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sailtomarina · 1 year

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Promise me you won't do it

They were coming up on their anniversary and she knew Draco was up to something. Despite all his training, the many years of occlumency, she read him as easily as her favorite Le Guin novels. The man, for better lack of a phrase, was as dear to her as her own soul. “I’ve got to head down to the nick and finish off some paperwork before our trip, but I should be back in time for dinner.” He dashed around the kitchen, draining his tea before tightening his cravat.

As he walked into the drawing room towards the Floo, his eyes slid towards the sideboard where his array of liquor sat, pointedly ignoring the bookshelf behind him.

Sauntering up, Hermione pressed her hands into the front of his trousers, fingers curling behind the belt and tugging him flush against her. One pale eyebrow raised in intrigue, and she grinned in response. Of course he leaned down for a kiss, as if he could resist her charms, as if he had no idea what his wife planned while he was gone.

“Promise me you won’t do it,” he whispered into her ear, all warm breath and nibbling lips.

“I make no promises I won’t keep.”

He growled at her honesty, and punished her with a light tug to the fistful of hair at the nape of her neck.

“Whatever happened to rewards for the patient?”

“Please, you know patience isn’t one of my traits. Not by a long shot.”

A smirk and another leading kiss later, he vanished into the flames and she was alone. The liquor cabinet was obviously a ruse. She pivoted on her heel and contemplated the layers of books threatening to burst out of their constraints. Little knick knacks squeezed in here and there, mementos to their years together: a feather from the beach where they celebrated her 30th birthday, a preserved forget-me-not after a weekend in the land of the midnight sun for his.

“Novis revelio.” To reveal that which does not belong.

She instantly noticed the hidden box behind the stack of Quidditch playbooks. Crowing in delight, she darted forward and dived in like a niffler, intent on her treasure. The foolish man didn’t even bother with detection charms, much less ones for security. It was as if he wanted her to find it.

The box opened without any resistance. She stared at its contents.

Nice try, dear.

The scrap of parchment with his familiar scrawl was the only thing inside, that along with her humiliation. Before she could curse his name a million different ways, the entire box disintegrated into dust of the most noxious lime green, coating her hands and lap where it had rested.

Now she cursed. Somehow she knew the evidence was permanent, much like some of her own spells—it would require a counter known only to the caster. She tentatively pressed one hand against the oak flooring, and sighed in relief. She could touch things without worrying about transference.

Fwoooosh.

Caught by surprise at the sound, Hermione tumbled to the side in her haste to turn around. Draco stood one foot in the fireplace, one forward into the room.

“I forgot my—”

Light grey eyes descended upon her form.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?”

She stood as gracefully as her guilt would allow, smoothing her frock as she cleared her throat.

“I wanted to organize the books and found something that didn’t belong.”

“Uh-huh.”

“And I don’t know if it was some prank left by George and Ron, or some kind of expired product you forgot, but it made this mess.”

“Right.”

The tosser had the audacity to grin at her frown.

“What did you forget?”

“Oh!” Startled into remembrance, he bustled past her and returned clutching a file. He pressed another kiss against her temple and was just about to leave again before he left one last parting shot.

“Be careful, yeah? I have a feeling that’s not the only prank of that kind in the house.”

And then he was gone, and she was left with the distinct sensation of several ticking time bombs just waiting for her overly curious designs. If he thought that comment would stop her, he was sorely mistaken. She wasn’t called the “cleverest witch of her age” for no reason; she would reverse these spells onto their maker, and ensure they all went off at the same exact time.

Snort. “Happy anniversary, dear.”

#dramione #dramione prompt #harry potter flashfic #harry potter fanfiction #draco malfoy x hermione granger #draco malfoy #hermione granger

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justcallmecappy · 2 years

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18 Days of Fenders: Questioning Beliefs

18. Questioning Beliefs

The clinic was silent, save for the muted sound of rustling as Anders sorted through his belongings, and his quiet voice as he whispered to himself.

“Trash,” he murmured, setting aside a water-stained book. It joined a growing pile of discarded things. He picked up a tarnished dagger, its leather sheath worn and faded. Anders looked at it, considering for a moment. It was a gift from Sigrun, the last thing she gave him, before he and Justice ran away from the Wardens. She had nicked it off Nathaniel when he wasn’t looking. “Keep,” he decided. He rummaged through his box of meagre belongings and kept sorting them into piles. “Trash. Trash. Keep. Won’t be needing that anymore.”

He was so engrossed in his task he did not hear padding footsteps until they stopped a distance behind him.

Anders’ hands stilled. He looked over his shoulder and met Fenris’ dark green eyes as the elf stared at him impassively, betraying no emotion.

“Why are you here, Fenris?” Anders asked, turning to face him.

Fenris jerked his chin towards the piles of belongings on Anders’ desk. “What are you doing?”

Anders glanced at the knick-knacks he had accumulated through the years – things he had somehow managed to hold onto, despite being on the run for most of his life. “Deciding what to throw away and what to bring with me,” he said, voice falling to a defeated murmur, “when I leave Kirkwall.”

Fenris sat down calmly on one of the empty cots, his eyes not leaving the mage. “Leave Kirkwall? Why?”

“Did you not see what happened in the Gallows?” Anders said, unable to keep the tremble out of his voice. “I was … I nearly …” he took a few deep breaths to calm himself, but panic, dark and cold and terrible, washed through him and he leaned back to cling at his desk. “That girl, Ella. She could have died. Because of me. I … I nearly killed her, Fenris.”

“But you didn’t.”

Anders frowned at how calm Fenris was being at this – but knowing the elf’s history with dispensing death and violence at the behest of his merciless former master, perhaps Anders’ distress seemed trivial to him. And yet, Anders found a glimmer of gratitude threading through the fog of his guilt.

“If you and Hawke hadn’t been there …” he murmured, voice breaking slightly, “if you hadn’t been there … I would’ve …”

“We were there,” Fenris said softly, and Anders looked up at how gentle he sounded. “Don’t dwell on ‘what ifs’, mage. We stopped you in time, and the girl lives. You have caused no harm. Do not hurt yourself over what you have not done.”

There was no mockery, no condemnation in Fenris’ voice. Instead, in the soft evening light filtering in through the clinic’s high windows, lighting Fenris in a sort of subdued halo, Anders could almost fool himself into thinking Fenris was looking at him with kindness.

Fenris rose to his feet, and stepped closer towards Anders, eyes lowered. “Don’t go,” he murmured. When he lifted his gaze to meet Anders’ eyes, there was a strange lustre in them, staring up at the mage with a sort of wordless pleading. “Don’t leave Kirkwall. You are needed here.”

Anders sank back. “If it happens again …”

“Hawke and I will look out for you. You have nothing to fear, mage.” A dozen unspoken words glimmered in the elf’s dark eyes. Again, he implored to Anders: “Stay.”

