#i gave him my coffee grounds so he can grow some mushrooms

[antisisyphus]

had a very good date!

#he works at a seafood place which is why he suggested oysters #they were tasty and the nigiri he got as well was soooososososo good #melted like fucking butter #then we went to a beer garden for 1 drink and then ice cream bc i was too tipsy to drive #anyways i think we are going on a date next week #i gave him my coffee grounds so he can grow some mushrooms

[anjuschiffer]

The Host Club’s Busy Week: Who Let the Rich in the Bakery?!

So during the middle of the night (at least it was for me), a group of us in the Maribat Discord server came up with this AU and thus this was born. Wanna thank @ficsforthestars for instigating this AU! I had a blast writing this.

Also, some things to know before you read: Mari goes under the name Marin when she's part of the school and Mari/Marinette outside of school. Adrien and Felix are called Twins since they look identical despite their different personalities and having different surnames.

With that, I hope you enjoy this!

@-@-@-@-@-

AO3

@-@-@-@-@-

“A competition?” The twins asked, Adrien and Felix looking at one another and then back at Damian. 

It was another day at the Host Club, the boys lazing around as Mari was crowded by the clients that were in the club at that moment. 

Today’s event: Tea with Marin (with cakes made by Marin). 

Damian smirked. 

“Marinette’s parents own a bakery, correct?” A series of nods. “Well, it just so happens that they’re very popular despite being a small commoner’s business, which leads to my next point.”

Damian shows them a flyer, Richard and the rest of the boys wondering what it was. 

“A piece of paper.” Tim says after skimming the flyer, going back to resting his head on the club’s pillow stash. “A flyer to be exact.”

“Correct.” Damian puts the flyer back into his case, Felix noticing other photos and templates in the leather file. Templates were marked in red, some notes scattered around the paper. 

What was Damian up to?

“What does this have to do with Marinette and her parent’s bakery?” Richard asked, something in his gut not sitting right. 

“Well, the bakery needs part-time workers or any volunteers that can help them this upcoming week.” Damian pulled out his remote to summon the club’s screen projector, showing some photos of Marinette’s parent’s bakery filled to brim with customers ordering cakes and other pastries, Sabine and Tom wearing panicked faces. 

Many of the orders and pastries were pink and red themed, the boys quickly picking up on the theme: Valentine’s Day. 

“But we also have our Valentine Day’s event coming up.” Jon chirped in, worried about possibly having to cancel their event to volunteer at the bakery. Not that he minded. Maybe he’d get to try some cakes there. 

“Like if we would ever raise a finger to prepare for the event.” Felix reminded the group, everyone nervously chuckling except for Damian. 

“Back to the matter at hands, we’ll be competing to see who can deliver the most pastries for that entire time we are there.”

Damian changes the slide, showing a map of the area around the Dupain-Cheng Bakery. There were dots scattered across the city, a lot circling around the outskirts of the city and around the bakery itself. 

“Sounds fun!” Adrien squeals, Felix placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“Seeing as this is a competition, I’m sure there’s a prize involved.” 

“Nothing gets by you, does it, de Vanily?” Damian wipes out a tiny envelope. 

“What’s it got?” Jon asked, wondering what a small envelope the size of Damian’s hand would contain. 

“A one day baking class with Marinette.” The boys simply looked at each other and blinked, turning back to Damian new with confused faces. 

“We can literally just ask if she-“

“-with just Marinette teaching you in the bakery.” Damian grinned as he watched everyone straighten in their seats, wanting to laugh at the serious expression that morphed onto Grayson, Agreste and de Vanily. “A one-on-on class. Usually it’s take a lot of membership points to even gain a class with her parents, but with their daughter?” Damian chuckled. “You’d have to buy a year’s worth of pastries to gather the amount of points needed to purchase the class session.”

“We’re rich.” Tim bluntly stated, gaining a few agreements. “We can literally buy three year’s worth of-“

“Drake, do they look like a factory to be able to produce that quantity of goods?” Tim mumbled a no. “There you have it.”

“So, who’s in?” All the boys raised their hands. “Let the game begin.”

Marinette felt a shiver go down her spine as she drank some tea with the ladies, turning her head to see the boys arguing with each other. 

A storm was brewing. 

----

“STOP GROWING MUSHROOMS BY THE OVEN SENPAI! YOU’RE GOING TO RUIN THE DOUGH!” Marinette screamed, pulling Dick away from their oven, allowing himself to get dragged out of the kitchen and into the staircase that lead to the apartment. 

Adrien and Felix giggled as they watched their friend get scolded by Marinette, quickly going over to the counter to hand Damian over the money they had gotten from their recent delivery. 

“Did he mess up again?” Felix asked Damian, accepting the water bottle the Wayne had offered. 

“He sure did.” Tim replies, sipping on his coffee. 

“And he was so sure he was going to get it right this time.” Damian grinned. “He ended up getting lost towards the end and had to get our driver to help him, only to be off by a whole number.” 

“Should’ve seen how embarrassed he got when he knocked on the wrong house door and apologized for bothering them.” Tim said, smirking into his  coffee. “Wish I had known about this instant coffee sooner. Don’t have to wait for it to be grounded or anything! Just add water and it’s done!”

“Well thanks to you, we’re a bag short.” Marinette scowled, causing Tim to jump. “I swear I just saw you drink a cup a minute ago.” Mari said, rubbing her temple as she made her way back into the kitchen. 

“It was actually five minutes ago.” Tim mumbled, taking another sip from the coffee before planing it down to help ring the customer at the counter. 

“Wait, just how much has he been drinking?” Adrien said, turning to Damian for answers. 

“For every five cups he pours, one of them ends up for him.” Damian answered, glaring at Tim as he attempted to steal another cup. “This coffee is for the elderly lady over there so you can’t have it.”

“Party pooper.” Tim muttered, watching Damian give Jon a blind eye. 

Said boy was sitting with the elderly lady, chatting away as the two ate some brioche. 

“I thought you guys were here to help, not to be babysitted.” Marinette growled through her teeth, making everyone go back to their respected jobs. 

She knew, she just knew it.

That shiver that rippled down her back that day was this. She was being warned about this disaster. 

When the Club appeared at her door that morning -at four of the morning mind you-, she knew something was up, she knew they were plotting something. 

And today was not the best day to interfere with her life. Today was one of the busiest days of the year, so Mari didn’t need this ball of stress to start the day, knowing there was more stress awaiting for her further on. 

But just as she had finished scolding them and demanded them to go back home, her father decided to walk by, his face brightening upon seeing them. 

He started to cry and hug Marinette and thanking her for getting her classmates to help them out, thanking Marinette for always being so concerned for her parents. 

As Tom welcomed them in, Mari could only watch in complete annoyance as she watched them have their way. 

Oh the work that awaited them, which led to now. 

Felix and Adrien had finished delivering their 49th order while Richard was still on his 23rd. 

While Mari wished she could go and encourage Dick, but she couldn’t, even if she wanted to. 

Her parents had their hands full and she was needed in the back, trusting Damian with the money, counter and managing his monkeys. 

He wasn’t the Club’s manager for no reason after all. 

With a heavy sigh and after slapping her hands on her cheeks, she headed back to the kitchen. 

-----

“Thank you all for helping us today.” Sabine said with a bow, the boys also bowing, though at different times. 

“Marinette’s lucky to have wonderful friends like yourselves.” Tom said, patting his daughter’s head. Marinette gave her father a smile but dropped it when she turned to see the club members, her eyes narrowed. 

“If anything, we’re lucky to have Mari for a friend.” Jon said, running up to Sabine. “Now we know where she gets her kind personality from!”

Thank Jon was the only thing that rang through the member’s mind, thanking the oblivious boy and his sunshine personality. 

Sabine hugged the boy. “I’m just so happy that my little girl is getting along with her classmates and making friends.” She let go of Jon, who wobbled to compose himself. “We were worried she wouldn’t make any, seeing as it’s a very prestigious school the lot of you attend.”

The twins looked at each other before grinning, Mari not liking it one bit. 

“Don’t worry about a thing Mme. Cheng!” Adrien said with a chirp, Felix noticing the cue to continue. 

“The three of us are in the same class and club.” Felix said, smiling at the cooing Sabine gave them. He continued. “We are very close friends, spending a lot of time together, working on club activities and schoolwork.”

“And because we spend so much time together, we’ve practically her favorite duo. We are best friends after all!” Adrien ended with a smile, shaking Felix’s hand behind his back upon noticing how Dick wilted at their right. 

“Oh Mari!” Marinette was smoldered by hugs, the Club enjoying every bit of it. 

-----

“So, who won?” Felix asked, sipping on some Earl Grey. 

The weekend had passed, the Club spending their glorious three days there, getting fed by the Dupain-Cheng’s. 

Jon -in particular- adored Sabine, one of favorite things about her was how comfortable he felt around her. Almost like having a second mother. 

Tim enjoyed simply being in the bakery, to sit in the aroma of freshly made coffee was heavenly. 

The rest simply liked the bakery because of Marinette and the feeling of being home despite only being there for a few days. 

“Yeah! Tell us Damian!” Jon chirped, stuffing his face with some cookies the Dupain-Cheng’s had given him. 

“Well,” Damian pulled out his screen projector again, taking out a pointer. “Seeing as Jon and Tim lost interest in the competition as soon as they set foot in the bakery, that leaves the rest.”

He changed to the next slide, showing four lines on the map along with dots of the same color. 

“Ooo, what are those lines and dots for?” Jon inquired. On the map, there were lines of different colors along with matching dots. 

“These four lines show the route each of us took when delivering the pastries. The dots show the orders that were successfully delivered.” 

At the corner, there was a guide that named which color belonged to who. Damian smirked when he saw Richard cower behind Tim while the twins glanced at each other before Cheshire grins graced their faces. 

Felix tried his hardest to not laugh while Adrien didn’t bother to hide it. Turning around from his place, Adrien laughed at his senpai. 

“Look at yours Richard! Your blue line is all over the city! And you only got 30 dots on the map!”

Richard curled into himself, his face burning with embarrassment. 

It wasn’t his fault that all the streets looked alike!

“Sad to see that you got lost while being a few meters away from the bakery.” Felix added, smiling at his amount of dots on the map: 96. Meanwhile Adrien felt cheated. 

“Why does Felix get 96?! We went the same way! We should’ve gotten the same amount!”

“You only got 69 because you failed to notice Felix sneaking in other orders as he joined you.” Damian filled in, wondering why-

“Wait… how do you have over a 100 orders?” Oh. So the sleep-deprived idiot noticed. “You were inside the bakery the entire time. Did you cheat?!” Tim accused, Damian raising a brow. 

“Me, cheat?” Damian put the projector away. “No my dear brother. I simply found a loophole.” He took out another remote, the boys watching in anticipation. “I simply used drones to deliver the orders, no walking necessary.”

“SO YOU DID CHEAT!” Adrien and Richard yelled, Felix simply frowning. 

“And as I’m the sole winner, I’ll be using the opportunity to gather more photos for Marin’s monthly magazine.” Damian smirked. “It has become a club favorite, even gaining more demand than his Majesty himself.” Damian wanted to laugh upon seeing Richard wilt even more, dragging himself to a corner to mope. 

“I should’ve known.” A voice spoke up, causing everyone to whip their heads to their eavesdropper. 

“Mari.”

“You did all of that just for fun?” She growled, walking up to the boys, her arms crossed over her chest, tapping her foot. “For your entertainment?”

“A bit, yes, however-“ Damian was shortly interrupted by a fuming Marinette. 

“So you did!” Marinette yelled, grabbing Richard’s attention. “I can’t believe you guys!”

“Marinette, we didn’t mean-“ Adrien started, only to see Richard walk up to Marinette and placed his hands on her shoulders. 

“It started as a competition.” Richard said, dropping his hands once he had her attention. “And we shouldn’t have treated something so serious like that as a simple form of entertainment. Sorry.”

Marinette looked at Richard, averted her gaze and turned away from him. 

He had that look again. Glazed baby blue eyes and a thin line for a smile… the chirp in his being gone. 

Letting out a sigh, Marinette turned back to the ashamed group of boys. 

“It’s fine. I’ll look over it this one time.” Marinette turned to Damian. “However, whatever prize you were thinking of giving better not be rewarded as a condition for me turning a blind eye.”

Damian nodded, ripping the envelope from the beginning in half, making the boys scrunch up their faces. 

“We’re sorry Mari. We promise not to do something like this again.” Jon spoke up, making Mari feel guilty for getting angry at the group. Darn him and his baby doe eye strategy. 

“Like I said, it’s alright.” Marinette restated, now wondering how she was going to tell them what she came for.

“Did something happen Mari?” Jon asked innocently, the club fully knowing she was the softest for him. 

The perks of being a young, childish prodigy. 

“Well, my parents wanted to thank you all for helping out at the bakery the other day, so they want you guys to come over next week.”

“Next week?” The boys sang, watching Marinette fidget under their gaze. 

“You see… it’s my birthday next week.” 

Everyone went haywire, Richard quickly picking up Mari and spinning her around, shouting that his little girl was growing up. Damian started to jot something down and made phone calls. Tim simply blinked before muttering something into his phone and falling asleep. 

The twins managed to pull Mari away from Richard to only squish her between the two, throwing one arm each over her shoulder. They talked about how they felt betrayed that Mari kept her birthday a secret and how now they had to go shopping for her gift. 

Something about a house and a new building caused her to break away from them, warning them that they better not do anything of that extreme for her. Ever. 

Jon offered her to buy her his favorite cake from this world-renowned patisserie, which upon hearing their name, Mari paled. 

She knew that person, her parents’ idol and there was no way in hell was she going to allow Jon to buy her something worth thousands of Euros over a simple birthday cake. 

Damn rich kids. 

But seeing them fawn over her like this, to argue and have fun like this… it was like a dream. 

A dream that was her reality and that she was thankful for. 

She was blessed to be surrounded by such loving people. 

She couldn’t wait to tell her parents that they all said yes. 

It’d be a nice day filled with friends at her parent’s bakery, having cake and-

The floor began to rumble, scaring the entire club members and the other people there, a few of the girls screaming for dear life.

The floor parted open, Nino standing on a rising platform, light beams beaming pastel colors and Nino bopping his head as party music blasted from his speakers. His turntables glinted and his mixer sparkled as people began to gather around the uprising studio.

“Who invited that moron of a DJ?” Damian snarled, noticing the twins tense. “It was you two, wasn’t it?”

They looked at each other and then at Damian. “What? He’s cool.”

Everyone watched as Nino lowered the music and whipped out a microphone, grinning madly. 

“Hey dudettes! You’re probably wondering why I’m blasting party music, but get this!” A spotlight came out of nowhere, landing right on top of Marinette, causing her to freeze. “Starting today, we’re going to countdown to Marin’s birthday! Give it up for the soon-to-be-birthday dude!”

All the girls that were present at that moment turned their heads in unison to look at Mari, proceeding to squeal and surround her, asking her why she had hidden her birthday from them.

This was why Mari thought to herself as she was pushed and pulled on from the mob of girls she was surrounded by. She listened as some girls promised to bring her some pricey fabrics, threads, perfumes and other things from high-end brands Mari only wished to glance at and never touch.

This is why she didn’t say anything, but Nino just had to go and say something, didn’t he? Nino and his loose-lipped self.

-----

That following week, up until her birthday, Mari came home with a mountain of gifts, her parents panicking upon seeing the gifts and not knowing what to do. Meanwhile, one thing rang in her mind.

Damn these rich kids. 

After settling on what to do with the gifts, Mari excused herself to her room, her eyes landing on a box on her desk upon setting a foot in her room. 

She picked up the box, noticing how delicately it was wrapped, a pastel pink paper with ladybug print all over it, a single red ribbon at its side with a note underneath.

The note had her name, Marinette using this sign to open it and cry upon seeing the picture. 

In a simply glass frame with a single ladybug in the corner, there was a single picture of the day the stupid idiots went to volunteer at the bakery, everyone smiling at the camera.

Marinette wiped a tear as she placed the frame on her desk, a single phrase in her mind.

Damn these rich idiots… what would I do without them?

#maribat #maribat x ohshc #anju writes #had fun writing this #might make more in the far future #maybe

[13-reasons-ideas]

Can’t Go Back Part 11

A/N: Next chapter is here. This one has some angst. I expected dinner to go longer but the angst felt like it needed to take precedent. There is a slight time jump about half way through the chapter. Feedback is always appreciated!  Trigger warning alcohol abuse. implied drunk driving. 

I was up early again the next morning to start getting things ready for dinner. The counter quickly became a picture of organized chaos. I had ingredients for dessert out on the island, waiting to be made into my mum’s favourite cake. Monty woke up a while later and after a cup of coffee, was ready to help me cook. “Morning love.” I greeted after he finished his coffee.

“Morning you.” He kissed my forehead softly. “What do you need help with first?”

“Can you grab the mushrooms and plastic wrap please? I’m getting ready to start heating the pan for the meat up now.”

“Sure thing. What am I doing with them?”

“Blitzing them.” I stated. Looking up from my cake recipe, I bit my lip to hold back a laugh. He looks so confused. It’s adorable.

“What now? Also don’t do that.”

“Blitzing them. In the food processor until they’re chopped small. Don’t do what?” I asked, coyly, pushing his very pushable buttons.

“You know exactly what. Don’t think I’m not taking note of all these tests missy. It’s going to be a very long day for you in a few weeks.”

“Oh I’m counting on you noting.” I muttered under my breath. He growled lowly and I whimpered. “Mushrooms mister. That’s what you need to be concerned with. Not sex.”

“The mushrooms can wait a few minutes.”

“We can’t have sex and I’m not giving you a blowjob in the kitchen.” I told him as I moved to the stove to turn on the heat.

“I didn’t say anything about blowjobs or the kitchen Addison.”

I paused. Insufferable. “You are such a little shit. Sit down and blitz my mushrooms.”

“Yes Ma’am.”

“Don’t ever call me that again. It’s too domme-y for me.”

Monty laughed and muttered a retort under his breath. Ignoring his sexual comment and the ever-present sexual tension, I set about getting the cake batter ready.

While the cake was in the oven, I set about searing the meat and getting the prosciutto ready for wrapping. I could feel Monty’s eyes on me as I worked. He gave me the bowl of the food processor and I dumped them into a dry pan, as per the recipe instructions. The meat was seared off and resting on a plate. Everything was going according to plan. I had Monty slather the tenderloin in mustard and wrap it tightly again. “Now it sits in the fridge for a while.”

“I can think of many things we can do to occupy our time.” He smirked, cheekily at me.

“Montgomery. No.”

“Okay, okay. Can’t blame a guy for trying.” I grinned at him and walked around the island, over to the laundry closet.

“You can help me fold laundry instead.”

“Oh joy.” He rolled his eyes playfully. I giggled at him and he smiled. Together, we went about folding the laundry on our bed and organizing it into the appropriate drawers. He made the odd lude comment on my underwear and I simply shook my head. My man and his one-track mind.

