn’t have to.

“You know I still feel a little bad that you’re spending your day off helping me bake.” You placed the plate onto the table, letting your shoulders sulk deeper with your hands twiddling in your lap.

“Why?” He lifted his brows, genuinely confused at why you would feel bad for him where there was nowhere else he’d rather be.

You gave him a small shrug, looking up at him with uncertainty. “Because you should be doing something you want to do or better yet resting in bed preferably.”

He hated when you tried to look out for him more than yourself, immediately taking your nervous fingers away from your lap and holding them in his. You stared at him, holding on tight and wondering what was going to come out of his mouth.

“I am doing something I want to do with the person I prefer to be with right now.”

There was a twinge of vulnerability in his tone and you could see the way it painted his features whole. How you could tell, he was telling the truth about wanting to be here with you and not just doing it because he felt obligated to.

Your heart was seriously going to break itself out of your chest soon.

“You’re gonna regret saying that once I turn your kitchen into a disaster.” You joked, squeezing his hand in yours and not letting go.

He pursed his lips, shaking your comment off, preparing for the said disaster in his kitchen as long as you were going to be there. Becoming a deadweight with his hand in yours, you easily pulled his arm up, neck adjusting to get the time on his watch.

“If I’m planning it out in my head correctly then we should be done by this afternoon and that way you can drop me off before traffic hits and I’ll drive down tomorrow morn—”

“Pack a bag and spend the night.”

“Huh?”

“Just stay the night at mine that way you won’t need to drive down so early for the farmers market.” He explained like you should’ve known it was the plan all along.

You couldn’t help but throw your head back, staring at the ceiling as you called out his name in faux exasperation.

“Steveeeee.”

“What?” He pursed his lips slyly, pulling you by the shoulders to get you looking at him again, “you’ll get to spend a few extra minutes in bed and you’ll be saving gas. Basically killing two birds with one stone.”

“But I don’t want to be stuck in your hair the entire day.” You protested.

His brows lifted suspiciously as his lips twitched up trying to resist the grin, “Woah, you plan on gluing yourself to me or something? Cause if you are, I don’t know if I could forgive you for messing up my mane.”

“You’re impossible,” You nudge his shoulder with a weak fist failing to hide your smile, “I don’t want to be a burden. What if you have plans?”

“I do have plans, silly.” He began, reaching for your hand and rubbing his thumbs across your open palms, “and all of them involve you.”

“You know you’re making this very hard for me to decline.” You attempted to harden your features, but to no avail the smile crept through.

He patted your knee with a victorious look on his face. “Good. We can spend the day baking and prepping then we can sit back and relax. Maybe go out by the pool and sunbathe… Oh! And I got a new tape so we can watch it before bed or something.”

“Sounds tempting.” You fizzled through your teeth, squinting your eyes decisively.

“That means it’s working and you should say yes.” He whispered, like a voice of reason.

“Okay.”

“Great, now go pack a bag.” He patted your leg, one, two, three times before standing up and gathering your empty plates in a stack.

“Will you do me a favor while I do that?” You stood, trailing behind him into the kitchen where he was placing the dishes in the sink.

“Yes, I’ll wash the dishes—”

“No, not that!” You laughed, gesturing him towards the counters where a rack of cookies sat alongside other crafty materials. “I need you to package the cookies in little plastic baggies and tie them off with ribbon.”

“I can definitely do that, too.”

“I got a few done last night but fell asleep before I could finish.” You picked an example up, showing it to him.

“Don’t worry about it, I can do the rest.” He took the baggie from your hands, ushering you away with a shoo of his hands.

You thanked him before heading back into your bedroom quickly grabbing the canvas bag that hung above your door as you sifted through your drawers and closet for some clothes.

You picked out a floral dress for tomorrow's event, and settled for an extra set of intimates — you packed an oversized tee and some jeans in case but you knew Steve would let you borrow some of his if you needed and he still had your pair of overalls that he hadn’t given back yet.

“Do I double knot them?” Steve called out.

“Yeah and you can snip the ends to make them even!”

“Got it, thanks!”

You slung the bag over your shoulder, drawing the curtains and unplugging your lamp just in case since you’d be gone for the night… maybe even the entire weekend. The only thing left to pack was your skincare products, throwing them in a small pouch and making a mental note to set them on the bathroom counter when you got to his to prevent any from leaking out onto your clothes.

Steve finished off tying the last baggie of cookies, bunny earring them and snipping off little bits of the ends to try to make them look as cute as your sample did.

“What do you think?” He held his work of art up as he heard your footsteps coming closer.

You grinned, holding your hands out before he plopped it into your palm while you inspected it.

“They’re adorable!” You giggled, smoothing the frayed edges of the cut ribbon.

“Are you trying to be nice? You can tell me if they look bad.” He pouted, attempting to take it back from you to redo the bow knowing you took pride in anything that was yours.

You shook your head, keeping it towards your chest and away from him. “No, I’m serious! They look so cute, thank you for doing them.”

His cheek was met with a quick kiss, before you brushed past him putting down your things on the living floor before sauntering back into the kitchen with a mission to get everything ready to go.

“Y-you’re welcome,” He coughed out, kindly covering the crack in his voice with a sweet smile before he turned to watch you, “Anything else I can do?”

“Stop being so nice.” You poked out your tongue, beginning to pack the cookies into a brown bag for easier transportation.

He huffed, helping you without being asked, “Now that would turn me into Mike and I don’t think you’d want that.”

“Do you have some vendetta against him or something?” You questioned, hands hitting his with every grab and toss.

“Oh we all do” He snorted, swiftly sweeping the bag away from you, before pulling the keys out of his pocket.

“I’ll go put your stuff in my car.”

He proceeded to grab the rest of your belongings, lugging the bag you packed and the other stuff to his car all in one go. You triple checked all the appliances making sure everything was unplugged and turned off before you began drawing all the curtains to completely dim the place for the next couple of days.

“Ready to go?”

“Yep, just gonna grab the paintings.” You nodded, pointing to the small crate full of finished canvas that you would be selling at the market.

He didn’t let you even try, immediately beating you the distance and grabbing the box, holding it on his hip as he held the front door open for you. Sticking by your side as he watched you lock up, being your second eyes and even pulling on the handle for an extra precautionary measure.

The air conditioning had been running, thankfully cooling down the vehicle as you buckled in and watched from the rear view mirror while Steve closed the trunk shut and rounded his way into his seat and did the same.

“Why don’t you close your eyes until we get to my place?” He suggested, glancing over to you while turning on the radio trying to find a station you would enjoy.

A dramatic gasp left your lips as you slapped down his visor, opening the mirror to check yourself out. “Wow, do I look that tired?” You half joked, placing your hands on your cheeks in horror.

“Stop, that’s not what I meant,” He chuckled, reaching over to flip it back into place with a tight regretful smile, “What I meant to say was you didn’t get much sleep last night and it could help a little bit to just close your eyes before doing more work today.”

“But I feel bad, you’ll probably be so bored in complete silence.”

He wondered if you always worried about him this much and while it was cute, he’d have to tell you to stop eventually, because worrying would do you no good, especially if it was about him.

“You know, you’re gonna need to stop feeling bad for me all the time.” He lectured, tilting his head at you.

“I can’t help it when you’re stuck with me.”

“Will you please just try to nap at least?” His voice was more optimistic and you nodded skeptically.

“Fine, but you have to wake me up if you get bored.”

“Deal. Here, this’ll be more comfy.” He said, leaning across the console and reaching for the lever to lean your chair back all the way for max comfortability. You covered your face, laughing behind them as you wiggled and got comfier in the seat.

“Comfier?” He brought his hands back to the wheel, watching as you nodded your head with closed eyes.

“Way better than my couch.” You mumbled, positioning yourself towards him, still getting snug in the confines of his car.

He pulled up the emergency break, beginning the journey with one last look at you. “I’ll wake you up when we get there, sweetheart.”

Steve knew you were a natural in the kitchen — ran that place like it was your second home, but what he didn’t anticipate was how you worked when it came to strictly baking. Perhaps him suggesting the nap on the drive to his place was a great idea considering the fact that you were wide awake and running on that coffee he picked up.

He could barely keep up, straying behind to wherever you would go — oven, pantry, fridge, sink, repeat. It was endearing and far from something that Steve would categorize as chaos, in his eyes this was your comfort, somewhere it all just came to you naturally, which also included dishing out tasks, ones that Steve was happy to take up.

His bottom lip was pulled between his teeth, brows scrunching towards the center of his forehead while his hands squeezed the piping bag and wrists swirled it slowly around the tops of the cupcakes.

You bent at the hips, looking through the glass window of the oven checking up on the loaves that had been baking, making sure they were rising properly. Standing up straight, you dusted your hands sneaking up behind Steve to catch a glimpse from over his shoulders.

“You’re doing great!” You whispered cheerfully, not wanting to throw him off his focus.

His shoulders only bumped as he chuckled, head tilting abruptly to the side before finishing off the swirl and setting the piping bag down.

“It’s a little crooked don’t you think?” Steve frowned, picking up the treat and holding it out in front of him.

You shook your head, rubbing his shoulders, “They’re perfect and you’re a complete pro already.”

“Okay now that’s a reach.” He placed it down, turning to you with an unconvinced yet charming grin.

You tucked your cheek into your shoulder, shrugging, “What? I’m being serious! I messed up like a whole dozen cupcakes before I ever got good and here you are only three in and they’re gorgeous.”

“You’re really making me consider switching careers to part time cupcake piper you know that?”

“I’ll hire you on the spot.”

“Geez, offer a man some insurance first.”

Your face twisted apologetically before spreading with a self indulgently smile, “Probably can’t do that, but I can assure you I know how to properly dress a cut if you end up slicing your hand open!” You chirped sweetly, tapping his cheek with an affectionate pat chuckling against your touch.

The ding of the timer set off, prompting you to turn around and make your way back to the oven, slipping on the mits. A gush of hot air enveloped you as you took out the hot loafs, setting them on the stove. Quickly you shut the door, tossing off the mits as you inspected them with your eyes first.

“How do they look?” Steve asked, coming beside you as you poked the tip of a knife through the center checking if it was baked all the way through.

A quick second to examine the knife to ensure there was no residue was all it took before you nodded, “Wonderful, but they’ll look even better once I glaze them.”

“What do you need?” He rose his brows heading over to the cabinets ready to get whatever you needed.

Likewise you went towards the fridge, “Powdered sugar and preferably whole milk — ah ha! Whole milk it is.” you clicked your tongue, peeking past the door to see him looking through the tins and bags.

He cursed under his breath, closing the door a bit to meet your eyes. “I don’t think I’ve got any powdered sugar in here. I should've asked you last night if you needed anything before.”

You shook your head, turning back towards the fridge, “That’s okay, we can go to the store together later?” You suggested going to put the milk back.

He snapped his fingers, pointing at you. “Better idea, why don’t you go now and I’ll stay back and finish frosting up these cupcakes, hmm?”

“I could wait for you, I don’t need to frost them right away.”

“You need a break, sweetheart. I’ll be fine, here,” He paused, walking out of the kitchen with you trailing behind him into the living room, “Take my car and let me give you some cash.”

“Steve, I don’t need your money.” You countered with a light chuckle, taking the keys from him as he reached into his pocket shaking his head.

“No seriously, take it and get whatever you need. I feel like shit for not asking before and making sure I had all the ingredients.”

He truly felt horrible and you could tell in the way he scrunched his brows and shook his head more at himself than towards you. The last thing he wanted was to fuck up your whole process that he knew you always took the time to run through effortlessly.

“You’re already doing enough, you know.” You remind him with a tender rub to his shoulder, “It means a lot…you talking to me over the phone, bringing breakfast over this morning, and taking all the way here to make sure I wasn’t lonely.”

It was a true sentiment that you spoke and meant every word of. You were sure that no amount of baked goods or thank yous would ever be enough to show Steve how grateful you were.

“I wanted to, you’ve done so much for everyone, me especially.” He knew you went out of your way for everyone including himself, putting everyone first except you.

“Well, I wanted to.” You assured him.

“In that case, I want you to take this and get whatever we need. Please?” He placed the bills in the palm of your hand, smiling when you nodded and palmed it.

“Do you want anything specific? I think I’m just gonna pick up a bag of powdered sugar and a small thing of white chocolate chips for the scones.” You picked up your purse you had thrown onto the coffee table where you arrived.

He shook his head, walking you to the front door and pulling it open, waiting as you slipped back on your footwear. “I’m alright, I don’t need anything. Just drive safely and don’t be scared to use the horn if you need it.”

You let out a laugh, tiptoeing and placing a kiss on his cheek, “I will and don’t stress about the cupcakes, they already look perfect.”

As you buckled your seatbelt and adjusted the mirrors, you took one more look out the windshield, waving a “see you in a bit,” to the boy watching from the driveway. It was funny to think that the first time you’d been there, you had been sitting in your own car anticipating the entire moment of meeting everyone and now you were there in his car knowing you’d be back in no time.

Hawkins wasn’t new territory to you. You have frequented the place for years, but it was just a little funny that throughout all the years, these roads never led you to Steve, and all your friends for that matter, until now.

The grocery store you walked into was the same one where you met Robin and from there the rest was history. Funny enough, you hadn’t been there since that interaction — it felt like forever but at the same time it had only been a matter of weeks. Time was silly thing, and it just so happened that all the fates aligned in some magical way.

You strolled through the aisles with a small basket in hand, picking up the necessities while also checking out what they had in stock this time of year. It was in the produce section that you ran into the sweetest lady in town, Joyce, who was seemingly glaring at the tower of apples debating on which ones to pick.

“Granny Smiths, Fuji, and Galas are the go-to if you’re gonna use them for baking, but if not then any will do, just make sure none of them have noticeable dents.”

You snuck up beside her, stifling your laughter as she jumped for the initial scare, then again, but with a smile on her face when she realized that it was you.

“Honey! Oh my god, I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever!” She quickly engulfed you in a hug, before you finally greeted her properly.

“Are you here with Steve?” She asked, looking around to see if he was nearby.

You shook your head, checking out the pile of apples and picking some for you and him as a snack.. “No, he’s actually back at his place frosting cupcakes for tomorrow.”

An impressed smile was plastered on her face, her cheeks lifting with a cheeky blush, “He’s just the best huh?” she teased, as you giggled and rolled your eyes playfully.

“Who’s the best?”

The deep voice bellowed a few feet behind you, prompting you to look over your shoulder, and down came Hopper sporting a surprising pale pastel button up, lugging two boxes of Coca-Cola. He gave you a pointed look, something that silently said, “please don’t comment on my non-work attire,” to which you honored, obviously.

“Hey Hop,” You waved, reaching out to give him a small hug after he placed the drinks into the cart. He patted your arm, before letting his drape over your shoulder as you laughed and let him be.

“We were talking about Steve,” Joyce started, “He’s back at home helping her out with the bake sale for tomorrow.”

He peered down on you with a stern nod, “Well isn’t that great. Drove down here yourself? Car not giving you any issue right?”

He really was a dad right down to his core. If you told him how you’ve been avoiding driving your car for the past couple of days, he would probably suggest he go check it out then and there.

“Oh no, Steve actually picked me up this morning and let me take his car to come here for some stuff we needed.”

“He let you drive his car?” He questioned, taken aback and clearly so as he dropped his arm and propped it up on his hip.

“I know, crazy right. He has a lot of trust in me.” You coughed up a laugh, while Joyce piped in something about how she thought it was sweet of him to do.

“Says a lot considering he never even lets me take her for a spin.” He shook his head, dramatically clicking his tongue at all the times he had failed to get the keys to the Harrington vehicle.

Joyce groaned, tilting her head at him.“That’s because you’re a forty year old man that drives like a drunk sixteen year old on prom night.”

“Ouch!” He shouted, face coated in fake hurt as she brushed him off.

Turning her attention back to you when you asked, “Will I be seeing you guys tomorrow?”

She smiled brightly, clapping her hands towards herself, “Oh of course! I’m helping Karen run her book exchange booths.”

“And I am acting as security.” Hop announced, plucking an apple and taking a bite out of it.

“Just you? Where’s the rest of your unit?” You pestered him jokingly.

He only shrugged, mouth full of half chewed up apples as he replied.“I have no idea, but the event will need some securing.”

“Honey, it’s a farmers market. I don't think there’s anything to be securing.” Joyce reasoned.

“We’ll see about that.” He shot back with no harm.

Their bickering was always light hearted and fun, something you could appreciate because it was the laughter that always kept the relationship lively. And in any relationship for that matter, laughter was like the heartbeat to it all, something so witty, but essential — you wondered if you and Steve sounded like that from time to time.

You took a deep breath, smiling as you opened your arms, and reached over to give Joyce a farewell hug.

“Well I should get going, I don’t want to be gone too long.”

“Of course, tell Steve we said hello and we’ll see you all tomorrow.”

“Will do!” You said, pulling away, and doing the same to Hopper.

“Bye kid.” He patted your head before letting you go your separate way.

The drive back home was as pleasant as the drive over, just lacking in company. You didn’t think that you’d get used to driving Steve's car without him being there in the passenger, but still, it was a thoughtful offer and it did give yourself some time to clear your head of all the stress that you endured yesterday though much of it was already gone since you woke up this morning.

You placed it in park when you got into his driveway, grabbing all the grocery bags in one go before you exited the car and made sure it was locked up. The front door was surprisingly unlocked, meaning Steve hadn’t moved since you left. You’d lecture him about leaving the door unlocked when there were freshly frosted cupcakes that burglars would most definitely take first.

“Steve, I’m back!” You called out, toeing off your sandals at the foyer before you made your way into the living room dropping his keys back onto the coffee table.

“Still in the kitchen!”

You lugged the bags along, lifting them in the air as you walked through the doorway.

“I know you told me you didn’t want anything but I ended up grabbing a bag of tangerines and I was thinking we could make some drinks for when we go out to the — oh my god!”

They fell with a heavy clunk to the ground and thank goodness there wasn’t any glass in there, but the poor apples would definitely be bruised. Steve turned his head over his shoulder, quickly shutting off the water as you stared at the loaves sitting on a raised plate as the excess icing dripped off the sides.

“Sur-prise?” He cracked a nervous smile, wiping his hands dry, hoping to receive the right reaction from you.

“You iced the loaves?!”

If your tone came sharper than you meant, he didn’t notice it and neither did you. Steve was too busy watching the surprise wash over your features — the way your eyes widened and mouth hung open.

He leaned against the counters, still watching you until your eyes finally met his. Picking up the index card you had brought from home, and walking over to the pantry, pulling out a now empty bag of powdered sugar, and placing them on the counter.

“I may or may not have lied about the powdered sugar but yeah, I read the recipe card and followed it to the tee.”

He paused, opening a drawer to retrieve a spoon, scooping up a little of the excess that dripped into a bowl before handing it over to you, “Here, give it a taste, please.”

You could tell he was nervous, eyes leaking anticipation while he held it out, his hands nearly shaking. It was cute that he got so nervous, like you could ever be mad at him for trying his hand at something so thoughtful of him to do. So you took the spoon, sticking it into your mouth before you promptly hummed around it, nodding your head at him with wide eyes that should’ve been enough to tell him he did great.