Anders looked up at this, equal measures of despair and hope twisting painfully in his chest. He thought of his patients – the people of Darktown who depended on his healing to keep their sicknesses at bay. He thought of the mages still trapped in the Gallows, enduring unspeakable abuses, their pleas for mercy falling on unhearing ears.

He thought of Hawke, of Merrill, of Varric and Isabela – their laughter, their companionship, their teasing voices, their kind words, the way they would greet him with unfailing brightness when he arrived at the Hanged Man for Wicked Grace.

“If I stay,” Anders began, looking pleadingly at Fenris, “there’s something I must ask of you.” He bit into his lip hesitantly. “If … if it happens again, I want you to … I want you to stop me. By any means necessary.” I want you to kill me, the request hung unspoken and clear in the air. Tear into my chest, rip out my heart, ensure I harm no one ever again.

Fenris shook his head. “I will do no such thing.”

“Why?” Despair roiled against hope and tore through Anders’ voice. “You’ve said it yourself, many times before – I’m … I’m a monster, a danger to everyone around me. You, of all people, should know. Why now, of all times … why do you refuse me?”

It was only when Fenris reached a tentative hand out to delicately swipe a thumb over Anders’ cheek that Anders realized he’d been crying – tears tracked down his face, wiped away by the soft pads of Fenris’ fingers.

“It will not happen again.” Fenris’ voice was soft and quiet, laden with the weight of a promise. Then he shook his head again and sighed quietly. “Anders, I … I know what it’s like to have blood on my hands. And it never really washes away. I carry it with me, and I must live with what I have done. But you need not be like that.” He leaned in, so close that he stood nearly with his head at Anders’ shoulder, and his voice was gentle. “If you falter, I will catch you. Such guilt does not suit you, mage – you are no monster.”

Anders let the sob tear through him – he wanted to reach for Fenris, cling to his shoulders, but instead shrank back, head bowed. “How can you be so sure?” he asked in a small voice. “After all that you’ve seen – how can you still trust me?”

Fenris reached out, then, laying his hand gently on Anders’ arm. “We are stronger, now, than we ever were apart. I have you, and you have me. I trust in that.”

Anders leaned forward, finally letting Fenris draw his arms around him, and sank into the embrace.

Hadriana’s still-warm blood caught in the steel trap of Fenris’ gauntlets. The underground slave-holding pen fell into a haunted silence in the aftermath of the battle, the floor littered with the corpses of Hadriana’s henchmen.

Fenris voice – ragged with emotion, heavy with rage – tore through the silence. “What has magic touched that it hasn’t spoiled?” he demanded. The stillness that followed – the bright pain in Hawke’s gaze, the shock of his companions – was suddenly too heavy, too much to bear.

He left them and did not look back.

When Fenris found himself aboveground, he wandered the paths of the Wounded Coast aimlessly, until he stopped and fell tiredly to his knees where the shore met the sea. The day was surprisingly peaceful, despite the violence that had occurred only moments before. A cool breeze rustled through the seagrass and threaded through Fenris’ hair. He gazed out desolately out onto the Waking Sea, eyes on the middle distance, watching sunlight glittering on the cresting waves.

He did not hear someone approaching until that someone stood right beside him, but he did not lift his gaze.

“What do you want, Anders?” Fenris asked, feeling a spike of annoyance and distress – he wanted to be left alone. The last thing he needed was the company of a mage.

“You left so suddenly,” Anders said, settling down beside Fenris. “I just wanted to see if you were alright.”

Fenris’ felt his mood souring, but a bright thread of desperation ran through him. Part of him wanted the mage to go away, but another part of him wanted Anders to stay. He said nothing, and merely continued to look upon the ocean waves, trying to sort out the dull heaviness in his heart.

“I thought it would feel different,” Fenris said eventually. He stared down at the dried flecks of blood on his gauntlets and felt disgust and nausea roil in his stomach. “I thought killing her would make me feel better. But I still hate her, even if she lies dead. I still feel her poison run through my veins. It’s a sickness, this hate, and it eats away at me like a curse.”

Fenris did not expect Anders to reach out and lay his hand gently on Fenris’ own – Fenris started in surprise, glancing up at the mage. Anders’ pale hand, cool and gentle, covered his and hid the bloodstains.

“You’re probably not going to like hearing this,” Anders murmured, “but that part never really goes away. Not really.”

Fenris raised his eyes to meet Anders’ steady golden gaze.

“This hate, this hurt, this … grief,” Anders continued, “it lives in your heart, and surfaces every once in a while and reminds you of those who have wronged you. It does feel like a curse, sometimes. It does burn like poison. But ... that’s not all there is to it.” Anders’ voice quietened; his brow pinched slightly. “Anger can serve you, Fenris, keep you alive, keep you going like a fire when everything else has burnt out. They cannot use it to break you, and they cannot take it away, because this never came from them. This anger is for you.” Anders gazed unwaveringly at Fenris, and it was as if he were pleading for him to understand. “And they do not deserve your forgiveness.”

Fenris could feel his hands begin to tremble, and despite being gauntleted, Anders held his hand firmly, steadying him.

“What must I do now?” Fenris asked, hating how small his voice sounded.

Anders smiled softly. “You could … come back with me to Kirkwall, and talk to Hawke, for a start. She’s worried about you, too. And then maybe … a bath? Wash off the blood, change into clean clothes. And then maybe dinner.”

Fenris stared at the mage incredulously.

But then Anders’ smiled broadened, features gentling. “And only after then, perhaps, we can talk about what to about this sister of yours that Hadriana mentioned. Over a bottle of wine, or a cup of tea. Whenever you feel ready, Fenris.”

The mage’s voice was warm and steadying, yet Fenris felt as if the ground had fallen away beneath him. He leaned forward to rest his head on Anders’ shoulder, stilling as Anders drew his arms around him.

This fanfic is posted in response to the “18 Days of Fenders” prompts and writing challenge, running from March - April 2022. 😊

Thank you to v-arbellanaris for help with this chapter. 🥰

And it's done! 😄 I have completed all eighteen prompts for "18 Days of Fenders" (even though I'm a month past deadline, heheh 😅). Many thanks to taterwitch for organizing this event, and to everyone who responded to the prompts!

Thanks to those who read my work, and encouraged me with sharing your reviews and kudos. I really appreciate it! 🥰💖 I hope you enjoyed reading these fics as much as I did writing them!

This has also been cross-posted to AO3.

Follow @18daysoffenders

#18 days of fenders #fenders #fenders da2 #my writing #my fanfiction #dragon age fanfiction #fenris x anders

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suckitsurveys · 2 years

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Do you actually think it’s gross to talk about body functions? Depends on the situation and context.

Would you rather sleep (zzz) alone or next to your SO? Next to him.

Are you trying to forget about something? I can’t remember.

Have you ever sent a love letter? No, I’ve just written short notes in cards and stuff.

When you look up at the sky do you ever NOT see a plane or vapor trail? Uh, yes?

Have you dated someone of another race? Yes.

Do you wear any shoes with holes because you can’t give them up? No, I’d replace them before they got to that point.