Once the laundry was folded, we set the table and got a few more dinner elements ready to be cooked. Mom loves mashed garlic potatoes, so I tossed some garlic in oil and roasted it. Soon, the whole house smelled like the sweet aroma of roasted garlic. I had Monty man the vegetables while I went and changed into my red sweater dress. He changed into a dressier flannel and crisp white t-shirt. How can one man make white look so nice? We spent the rest of the day taking care of minor household things and enjoying each other’s company.

My parents arrived at five, with salad in hand. Dad must have told her we were having food. “Hey Mum, hey Dad.” I called from my place at the island. I lit a cinnamon candle a few minutes ago to cover the garlic smell.

“Hi sweetie. Where’s my favourite son-in-law?” Mom joked.

“Right here. Hi Margot. Happy birthday.” Monty greeted her, exiting our room and balancing his crutches to hug her. “Hey Brooks.” He greeted my dad.

“Hey Monty.  How’s the leg feeling? Hey Addy.” My dad asked, hanging up their coats before walking over and giving me a side hug. It was still kind of awkward for my dad to hug me, but I smiled and hugged him back.

“Meh. It’s feeling okay. The pain comes and goes.”

“It feels better when he actually uses his crutches and rests.” I teased playfully.

“Yes dear.” He shot back. I shook my head, smiling, and got the waiting wellington out of the fridge. The oven beeped as I closed the door and put it in.

“Happy birthday mom.”

“Thank you. It smells delicious.”

“Beef wellington and garlic mashed potatoes with steamed assorted carrots.”

“My favourite.” She smiled.

“Babe would you mind filling a pot with water for the potatoes?”

“Sure.” I nodded and went about peeling the potatoes. “Salt?”

“Yes please. Oh, and Justin says happy birthday too mom.”

“Tell him thank you for me.”

“I will.”

The four of us spent the half hour while dinner cooked and rested, chatting about our weeks. Dinner was fairly uneventful, but delicious. Mum loved her new pumpkin vanilla candle and chocolate strawberry tea. Dad and I continued to try and navigate our new relationship. All in all, it was a nice way to end a weekend.

A couple of weeks later, Montgomery was given the all clear to begin physio by Dr. Marcus. Thankfully for both of us, that also meant he was cleared to begin to foray back into “physical intimacy”. Nothing too crazy yet. Yeah right. That’ll last maybe one round. It seemed that he was more excited to get to drive home than to have sex for the first time in weeks. In addition to sex, he was also able to give up the crutches for the most part. It was only if there was a particularly intense physio session, he would use them. He still wasn’t cleared to play sports, nor would he be for quite some time.

Even with not being able to actually play ball, being one step closer to that goal, seemed to help bring him back to normal a bit. Everything was going great for a week or two. He would go to physio three times a week and do his assigned exercises without complaint. He made sure not to push himself too hard. He didn’t stay out very late on game nights, and when he did, he would call or text me to let me know he was okay and on his way home.

I woke up to the sound of something crashing to the floor. In my half-sleeping state, I reached out to Montgomery’s side of the bed and found it cold. Feeling my nerves grow at being alone in the house, I checked the alarm clock beside the bed. 2:24am. I gulped and got out of bed, grabbing one of Monty’s sweaters to wear and the baseball bat he kept next to the dresser. I’ll never give him crap for keeping a bat next to the bed again.

Walking out of our room, I turned a corner and heard a very familiar voice. Monty was standing in the living room, muttering curse words to himself. I lowered the bat and turned on the lamp, causing him to jump, trying to hide what he had broken behind him. I could tell he was wasted just by looking at him. He had to hold on to the wall to keep himself upright. I set my face stoically and stared at him for a moment. It was then that I saw what he had broken. It was the framed photo on our side table, of us on our wedding day. Now I’m a little more upset. “It’s 2:30 in the morning.” I stated with my arms folded at my chest. He didn’t respond. Instead, he looked at me with an odd mixture of surprise and guilt. I shook my head and pivoted around to go back to bed, but not before firmly shutting the bedroom door.

The next morning, I woke up and got ready as usual. I walked out to the kitchen and did a double take at what I was witnessing. Shockingly, Monty was up and dressed in clean clothes already. He even had a cup of coffee to drink. I didn’t hear him come in our room. “Morning.” He said, from his seat at the table. He didn’t appear to be nursing that bad of a hangover, shockingly. Still mad, I ignored him, making myself a cup of coffee and getting my bag together for school. I didn’t spare the side table a glance, knowing that if I did, I would snap. His eyes followed my every move, probably internally begging me to speak to him.

“I’m meeting with my English teacher before class so I’m leaving now.” was all I said to him before I left the house.

I left the meeting with Mr. Luft about a recommendation letter in better spirits than when I left the house. It was a short-lived feeling because I spotted Monty brooding from across the hall. I knew he was waiting for me because he had neither a locker nor a class in this building at this time. My anger came back in full force when I saw him. Adjusting my bag on my shoulder, I walked straight past him. He followed close behind, hot on my heels. “Addy can we please talk about this?” I didn’t respond. He sighed gruffly, “can you say anything at all to me?” I rolled my eyes even though he couldn’t see my face. When we were away from students, in a less crowded area of the building, he tried again. “Addison, please?”

“I’m not fighting with you in public.” I told him, not turning around.

“We don’t have to fight in public. Will you please just say something about what happened? Are you really this upset about the fact that I broke a picture frame?” Upset that he… seriously? That’s what he thinks this is about? I mean, I’m upset that its broken, but it can be replaced. I’m upset because he came home drunk… again. I’m upset because he didn’t even text me to let me know he wasn’t coming home for a while, if it all. I’m not upset because of a goddamn picture frame.

“Don’t bother coming home tonight.” I ground out before walking away.

My friends were surprised when I walked over to their table at lunch and put my bag down, rather aggressively. “Hey Addy.” Tony greeted.

“Hey.” I replied, trying to keep the shortness out of my tone.

“How’re you?” Alex asked, digging around in his lunch bag.

“Fine. But let’s not talk about me. How are you guys?”

“Right. Fine. Uh… I’m good.” Justin said, giving me a cursory glance.

“I’m good too. Justin learned not to throw food at me in bed this morning.” Clay added.

“Justin don’t throw food at your brother. It’s rude.” I told him, shaking my head.

“Or keep doing it so we can give Clay a hard time about it, your choice.” Alex laughed. We carried on for a while, my friends bringing a smile and some light to what had started as a very gloomy day. The light shifted again when Scott approached our table.

“Addison, can we talk for a minute?”

“About?” I asked casually, as I dipped my cucumber in salsa.

“Why Monty is eating fruit snacks, fruit snacks, and sadness for lunch?”

“I had a meeting this morning.”

“Okay. What about the fact that he said you told him not to come home tonight?” he implored. My friends froze.

“Yes.” I stated.

“Why?”

“I don’t want to discuss it with you. It’s our business.”

“Addy. He’s my best friend and he is upset. It is my business.”

“What happened Addison?” Justin asked, reaching across the table for my hand.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” I muttered, feeling like I was being backed into a corner and struggling to find my way out. I pulled my hand out of Justin’s reach. He’s the one who screwed up here. Not me. Stop making me feel like garbage for needing some space for one day. Scott shook his head, in disbelief.

“Well you’re going to have to talk to him. You’re stuck together now. Or did you forget about the whole ‘better or worse’ part of your vows?”

That got my anger going again. “I am not discussing my marriage with you Scott Reed. Especially not in a room full of people who are just counting the days until we decide we made a mistake and file for divorce. This is an issue between my husband and me. Not my husband, me, and my husband’s best friend. And never insinuate that I do not take my vows seriously again.” I whisper-yelled, standing to walk away. Justin stood up too.

“I just want to help. He’s my best friend and you’re my friend.”

“You can help by giving him a place to crash tonight.” I said, walking away.

Justin followed behind me with my bag, which I left at the table in my haste to get away from the situation. He pulled me into an empty classroom, and I felt hot, angry, sad tears fill my eyes.

“What happened Addy?”

I tried to respond but all that would come out were gasps and squeaks. Justin pulled me into his arms and embraced me while I cried in his chest. The frustration of the last thirteen hours had finally reared its head and I couldn’t stop the floodgates from opening. A knock on the door made me remember where we were, and I stepped away from my best friend. Scott opened the door a bit and poked his head in the room.

“Can we talk about this now?”

I didn’t respond but Justin waved him in the room and motioned for him to shut the door. We stared at each other for a solid three minutes before I spoke, “I told you I’m not discussing my marriage with you Scott.”

“If he is going to spend the night in my parents’ guest room, I think I deserve to know what actually happened to cause it.”

“What did he tell you?” I asked, sighing.

“That he broke the picture from your wedding last night. But you wouldn’t be this mad about a picture frame, so there has to be more to the story.”

I laughed humourlessly. “Yeah. Try ‘broke it this morning’ when he came home at 2:30 so wasted he could barely hold himself up. And couldn’t call or send me a fucking text message that he would be out late. I was up until 12:30 worrying about him, when I couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore.” The boys gaped at me. “Left that part out, did he?”

“Uh… yeah. He did.” Scott paused briefly. “I thought you guys talked about the occasionally overdrinking. And it was basically a non-issue now.”

“It was until last night.”

“Do you want me to talk to him?” Justin offered. “From what you’ve said I don’t think he’s an alcoholic by any means, and NA is different than AA, but the basics are the same.”

“I don’t know. I think I need to talk to him first and see if he will tell me what’s going on. This can’t become a thing.”

“A thing?” Scott asked.

“What is the one thing Monty is afraid of aside from me leaving him?”

Scott thought for a moment. “Becoming his da-. Oh. Yeah that can’t happen.”

“Exactly. So, I will talk to him tomorrow about it when he comes home. In the meantime, try to keep him occupied please? I don’t need him spiralling and making things worse.”

“I will. Might have to give him hell first though.”

“Okay. As his wife, I give you permission to do that.” He hugged me before leaving Justin and I on our own.

“Do you want me to come over tonight to keep you company? We can watch stupid movies.”

“Nah, it’s okay. I think I need to be alone to think for a while.” I hugged him, “thank you. I’ll text you or call you if I need you.”

“You’re welcome. If you need me to come over, I will. Just say the word.” I nodded as I pulled out my compact. My makeup didn’t look too bad considering I had cried. Taking out a tissue, I wiped underneath my eyes and touched up a little bit. Just as I finished, the bell rang.

Coming home to an empty house wasn’t unusual, what with Monty’s sports schedule and other things in our lives, but there was something different about this time. I told him not to be here. I didn’t want him here. He wasn’t in our home because of me. For some reason, that made the house feel a little colder and a little less like home tonight. “Well, I guess I should make myself some food or something.” I muttered into the quiet house. Working quickly, I whipped up a pita pizza and some veggies, before opening up my laptop to work on some more essays.

A few long, lonely hours later, I turned off my computer and went to change. Unconsciously, I went into Monty’s dresser and grabbed a shirt to sleep in, along with a pair of my softer pyjama bottoms. Curling up in my spot on the couch, I turned on the tv and checked my phone. Justin texted me about an hour ago, as had Scott. There was a couple of apologies from Monty that I ignored. Seemed pretty clear that I didn’t want to talk to him but sure. I swiped to open Justin’s text first.

Hey Addy. Just checking in to see how you’re doing. Do you need anything? This is me reminding you not to work on your essays for too long and not overthink too much. I love you.

Hey, I’m okay. A little lonely but I think I need it tbh. I’ll try not to think too much, but we both know how my brain works. Scott’s texts were next.

We got home safe. Mom and Dad are a little concerned about him but other than that, it’s all good. I’m still giving him hell for you.

Thanks Scott. Make sure he eats something of actual nutritional value please. Monty’s texts remained unopened.

I eventually turned my attention to the end table and the broken picture frame. Carefully picking it up, I examined it. The frame itself had broken in two places and the glass was shattered. Thankfully, the photo was still intact. “Time to dig through our stuff for a new frame.” Finding one was easy enough. They were on sale a while ago at IKEA, so we bought a bunch. Soon the picture was back in its rightful place on the table. At least one part of this mess was taken care of.

By ten thirty, I was ready to go to sleep and forget about the stress of the day. I went about the ninety-seven thousand things I do before bed as usual. I crawled into the large, cool bed and curled up in the same position I usually did, in an attempt to help myself fall asleep. It turns out, sleep wasn’t going to be easy to come by. I rolled onto my back, and then onto my side. When those positions weren’t comfortable, I rolled onto my stomach and then back to the other side. I tried turning Monty’s pillow longways so I could cuddle it. It smelled like him, which was nice, but it was too soft and didn’t move like he was breathing. I put the pillow back in its normal position and tried to stretch out. That didn’t help either. You know where he is. It’s not like he’s in danger. You can go to sleep. He is safe. Just sleep. The tossing and turning and racing thoughts went on for at least another few hours, before I decided I needed to take a sleeping pill. I had to get enough sleep, in order to deal with the argument that would most likely occur tomorrow.

I was awake at the ungodly hour of six am on a Saturday, lying in bed, trying in vain to get at least a couple more hours of sleep. By six thirty I gave up on that plan. I dragged myself out of bed and made a very large, very strong, cup of coffee. Deciding it was probably time to bite the bullet and read Monty’s various apologies, I took a deep breath and opened his messages.

I’m sorry.

I’m sorry I screwed up Addison.

Please don’t be mad at me. I love you.

I love you.

Please talk to me. I know I fucked up, but this silence is killing me.

Addison. Baby. Please.

I need you.

Please just tell me how to fix this?

Addy, please talk to me. I’m really fucking sorry.

Okay, Scott says if I don’t stop texting you and go to bed, he’s throwing my phone in the garbage. I love you and I’m still sorry. I couldn’t stop the urge to roll my eyes at the string of pleases. He made no mention of what he actually did. I sent him a quick text, knowing he wouldn’t answer at this hour.

We will talk at home. Tell Scott and his family thank you for letting you stay there for me. With that arduous task completed, I puttered around the house, tidying the nonexistent mess.

I was lounging on the couch, reading a book, when I heard the door unlock. I didn’t look up until I had finished my page and Montgomery cleared his throat. “Hi.” He greeted me, awkwardly.

“Hi.” We were silent for a few beats. Neither of us knew what to say to each other. I turned to look at him. He was looking around the room, anywhere but at me. I felt a small tinge of regret and pity at the uncomfortable look crossing his features. You have nothing to be sorry for. He is at fault here.

“Can you just say something so we can get this over with?”

Get this ov- seriously? “Depends. Can you act like an adult take responsibility for your actions?”

“Oh, so that’s how you want to start this?”

“I guess so, yeah.” I shrugged, standing up.

“I don’t see why you are so upset Addison-.”

“I swear to God Montgomery. If you say a word about the picture frame.”

“Scott already gave me shit for fucking up last night.”

“Oh! Okay, I’m sorry. Why didn’t you say something before? Clearly, we have nothing to discuss here, since Scott fucking Reed already talked to you about it?” I yelled, throwing my arms up for dramatic effect. “Do you even understand why I’m upset?”

“He’s my best friend. I listen to him. Yeah, I get it. I’m sorry I screwed up Addison.”

I blinked slowly at him, trying to figure out if he was being serious or not. “You listen to Scott? Because I’m almost certain it wasn’t Scott that had no issue with you getting so drunk you could hardly stand on a Thursday night.”

“Seriously Addison? You are going to bring your issues with Bryce into this?”

“I never said that. You did. But sure, since apparently you can’t take responsibility for what you did, yeah. I’m going to bring Bryce into this, Montgomery.”

“It was one night Addison.”

“This time. This time it was one night. What about next time? Or the time after that?”  

“It’s not a big deal. What are you going to do, tell me I can’t be friends with him? He’s my brother.”

“I am your WIFE. I am your family. You need to realize your actions affect more than just you now.”

“You didn’t answer my question.” He crossed his arms.

“I don’t want to tell you that you can’t. That is something you can decide on your own.”

“That’s you politely saying yes.”

“No, it isn’t. If you want to take it that way, you can. Are you ready to discuss the real issue now? I don’t put even a quarter of the blame on Bryce.”

“Mhmm. Sure, you don’t.” He muttered, aggressively.

“You decided to get wasted at a party. You decided not to let me know where you were, or if you were okay, or if you were coming home. You decided to drive home.”

“I didn’t realize you needed to know where I was at all times.”

“I don’t.”

“Really? Because it sure as shit seems like it.”

“Sorry for wanting to know if my husband was okay or not.” I yelled.

“You knew I was at Bryce’s. I was fine.”

“Fine? If you think this is fine, you need to re-evaluate that idea really fast. You could barely stand up. It’s a wonder you didn’t get pulled over or hit anything. Or anyone.”

“I didn’t. I got home in one piece and everything was fine. Until you decided to throw a hissy fit about it. And newsflash, my leg is fucked, so I can barely stand up to begin with.”

“It is not fine Monty.”

“You keep saying that but aren’t giving me a reason or explanation why.”

“You mean aside from the obvious?”

“Yeah.”

“You need to realize that it isn’t just you anymore. You need to understand that you have a family to be concerned about now. I get that it’s not something you are used to, but you do.”

He scoffed. “I understand that perfectly well Addison.”

“Do you though? Because I don’t think you do. You don’t act like you do.”

“Because I went out with my friends for a night? You are going to question my commitment to you because of one night?”

“No. I’m not questioning your commitment to me. And I have no problem with you going out with your friends. I have an issue with you coming home drunk off your ass. Again. I have an issue with the fact that you do it and then we talk about it and then you go on like everything is fine for a while. And then you do it again.”

“It’s not like I do it all the time. Don’t make it sound like I’m just coming home drunk every night.”

“I’m not. I’m just saying that this is becoming a pattern. A pattern that I, for one, am not okay with.”

Monty stared at me incredulously. He rolled his eyes and shook his head, catching sight of the replaced frame on the end table. “I see you fixed your precious photo. So, there is no reason to be mad anymore.” He muttered just loud enough for me to hear.

“Seriously? It was never about the goddamn picture frame. It was about you. Do you honestly think I would make you spend the night at your friend’s house over a picture frame breaking?”

“I don’t know Addison.”

“Well clearly we aren’t going to get anywhere today then. Since you can’t seem to accept that your actions have consequences, and I can’t force you to understand my point.” I shook my head. I couldn’t keep going around in circles with him. If he wasn’t ready to have a mature discussion about this, then there was no point in trying.

“I guess not.” He said.

There was nothing more to be said anymore, so I walked back to the coffee table from the kitchen, where we had ended up in our fighting. Grabbing my book and phone, I stalked past him, half hoping he would reach out and grab me to apologise. When he didn’t, I went back into our room and closed the door. I went to the bathroom to splash some water on my face. Instead, when I shut the door, I slid down to the floor and laid my head on my knees. My tears left little dots on my leggings and stains down my cheeks. Luckily, I was able to hold back any sobs that tried to break through.