“Fuck did I mess it up?” He spoke with an uneasy feeling, swiping his finger into the bowl and grabbing a sample to taste, pressing his lips together to try to decipher if something was terribly wrong.

You shook your head hastily, removing the spoon from your mouth before twirling it in the air, “No you nailed it, like absolutely nailed it!”

Still even with your assurance, he seemed to doubt himself, picking up the bowl for himself, moving it around to test the consistency of the frosting. He held it out towards you, tipping it back and forth.

“It’s not too runny? I think I added more than a capful of milk.”

Instead of trying to ease his worries with words, you simply rounded the corner, taking the bowl away from him so all he could focus on was you. It was cute that now you could see what Steve meant when he said you go into your head all too much — maybe he was right when he said self-doubt would get you nowhere but a headache.

“You did perfect,” You began, dusting off the powdered sugar off his t-shirt, looking up at him with a grin, “not too runny, not too thick. Just right.”

It was enough to stop him in his tracks, ironing the worries away in the same way he did yours more often than not. The hand on his chest didn’t leave, when the words stopped, in fact you kept it there, smoothing the wrinkles of his shirt without really thinking much of it, while Steve tried to keep his composure and heart in his chest.

“S-so what did you buy?” He deterred his sights, looking towards the floor where the groceries still sat.

You squinted, hand stopping its movements, as you flashed him a sneaky smile shaking your head before slightly digging your fingers into the dough of his chest.

“No, we’re not just gonna skim over that whole thing…you lied to me!” You shrilled.

And like that, the kitchen erupted with laughter, Steve failing to keep up the innocent act, and you beyond astounded that you fell for it. He held his hands up in defense as playfully pushed him away, even stepping back as he tried to move closer, just to be theatrical.

“Okay technically I didn’t lie lie!” He countered with his hands waving in the air. You crossed your arms over your chest, raising a brow at him, “I thought I didn’t have enough of it but after you left, I measured it out and like the recipe said, a half cup sugar for each of the loaves and I just so happen to have one cup.”

He was the sweetest boy you’ve ever met: not a chance you could be upset even if it was just pretend.

Steve had already done so much for you in less than 24 hours. From dealing with your anxiety over the phone, to driving all the way to you, and then on top of that trying to take the stress off your plate.

There was a pinch between your brow, beginning to grow deeper and your lip caught between your teeth. The longer you didn’t say anything, the more Steve caught the tell-tale signs of your guilt knowing you hated that he was doing so much and you finally got a break you deserved.

He was just as quick to reassure you, stepping forward and testing the waters to see if you’d close the space and to which you did, pouting up at him with an adorable frown until your chest met his in a hug.

You could feel him smile against your head, hands wrapped around your body as he tightened the hold tenderly, “I wanted to do it. You needed a break.” He murmured into your hair as you chuckled into the fabric of his shirt.

It felt routine by now, and you didn’t need to thank him verbally when he gave you a nod as soon as he pulled away and saw the sincere look upon your face. The way he was able to read you like an open book felt personal, the only kind of way that you wanted to be read by him. Ins and outs of you already memorized so carefully with little to no room to question if he was right or not.

You didn’t want him to question anything, especially not you.

Taking a deep breath, you shakily let it out, slowly pulling away from each other until you looked over the counters and to the ground.

“Tangerines.” You called out, moving across the tiles.

“Huh?”

“I picked up some tangerines at the grocery store.”

You handed him the netted bag of fruits that he easily ripped open and let them spill over the table top, “They’re in season?” He pursed his lips, inspecting the fruit carefully.

You nodded, reaching out for the remnants of its packaging, smoothing it out to show him the label, “They’re from Long Beach, California.”

It piqued his interest, looking over at you like you’d know the answer to his curiosity, “Do you think they grow on Sunrise Boulevard?”

You giggled, shrugging your shoulders while you unloaded the rest of the items. “Probably. I’ve never been so I don’t know for sure.”

“We should go someday.”

He extended the invitation as if you, a paycheck to paycheck living individual, could ever afford a trip like that in a heartbeat. But it was the fact that he extended it in the first place that had your insides twisting and turning like a lovesick fool.

We. The possibility of you two going together. And he said it as sweetly as it sounded, honey dripping from his lips, with a smile oh so beautiful that you could really believe that maybe you two could go together one day — even if the rest of your friends tagged along.

As long as he was there with you there was always the possibility of we.

Steve often transported you back to middle school, the days where you caught yourself kicking your feet and blushing like an idiot over a boy who said all the right things. The only difference is Steve didn’t let you crash and burn on the ground. With him, things feel different.

“We should.” You said, lifting your hanging head, not caring anymore about hiding the red flush of your cheeks.

“Good.” He smiled with a nod that he was more so giving himself, his brain spitting out all of the celebratory phrases it could think of after seeing the double vision of your rose blush.

For once, the both of you seem to be a bit braver in your endeavors, holding the intimate eye contact in the silence of birds chirping from outside the flung windows and the whistle of the wind. If you two were a cartoon animation, your hearts would have been jumping out of your chests, and interlocking hands by now.

His eyes didn’t stare blankly at you, and yours certainly didn’t shoot dangers through him. It was as if you both were swimming in each other, taking one another in without a single word spoken because none needed to be said.

You both knew it and you both could hear it in the silence.

“Why don’t we go for a swim, yeah? Call it a day with the baking and just… just spend some time?”

Together he wanted to say. Something that should’ve slipped freely but instead died in his throat, too scared to let you know what spending time together really meant to him, between the both of you, actually.

“I’d love that.”

You kicked Steve out of the kitchen, claiming that he could at least let you finish up the cleaning after he had lied to you about the powdered sugar. You could hear him from the stairs, still arguing that it wasn’t really a lie, making you shake your head and snort while you wiped down the counters.

He emerged as you finished washing the sticky icing bowl, wearing nothing but a pair of swim trunks with two towels under his arm. You were sure, he caught you staring for a second, before kicking you out the kitchen to go get changed while he made you both drinks and skimmed the pool for dead leaves and critters.

Getting changed in the confines of his bedroom felt like the first time you had been there all over again. Only this time you weren’t a stranger and he’s not waiting on the other side of the door for you to be done.

This time you’re a piece of his life and he’s waiting for you.

Slipping into your swimwear, you caught a glimpse of yourself in his mirror. It had occurred to you that this was the first time you would be as bare as you would be in front of him. Sure you weren’t a prude or anything, but you always felt a bit shy, and your feelings for Steve didn’t make it any better.

Not wanting to leave him waiting for so long, you plucked a random shirt from his dresser and threw it over yourself before jogging down the stairs and out the sliding door where he stood with the pool stick in hand, grabbing whatever that was floating on the surface.

“I’m back,” You made your presence known, moving beside him to see the small pile of leaves he gathered on the side of the pool.

Your nose turned up at the little critters that crawled away into the grass, before Steve whistled and pointed to the shaded umbrella, “M’almost done over here, I put your drink over there.”

The pool loungers had been tugged under the shade with towels laid out over the cushions and a variety of snacks sitting along inside the drinks.

“I just juiced some of the tangerines and stirred it with some tequila and margarita mix I had left. If it’s too strong, I can add more juice or make you another.”

You thanked him, walking over to take a seat and sip on the drink while you waited for Steve to finish the pool maintenance. A lot of his home was taken care of by him, and you could understand why if his parents weren’t home too often – it forced him to take up everything and keep everything in order.

You wondered why Steve never gave himself the credit he deserved. Only in his early twenties already taking on what most people in their late twenties still had a hard time getting a grove with. Yet he made it look flawless with little to no complaints about his situation and how this responsibility might have been too much for him.

But deep down in the pit of your stomach, you wondered if this place was really his home or a home he was looking after until he found his. It wasn’t entirely the same situation as yours, hell, you got out the moment freedom striked.

Steve had everything: enough money to pay for rent at a decent apartment nearby, all the life skills in the world, and himself — you just wondered why he was staying.

“How is it?” He called out, back facing you from the other side of the backyard where he stuffed the pool scopper back into the shed.

Your hand raised above your forehead blocking the sun as he walked towards you, the other picked up his drink handing it to him when he sat on the end of your lounger, thankfully blocking the remnants of rays for you.

You watched him take a sip, nodding his head at himself before looking over to you for your opinion.

“Good! Not too strong actually, I think the tangerine juice is great.” You bubbled, taking another sip of yours before placing it back on the table with a clink.

He hummed through his drink, before setting it down and taking a look at you. You had made more space for him on the lounger despite him having his own only a few feet away. Your legs tucked under yourself, and arms came to wrap around your midsection, attempting to hide from his gaze despite his t-shirt that was already drowning you.

You were naturally sheepish, and he knew that but he hoped you weren’t doing this just because he suggested it. The last thing he wanted was to force you into doing something you didn’t want to be doing. Hell, the both of you could be inside sitting in silence, and Steve would be happy, long as you were there.

“You know, we don’t have to swim if you don’t want to. We could just sit out here and talk, whatever you want okay? Whatever is comfortable—”

“No, no, I’m fine! I—I’m just a little shy, that’s all.” You shook your head, attempting to relax your tense muscles, untucking your legs from underneath you.

He grinned, nodding slowly, as his fingers grazed the sleeve of his shirt on your body. “That's okay, nothing wrong with that,” he assured you, meeting your eyes with a impish glint, “nice shirt by the way.”

“Thanks… for letting me borrow it, I mean.”

You looked down at the graphic, finally aware that it was an Eagles t-shirt, that unbeknownst to you was one of his favorites and only worn during special sports occasions. However he decided in his mind that anytime you wanted to wear the garment, it was a special occasion in itself. He wouldn’t want to have it any other way.

“Always.” He grinned, looking down into his lap, not wanting to frighten you with his ceaseless content.

The heat of Indiana wasn’t as fierce as it had been for the past summer and you hoped it would stick around, at least until tomorrow so you all could survive a pleasant farmers market afternoon. For now, you’d enjoy whatever mercy the season would have on the town with no complaints, especially when there was a mansion with a view sitting right beside you.

“Wanna get in?” You snapped out of your thoughts, eyes following his movements as he asked you and took another sip.

You sat up, legs extending over his as you looked out at the aquamarine reflection of the water. “Uh, yeah, do you have any sunblock, by any chance?”

He clicked his tongue, tapping his fingers against your shins. “Shit, yeah, sorry I totally forgot. I think the kids used up the last bottle but I have the spray kind, if that’s okay?”

“Of course.” You nodded, lifting your legs and letting him slide away.

He walked through the sliding door again, and you could hear the slight rustle of him looking through cabinets and cursing at himself that the kids must have misplaced it. With him still busy you took a deep breath, tugging the shirt off your body and smoothing your fingers over your skin.

You had nothing to be insecure about, not when it came to Steve's eyes. He’d seen you stripped down with your emotions – sadness, insecurity, exhaustion and everything in between. Him seeing you in a bathing suit was far less intimidating than it seemed.

“Sorry, I think Dustin must’ve knocked the cap off or something but it still sprays and… oh, h-hey.”

The sunblock slipped from his hands, poorly failing to juggle back into his grip in time before it clanked against the concrete. You didn’t give him an answer, simply lifting your brow before you choked out a fit of laughter, hunching over yourself to grab your tummy.

Steve didn’t mean to be such a man, but just a split second ago, you were covered up in his t-shirt which alone made his head spin, and now, he was seeing skin that had never been exposed before and he felt like he might pass out and knock his head into the concrete. Perhaps it would have been a terribly gruesome way to go out, but at least you were the last thing he got to look at before he went.

“I—I’m sorry!” He stuttered, turning away sharply as his throat bopped with a swallow, “I didn’t mean to say that, it kinda just slipped out. Feel free to totally hit or slap me right now, because that was super duper weird of me and—”

You stood up, prompting him to seal his lips as his eyes slowly turned to watch you pick up the sunscreen, beginning to spray the formula onto your arms, working it into your skin.

You looked up at him through your lashes, washing away his embarrassment as he saw you shake your head.“It’s fine, really. I don’t think it was weird, at all… just super duper funny.” You teased, scrunching your nose at him.

He breathed out a sigh of relief, still looking apologetic in his features.“I feel like an idiot,” he added, rubbing the back of his neck stiffly.

You tilted your head at him, wiggling the bottle in the air. “You can make up for it by getting my back for me?”

He took it from your hands, watching as you spun around and pulled your hair away. “You sure?”

You hummed, “Positive, unless you’re gonna say ‘hi’ to my behind too.” You joked, turning over your shoulder to see him scoff a laugh before spraying you down.

He was careful, asking permission before his hands even touched your skin, and then again when he had to work the product under the straps of the suit. His fingertips are light and gentle, and at the same time meticulous, making sure not to miss a spot and let a single sliver of your skin get burned by the sun.

“Want me to get yours too?” You suggested, spinning back around when his hands finally dropped from you.

“Only if you want to.”

“Spin, Harrington.” You twirled your finger in the air, grasping the sunblock and getting to work.

It was different, feeling your touch without a layer of clothing in the way. Sure, you’ve both slept in the same bed, practically in each other's arms with him shirtless, and you two definitely touched each other in the softest way that no one else did. But your touch right now was suffocating, eating him whole as he tried to breathe through it and tell himself that you were too good for him.

“You have a million beauty marks.” You murmured, breath fanning over his neck making him go dizzy.

He swallowed, turning over his shoulder to watch you rub the product over his shoulder blades, your fingers working mindfully under his gaze.

“B-beauty marks? Moles, you mean?”

You met his eyes, shaking your head with the softest look upon your face. “I prefer to call them beauty marks.”

“That’s cute.” He whispered as a reply.

“Yours are too.” You complimented, feeling him exhale soothingly while your hands worked the rest of the skin, ending it off by tapping your fingers against the beauty marks, “all done.”

You twisted the bottle shut, tossing it on the lounger for later when you two would have to reapply. Turning towards him you ran your hands up and down your arms, waiting for what was next.

“Are you a strong swimmer?” He lifted his brows, watching you think.

You blinked, thinking of all the rare moments you’ve ever been in a body of water there in the midwest. “J-just a little. Why?”

“Don’t want you to drown.” He said, a smirk growing on his face.

You shook your head, not understanding what he was getting at.

“Why would I— Steve!”

A squeal ripped through your throat, as he scooped you up into his arms bridal style, carefully walking you both over to the edge of the pool where hid your face in his chest expecting a gush of water without warning. He couldn’t help but chuckled, adjusting your higher with a small toss until you wrapped your arms around his neck securely.

“You ready?” He bellowed out into the air with a hoot, cradling your head gently for extra measure.

“Whenever you are.” You pinched your eyes shut, tucking yourself more into him as if that would make it less worse.

And like that, cold water engulfed your body all at once. Even in the big splash, Steve’s arms never left your body, keeping himself glued to you as you both came up to the surface and your hands brushed your hair away from your face.

“I got you,” Steve laughed, shaking the water away from his face and never daring to let his arms leave your body.

“It’s so cold!” You whimpered, immediately wrapping your legs around his hips, pulling yourself closer to his body where your jaw trembled against his collarbone.

He could feel you shaking in his arms, taking a bit longer to adjust to the coolness given the fact that you hadn’t been to a pool in ages. His hands ran up and down you back, pausing in between passes to knead your skin.

“You’ll warm up soon,” He guaranteed, kissing the side of your head before resting his chin on top of yours, the two of you fastened together with a stitch until your shivering fizzled out.

Usually Steve’s pool was filled with the bustle and shouts of children, water splashing everywhere and him standing on the sidelines with his hands on his hips, reminding the kids not to run on the wet pavement.

Though today it might have been the most peaceful it’s ever been.

Turns out, you’re not the best swimmer after all these years with little to no access to any pool or beaches, but you are one hell of a floater, giggling as Steve waded the water beside you, mimicking waves and moving you along the expanse.

You two attempted to race, doing laps back and forth, but you gave up a few seconds in, elbows resting on the concrete as you watched each stride he took against the water until he was back to you. Rubbing his eyes, he caught his breath and looked at you in disbelief.

“You beat me?!”

“By a long shot.” You joked, before he playfully rolled his eyes and swam closer to you.

His hands sneaking underwater reaching out to grip your thighs and throw them over his hips where you quickly held on tight as we took you both to the center of the expanse. There was little to no room between you both anymore, the personal space bubble had popped long ago and now it was a shared out that sheathed the both of you.

Steve didn’t think he could let you go, even if he tried.

With your backs beneath the sun, everything felt right. Clearing the air, you breathed in the mix of chlorine and each other. The only sounds were the whistle of the wind, the swoosh of the water around you, and your harbored inhales and exhales.

It was all consuming in the best way possible.

For Steve, the city he had lived in his entire life felt as cruel as the loves in his past. And there were a lot of loves: platonic and romantic, yet nothing felt entirely like this – not even close. There was always a flaw, a blemish in time that made the past never work out the way he had hoped, but there was a gut wrenching realization that ever since he saw you, there was no need to look back at those shortcomings.

He was quieter than usually, eyes studying you without even realizing it, still you didn’t shrink under his view. You followed his sights, watching as his orbs moved from a part of your face to the next, taking you in like an art piece, memorizing every detail like his life depended on it.

And for a moment a wave of realization washed over you. The way you were in Steve’s arms, the way he was looking at you, the way you looked at him — friends didn’t do the things you both did, especially when your other friends were around.

Steve was just your friend when he gave you a long-sleeve to borrow, drove down to your art gallery, talked you through your worst moments, offered you a bed to sleep in, slept with you in said bed.

But maybe you and Steve were never destined for the whole friendship thing. You both had crossed so many lines unforgiven, and there was no way either of you could deny the truth by saying goodbye.

You had to step into it and let go.

You swallowed, arms tightening around his neck while your chest rose with a deep puff. Only then did he snap out of the haze, blinking slowly until he shook his head and snapped his eyes to yours silently apologizing to which you brushed off with a half-hearted smile.

“You know, some beauty marks have meaning.” You revealed, hushed tone just loud enough for him to catch against the breeze.

His breath hitched, tips of his fingers caressing your spine, tracing it up and down absentmindley like second nature.“Y-yeah?”

You nodded, eyes meeting him, almost pleading for him to let you. “Can I tell you about them?”

“Please do.”

His grip on you was tight enough to allow you to let go, letting your arms float freely in the water, before thumbing the marks on his skin delicately.

“You’ve got a bunch of tiny ones by your eyes,” You whispered, carefully swiping over them with your thumbs, “these ones mean that you’re hard working, which you are.” You said obviously.

He’d be willing to work harder to make whatever this was permanent. To wake up from the dark night he’d been sleeping through since he could remember. He’d do it all, if it meant getting to wake up to you, everyday… to wake up and be yours, it was that simple.

Your thumb moved down to the double freckles on his cheek, murmuring, “Sensitive.”

“Like a cry baby?” He questioned, still full of jokes despite the inner monologue that was eating his entire being up.

You breathed through your laugh, holding his face still as you clarified. “Like someone in touch with their emotions.”

Steve never had the best upbringing, you knew that, and while your understanding of the whole picture was very little, you knew that he didn’t let that define him. He didn’t treat his past as an excuse to be horrible to other people, in fact it made him better. Softer in his approach to situations that he did his best to guide instead of control.