When you go out to breakfast, what do you order? Chicken and Waffles if they have it. Otherwise an omelette and hash browns.

Have you ever had a job that required a uniform? Yes.

What’s the best compliment you’ve gotten from a boss/teacher? I was recently praised for putting together an instructional guide for a new program we’ve implemented at work. I’m sure there’s others but this one stands out to me because it’s most recent.

What’s a weird or interesting nick name you gave someone? I call my best friend Grillz sometimes because we used to great each other by saying GIRL and it autocorrected to GRILL once and it just evolved from that to Grillz.

Is there a phrase or mantra you repeat when you are frightened? Not that I can think of. Probably like “oh my god” though.

What are you most envious of? People who have pools.

Do you have a friend with a habit that worries you? Yeah.

Would you rather have coffee, cocoa, tea, or soda? Depends on the mood yo.

When you walk into your best friend’s room, what do you smell? I don’t know.

Have you ever purposely broken something that belonged to a sibling? Yes.

Do you have any hipster friends? No, I don’t think I’d call any of them hipsters.

Have you ever worked at the same place as your best friend? No.

Do you like to visit famous people’s homes? I’ve never been to a famous person’s home aside from Frank Lloyd Wright’s house/studio in Oak Park lol.

Do you take days off from shaving when you can get away with it? I don’t shave anywhere near that often.

What color do you see when you shut your eyes tight? Black with a little red and grey.

How would you react if you found out your crush had a terminal disease? I don’t have a “crush” but I have a husband and I would obviously be devastated.

Has anyone ever baked you cookies? Yes.

What’s the lamest present you’ve ever given? I’m not sure.

Would you rather eat free hotdogs or pizza you pay for yourself? Free hot dogs.

Do you ever wear socks with holes in them? Yeah, but usually because I don’t notice.

Is there anything hanging on your bathroom walls? Yes, aside from towel racks and a mirror, there are three 3D stars with lights in them..

If your SO agreed, would you want an open relationship? No, neither of us would ever want that.

Have you ever slept with three people in the same bed? When? Why? Yes, probably a few times during sleepovers in grade/high school, and when I was a kid with my parents in hotels sometimes, or with my mom and sister, and more recently with my nieces.

Does your family regularly eat sit down meals together? My husband and I eat dinner together, usually.

Who would you like to slow dance with? To what song? Eh.

What’s your favorite pet name someone calls you? I love when people call me Hannah Conda.

If you could talk to one species of animal what would it be? Kitties! I wanna know what they’re thinking and I want to explain to my one cat that I just want to love her and she doesn’t have to run from me hahah.

What’s the largest animal you’ve ever seen in person? An elephant maybe?

Have you ever used the change counting machine at a store or mall? Yes, years ago.

Would you give mouth to mouth to your dog to save it’s life? I don’t have a dog.

Do you collect anything? Do people give you tons of stuff related to it? I have small collections of panda and bat knick knacks that have accumulated because people gift them to me and I get them myself.

If you came with a warning label, what would it say? Warning: Knows Too Much About Certain Former And Current SNL Cast Members.

Have you ever tried to learn a language on your own? No.

Where do you keep your change at home? In a metal pail on the table where we also keep the mail.

Have you ever had a pet destroy something valuable or important? Yes.

What’s the best burger EVER? BRGRBelly or Kuma’s Corner.

Did you ever show up late for an important event? Yes.

#surveys #at work

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amazinglyegg · 2 years

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Hello! You seem very friendly and for a bit I’ve been quiet here on your blog. I have decided to finally put in a request! How would the companions react to a Sole that often gives them gifts? It’s up to you what companions. And question, is there a limit to how many requests? Thank you! Have a lovely day or night, smile lots and lots!💙💙💙

Thank you!! There isn't a limit to how many requests you can send, but I might not end up doing them all. I have a bad habit of forgetting about requests for way too long (like THIS ONE OH GOD) Feel free to send as many as you want (and maybe to multiple companion react accounts in case I don't answer 😳)

Companions React: Sole Who Gives Them A Lot Of Gifts

DiMA

DiMA loves receiving gifts

Since he can't travel too far outside of Acadia (even going to Far Harbor takes a lot of preparation) he loves gifts from other areas

He'd appreciate pictures, native plants, pretty rocks, souvenirs, anything really

He'd love something he could take care of, like potted plants or even a rock garden

He loves gifts that tell a story or spark a conversation

Sole could talk to him for hours about the meaning behind the gift and with every passing minute he appreciates the gift (and Sole) more and more

Hangs any of Sole's art on the wall to brighten up Acadia

Father:

Father gets a bit annoyed if Sole gives him gifts from the surface

Things such as flowers or rocks from the surface will be politely taken and then disposed of to prevent contamination

He'll very gladly take a bouqet of Institute-grown flowers or something similar

He enjoys having cooked meals with Sole, especially if Sole is the one that cooks them

He'll keep handmade gifts that took a fair amount of time

Lives a very minimalistic lifestyle, so he doesn't have anywhere to put "clutter" like small trinkets, pebbles, leaves, etc.

All in all, quite picky, but appreciative nonetheless

Nick:

Nick has no problem in decorating his desk with knick-knacks and other small gifts Sole gives him

He'll show genuine appreciation for anything, even something as small as a flower or a cool rock

When Sole gives him a rock or leaf while they're out on a mission together he'll keep it in his pocket until he gets back to the agency

He keeps all their drawings or paintings in a drawer in his desk so he can flip through them when Sole's out

Preston:

Preston loves "it reminded me of you" type of gifts

Even if it's just a random rock or leaf, if it reminded Sole of him, he'll gladly hold onto it

He gives gifts to Sole, too, except he's a bit more bashful about it

Will use whatever you give him, even if it's not that useful

Ugly sweater? Wears it all morning. Cracked mug? Drinks out of the side that doesn't have a crack in it. Bouquet of wilted flowers? Now the centerpiece of the table

I can imagine him as the type of guy to save EVERY gift he gets. Doesn't matter that the drawing is ripped or the flowers have been dead for months, he'll keep them in a drawer where they're safe

Very sentimental

Strong:

The idea of ownership is a bit foreign to Strong, as most supermutants share everything

That being said, he loves it when Sole shares with him

He takes it as an act of trust - Supermutants only share with other supermutants, so in a way Sole is accepting him as one of their own

He won't understand the purpose of things he doesn't need, like pretty rocks or something handmade, but once Sole explains that it's important to them, he'll try to keep it safe

X6-88:

X6 doesn't really know what to do at first

He doesn't have very many personal belongings, other than hygiene and survival products given to all gen 3s (such as a toothbrush, hairbrush, daily meals, resting place, etc)

If Sole gives him a useful item such as medicine or ammo he'll appreciate it

He doesn't quite recognize it as a gift though, rather than materials shared by his teammate

If Sole gives him something of emotional value he'll be a lot more shocked

He won't be able to wear or use any non-Institute items (such as clothing or weapons) without being reprimanded by scientists, but he'll keep whatever you give him safe

If Sole gives him something he can't find a use for (drawing, plushie, etc) he may tell Sole to hold onto it

Not because he doesn't appreciate the gift, just because he knows it'd be better used elsewhere

In general it takes him a while to get used to it

It's not until several months later when Sole goes through his bag or something and finds everything Sole ever gave him stored away

Even if he has a hard time understanding or utilizing gifts, he. Will. Keep. Them. All.