After a while, I could hear Monty in our room. It sounded like he was opening and closing drawers. For a moment, I could hear him breathing on the other side of the door. It was like he was trying to decide to knock or not. I held my breath. A moment later, I heard his footsteps pad away from the door. Roughly an hour or so later, I decided I had hidden in my own home long enough. I stood up and splashed my face with cool water. I quickly changed into a pair of dark sweatpants and a comfortable t-shirt, with my favourite grey cardigan over top.

“I’m going out.” I stated as I walked out of our room and grabbed my purse.

“K.” Monty replied, not bothering to up from the playbook he was reading on the couch. I raised my brows sadly at his lack of response. My drive to Justin’s place was unusually silent. I normally drove with the radio on or AUX connected. I parked in front of the house and walked around back. I knocked on his door firmly a couple of times. While I waited, I unconsciously wrapped my arms around myself protectively. Justin opened the door not long after. He took one look at me trying not to cry and curling in on myself and stiffened.

“Clay, get out.”

#can't go back #monty de la cruz #monty x oc #monty de la Cruz fanfic #monty imagine #monty x reader #montgomery de la cruz x oc #montgomery de la cruz #montgomery de la cruz x reader #montgomery de la cruz imagine #13 reasons why #13rw #13 rw #Thirteen Reasons Why #Justin Foley #justin foley jensen #fanfiction #fan fiction #fanfic #fanfic writing

[jovialyouthmusic]

The Many Lives of Drake Walker

A Royal Romance multiple AU Fanfic

I go back to the virtual world to assist Drake and Riley. Can we help her become self aware?

Word Count 3214

A/N It’s about time Drake got a break with Riley.  NS*W No under 18s

Wake up, my love

Again I found myself going through the screen to meet Drake, and take up where we had left off with Riley. He was a little morose and his greeting was a little lacking

‘What’s the matter, Drake?’ I asked, and he shrugged

‘Oh I don’t know, it doesn’t feel like we’re getting anywhere. She still just sits and looks blank, or sleeps.’ I squeezed his arm

‘Don’t lose heart Drake, maybe something will happen soon’ I tried to reassure him. He just shrugged again. ‘Now come on, Riley wouldn’t want you to be unhappy’ I said, and he sighed. I put my hand on his shoulder ‘Chin up, let’s start the scene, better to keep moving forward than stand still’

 Riley’s POV

I felt like I had dozed off by the time there was a knock on the door, and Drake got up to answer. He came back with a pizza box and a bag with a big bottle of soda and some chips (that’s crisps for us folk in the UK) I laughed and clapped my hands

‘Drake that’s genius. I feel so naughty – and a little guilty too’ He smiled reluctantly.

‘I got a couple of types, I didn’t know what you like, but then you said you’d eat anything so I got what I like – a meat feast and a mushroom and pepperoni’

‘Sounds good to me. Where should we eat them? We could sit at the table or…’ I waved my hand to indicate the rest of the room

‘Definitely on a fancy couch and put the box on this marble coffee table’ Drake grinned but I could tell something was wrong, his heart wasn’t quite in it.

‘Hey, what’s the matter Drake?’ I said ‘You seem a bit down’ Drake put the box down and looked at his feet.

‘I – Riley, it’s difficult to explain. I’ve waited for you for a long time. I’ve been lonely, and I’m scared of losing you’ I went over to him and threw my arms around him, kissing his cheek. He held me tight.

‘Why would you lose me?’ I said ‘I’ve made my decision, and once I make up my mind I don’t easily change it’ I felt him take a shuddering breath

‘You never know what might happen’ he said, and drew back from me ‘Riley, do you ever have times when you forget things, or feel like you’ve done things more than once?’ I shrugged.

‘Everyone gets déjà vu’ I said ‘and my memory is kind of odd. Why – how about you?’

‘Never mind’ he said ‘Let’s eat this before it gets cold’ I looked at him, worried about his state of mind, but couldn’t think of anything that might cheer him up except to go along with his plan. We lounged about on the fancy upholstered chairs and ate pizza with our fingers and passed the bag of chips and bottle of soda between us

‘Won’t I get cooties if we drink from the same bottle?’ I teased

‘I’m fairly certain we already got them from kissing’ Drake said drily with a mouthful of pizza. Finally there was one piece of pizza left and we sat with full bellies. I looked at the empty boxes and crumbs and bits of chips on the carpet.

‘Well I think I’d be thrown out of House Beaumont if Bertrand saw this’ I said ‘We’d better make sure housekeeping stops by before he comes back’ Drake made a hollow laugh

‘I feel guilty for making work for the staff’ he said ‘Dad taught me you should be able to do stuff like that for yourself. It’s been weird growing up in a palace.’

‘You know, it’s odd’ I said, trying hard to remember ‘I must know how to – you know clean up, do housework, but I really can’t remember ever having done it’ I looked over at Drake to see an odd expression of sadness on his face. He took my hand

‘Let’s not worry about it now – it’s overrated. You asked me to stay with you tonight, is that offer still open?’

‘Yes, I don’t feel like being alone – and I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather have with me’ Drake smiled at last.

‘Thanks Riley. Why don’t we go for a walk first, settle that pizza – and maybe watch a movie after’

‘Sure, that sounds good’ We wandered the grounds for a while, Drake telling me more stories of getting into mischief with Liam, Leo, Maxwell – and Olivia. He showed me to the centre of the maze and we sat there for a while until it started to get dark. I yawned

‘I’m not sure about watching a movie’ I said ‘I think maybe I need to sleep.’

‘Okay, your room or mine?’ I thought for a moment

‘Your place is cozy, and you said you never brought a girl there before, so let’s break new ground’ Drake grinned – he was relaxing more now.

‘Sure, sounds good to me. Want to drop by your room and get some things?’ We walked back hand in hand – it still gave me little tingles sometimes when we touched.

‘You can go on up, I can remember my way’ I said as we got to the door, but Drake shook his head

‘No can do, I’m not letting you out of my sight’ I narrowed my eyes at him

‘Did Bastien make you promise?’ I teased. He looked surprised

‘Well, kinda – but I would have anyway, I don’t want you to feel…I mean I want to…’ He was flustered, and I gave him a kiss on the cheek.

‘Sorry Walker, I know how you feel, it’s mutual, remember?’ He gave a big sigh of relief

‘Don’t scare me, Brookes. Now get your stuff and we can go and christen my room – uh, I mean…’ he blushed furiously. I laughed at how awkward he was

‘Drake Walker, I still don’t believe you were ever a player’

 Drake disappeared into his bathroom when we got back, to give me some privacy to change, and to freshen up himself. He opened the door a crack before coming back in to the bedroom

‘Is it okay to come in?’

‘Yes, I’m decent’ Drake appeared in a t shirt and pair of pyjama bottoms. I had to laugh as it was a Superman t shirt.

‘Ha, I thought you were Clark Kent’ I joked, and he rolled his eyes

‘I normally sleep naked’ he said bashfully. I felt a stirring at my core.

‘So do I’ I said huskily ‘And I’m feeling a whole lot better’ I saw him swallow, and he came over to me shyly. He stood in front of me, searching my eyes and taking my hands.

He’s looking for my approval. He knows I can stop this if I’m uncomfortable – but I need to let Riley take over. I hope he can feel that. He knows I can step out if I need to, shut her down – but I don’t want to give up the chance of her waking up properly, realising who and what she is.

‘Do you mean – you’d like to go further?’ he asked. I could see a spark in his eyes, a shifting of gear, a glimmer of hope.

‘Why are men so bad at reading the signs?’ I laughed ‘short of lying naked on the bed with a neon sign above my head, the answer is y…’ I never finished the word as his lips crashed onto mine. He pressed his body to mine and his hand searched under my nightdress for bare flesh, settling on my buttock, fingers clutching and drawing me close to his rapidly growing excitement. My heart did a little flip – his touch was electric yet strangely familiar. We parted and stripped quickly, never taking our eyes off each other – Drake spent a few scant moments scanning my naked body before grabbing me again, kissing me messily, his lips hot, his body burning with passion.

Okay, this is happening – it’s Riley doing this, not me. It’s not like I’ve not been intimate with Drake before. I’ll take a back seat, let her drive… he must be okay with this otherwise he’d hold back. And maybe it will push her toward waking up…

I myself only had a few moments to take in his broad muscular chest and narrow hips, the generous scattering of dark hair, flat belly and strong muscular thighs. Again it felt familiar as if I had dreamed of him. My soft curves somehow fitted his flat angular planes. Again he drew back and looked at me searchingly, brushing my hair back from my face.

‘I need to be sure’ he said huskily ‘I want to make love to you badly, but you should tell me if it’s too much, because I don’t think I can stop once I’ve started’ His words stirred me deeply and I knew I wanted him and always would - and I knew he needed a clear message.

‘I want you Drake’ I said shakily ‘All of you, all the way’ and he backed me up to the bed, kissing me again and again as I scooted back and he followed, keeping contact, pushing me gently back on the bed and hovering over me, one knee between my thighs. Again our mouths fused together and our tongues danced. I held on to him, hovering just off the mattress until he followed me down and I sank into its soft embrace. Somehow he still smelled of whiskey and smoke, and his hand stroked along my side, setting my senses on fire. I let my hand wander over his back, feeling the tension in his shoulders as he kept his body inches from mine.

Breaking the kiss, he nipped along the line of my jaw and trailed hot kisses down my neck, making me writhe with delight. He moved down my collarbone, down over my breastbone, groaning as he reached my breasts. He let himself down on the bed beside me, lying on his side and cupping my breast, stroking the nipple, lips again coming back to mine, this time softly for butterfly kisses. Desire surged inside me and I turned toward him, throwing my knee over his hip.

‘Riley’ he growled ‘I want to kiss every inch of you, but more than that, I want you. Next time I promise I’ll take my time – but dammit I want you so bad…’ I responded by pushing my sex against his erection, satisfyingly big, hot and hard against his belly. This was no slow exploration – this was the explosion of passion.

‘I’m not a virgin’ I said bluntly ‘show me what you’ve got, Walker’ He surged into action, pushing me over onto my back and pushing my thighs apart to kneel between them, a look of triumph on his face as his lips came down onto mine again. His hand came flat against my belly and moved down over my mound. My body rose to meet him as his fingers deftly searched and swiftly found my swollen nub. I drew my knees up around him as his fingers explored and assessed and probed for that spot inside. It surprised me how accurate and swift he was, and I was soon writhing underneath him.

Drake please’ I whimpered ‘I want you inside me’ He growled and shifted his hips to line up, and tentatively nudged against me. I was wet enough for him but he slowly worked his way in – deeper and deeper until he filled me completely, stretched a little but still comfortable, and again it somehow felt familiar ‘Oh yes’ I breathed, and shifted underneath him, rolling my hips, feeling my entire body firing up, every neuron lighting up under his touch. He groaned and started to pull out, almost reluctantly, then plunged back in again. Every move made me tingle and burn.

As he thrust I rose up to meet him and we worked together making a mutually acceptable rhythm, our moans and gasps punctuating our movements. My senses were overwhelmed and I know my climax was inevitable. I felt it grow and surge and build, but I held back from the brink, feeling Drake trembling, shaking, aware that he was holding back too, prolonging the moment when we would fall together, clinging on to each other as the world slid away underneath us.

‘Drake’ I cried, and his name fell from my lips, and as he answered, I heard other names – along with Riley – simultaneously – Kate, Lucy, Camille, Alyssa, Paisley… and I was pulled into a vortex as we peaked together and rode the wave for a few brief but neverending seconds. Then it broke and we shuddered together, moved together and became still together. We lay tangled together, spent and sated and complete. I felt light headed and for a moment I knew we’d been here before, though it was impossible. I could barely move, and Drake lay gazing at me, lazily stroking my ankle with his foot – just the smallest of movements, but I knew he too felt heavy and immobile.

‘Drake’ I whispered again and I drifted off to sleep.

 I wasn’t sure how long it was before I woke again - but it wasn’t like waking up usually was. My body lay heavy and immovable, and I could hear voices – Drake and a woman’s voice. I tried to move but I felt like I was underwater, and my body refused to obey me.

‘I thought for a moment she remembered’ he said. I couldn’t turn my head to see who he was talking to – could not even open my eyes.

‘I can’t tell you if she did’ the voice came ‘Our minds are always separate, and the link is faint. I think she hears me sometimes, but only if I concentrate hard’

‘I’m sorry you were – were still there. How was it?’

‘We’ve done it before, in a way, but I’m usually the other side of the screen. It was odd being present – but I promise you, it was all her, I was totally passive.’ I heard Drake sigh

‘Thanks Les’ I heard him come closer, and the bed dipped as if he sat on it. I felt his hand ghost over my cheek. ‘She looks so peaceful. I wish she’d remember’ I tried again to open my eyes, tried to move – an eyelid, a finger, a toe…

‘Drake!’ came the woman’s voice ‘She moved!’

‘What?’

‘Her – her foot moved’

‘Really?’ I tried again.

‘Heck, you’re right’ I felt him grasp my hand, and it made me feel stronger ‘Riley, if you can hear me, do it again – move your toes’ I made a herculean effort. Just to curl my toes seemed to take a lot of energy, but I managed. It was like reaching through fog – the connection was fuzzy but it was working. I felt him move closer. My heart beat faintly and my breath was shallow.

‘Riley, keep trying’ he said ‘you’re waking up. You need to know some things, but it’s going to be hard for you to understand’

‘I’ll get Bastien, he may be able to help’ the woman – Les – said

‘Sure, if you think it will help’ Drake replied. I rested, gathering my strength, and after a few moments I heard Bastien’s voice.

‘Drake, Les – how can I help?’

‘I think she may be waking. Les isn’t driving her, and we’re not playing a scene – and she moved’ Again I felt the bed dip, and Bastien’s voice came on my other side

‘Holding her hand or touching her may help, she may get a little energy from it. Don’t be afraid, it’s like a loop, we feed off each other’ he said, and took my other hand. Now he said it, it did feel like energy was flowing into me from both men, and I moved my foot again.

‘Listen to me Riley’ Bastien said ‘Try to open your eyes, it shouldn’t be difficult now.’ He was right, my eyelids felt heavy, but I managed to pry one open, and rolled my eyes to look from side to side. Drake beamed at me and Bastien looked solemn. Drake spoke.

‘That’s my girl – my Riley. Keep trying, we’re here to help you. When you can move a little more, we’ll explain’ After some more effort, I could move my head from side to side with both eyes open. I could open and close my mouth but speaking was impossible. My throat felt dry but I couldn’t do anything about it – not even try to clear it. I started to choke. The sensation of smothering terrified me as I tried to draw more breath in. Bastien put his hand on my chest, and motioned Drake to put his hand on my belly. All of a sudden I was able to take a deep breath in, and I did so, taking in a huge lungful of air, coughing and spluttering as I exhaled.

The two men pulled me upright as I gasped to control myself. I found myself shaking and coughing, tears flowing from scratchy eyes. Bastien disappeared briefly and came back with a glass of water, lifting it to my lips as my hand shook.

‘Sip, don’t gulp’ he told me, and I took the cool water in to moisten my dry mouth, then more to soothe my sore throat. Drake pulled me to him and laid my head on his shoulder, stroking my arms as I started to feel other parts of my body come under control. Finally I felt more normal.

‘What’s happening to me? Am I sick?’ I asked. Bastien regarded me calmly and I could see the woman sitting nearby, her eyes full of wonder and a faint smile on her lips

‘On the contrary, you just woke’ he assured me ‘Let us explain…’

Minutes later my head was spinning from what the two men had told me.

‘Let me get this straight – I’m a fictional character from a virtual game, but Les over there is different’

‘Yes, she writes fanfiction featuring us all – there are others but one or two of them are able to visit us for a short while.’

‘And I’m not the only Riley?’

‘No, there are different versions of you who may look different or have different names, but they started from the original game. There are so many versions that you didn’t have enough energy to be self aware – until now’

‘And you’re self aware because your character is more consistent?’ Drake smiled and squeezed my hand

‘That’s right, Riley. When I said I was lonely and didn’t want to lose you, it’s because you forget who you are from game to game’ He drew me close ‘I’m so pleased. I hope it’s not too difficult for you to understand’

‘Well it is kind of freaky’

‘I’m going to look after you, Riley. I may have to disappear from time to time to play out a story – otherwise I’d run out of energy – but Bas here can be with you when I’m not, and you can meet some of the others.’ I drew a deep breath

‘Thanks Drake. I have the feeling things aren’t going to be simple’

@emceesynonymroll @sirbeepsalot @cora-nova @stopforamoment @drakeandcamilleofvaltoria

@drakesensworld @katedrakeohd @pedudley @indiacater @texaskitten30

@be-still-my-aching-heart @hopefulmoonobject @dcbbw @classylady1234 @fromthedeskofpaisleybleakmore

@bbrandy2002 @rainbowsinthestorm @nomadics-stuff @gardeningourmet @furiousherringoperatortoad

@kimmiedoo5 @bascmve01  @ibldw-main @burnsoslow @addictedtodrakefanfic

#the many lives of drake walker #many lives of drake walker #drake fanfic #drake x riley #drake x writer #drake walker au #drake walker fanfic

[lady-dimitrescus-loving-wife]

Kurapika x Fem! Reader || One Last Time

🍋🍋🍋

You had just gotten home, kicking off your shoes and tossing your backpack onto to the sofa. You’re lover had been out again and you yourself had just come back from some training practice.

A groan left your soft lips as a hand found the lower of your back, stretching with a loud groan as a few muscles popped her and there. Your (s/c) skin had still been a bit damp from the sweat your (b/t) body had formed. Your (h/l) (h/c) hair pinned up into a cute ponytail.

Your shirt drench and smelled of some sort of cheesy cuisine honestly. It wasn’t bad but that wasn’t going to stop you from taking it off. You hands came down and grabbed the hem of the fabric before pulling it over your head lazily dropping it to the carpet floor.

Your (chubby/toned/lean) stomach showed along with your breast covered by your bra. With a huff you fixed it feeling the cool air of your house lick your nipple telling you it was out. After, you looked at the clock on your phone after pulling the device from you pants pocket. Your eyebrows furrowed at the time.

‘11:34 pm huh?..’ You thought to yourself, but then again.. Kurapika had been hunting this Chrollo guy for a while and seemed determined about it. You shrugged after that thought before deciding to at least clean up and make him something. Days like this..Kurapika would be so upset or so angry he wouldn’t eat or take care of himself in general.

Last time you had to force him to take a shower before bed due to the fact that he smelled like eight cans of shark shit and ten of depression.. to say the last, the aroma was toxic.

You gave a light sigh before looking around the living room you were currently in. Sometimes you fell asleep before him, argued with him, or accused him...something you should apologize for considering it’d just make his attitude worse making him sleep in the living room. Which is why it looked like a tornado ran through it...