Honesty was the freckle on his chin. Steve never tried to prove himself to be a good person, worthy of something greater than the things he was given, even when he was. He had trusted the wrong people in the past, did and said things he was never proud of, but he didn’t ever pretend like those moments didn’t happen.

His reputation, the one that should've scared you away and prevented you from getting to know the real him, was in your eyes, the most delicate thing about him. He didn’t try to put up a perfect facade for you, but he did prove that he threw out all the bad, every cloak that hid his true colors and daggers that fought every truth — he threw them out, not to become someone new, but to finally be him.

How you wished you could’ve been brave enough to say it all because you wanted him to so desperately know.

And how Steve wished he could dive into your mind and swim through your thoughts as you stared at him with complete tenderness. Something he didn’t think he could ever get used to because what about him could possibly make you go slack-jawed? He didn’t know what you saw him, but quite frankly he’d listen if you’d tell him. He’d listen to anything you had to say.

“Any other ones?” His grips moved down to your waist squeezing gently and seeking the connection in the midst of your silence.

You hummed, giving him a soft smile before he reciprocated it, visibly enchanted by your ability to get lost in him the way he got lost in you.

“You’ve got a special one right here,” You let your fingers brush over his cupid's bow, caressing the spot back and forth.

His eyebrows jutted up curiously, breath fanning over your thumb as he spoke. “Special, huh? You’ve gotta tell me now, sweetheart.”

He pulled you in just a little closer, your chest bumping into his and your foreheads just inches apart, and like that, you were a little more brave with nothing left to be scared of. Your hands cradled his face, forcing him to keep his eyes on yours with every word that left your mouth because you wanted him to understand, to see himself the way you saw him.

“Empathy. The world lacks it, but somehow you’re full of it.” Your words flowed with conviction as does the admiration that sparkled in your eyes.

“H-how?” His voice broke, as if he could barely believe that he had an ounce of it within him.

You rolled your shoulders back, determined to get him to see it in himself. “Well for starters, you’re a great listener. Always listening to me ramble about dumb stuff and—”

“Nothing you say is dumb.” Steve said sincerely, fingers caressing your back warmly against the coolness of the water.

“See, you’re also good at reassuring me.” You grinned, teasing him because he proved himself wrong.

He rolled his eyes comically as you went on. “And you always try your best to understand me, even when I’m a mess and nothing makes sense. You try and you put yourself in my shoes to try to understand.”

“I always want to understand you.” He murmured, eyes staring into yours with fondness that was difficult to not shy away from, but you forced yourself to bear it.

“I know, and that’s why you’re such a good person, Steve.” You smiled, rubbing your thumbs along his cheekbones following his structure.

Steve Harrington was quite possibly the best person you’d ever get the honor of knowing the way that you did. You truly wanted to share him with the world, to give everyone a look at the finest person who was everything and more jumbled up into one being, but at the same time you wanted to be selfish, to keep him to yourself because no one deserved him, sometimes you felt like you didn’t either.

You just got lucky.

“I hate not knowing what you’re feeling.” He admitted, swallowing thickly, remembering all those times he had to poke and prod in order to get down to the root of your sadness.

You nodded understandingly, hating how closed off you were in the past. “Sometimes I’m too scared to say it outloud.”

You wanted to be more like Steve, not wanting to be defined by the things that you hate, the things that you were afraid of, or the things that haunted you in the middle of the night. You wanted to throw out your sword and live in peace just being defined for what you loved… the people you loved.

“Why?”

Your eyes met his curious ones with reluctance, nerves kicking into gear more than ever because you knew what saying the truth meant.

“B-because, I don’t want to mess things up.” You said, nervously massaging the back of his neck with gentle touches hoping he couldn’t feel them shake.

All this time you thought it was black and white. Too scared to let the past go because of the years you had put into them, and too scared to move forward because you didn’t want a repeat. The extremes that held you back, believing that failing once meant failing forever — all of that meant nothing anymore.

All you could see in your mind was you and Steve intertwined, all of the bad that you had thought up was put behind you and you never wanted to look away from him.

“You couldn’t mess anything up, not between us.” He said firmly, one hand loosening from your body to grab at your elbow, bringing it back to his cheek where he wanted you to feel him.

All this time he thought it was burning red. Chaos and dramatics without ever solving anything. The highest of highs and lowest of lows, a dangerous path that never led him anywhere except heartache and pain. The treacherous journey that was always destined for failure — he didn’t feel that anymore.

All he could see in his head was him sneaking back and forth from your town with you in his bed, and nothing would ever be the same.

“Are you sure?” Yours eyes locked, his washing away any lingering feelings of doubt with a simple nod.

You saw the thick swallow and bop of his throat while his hands traveled to your jaw, holding you there. “I’m positive because I’ve been feeling too.”

And like that you both were wide awake.

“S-say it please,” Steve pleaded running his thumbs over the bottom of your lip wanted to feel it so he knew it was real.

“I-I could show you instead.” You murmured, taking his wrist in your hand, feeling the thumb of his pulse.

He nodded, resting his forehead against yours, feeling you breathe against him like a lifeline reaching out.

“Please.”

Finally you both were letting it go, stepping into it together because what you had was golden, like daylight.

💌 reblogs, tags, comments, + likes are greatly appreciated! leave a comment and let me know if want to be added to my taglist!! 💌

a/n: happy new year everyone!!! I’ve missed you all so much and I’m so sorry I’ve been gone for so long — I took a break from posting as avidly in order to prioritize letting myself rest up and enjoy my break. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and a big thank you to my love, Effie, for helping me proofread this and always giving me the best advice ever!!! I can’t wait for you all to read the next chapter!

taglist: @translatemunson @kennedy-brooke @manda-panda-monium @tvserie-s-world @givemeth @steveharringtonswife @astolenkiss @loving-and-dreaming @awkotaco24 @engenelxver @elfiaaaa @pbs-theundeadmaggot @johnricharddeacy @gaysludge @keerysfolklore @micheledawn1975 @ihatepeanutss @bakugouswh0r3

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mochiimac · 1 year

Text

About Love 3

My head gets messy when I try to hide

The things I love about you in my mind

Pairing: Hybrid!BTS x Fem!Reader

Summary: Becoming a best selling thriller author? Part of the plan. Living in the city and isolating yourself from everyone? Part of the plan. Inheriting your late uncles home in the woods, his sassy assistant and fortune after he died mysteriously? Not part of the plan. Oh, and he failed to mention the 7 'surprises' he left you as well. And come to think of it... was his death an accident? Or is your imagination going wild again?

Genre: Hybrid!AU

Warnings (if bolded then this chapter contains these elements) : Fluff, Hurt, Comfort, Angst, Death, Abuse, Smut, Violence, Dom/Sub, Dom/Sub Elements, Non-Con Elements, Slow Burn, Trauma,

Rating: M 18+

WC: ~6k

Tag List: CLOSED- Tumblr doesn't like my list, I'll most likely have to do the list on a separate post... I'll figure it out lol

Notes: I'm so happy to be writing again! Thank you to everyone who waited and to those who have just started to read <3

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After being thrown into a brick wall, drowned in scolding black liquid, ran over twice, and bent to the point of snapping in half did sweet mercy come to relieve the pains of the world. It just so happened to be in the shape of a large metal box. And smell like every health violation known to man and hybrid kind.

Clunk!

Y/n’s damaged phone hit the bottom of the dumpster, the loud noise nearly being lost in the dark alleyway thanks to the busy traffic of the city. The device was now gone and irreparable (which may or may not have been extremely fun to do- perhaps he has some pent up rage he should work on...) meaning it could no longer be tracked. He was oh so careful about it.

He was careful when arriving in the city, taking detours and making random stops before settling on a random alleyway with a dumpster. Despite knowing he was alone Jackson remained careful though, double checking his surroundings before exiting the dumpster and heading back into his car. It might have seemed too extreme to someone looking in, but if the knew the Spades family. Knew what they were capable of...

Closing the door with a little too much force, he leaned back in his seat and let out a long sigh. Jackson closed his eyes, feeling the freshly fallen snow slowly melt and dampen his jet black hair. His lips were pulled into a thin line, nearly sucking his teeth, as the events from the day played back in his mind.

The day was supposed to be an easy one. Get the new heiress into the new home, help unpack, question her mini library and the knickknacks he had noticed from prior visits, then head home. Simple. Done. Takoda made this all sound extremely easy in the will. But that man could make lassoing the moon look as easy as riding a bike. He was the kind of man who accomplished what he put his mind to and didn’t hesitate. Jackson admired him for it, looking up at him as a mentor ever since he was first hired. Even now the young man wanted to strive to be like his late boss.

He really wished the old man was right there with him, to help shed light on what Takoda was up to. And what Jackson should do with the chaotic mess he was in.

Not only does Jackson now have to worry about the Spades family but now hybrids. He never held any ill thoughts towards the beings and honestly viewed them just as he viewed humans: there were good and bad hybrids just like there were good and bad humans. Of course he found it odd that even now, so long later, they weren't given basic human rights. Hell, many places still want to keep them on leashes. He just couldn't see how they could be treated that way.

Well... maybe for one hybrid he could. Jackson scowled at the fresh memory of the shaggy brown haired hybrid that held him in that death grip. He would enjoy that one being in a doghouse, more for the sake of his injured ego than for the hybrids actions. A large part of him wanted to stay and ensure Y/n was in good hands. But judging at how they reacted to him was enough to let Jackson know she was going to be safe. His ass still hurt from the youngest canine tackling him to the ground.

‘Little shit.’

Bzz! Bzz!

His cell phone vibrated in his pocket, breaking the warm and calm atmosphere of the car. At first he was prepared to see a new number, knowing Y/n would be calling to give him her new cell phone information. However he was surprised at the name that appeared, his eyes narrowing for a moment. He really didn’t want to take this call…

But he had no other choice.

“Hello?... Hold on, what? … No, that’s not possible. I just… He what?...” He paused as he heard the new information being told to him. “... Of course he did… Alright.” The line went dead and he tossed the phone into the passenger seat. For a brief moment he stared straight ahead, allowing the new information to sink in.

He blinked.

Sighed.

BEEEEEP!

And banged his head into the car horn.

People walking about on the sidewalk jumped and stared at the parked vehicle who’s car horn was going off for a long period of time. But Jackson didn’t care. No, at that moment only one thing was on his mind: what the hell was Takoda up to.

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The entire drive was rather relaxing. Namjoon kept a keen eye on the road while also engaging in conversation here and there. Jungkook and Jin decided to ask you a million questions, the duo's eyes were shining the entire time. It were as though you were telling them the greatest story to ever be written, even if it was just tidbits of your life. You did try to ask them questions about their own lives as well but they would get shy and nearly clam up.

It was shocking compared to how flirty and outgoing they were most of the time. You wondered if it had to do with their files... Those manilla envelopes might be holding their history and maybe some secrets they are afraid of speaking. It was hard to ignore when Namjoon would tense up beside you; Jungkook would let his hair fall in his face and glance down; Jin's smile would freeze before he stuttered a question of his own.

Did they really think you would kick them out from what those files stated? You heart clenched at the mere idea of it. Judging with how they acted you knew they were kind, too kind for the world they were created for.

And it made you nervous thinking of all that could have happened to them while being alive.

"You have arrived!" The GPS announced as the car slowed down. You were too busy with the pack that you failed to realize how fast time had gone by. "Welcome to Unova Mall!"

There was a time where shopping centers were dying out. Online shopping had grown and become popular with how easy it was to merely pick up your device, press a few buttons, and you’d see the item within the week. It wasn’t until hybrids came to be that mall’s began a resurgence. As more and more people began to adopt they soon realized that they had no where to showcase their new adoptions; restaurants were hardly allowing hybrids in due to them being seen as animals and highly dangerous (especially the first generation of hybrids), and parks were working on regulations on whether they needed leashes or not.

As the world shifted with the new profound creations certain businesses picked up on this opportunity; mall’s were revamped to accommodate hybrids, allowing specialty stores of all types to gather together. For some it was convenient to shop for themselves and hybrids in one go. For others it marked a great place to allow their hybrids to be seen by the world; from owning the latest generation to the rarest of breeds it was the place to go.

Personally you never shopped in malls before, never had a reason to. You preferred to get what you needed online or by running to whatever market you stumbled upon. However you knew there was no better place to complete your shopping list than the mall. Even if it made you cringe on the inside. The mere idea of being mistaken for someone who uses hybrids for clout... It left a rotten taste in your mouth.

Pulling up you could see the appeal of walking around in the large shopping center. The stores appeared to be outside but upon closer inspection you could see a glass ceiling covering all the stores, protecting shoppers from the elements. There were large and tall metal pillars placed throughout the area; units designed to heat or use AC depending on the weather. While there was a parking lot for people to park, the stores had large paved areas for everyone to walk around freely without worrying about traffic.

“I’ve never been to a place this large before.” Jungkook whispered, gold eyes large as he watched everything from his window. The car parked itself close to the front of the main entrance.

You were taken back once more to those files, wondering what their histories were like. Even now, stepping out of the car, that logical part of your brain was alerting you that you didn’t truly know these males. And, of course, that small voice in the back of your mind was reluctant to think of them as anything less than perfect. Nearly purring at the idea of them being the best men out there.

You really hated your brain sometimes.

“Alright beautiful, where do you want to go first?” Seokjin stood next to you. He kept close, his body acting as a shield to the wind and most of the snow.

“Furniture first, it’ll be easier to get that out of the way.” You responded. You stuffed your hands in your pockets, trying to keep the cold away.

Despite being mainly outdoors, the main entrance to the shopping center could easily be noticed by the large LED 'Welcome!' screen, models posing with hybrids wearing big smiles. The screen would shift and list attractions and new sales that the stores located all around would have. The stone pathway began right where the large welcome screen was, a directory stationed right beside it to assist in finding certain stores faster.

Namjoon walked beside you with Jin and Jungkook following close behind. “Do you know what you need exactly?”

“A bit, yes. I have a mental list of everything.” You beamed at him, your eyes meeting his amber ones. “It really shouldn’t take too long. Hardly any time at all.”

“Are we going to buy things for the arcade room?” Jungkook asked with a hint of hope in his voice. It did have you grinning but you shook your head at him.

“No, at least not today. We’re going to focus on the basics today.”

"There's still hope." He whispered, Namjoon rolling his eyes as the youngest grinned at the mere idea of having an entire game room to themselves.

The minute you stepped foot on the stone pathway entrance you felt warmth engulf you. The entire area felt warm and cozy, and even smelled good: you could smell hints of something sweet in the air almost like a bakery. A nice place such as this would provide air scents to boost appeal from the customers and create a relaxing atmosphere. Even Namjoon looked calmer though he was looking around and familiarizing himself with the place. His eyes were alert on the few people walking around, body shuffling closer to you.

‘What a good alpha.’ The pesky little voice in your head swooned. You mentally stomped on it with a boot and shook your head. With a quick glance you spotted the store with ease. “The store is right over there! Hopefully they have expedited shipping.”

“Are you in a rush for a coffee table or something?” Jin quirked an eyebrow, bright blue eyes looking confused for a moment.

“Not that, but I need a place to sleep.” You laughed as you all walked into the store. It was brightly lit and held displays for various rooms a household could have. It went far beyond what you could see from where you were standing. Glancing around you saw the bedroom area and quickly went towards it. “You guys got the bedroom since there are three of you in your pack. I’ll take another room and make it my own.”

You could feel a small amount of tension and turned to see the three hybrids staring at you, stone still at the entrance of the store, with mixed emotions; Jungkook looked hurt, Jin looked confused, and Namjoon appeared to be troubled. There was no telling what was going on inside their minds as you stopped mid-walk and blinked at them.

“What’s wrong?”

“That’s what we want to know? Was it the nest?” Jungkook quickly walked up to you, eyes searching yours for something that you didn’t know. “I can do better. Make it better.” Your face heated up as he knelt to your level, hands on your shoulders creating warmth and security that you hated to admit that you loved. “What did we do?”

“I- you guys did nothing,” You stammered over your words, noticing the rest of the pack gathering around you as well. A million questions rocketed in your mind, not knowing where this behavior came from. You really needed to do your own research or communicating would be nearly impossible. You could ask but you couldn't find the nerve to; you were already viewing yourself as a terrible owner for leaving them alone for months. Asking questions on basic information made you even worst in your own eyes. Stressing them out, not knowing enough about their species... you needed to do better and give them some hope in you and your abilities.

“You guys are a pack and would want to stay together, so you guys can take the master room. Since I’m not a pack member I really shouldn’t intrude.”

You could tell Jungkook was ready to argue, however a deeper voice was faster. “We understand Y/n. Thank you for thinking of us.” Namjoon gave you a soft smile, though it was a small one. His eyes seemed to be swimming through emotions that you couldn’t decode no matter how hard you tried. There was a pang in your heart at the thought of hurting them though you had no idea what you even did. If anything you were trying todo what was best for them.

As if sensing your doubts he gently took your arm and began to lead the way to the other showcases. Jin followed and offered you a soft smile as well, but just like the pack alpha’s it was small and didn’t reach his eyes. You pushed your questions to the back of your mind as the bedroom displays came into view. Instead you focused on what you needed and went straight to the mattresses first, needing to test them out and see which one would be comfy for you.

Namjoon and Jin did help you, making good points. Jungkook, however, not so much. He decided to full on pout and whine, hands tugging on your jacket as he tried to sway you with pitiful words. Small attempts at pointing out minor flaws (“It’s an ugly color!”) didn’t help him either. Sitting on the seventh bed, you felt like it was made from a cloud. And no pouts from the youngest hybrid could sway you.

“It feels like I’m on a cloud, I really like this one.” You sighed and leaned back, closing your eyes. “I think I’m taking this one. Scratch that, I know I’m taking this one.” Since entering the store you could feel yourself feel less tense and stressed, boy molding into the soft material. You were ready to take a nap right there and then. The mattress shifted and you cracked your eyes open to be met with a pair of gold eyes boring into your very soul. You heart nearly stopped in shock at the canines presence. You didn't even notice him near you.

“But why not just stay with us?”

Jungkook saved the puppy dog eyes for last. Large doe eyes were staring right into your soul, lower lip jutted out in a pout that could shake even the iciest of hearts. There was determination behind the adorable stunt that you could see; the sharpness in his eyes as he waited for the perfect moment to try and persuade you once again. And what better way than when you had your guard down? He was hovering over you, hands on either side of your head, knees placed on either side of your waist though not a single ounce of his weight touched you. He was holding his own weight easily, without so much as a second thought. Your cheeks heated up as you realized the position you were in and blinked rapidly up at him, trying to collect your scrambled thoughts.

Your heart hammered in your chest, nearly jumping up your throat. You willed it to be steady for your own sake. “Jungkook, we talked about this. You guys need space as a pack.” Your words were met with a frown tugging on his pout, eyes searching yours once more. But you had no idea what he was looking for. So you changed tactics instead. “Besides, I’m the worst to sleep near. I’m certain I snore a lot.”

“I doubt that. Prove me wrong, spend the night with us. If we don’t mind then you stay.” His tone was firm, almost a command. Having him be this persistent should have made you roll your eyes and be snippy with the hybrid. But instead of feeling annoyed or even angry you felt yourself sag a little. Almost as if you were going to follow his orders, your eyes dilating ever so slightly as you stared up at him. Some type of trance seemed to take place over you, as if you were in your own little bubble with Jungkook where he was in control over everything. And somehow you were perfectly fine with that, hell you found yourself relaxing even more.