#I THOUGHT I POSTED THIS EARLIER #I DIDN'T REALIZE THIS HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY DRAFTS #IM SORRY ANON #PLEASE SEND AS MANY REQUESTS AS YOU'D LIKE #or send more characters for this ask ;) I have more ideas #also I KNOW DiMA and Father aren't companions...#the inspiration struck me okay #fallout 4 #companions react #DiMA #father #nick valentine #preston garvey #strong #x6 88 #fallout 4 companions #if you want a part two of this just lmk ;)#i swear it wont take months to make a second part....... maybe

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i-try-to-write-stuff · 3 years

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Misunderstood Choices Chapter 3

You stuck out like a sore thumb at those exclusive lavish and painfully boring gatherings. Sharon belonged to an elite set of rich and spoiled people who dressed in luxurious knick-knacks and trendy clothes, and generally assholes to anyone not as rich as them. You found them shallow and the people of this high society had been bitchy to you. Your skin crawled, you smiled, never reacting, knowing you can not risk offending anyone who might complain about you to your grandfather. You needed to be in your grandfather’s good books, your mother’s health was your topmost priority and if you had to drink this humiliation poison, you would do it, without any question.

Your mother had been a simpleton…a beautiful simpleton, she was working for the Vincent trading company when she met Nick Vincent and fell in love with him. Your father had showered her with expensive gifts and asked her to marry him.

For over a year your parents were involved..., living life to its fullest. Trusting that her fiancé would soon be her husband, your mother had put her career on hold. But when she got pregnant, Nick Vincent had come under pressure from his father and called off his engagement. When your mother refused to agree to an abortion, he had left her. But not before he reminded the mother of his unborn child that she had a bad reputation.

Your mother had endured those final insults. The father you had never met…. had been a hypocrite, a liar, and an unreliable partner. Your mother had to go to court to prove her baby’s paternity and after a lengthy battle had been granted a pitiful amount in child support which was never paid. As a result, your mother had started drinking too much to forget her sadness. At the age of five, you had had to go into foster care for a while. A newspaper had run a sad story about how you and your mother were thrown out in the streets because of unpaid rent and how you were scouring for the food from a dumpster near a restaurant, Nick Vincent had seen the story and had felt ashamed, he had taken steps to ensure that his ex-girlfriend and his daughter did not end up homeless and living apart again. An old ranch away from the hustle and bustle of New York had been assigned to your mother, to provide a permanent roof over your head. Your mother despised being away from the city life but you loved it and you had often had cause to be grateful for the security of a roof over their heads that could neither be sold nor taken away. Having lived through your mother’s many relationships, you did not have any illusions about men. If you glowed while thinking about Steve Rogers it was the result of your awkwardness, he was among few people who did not demean you. You may have had a crush on the tall blonde but you were also aware of how he saw you, you were pretty sure he does not even know your name. After all, you were painfully aware that there was no place for any fairy tales in real life. It is often said power begets power, similarly rich marry rich. If a rich person ever married a poor person or anyone beneath their stature it was only when the other person was extremely beautiful and intelligent. But then again even in your unlucky mother’s case, beauty hadn’t worked a miracle. The women and some men looked at him as if he hung the moon, flirted with him continuously, worshipped him, and wanted to fuck him. Steve was aware of his pull among the ladies. He had been spoilt by the admiration, appreciation, and attention he got... He was smart, narcissistic, and proud. You had been impressed by him as well. What had added feelings for him was his thoughtfulness. On several occasions, Steve had come to your rescue when his friends decided to make you the butt of their cruel jokes. Your so-called friend, Sharon, thoroughly resented having to take you everywhere she went. Sharon showed her animosity by making nasty jokes and comments that targeted your lack of attractiveness, your weight, your cheap clothing, and your apparent stupidity. Sharon’s friends soon jumped on the same bandwagon. Steve Rogers always managed to create a distraction to deflect hostile attention from you. It was surprising though, after all, he had acted that you were invisible. But he still had that gentlemanly thing going on, the protectiveness had touched you deeply. Steve might be arrogant, annoying, and overbearing at times, but he was also bold, tough, and unapologetic. You could not believe that he would accept the demeaning proposal from Arthur Vincent. Within twenty-four hours, you learned that you were very much mistaken about that part. ‘Come with me.’ Arthur said triumphantly. ‘Steve Rogers is waiting for you in the main hall. I met with his father and the lawyers this morning. All the essentials have been agreed upon. Your mother’s debts will be settled and I will send her to the rehabilitation center as soon as possible. You and Steve will be husband and wife within a week.’ ‘What???’ Shock ripped through you. Your grandfather had been right and you were wrong; Steve was willing to marry you to save his family from financial trouble. Did he feel that he had as little choice as you did? Given the option, You knew you could not turn your back on your mother, you knew she would not cope without the financial support and the treatment. It finally dawned on you that both of you were trapped by duty and loyalty. You were quite sure that he did not want to

marry you, just like you didn’t want to marry him and become an unwanted and most definitely unwelcomed wife. ‘Don’t keep him waiting. He is your prize, don’t let him slip away..’ Smirking with amusement, Arthur Vincent urged his unenthusiastic granddaughter across the hallway towards the main hall. The instant you entered the large, lavishly furnished room, your eyes met with shimmering blue eyes and you knew that Steve had heard your grandfather’s jibe. Steve was wearing a black suit a white shirt that made him look daunting like a scary bodyguard. You had never seen him in a three-piece suit, he looked like he was attending a funeral. And obviously, because of the nervous energy pent up in you, you stumbled on your own feet and accidentally crashed into the table present nearby. You felt like a baby deer. ‘I am so sorry,’ you muttered steadying the stationary table frantically. Steve had noticed that before; you said sorry even when you didn’t do anything wrong. He was studying you. In true Vincent style, you had not grown up but out and you barely reached the top of his chest, you were small and chubby. You wore plain clothing like an old lady, a black trouser that was obviously too long for you.., a loose greyish t-shirt. It was impossible to tell what was beneath the layers of drab fabric. Vincent was an old vicious bastard, he had spelled out the grim reality that his granddaughter was in love and eager to marry Steve. ‘Why are you staring?’ You asked tautly. ‘I never took the time to look at you before.’ Steve continued to observe you with creepy concentration. You were going to be his wife. He continued to mentally score your attributes. Shiny blackish brown. Dewy skin another plus in his book. Eyes that were soft and full of sadness. Steve saw the tears shining in your strained gaze. He had seen more than he wanted to see and he was angry with you for having so little confidence.