You sighed before slapping your cheeks, making you get ready. Your body was tired but that wasn’t going to stop you from helping your boyfriend tonight.

“Come on (Y/N)! You got this, let’s get to it!” You spoke to yourself before traveling into to kitchen digging out a couple trash bags before getting to work.

Bottles had been of the floor, coffee cups on the table, blankets skewered over the couch, various piles of dirty clothes littered over the floor. You had to stop yourself from doubting your cleaning skills even though you are one hell of a procrastinator.

You huffed unfolding the black bag and flapping it open. You looked into it before putting your head into it as if to kill yourself. A light laugh came from you after.

After about an hour you had been finished, lazily laying on the now clean couch. One leg bent on it as the other helplessly stood on the ground. You put the full bags of trash outside the house door, cleaned the furniture, and put the clothes in the hamper a bit confused and disgusted finding some were sticky for some reason. You didn’t put too much thought into it even though you probably should have.

Suddenly you sat up remembering your plans for tonight, or would you say “today” considering it was 12:15 am now? Ah, who cares. You went to your room and pulled off your pants that showed your cute (f/c) underwear. You hummed gathering some short shorts and a shirt that had belonged to the blond. A soft smile came to your lips before you went to the bathroom.

You didn’t need underwear, it annoyed you actually so a lot of the time you wouldn’t wear it.

In the shower you let your body get wet, the flower curtain helped keep the water inside the tub as you hands ran over you beautiful, lovely body. You didn’t mean to but as your eyes closed your mind started to wander.

How long has it been since Kurapika had a chance to touch you again?..It’s been a while. Which was once reason you wanted him to quit chasing this guy which now that you thought about it, seemed like a bitch move. Like for god sake the man’s clan was killed! You sighed as you hand ducked below your waistline on its own curiously rubbing the soft clit.

Sometimes you argued with him which resulting in you accusing him of cheating, him sleeping on the couch, or him leaving again and not coming back for hours. You bit your lip as your fingers moved lower before rubbing around the tight-ish whole. Sensations vibrating up your back as your free hand cupped your left breast carefully rubbing about the nipple until it got hard and sensitive.

You never liked to argue with him but just wanted him to stop hurting him. To stop being upset about the past and to the future. Sure killing the Phantom Troupe felt good sometimes but what about coming home?

Didn’t he love you?

You pulled your hands away from yourself suddenly disgusted. A small frown on your lips as you finished cleaning yourself before turning off the water. For a minute you stood in silence as the water drained. Your hand still on the water faucet as droplets fell from your body. You couldn’t tell if the water was still running down your face or if...you were crying.

You gave a soft laugh before getting out grabbing your towel and wrapping it around you. It was quiet but you jumped at hearing the sound of the front door being open.

Intruder?! No..you didn’t feel anything with a dangerous aura which meant...Kurapika?

Quickly you pulled on the shirt and shirts, nearly tripping as your foot slipped a little due to a puddle on the floor. The shorts barely got lower than your lush hips and the shirt stuck to your body thanks to the water that still dampened your being. You opened the door curiously staying on guard just in case it actually was an intruder..

You turned the corner and there he was, Kurapika stood in the living room in a bit of a daze. Even though his aura wasn’t murderous, it was still active and angry.. that didn’t stop you from running over and hugging his arm which made him jerk his head up to look (down/at/up) at you.

“Kurapika! I’m so glad you’re home..I missed you so much.” You spoke with a genuine and soft voice. His eyes looked at you, red which made you sweat a little. Suddenly he grabbed your wrist making you jump as he dragged you to follow him which of course you tried to pull back from.

“Kurapika! Wait, I wanted to make dinner for you- Ah!” You words were cut off as he slammed you into the hall wall picking you up and forcing his way between your thighs forcing you to hold onto him so you wouldn’t fall. He seemed angry but this position really flustered you a little.

“Y/n.. later. I need you right now.” He spoke, voice soft but deep and husky as well. Before you could whine his mouth latched onto a clothed nipple making you jerk and grip his shoulders. It shocked you, his rough tongue and teeth licking and nipping at your nipple which seemed to get hard fast. He pulled back leaving you chest rising and falling. He quickly led you both to your shared bedroom and dropped you onto the bed.

Your back finding the lush and soft blankets as he roughly pulled off your shorts, pulling them off until they dropped onto the floor. You shook your head with a loud yelp. You were embarrassed, he hadn’t looked at you in about a month or two and suddenly he’s trying to be tongue deep inside you. As much as you wanted this you had to stop him. You had to talk to him.

He came up, mouth finding your collarbone and sucking. A shaky gasp left your throat as you tried to push on his chest to get his attention only for him to pin your hands down to the fabric. You were growing wet, thighs shaking in anticipation, nipples wet and hard, cheeks red and hands pinned down by rough but delicate hands. You looked up at him as he stared down at you, eyes wide and a bit teary, blond hair hanging down then grazing your head as he kisses your lips.

“I missed you too. Please, right now I need you. It’s been too long (y/n). Let me hold you” He spoke against your lips before you moaned at him crawling closer rolling his clothed cock against you exposed pussy. The wrinkles in his pants continuously rolling against you semi hard clit.

You laid your head back as a moan slipped from you. “o-ok I understand, please let everything out in me” You panted and he groaned. He sat back letting you go as he pulled off his belt slapping your thigh making you shuddered.

“Get on your hands and knees baby~” he spoke and you quickly did so. You pushed your hips back curiously looking back at him jerking when he lands a harsh slap in your ass before grabbing both your wrist, pinning them behind your back. You slipped down, face in the blanket and ass against his lower stomach as he wrapped the belt around your wrists trapping you.

At this point you were a dark red and if only he’d use the toys on you, you knew he couldn’t wait though. He pulled down his pants releasing his thick veiny cock, it curved up at the tip and throbbed against the hump of your ass as he kissed your shoulder before his fingers laced into your hair.

“Two months, no underwear or bra, my shirt, and wet body..my love, I hope you’re ready because I can’t hold back.” He spoke into your ear, suddenly you were glad you played with yourself in the shower because you were pretty sure if you hadn’t you’d be in danger. You panted wiggling your hips, ass grazing his cock multiple times begging for it.

“Please..oh please y-yes” you pleaded and he nodded kissing your ear he gripped his cock with his free hand, jerking the red mushroom tip a couple times before pushing it against your twitching pussy. Your breath hitched and suddenly the hand in your hair tightens, his nails sending pleasant vibrations through you as they rubbed along your scalp. His hips snapped forward as he shoved everything in, your back in one hell of and arch as you let out a loud cry almost missing a growl that came from him.

Your walls spasmed around his juicy cock, clamping around him like predator and prey as his free hand dug into the flesh of your ass most likely bruising it. He stayed still until he couldn’t as pulled all the way out letting you relax even though you knew better than to as he rammed back it bumping against your g-spot already and you actually peed a little. Your tongue hanging out as the liquid dripped down your thighs along with precum.

He tossed his head back with a groan before he pulled his hands back to yank off his annoying shirt, almost ripping it in the process but not caring. Once free he was back on you instantly. The hand that was in your hair suddenly around your neck choking you up but not too tight as he laid against you, the strong muscles in his stomach squirming against your back as he began his pace with a heavy intensity.

His cock was diving deep, and you choked out a pleasure filled sob, tears running down your cheeks as he harshly bit down on you neck, kissing and sucking the flesh until it formed a dark hue. Your breast were slapping against each other already covered in sweat as he kept a hold on you.

His free hand moving in between your thigh before latching on and roughly rubbing your clit. Have you ever heard a cat in heat yowl? No? Well now you have.

You clamped down again and he groaned loudly pressing hard into your pussy. If he could describe how good you felt around his cock he’d probably go to jail for some type of sexual harassment. It felt like a snake just wrapped around him refusing to let go until he blew his load. Honestly he’d gladly get you pregnant, there was no debate needed. His skilled hands continued to rub until you were begging.

It was becoming too much and you were so fucking close to creaming all over his vibrating cock. He picked up his pace again pining you down, standing up as he squatted over you, his sack slapping against you as you dam finally broke.

Your cries were loud and your vision literally turned white as you creamed. The thick white liquid covering his cock and it shocked him into his own orgasm. He let out a loud yell and neither of you could imagine what your neighbors would think..

His cum flooded your insides and you gave a shaky whine as you went limp falling..your pussy leaving his now flaccid cock as cum dripped from both of you. He fell on top of you, both your breaths shaky.

If had been quiet for about twenty minutes, not counting you breathing...before you wiggled under him. He hummed rolling over to his back letting you move. You turned over until you were somewhat facing him. Your eyes teary and he immediately hugged you to him naked chest. Kicking off his pants letting them fall before moving his hands to take the belt off you, freeing your hands. You cling to him nuzzling him, wrapping your arms and legs around him.

He allowed it closing his hands as he kissed the temple of your head gently rubbing circles in your sore back resulting in soft purrs from you.

“Sorry..I was rough...” he spoke softly opening his eyes again as you looked up at him. They were back to normal, the sky blue that you loved so much. Not like you didn’t love the red ones it’s just that you could actually have a calm conversation with him with the blue ones. Your face turned pink as you placed a light kiss on his sweaty shoulder. It’s true that you both didn’t participate in rough sex a lot but sometimes it’s fine. He was just mainly scared of hurting you.

He grabbed your bicep gently trailing his fingers along your skin until he reached you palm. He grasps your wrist and looked at the bruised skin before frowning.

“Kura..” you spoke softly as he lathered the flesh in gentle kisses upset with himself.

“I’m sorry (n/n)... I really have been neglecting you. I love you so much, you know that right?” He spoke lifting his shirt that you had been wearing and kissing the exposed flesh of you collarbone. You gave a light smile with a smile giggle. You carefully ran your free hand through his messy blond hair that was usually straight.

“I know I know. It’s ok though, as long as you stay with me. Stop hurting yourself over the past and focus on the future..” you whispered as he lifted his head looking you in the eye. His beautiful blue ones tearing up a bit as he watched you lean in for a kiss. “A future with me Kurapika, my love.” You finished as your lips connected.

He happily kissed back as he held your hand but also pulled you close with his other, skin to skin before he pulled back kissing your cheek.

“One more time, I’ll finish him and then I’ll come straight to you.” He spoke softly and you nodded as the hand the hand pulled you close slowly came up, running through the back of your hair before pressing both your foreheads together. As long as he came back, beggars couldn’t be choosers after all.

You smiled before kissing his nose making him chuckle before his cheeks started to turn a dark red making you worry.

“W-What is it?” You said curiously and he hugged you burying his head in the skin of you neck and shoulder before his spoke. Something poked your sticky thigh and you blushed again.

“I know this may be w-weird but cumming inside was really good..” he whispered before tackling you into a bigger hug kissing you all over. Sure he was a sweetheart but he could be a pervert as well!

#hxh #hunter x hunter #smut #repostfrommyao3 #oneshot #requests are open #follow #kurapika #x reader

[dire-vulture]

(part 1 here!)

Tamarind and Tarragon: Chapter 1, Part 2 (1567 words)

          Tamarind opened the door to his apartment, letting Tarragon into the front room.           "I know it's a little small but-"           "It's plenty big!" Tarragon said, looking around in awe.           "I guess for you, it would be," Tamarind laughed, then said "I, uh, need to take care of something in my bedroom. Stay right here." And Tamarind ran off through the hallway, leaving Tarragon behind.           Now alone, Tarragon inspected the room. It wasn't messy by any means, but it was obvious Tamarind hadn't prepared for a guest. The large leaf-patterned sofa had a decorative blanket sloppily tossed on it, and there were some bottles and old newspapers, circulars, and gardening magazines strewn about on end tables, some of which had fallen to the floor. Several shelves with precariously perched glass butterflies and haphazardly sorted books lined the walls across from a large, curtainless window. But most of all, Tarragon couldn't help but notice that atop the shelves were many potted plants in dry soil, scattered disorderly between random papers and fallen, dried leaves.           "You guys are looking rather sad..."           Tarragon found a tiny watering can beneath a shelf, then went into the adjacent kitchen to fill it. He began watering the plants, and shifted their positions to get better light. He also started clearing some of the clutter and dead leaves, to give the plants more "breathing room," and so they'd be more noticeable upon walking in.           "I hope this makes you happier," he quietly said to a Saintpaulia, then went to water the plants on the next shelf. Suddenly, Tamarind appeared in the hallway's arch.           "I can clean up for myself, thank you," Tamarind scoffed.           "Oh, sorry. The plants needed help..." Tarragon said, looking at a drooping coffee plant.           "Yeah," Tamarind looked away, now slightly embarrassed. "Geez, pretty sorry sight when a Nature dragon's plants aren't doing well. I've just not been home much at all lately. Only to sleep, really."           Tarragon put down the watering can. "If I'm gonna be your roommate, they might as well be my plants too. I'll always make sure they're getting plenty of attention! I don't want you to lose them."           "Thank you," Tamarind said and scratched his head. "Speaking of the whole roommate thing, it's too late to get my landlord now, but tomorrow after work I can arrange a meeting. You don't have to make any decisions right then of course, you can see if you really do wanna stay in town first."           "That would be great!" Tarragon said, walking up to Tamarind. "When do you get out of work?"           Tamarind's eyes followed Tarragon and he answered, "I usually work from 8 to 6. The town's contracted me as a landscaper. We've really been putting in a lot of hours as of late, big project."           Tarragon's eyes lit up. "Landscaping! I made all sorts of mushroom landscapes back home! It was one of my favorite ways to spend time, aside from growing flowers."           "Oh! Well, we work much larger things than that, but if you're gonna be looking for work, I could bring you for a trial run tomorrow. We're all large dragons, but we could find use for a smallfry like you, I'm sure."           Tarragon bounced around in excitement. "I'd love that so much, thank you!"           "How about I show you around the house now?" Tamarind put his paw on the vibrating Tundra, attempting to calm him down.           "Yes, please," Tarragon gave a small nod and smiled.           Tamarind lead Tarragon down the hallway which was only just wide enough for both of them to be side by side.           "There's the kitchen on the left, but I see you've already been in there," Tamarind said, eying the dripping faucet. "On the right is my room!"           Tamarind opened the bedroom door, and let Tarragon in. The room was clearly freshly tidied, worn clothing neatly placed in a basket and lace coverings set upon the bedside tables. Several candles were burning to provide light, but the matchsticks were nowhere to be seen. Tarragon smelled some lavender incense that Tamarind must have also lit while he was waiting in the entrance room. A very large mattress covered by a smoothened butterfly quilt took up about three-fourths of the space. It was a wonder Tamarind could walk on the floor at all, but he squeezed past the bed and stood by the closet to give Tarragon more space.           "It's not much, but this is my little den! My bed is your bed! You're welcome to sleep in here tonight."           Tarragon hopped up on to the mattress. It was a vast sea of comfort; it reminded him of his parents' bed but even bigger and softer. The mattress was made just big enough to fit two Guardians and the quilt had a faint earthen smell. Tarragon spread out his arms and closed his eyes.           "I could fall asleep right now."           "We'll go to bed soon, I promise. Gotta get up early for our breakfast date after all," Tamarind chuckled. "But we still got the rest of the tour."           "Oh yes," Tarragon smiled and jumped off the bed. Tamarind took Tarragon back into the hallway, then opened the next door over, revealing a smaller room, devoid of everything except a bare mattress and small table.           "This'll be your room. There's nothing in there right now cuz my last roommate took just about everything when he left. I don't have sheets to fit that bed, but we can go get some later this week. Like I said, you're welcome in my room in the mean time."           "Um," Tarragon stared at the mostly barren floor, but lifted a paw, pointing to the bright red molted feathers on the ground by the bed. Tamarind rolled his eyes. "Course he left us a gift. A Coatl, he ditched me to move back to the Emberglow Hearth." Tamarind hastily brought Tarragon out of the room and closed the door hard enough to make Tarragon flinch.           "Sorry about that."           "It's ok," Tarragon said, feeling rather awkward. "Wait. If I'm sleeping in your room, where will you sleep?"           "In my room. It's big enough for us both."           "Oh," Tarragon said. "Okay." Tarragon's tail gave a slight twitch and he shrunk his body a little. "I guess being in bed together after the first date is to be expected," he sighed.           "Sorry, I guess I wasn't being considerate," Tamarind's orange face was turning pink. "We don't have to share a bed. There's the couch. I don't wanna make you sleep on it, but I won't quite fit there myself." Tamarind paused, then added, "Am I making you uncomfortable?"           "You caught me off guard," Tarragon said, trying to stifle the discomfort in his voice. "I've never dated anybody before and I'm afraid I'm doing everything wrong."           "Bud," Tamarind said, opening his arms for Tarragon to accept an embrace. Tarragon timidly entered his arms. "You've done nothing wrong. You didn't even know this was a date 'til an hour-and-a-half ago. I want you to be comfortable here."           Tarragon pressed himself a bit harder into Tamarind's body. "It is comfortable in your arms," Tarragon quietly said. He lifted his head to look into Tamarind's eyes. "But please, no more surprises. I can only take so many."           "I promise I'll do better."

          Last on the tour, Tamarind showed Tarragon the bathroom and let him wash up for the night. When Tarragon exited, Tamarind handed him a basket.           "Here, you can keep your bag and accessories in here while you sleep."           "Thank you," Tarragon said as he started tossing his few belongings into it.           "Have you decided where you want to sleep? Don't worry about me, I can curl up on the floor if I gotta."           "No, don't do that," Tarragon said, his fur light and fluffy after toweling off. "I've thought about it, and maybe it would be nice to not sleep alone tonight."           "Glad to hear it! We're on the same page. Let me get ready for bed and I'll see you in my room," Tamarind beamed and hurriedly entered the bathroom. Tarragon entered the bedroom. The room was dimly lit, with only one candle left providing light. The incense was mostly burnt up by now, but the lavender smell still soothed Tarragon. He put his basket next to the bedside table then hopped into bed and shut his eyes. He hadn't yet fallen asleep when Tamarind entered into the room, but Tarragon remained motionless. Tamarind stood in place watching Tarragon, then sighed.           "Figures," he mumbled.           If Tarragon hadn't been secretly awake, the huge shift in weight when the 14-ton dragon climbed onto bed certainly would've stirred the quarter-ton dragon, but he stayed quiet and still during the process. Tamarind blew out the candle.           As the two lay in bed together, Tarragon suddenly let out a big sniff. Tamarind jolted up and looked toward the sound, but it was too dark to see anything.           "Are you crying?" he asked.           "I am," Tarragon said in a shaky voice and sniffed again. "You've been so nice to me. Today was amazing. I can't believe I made it to the Windswept Plateau."           Tamarind inched closer to Tarragon and wrapped his arms around his body.           "I'm glad you're here."           Tarragon sniveled some more, then leaned his head into Tamarind's chest.           "Are we boyfriends?"           Tamarind softly lowered his paws down Tarragon's furry arms. "Only if you want to be."           "I do."