You couldn’t explain what your body was doing, you just felt the need to let go and let him take control. Maybe he was right… “Trust me, it’s best if you don’t. I-I also toss and turn all night.” You sounded weak, words spoken in a hush that not even you would have believed.

The pout had disappeared moments ago, the moment you relaxed under him. Jungkook was now gazing at you with a small smirk and hooded eyes, the gold shining brilliantly against his dark lashes. He seemed to be in a trance himself as he slowly lowered himself closer to you. His body was a hair's width away from you now, if you so much as took a deep breath you would be pressed against him. You could feel his warmth radiate off of him, his voice dropping several octaves, almost a growl, as he spoke. “We can keep you in place. Namjoon-ah especially.”

The next second happened too fast for you to grasp. The smallest of whimpers slid past your lips just as Jungkook yelped and disappeared from your view. It was as though the trance you were in shattered entirely and you sat up quickly, face ablaze as you looked around. Namjoon was gripping Jungkook by the back of his neck, the youngest looking almost ashamed with his head bent. Jin was reaching to slowly pull you up with sigh. There was no one else around (thankfully for you) and you nearly forgot where you were.

“Sorry about the brat, beautiful. He can be very persistent. We looked away for one moment and this happened.” His tone sounded remorseful, hands carefully pulling you up from the mattress. Those blue eyes carefully watched your face for a moment, as if waiting for something to happen. For you to do something or act out.

What even was that? You didn’t know what came over you or how it happened. Truth is you honestly didn’t want to know. Not yet at least. For now you were blaming it on your lack of intimacy. It has been quite some time since you were with someone…

Shaking your head you sighed. “It’s alright, he tried though. But I want this mattress.”

Taking note of which one you wanted, you continued down your list and got the rest of the things you needed. Namjoon kept Jungkook a bit away from you, the leader sending cool glares when he got too close. Jin was the one who did most of the talking with you, assisting you in certain items and his thoughts. An hour later and you were heading outside the store with your new belongings expected to be delivered that evening. While Jin was walking with you, Namjoon and Jungkook were following behind. The youngest was sulking while the leader was giving him a side eye. Whatever happened definitely wasn't approved by Namjoon.

'It's probably best if to keep my distance.' You thought, trying to keep some space between you and Jin. The husky sent you a questionable look that you ignored completely. You needed to get everything done before something else happens.

Next on the list was the hybrids themselves and getting them whatever they wanted or needed. You didn’t want them to feel rushed to shop, hence why you grabbed the furniture first. This ensured that they had plenty of time to browse and take a look around at whatever they needed. The store you had seen was not too far away; a mere few stores down was the famous store known for hybrids: Brand New Day.

BND was a large store that was filled to the brim with supplies for any type of Hybrid. It was a staple store in the community, being known for their amazing customer service and embracing acceptance towards all Hybrids. The four of you walked through the glass doors and towards the softer glow of lights that gave the store a warm appearance. The entire place felt like a giant hug; from the soft color scheme to the classic wooden floors. Displays scattered all around the store showcased all sorts of items, you felt lost looking around for a moment- where to even begin?

“Hi, I’m Lisa! Is there anything I can assist you with today?” A young woman approached your group, her hair glossy and as black as night. Her smile was kind, eyes meeting each person in your group. She wore an all black outfit with a beige apron, the BND logo embroidered on the front. Lisa looked relaxed and eager to help, eyes mainly trained on you since you were the owner of the trio.

You smiled back at her. “Hi, yes we need help. You see, I recently adopted my hybrids and…” You trailed off, obviously not knowing where to start. You feared you were going to look like an idiot and maybe even laughed at but the smile never once faltered. Lisa seemed to understand your predicament and give you a reassuring smile.

“I totally understand, it can be overwhelming. Especially if this is your first time.” Sliding her hand into her apron pocket she pulled out a small stack of pamphlets of various colors. “Now, what breed are each of your hybrids?”

You told her their names and their breed and she handed each one a pamphlet of different color. Jungkook had her faltering for a second, eyebrows knitting as she looked at the pamphlets. The wolfdog shifted his feet, gold eyes cast down as the seconds ticked by. Jungkook seemed uncomfortable as Lisa flipped through more pamphlets. You frowned, opening your mouth to ask what was wrong but Lisa was quick to perk up and smile at the two of you.

“Ah, here’s one for general canines and one for wolves! A crossbreed such as his is rare and while these are a good guide to buy the products you need, but Jungkook can absolutely browse and make his own selections. They all can really. These just help answer any questions you may have.” She explained, smiling gently at your group.

It wasn’t hard to tell that Jungkook looked almost embarrassed about the whole thing. And to make matters worse he seemed to be watching your reactions, gauging how you reacted to it. Sending him a soft smile you nodded.

"Thank you for your help!" You truly meant it too; Lisa provided a warm presence and reassurance. The fear of being laughed at or frowned upon for your lack of knowledge was slowly melting away. There was something about her presence that made you feel better.

"It is not a problem, if any of you have any questions don't hesitate to ask! I'll be on the floor if you need to find me." One last cheerful smile and a small bow she made her way back to her associate duties.

The pack was looking around with wide eyes, glancing in every direction. BND certainly had a wide variety of items, which was incredible for those who had owners of different breeds, and easier to find what you were looking for. You were about to ask where they wanted to go to first but held back as you remembered how Namjoon behaved earlier; his iciness when Jungkook behaved in the furniture store was hard to ignore.

'It'll be best if I let them get their own items. Give them space.' You didn't want to cause another incident and have an angry wolf on your hands. Instead you gave each of them a small smile, ignoring the uneasiness you felt of your choice.

"Why don't you guys go and gather what you need? I'll have Lisa open a register for you to place your items as you go." Your voice was light and positive, watching their facial expressions, especially Namjoon's.

Those amber eyes met yours, the corners of his mouth turned ever so slightly down. "Actually-"

"Sounds like a lovely idea, beautiful." Jin smiled at you, grabbing his pack mates arms. "We'll gather what we need. Is there a limit on what you wish to spend?"

"No, gather what you need or want. If it can fit in the car it can be purchased. Have fun!" You quickly turned on your heel, looking for Lisa. You didn't want Jungkook or Namjoon to try to persuade you to linger. Besides you assured yourself that they would love the space to shop freely without you hovering.

Spotting the raven haired woman, you explained your plan to her: leaving the trio inside the store to shop while you ran out to get a new phone. You were vague, explaining that your previous one was damaged from being left on top of the car. Whether she believed your or not did not matter and she only smiled and promised to keep an eye on the trio while you were out.

Exiting the store you nearly jogged to the phone store located several stores down. Not too far to cause worry and only a few minutes to walk to. Once inside you got down to business, determined to finish everything up as soon as possible.

Which happened to take over an hour.

You had to close your old account and open a new one with a whole new number (you claimed you had a stalker named Jackson) and decided to add three more lines to your account. What took you the longest was picking out which color phone to give to which hybrid. It was so slow in the store that several phone service representatives began to vote for colors for each hybrid (you did have fun with that though) and settled on three new colors along with one for you.

Once they were set up, you were handed a bag and free to dash back to Brand New Day, mentally praying that nothing bad had happened. However opening the glass door you stumbled upon a heartbreaking scene.

Jungkook was alone and curling in on himself, tail tucked between his legs, merle ears so low you could hardly see them from his fluffy hair. Soft whines poured from his hunched figure, back starting to shake. Lisa was next to him, her words soft as she tired to calm the canine down. She didn't touch him however; she was attempting at keeping his personal space for his own sake. But her words were falling on deaf ears.

Your heart splintered at the site of the hybrid shaking and turning his head to the side and away from Lisa and the door. A single tear rolled down his cheek, lips trembled as another whine came through. He sounded almost as if he was going to start howling. A wave of worry finally got you rushing forward, sliding towards your hybrid.

“Jungook?” Your voice was high pitched, the worry leaking out into the open. Your own eyes were wide with worry as you tried to make your way towards the hybrid.

Hearing your voice he snapped his head to you, his ears perked up and twitched at the sound of your voice. Gold eyes brimming with tears. It only took a millisecond before you were nearly tackled. Strong arms encased you close and tightly as though you’d disappear if he loosened his grip. His nose was pressed into the crook of your neck, breathing in deeply before he sighed. “Couldn’t find you. I kept looking. Thought you left.” Although his words were muffled in your skin, you could hear them perfectly clear.

‘Was he left behind before?’ You had to wonder if this was something he had experienced, given that it was the first thing he thought of when he couldn’t see you. The mere thought had you holding him just as tight, a hand running through his locks. “I’m sorry, I had to grab something. Besides I can’t leave, not without my hybrids.”

Your eyes met Lisa and you mouthed a thank you to her, and she smiled back and nodded to the register where you spotted a confused looking Jin setting some clothes down and heading over to the two of you. "Jungkook? Y/n? What happened?" The concern in his voice had you feeling a little safer; knowing he was worried about you was almost reassuring in a way you couldn't explain.

"I had to run an errand, Jungkook couldn't find me and thought I left you guys..." You trialed off, feeling guilt eat at you now. You honestly didn't think it was going to take that long to get everything done, thankfully he only just realized that you were gone.

Jungkook peeked up from your neck and looked at Jin, the two staring at one another for a few moments before Jin sighed. "I'm glad to see your okay, Y/n." His lips curled down however, eyebrows knitting as his bright blue eyes pierced into yours. "However, you need to tell us next time. What if something were to happen? We wouldn't know where you were or went to."

His tone wasn't condescending, but there was authority behind it. An order of sorts. It had you looking down, feeling small and weak for a moment. "I told Lisa, I wanted you guys to have some shopping and fun without me breathing down your necks."

Hearing this had the pair of hybrids looking at you with confusion, Jungkook pulling away from you. His lips parted and whether he had a questions or statement you wouldn't find out; Namjoon's voice broke the three of you out of the quiet stare down you guys had going on.

"I think we got everything we need." The ashy haired wolf approached the group, eyes lingering on everyone with an eyebrow raised. Seeing the questionable look you jumped away from Jungkook, creating some distance from yourself and the others.

"If you guys got what you needed we can pay and head out." Ducking your head, you headed towards the register where Lisa stood with a smile. Everything was rung up and ready to go, two shopping carts filled with items the hybrids had picked out. With a quick good day your group left; Jungkook and Jin pushing the carts towards the car while you gripped the single shopping bag from earlier.

"Y/n?" Namjoon was standing right behind you, his deep voice making you freeze on the spot. Slowly you turned and looked at him with eyes slightly large.

You managed to squeak out a 'yes?' and stare at the wolf, wondering what he was going to do. Was he going to go off on your for what happened in the furniture store? Or for leaving and making Jungkook upset? You were on the verge of fidgeting the longer he looked at you. Those eyes scanning over your every feature making your heart beat faster. It was soft, barely heart but you know you did: Namjoon let out a soft whine in the back of his throat, his hand quickly reaching out for one of yours.

"What's wrong?" He sounded concerned, his voice coming out in a hush. His thumb was brushing slow circles on the back of your hand, the gentle action helping quiet your hammering heart. "Did something happen?"

"I... I just thought you guys would want space as a pack." You wanted to kick yourself for sounding so weak and quiet. It seemed to be happening a lot as of late and it bothered you a bit. Closing your eyes you decided to be honest and not dance around the bush. "After all that happened today, I thought it was what you wanted. You seemed upset at the furniture store-"

"Oh angel." Namjoon cut you off with a sigh, his hand pulling you closer. Your eyes snapped open, meeting his gaze head on. The new nickname had your cheeks turning rosy. "I'm not upset. At least, not with you. Jungkook... he did something that I disapproved of." Reading your confused expression he only brought your hand up to his mouth, pressing his lips to the back of it, breathing your scent in deeply. "I'll explain once you read our files, angel."

When you only nodded he raised an eyebrow at you, not pleased with no verbal response. He raised his eyebrow for a second before his teeth nipped at your knuckles playfully, making you leap back and scowl. "Fine, yes!" He laughed at your response, gently pulling you towards the car.

"Let's get the groceries and head home." He laughed again, and looking up you spotted dimples with his wide smile. Grinning back at him you nodded in agreement with only one thought on your mind: You really liked how he said 'home'.

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It was eerily quiet in the large vehicle. The soft sound of the heater flowing through the vents from the front seat would have created a beautiful little bubble in the car. If it weren’t for the two passengers sitting in the back seats, shivering in their thin jackets. They learned quickly that the vents were either broken or the driver simply refused to turn the back vents on. The teasing of the heat that barely reached them would have created a sour mood. But not today.

No, today was indeed a perfect day in their eyes. And no amount of cold could dampen the light that their eyes held as they watched the large city come into view. Towering skyscrapers twinkling in the late afternoon, their lights illuminating the grays and whites from all around. The lights seemed to glow brighter as if sensing their hopeful hearts. He pressed his head against the glass, ignoring the biting chill of the surface and watched with wide eyes as the world around them zoomed by. What would they look like? For months he had envisioned what their savior would look like. He wondered what their hobbies were, their favorites, he wanted to know it all.

The daydream came to an abrupt halt much like the car that screeched to a stop on the side of the road, right outside of an apartment complex. It towered and loomed over the pair as they stared with mouths slightly agape. Was this the place? Was this where they were meant to go? The company gave them zero information on the matter with the exception of one name.

“Get out.”

The driver’s voice was as cold as the winter winds. Beady, dark eyes glaring at the two from the rearview mirror. One hand was gripping the wheel and the other was on the gear shift. He wanted them out as soon as possible. Obviously he wasn’t a fan of hybrids. It was a common occurrence but still the hate in his eyes had the pair tensing up.

“B-but which one do we-” The eldest tried to speak up, the cool glare already rattling his nerves. Even his sensitive ears he could hear the insecurity and softness in his words. He wanted to sound brave for his pack but it was hard when his own heartbeat betrayed him. He could have spoken up, perhaps sound stronger but those words died on his lips as the man in front of them laughed. It was scratchy and deep, full of mockery.

“Like I care. I was told to deliver you two here, nothing more, nothing less. So get out. Now.” He tapped the gas pedal once, cackling as the vehicle bucked forward sending the pair forward into the front seats.

Anger brewed inside but he knew arguing with the older man would only cause problems. Gripping his younger brother's hand he gently pulled him out the doors and into the cold winter air. The lightweight jackets they wore were no match for the icy winds and snowflakes that whipped around them. The moment the door was closed the car screeched off and out of sight.

“H-hyung, what now?” Arms crossed over his chest, the youngest leaned into the eldest to try and get warm. Pointed ears flattened against his head and bushy tail wrapping around himself as protection. “Sh-sh-should we kn-knock?”

They both knew that wouldn't work. At least not for them; two hybrids knocking on every door would only have Hybrid Protective Services called. And going back was not an option, at least not for them. Being homeless and living on the street would have been better than returning. Anything would have been better than returning to their company.

Today was supposed to be the start of a new life for them. A new chapter with possibilities and hope for a better future. A fresh start. Was this all a joke? Fear began to creep in as the thought of this all being one large prank grew; giving the two of them one last bit of hope only to have it ripped from them. It was very possible, knowing their company, and the thought had the eldest almost spiraling when a soft voice broke the chain of thoughts.

“Are you two from Faux Inc?”

A young woman stood behind them, shocking the pair for a moment. Dark hair was glittered in snow flakes, with equally dark eyes watching the two with curiosity and, from what they could tell, hope. She wore a professional pantsuit with a thick outer coat to help protect against the harsh weather. The air she had was calm and collected, though not cool- she was someone who felt dependable, a safe place to land.

The youngest perked up, tail wagging at the young woman. “Are you Mr. Takoda?” There was a hint of desperation in his voice, fingers gripping his hyung’s jacket.

She smiled and swallowed the giggle that tried to escape and shook her head. “I’m afraid not. My name is Soojin Seo, I was one of his three assistants. I was informed by your late owner to provide you with a home for a while, letting his niece get settled in before escorting you both to the home.”

“Late owner? Mr. Takoda has passed?” The eldest blinked in surprise, turning to the other. This was not something that they were told.

“That is correct. However do not worry; his niece will be your new owner. She is slowly adjusting with the changes.” Soojin smiled at the two softly, knowing this was a confusing situation. She could only do her best to help the pair while under her temporary care. Takoda was a well planned out man; she had her instructions and would follow them perfectly. “While she is getting settled, you two will be with me for a bit.” As she spoke she walked towards a large white SUV, gracing them with a reassuring smile. “I can answer all your questions to the best of my ability on the way back to my home. I’ll do my best to ensure your safety and happiness.”

The two shared a look with the same thought bouncing between the two of them: they had nothing left to lose anyway. Perhaps it was blind trust and the cold, or maybe it was the desperation of wanting a home. Regardless the pair climbed into the warm car, their hands clasped together as questions crept to the tip of their tongues.

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mccnstruck · 5 months

Text

hold me like you understand.

characters: kazuha x gn!reader

tags: TW!!: implied depression and $u!cida! thoughts, mention of sh, vent fic, op is going through it, not proofread, hurt/comfort, kissing, the ending sucks

a/n: sorry guys 😭

the people down in the shops wandered around, yelling prices and selling different products. kids ran outside with the ball, yelling and laughing underneath the joyous warmth of the sun. friends gathered to drink tea, warriors trained amidst the green fields.

the wooden floor began to slide underneath your bed, yet you didn't seem to care; your eyes unfocused and stoic. your bed piled with clothes of the past day, your blanket had a eerie smell of sickness, yet you didn’t seem to care; you hands were too weak to pull the blanket over you fully. your throat felt like sandpaper and your stomach yearned for at least a small meal, yet you didn’t seem to care, your lips broken and bleeding.

nothing really mattered anymore, did it? it felt like weeks have turned into days, and your sense of time slipped away from the grasp of your fingers. you were too tired to grasp it back; letting reality slip away. nothing really mattered, did it? the red scars testing the fragility of your skin, the cold air making the hairs on your skin stand. your desk remained clattered of the endless amount of work given to you 2 days prior. your eyes consisted of red, either because of the 2 hours of sleep or the tears that fell onto your bed.

when was the last time someone had visited you? now that you think about it, when was the last time you talked to someone out of your own desire..?

it didn’t matter anyways. they wouldn’t want to talk to someone who doesn’t even know how to take care of themselves.

so, you laid there for a undefined amount of time. the soft promises of warmth and comfort from your bed soon turned into a confined suffocation; forced to face the thoughts in your head.

your chest hurt. you were tired. you wished you could see light, literally and figuratively. would you feel some relief? or would that light overwhelm you; the burdens of life forcing you back into the darkness of your room?

there’s nothing for you here. all of your loved ones were better off if they weren’t forced with the burden of acknowledging you anyways.

and yet, the knock on your door says otherwise.

a soft voice echoes through the walls of your home. “[name]?”

kazuha? what was he doing here?

your voice cracks, yet somehow you find the power to reply.

“sorry, give me a minute…!”

with the task of not disappointing kazuha, you rushed to get up and change into the clothes on your bed. your legs almost crumble after curling up into a ball for so long, yet you will yourself to walk to the main door.

you squint your eyes when you peek outside to see kazuha with something in his hands. the light of another day shined into your home from the crack of the door. kazuha softly laughed when he saw two eyes peek back at him.