What did she have to be unhappy about? The lack of romantic gesture? What more could she ask from him? Wasn’t she getting the husband she wanted? Hadn’t Arthur Vincent effectively bought her husband for her? Steve thought to himself. That humiliating thought pierced through his heart like a poisoned arrow.

You were trembling. His hard self-assurance took you aback, you had assumed that the situation would bring down the barriers between them. ‘I didn’t want this…if there was any other way…’ Your nervous rant ran out of steam.

Steve was irked…his dumb handsome face had a cryptic look, he was not impressed by your claim. ‘But there isn’t. We should talk about our upcoming wedding, terms...’

‘What terms?’ you asked, lifting your long lashes.

‘Well this is an arranged marriage and we’re practically strangers. It will work better if we are honest with each other.’

You breathed in deeply. ‘Can’t we be friends?’

Lawyers from both sides were trying to drum up an agreement, on top of that his distressed mother and his guilt-ridden father were trying to come to terms with this new relationship that was forced upon him, your question struck. He thought that you were stupid. ‘Friends don’t marry and have children. I want to..no scratch that I need to know what you expect from me as your husband.’

You felt awkward at the mention of children.

‘I know that I’m not the wife you wanted. We will learn to manage as we go along.’

‘That is gonna be chaotic Y/N’

He reached for your hand. ‘I have a ring…it is my grandmother’s. If you don’t like it, we can always get a ring of your choice.' Showing you the ring he brought with him. ‘It’s perfect...’ you replied and nodded giving him your permission to slide the ring onto your finger. He slid the diamond ring on your finger. His gesture surprised you.

‘I wasn’t expecting this…’ you mumbled

Steve smiled tightly. What you didn’t know was Steve did not want to get an engagement ring for the sham of the marriage he was forced to be a part of, his mother, Sarah, had persuaded him to bring her mother’s ring. Sarah was concerned about whether you will like the ring or not.

‘Thank you…’ you said sincerely, you were hopeful about your marriage seeing Steve’s effort in something that was forced on both of you.

Steve was uncomfortable by the level of your enthusiasm. But then again Steve thought that it was because you loved him.

‘Cherry…’ Steve breathed with uncharacteristic awkwardness. ‘Can I call you that?’

‘Yes..yes you can….’you replied with hesitance, you hated your nickname, you wanted him to call you by your name but he still took the first step so you can bear the nickname.

‘I will try to be the best wife…’ you replied while twisting the ring around your finger.

Steve almost groaned out loud. He knew you wanted to hear him say the same thing but he could not lie to you. He didn’t want to marry you. Nor did he want a baby in this marriage.

Tags-

@austynparksandpizza

#steve rogers angst #steve rogers au #steve rogers x you #steve rogers x y/n #steve x reader #steve rogers x female reader #steve rogers #steve rogers x reader

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cathrrrine · 3 years

Text

RUN | Pietro x Reader

Originally from my Wattpad

CHAPTER 19: NOVI GRAD

Time passed by quickly. The sun had set long ago, and yet there was still no sign of the Captain showing up. I turned to Pietro with a frown on my face. Although I had no right to complain, I wasn't one to be patient and I had made that clear from the start.

"Rogers still not showing up?"

"Not yet."

"Surely, he must be on his way or something."

"He said he had to pick up a few things."

"Well, it feels like I'll turn to a pile of bones if he takes any longer."

Pietro scoffed, shaking his head at me. "Relax, Y/N. It's been 6 hours."

He was right, I should relax. But I was bouncing at the edge of my seat, anxiety picking at my nerves. I couldn't help but think about how I'd been roped into some elaborate plan that was going to end up badly and I'd agreed to it. Soberly. Even though it wasn't exactly against my will, I hated not being able to exactly predict how things would end. Putting my fate in their hands felt like a death sentence. But at least, it was a better one than the one awaiting me previously.

I'm going crazy.

I was sprawled out on my old blue dusty couch and Pietro was sitting on the floor with his back to it, our empty mugs were long forgotten on the floor. Tea had been uneventful and silent, as I'd liked it to be, save for the few exchanges of our usual banter. We left the lights off, just in case someone came looking for us. There was a very good chance of Natasha Romanoff, Nick Fury or even Wanda Maximoff - Pietro's twin sister - barging in to drag us back where we belonged. Pietro, to his teammates, and me to my cell.

"You know what would be great right now?" He suddenly spoke up, his speech slurred from drowsiness. Sure enough, his following words came through a yawn. "Beer."

"Oh, I have plenty of beer..." He perked up a bit, but that quickly disappeared. "...bottles."

"That sarcasm never really leaves you, huh?"

"I was just answering. You never specified." I was getting tired and restless. "Ugh, where the hell is Steve?!"

"Like I said, he'll be here. Jesus, you're like a little kid, Y/N."

"Sure. But like, Esther from Orphan." I was heavily aware of how dark it was getting outside. "It's almost 10, are you sure he didn't just leave you here with a killer to deal with?"

He sat up, "Okay, enough of this. I don't think I can handle another second of your behaviour."

"I'm just bored." I groaned, not bothering to veil my obvious disdain.

"And? What do you want me to do?" He scoffed, tossing his hair out of his eyes to give me a look as equally frustrated as the one I wore. "I'm not your jester, Your Highness."

"I don't know, but you better entertain me before my patience runs thin. You know what they say, boredom seeks trouble."

"No one says that."

"I say that." I swung myself off my ass from the couch, making a show of it by sighing dramatically. My feet led me to an old almost empty bookshelf, and my hands absentmindedly rummaged through its contents. It was a small shelf, and it used to be filled with my random belongings. A few knick-knacks here and there, a couple of books that I unironically enjoyed. It also served as a place where I would store my weapons, just out of sight if someone would suddenly stumble into my home but definitely within reach if that someone turned out to be one of the people I was running from. "Are you implying that I'm a no one?"

Pietro laughed, "No, I'm just implying that you're a little aloof. Or actually, a lot."

Honestly, if I was in a different situation right now, I would've already had him in a chokehold. Can you blame me? The speedster was a bit annoying. His peculiar antics were never-ending and he was starting to get on my nerves. I wonder how the Avengers dealt with him. Maybe Steve wasn't as honest as he seems and all along, he wanted to get rid of Pietro by dumping him on me. I chuckled to myself at the thought of the Avengers scrambling away from Pietro like cartoon characters. "Careful with that tongue of yours, Maximoff."

"Why? What are you going to do about it? Are you going to arrest me?" He grinned, a perfect display of his personality. I think I'm getting to know him pretty well. The main thing is how irritating he could be. Being stuck with him for hours proved that point.

I balled up my fist, my knuckles cracking. I wasn't going to punch him, not really. But it was pretty funny to see how his expression switched quickly, his grin fading. I shook my head in exasperation, letting my fist uncurl. I tsked, "Dala baba dinar da se uhvati u kolo, a dva da se pusti." Which was just a long way of saying be careful what you wish for.