#my writing #flight rising #fr lore #tarragon #tamarind #loreabrisa #florabrisa

[saintcupid]

Witch/Familiar AU

Hello all! I just want to mention that there’s brief mentioning of people hurting an animal (Ryan lmao)! It’s very short, but still! I figured I should bring it up just in case!

The night falls, slowly, softly. Like a feather, soon to meet the raging river that’s made up of mother’s tears and children’s self spilled blood. The Moloch of Matt’s age. Ten thousand deaths in ten thousand seas under the stars. It falls without question, and without an explanation as to why it does.

It comes whether you value the weight of the darkness or not. It comes. I am that I am. I come.

I come.

And Matt’s so scared of the night. And Matt wishes that the moon would forget to fall down from the sky. And Matt is finally developing his backbone, only with the late lamp lights outside his cottage. Slowly, slowly, and lovely, lovely, he falls in love with the night sky.

A prophesied dusk gently introduces us to brilliant stars, the freckles of a sleeping god. Giants forged in black holes feed off heavenly light beams that promptly warp into speckles upon inked coverage.

It was Samhain. Matt was counting his herbs, sorting them, plucking, picking, trimming, it had to be perfect for tonight. It was a serious crime, criminal code, perhaps, to pass up this opportunity the moon had gifted him on this special occasion. He needed more ingredients for a spell he was working on, and he could only obtain them on this night.

The young man was a healer, a garden witch. Matt was made up of morning dew, copper coins, mint, and ladybug legs. He smelled of thyme and peaches, with a hint of coffee. Honey dripped from his lips as liquid love clung to his eyelashes, making his vision hazy with adoration towards the craft he was called to.

His plants, his fruit, his light, it felt like a personal accomplishment to his own divine being. Forest animals came to play, Matt feeding them berries and nuts, cream and wine. He was one with them, and saw himself not above them, but eye to dilated eye with the woodland spirits. They brought him small gifts, wilting petals that dowsed his boney fingers in a roses scent. They brought him shiny rocks, snake skin, plastic forks, dirty shoelaces, and love letters from unrequited relationships. He had found irony in the rotting tree, dead as the love between the two simplistic human beings.

It tickled his soul and plucked his heart string to a miraculous tune.

Tonight, he decided to roam the back roads of his little village in search of precious stones and golden coins that would appear in the darkness. Herbs blessed by the moons light were a rarity, so he brought a little wooden basket with him. Under a red cloth, he brought some milk and cheese to appease the fae folk that resided in the woods where he was traveling.

He wore earthly colors, dark green overalls with laced up boots coinciding with a witches hat, both a worn out tan color. Matt had large, round spectacles with a slightly dirty white shirt, which was chronically coated in animal fur. He sported a large coat that hemmed to his boney knees. It was a wine red color, the fabric usually covered in pollen or petals. He was never seen without his murky green scarf, it was a gift from an elf as a return for helping him sew up a couple holes in his shirt. Matt was messy, but he was happy.

The sun was almost set when he left, the young man confident in himself as he knew exactly where to go and what he wanted. Matt delicately stepped into the forest, treading carefully as he hated to disturb the growing grass or the resting mushrooms. He made his way through the thickets, onto the path which lead to particular treasures only found on this night. The witch took his time, humming a little tune to himself as he left some chunks of cheese near a tree, Matt sensing delight within the woods as honor seeped past his skin in the form of singing.

All was well in the world.

Matt inhaled gently through his nose then sighed, eyes fluttering closed as he could feel fae creep up next to him to obtain his cheddar and milk. He could feel them lightly kissing his cheeks and nose, whispering sweet thank yous and goodbyes in a language only compassionate hearts could understand.

He smiled softly as he heard gentle giggling, the smile turning toothy as he started to giggle as well. Matt slowly opened his eyes to find herbs dangling out of his coat pocket, and the heavy weight of change in the other as his cheeks were dusted pink from the sickly sweet kisses.

Suddenly, his smile was cut short as he heard an inhuman wail in the distance. Matt’s eyes widened as his brow furrowed, his head whipping around to locate where the screeching was coming from. He could make out dots of light and critters scampering away quickly upon the agonized call, and he felt like doing the same as well.

He backed away slowly, breath uneven as he trembled. What was that? What’s happening? Is someone dying? Should I go help?

The screaming gave him chills, it made his spine tingle and the center of his chest cold. Matt’s eyes dilated in fear, his skin feeling prickly as he swallowed nervously, shaking.

He didn’t know what to do, he was stuck in a terrible dilemma. Should he run? Or should he help? Matt picked at his nails nervously, gently chewing his bottom lip as he scuffled his beat up converse on the ground. The boy was a savant at healing, at nurturing the sick. If the person, or...thing...out there was injured, perhaps he could help…?

Another terrifying scream ensued, which promptly tore a hole in his heart, determination oozing out of the wound as he started running towards the sound without an answer to his thoughts.

It got louder, and louder, more agonizing as the seconds passed by. Matt’s ears were ringing as his vision blurred, the young man quite literally stumbling in front of a clearing where he stopped dead in his tracks. There were three dark figures, and they were laughing to themselves as they crowded around what seemed like a large plank of wood resting on the ground.

But there was something wriggling, thrashing on it. It screamed, it cried out for help, it mourned. Matt was frozen in place, petrified, which swiftly turned to mortification as he saw a torch being lit. It illuminated the cross, showing a Maine Coon nailed to it by its paws and scruff.

It gave Matt shivers up his spine as his eyes immediately watered, his vision warping, fading. Salt and perversion of innocence ghosted over his irises in a milky form, making the flesh burn as despair dusted over his eyelashes. Liquid dripped down his flushed cheeks as his soft heart split in half upon seeing one of the woodland spirits being hoisted up for all to see. It caused him to cry out himself in grief as water gushed down his cheeks, his scream broken. He rushed towards the group right as they were about to set fire to the cross, the young man flinging himself at one of the figures.

“Stop!” He shrieked, trying to pin down one of the bodies as he tackled someone to the ground.

“Stop it!”

Matt was no fighter, and he had no idea if he would survive the night against these unknown beings with their unknown strength. His gentle, boney hands tried to grip onto the massive muscles of the man he was straddling, which was short lived as he was picked up like he weighed nothing and thrown off of him. He whimpered loudly as he felt a swift kick to his back, proceeding by a kick to the face, followed by his stomach.

“I’m going to die here, oh my god-”

This went on for a few moments, the witch hyperventilating, his tear streaked face was bruising, bleeding, broken. Matt was huddled in a small ball, his lanky legs retracting to his body. He didn’t want it to come to this, but something had to be done.

In a panic, Matt mumbled something under his breath in a shaky tone, the boy shivering as he could immediately hear a distant howling. The men stopped, looking off into the distance, momentarily pausing their actions.

A moment of silence.

“What did you do…?” One of them asked as he backed away from Matt, looking around.

One by one.

Bit by breaking bit of Matt’s bones.

Here it comes.

Here I come.

There were hoards of glowing eyes watching the four from the trees surrounding them, blinking slowly, or not at all. The three beings stepped away from the boy, looking around frantically as there was deafening silence, other than Matt’s haggard breathing.

Then slowly, softly, all was quiet.

Then slowly, softly, fear corrupted them.

It was completely still. The sun was set, the only light source being the torch in one of the man’s hands.

There was a low, very low, huffing. Multiple breaths shuddering, in unison, closing in on the men.

Breathing, just breathing. No growling, no claws, no fangs, nothing.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Shudder.

Here I come.

...

I want to see them illuminated in the dark

What we think about ourselves determines what we can do

I can’t feel my shoes because my heels are bleeding happily I’ll drop off. He did not hurt me he didn’t bring harm to no one. Do not think you can waste my time this will not be difficult. And forget me now. Loveless and lost is what they are. Lean into my side. See creation come apart. Trenches are my home he did not hurt me he didn’t bring harm to no one. Regrettably, created in my heart this is no black and white I didn’t I didn’t I didn’t I didn’t I didn’t so don’t think you can raise that child? I love you, alas! My friend, I love you, alas.

There he sits, flowing, waiting

Cherry tree blossoms on blue lake skies

Does Yahweh know how to worship my love? Does he bottle the spilled blood lost on his behalf?

Does he still know the way to my heart after the road became dusty with grief, desolate and then overgrown with needs other than himself? It’s been a long forgotten path, muddy with tears and then promptly dried with dull resolution.

He was remade in his era of absolution

He starves somewhere

He dies

He does not have any lovers

He’s scared

Please see the cigarette ember

This is his kitchen

He wants them to know what he’s done

They are very afraid

I do not have any friends

Everything is clean and comfortable to the touch

I often see people

But they do not look out the window

Because I’m not there

I’m scared

This is his design.

This is his design.

This is his design.

He loves veins and broken things.

This is his design.

What can you do against me?

This is my design.

This is his design.

Now, bring him here.

;;;;

((()

“””””””””””””””””””

Stop.

Jibaeja.m

Okay!

Look Matt it’s the coat we bought together. Isn’t that nice? You can really get away with anything you know, my dad once stole a cano in front of everyone because he smiled and was nice and o h oh oh oh oh oh i I i I i h

H

9999999

864909

92

5

3

it's not my brother it's not my friends it's not my family - he noted how he excluded brother from family

415

Nothing lasts forever except god his words and the souls of men

Ryan…?

Ryan

Ryan

R y a n

..

…..

……….

Wake up now.

We’ve been...watching you.

……………..

Matt sat up gasping, which turned swiftly into coughing. His breath was shuddering as he blinked quickly, his frail body quaking as he looked around in the softly lit arena.

He whimpered quietly as he rubbed his wet eyes with the back of his hand before squeezing them shut tightly. He sniffled, then opened his eyes again to see a light.

The mushrooms gave off a lovely green glow, Matt being able to see his way around quite clearly, actually. Breath ragged, he started to think to himself, to think for himself.

“I need t-to get out of here.” He whispered, trying to get up.

He positioned himself to a kneeling pose, one foot on the ground as his chest heaved, Matt’s head bowing. His hand was rested on his propped up knee, the witch shuddering as his ribs ached. Counting down from three, he hoisted himself up, stumbling a bit as his legs started to buckle underneath him.

Matt caught himself, thankfully, then straightened up the best he could. He brushed off his overalls, then looked around properly. He sniffled softly as his eyes glanced over his surroundings, the young man promptly stiffening as he saw a figure crouching on the ground across from him.

“Matthew.”

His inhale shook.

“Come here, quickly.”

Okay…

Here he comes.

Here I come.

...footsteps

Matt cleared his throat.

“I...wh...o…?”

“Why does it matter.” The being murmured, denying Matt his name.

The figure motioned for the witch to crouch down as well, and upon seeing the cat, he dropped to his knees.

“Oh...oh my god…” He breathed, his hands shaking violently as he reached out for the animal.

“I’ve done all I can do.”

Matt looked up with watery eyes as the being stood up, his bottom lip trembling.

“Help me! Ple-please-”

But the figure was already gone.

Blinking, Matt then promptly looked down at the cat, his tears clouding over the wounds. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand again, then wished his vision wasn’t clear as he beheld the mess beneath him. The cat’s coat was matted, the blood had congealed on him as he was now panting softly. Matt’s fingers twitched as one hand came to gently, very gently, stroke his head as the other delicately touched his stomach.

“Shh...shh...it’s okay.” Matt whispered, the cat still keeping his eyes closed despite the soft touches.

“I’m here, I’m here. No need t-to worry, okay?” The witch murmured as he sniffled.

Matt tentatively held the cat’s paws in his shaking hands, proceeding to speak in a dead language very few could understand. He watched as the holes from the nails closed slowly, then sealed up completely. Matt smiled softly to himself, quietly proud about his work despite the fear.

“I don’t have all of my tools with me.” He breathed after the incantation, the boy trembling as the large cat’s huffing suddenly became more labored.

Matt quickly looked around, finding himself to be completely alone. The glowing eyes had vanished, as did the men. But one thing that didn’t disappear was his black eye, and the blood that was covering his chin and past his nose. Matt’s body had already healed most of the wounds, albeit the bones were still sore, but they weren’t broken anymore. He looked back down at the creature, panic placing its hands on Matt’s head, the pressure seeping into his skull.

“I-I’m guna pick you up now, okay? I’m guna t-take you home.” Matt stuttered as he cautiously, and very slowly, picked up the Maine Coon.

There was no fight.

He cradled the cat, his breath shuddering as he got up and started limping home, which turned into a painful sprint as he felt the life leaving the animal. Matt was sensitive to this type of energy, as he gave, and gave, and politely never received the blessings in return. He could feel the cat slipping away, his connection to animals was unbreakable and now was the time to fix this depleting life force.

So he ran. As fast as he could. He ran.

And ran.

#ryatt #hell yh brother #cupid.txt #rat tales

[samesongxox]

Savior: Chapter 6 (An Offer You Can’t Refuse)

Summary: (Hellboy 2019) AKA Turning a New Leaf AKA Good Samaritans Need Love Too. The B.P.R.D is tasked to infiltrate a black market creature trafficking ring led by a powerful warlock. Hellboy rescues Phyrra who is found being held hostage, a slave for her magic. He must protect her as she is hunted by her master and his gang of monsters. (AU where Broom isn’t dead/Abe wasn’t found)

It will be rated M, it will include violence, swearing, smuttiness, all the good things in life.

Disclaimer: Hellboy belongs to Dark Horse Comics/Mike Mignola, I don’t own anything except the AU and my OC’s.

Phyrra had yet to find anything in the B.P.R.D library.

Well, not quite. There were masses of volumes filled with information on creatures big and small. Lost civilizations. Gods and Goddesses. Multiple encyclopediae on many a species. None of the content resembled her in the slightest.

After her disastrous rendezvous with Hellboy, Phyrra had intended to keep her distance. The next daybreak, as the Professor, Alice, Binx and herself got an early start scanning through the books, Hellboy had crept in, looking much worse than last night.

“Morning Sunshine!” Alice observed HB with sheer delight. “Are you hungover? Get a little pissed last night?”

Phyrra was left unclear. Pissed? As far as she knew, the term used by humans was used when someone was extremely angry, but what could have caused Hellboy to be pissed? She feared it might have had something to do with her. She glanced at Binx on the table in front of her, watching the pixie shrugged her shoulders, she had no better interpretations.

She felt a burgeoning companionship with Alice and Trevor; both were intelligent, considerate, playfully cunning humans. The morning banter they had back and forth filled Phyrra with a sense of calm amusement she could grow increasingly used to. Binx was happier as well, she didn’t speak it out loud, but Phyrra knew her friend well. The tinkling laughter she often heard coming from the pixie confirmed it for her.

With Hellboy, however, she felt on shaky ground, uncertain how to act.  

“Good morning,” She found herself saying to him over the table, just because he seemed displeased with current situations, she couldn’t find it in herself to be unfriendly. 

Hellboy cleared his scratchy throat. He had hit it harder after the elf girl had run away, drinking and smoking cigars until he eventually passed out five hours ago. “Morning,” 

  Hellboy picked up one of the books, he hated homework. At the prospect of finding out more about Phyrra though, he could find it in him.

Trevor called Phyrra over as he discovered a tome on beings with healing talents with mentions of tattoos, but upon further inspection it pertained to a sort of ritual with blood in the ink, turning the markings red.

“How about some breakfast?” Alice chimed in about twenty minutes later, and the five of them agreed, walking down the hallway to the small, modern kitchenette used by the main four of them when doing research. 

Trevor went for the bread drawer, while Alice and Hellboy sat on the stools by the island counter, looking quite out of place. Phyrra on instinct went to the fridge but stopped flat realizing what she was doing.

“May I?” Trevor simply nodded and stood back, watching this elf girl with delight.

It was a simple action Phyrra fell into, opening cupboards and turning on the stoves. The fridge was well-stocked with all matter of provisions. Her eyes caught large, lovely white eggs. Crisp, green peppers. Mushrooms. Phyrra decided on omelets. 

It was difficult for her to find joyful ways to spend her time at the compound. Being in the kitchen helped her feel a sense of control. Preparing meals, using knowledge and creativity to make delicious meals, even if it was for a person she would rather not be waiting on.

Phyrra was cracking eggs when Alice saddled up beside her, trying to help with her bowl of cracked eggs, picking out shells as she went.

“You look like an old pro at this. I’m an absolute shite in the kitchen.”

“I was mostly the one that prepared meals for …” Phyrra halted, one day she would be able to voice his name without halting first. For now, the wounds were still fresh. “Anyways, perhaps I could give you some help with your cooking if you’d like.” 

Alice agreed wholeheartedly, loving this easy friendship Phyrra provided. The elf girl handed Alice a large knife, asking her if she wanted to chop the vegetables. It was a sad sight, the medium stabbing ineffectively. 

“Hold your finger’s like this, it will prevent you from cutting yourself, and slice like this. Yes, good job.” Alice didn’t feel demeaned at Phyrra’s calm instructions. The elf girl was classy, a kind of reserved shyness that Alice didn’t usually find appealing. Nevertheless, there was sweetness in Phyrra, Alice could overlook a little naivety.

Together, the ingredients were mixed. Alice was made aware of Hellboy’s eyes following Phyrra’s sure movements as she transferred the mixture into the sizzling pan.  

So relaxed as she was in her routine, Phyrra gave a start at Trevor’s voice.  

“Ah Phyrra, say good morning to Major Ben Daimo.” Phyrra turned to a tall, somber man entering. All Phyrra got was a slight nod before the cranky man reached the coffee pot, grunting his morning to his boss. 

“Don’t worry about Ben. Takes the term ‘strong, silent type’ to new levels, he’ll come around to you.” She smiled at Alice’s attempt to make her feel better.

Phyrra added another plate, quickly whisking together another omelet. She asked Binx over to blow a heating enchantment to speed up the process.

Phyrra deposited the five creations onto their plates, she would share with Binx as always, the pixie couldn’t handle much to herself. As the group gathered around the counter,  

“Have you given any thought to my offer Phyrra?”

She stopped reaching for her plate. Yes, she had, she hadn’t stopped thinking about it since he spoke the words into existence. Could she stay here, among these humans? Use her abilities for some good after so long being used. She looked to Binx, the pixie shook her head ruefully.

“You already know your answer. I’m not gonna change your mind.”

Phyrra gave her attention back to her new colleagues.

“You’ve all shown me the truest kindness I’ve experienced in who knows how long. My answer is yes, of course.”

Phyrra couldn’t help the tickled laughter at Alice’s yelled exclamation. 

“Awesome! I can help train you, teach ya some moves. This is gonna be so cool! I’m not the only girl on the team anymore!”

“Hope you fit in well,” Phyrra was perplexed by Major Daimo’s mysterious answer, but didn’t give it much more thought. As Alice had said, she would simply have to be extra kind to the stoic man until he got used to her. 

Phyrra’s mind halted. She was so foolish. That’s what she would have to do with Hellboy! 