“hello, you. i just wanted to pop in, if you don’t mind? it’s been a while, and i would like to spend some time with you.”

“um, its really messy inside…”

“i don’t mind. well, unless you want me to go? i don’t mind either way. whatever you wish.”

you don’t want kazuha to see the calamity of your home. but having him over would be nice.

“…promise you won’t judge?”

“of course, dear.”

you opened the door some more for him to enter. as he walked in, his eyes widened. your home looked dim and felt stiff. he looked at you in your entirety to see dark eye bags, unkempt clothes and tear stains marking your face.

he placed down the bag in his hands and moved closer to you, his crimson eyes dilated in fear of losing you to your thoughts. “my love…what happened?”

your voice cracked. your hands began to shake at his question. “it’s…. it’s been a rough few weeks. i’m sorry.”

he held your hands with caution, and let his lips linger on your skin. “don’t be sorry for not feeling alright. you should’ve told me of the thoughts that lingered in your head.”

he tugged on your hands, and you followed him to your kitchen. he sat you down on the chair and walked behind the counter.

"do you wish for a specifc food?"

"kazuha..."

"shh. let us make something, ok?"

he began to work with what you had, humming to a tune you weren't familiar with. he paced around the kitchen, while asking you where things were. you pointed to each cabinet, naming what was in there and what needed to be restocked. kazuha smiled and made his way to you to kiss your cheek. his lips lingered onto your skin and whispered, "thank you for helping me, dove."

soon, the spoons clicked at the bottom of the bowl, and your stomach was content with finally consuming something. saying your thanks and helping him with washing the plates, you finally move into your bedroom.

you were scared. the eerie smell never left your room and if kazuha were to even flinch at the condition of your room, you wouldn't know what to do with yourself.

and yet, kazuha walked in as if he didn't notice. he lit the small candle in your room and walked back to you, dazed and bewildered.

kazuha pulled your arm and let his own wrap around you. his face fit into the crook of your neck, and he gave a gentle squeeze. you swore you almost cried when he held you with such care, a reassurance that he was with you.

"kazuha...?"

his own voice was shaky, yet he whispered.

"i'm so sorry, dove. i'm so sorry for letting your mind consume you. i should've noticed sooner. "

"kazu, you didn’t have to-"

"i want to. it's not easy to face all these burdens, and you are the strongest person i know. you've done so much for me and so many other people. let me take some of those burdens, let me take care of you."

you hiccup, and a fresh set of tears stained his clothes.

"kazuha, why do you do so much for me?"

your cries echoed the room, and kazuha's heart broke. here in his arms, stood a person, who he thought deserved every bit of joy of the world, crying to him because they couldn't even find a reason for his kindness. his willingness to help was for the satisfaction of his heart, not of a ulterior motive. but to think that you, his love, would need a reason of kindness, because you thought you didn't deserve his love, you didn't deserve him.

kazuha answers, "because you are you. before you are my love, you are you. you are human. that in itself, should be all the answers to that question. but, i know your mind won't settle for only that."

he leans back, and you mourn the loss of warmth. his hand cradle your cheek, and he guides your face to look at him. "i want to help because you mean so much to me. it doesn't seem like it, but you mean so much to others too. captain beidou was asking about you the other day. she wanted your input on something, now that i think about it. and before, when i went off to liyue, the kids over there still remember you as the person who played catch with them. even your mama sent over something. i left it on the counter, but auntie told me she had made your favorite sweets."

kazuha examined your eyes, ignoring the shock written on your face.

"i don't see the stars in your eyes; it pains me to see it so dimmed. no matter how far i am willing to follow, i cannot reach you when you are so deep in your mind's cage. please, let the people care for you. you deserve this much."

he leaned in, and in the time it took you nod, he had leaned into a kiss. his other hand remained firm on your waist, and he muffled the sighs from you. your face felt unclean and dirty, you wanted to say. he telepathically answered by peppering kisses on your face, the sensation ticklish. you feel the laugh burst from your chest, and you also feel kazuha's smile on your skin.

voice muffled from peppering kisses onto you, he mumbles. "h'vent heard you laugh in so long. you sh'ld laugh and smile more."

he was right, you thought. this is the first time you genuinely laughed in... how long? you didn't care to count the time passed.

when he leaned back, he saw you smiling at him with a glint of light in your eyes. kazuha gives you a smile of his own. "mission complete."

he leaves one last kiss on your lips, before pulling you in another hug.

"thank you, kazu."

"don't mention it."

"do you want to help me gift something for mama this afternoon?"

you feel his smile on your neck as he whispers a yes.

the candle burned brightly on your desk. you hoped it forever stayed that way in your heart.

#kazuha x reader #genshin x reader #recovered_literature_!#if u notice theres themes of light and dark and its pretty obvious of how its interpreted but thats a thing #even with the crack of the door and the candle #that also is thematic #sorry guys no matter the depressive episode i am married to the “inserting symbolism” grind #kazuha x gender neutral reader #kazuha x you #genshin x you

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directdogman · 1 year

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Im so sorry to bother you with yet another question, mr dog. I know youre a busy hound but this idea has just been festering inside my skull and i must know (if your comfortable sharing that is): WOULD Callum have told Milton about his specific plans for the dial up? From what Ive gathered the two seem extremely close (and gay?) So despite Callums extreme paranoia, would Milt be the exception? Would he trust Milt to keep this secret for him? I know Milton took his life because him and callum disagreed on the subject, and I always figured he did this PRIOR to the actual event of the dial up in '66, which would in turn still make it so absolutely no one knew what Callums true plans were.

Good question! Crown lore isn't perhaps the MOST relevant thing to the main events of Dialtown (or most of the main cast) but hey, I love talking about it, and this is a great non spoilery question, so here I go. The long and short of it is that Crown DID try to tell Milt about his idea for the Dialup (and yes, with his paranoia, Milt was the only person he told this to), not so much as something he was going to do, but instead, something he was considering, and Milt responded negatively every single time it was brought up, eventually giving Crown an ultimatum that if Crown went through with the idea, they'd be finished. Milt liked that Crown's tech brought people together, but giving the whole population mandatory biological upgrades essentially means outright ending bodily autonomy in a way that's never been done before. As you can tell from how things turned out, Crown DID in fact make the decision to go through with the idea and it destroyed their relationship.

Crown's paranoia didn't apply to Milt in the same way it applied to others, nor his wife Marla. With everyone except Marla/Milt, he was sure that if push came to shove, they'd sell him down the river, that they could be tortured for information. With Marla, he assumed (incorrectly, imo) that she wasn't really capable of fully understanding his plans and that she might think he'd lost it. Marla was a very sharp person, but she had a tendency to see through Crown's bullshit. Also, like with Milt, he was terrified of Marla ending up danger if she had vital information that others may kill for. Crown went to the trouble of adding the memory erasure button as an in-built cyanide pill, in case he felt he was in actual danger of being captured and interrogated, after all, and he couldn't just slap one onto Milt, as the guy refused to get an object head.

...With Milt, the bulk of his paranoia was that Milt would reject him and walk away forever. Milt had ethical concerns that only came to light as Crown gained more and more power (and thus, had to make bigger and bigger decisions, many of which didn't necessarily have easy solutions.) Crown trusted Milt more than anyone else, but he was terrified that he'd resign and leave him if he knew about the difficult decisions that Crown had to make behind the scenes to achieve the goals that they set out to achieve together. A president can't rule over both floors of congress and take over the judicial branch without breaking a few eggs, y'know?

There's more to what happened between them than anyone knows (Milt had other hangups), but this is an accurate assessment of the dynamic they had.

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six-costume-refs · 7 months

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more of a opinion question, but do you think six will ever bring back old cast members for the long term productions (like west end, broadway, uk/na tours)? i'm not talking about back to back contracts (like jen caldwell) or the short term replacements (like natalie paris and courtney mack), but people who left coming back for a full contract. like the odds of anna uzele coming back as parr for the 2023-24 broadway cast (just a random example)

I think it realllllllyyyy depends on the scenario. Here's a few scenarios where that could happen:

1. Short term replacements. I know you said you're specifically not asking about this, but it feels remiss to not at least mention given that 90% of returns will probably go into this category. For anyone not familiar, this is mostly when they just need someone to bridge the gap between different contracts or cover for a longer-term injury. That's because it's typically more logistically convenient to bring someone who has already been with the show back in. Examples: Khaila Wilcoxon with Broadway, Natalie May Paris and Courtney Mack with the Aragon Tour, Madeline Fansler with the Australian Tour, Jessica Niles and Rebecca Wickes with the UK Tour (this is a non-exhaustive list with just the most recent examples)

2. Promotion. This is someone who re-joins the production full-time for a full contract that is considered a step up the ladder from their prior one. That might be promo from touring cast to Broadway (often preferred because of higher pay and ability to live in one spot) or cruise to mainland, or it might be from alt to principal. Logistical factors can also play a part in this, like Caitlin Tipping and Vicki Manser both joining the UKT post-lockdown when they needed new principals and couldn't hold full auditions. Examples: Caitlin Tipping, Vicki Manser, and Natalie Pilkington joining the UK Tour, Abigail Sparrow with the Canadian production (others exist). Wicked and Moulin Rouge are both examples of other Broadway shows that nearly always do this.

2.5. Universal swings. This is really a combo of 1 + 2. Being a universal swing is incredibly demanding, even moreso than regular swalt contracts. It's much easier to hire actors who already know the show extensively and who they know can reliably learn and perform all those tracks. In the case of Six, every single universal swing has been returning from another contract. Examples: Liv Alexander, Bryony Duncan, and Harriet Watson in the UK, Marilyn Caserta and Cassie Silva in the US. Kelly Denice Taylor also functioned in a similar capacity temporarily, and both the US and UK have had a number of alts on standby/learning covers for other productions in case they're needed (but not on official universal contracts)

C. Promotion of the show/"starcast" or "stuntcast." This is when a major “name” joins a show. It’s often in an attempt to sell more tickets, usually (although not always) when a show might be starting to struggle with ticket sales but may not be at a crisis point, and is trying to figure out a way to revitalize the show enough that it could continue running. There's two versions of this: 1. Someone who has no prior association with the show. In this scenario, the star-cast/stunt-cast actor is often a significant celebrity, particularly if the intent is to bring in ticket revenue. Examples of this from other shows would include Jojo in Moulin Rouge or Lillias White/Betty Who in Hadestown 2. Someone who has a prior connection to the show, usually meaning a former cast member who would be a significant draw if brought back in now. When bringing back a former actor to sell tickets is the intent, it's most often a member of an original cast who has significant enough popularity/notoriety to hopefully pull in more audiences (ie - Lin Manuel Miranda briefly joining the casts of both the In the Heights and Hamilton tours in Puerto Rico). That scenario is incredibly likely with at least some of the original West End cast members; Natalie May Paris would be a seemingly obvious possibility for another West End contract if they ever needed her (the Broadway cast is similarly popular in the US). On rarer occasion shows might bring in someone who was originally a replacement (not original cast), but who has also gained significant popularity/notoriety since their initial run in a show. Six commonly casts actors who are fairly young and/or early in their career, so many actors will use it as a jumping off point. That means that they've already seen, and are likely to continue seeing actors, actors who perform in Six and then go on to other significant roles that help grow their name. For instance, Adrianna Hicks and Anna Uzele both just led Broadway shows this season while Joy Woods led a major off-Broadway and is expected to be in a shared lead role next season. If those three actors are able to continue getting cast in lead roles and becoming even more well known, there might be draw for Six to bring them back in the future. Bringing back the original West End cast for Hampton Court/proshot is a similar idea. However, with HC they were bringing back the original cast to promote and film a pro-shot, not a specific production, so it's not quite the same scenario. Examples: none from Six...yet! Again, these rules of thumb mostly apply to principals. For alternates there's also the possibility that some might be asked to come back in the future as a vacation cover/universal swings (which I mentioned above), and they also have the increased chance of re-joining as emergency cover for a temporary period. It is also possible for principals to emergency cover, but is generally less likely since they only provide coverage for one role and in those scenarios it’s usually more helpful for them to bring in an alt with more role flexibility.

#six the musical #six west end #six broadway #cover systems #six musical

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cupidsnumberonehater · 7 months

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OFMD S2 SPOILERS KINDA MAYBE IDK HOW TO TAG THIS SHIT???!!!

Picture from (unlisted) clip from Max!!

IGNORE IF YOU DONT WANT ANALYSIS AND SHIT ABOUT SPOILER CLIPS!!!!

Izzy lovers after seeing that clip:

For real, though.. that's episode one? COOL, can't wait to sob 😭. Con O'Neill's acting is GORGEOUS as always and my word, does he sell the character. It's out of character for Izzy yet still so in character and that is splendid. So! A few rambles if anyone care to indulge because I have re-watched the clip wayy too much already:

A. The Crew

I know this is a romcom but I find it wild that Jim and Frenchie seem to have some amount of care for Izzy rather than the off-put "what is happening" sort of reaction I would've expected. Fang has shown his own sweet self in season one, it makes sense he would be so nice to Izzy, but Stede's crew? Who wanted to mutiny the DAY Izzy became captain? Again, it's a romcom, I'm sure there's not much to it, but like what would have happened in the months between Ed's returned and this clip that they would care enough? Does Blackbeard get THAT bad and THAT obvious in his treatment of Izzy? Potentially even his treatment of the crew? Like I want to know when the crew realize "shit, he isn't treating that little fucker right." Like obviously his fucking toes getting snipped off isn't exactly a good sign, but when are they like "mmmm somethings not right" yk

Stede's crew was always very open about caring for each other (in their own ways) so maybe it's simply that, plus Stede's influence on them still shining through, but yk, I like being way too fucking deep into things. Also I really want to see more of the nicer Fang/Izzy interactions, mainly bc I love Fang and I love Izzy, but them interacting this season seems like such a nice little addition.

Also, not only does the crew seem so worried, but Izzy LETS them be worried. He doesn't try to escape the situation, he stands there and lets it happen, with the SMALLEST bit of fighting Fang and of course biting back his sobs. He's rendered completely vulnerable, as he seemingly can't talk much without crying, so he can't really make orders (least not in a very strong or commanding way like usual) and he probably can't walk too well. He's sick and vulnerable and has to put his trust in the crew in that moment.

B. Fucking hell, Izzy

Izzy already has tears in his eyes when the scene begins. It makes me think of two things; either maybe Fang or Frenchie brought up the situation with Blackbeard or something similar (likely in the more comical, laid back way, not actually thinking about Izzy's part in the situation) and it makes Izzy upset with everything's that been happening, then that leads to his breaking. Or alternatively, he could literally just be in so much pain (physically) with his leg, assuming it's likely getting pretty bad at that point, that he can't help but cry. Either way, the distress would easily lead even a man like Izzy to some sort of breaking point, like the clip shows, and it hurts my heart but also it's so good.

Additional thought and more of a "I'd read this in a fanfic" type of delulu deal: Izzy states that they've run out of room on the revenge bc of the looting, pretty much, but the way he starts the scene indicates some sort of conversation prior. While it's probably more likely that they were all just looking around their shit and trying to make room or figure out a plan to separate it all and such, then Izzy could've sat down with a tear bc he's probably in a lot of fucking pain, I would love the consider the possibility of Ed getting upset with the situation. Maybe he isn't listening when Izzy tries to explain the situation, maybe he's having a bit of an emotional day and he's being all "Blackbeard 🤬👹" bc of it, maybe he's raising his voice, who tf knows, and maybe it gets to Izzy that particular day and then boom, yk.

C. Hopes and desires (except I'm delulu)

The possibilities that that scene alone can lead to makes my brain scatter and run to grab all of them holy shit. The idea of some of the crew staging a sort of intervention for Izzy and his obsession with/love for Blackbeard. The idea of Izzy getting a little, teensy weensy more comfortable with some of them after this because fuck they saw the man BREAK even if it's just for those few seconds after all. The idea that THATS what helps push his character growth into motion. The idea that this plus after his amputation, he grows to trust the crew more, or trust them with more of himself anyway. The idea of him growing closer to them and realizing Blackbeard isn't the only person on this ship he can or should devote his life of piracy to. The idea of his motto of loyalty changing from "loyalty to the captain" to "loyalty to the captain and his crew." The idea that most of them keep Izzy's slip a secret but then someone spits it out by accident and either Ed rethinks things, ignores it, or he and Izzy both get a "what happened to you" talk from each other (probably in a bad way but the potential for a healthy chat is always there). The idea of Stede and him having a chat about love (doubting Izzy would fully realize he's obsessed/in love with Ed, but) and Stede basically telling Izzy what Mary told him, and that just confuses Izzy further - "It's easy" "it's just like breathing" - there's no way in hell that description fits Izzy's relationship with Ed (least not anymore, clearly) so what else could he possibly be feeling?

D. Final thoughts

All I know is Izzy is so clearly a fucking broken man at the START of the season. It's very promising for his character growth, which sounds weird but it stands. It's likely his leg is all infected in this scene, considering the false leg in the trailer, so that means we might be getting an amputation scene (or at least a reference to one). We might be getting some relationship growth between Izzy and the crew rather than just him and Stede, which I heavily look forward to. I'm a big Stede fan, but I would love to see Izzy and the crew actually be sort of acquaintances rather than pure co-pirates. I would especially love some more Fang and Izzy. They've clearly had some sort of positive relationship if Fang can hug him without facing some sort of physical aggression, so I would love to see it. Also, Fang's "how you doing, Izzy?" and "am I crushing you?" were the best lines I've heard so far, I fucking love him and his genuine care.

Also this screenshot makes me want to draw him sooo bad. The lighting, the expression, the scenery, everything is so perfect and sorrowfully angry.

AHH it's eating me up. I have worms in my brain and their names are Izzy, Stede, and whatever the fuck this scene is. I have more art ideas now too uhg

#ofmd s2 spoilers #ofmd spoilers #izzy hands spoilers

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kasienda · 3 months

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tell us about Adrino fake-dating? 👀👀👀

Adrino lends itself to this trope so well in my opinion in that they are super comfortable in each other's spaces, and Nino is generally on board to do anything and everything to 1) earn Adrien more freedom, and 2) piss off Gabriel.

My personal beef with fake-dating is that it's often written where two characters are already in love and already KNOW they're in love, but are too nervous to say anything yet. And I struggle with the whole thing being able to solved at any point with one conversation. (Though it doesn't stop me from reading or enjoying them. Just makes me want to tear my hair out when reading! Haha!)

BUT! If I'm writing my own, I wanted to explore them both not having feelings yet (or at least not being aware of said feelings), and that they figure it out through the process of pretending! And when it's time for it to end, they both realize they really really don't want it to.

So I started writing one. And I'm not sure if I will every finish or post it because it kinda feels like a generic romantic dramedy to me? I feel like I just am making the dolls kiss! Haha! Like, it's an aged up no-powers AU. I don't usually write things without identity shenanigans! And I don't have anything unique to add to this trope at the moment, BUT I've been having fun with it this week especially since I've been home sick. So maybe!!

...