He blinked. Once, then twice. Then he kept on staring at me with his eyes wide open like his eyelids suddenly stopped working.

"What the fuck is up with you?" I waved a hand in front of his face, not knowing what to do. "Are you having some kind of speedster aneurysm?"

"Nah." he snapped out of his momentary trance, shaking his head and ripping his gaze from mine. "No, it was just...the thing you said."

"What thing?"

"You know," he shrugged, the previously cocky and irksome Pietro suddenly disappearing, replaced by a very pensive one. "Dala baba..." He trailed off.

"Oh." My mind raced through all the possibilities of why he would be so bothered by an old saying. "The idiom?"

"Yeah. How did you know that?"

"Why?" Almost automatically, my walls came shooting back up. Any talk of my past was off-limits.

He grew even quieter. I could barely hear him breathe. If it wasn't for the rapid rise and fall of his chest, I would've thought him dead. Which wasn't far from the truth, with his lack of movement, anyone could've mistaken him as a corpse.

"Pietro?" I tried. No reply. "Hey, you're scaring me here."

"Sorry." He mumbled, biting his bottom lip in an effort to keep it from quivering. "My mother used to say that to me all the time."

"I didn't expect you to react so severely to it."

"I didn't either, believe me." He chuckled half-heartedly, his mind wandering off to who knows where. "How the hell do you know Sokovian?"

Oh. OH.

How did I miss that? The accent, the way he talks, even his fucking name! Pietro Maximoff was Sokovian through and through. The fact that it slipped my notice made me doubt my observation skills. But then again, I had a lot on my plate. Pietro's nationality was the last thing on my mind.

"I can understand and hold a conversation in over 20 languages. Sokovian just happens to be one of them."

"No shit, you polyglot." He smiled with another roll of his eyes. I wonder if his eyeballs would ever get stuck one day, judging by the number of eye rolls he did in a day. "But a local must have taught you that phrase, right? Who was it?"

A pair of piercing green eyes appeared in the forefront of my mind, rendering me speechless for a while. It was a memory I hadn't dared to visit ever since it happened. Pietro was undoing all the work I had done to forget. It was an innocent question. But like I said, it was a conversation that was off-limits. Especially that one.

The urge to punch him appeared again. Does he think this is an impromptu interrogation session?

"I'm not going to use it against you, you know. I'm just curious. Sokovia means a lot to me. It's my home."

Was. Before it got destroyed. Something in the tone of his voice cushioned my rising temper. Soft, reminiscent, sad. My feet brought me back to the couch, but this time I sat down next to him on the floor. We weren't exactly close, but the couch wasn't exactly big and I wanted to have something to lean on.

Reluctantly, I confessed. "It was my home too."

His head turned to look at me so quickly I feared his neck would break, "No way. You're not Sokovian! You can't be."

My face scrunched up, "Why not?"

"You said you were Russian."

"Half." I corrected him. Was he really putting my nationality up for debate?

"Oh my god." His eyes were wide. "So, you're half-Sokovian?"

I paused, wondering if I should just straight up lie to his face just to see how he would react. He was waiting for my answer, still in disbelief that his enemy turned out to be his neighbour once upon a time. He seemed carefully gentle while talking about his hometown. The look on his face proved just how close he held Sokovia to his heart. I figured the fib wasn't worth it.

"No, I'm not." I chewed on the inside of my cheek. I wish I was Sokovian, at least then it would mean I'd know my full identity. I watched as Pietro seemed to relax a bit as he faced away from me and fully leaned on the couch again, his long legs stretched out before him on the floor. "But it's true, I did live there for a bit. A friend bought me there."

"The same friend who taught you the language?"

I shrugged, trying to act casual.

"I'm surprised you even have friends."

"I'm surprised I haven't murdered you yet."

An odd sound rumbled from his chest. Laughter, I realised after a while. "See, that's exactly why."

Irony has come to bite me back in the ass. What goes around, comes around after all.

"I was born and raised in Sokovia. Wanda and I have some pretty good memories there." The hilarity that danced in his eyes before glazed over, "I wish they were only good ones though."

I bit my tongue down, knowing that this wasn't the time for any of my sarcastic quips. Try as I may, I don't think I could deny that I didn't really want to hurt Pietro now. Not emotionally, at least. Because I knew how it felt like to lose a home.

"War is a terrible thing." He sneered, eyes growing hard and cold. I knew that look. I'd be able to recognize it from a mile away. Resentment, reserved for the people that had tainted his past. He changed the subject almost immediately, "So, where did you stay in Sokovia?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" I scoffed, "Well, I lived in Novi Grad for a few years."

"Really?" His whole face lit up at the mention of it. Novi Grad was the capital city of Sokovia. I did most of my hiding and running there. It wasn't exactly a vacation. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever been on one. Assassins don't exactly have annual leaves.

"Yeah. Don't look so surprised." Pietro's raised eyebrows and open-mouthed expressions were beginning to get a little bit repetitive. I rolled my shoulders, trying to ease the soreness that had set in my muscles from sitting too long. "I followed a girl who led me there. Come to think of it, if I had never met her I'd be dead by now."

Killed. By The Winter Soldier, ruthlessly. I shuddered at the thought of him. His merciless gaze and bleak expression. My mind reeled back to the green-eyed girl wearing a niqab, the first time I had met her. She saved me from him by allowing me to echo her. If it hadn't been for her...

"Her name was Haadiyah." I tried not to show any emotions. But God, I was crying on the inside. "She led me to Sokovia. Helped me find a place to live in, set everything up for me. She was a good friend, the best. Something that I never had before."

The usage of past tense did not go unnoticed by the speedster, "Was?"

I wanted so badly to swipe the back of my hands at my eyes that were welling up already, but instead, I just looked up at the ceiling so the tears wouldn't come falling. I prayed for Pietro to look away. This was not a side of me I was prepared to show anyone. Much less, him.

Thankfully, when I glanced at him, he was facing the ceiling as well. We had both put our heads on the couch that was now serving as a headrest.

"Yeah. Hydra killed her." I tried to will my voice to be stable, but the crack in it was unavoidable. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. "They found me. Raided my house with bullets. She'd been there when they ransacked my house."

I felt dizzy again as images of her dead, bullet-riddled body appeared in the forefront of my mind. I tried to push them back, buried deep in the corner of my brain that I wished to never visit, but it was useless. The dam was now broken. Memories of that day had already come flooding. The little Dutch boy had run away.

Talking about Haadiyah felt like someone had cut up a hole in my body. I felt useless against the tide of emotions that seemed to control me more than I could control them. My heart pounded against my chest, each heartbeat a painful reminder that Haadiyah's wasn't doing the same. I never mourned her properly, never had the luxury of burying what was left of her body and giving her a proper funeral. I never allowed myself to think about her because I found it too hard to do so. She had been my first and only genuine friend.

I don't think I ever knew what a friend was until I met her.