As this interaction was happening, Hellboy was silent. He was trying to digest the information. Phyrra on the team. Phyrra traveling with them, putting herself in dangerous situations they often found themselves in. Of course, on the one hand, he was filled with excitement at the idea of Phyrra being around daily. 

The other hand couldn’t stop thinking about how delicate she seemed. Sure, she had the strength he knew. She was incredibly bright. Resourceful.

It didn’t stop him from worrying.

Praises all around were given to Phyrra on her food. She felt herself flushing under the attention. It wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy it. She had always had praise, but it was a double-edged sword. These people meant their compliments, didn’t expect anything in return.

Everyone was tucking in with enthusiasm to their breakfasts when Trevor cleared his throat.  

“Now that you are all here. I must inform you you’ll be leaving today for the Galápagos Islands. There have been some sightings of lizard men off the coast of San Christobal, causing quite a nuisance to the tourists.” 

“Phyrra, you’ll stay behind this time. While their gone, I will begin to teach you some finer points of this operation. Ms. Monaghan, when she returns, can give you some sparring help. I don’t wish to overwhelm you as we’re still researching your ancestry. Perhaps a couple of weeks, you would be set for fieldwork. We’ll play it by ear.”

Phyrra nodded her understanding. Of course, first and foremost in the mind was recovering her memories. As much as she had to square the debt with her saviors, she had self-preservation to think of. She contemplated this as without thinking about it she went to collect the plates.

“You put those down right now Ms. Phyrra. You cooked us this wonderful breakfast, we can clean up.” Trevor gentle command to Phyrra was heard and with Alice and Ben, they collected the plates, changing subjects as they bussed them to the sink. Hellboy wasn’t one for washing dishes, he always ended up breaking them. 

The two left behind locked eyes.  

“Would you like some more?” Phyrra came over to him with the coffee pot. A peace-offering. 

“Yeah, please.” It had been a damn fine breakfast. The knowledge that Phyrra had talents in culinary as well as magic with her beauty stalled him. He would just have to take this elf girl in as he got to know her, now that she would be around more.  

“Welcome to the team, I guess.” Phyrra’s lips stretched in a dazzling smile. Hellboy audibly swallowed but managed to return the favor with a slight smirk.

“Thank you, Hellboy.”

“..Never got my chance.”

“Excuse me?”

“Last night. I didn’t get a chance to return the thank you. I mean for… Fixing me up.” 

Phyrra re-evaluated his entire behavior. She did flee immediately at his quietness. She had taken his odd behaviour for disinterest or unpleasantness. Hellboy seemed very shy. She didn’t want him to be nervous around her, she owed him everything. Phyrra had never experienced this feeling, she felt drawn to his creature. She wanted his good opinion more than anyone she had ever met before. 

Not for the first time, she cursed her amnesia for the stolen moments between them.

She would have to be patient and get the answers out of him one day.    

“You’re most welcome. I would have spent my whole life trapped if it wasn’t for you all.” Phyrra’s eyes flicked to Trevor and Alice discussing some kind of event coming up. Also to Ben, brooding over his cup of coffee. She returned to his eyes. They were quite lovely; blazing like sunsets.   

“Let me do something for you. I should give you a favor.”

The elf girl chose that moment to lay her palm against the back of Hellboy’s stone hand resting on the counter. Phyrra found herself savoring the sensation. She expecting it to feel cool to the touch, but as his name suggests, a great warmth emanated from him at all times. The stone was no different.   

Hellboy had hoped that if he ever came in physical contact with Phyrra again, it would have become familiar, not as much of a shock.

He’d never been more wrong. She wasn’t using her magic, but it felt as if her caress was lightening his hangover. He didn’t have much feeling in his right hand, that’s why it smashed things so well. He felt Phyrra’s touch. Once again, she had the coolest, tender way of placing her fingers against him. He looked down at the slight shift of her fingers running across the rock and shivered.

Trevor spoke up.  

Both parties felt blank when the moment broke. Feelings too new to be recognized left an awkward pause... 

“Well, I’d say you three better be heading off. The helicopter will be ready in ten.”  

Alice could have killed the Professor. They were so cute. Alice couldn’t handle the way they looked at each other. She could think of a few favors Phyrra could give Hellboy… Okay maybe she wasn’t really paying attention to the Professor about the Alumni Banquet, but all the parties were the same after a while: catch a flute of champagne off a passing waiter, smiling pleasantly at a few decrepit billionaires, stay close to the Professor and thank him at the end of the night for being a fabulous date. Super boring. But a plan was brewing in Alice’s mind, Phyrra and Hellboy’s infatuation with each other at the forefront. 

They were gonna name their first child after her. 

“Be safe.” Were the words she spoke as she withdrew her hand. It was a simple request, but the idea of it unhinged him. Her wish for his safety. It gave him hope, that he didn’t completely fuck up this burgeoning friendship with the elf girl. As alluring as he found Phyrra, first he had to get her to like him. 

“I will...See ya later,” Hellboy resisted the urge to run away. No longer would he run from Phyrra. That was the start, he found the strength to continue looking at her as they left, relishing in her luminous eyes, her graceful features. The first thing Hellboy had to do was get over just being around her. The only way to do that, he concluded, was to stop avoiding her like the plague. Treating her like the same, scared wild animal he met at Elias’s compound.   

Phyrra was bereft as the trio disappeared out of the room. It was an odd response, it wasn’t that she didn’t enjoy just Trevor’s company, the calm sureness. She would miss them though: funny Alice, shy Hellboy and aloof Ben, quite a little band they made. Would she be able to fit among them?

“Phyrra, might I suggest we go into town today to get you some essentials? Clothes and such,”

She was confused by Trevor’s request.

“You are a company member now, and our salaries are generous.” She realized what he meant, chuckling as she accepted the outstretched arm with her hold, delighting at the older man’s generosity.

“I would like that very much, Trevor.” 

_

San Christobal...two days later...

Ben had retired early, leaving HB and Alice sitting at the firepit. The tourists had been more than thankful for their quick dealings with the hombres lagarto, they had shown it by giving them baskets filled with booze and sweet fruits. A bottle of rum was passed between the comrades for awhile. Before Alice couldn’t help but bring up the dreaded subject.

“So...Phyrra.” Hellboy stiffened at the mention of her name.

“Want some tips?”

“Not in a million years,” Hellboy hated he was this obvious. He was so not used to this, this attraction he had for Phyrra. Sure, he was half-man. He found women attractive. in his youth he had posters of Brigitte Bardot and Jayne Mansfield pinned on his bedroom walls. They turned into Farrah Fawcett and Sharon Stone as the decades flew by. 

Nimue had been the first woman to show interest in him, look how that turned out. She had used her wiles to try to force him into his destiny of the bringer of the apocalypse. Despite what his father had thought, he was stronger than any perfumed words or perky breasts, it had just felt... Nice. To have been desired for once, not treated like a freak.

No erection was worth the end of days.

That awful dream or vision he had when Alice picked him up after his giant encounter. Him in the shower. Nimue coming to him. Bathing in blood. It was some sick shit. At the moment, yes he had been carried away. He had wet dreams before, being a 60-year-old virgin would do that to you. He had assumed it was just one of those. Nimue was pure evil but she hadn’t been hard on the eyes.

Now with Phyrra, he felt so very different. She was pureness personified, a beacon of warmth, goodness. He had come to terms with knowing he wasn’t an evil creature, nurture over nature had made that clear. It didn’t mean he deserved something so innocent as Phyrra.    

“Actually, not like that.” Hellboy pulled from the bottle, “But you’re a girl-”

“Thanks for noticing!” Alice jerked the bottle out of his hands, taking a drink herself.

“You know what I mean. How should I…. Aw geez, I don’t know…”

“Woo her? Sweep her off her feet? Get those eyelashes fluttering?” Alice, in her slight inebriated state,

Hellboy gave Alice a grave look. 

“Okay, you know what, if you’re just gonna make fun of me, forget I said anything.” He started to lift himself off the rock. 

“Don’t move HB, you know I’m kidding.” Alice regarded Hellboy “I’m just… Happy that you’ve found someone I guess... You deserve it.”

“Shucks, kid.” Hellboy grew silent, insecurities rising in him. “What if she-”

“Stop right there mister! Don’t forget already I’m a woman. I can take notice when I see two people attracted to each other. She doesn’t look at any of the other men at HQ the same way she looks at you, get my drift?”

“Alright, so what should I do?”

“She seems to be very old-fashioned. A proper lady, so you’re gonna have to be the proper gent. I’m sure she hasn’t ever had someone want to listen and do what she wants.” Alice smirked at her friend, "So sorry to say, you’re going to have to man up and ask her.” 

Alice didn’t reveal her project, he was already very wary of asking this elf girl out, she couldn’t spook him too much. She held the bottle out. 

Hellboy drank some more.

He could do it. He’s faced demi-gods and titans. He’s looked in the face of evil personified and cut it down with a swipe of a blade. He could ask Phyrra out on a date.

He hoped.

#fanfiction #hellboy fanfiction #hellboy 2019 #david harbour #writing #hellboy

[oftripps]

“ –– wow. ”  it’s not so much a critique as it is a g-rated expletive. tripp forces a smile mid-chew and blinks. “ my tastebuds are screaming. gah–– uh, singing. singing. ”  he avoids swallowing and as ring-decorated fingers snag a napkin, wide eyes drifting to the tabletop as a small jingle breezes past tensed lips. “ ~ allergic to mushrooms ~ ”

or, alternatively: this is somethin’ new! the caspar slide pt. 2 !! & this time, it’s ‘bout to get funky !!  so i’m linc and this is tripp and he’s........ a trip, honestly, so let’s just... yeet on into this ––

( joe keery + 22 + muse 12 ) isn’t that phillip joel “tripp” goodman over there? i heard he joined faction: one after they got back to west ham. it’s funny, ‘cause they were only on the service trip because HIS BANDMATES DUPED HIM INTO THINKING THE SIGN-UP WAS FOR A WOODS-THEMED OPEN MIC GIG. hopefully they fit in there – they’re JAUNTY but also OUTRÉ. oh, i’m sure they’ll be fine.

out the door !  ( tripp goodman: a roadmap )

look up townie family in the dictionary and you’ll find a portrait of the goodmans directly beside. these folks have a looooong flippin’ legacy here in lil’ ole west ham, kansas. it all started with montgomery goodman, a good man, who helped west ham’s founders break ground on this midwestern charmer several centuries ago. and now, the goodmans still live on the same property –– a refurbished farmhouse ( now closer to mcmansion ) surrounded by five acres of roooooollin’ hills. once upon a time, they were farming folk. now, theresa and joel goodman run the town’s one and only veterinary clinic. 

honestly, growing up? tripp was a problematic kid. he’d take in frogs from the woods and start his own frog hotels. he’d sneak pets from the clinic to school who “ needed help learning their numbers ”. in class, he’d flick sunflower seeds at the backs of his peers’ heads and, when threatened with discipline, claim he simply “ wanted to see if they’d grow  ” .  so no, to answer your question–– tripp never really saw the real wrath warranted by his rulebreaking.

in fourth grade, he chose the saxophone as his required instrument. he caused such a commotion in his house, that his parents asked his teachers to suggest something quieter. the viola. the flute. the clarinet. the piano. instruments came and went,;instruments were quickly mastered and abandoned. because dear lord, how many times could they listen to the spongebob theme song played on woodwind ?!  on strings ?!  once middle school rolled around, little phillip joel knew his way around a whopping total of six instruments, a tally that would only grow in the coming years. eventually, his parents caved and allowed him to keep playing, so long as he respected instrument curfews. they gave song requests to avoid hearing the same pieces on repeat: the goodman household was probably the only one blessed with an oboe-and-beatbox rendition of under the sea. young phillip joel’s take on the issue was simple: not all heroes wore capes.

( tw: domestic unrest, mentions of violence ) theresa and joel split when tripp was 9. just seven months later, tripp’s mother moved in with her girlfriend: tripp’s guitar teacher, ms. lillith. tripp didn’t mind ms. lillith. she was chill. he came to find out she could knock back a chocolate milk almost as fast as he could, and she liked her grilled cheeses with swiss only. his best friend became a thirty-six year old woman who happened to be his mother’s girlfriend. and that was fine. he could dig it. but joel goodman? oh no. his family name was tarnished. the scandal was too much to bear. joel sued for full custody and nearly made it, thanks to hometown politics and loyalties. but then he made one fatal mistake: he crossed his own son.

at 10 years old, fifth grade phillip joel returned home to his father’s after school with three fingernails painted effervescent blue. sidney frasier made me so cool, he gushed as he put his colored nails on proud display. dad, aren’t i so cool?  the next day, his dad enrolled him in the town’s peewee football program. he returned home from his first practice with a black eye and a split lip. from a ball, the coach insisted. hit the poor fella square in the face, real strong. phillip joel put up a fight against football; it wasn’t for him. it conflicted with music practice. couldn’t he just play music with ms. lillith instead?

the custody battle persisted. they settled on a parenting schedule. joel contested, consistently, months later. and so the cycle persisted up until phillip joel’s 12th year, when he was knocked out cold on the football field. the broken ribs came from hefty tackles. bruises from the fall. concussion from the impact. but theresa spun it to her advantage: joel had since started coaching the middle school team. this was an instance of parental neglect. and, when the courts didn’t comply, she instructed her son to jump down the stairs. one broken ankle later, and joel goodman was accused of child abuse. his word against his injured son’s. the maneuver won theresa full custody. phillip joel has yet to forgive himself.

after the custody battle’s conclusion, joel stayed in town: but phillip joel didn’t want a thing to do with sharing his name. his mother still scolds him as phillip joel, but to everyone else, he became tripp –– inspired by his knack for, you guessed it!, tumbling over his own two feet.

in high school, tripp was the class clown. always smirking, always grinning, always ready to catch someone off guard. he became a pivotal part of west ham high’s jazz band, and even formed a small group with a few buds: face. they played some school events: homecoming, pep rallies, prom. garage-baked young rock, their songs often preached meetings under bleachers and high school never ending. 

in senior year, the band saw a reboot: and after assuming a more indie, spacey sound and a nifty new name –– 1757. –– they saw a rise in local celebrity. coffee shops commissioned them for jam nights. they played on the local radio. so they collectively decided to stick around and see how far they could ride this west ham fame train. with tripp as their frontman, they always leave a memorable impression: he’s not exactly the most run-of-the-mill performer.

1757.’s sound is reminiscent of LANY: i’ve reblogged a few tunes onto tripp’s blog for reference. he’s v much a paul klein / matty healy vibe. big into music. big into losing himself in it.

so what was he up to before the service trip? playin’ tunes. working part-time as a waiter. and brainstorming ways to get out of going on this trip, as soon as he realized his stupid bandmates lied about the form he signed. an open mic in the woods ! pah !  he should have known. but the concept sounded pretty flippin’ cool.

wear our shades on our nose, 'cause we're cool like that ( tripp goodman: the man, the myth, the ledge )

oh god, he’s  w e i r d .  he believes in goblins and ghosts and aliens ( oh my )!

still VERY VERY close with his mother. v broken up about not being able to get through to her, because it was about to be his parents’ wedding anniversary and they were going to anti-celebrate it with big slices of oreo cheesecake and setting things on fire.

how he feels about coming home to west ham: post apocalyptic version.

uhhhh... can he please get a waffle? specifically a cinnamon raisin waffle with extra cinnamon and a shit ton of syrup? actually. syrup with a side of waffles?

why he was banned from his personal twitter.

“ do you even lift, bruv? ”  * proceeds to pick up a teacup & lift his pinkie like a true knock-off british monarch, shitty accent included *

listens to wham! and glam rock. unironically.bluetooth speaker mounted on his bike. no helmet! like an absolute boss. he knows!! wild!! shades on. it’s 2am. it’s dark. but true swag obeys no clock.

catch him biking everywhere stranger things style, actually. his bike’s name is milo because he can roll on for miles. mess with milo and he’ll fuck u up. aka find out if you’re lactose intolerant and slip heavy cream into your meal.

has a strong vendetta against blue doritos. which might take root in some horrific experiences involving cheez wiz, cool ranch, weed, and the new york subway system at 4am on a tuesday. spring break freshman year of college. oof.

he has a lil drawwwwl. tease him about it. he’ll probably blush.

stress-hums chili’s babyback ribs without realizing. catch him singin’ that about to be murdered.

weapon of choice: kindness.

actual weapon of choice: baseball bat.

he will write little jingles to keep morale up. “ so we’re trapped / cash us inside / how bou’ dat ? ”

has a passion for introspective literary quotes. but... has somehow managed to learn each and every one wrong.

friggin’ loves superheroes even though he can’t be bothered to watch the films? he just… always used to get made fun of for liking comic books even though he never read them? “ arachnid man is uh...  heh. he’s pretty dope, huh? ” he embraces the falsehood. someone call him on it.

9/10 times if he’s in the gym, it’s just to eat his donut and watch pay-per-view movies on the bike for free.

apple pie can absolutely be breakfast if you try hard enough. jeez. get with the times, man!

he had a legitimate pet rock before going on this service trip. but has no idea where that bugger’s gone. probably got fed up with tripp serenading him with “ we will rock you ” at all hours of the night.

lawful good. will wave other drivers on forever.

got into an accident on his bike once. bitch broke his arm and he just kept on smiling.  “ no you have a nice day! and uh.... hey. mind if we like... call an ambulance? ”

low key feels like he’s the reason his parents’ marriage crumbled. low key guilty about it. low key wonders if maybe he lived up to his father’s expectations, he might have saved them a lot of grief.

give benny goodman by saint motel a listen and tell me that’s not his soul in audio form.

known for slightly hyperbolic storytelling.

pansexual as heck. falls in love. hard. it’s a mess. he can’t hide it. hence the shades.

he has brilliant hair. and it’s immortalized in his high school yearbook.

is hellbent on being a source of positivity in this terrible situation. can he interest you in a meme in these trying times? how ‘bout a granola bar? maybe a good ole game of mash?

he’s convinced this is an elaborate prank. or a social experiment. maybe aliens. but let’s not question it too much, let’s just.... have a good time? hakuna matata? no worries? lol where the twizzlers at?!

leaves a voicemail for his mother every morning and every night. maybe he cries. maybe.

he has one ear pierced because like.......... senior year of high school, he wanted to feel more cool.

allergic to mushrooms, shellfish, eggs, and harbingers of doom.

he truly boggles minds. just.... v out there? v spacey. he closes his eyes and drifts about on stage, fingers dancing on the keys, body moving in eclectic ways. he says “groovy” and fuckin’ means it. he dresses in prints inspired by grandma’s carpet. lots of half-buttoned flowy shirts, boots, tailored statement pants, dangly necklaces. he’s got his hands full of rings –– they symbolize milestones. and some are just, like... pretty. and one’s his mother’s old wedding band.

where the hell are my friends !  ( wanted connectz. )

i was gonna do a whole section on this and got lazy but like.... anything. all the things. good, bad, ugly, beautiful. hurt him. make him suffer. but also support him a bit.

i imagine he’s got a solid squad goin’. he’s in faction one too, so... hmu for those.

i feel like he’d be pretty chill with the greeks? yeah bro, he parties. he’ll chill. he’ll crack open a cold one and pretend to understand what those letters on your jacket mean! pie-apple-fate-uh? cool stuff !

ride or dies. pls.

he needs someone to like....... melt his heart. maybe someone unexpected.

thisssss got long & disorganized but yes! let’s plot! let’s do this thang! #hype!!