Here! Take my whole opening scene:

“Tomorrow's photoshoot was rescheduled to Thursday morning, your father canceled dinner tonight, but promises he’ll be available tomorrow—“

Adrien snorted.

“And you’re to escort Lila Rossi to the gala this Saturday as her date.”

Adrien dropped his spoon. “That will not be happening. I will go to the gala, but Lila Rossi will not be my date.”

“Your father agreed to—“

“Any agreements my father made on my behalf are null and void if he didn’t get me to sign the contract.”

One of the benefits of reaching his majority. Now, if only he didn’t need his father to keep paying for university.

“Adrien, I know you don’t like Lila—“

That was an understatement if ever there was one.

“—but your father is not going to take your refusal lightly without any repercussions. Especially if you offer no explanation.”

He had offered an explanation. Lila Rossi was a snake and Adrien knew better than to let her anywhere close to him.

“It’s only one evening,” Nathalie continued.

One evening that would turn into many. But he could read between the lines. Nathalie needed a reason. His father wanted him to date someone now that he was old enough for it to garner media attention instead of generate a scandal.

“You don’t understand, Nathalie. I can’t bring Lila because I already have a date.”

It wasn’t true, but it could be.

Nathalie sighed. “And does this date have a name?”

Adrien contemplated dodging the question. He would have preferred to ask before he dragged any of his friends into the spotlight that might include his father’s ire, but Nathalie would argue on his behalf better if she didn’t think he was lying.

He wished he could ask Kagami, but she and Felix had gone public two months prior. He couldn’t throw Marinette under this bus because her career in fashion was only just beginning and getting tangled with his name would only make things more complicated for her. He was already providing her with all the connections and contacts she would let him, and he didn’t want to bring attention to that special attention by bringing her in as a date. Alya was attending university in the UK, and Luka was on tour with his father in the US.

Which only left him one option anyway. And in many ways it was the best option because Nino was the most willing to do whatever was needed to get Adrien out from under the thumb of his father.

Adrien glanced down into his hands, trying to sell nervousness that he absolutely did not feel. “I can tell you since you’ll know on Saturday anyway, but Nathalie, I’m hoping I can count on you for support.”

She actually looked up from her tablet. A good sign.

“It’s Nino,” he said softly.

“Nino Lahiffe?”

Adrien nodded.

“Doesn’t M. Lahiffe have a girlfriend?”

Adrien shook his head. “Not since Alya left to go abroad. They decided they didn’t want to do a long distance relationship.”

That much was true. The break up had been amicable.

“And how serious is this relationship?”

Fuck. It needed to be serious for Nathalie to pull out all the stops, but how long would Nino put up with the song and dance of it.

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. “I mean, I hope we last, but we haven’t been dating that long. So far though, it’s been amazing! Nino and I have always just… clicked, you know?”

“I will do everything in my power to see that you get a fair chance.”

He swallowed at the sincerity in her voice.

“Thank you, Nathalie.”

She nodded and left.

He whipped out his phone and pulled up Nino’s contact. Nino wouldn’t likely be awake for another few hours so Adrien wasn’t going to call him, but Adrien could at least warn him.

…

Nino’s phone buzzed on the table beside his head. Nino groaned and rolled over - away from his phone. He really should have kept up his maman’s policy of charging his phone in the other room.

But an alarm clock was yet another thing Nino really couldn’t afford since he had moved out on his own. He was barely breaking even as it was.

The phone buzzed again and he sighed, fumbling blindly for both it and his glasses.

He blinked dumbly at the text on his screen, and then read it again.

Adrien:

I had to tell my father that we’ve been dating. That we’re going to the gala together this Saturday. I’m sorry. I know you wanted to surprise everyone the day of. Please forgive me. Call me when you’re awake.

The implications were concerning in more than one way.

Nino tapped out a response immediately.

Nino:

there’s nothing to forgive, love. It was bound to happen eventually. I still need help with my suit though if you’ve forgotten. Can we talk in person? I miss you.

Adrien:

I’ll be by in a few hours. Can’t wait to see you. ❤️

Adrien was laying it on thick. Definitely not a good sign.

#miraculous ladybug #adrien agreste #nino lahiffe #adrino #fake dating #fic preview #sneak peek #my own content #wip ask game #ask me anything

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wcamino-confessions · 10 months

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Alright so there was a post about someone having a carbon copy of my character that was requested to be removed so I am remaking that post as some new stuff happened and I don't believe this person deserves any sympathy as they are trying to pull the victim card. I tried my best to work things out and they lied about what happened, went straight to LT and got me muted/a strike. However, Larkin, this is outside of Amino now. LT won't help you here, I was respectful until you did that shit. Just like how LT didn't help me with your theiving ass even after being told from the designer that the character was indeed copied, you still wanted to use the character. === Okay so back in 2019, my friend group and I opened a public warrior cats roleplay on Discord. Thats when a problemtic user joins, we decided to let him join until some supervision from our staff team. The punishments within our server were pretty leanate but for this one member, any rule broken would have been an instant ban. He created some drama outside of our server for coping designs and passing them off as freebies in our roleplay so we had him removed. When he was removed, he stole a lot of characters including mine and procecced to sell, trade, and scam many people with our characters. This happened four years ago and I still am dealing with everything. While doing a Toyhouse purge, Larkin commented on my post offering a trade for a character and went I was looking through their characters, I ran into a character that looked like my character so I asked the person about it. I believe I was being quite nice about the entire situation despite all the stress and frustration I felt having to deal with this all over again.

After this interaction, I went to the designer who made the character. I already knew the character was redesigned/inspired by my own but just to get proof to get this person to understand that these two characters are not similar, they're a redesign. I did blur out the person's name who got the character redesign as I did speak to them prior to making this and just as I thought, they got the character in a trade a year ago and never ended up using them. I figure this would be the case so their privacy in the screenshot below is blurred.

After telling Larkin the information I found out, I informed Larkin and asked for the character to be sent to me so I could delete them to prevent anyone else from being scammed. I was trying to come to an agreement with Larkin and offered to sell them the copyright usage, which they showed interest in but I was still unsure at this point because they have been stolen and sold so many times in the past. They claimed they were interested in buying the character if I decided to sell them, this is what they lied about. They went to LT claiming I was forcing them to buy or delete the character which wasn't the case. When I was done with that, they asked if they could redesign the character that was based off of my character which I told them no.

With that being said, Larkin just wanted the redesign but I wasn't gonna let that happen as I wasn't okay with the redesign in the first place. They only wanted the redesign of my character and in order to get the redesign, I would have to sell the entire character as their version of mine was stolen. Shortly after this conversation, I did send another message just asking if the character was deleted and everything. They asked if the issue was solved, and I don't remember what I said. LT deleted these last couple messages that were exchanged. I did not delete anything from our chats as I typically keep evidence in case of things like this. This is what LT muted me for, I was supposably forcing this person to buy the rights or delete the character but as these screenshots prove, they wanted to buy the character after I mentioned a way to solve the dispute. You are a fucking liar Larkin. I wanted to help you and fix this without getting the LT involved, but clearly we couldn't come to an agreement because you were being stubborn after finding out the character was indeed stolen. and yes, I did report you to Toyhouse about everything. I would have liked to solve things peacefully since I have gotten my Toyhouse reported, frozen and banned for something very similar to this situation where I bought a stolen character but the other person wasn't so nice. They didn't mesage me asking where I got the character from, they straight reported me for theft. I got all my characters frozen (meaning you cant transfer, do anything with them) and banned shortly after. I was also accused of making fake screenshots/proof because the person I bought the character from made fake evidence which in return backfired on me. I don't want to get anyone banned because I lost all of my characters and their images, I had to dig through thousands of dms to find everything. It was absolute hell and a huge time cosumer. I don't wish that upon anyone but since the stolen character is still on your profile, I had no choice.

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squids-comics · 4 months

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So I just finished Loki, and I think I know where the MCU is going. This is going to sound like a wild conspiracy theory, but if it happens, Avengers 5 and 6 will make Endgame look tiny in comparison.

Spoilers ahead for any and all Kang related developments, as well as some Spider-Man stuff.

The groundwork so far:

Loki season one ended with the reveal of He Who Remains, a variant of Kang the Conqueror who stopped all the other Kang variants from existing by erasing the multiverse. He did this to prevent a war between the Kang variants that would cause all universes to explode or something. Ominous and spooky!

He dies and the multiverse happens, meaning the Kang war is going to happen, and it's going to happen soon.

Then Spider-Man no way home happened and Spidey and Dr Strange messed around in the multiverse. We'll come back to this.

Now I thought the show What If? was supposed to offer a teaser for the Kang War.

For those of you who skipped it, What If? takes us on a trip through the multiverse, showing us new takes on beloved characters. These included Peggy Carter but as a super soldier, Dr Strange but as an eldritch horror, and Thor but as a frat bro.

I figured the Kang War would follow our typical MCU cast that we all know and love and then these guys swoop in and help stop the bad guys in a big climactic moment, like the "on your left" in Endgame. I don't think that's the case anymore. And it's all thanks to one small line of dialogue at the very end of Loki season 2.

At the very end of Loki season 2, the TVA is restructured to be on the lookout for variants of Kang. One of the workers said a variant was sighted near the 616 branch. That is the single line that made everything click.

For those unaware (like I was when I first heard the line, I did a bit of research before writing all this out!), the MCU used to be branch 199999 of the multiverse, but has recently been renamed to branch 616. 616 is also the branch of the main comic universe, which essentially separates the two multiverses indefinitely. But that is actually a genius move, one that lets the films build their own multiverse without needing to worry about prior lore from the comics. And What If? is only a small sampling of what that multiverse has to offer.

No Way Home! I told you we'd come back to it. This one film has been the biggest project to flesh out the MCU multiverse. We all thought it was fan service, but we couldn't see the big picture yet.

The climax of the film involves the Spider-Man from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films and the Spider-Man from the Amazing Spider-Man films coming into the MCU 616 universe to help MCU Spidey fight his villains. This explicitly connects these three franchises into the same multiverse! But it doesn't stop there! The end credits scene (as well as Morbius' end credits scene) connected it to Sony's Venom-verse! That's four franchises that the Kang War can pull from, but it's going to be even bigger!!

There's one small throwaway line in Across the Spider-Verse that connects the Spider-Verse films to the MCU. Miguel O'Hara complains about the various things going wrong across the Spider-Verse, including "Dr Strange and that nerdy kid from Earth 199999". Earth 199999 is the old name for the MCU. Miguel is upset over the events of No Way Home.

We could see some (or all) of these Spideys could show up in the Kang War. Tell me that wouldn't be way cooler than anything Endgame did!

I don't think it will stop there either! I remember one project really stood out to me when they were announcing their phase five and six plans for the MCU.

The first X-Men project in the MCU, and it's a continuation of a thirty year old cartoon. Plus, they greenlit it for a second season before the first was even released. X-Men are the fourth best selling single issue comic series of all time (behind Spider-Man, Batman, and Superman), making them a huge IP. Making their first project in the MCU something as niche as this feels like a slight misstep. Unless, this project is aiming to tie the original cartoon into the multiverse, letting these versions of the X-Men fight in the Kang War. I guess we'll find out when the show debuts in a few months.

There's also one more thing that they could possibly tie in, that I don't think they will.

I don't think they'll actually do it, but it would be really really funny if they did.

(Also Insomniac's Spider-Man games complicate this whole thing a lot, but I've already wrote way too much so I'll cover that in a future post if this one does well)

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plushii-gutz · 1 year

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Making a second part of Thorns for three specific people. Keep in mind that I didn't have much of a plan making this, mostly just to indulge in ocs

꒷꒦˚︶︶꒦꒷︶꒷꒦˚꒷꒦˚︶︶꒦꒷︶꒷꒦˚꒷꒦˚︶︶꒦꒷︶

Pereskia found herself coated in the shade of a tall tree, resting against the bark and roots that rose from the ground. Her gloves were nowhere to be found, head pounding as if it were being hit against a wall. She sat herself up, wiping her face clean of dirt. The sun, though hidden behind clouds, still provided a light bright enough to burn at the barrbs' eyes. She felt awful.

Perry didn't have time to remember the night prior. The sudden clicking of metal on stones pushed her back to reality. It was her sickle.

"So Pereskia, " a voice spoke, "I think this is yours."

"Viola?" Pereskia spoke, using the tree to pull herself up. Her vision was still far too blurred to see, but that voice would stick with her forever. "That.. isn't mine."

"Uh-huh. Alright, get up."

"What?"

"Come on. I lost a lot, but I'm not losing you."

The barrb took a few steps, regaining her balance and shaking off any leaves that stuck. Viola was more visible now, no longer wearing her white coat and instead donning a yellow scarf in its place. Pereskia didn't realize how chilled the air was until now.

"Gunna diagnose me with a cold?" She mocked.

"No, actually." Viola pushed her glasses up, crossing every arm. "You're dehydrated and hungover to all hell."

The Bowgart moved closer, putting one hand under Pereskia's chin and moving her head back.

"With the Barrb species, it's a bit easier to tell what's wrong. Your neck foliage is wilted, dried, a bit torn, and clearly discolored. One top of the alcohol, which, by the way, is extremely pungent, I would also venture to say that you haven't been practicing self-care for a couple of days. Does that sound about right?"

Perry smacked Viola's hand away, picking her hat from the ground and putting it back on.

"I'm fine," She said sternly.

"Really? Because you're shaking. If I'm correct, which I usually am, I believe you're about to-"

Pereskia gagged, soon coughing up whatever was left in her system.

"That. So, are you ready to come with me? Or do you still need time to deteriorate?"

With a lot of hesitation and a bit of force, the two were able to leave back to the streets.

"Where do you even plan t' take me?" Perry asked. "Ain't no way you're even allowed near the hospital."

"Well, not at the moment. My medical license isn't suspended. Yet, at least. Sort of on pause while they figure out what to do with me. Would've been nice to know earlier, but oh well. As for where you are going, I guess the answer is my place. I don't trust you on your own."

Pereskia mumbled a small 'not happening' before walking in any direction that isn't Viola's. Good thing the lavender monster has multiple hands, or else she would've gotten away.

"Can I at least stop by my shop?" The barrb asked. "What used to be my shop."

"Didn't you sell it?"

"I did. As far as I know, the new owner hasn't moved in yet. Everything I have left is there. The least you can do is let me have something - anything - that's left of him."

They both fell silent for a long while.

"Alright," Viola agreed. "We'll take the next ship there."

The fire islands were far, but Plant Island's newer forms of transportation could make the trip faster.

"But you're still not leaving my side. I'll pay for both of us, to and from."

It was settled. Pereskia felt a tad bit rude, having to drag Viola all the way to the shop, but it was her choice to stick around. It barely meant anything compared to what she had to endure.

Plant Island's ships were a pretty decent size, able to carry double the number of monsters than any other island could. They were tougher, faster, and commonly sold to the nearby natural islands for a good price. At least something kept the islands connected.

The trip only took a couple of hours, yet it felt far longer. Maybe it was palpable anxiety in the air. Maybe it was the obnoxious monsters that couldn't lower their voices for anyone. Or maybe home really was just that far away. Well, what used to be home. Pereskia wondered where she would go now, having given up her entire life to pay for someone else's mistake. She didn't want to be around Viola any longer than she was forced to. As of now, though, they shared the same row of seats.

The boats were odd here. They were similar to human world cruise ships, though only used for short trips. It felt a bit excessive, but it was only natural for monsters to find a way to party. Even during the shortest rides, music had to be involved somewhere. At least prices were low.

"Hey there!" A new voice began to sing. "What's got you all down in the dumps? Oh! I know what'll cheer you up!"

The barrb looked over to the voice, which came from a short monster. She had curled white fur that grew in a similar manner as the pomily species, two puffs of hair on either side of her head that were held up with hair ties and a yellow ruffled collar around her neck. Any visible skin she had was multicolored, specifically primary colors, and surprisingly soft blue eyes. It was hard to tell if the markings on her face were dyed or natural, only adding on to her clown-like appearance.

Her appeal aside, the monster seemingly pulled an inflated flower-shaped balloon from nowhere and tied it around Pereskia's wrist.

"There you go! It compliments your looks!" She'd laugh. The monster next to her gave a quick smack across the back of her head.

"Baloola! No! When someone's upset, you don't immediately hop in with your silly gifts!"

"Oh, it's fine hun," the barrb sat up a little straighter. "It's actually kinda nice. Who are you again? If ya don't mind me askin'."

"I'm Jaiden," the pompom spoke. She was of the rare variety, though the iconic pom-pom's have been shaved down so their hands were visible. She wore a simple black hoodie with pins to add a bit of color, most of which prideful. "Sorry about Baloola, she's.. well, I'm assuming this is how monsters without anxiety act."

"I'm Pereskia, but you can just call me Perry."

"Viola," the bowgart spoke, making herself a little more visible.

"I'm a new member of the pompom family!" Baloola said happily. "Initially, they all thought I was like a really weird epic cousin, but I'm my own thing! One of a kind, actually! Sort of like Hoola and all her cousins - just named after their species unless they choose something else. But I think my name is cool! Uncreative, but cool!"

"She's quite the talker," Jaiden added, "But she's got a lot of talents. Surprised that Hyehehe had trained Hoola and not her."

Baloola gave a sharp gasp, excited by the mere mention of the Mythicals name.

"He's so coooool!" She said, shaking her hands. "I look up to their every move! I hope to meet him again one day, it'd be awesome! Maybe he would even teach me one of his iconic pranks!"

The rare pompom moved a bit closer to Perry. "She's obsessed," they would say. "Don't mind her rambling."

And rambling she did. God, Baloola just never shuts up. At least it passed the time.

"Must be wild having so many siblings, huh?" Viola asked Jaiden.

"Yeah, it's hard to keep up. Feast-ember's are incredible, though. Some of the best cooks ever. Singers, too. We're actually going to Amber Island to meet up with a couple of them. Speaking of which, it seems we have about five minutes of the trip left."

Looking up, Pereskia and Viola can see the outlines of Amber Island coming into view. Finally.

"Well, I guess we should go grab our bags. Baloola and I plan on staying for a couple of days."

"Oh! Right! I almost forgot! Oh sweet Galvana, I must've driven you insane!"

Baloola finally shut up, standing from her spot and ready to go.

"No worries," Perry assured. "It was actually real nice meeting someone as positive n' happy as you."

"Oh! I'm glad I helped," She said with a smirk, likely aimed at Jaiden. With a few goodbyes, the pomily members left.

"Guess it's our turn now?" Viola asked.

"Yeah. They were nice. I hope they'll do fine."

Approaching the island, it became clear how chilly the weather had gotten. Freezing winds brushed through the bowgarts fur, Pereskia shivering at its harshness. They agree to try and make it quick, the ship leaving in a couple of hours.

Perry knew the path to her shop like the back of her hand. Along the walk, Viola saw many families leaving. There was visible sadness among all of them, a gray atmosphere growing around the skies and the air. The many homes were no longer homes - just houses. Coffins of memories.

"Right here," the barrb motioned to the shop. It was small, dusty, and obviously empty. She lifted up the welcome mat, a silver key lying underneath. Not the safest of hiding spots, but there wasn't anything of real value in there.