"I don't know how I made it out. I'm grateful to her forever." I lowered my voice to a faint sigh, "I didn't deserve her."

It was true. I didn't deserve the type of kindness she had shown me so willingly. Every day, I wish I could go back in time and fix everything, starting with her. If I knew then what I know now, I would've never taken her hand. I desperately wish I could give her the life I wasn't worthy of having. She would've done so much more with it.

It should've been me.

Softly - almost inaudibly - he said, "Haadiyah...she must be the one who taught you Sokovian, huh?"

I turned to him, and this time it took me by surprise when I saw that he was facing me, too. With held back tears, I nodded slowly. It was fully dark by now. The light coming in from the windows cast irregular shadows over his face, the only thing visible being his deep-set eyes, observing me with mindful deliberation. But even in the dark, I could make out the shape of his chiselled face.

We basked in the silence, both of us left with a lack of words. Leave it to me to darken the mood.

"I'm sorry for your loss." He whispered finally, speaking into the damp air.

My heart cried, bleeding tears of pent up sadness. "Me too."

CRASH!

The sound cut off any possible continuation of our conversation. It was the sound of glass breaking, right outside our door.

"Shit," I mumbled under my breath, quickly getting rid of the tear stains on my cheeks as I shot up from the floor. I could hear Pietro standing as well, both of us staying close to each other in the darkness of the room.

It could've been anything, anyone. But we didn't exactly have the comfort of nonchalance or ignorance, plus we couldn't exactly rely on pure luck. Besides, I never had a penchant for it. Luck is for the amateurs. My hand swiped down to the pocket of my trousers, reaching for the switchblade that I had stuffed inside earlier. I brought it up to my front, ready to fight.

"Where'd you get that?" Pietro whispered over my shoulder.

I found it on the bookshelf that I had rummaged through during our conversation. But I didn't tell him that. "Magic."

"So, what? You're a wizard now, too?"

"Oh my god." I shushed him violently, "Would you shut up?"

"You don't tell me what to do-" Knock. Knock. Knock.

The wooden door shook slightly under the weight of the firm knock. Pietro put his hand on my shoulder, moving closer to my side. He squeezed my shoulder, "If anything happens, you know what to do."

Run.

The door handle jiggled. Someone was trying to get in. The question was who? A random intruder? A neighbour who got the wrong door? Romanoff and Fury?

"Guys." A muffled voice spoke from the other side of the door. "Let me in."

Pietro and I turned to each other. I felt my lip tremble as I saw his frown break out into a giant grin. I couldn't help it. I found myself reflecting on his glee, trying not to burst into a fit of laughter.

"Guys? It's dark out here."

Pietro unlocked the door and swung it open. "Steve!"

Steve. How could we forget about STEVE? The one person I'd been rotting for while waiting for him.

"Hurry up, someone could see us." Us? It was only then I realised that there was another figure following closely behind him.

"What took you so long?" I raised an eyebrow, shoving my switchblade back into my pocket.

"I had to manage a few things and cover my tracks." He explained, reaching over to lock the door. "They know now."

"Who?" I already knew the answer.

"The rest of the team. Natasha texted me. There's a search out for us."

"Well, same shit, different day," I smirked. "It's not the first time I've got a bounty on my head."

"What are we going to do?" Pietro crossed his arms across his chest.

"We're getting out of here."

"And where are we headed? I don't think I have enough gas left in my tank."

"He means the country, Maximoff." I looked at Steve. One look at the Captain and I knew what was coming next.

"Yeah." Steve nodded. "I've already prepared our transport. Pietro, Y/N, meet Sam Wilson. He's helping us with everything."

"Nice to meet you both." He stretched out his hand for each of us to shake. I took it cautiously, trying to read the man. He was wearing a dark blue jacket over a grey shirt, but his buff arms were hard to not notice under the thin fabric. He sported a clean crewcut.

"Military man?" I eyed him up and down.

He looked taken aback, "Air force. Steve told you about me before?"

I shook my head. I wasn't too fond of Steve bringing in a stranger last minute. But even if I didn't trust Steve completely, I could trust his eagerness to look for him. He wouldn't just let someone random tag along if he wanted this rogue mission to work.

"He's flying us out." Steve clarified.

"But to where?" Pietro's voice sounded like it was far off in the distance even though he was right beside me. I was trying to keep my cool, knowing full well that what Steve was going to say was going to shake me a little.

Steve didn't break his eye contact with me. "Our next destination is up to Y/N."

My head spun with recollections of the past. Screaming, crying, thrashing around like a helpless animal. One voice stood out from it all, his voice, mechanical and piercing. I tried not to escape it. For once in my life, I needed the memory to focus.

Routes. He had said. Unguarded borders.

Although I wasn't sure, it was better than nothing. Judging from what Rogers had told me about his last appearance and from what I knew, I thought it was credible enough.

Safehouse. Temporary.

"Romania." I finally sighed. "Our next destination is Romania."

Futu. Fuck.

#run pietro x reader #pietro x reader #mcu imagine #marvel #marvel reader insert #marvel x reader #pietro maximoff #steve rogers #sam wilson #slow burn enemies to lovers

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generaldisdainn · 3 years

Text

A lil witchy drabble

Words: 2,269

Rating: K

Pairing: Kristanna

I couldn’t get this idea of Anna being a witch who lives in the woods and casts spells and takes care of animals out of my head, so I wrote a little drabble of her and Kristoff meeting for the first time in this universe! I’m not sure if anything will come of this AU, but it’s a fun concept to write/imagine!

The string was pulled back just so, resting taut against the contour of his face. He focused in on his target, vision marked with a sharpened arrow.

A voice came from somewhere through the trees, quickened footsteps following close behind. It was a girl’s voice; a panicked “stop!” that rang out through the woods. His prey quirked its ears but it didn’t run. He had to take his shot.

The string pulled back with the direction of his fingertips, arm raising to command the bow. He let his fingers loosen, angled just right-

A projectile collided with the bow, a sharp exclamation leaving him as the bow left his hand, the impact causing it to fly up towards the trees with a snap. His prey was sufficiently frightened, and he watched with a narrowed gaze as it leapt across the bushes and pushed deeper into the woods. It was a rock- some sort of projectile that ruined his hunt. And it had come from that girl.

Kristoff turned to face her, hair tousled and messy, body dwarfed by a large, black cloak that was covered in leaves and brambles. Her body moved with the heaving of her breath. One arm was outstretched. She had thrown something at him. She’d called, run toward him, and thrown something at him, breaking his bow and sending his prey running through the forest. He let out a huff of breath and reached down to pick up his bow, looking at it experimentally as the arch bent unnaturally under his ministrations.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to break it. I only meant to-”

“Scare off my prey?”

She straightened at that, the words sending newfound confidence into her. She seemed so proud of herself, and for that he couldn’t help but loathe this woman before him.

“Yes, I did mean to do that.”