#apogeeintro #✰ mother trucker dude; that hurt like a buttcheek on a stick ! isms. #if u cannot tell...... he is a gay ass MEME

[wonderous-writer-suggestions]

Falling for the Fates (part 1)

((Ok sorry for taking so long on this I just really wanted it to be satisfactory and not just a barfed up quickie cause it got so long. Enjoy!! Feel free to ask questions!!))

For years it has been a quiet house. I never met his brother, my uncle, as he was supposedly not so fortunate to escape the wondrous land, or at least, that’s what I’ve been told. My brother has been off in military training for much time. And my mother was the last of us to leave. One night she wandered into the woods, and never came back. My father never told me the whole truth but I could see it in his eyes that he knew what happened to her, and felt I was too young to bare that burden. There was a sense of fear, longing, and perhaps excitement, like the dread you feel as you approach the drop on a roller coaster. That’s the look he had in mention of my mother.

He always tried to keep me away from the forest, but upon seeing how much I would venture, he didn’t have the heart to chain me down.

“Alright we need some knew rules if you’re going to be an ace adventurer.” He said to me one morning.

I gave him my full attention.

“If you see any round circles, whether made of rocks, mushrooms, moss, or anything else from nature... do not enter it.”

I looked at him puzzled, “What are they?”

“We call them faerie rings. They’re used by fae folk, which are basically very powerful creatures and tricksters.”

My tiny mind was intrigued, he must have seen it on my face and thus continued.

“They take people away Ellie, they’re good with words like that. But they also give blessings. Our town alone is blessed by one. But a few townsfolk have also disappeared. It’s easy to avoid though.” He assured me.

“But... what if I see one?” I asked.

“Simple,” He said, “Do not give them your name. That’s how they control you.”

I nodded, and went back to my toys.

The possibility of meeting such a creature plagued my thoughts for the rest of the week, until I finally seeked out the faerie ring. My tiny legs stumbled over the branches and brush till I stopped amongst a tiny clearing. It was almost too obvious. A ring of various mushrooms in a perfect circle, no other plants around it but grass and leaves. I sat down just outside its edge and stared at it. Tilting my head this way and that, curious like a newborn puppy.

The grass blades twitched in the slight breeze and I continued to wait. Suddenly a whirl of dust spiraled into a column within the circle and faded as a human like shape took place at the ring’s center. He was pale, freckles adorning his face like a star filled sky. He seemed young, close to my brothers age even. His hair puffed out in thick red curls from beneath a rather comical wizard like hat. Little flowers and other flora peppered the red curls in a strange whimsical fashion. His eyes were bright, a sense of wonder lying beneath their strange blue greenish hue. He smiled, with a strange warmth when he saw me.

He sat down on the ground before me, remaining in the circle. Putting his head in his hands, he looked at me with a cheerful smile, “Hello there young one.”

I gazed in awe and waved, “Hi.” I squeaked out.

“You’re awfully far from home aren’t you. Why are you here?” There was a strange mischievous look in his eyes.

“I wanted to see you.” I said. “Dad told me about fae folk, I was curious.”

“Didn’t you know curiosity killed the cat?” He asked.

“But wisdom brought it back.” I said, without skipping a beat.

He smiled, “You’re a clever one.” He stood up, “Call me Mez.” He held out his hand, “And your name, please?”

I stared at his hand for a while, my father’s warnings echoing in my mind. //Don’t//, I thought. //Bad//, I thought again.

He gave me a slight glare, “Well?”

As I was young, I figured I’d play the dumb child card, and mimic him. I stretched my hand out, laying it atop his, copying him in any way I could, and said, “Name?”

He pulled his hand back and chuckled, “Clever girl.” And with that, was gone.

I didn’t see him for many months after that. Though I visited as often as I could without my father getting suspicious or worried. One night after my sixth birthday I snuck out. The moon was still high in the sky and illuminated the woods nicely. I was progressing well with my words, according to my father, there wasn’t much else to do but read and write, and tell stories.

I sat outside the ring like I had before, and sure enough, Mez appeared before me.

“Well if it isn’t the clever girl.” He said with that endearing smile.

I patted the grass without a word. And he decided to sit. There was a long moment of silence between us.

“Why are you back?” He asked finally.

I shrugged, more silence.

I took a deep breath, “Why do you take people?”

He looked up at me, “Same reason you visit me. I find you fascinating. You’re different. You act different. Each one of you is different. It seems impossible and in that is fascinating. Many of the people I take come willingly anyways.” He said it so casually. None of the families knew it was a consensual choice. They just woke up one day without a family member anymore. Whether it was meant to happen or not, he hurt people.

“Do you miss her?” There was a hint of genuine concern in that tone.

“She was taken when I was very young. I barely remember her. But my father misses her dearly.” I said.

“She is much like you.” He said with carefully chosen words, “Only she gave me her name.”

Was he joking? It sounded like a joke. The smile on his face was even that of someone pulling my leg.

I couldn’t help but return the smile, “I cannot give you my name but you can call me...” I hesitated, “You can call me... Madeline.”

There was a moment of silence, then he burst out laughing, it was the most musical and contagious laugh I had ever heard, “You think I wouldn’t recognize your own mother’s name?”

I shrugged, “I can try. Call me Writer then.” I said sticking out my tongue.

He ruffled my hair, throwing the curls in many directions, “Nice try clever girl.”

I smiled, and laid down into the grass with a yawn. The night slowly taking hold of me as we continued to talk. The next time I opened my eyes I was back in my bed. Though I didn’t really care to think of how.

The next time he asked for my name was the last. I was nearly eight years old now, and I had become the new story teller of the household. My father would listen to my fantasies as if they were the truth. I even told the story or a young girl named Max who befriended a Fae. Pleasantly enough, he was intrigued by it.

“Your mother was a lot like your girl there.” He said with a soft smile.

I looked up from my journal, “Did she, befriend a fae?”

He sighed, “Yes... she did.” There was a long pause, I knew what he was going to say, but he still needed to say it four, five, seven times to himself before telling his daughter straight forward, “That’s how she left.”

I looked back down, “Maybe she just wanted adventure. Like Uncle Rowan?”

His face hardened at that name, “Yeah... like Rowan.” The name didn’t flow fluidly from his mouth, like he hadn’t spoken the name in years. It hurt him more than me to hear the scorn in his voice.

“What’s wrong with adventure dad?”

He looked up at me.

“Why do you hate it now? You like stories. You tell them all the time! You even love mine! What happened?” I felt my childish emotions making me want to cry, but I tried to hold back.

He came by my side and put an arm around me, “I don’t hate adventure sweetie... my adventure just changed.”

I wiped away a tear before it fell, “What do you mean?”

He looked at me and smiled, “Your Mom became my adventure. And now you’re my adventure. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

But he could, I thought, if we were all together again.

That night I lied awake in bed, my thoughts whirling, unable to sleep. Finally, I sat up, clutching a stuffed rabbit plush to my chest as I made the journey out of my room. I looked into my dads room, where he laid fast asleep on one side of the bed. I set down a journal on the coffee table where I knew he’d have his morning tea, waiting for me to wake up. On the front was a letter, explaining the fae, what I believe happened to mother, and what is about to happen to me, and to him. I knew in my heart he’d find us both, if he still loved adventure through her and I.

I on the other hand was ever curious. Who was my mother, did she look like me? Or was my curly red hair a mystery to be left unsolved. I wanted to know if she liked stories, adventure, I wanted to hear her side of the stories my father would always tell me. And see her face grow soft upon mention of a fond memory between her and dad. I wanted us to be together, and happy.

Thoughts continued to whirl in my head till I knelt down before the ring in the forest, where everything was quiet. I gazed into it for what felt like forever, nothing happening. I reached my hand out, then gently pressed it into the patch of grass never touched by mortals. In an instant my hand was taken hold by the fae, and he was sitting in front of me, cupping my hand in both of his, his eyes wide.

“It’s you.” We managed to say in unison.

He released my hand, and resumed the quirky nature I’ve come to see from him, “Why have you come back this time.” He said with a hint of sternness.

I gripped my plush harder, “I want to see my mother.”

He seemed taken back by this, then chuckled, “You’d be willing to leave your father, your life, just to see a woman you’ve never met?”

I shook my head, “There’s more to it than that, lord fae.”

He crossed his arms and sat back a bit, motioning for me to explain.

“I want my father to come too. But I know he won’t come by my lead directly. If I go, he’ll follow. He’ll find my mom and me. We’ll be together again.”

He raised an eyebrow, mulling over my words.

“Also,” I continued, “I want to have my own adventure. And learn about a million other adventures through the stories of others.”

He smiled at that, then shook his head. His bubbly laugh rising out of him and forcing a smile cross my own face.

“Tell you what Deary,” He said leaning towards me, “I like you, you remind me of your mum, and myself. Something about you I can’t quite put my finger on.” He said twirling the ends of his hair.

I smiled again, “So you’ll take us?”

He held up a finger, “Not quite. You’re a bit special. You’re mom is in a realm I often visit, if your father comes by like you insist he’ll be there too. But you, oh no, I can’t tie a girl like you down to one realm.”

((Tumblr has a limit so to be continued/finished in next post))

#writer speaks #father #mother #brother #fae folk mez #my writings #long post

[mattwinthewoods]

Encountering a Tree Person in the Remote wild of the Boundary Waters in Northern Minnesota

Here's a little preface and to be aware there is a bit of NSFW material within this story: I was with three other guys luckily, otherwise I would of gotten the HECK out of there. We put in at North Moose River and traveled up through Iron/Lac La Croix past Curtain Falls up into Crooked, past Lower Basswood Falls and ended up on Horse just as a storm was hitting, this was on our 7th day. Luckily(?), there was a spot open (the second site on the north side after the gap into the river).   We were setting up tarps and I was pumping water with my trusty MSR pump and I noticed two of my buddies whispering to each other and it made me wonder what was going on. "There's a guy talking to Steve," my friend motioned back towards the woodline, "He came out of the woods." I walked back to find Steve talking to this skinny, disheveled figure who looked right out casting of a bad movie. His personal hygiene immediately made me think of Howard Hughes when his mind was dissolving. This man's fingernails were so dirty, gnarly and long that so much dirt was pushed beneath his fingernails that they were literally black. He had a long beard and long hair which was matted and dirty with sticks and other debris within it. He immediately asked if he could trade some things he had for any extra food we might have. He also told us that he was hiking on the "Angelworm" trail (the Angleworm Trail is the actual trail) and was camped out by our latrine. Wow, I did not like the vibe of this strange man immediately.   It started to storm badly again and he scampered back to his "shelter." Exchanging hesitant glances beneath the tarp in the rain, we decided that it was too rough to paddle out and we might have to spend the night here with this nut in the woods.   I've never felt more unsettled camping in my life. He seemed that kind of crazy person that could come out of the woods firing a pistol at us. We gave him tortillas and some granola bars in exchange for some tackle and some other random things, one of which was a knife. I know....., it was spooky.   He proceeded to tell us that his name was Aaron, and that he lived in the woods and was looking for psychedelic mushrooms. He was/is basically tripping his life away in the woods... He would talk non-stop about hunting for blueberries and how he would eat mushrooms and trip and think about blueberries, and it eventually got weirder and weirder.   After leaving and coming back about twice, each time bringing more things out of the woods to try and give to us, he began to talk about a baby deer that he used to carry and how it would buck him now and then. But, the more he spoke, the more he rambled and had long, drawn out pauses. He then told us, and please excuse the language and scenario, that the only animal in the woods that "gives you their warmth," are snakes. And, he told us if you have a big enough snake, you can make love with it. He proceeded to tell us several animals men and women can have relations with. Needless to say, we were all horrified and looked at each other agog.   The strangest thing he said, among many strange things, was his description, "how flowers grow over a shallow grave." I was having all sorts of bad thoughts after he uttered that sentence. Finally, I had had enough of his lingering and crazy talk. "Hey, you have anything else going on tonight?" I asked him, I trying to soften the blow into, "because it's our last night here, you know, and we just want to chill and reflect, could you give us our space please?" I had decided to try the empathy route.  I saw his eyes droop and he said okay, but would it be alright if he came back in the morning for some food? We had told him that we were leaving the next day and we would give him all we could? Yes, come back in the morning... Not gonna lie, we all slept with our gear under our vestibules and didn't leave anything out that night. Steve said that night he was swatting something that kept poking his tent as he was set up closest to the wood line.  I had the hatchet laying next to me as I slept. The next morning we broke down the tents and got ready to go. "You guys want to come back here a sec?" Steve shouted out. "What's that?" he asked pointing to the ground near his tent. I kid you not, a pile of human feces was near his tent. We shook our heads, let's get the F out of here, So, Aaron comes out of the woods, we showed him the bag of food (three potatoes, instant coffee and some sugar and salt packets). "This is all for me!?" he asked. We all nodded and he thanked us and told us that he was going to beat us to the portage. We watched as he gleefully skipped off into the woods toward the Horse River.   I have never had such a sense of relief as I did leaving that campsite that morning. Much of it still seems unreal. Our friend Chris had taken photos of Aaron and when we hit Ely he went to the Ranger Station. "Oh you met Aaron?" the Ranger told him. Apparently he's quite known to them. 

If you ever run into someone that mentally ill in the wilderness, it would probably be best practice to leave them alone and report them to the authorities.  

#outdoors #short story #outdoor adventure #adventure #thriller #mentally ill #story #non-fiction #non fiction #boundary waters #bwca #camping #camping story #wilderness #wilderness story #writing #literature

[grizzbe]

Hello everyone! I just finished up the game a few days ago and noticed a severe lack of Scott x Cora fics/content so I decided to help out and add my own fic! Like a lot of my stuff, this'll probably be a one shot unless people want to read more of this particular story. If you have any requests for other one shots you'd like to see, feel free to let me know! The title comes from the credits song, "Under Stars" by AURORA, in case you weren't aware. It's an awesome song. It felt good to get back to writing, y’all. I hope y'all like the fic!

A foreign sun gently crests the horizon, the red giving way to orange, giving way to pink and finally blue as the sky began to signal that a new day had started on the as-yet unnamed planet. With the sun rose the wildlife, vaguely chirp-like sounds began in earnest in what could almost pass as a pine tree, you know, if you squinted real hard and tilted your head just right. In a small clearing lays a single tent, a fire pit, a pair of chairs, some well-secured equipment, and a small shuttle, its parent vessel maintaining a stationary orbit in the planet's thermosphere.

"Good morning, Scott. It's time to wake up," said the disembodied voice. At least he was using his external speakers instead of just piping his voice directly into his brain.

Scott groaned but only moved enough to flip the leftover comforter from the empty half of the bed-pad onto himself, "What time is it again, SAM?"

"It is 6:30 Standard Helius Time and 6:03 according to this planet's 26-hour-day," said SAM.

Scott let out another groan, "And why are you waking me up at 6:30 on the first vacation I've had since I got thawed out?"

"Because I was instructed to wake you up an hour after she left, Pathfinder," replied SAM, matter-of-factly.

At that, a smile cracked Scott's lips, and he let out a soft chuckle, "Of course you were."

The groggy pathfinder stretched and got out of bed. It wasn't long before a fire was roaring, a pot hanging above it. Scott sat in his seat and took in the planet waking up with him. Gaz-46, they were going to have to come up with a better name than that, had first been pinged by an Initiative reconnaissance satellite two weeks ago and had been quickly tagged as a potentially habitable world as initial tests came back promising: breathable air and drinkable water, chief among a long list of positives.

Upon further investigation of the initial findings, however, vast swaths of toxic fungal growth appeared to cover all but a fraction of the land on the planet. With no apparent monoliths poking out of the ground that might lead to a vault and a quick fix, Gaz-46 found itself freefalling on the list of priority worlds for terraforming for the Initiative.

Seriously, they were going to have to come up with a better name than that. "Toxic Fungal Death Planet is a better name than Gaz-46," breathed Scott.

"What was that, Pathfinder?" asked SAM.

"Wha-? Nothing, SAM, that was nothing," replied Scott, quickly. On second thought, Toxic Fungal Death Planet sounds like a really bad Batarian metal cover band that his friends would've listened to while trying to be rebellious on the Citadel.

"Your coffee is ready, Scott," said SAM.

"Thanks, SAM," said Scott, pouring the life-giving liquid into two mugs and a little cream into one. Scott stood up with the cups and looked out into the forest, "Alright, which way did she go?"

"She left the campsite due south; my bet is that she went to the nearby cliff that you two passed yesterday."

"Perfect!" exclaimed Scott, his characteristic energy seeping into his frame as he headed off in the direction of his early rising companion. As the Pathfinder wove his way through the trees, he couldn't help but feel that this really was a beautiful planet. The towering trees and cool air are what he felt Colorado would've been like had he ever managed to visit before heading off on this grand, sometimes stupid adventure.

Despite the inherent dangers of the planet, Scott felt lucky to be here, lucky that Gaz-46 popped up right around the time where a "vacation" was coming up for him and his crew while the Tempest went through some maintenance. While the others were spending their time on the Nexus or Meridian or any of the numerous other outposts they had helped set up since they came together, he was able to convince the Initiative leadership to lend him a small ship and some supplies so he could get some more thorough scientific readings from the planet. They weren't too keen on the idea at first, but he managed to smooth talk Kesh, Kandros, and Addison, ("It's in an empty system, no Kett or pirate activity to speak of") and the three bullied Tann into okaying the time and resources.

If he got some tent-time with his bunkmate under the stars, well, that was just a happy coincidence.

Scott cleared the line of trees and found her meditating a few yards from the cliff's ledge, overlooking the foggy, forested valley that stretched out below them. He took the time to ensure he approached her as quietly as possible, partly to not disturb her, but mostly because he always loved the serenity her face held. For someone as professional as her, the worry-free look she had during her morning meditations was exactly what he needed to start his day right. Well, that and the coffee.

He put her mug down near her and placed a light kiss on her cheek, being rewarded with a slight smile as he took a seat on a rock with a great view of her as well as the valley.

The meditating woman breathed in the aroma of the newly arrived coffee, opened her eyes, and found Scott, her smile growing a bit wider. "Good morning, Scott," said Cora.

"Is it morning? I thought it was still last night since vacation mornings start at 8:30 at the earliest and I'm pretty sure it's only seven right now," Scott smiled good-naturedly.

"Pathfinder, it is actually 7:07," chimed in SAM.

"And we're not technically on vacation," said Cora.