She walked in, leading Viola past the main area, the break room, and soon the house. It was all connected into one, restored by Pereskia and Buck themselves. To the right of the houses entrance stood a coat rack, a single leather Stetson hanging off one of its many hooks. To the left was a restroom, decorated with paintings of oceans and Earth Island's summer vacation locations. How typical.

The small hallway led directly to the living room, which was as exciting as you'd expect. A simple worn-out couch, a fireplace, and mantle with photos. While Pereskia continued off to her room, Viola stood behind to give herself a small tour. It was clear the other monster didn't want to talk anyway.

Upon the mantle stood wedding photos. Most of the attendees seemed to be family or friends, a beautiful setting of flowers and intricately designed paintings. Of course, honeymoon pictures were next, the couple exploring Water Island and admiring the scenery. The next photo revealed Pereskia and Buck renovating the same place the bowgart stood now, Perry covered in paint but visibly happy while her husband seemed to be fixing the roof. Lastly, a picture of their finished home. They seemed to be celebrating Feast-ember, family and friends simply enjoying time together in the kitchen. Kids playing in the background, adults catching up with one another. Viola couldn't help but smile. It all seemed so nice. She wondered what it would've been like.

She left to search for Perry, finding her in a bedroom. She had a backpack sitting on the bed, filling it with whatever items of value she had left. It primarily seemed to be gifts or photos, a few envelopes here and there. She dropped one, which Viola picked up.

"Who's Dew Drop?" She asked.

"Oh? Heh. That's what Buck called me. He used to live on another island before moving here with me. He'd send me letters every week jus' to make sure I still loved him. Of course, I did."

Her voice grew coarse as she spoke. Those happy memories of her and that flowah were nothing more than that - memories. Such small things as having someone to think lovingly over during the slow hours of work were now gone.

"Hey, Viola? Could I.. Could I have a moment?"

"Of course."

The lavender monster left the room, letting Perry have a moment to herself. Her eyes wandered the walls before coming across another door. Perhaps a guest bedroom? It wouldn't do any harm to look in.

Viola opened the door. The room was small, a few parts of it seeming unfinished. The walls were painted a soft dark blue, incomplete yellow stars scattered on each. There was a small bed near the corner, a crib, to be exact, that wasn't even fully built. Viola put a hand over her mouth as she recognized who's room this was supposed to be.

She left to the hallway quickly, having to sit on the floor to comprehend just how much she ruined another's life. She wondered how many other monsters had fallen victim to her own stupidity, her own selfishness. How many lives had she truly taken? Had been stopped from ever happening? Taking off her glasses, Viola wiped her eyes of any tears. She couldn't be seen like this. She had no right to cry. It was her fault. She killed a whole family.

She had to get up. The Bowgart could only hope that, under her care, something would change. Something would get better. Anything.

"Viola?" Pereskia called, leaving her room with the backpack over one shoulder. "I got all I needed. Most of what I needed. Maybe a couple more photos, if ya don' mind."

"Go ahead," She responded. "Get what you need. We probably have some time to spare. Besides, a lot of monsters are leaving, and I don't think anyone wants to get caught up in that shit."

"Heh, yeah.. Hey, I'm.. I'm sorry 'bout that - kicking you out, I mean. I know there's nothin' wrong with having a bit of time to myself, but it felt kinda rude."

"Eh, I probably deserve it," Viola shrugged. "I'm going to be honest with you. When I found your sickle, figured out your plan, I.. I didn't blame you one bit."

Perry motioned for Viola to take a seat on the couch, following behind.

"I never really had a family, but I learned through my patients and colleagues just how important they are to you. I can't blame you for wanting me dead. Sometimes, I want myself dead. I fucked up. A lot. Nothing I can do will pay you back. I don't even know why I'm trying."

She had no idea how she was able to keep her monotonous voice so still. Every part of her felt like it was being pricked by needles.

"Well.. I can't say I'll forgive you," the fire monster sighed. "I'm thankful for all your efforts to make life.. comfortable, at the moment. Even with my stubbornness. I'm glad you're learnin' a lesson, too. But it'll be years til' I ever make up my mind of what I think about you."

"I understand."

"Well, I'm glad you do."

The two sat in silence. Neither knew what would come next. There was so much uncertainty from then until now.

"We should probably go catch the ship now," Viola spoke.

"Mhm.. We should."

Pereskia grabbed her bag, following the other out. She locked the door, hid the extra key. One last painful goodbye to her home, her island. Having to trust Viola would be the hardest thing she'd ever do, but what else did she have? Maybe it was for the better to hang on to anything, even when there's nothing.

#msm #my singing monsters #msm ocs #fanfiction #i guess #Thorns msm

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thegodthief · 2 years

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Old Lammas 2022: Keri Has A Jar

Having seen all of y'all Old Lammas 2022 posts, I feel like Netherworld Post's teeny bat holding up a tiny skull in offering to the grand and enormous moon. "I hope this is enough. I hope I am enough."

So the call went out and the theme was honey, local preferred. How serendipitous then, than I received an offer for quality honey drawn from bee colonies local to my state and even some from my area! A bit pricey, but the company has proven their quality time and time again, and hey, it's for something special, so why not?

I figured I was going to be in for a ride when the honey shipped with a target date of 10 business days for arrival but it arrived on Day 3.

Yay! I have honey! Now what?

Hmm. No. Really. Now what? This is a Christian holiday after all, and I'm still working through some baggage from my experiences. Is this even a holiday I can jump into?

It's no secret that I've been siting with Christian elements again. Heh, that's a polite way to say I've been pushing my luck with certain folks from the Christian pantheon. (I'mma blame Saint Cyprian cuz he's smug af about it.) But I always worry about taking things too far.

(The fact that I exist is a step too far, but this is not the venue for that villain origin story monologue.)

So I did as some Christians are wont to do, and laid it at the feet of the Virgin Mary [VM]. I know how easy it is for me to get caught up in having the Perfect™ preparations which means having the Perfect™ material which means doing everything Perfectly Right And Good™ which we all know is impossible is this universe if not all possible others.

It was VM's prodding that made me pay attention to graveyarddirt's Lammas posts in the first place. And VM's (warm and generous) approval of the honey as acceptable even though it was purchased and jacque shitte was gathered by me. And VM's (soft and merciful) patience pointing out that there was a seat at that metaphorical table for abused and feral creatures like me. So... okay.

I have honey.

That honey was not cheap.

I am not spending another dime on this, [Mother]. If this is so important that I am compelled to participate one way or another, then reveal to me how I'm supposed to join in without wrecking my budget yet again.

That was Monday prior to Old Lammas weekend.

Tuesday, a coworker showed me flyers from a local craft fair with wheat woven corn dollies. "Isn't this neat! They're having a workshop where you can make your own! I'm sure you could do better like the over achiever you are!" I declined.

Wednesday, the restaurant near where I work ran out of honey for a special later in the week and lamented that there wasn't any at hand good enough to use. "All I need is just one cup of good artisan honey! I can stretch that flavor across the entire batch but there's nothing in the stores here and I can't justify the cost of shipping! Hey, you're good at finding last second things! You wouldn't happen to have some artisan honey at home that I can buy off you, would you?" Sorry, no, everything I have is spoken for, but have you considered a run to [specific store 60 min drive away] that I know stocks artisan varieties in pint bottles? (They immediately went out to that store and came back with a dozen bottles for less than the cost of two plus shipping.)

Thursday, I started to despair. I needed to have something ready by Friday evening, and all I have is a pint of precious honey. For whatever reason that still escapes me, I felt that I needed three things for Old Lammas weekend. Honey, plus two others. I had a pint mason jar in my cabinet already clean and set aside. But I had no idea what to do next. I made peace with the idea that I was chasing someone else's ideals again and declared that if Old Lammas arrived with nothing for me to do for it, that I would sell off the honey and never bother with the Virgin Mary again.

Thursday night, I couldn't sleep. I went to the kitchen and took stock of everything in the cabinets. By this time, I had seen so many Old Lammas preparation posts and I was very disheartened to see so many pretty tables and clothes and arrangements and I know better than to compare myself with them, but... fuck.

I am an insignificant bat in the middle of a shadow-smothered night. A scarred mongrel at the back gate. There is nothing here of worth to see, or to show.

Eventually, I did fall asleep. And because I was so exhausted, I dreamt of sleeping deeper still! I remember I was lying on an old cloak that had been softened by time and wear. It was comfortable to rest against. No bedding of thousand-thread cotton sheets would ever be as comfortable as this old cloth that smelled of soothing comfort. The scent even had a color to it: Blue.

Wait.

I opened my eyes and looked at the cloth I was lying on. Marian Blue.

Behind me, half covered by the cloth I was lying on, was a thick shrub in full bloom. Now that I was "awake", I realized the exposed flowers were covered by bees going to and fro. Half of the shade on me was from the shrub and half was from the cloud of bees busy at work. Their hum reminded me of the absent-minded humming of a mother rocking her child.

The wind shifted and instead of blowing away my discomfort, it now drew the scent of the shrub over me. Rosemary. I was snuggled up against a hedge of rosemary.

There was no one to be seen. Blowing dust raced around the sheltering hedge obscuring any sight of what lay beyond. But here, in this pocket of calm, I was safe under the rosemary and the bees. I resolved to untangle the symbolism when I fully woke up, and placed myself in the care of the old cloak, falling into a deeper sleep.

Friday morning, Old Lammas Eve, I'm driving to work and pondering the symbolism that I had literally slept through. That the bees were a reference to honey was blatant. The cloak was her cloak, but why was it snuggled under a hedge of rosemary? Oh, duh, what is it called again? The Rose of Mary! That's her herb! And I do have dried rosemary in the kitchen... but what else? I need three things and I only have two.

"Medicine."

I heard the word between my ears but no voice spoke it. I demanded an explanation but none was given. I continued the commute to work in silence, pondering what the hell could be in my pantry that could fit the category of medicine?

Honey is a carrier and a preservative (of sorts, don't sic any agencies on me, this is not medical advice you pedantic nerds) while rosemary is a blessing and a curative. My stock of individual spices is as thin as the time I have available for cooking.

At work, just as the despair begins to set in again, a conversation with a foodie coworker turns to flavoring honey jars. I express my concern about "an experimental jar" using dried herbs steeped in honey and how to balance flavors in it.

"Oh! Are you making a Medicine Jar?" I could hear the capitals as they asked. "My grandma made one every summer so it would be ready in the winter for flu season! She would take raw honey, and put dried ginger and rosemary and mint in it to steep for months! And come winter, all the dried stuff would be soft enough to chew on if you had to, though the honey would have all the flavor, and she would put a spoon of honey in a cup of hot water or tea. And let me tell you, that ginger taste! If the taste alone didn't cure you then the honey would at least make your throat feel better! She didn't always have dried mint, but she always had ginger one way or the other."

Ginger.

I have that.

I have a BIG bag of dried ginger. Probably a lifetime supply as potent as those pieces are.

The rest of the work day came and went as I considered how I use ginger already. I have a big bag of candied ginger that I use for general upset stomach and to chew on because it's yummy. I snap off pieces of dried ginger to put in my tea in the winter as a general cold medicine and because I like the taste of it. It's something that has been in plain sight all this time and was overlooked because of how common it is to me.

Okay. I have three things to put into the jar: Honey, rosemary, and ginger.

Don't ask me why I waited for sunset before beginning the actual work of putting everything together. It just felt right to wait for darkness to catch up outside. That's what happens when you're so used to being alone, I suppose. But wait I did.

Nothing fancy about what happened next, to be honest. I took pictures each step of the way, but now that I'm sitting here (two weeks later) and looking over them choosing what to post and what to leave out, I don't have anything to show off.

But, here, have some progress pics anyway. Such as this one of a pint mason jar with a whole bunch of shredded (as best as one can shred dried ginger anyway) dried ginger pieces inside and one piece that I was compelled to set aside and not break up.

I didn't measure shitte. It was all a matter of feelings, fears, compulsions, and restraints. I tore apart dried ginger for the jar until it felt right to stop.

And then I started shaking out the dried rosemary on top of that.

Again, I didn't measure anything. I just kept going until it felt right to stop.

And then, the honey. Twelve ounces of it, to answer a question that no one asked.

Throughout all of this, I was praying. I had started the endeavor with Pater Noster, Ave Maria, and Gloria Patri after assembling the containers but before opening any jars for actual use. From then to this point, it was a continual muttering stream of appeals to the Virgin Mary that I was actually doing something useful and not just religious theater. That this Medicinal Jar would be a salve not only to my throat later in the year, but to my spirit that was feeling everything except spiritual.

Feeling inadequate is a bitch, ya know, and seeing so many people having their shit put together enough that they didn't have to wait to receive their blessing chapped my ass. It seems I'm always playing catch-up, I'm always last to know and last to do. I'm always one foot at the back gate, ready to run away before I'm thrown out.

And all these feelings came out in assembling this jar. But with it, came a soothing solace. That some wounds take time to heal, and some medicines take time to create, and while that I don't have a house or a nación or a community to belong to, I am still Myself foremost and always.

And I am loved.

Even when I don't understand it.

Especially when I don't understand it.

It look longer to get the pictures together than it did to assemble everything. The only thing left to do that Friday night, was to offer a prayer from José Leitão's translation of the Precious Apothecary. Specifically, the blessing of new fruit (pg 311) because of the honey and how it was collected.

And so I did.

The jar immediately went to sit at a certain spot where it was prayed over and tumbled each night until Sunday. That Sunday, it was opened and stirred while praying the Rosary. The rosemary had already softened but the ginger was being very resistant to any change. The honey had hints of rosemary and ginger in the taste, but it was clear to me that this jar had a long way to go before being ready for anything other than show.

I suppose there is a life lesson there, but I'll be damned if I see it. (Pun possibly intended.)

There will be no new pictures of the jar. Once the jar was seated in its spot, it became Precious™.

I have the feeling that while I may open the jar to give it a good stirring from time to time, it is not ready as Medicine™ until some point in December. As I know almost nothing of Catholic Holidays and/or Liturgy (I'm one of those depraved magicians, remember), I'm just going to have to keep an eye on the calendars of others and note which ones ring a bell for me.

I apologize that for all my words that I have so little to show. I know some that would say that the fact that I showed up is important in itself, and on the one hand, I would agree with them. But on the other hand, the night is so large and dark and I am so small and pitiful.

I hope it is enough.

I hope I am enough.

#Old Lammas 2022 #Hagging Out #Hagging Out 2022

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themattress · 1 year

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After watching the video in this post, I decided to look up the script for Duel of the Fates, Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly’s first pass at Episode IX before Carrie Fisher’s passing rendered it unusable. While I stand by what I’ve said previously about how its ultimate message (how it’s good to be a “Gray Jedi” who uses both Light and Dark sides of the Force and thus every Jedi prior to Rey got it all wrong) pisses on Star Wars and its core philosophy of the Force and what “balance” means far more than anything J.J Abrams or Rian Johnson could ever put out, I want to bring up another flaw. See, Duel of the Fates is praised by people who loved The Last Jedi and hated The Rise of Skywalker for being a far more “natural continuation” to The Last Jedi. The question I now pose is...is it? Is it really?

I mean, in some respects it certainly is - it maintains the harsher tone, maintains certain beats like Rey having no special heritage and Rose being a central character, and isn’t afraid to risk fucking with sacred cows of the franchise’s mythos (even if they take it too far, in a way that lends a ton of credibility to every “Rey is a Mary Sue!” argument ever made, but I digress). However, look deeper and cracks begin to show to the notion that Duel of the Fates is an organic follow-up to The Last Jedi and would have satisfied everyone who loved that movie.

Yes, Rey would have stayed just a girl from nowhere with no special heritage, and one could argue that her Gray Jedi outcome fit with her trajectory in The Last Jedi where she’s basically perfect as is and doesn’t need to learn much of anything; in fact her “teachers” end up learning from her. However, the big “reveal” scene about her parents from The Last Jedi is still retconned. In The Rise of Skywalker, the retcon is that Kylo just saw what happened - Rey’s scavenger parents selling her - and assumed there was no deeper truth to it but then learns he was wrong about that. In Duel of the Fates, the retcon is that Kylo flat-out lied. He knew that Rey’s parents didn’t sell her for drinking money and were in fact hiding her...not from an assassin sent by Palpatine, but from an assassin sent by Snoke. Him. Kylo Ren. He himself killed Rey’s parents because they hid Rey from him and later lied to her that they just abandoned her. I have no idea how this works timeline-wise given that Kylo doesn’t seem that much older than Rey, but whatever. Also, Rey’s real name is “Rey Solana”. Yes, literally just “Solo” if the last “o” got taken out and the “ana” from “Organa” got put in. Um....poetry?

Speaking of Kylo Ren, The Last Jedi positioned him as the irredeemable Big Bad now that he’s Supreme Leader of the First Order. And Duel of the Fates kind of did and did not stick with that. Yes, he’s the Big Bad all the way to being the Final Boss (for a third film in a row), but his entire plotline is completely detached from the First Order he’s supposedly the Supreme Leader of. Rather than just being treated as irredeemable, damn near every good guy in the film is constantly trying to redeem him (above all Luke’s ghost, since “See you around, kid” was taken literally here instead of figuratively). And yet at the last minute, he kind of receives redemption anyway? He loses in lightsaber combat to Rey, then beats her anyway by killing her via his lifeforce-draining ability, only for Leia to contact him through the Force and tell him “Come back to the Light”....and despite everything he’s done up to this point where he has succeeded in his goal, this is somehow enough for him to immediately give his own lifeforce to Rey, resurrecting her and killing him. He did nothing good other than backtrack on something evil he’d literally just done, so I guess he isn’t redeemed, but then why does the script describe his passing as having light in his eyes and holding Rey’s hand while looking at her with love? How are we supposed to look at this? It’s beyond confusing! You can keep Kylo unredeemed or redeem him ala The Rise of Skywalker, but not both.

Finn, and Rose certainly get it better in Duel of the Fates than they do in The Rise of Skywalker, with Finn leading a massive Stormtrooper rebellion and Rose being one of the core characters instead of an extra. But there are three problems. Rose ends up largely contributing nothing beyond further social commentary and even gets captured and tortured, which doesn’t seem like it makes her starring role worth it. Finn and Rose are a romantic couple, and as it ended up John Boyega and Kelly Marie Tran had no romantic chemistry with each other. And funnily enough, The Last Jedi did not set Finn up for his Stormtrooper rebellion arc! It could have, but for some reason the version of his battle with Phasma that had build-up for this development wasn’t used in the finished film! So that’s a big whoopsie! Poe’s arc in Duel of the Fates actively backtracks on his arc from The Last Jedi! Whereas in The Last Jedi it was positioned that his hot-headed recklessness was wrong and he had to grow as a leader by taking Leia’s example, Duel of the Fates has him in the right over Leia by pointing out “rebellion IS recklessness!” and that Leia has had her time and now she has to let Poe take charge even if she has some reservations about his gung-ho methods. Hux, meanwhile, who was positioned in The Last Jedi as scheming to betray Kylo Ren so that he can become the leader of the First Order...never does that in Duel of the Fates. He basically IS the First Order’s leader anyway since Kylo Ren is busy with his own shit, and the farthest extent his “treachery” goes is just hoping Rey and Kylo kill each other rather than take initiative himself in any way. Oh, and he’s also randomly obsessed with learning how to use the Force and collects lightsabers, one of which he commits seppuku with at the end. Yeah.

As for the other characters, there’s honestly not that much difference from what they do in The Rise of Skywalker. Luke keeps with his turnaround on how he views the Jedi and his place in the universe and assists Rey as a ghost, Leia still reaches through to her son via the Force in order to engineer his change of heart, Han is a vision that confronts his son (albeit one that fails in Duel of the Fates), Lando is reluctant to get involved but then ends up leading the cavalry in the final battle, the sidekicks are still the sidekicks and one of the droids even has their memory wiped but later restored (though it’s R2-D2 rather than C-3PO), and despite all the fan bitching there is no instrumental role played by the ghost of “Chosen One” Anakin. The only other big difference is that instead of Palpatine, a character established as a master long-term schemer with a fixation on finding a way to cheat death, returning, we have a confusing character named Tor Valum who is apparently master of ALL THE SITH which breaks the Rule of Two, hints that Darth Plagueis in his entirety was a lie, and exists as a plot device to make Kylo Ren a formidable Final Boss after having been made a joke of in the climax of the previous two films. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather have Palpatine.

So there you have it. Not much else to say but...

#Star Wars #Duel of the Fates #The Last Jedi #The Rise of Skywalker #Opinion #Analysis #Comparison #Fandumb #Stupidity #What Could Have Been #Anti-DOTF #Anti-Duel of the Fates

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4hist141 · 1 year

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Under the Microscope [x] - An Accuracy Analysis

Disclaimer: This is not an analysis of the historical accuracy of the events that transpire in the drama, but rather of whether the depictions of the events are accurate for the time. This will also not be an exhaustive review, and will only focus on a few depictions, otherwise the post would simply be too long! Also, I am not a historian and have only taken one Chinese history class in my life, so I’m by no means an expert or authority figure on this subject. I’m just doing this for fun (for a class).

To start off, the drama takes place during the Wanli Reign (1573-1620) [1] and the event that created the main conflict of the drama takes place a century(!) before during the Chenghua Reign (1465-1487) [1]. Alright, now let’s look at the main aspects that were depicted in the drama. :^)

Government

- Much of this drama is set during court proceedings. The way that the court is set up in the drama mimics modern day court rooms: a judge, a scribe, a lawyer figure, the defendant, the plaintiff, and a public audience.

For a drama so heavily centered around a court case, it’s unsurprising that the most liberties were taken in the court’s depiction. While the idea that a prefecture would have a council set up for self-governing isn’t outlandish, the overall depiction of the court proceedings were definitely dramatized. [2] The main aspects of the proceedings that are questionable are the presence of the public audience, the presence of the lawyer, and the way the proceedings were conducted. Regarding the audience, courts typically were seeing thousands of plaintiffs a day, so they were encouraged to deal with the proceedings swiftly. [3] While lawyer type figures did exist, the capacity in which they carried out their duties was vastly different than what the drama would have you think. What was more likely to occur, was actually more accurately depicted when the duo seek to have their case reexamined at a higher court.

Typically, the lawyer figure would help to review or write documents for the plaintiff, as well as deal with the court employees. [3] When the case was being seen, lawyers were typically not seen in court, as they were actually negatively viewed. [3] This ties into how the court proceedings were then conducted. The majority of the proceeding was centered around the documents that were submitted prior to the hearing with only a small portion of the hearing dedicated to cross-examination. [3] The documents included the plaint and the rebuttal, and the documents were one of the more important aspects that the lawyer dealt with. [3]

Of course, deliberation focusing mostly on going over documents would make for the opposite of riveting content, so I understand why liberties were taken in these scenes. The drama does redeem itself a bit, though, by including a more accurate depiction — even if in a slightly comedic fashion.

Plight of the Commoner

- It’s through following this family do we get to see insight into a common tragedy that happened to farmers in the drama. The daughter explains that after selling their land to pay back loans, she and her father were forced to either flee to a different county or work under a landlord.

The situation explained above was a genuine problem throughout China’s dynastic history, so +1 for this drama. [3] In fact, this sort of landlord-tenant relationship was viewed negatively since it would lead to large landowners curating immense local power, which was a theme in this drama! [3]

- The following scene occurs when widespread discontent among the commoners leads to a riot against the officials who they believed caused their problems.

Peasant led riots like these against those in power actually happened, so this scene is completely believable. [3] In fact, peasant rebellions were what ultimately led to the overthrow of the Ming dynasty. [3]

Fun Details

-The colorful sticks in this scene are actually counting rods.

Counting rods could, and would, be used for calculations — not just denoting certain numbers! There were a bunch of standards in place on how to use and interpret them, so that grass string in place of the 0 is actually just for the sake of the audience and would not have been needed. [4]

-Incense clocks! The ones in the drama looked like this:

But much more complicated, and less portable, versions of the incense clocks also existed.

Fun fact! Different scents were used at different time intervals so people could literally smell when a certain amount of time had passed! [5]

Overall, I would rate this drama to be fairly accurate. 4/5

Sources

#c drama #under the microscope #for class #pls don't take this seriously #except for erin #you can i guess

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finnissilly · 4 months

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Triple threat - dnd campaign updates (3)

Fellas.

Here was the last part of you didn’t get the chance to read it:

Back to the main story, session 11:

A very short session, all we did was beat up a set of magical armor and a flying sword in a basement and grabbed the amulet we were tasked to retrieve. that was literally it.

session 12:

Still in the basement, as we heard voices coming down as the two people saw us- the tiefling of the two asked if we were the delivery people as to which, Miles teleported behind him said "yes" and tried pushing him down the stairs. Their names are Vizorazz- whos the tiefling, and Lana? Who's a drow. Lana fell and prior to this Blooper had iced the bottom step, which made Lana prone basically the entire fight.

Miles and blooper almost died but luckily with a good tempest cleric hit to Vizorazz he was knocked unconscious.

And Lana got away Scott free by turning into a bear.

We looted Vizorazz and found an undercommon letter on him written in thieves cant

Some noise was going on outside the building so we hid as some cloaked figures with no faces came in and inspected the place and did some hand gestures towards one another before leaving.

We turned Vizorazz in jail and got the necklace back to Korg who was more than happy about that and I think we then became official members of the merchants guild.

I also forgot to mention that we ended up doing this instead of entering into a archery competition where Blooper started beef with another archer.

Anyway.

We packed in for the night and Orion slept on the roof of the inn and during the night saw some of those robed figures many houses away talking amongst themselves.

Anyway,

At the festival there were a ton of different merchants and the gang all got some stuff.

Orion chatted with an old woman who was selling her sons adventuring gear as he’d passed away, and Orion gave her a flower and the amulet he’d gotten from Samantha as he felt bad and didn’t want to take anything- but she was kind enough to let him have the magic quill that would never run out of ink and could change color.

Very cool.

Blooper got this powder that would make someone unable to breathe upon blowing it in their face.

And Miles- got. A lot of arrows.

More specifically he was tasked to take down this one merchants rivaling seller for arrows

Because Miles is a broke bitch.

Anyway, we talked to the rival seller for a while and he was just a really nice elf guy who wanted to spread peace and was really wanting us to buy these non lethal punching arrows.

We didn’t.

We kinda made fun of him actually.

Anyways after stalking him we found where he and his partner were staying and snuck into their room, stole all their arrows except the non lethal ones and then orion snuck in and threw flowers everywhere.

We left and that merchant had to leave town because of that, which the guy who set Miles up to the task was ecstatic about that and gave Miles three whistle arrows which- upon shooting them would scare any and all creatures/enemies within the area away. (Unless they made the wisdom save of 13)

Very cool.

For the third and final day, not much happened other than that and the great feast and speech at the end of the festival by the mayor.

But since there was an election currently happening- both of the candidates decided to speak.

We ate some food but the weather started picking up and as the two candidates were about to do their speech- conditions got much.

Much. Worse as a snowstorm started picking up and it looked like a tornado was in its way to hit the city.

Everyone panicked and rushed to shelter- we made it to the merchants guild for shelter as Korg was ushering people in.

But.

As we all made it in- we heard a massive roar outside, which. Actually was something (or someone) yelling in draconic “Syle, where have you taken my boy?!” And looking out the window to see a silver dragon being the cause of the storm.

Miles- the only one that can speak and understand draconic with a charisma score of 10. Went out and decided to talk him down.

And with good enough wording and no dice rolls (except for one insight roll the dragon made on miles) all was fine and Miles promised to help this dragon find his son Syle.

The other goobers came out and we all flew to the dragons lair.

What Miles had essentially said to this dragon was “I understand your pain, but you can’t be destroying this town in the process.” As. The dragon looked at Miles and said “I sense great loss within you” (insight check) which is true.

We leveled up after that! Miles got his horizon Walker subclass and that was the session.

Session 13? I don’t know anymore it’s probably been much more than that to be honest:

Cleric (blooper) was busy with college so it was a session with Miles and Orion.

We did a murder mystery as this session timeline wise takes place after the saving Layani session.

We’re on a smugglers ship to get to the ivory kingdom. Blooper was sea sick the entire time and so Orion and Miles bunked up.

Orion made friends with a leonin barbarian who we all nicknamed “grandpa”

Anyway- during one of the nights a cloaked figure came up and stabbed a guy and ran off, which Miles tried to run after the killer- didn’t work he ate shit.

And the commotion woke everyone up- Orion tried to cure this guys wounds but that didn’t work. Bro was dead.

After some perception checks we found some wet footprints leading down to the cargo of the ship- and found a wet cloak and bloodied knife in a barrel of rice.

Dumped the rice, we then found an elf in the lookout who was wet who we initially thought was the killer based off this- but he told us he was a sea elf and he was out for a swim, also he was terrified of Miles and thought Miles was the killer at first as well. Anyway.

the next day Orion and Miles went on their long journey of questioning everyone aboard the ship or- everyone they could within one day.

We talked to a human wizard named Quintillious first who was a prick and we hated and he charmed Miles into telling him his name and after the spell Miles punched this man so hard that this man was left with a broken nose and ended up pissing himself.

(Miles has an 18 strength) Orion cured his wounds and we found that Quintillious was probably innocent. He was up trying to practice dark magic and had a stolen book from his college that he ended up giving to Orion. (Important information for later.) next person we spoke to was a dhampir bard named Aurora. Aurora told us she was practicing her song, which- no one was around to hear that.

Until.

Thought of the sea elf- Feyren.

Miles went and grabbed him, dragging him down as Orion spoke to Aurora which Aurora explained that she saw Miles chase after the killer- that the killer had a void for a face and that she witnessed Miles absolutely eat shit before she misty stepped outta there.

Feyren and Aurora spoke and Feyren said he did infact hear her singing and that it was a lovely song, but.

Seemed like those two had an alibi of their cases checking out.

Next we spoke to Drake- a dragonborn who was one of the crew hands. He was very short with his answers and not very compliant.

We basically annoyed him enough till he spilled his answers.

He told us he was drinking with Skrill (the guy who died) and that Skrill was in some debts with other people and whatnot- and that Skrill actually owed Drake.

Anyway, after that.

We met Lloyd- (not Samantha’s husband who’s actually named Luke) Lloyd was another human crewmember who apologized for Drake’s rudeness and told us he was just asleep during the murder and offered to give us some info on the case.

Our last questioning of the day led to the leonin barbarian and his roomate Kadoris.

The leonins name is Draz and him and Miles talked as the hair we found on the hair that was in the rice earlier on the murder clothes was an exact match to his.

Orion talked to Kadoris and mainly it was Orion asking about Draz.

The conversation didn’t really confirm anything but Draz did say he met another shadar Kai before and Kadoris said that there was one time where Draz fell off a chair but caught himself and was very nimble and agile about it while he thought he was gonna fall.

That was basically it.

We went to bed and while in the night someone tried to break into Orion and Miles’ room. We tried to see who it was but the cloaked figure teleported away before we could get them because Orion failed a stealth check.

Miles used detect portal and found one deep below within the sea.

We grabbed Feyren who was frantic and telling us that he saw the person teleport away.

Which we know, which Miles asked if Feyren could check out what’s below us- he swam down and saw a bunch of shark people, and maybe? They saw him? But he swam up as soon as he thought that. Anyway. Next day rolls around as we were unsuccessful at finding the killer, we talked to Rumtum who’s another crewhand who we were sure didn’t do it as he was with Miles at the time of the event and was basically our main man on the ship for information.

We told him about the portal and that the guy tried breaking into our room and also told him a little bit about why we thought this was happening (miles thought it had something to do with his bounty) and he told us about the shark people as well and that they raid ships at night and whatnot.

Not great.

We then went to talk to Kadoris and get his alibi- which we asked him a series of very strange questions to which he admitted to killing someone who was harassing his sister Rebecca. Which.

Was not what we were asking about at all. But alright man.

As to which Miles vaguely admitted to his own crime to Kadoris and then Kadoris threw up as he got sea sick and tried to cast prestigitation but it didn’t fully work. And that was our first murder mystery session and we didn’t come back to this background session for like a month- but we did finish it.

second part of murder mystery

We sat down for dinner with Aurora and Kadoris- Aurora wanted to know if we had any new info- which we shut her down and very quickly asked her to misty step as a demonstration to prove her innocence. she kinda had an "oh shit did I just criminalize myself" moment. we thenasked Kadoris if he wanted to sleep in our room because we suspected Draz due to his hair being on the murder clothes. Lloyd bumped into us and whispered to meet him after dinner as he said he might have info to give us.

We stayed and watched everyone on their behavior after dinner- Drake and Quintillious gave us the worst vibes. After that we made our way back to our room to find Kadoris who told us that Draz was okay with it, we completely forgot that we had to talk to Lloyd- so we made our way to his room.

We opened the room to a bloody nightmare- Lloyd was dead, his wounds looked to be from necrotic damage and he had bloody knuckles- so he did put up a fight.

We grabbed a key off of him to open a chest in his room, which we found a journal, a letter a few coins and a small toy.

His journal seemed to be average at first but quickly turned to the murder case- seeing that Lloyd was doing some investigating of his own. saying who had motives, etc, having checks, lines and x's over each person. the letter he had written was one to his elven wife and his half elf child saying things along the lines of "this will be good for us," and talking about how they could have a new life in farport as a fresh start- and the toy was from his son. People started coming back to the room and we had to leave. Orion turned into a cat and Miles teleported out.

Miles was covered in blood because he had to loot Lloyd's body for the key and whatnot. So, he cleaned himself off by thornwhipping to the side of the boat and just let the waves wash over him, after he got out he's drenched in water, bro is soaked. Rumtum found him and was very confused as to why Miles was soaking asking him what happened. and his responses were just "ocean." and pointed at it, Rumtum asked him if he was thrown overboard and if he was okay Miles just shook his head and said "it was an active choice." And- Miles, proving a strange enough person as is. that was enough to not be questioned further- Rumtum took a double take. Anyway, we met back up and Orion un-wildshaped (also Yes this story takes place prior to the campaign but we didn't un-level-up because our dm didn't wanna put up with that. so we're level 3/4? but in the past. we were told to see this kinda like a dream) and Miles showed up as well, we were both pretty quiet until Orion started tearing up and Kadoris had cast prestitigtation but only got Miles' skin and not his clothes. We showed Kadoris the book and then were about to sleep before Rumtum called everyone out on deck as he didn't want to lose anyone else and was now going to search everyone here, since "the killer was looking for something" being the journal, letter and toy we took. but, Kadoris still had the book- and Kadoris based on what Rumtum said- was about to rat us out until Orion cast charm person on him to make him shut up basically. Anyway, we played into helping Rumtum and swapped the book for a waterskin and then Miles went to actually search a few people- searching Quintillious he found a very nice dagger on him and Quintillious was frantic to explain that he only got it out to defend himself because of the murder.

He seemed more like a scared boy rather than an actual killer though, moving on searching Drake and couldn't find anything on him as Orion was too scared to search him- Miles just, couldn't find anything. (we both rolled badly) Anyway, after not finding the book Rumtum was frustrated and told us that everyone was to stay in their rooms until the rest of the trip, except for Orion and Miles who were going to be sleeping in the crew's room and swapping with Feyren and Drake. as we all went back- Orion dispelled the charm and explained within 15 seconds (that's how much time he gave us) that he started crying because his parents got ripped apart as a kid etc. that seemed to make him believe us- Miles gave him a dagger to defend himself but Kadoris didn't hide it. at all. so we grabbed him and were gonna put it in his boot but. already found one in there which we figured was strange. so we took Miles' dagger back and wished him luck. During the night- since Miles only needs 4 hours sleep, he went out and returned the journal and such before going around the ship to hear in on peoples conversations. he tried listening to Feyren and Drake, didn't hear anything (I rolled a 4), and then went to Kadoris and Draz's room and heard talking and knew exactly who it was. It was Kadoris on a sending stone talking about how no on has a clue it's him, he's got them all fooled and that everyone here is dumb, etc. and a few things clicked and lined up to him being the killer: The hair on the clothes, because Draz was shedding, not being able to cast prestitation fully as he could do it on skin but not clothes, and when Lloyd bumped into us- Kadoris was right. there. Our dm felt bad because we hadn't come back to this session in ages.

Anyway, upon this- Miles ran into the crew room and yelled to wake them up, quickly explained the situation and we started making a plan. Basically- Orion was gonna turn into a crocodile and start a riot on the ship to get Kadoris out of his room. Which, we did- but during this Rumtum opened their door and was unable to successfully play it off (lying) and Kadoris immediately could tell what was up as he reached into seemingly no where before grabbing out a weapon- We were able to get Draz out within our surprise round but Kadoris went first and fuckin killed Rumtum within one round. as Rumtum's last words were "they're gonna kill you" Orion attacked as a crocodile and the crew joined in to all attack him, during the fight Kadoris threw down some smoke bombs to blind us- Orion succeeded the save but Miles and most of the crew didn't. luckily however- Miles based off sound and guessing was able to tell where Kadoris was. Things weren't lookin good so Kadoris decided to jump into the ocean, which Miles teleported to him and Orion turned back into himself before casting speak with animals and jumping in the water to yell at any fish in the water like "hey this guy is a murderer" and there was a shark within the water who started swimming towards him. Kadoris and Miles kinda had a stare off while in the water because. yeah. Kadoris was kinda fucked now as, he couldn't go back to the ship- everyone wants to kill him, couldnt reallt go up as Miles was there and couldn't go down- there's a shark. He dropped his weapon and tried to surrender, as him and Miles had a conversation while Orion and the shark circled the two. Basically it ended with Kadoris giving up and them just going to take him to prison. We tied him up and for the next few days publicly shamed him.

Orion got ahold of Kadoris's weapon and asked him to unatune to it as Orion atuned to it and turned it into a sickle and got kadoris's necrotic damage oil thing. Kadoris explained that he was getting into the black cloak assassins league and this was his like, test and way in- that he has an in to the assasins league as he had a childhood friend in it. and he was in it for the money, etc. basically anyone who had beef with this league would soon end up dead etc. anyway kadoris also had his reward money behind a tavern in farport. and those were the murder mystery sessions.

That’s all I’ll leave you guys with for this post (just so I don’t bombard y’all all at once even though I could)

Next part:

#dnd #dungeons and dragons #d&d #tripe threat #dnd triple threat #dnd campaign #campaign updates

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