With that, Scott flopped back onto the rock, "Vacation? Scientific research mission? What's the difference?"

Cora grabbed her coffee and moved to sit next to Scott, leaning over him till her face was above his, a hand on either side of his shoulders and her smile as bright as the sun rising on the horizon. "If you wanted a vacation, we could've stayed on the Nexus," she said. "But I doubt we would've had a night like last night on the station."

Scott's brow furrowed and lips pursed in mock deep thought, "I suppose you're right, Lieutenant." Scott's hands found Cora's hips and the commando straddled him, pressing her body closer to his, "And I doubt we'd have a morning quite like this one, either."

The two explorers gazed into each other's eyes, the fire from last night roaring back to life as their lips crashed together.

"I am sorry Pathfinder, Lieutenant Harper, but you are scheduled to collect samples of Gaz-46's toxic fungus by 7:30," said SAM. "To make it to the predetermined site in time, you must leave soon."

Cora stifled a laugh in Scott's shoulder as he rolled his eyes, "SAM, I thought we had talked about timing?"

"I am sorry, Pathfinder, but if this mission is to retain legitimacy, an itinerary must be maintained."

Scott sighed, and Cora pushed herself off of him, stretched and took a sip of her coffee. "We should get moving then," said Cora. "Too much talk about fungus anyway."

"And 'Gaz-46'," said Scott, throwing his hands up in frustration. "If we only do one thing today, can it please be renaming this planet?"

Cora laughed again and leaned in for another kiss, "Of course."

The two headed back to the campsite to grab the necessary equipment and to put on their environmental hazard suits before heading off towards the border between their safe forest and the fields of toxic mushrooms.

The pair got to work, taking catalog of the various mushrooms they picked. They walked through the fields, making sure to get as much geographic variation as they could for their samples. If it weren't for their toxicity, it would almost be a nice view.

"That should be enough, Scott," said SAM after a few hours of collecting and cataloging samples.

"Oh really, SAM? That's good to hear!" said Scott, laying the sarcasm on thick before turning to Cora. "The next time I suggest disguising a romantic getaway as a scientific research mission, please quarantine me."

"Quarantine you and take control of the Tempest for myself?" Cora said, tapping a finger on her helmet's chin and giving the idea some thought. "I think I can do that."

"With Cora's implants still intact, the transition would be smooth, Pathfinder," said SAM.

"You're not supposed to agree to that, SAM!"

The two shared a laugh as they took off back towards their campsite. By the time they had stored and secured the samples on the shuttle it was noon, so the pathfinder and his second-in-command grabbed some rations and returned to their rock overlooking the valley. With the midday sun beating down and the early-morning fog long since evaporated, the valley took on an even grander air to it.

"How about 'Forest-topia'?" offered Scott.

"Absolutely not," responded Cora, a little too quickly for his liking.

"Gaia?"

"You saw all of those killer mushrooms, right?"

"Dorado?"

"Too… Mythical…"

"Endor."

"Nope."

"Toxic Fungal Death Planet?"

"What?"

"Nothing."

With that, Cora gave Scott a side eye and the Pathfinder couldn't help but laugh, soon joined by his companion. The two continued their lunch in silence, enjoying each other's proximity as well as the gorgeous view. Neither one was looking forward to the afternoon block of work, which had them hiking in the opposite direction to catalog samples at various sites in the forest.

Scott finished his last indulgent bite, and the two began to collect their things when a shuttle roared over their heads, moving down into the valley below.

"Are we supposed to be joined by any Initiative personnel today, SAM?" asked Cora.

"None were scheduled," replied SAM.

"Looks like we have some unannounced guests," said Scott.

"Just a moment," said SAM, Cora and Scott shared a quick look as the AI performed whatever function it was working on. "The craft has turned off its transponder, but its drive pattern matches activity associated with a relatively new pirate operation in the Govorkam system."

The shuttle set down in a small clearing several miles away from their perch, the dots of little pirates disembarking and milling about the patch of earth.

"Do you have an accurate count?" asked Scott.

"Five figures have exited the shuttle, Pathfinder, but there could be more inside," replied SAM. "With their flight path and velocity, it would have been difficult for them to have spotted you."

"Well, we'd be rude not to stop by and say hello, wouldn't we?" asked Scott.

Cora merely rolled her eyes and shook her head, "And you were worried today was going to be boring."

"SAM, can you see them from the orbiting ship?"

"Yes, Pathfinder."

"Keep an eye on them and let us know if they move, alright?"

"Acknowledged."

With that, the two pathfinders took off back to their ship and changed into their armor. They only brought it as a condition set by Tann. He didn't quite understand why he'd need his gear for a quiet, boring scientific mission to an empty system but Scott found himself happy that he had agreed to it.

Scott had just clipped on his helmet when Cora stepped out of the shuttle, her shotgun in hand.

"Did you bring any cookies?" Scott asked, he could practically see the look she was giving him. "What? I don't want to show up empty-handed! First impressions are important."

"You're ridiculous, Scott Ryder."

"You know you love it." That had certainly earned him an eye roll.

Cora walked over and patted his chest plate, "You're lucky you're cute."

Scott smiled and nodded his head, "The luckiest."

The two secured their weapons and set off to greet the most unlucky group of pirates in the Heleus Cluster.

#Mass Effect #Mass Effect Andromeda #MEA #Scott Ryder #Cora Harper #Scott x Cora #fanfic #I wrote a thing #I hope y'all like it!

[onearchipelago-blog]

New Post has been published on https://www.onearchipelago.com/cafe-basas-eatsplorecb-pioneers-food-specialty-trend-right-ati-atihan-town-kalibo/754/

Cafe Basa's #eatsploreCB pioneers food specialty trend right in Ati-Atihan town, Kalibo

We had the privilege to attend Chef Mychal Kim Basa’s first ever event. He’s that guy who’s slowly making a name for himself with what he’s putting on the table, whether among tourists who are just passing by Kalibo for Boracay or among foodies in Aklan.

Who would not be? After tasting something good and that you know it costs a thousand bucks in Metro Manila but you only have it like just around P200, you would definitely be impressed.

Surprise us

The event was through invitation and he considered my fiancé and me to be a part of it; so we made sure to go there.

We got ourselves a nice place to sit as we waited for the others to arrive. I thought of the things that could happen in the next couple of minutes.

When everyone has finally come, he presented us to that day’s event, #eatsploreCB, which stood for “eat” and “explore,” with CB being Café Basa.

The event was his way of introducing new dishes with his own twists. (And us as his food critics for the day.)

“Surprise us, Chef!” I told him. We were around 16 people, ready for the journey.

After waiting for a minute or two, the first in the menu was out – Pizza Bianca. Everyone took their bite and each in the first batch was generally impressed. (Yes, there was a second batch).

I took my first bite, too. I could hear the soft crunching sound from its thick crust.

After around five minutes, I emptied my plate. It was better than the pizzas I’ve tasted in Kalibo!

I then became excited about where we were heading.

(While I am making this, I’m craving for three dishes prepared in #eatsploreCB, with one being Pizza Bianca).

Why #eatsploreCB?

I asked Chef Myck the purpose of the event and he told me he wanted to offer something new and unique that people in Kalibo have never tasted before.

Growing up, he observed there were not much of dishes that could be uniquely attributed to Kalibo. Because of that, it became his burning passion for making a trademark cuisine for the province.

But, more than that, #eatsploreCB is his way of telling a story.

“My goal here is to write a story,” he told me.

Pizza Bianca

#gallery-11 margin: auto; #gallery-11 .gallery-item float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; #gallery-11 img border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; #gallery-11 .gallery-caption margin-left: 0; /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Pizza Bianca, technically, was based from one of Café Basa’s popular pizzas. It’s a tomato-less, thick-crusted version topped with several goodies: special cheese sauce, mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, ham, mushroom, and a hint of garlic.

So, you understand why it took me just five minutes?

Chef Myck would not be Chef Myck if it was not because of Pizza Bianca. Well, not really mainly because of Pizza Bianca, but because of “pizza” – it was his gateway to cooking.

“I had to include a pizza in the first #eatsploreCB because this is where my passion for cooking started,” he said. “Pizza-making became my gateway to culinary arts.”

Bolognese Pasta

#gallery-12 margin: auto; #gallery-12 .gallery-item float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 100%; #gallery-12 img border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; #gallery-12 .gallery-caption margin-left: 0; /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Commonly known in the Philippines as tomato-based, Chef Myck’s version is not just the “same same” Bolognese pasta, the Italian classic decorated with ground beef, marinara sauce, and tomato. He made a different approach to it.

As opposed to using the typical tomato-based sauce, he painted it with olive oil (ala Café Basa *wink*).

Being also both a meat and a tomato-based pasta lover, Chef Myck could not pass this out. The Bolognese pasta has become a part of who he is in terms of professional growth.

“Pasta Bolognese is one of the very first pasta dishes I learned to cook, as I am a meat and tomato-based pasta lover,” he said. “Although not the original recipe that I was taught with, this version has evolved as I grow further into the culinary profession.”

Curry Pasta

#gallery-13 margin: auto; #gallery-13 .gallery-item float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 100%; #gallery-13 img border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; #gallery-13 .gallery-caption margin-left: 0; /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

This is something new in Kalibo, as far as I know, and Chef Myck was right in saying, “Not your traditional pasta combination.”

Curry (not the basketball player, but the food) is commonly associated with chicken in the Philippines.

“This is not your traditional pasta combination,” he told me. “I’d like to add an Indian cuisine twist. For Filipinos, authentic Indian cuisine is a daring flavor, so I had to start with something familiar, curry. So it’s not common that you would see pasta but I ought to give it a try.”

What I love about Chef Myck’s take was how he transformed those spinach leaves into something like chips. I literally feel like eating chips and I asked myself, “How on earth did he make these?”

“I made those crispy vegetables from thin carrots strips and spinach. It’s sweet and savory,” he said.

And rightly so!

Pamahaw Pasta

#gallery-14 margin: auto; #gallery-14 .gallery-item float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 100%; #gallery-14 img border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; #gallery-14 .gallery-caption margin-left: 0; /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Now this will really blow you away.

Pamahaw Pasta is mainly Italian carbonara pasta. But!!! (Yes, with an exclamation.) Chef Myk perhaps perfectly made one of the most satisfying combinations I ever tasted: Italian carbonara pasta mixed with a rich and creamy sauce made from salted egg yolks and some sprinkles of chorizo de Aklan. (Oh, how I really love this!!!)

I literally did not expect that salted egg would go well with chorizo. What I like was the feeling of the flavors somewhat fighting each other but seemingly agreeing to combine and make my meal palatial. It was that delicious.

Even Chef Myck was also surprised that the flavors blended well together.

“Actually for me, I was quite surprised with it as well. Why I got there was, honestly, I haven’t tried salted egg dishes before. I told myself, and for me, ‘I want to do something new,’” he said. “Though it’s already done in other places but not here in Kalibo, I want to be daring and try the salted egg craze; Most of the time I have salted egg and chorizo de aklan for my breakfast; thus, the Pamahaw Pasta.”

The best time to have this? Breakfast.

Well, it’s obvious based on its name, “pamahaw.” In the Central and Southern parts of the Philippines, “pamahaw” means breakfast. This certainly gives mornings a fresh start. (And oh, combine it with coffee!).

Crispy Shang-hai w/ Spicy Pineapple Sauce

#gallery-15 margin: auto; #gallery-15 .gallery-item float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 100%; #gallery-15 img border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; #gallery-15 .gallery-caption margin-left: 0; /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

This is a classic pork lumpia paired with this season’s harvest, pineapples with hot chili. It’s your sweet, sour, and hot shang-hai rolls.

The menu hits a certain spot at Chef Myk’s heart. This is the recipe that he grew up with because it’s made by his mother.

“It’s one of the reasons why I love food,” he said. “What I can remember vividly when I was a kid, mom cooks a whole bunch. Let’s just say we’re three siblings, she’ll put 30-40 pcs., and everything’s sniffed. Sometimes, we’d fight for the last piece.”

Chilled Pipino Soup

#gallery-16 margin: auto; #gallery-16 .gallery-item float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 100%; #gallery-16 img border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; #gallery-16 .gallery-caption margin-left: 0; /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

If you happen to enter in their café, you would see beautiful furniture, particularly tables and chairs.

You would also be surprised that all of them were made from scrap such as boxes used for forklifts, chairs from fast food chains, among others. Guess who made them? His dad designed by Chef.

He has this knack of turning ordinary things into something beautiful and useful that you would think he must have purchased this somewhere in Manila.

Chef Myck has extended this skill of being resourceful to his cooking. Case in point: Chilled Pipino Soup, where pipino is a bountiful resource in Kalibo.

He transformed the common pipino into a good palate cleanser. And he made it taste like a fruit shake.

Pork & Mushroom Stuffed Cabbage

#gallery-17 margin: auto; #gallery-17 .gallery-item float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 100%; #gallery-17 img border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; #gallery-17 .gallery-caption margin-left: 0; /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Aside from stuffing cabbage with steamed pork, Chef Myck made an oyster mushroom meatball to complement the mix. He also paired it with his signature cheese sauce as well as his homemade tomato sauce.

But before I continue, I have something to ask, have you ever watched “Ratatouille”? Could you recall the time when Alfredo Linguini in the animated film gave a dish to Anton Ego and when Anton ate it, he remembered his childhood days?

Alfredo’s dish was special because it made a mark at Anton. Anton walked down the memory lane.

Chef Myck’s Pork & Mushroom Stuffed Cabbage had a similar effect to me. It’s my “Ratatouille.”

When I tasted this dish, deep inside I was smiling because I recalled the memories of my dorm days when I used to cook my own cabbage. And yes, my dorm days were special for me.

It was a time where trials, laughter, and fulfillment were mixed in one. I would consider it my golden years. And Chef Myk’s Pork & Mushroom Stuffed Cabbage tugged at my heartstrings.

This is what makes dishes really special, when you are able to recall certain memories as you eat; when it touched your heart; when it made you eat with #hugot. And when that happens, you know you are in a good restaurant.

“I’ve been searching, traveling, doing a lot of studies because I want to hit the spot where it will remind you of something,” Chef Myck said. “I’m trying to hit the spot in a way that, I’m hoping, my food is not just the typical restaurant food but something that will remind you of your good ‘ol days. This dish reminded me of my culinary studying days”

Café Basa’s tagline is perfect: “The quality experience you can eat.”

Grilled Chicken with Spicy Yogurt Sauce

#gallery-18 margin: auto; #gallery-18 .gallery-item float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 100%; #gallery-18 img border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; #gallery-18 .gallery-caption margin-left: 0; /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

In their usual menu, Café Basa serves a grilled chicken dish that is mainly flavored with homemade focaccia bread and cheesy penne pasta. It’s fairly enough to satisfy your palate aside from the fact that it’s one of their popular dishes.

But as if it’s not enough, Chef Myck upped the game. With the new grilled chicken, he added more flavor to it by pairing it with yogurt sauce and garlic. It’s a bold Greek infusion, he said.

Matcha Cheesecake

#gallery-19 margin: auto; #gallery-19 .gallery-item float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 50%; #gallery-19 img border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; #gallery-19 .gallery-caption margin-left: 0; /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

A disclaimer, I do not have a sweet tooth. Sure, I eat sweets but a single serving of them is enough for me: a little chocolate there and an ice cream here is sufficient.

I happen to taste Chef Myck’s usual cheesecake and I do like it. With the Matcha Cheesecake, they taste almost the same thing for me.

But what interested me about the Matcha Cheesecake was the story behind it. And it had something to do with his lovelife (hearts everywhere!!!).

“Aside from being a tea-lover, Matcha speaks to me. In fact, every time me and my girlfriend [Norvie], tackle something with matcha [on the table], we end up laughing,” he lovingly recalled. “Not just once or twice, but plenty of times. It brings us joy for no reason and we end up having a great and memorable time. Seriously, I know it’s kind of a stupid story but that happens every time we eat something with matcha, we’re just having a good time. So I really had to include it here.”

I know it’s too early for Valentines Day but, hey, love is for all seasons. So, if you want to invite someone for a date, the Matcha Cheesecake at Café Basa is worth a try.

Halo-Halo (Buko Pandan Version)

#gallery-20 margin: auto; #gallery-20 .gallery-item float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 100%; #gallery-20 img border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; #gallery-20 .gallery-caption margin-left: 0; /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

If there is one thing that you should never miss when you visit Café Basa, it’s their Halo-Halo. I will not spoil you by revealing what it is made of but you will never regret it (unless you do not like halo-halo).

It’s their bestseller; it has no other in Kalibo. Just like Apple whose flagship product is the iPhone device or Samsung with their Galaxy S8, Halo-Halo is Café Basa’s flagship dessert. It is one of the reasons why most of their customers return.

During #eatsploreCB, Chef Myck made a slight twist by adding aromatic pandan leaves and toppings of macapuno strings, sweet corn, and cornflakes. Mouthwatering, I would definitely say.

“It’s a new rendition of Café Basa’s popular Halo-Halo! I am planning to expand my Halo-Halo line because my guests are asking for more,” he said.

And yes, we want more.

Was it worth a dime?

My words are really not enough to express how I enjoyed the #eatsploreCB event. Of course, I would be lying if I tell you that every food was my favorite.

We have different taste buds; some are fond of sweets while others are fond of sea foods. It really depends on the person.

If you ask me if going to Café Basa is worth it, I can’t answer that for you. I’ll leave that to you and invite you to test their dishes.

As far as my experience is concerned, I have gone back to them for the nth time already. If you would also ask me whether or not their dishes are worth my dime, I would vouch for them; that their service and food are topnotch; and that every single peso my fiance and I paid to them is never wasted.

You would also be surprised how full you would be with just around P500 for their dishes. In fact, you might even say that they charge low for a menu and for the experience that are, in reality, expensive when you’re in other places.

Café Basa is living up to their tagline:

“The quality experience you can eat.”

About #eatsploreCB

#eatsploreCB is a first of its kind in Kalibo and possibly in the province of Aklan. This is an event and a gastronomic adventure that aims to introduce a new culinary culture in town. It gives access for new and traditional dishes that come with the use of new flavors, cuisines, infusions, or techniques. Some dishes will be familiar, but they have a different approach, while others will be influenced by different cultures, or from the imaginations of Chef Myck. In the near future, Chef Myck plans a collaboration event with other chefs and aspiring chefs.

#eatsploreCB is not just a culinary event. It also comes with socializing with other people. Here, you will be joined by other food enthusiast and chefs! Meet them or make friends with them and get a chance to exchange ideas, cooking and traveling tips, and share the whereabouts of other culinary gems. As with high hopes, we at Café Basa, are aiming to create a community of food lovers here in Kalibo!

Café Basa is located at Judge Martelino Rd, Andagaw, Kalibo, 5600 Aklan. For reservations, contact them via landline [phone]. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

#eatsploreCB #Aklan #Cafe Basa #exclusive #featured #Kalibo