His eyes narrowed at her. Her posture fell under the weight of his judgement. “I was trying to-”

“I know, I’m sorry. It’s just that, she’s a mother, and she has two new fawns.” With one fluid motion she turned a hand to the woods. As if summoned by the gesture, out came the beautiful deer he mere moments ago had under the glare of an arrowhead. Trailing behind her were, just as she said, two, tiny fawns, still wobbly, but walking nonetheless behind her.

“Any other buck or deer and I wouldn’t have interfered, but those two fawns would have died without her.”

Kristoff ran a hand up his face and through his hair, pushing back sweat slicked locks and exhaling his frustration. “You’re right. But you broke-”

“Your bow. I know. I’m so sorry.” She seemed to have an affinity for interrupting people. “I can fix it though! Well, not here. I mean, maybe I could if I was better at, you know, spells and all that, but I’m not. So we have to go back to my house. To fix your bow.”

“Spells?”

“Yes. I’m a witch?” She said it as if he should’ve connected the pieces for himself.

Every town had a few witches. Theirs was no different. He had heard of one or two that lived in the woods just outside the city limits, but he had never met one for himself. It was hard for him to imagine that the mousy girl in front of him was capable of grand spells, potions, or trickery of any kind. All he could see her being good at was mending broken things, most likely things that she herself had broken.

“Do you want to come over so I can fix it?”

“Sure. Lead the way.” It didn’t seem as though he had any other choice. It wasn’t as if he could hunt with a broken bow, and trying to fix it himself would take a miracle. Perhaps this witch could perform one for him.

They didn’t have to walk too far to get to her home. She must have been out in her garden or foraging close by when she spotted him about to strike down the deer.

Her home seemed like a cottage out of a storybook, one that he might have been read out of as a small child. The smoothed stones leading up to the wooden door were framed by mushrooms and crystals. She pushed open the door with a flurry and he was unsurprised to find that her space was incredibly cluttered. He was a man of few possessions, one who had never lived in excess once in his life. Clutter made him feel trapped, boxed in with no room to think or breath. And yet, there was something about the cramped nature of her home that was somewhat comforting.

Plants hung from every corner of the ceiling and littered the floor, leaves and flowers spilling out of pots and hanging down in gentle tresses. Bottles dangled in front of the window. They were hung without any sort of regard for pattern or look, but they cascaded multicolored beams of light across the space, making the clutter and mess seem magical. It was ethereal, and Kristoff had never been anywhere like this in his entire life.

He took a step in, and immediately grunted as his head collided with one of the plants hung precariously from the ceiling.

“Oh, I’m sorry! I’ve never had anyone your height visit before,” she said with a chuckle.

She moved nimbly throughout the space, stepping lightly over stacks of books and potted plants before stopping at what he supposed was most likely a workbench. It was hard to tell with all the papers and bottles and books that lined the top. There was hardly a work space to speak of.

She pushed one of the book stacks aside and he flinched as a few fell to the floor, but she paid no mind, only turning to him with a bright smile and holding out a hand to take his bow in the now opened space on her desk.

“You’re sure you know what you’re doing?” he asked as she took the bow and set it at the center of her table. She pulled a book off the top of one of her leaning stacks and opened it up, thumbing through the pages until she stopped at something she seemed to like.

“Oh yes. I use mending spells all the time. I’m pretty clumsy,” she explained, tucking a strand of her tousled hair behind her ear.

Figured.

“So, how long have you been a witch?” It was such a stupid question (he couldn’t even remember if witches picked their professions or if they were born that way), but he felt so uncomfortable standing there, ducked underneath the clutter and staring as she picked through different herbs and bottles. He had to say something.

She didn’t seem to mind the question, only continuing about her work, rummaging through her belongings and squinting at the labels on her various containers. “My mother is a witch, and my sister is too. I guess I just sort of fell into it.”

He couldn’t help but watch her soft smile as she worked. He had no clue what she was doing, but the ease with which she moved about the space eased his fear of her catching his bow on fire or doing something equally magical and destructive.

She dumped a few things into a cauldron at the center of the room. It stood proudly, propped up on a platform and bubbling with things he couldn’t begin to imagine. He was surprised he hadn’t noticed it sooner. It released a puff of smoke at the addition of her various ingredients, and he jumped. She didn’t say anything, but he thought he caught her chuckling under her breath for a moment.

The thought of someone laughing at him usually dug under his skin, but the way she smiled earnestly made him feel strangely warm.

“It’s ready! Do you want to watch?” she looked up at him eagerly, bouncing up on her toes as she held up some sort of sparkly sludge contained in a glass bottle.

Would it be rude to say no? He thought maybe it would, so he nodded and stepped over another stack of books to peer over at her work. He had to admit he was curious as to what a mending potion looked like in use.

“This is my favorite part.” Her eyes gleamed as they met his. She poured the substance over his bow with a flourish. It snaked itself through the crack she had created with her rock and glowed a brilliant gold before settling into place, mending the break.

The witch clapped her hands together and handed him his bow. “Here you go! One mended bow! Sorry again for breaking it.”

“Is it… is it going to stay like that?” he asked, pointing to the sliver of gold that now ran up the arch of his bow.

“Oh, yes, I’m sorry. I should have said something earlier.” For the first time since he met her, her smile faltered and her brow scrunched up in serious contemplation, freckles coming together to form new constellations on her cheeks as her face fell.

“No, no, no, it’s fine. I was just wondering. I like it,” he reassured. “You did a really good job. And it looks stronger now.”

Her gentle smile returned and he felt… relieved? It was a strange feeling for him, but before he could give it too much thought, she was tugging his hand towards her, eyes widened as she examined it.

“You’re bleeding!”

He was? He looked down at where his hand dwarfed hers, calloused fingers caressed by soft, delicate ones. It looked like he was bleeding, or at least had been at some point. It was hardly bleeding now, but the small scratch was most likely from where her rock had nicked him before it took out his bow.

“It’s barely a scratch, it’s fine,” he offered.

“No, it’s not. It’s my fault.”

“You were just trying to save the deer. It’s okay.” He was surprised to find that he meant it. Frustration had long been replaced by admiration for her devotion to the gentle creature.

“Let me at least get you something for it,” she said, eyes scanning her room for something that could presumably help him. “Here, sit.” She tugged him to a chair that sat amidst her books and knick-knacks and he sat. It seemed like it would be easier to just follow her lead. She seemed particularly determined. Perhaps she was even more stubborn than he was.

She returned only a moment later with an odd looking plant, the severed leaf of which rested delicately between two fingers. She took his hand back in hers and brought the leaf towards the small cut. The leaf oozed with a strange, clear substance, but a part of him trusted her and let her place it on his hand.

“Is this some kind of… witch plant?”

She laughed; a bright, airy, and earnest laugh that comforted him. “No, it’s just aloe vera.”

“Oh.” He smiled at his mistake.

“So you do smile,” she teased.

Silence overtook them as she worked. Quiet dedication crossed her features as she carefully spread the substance over the small laceration. She stroked his wrist and moved his hand around in hers, searching for any more cuts or bruises.

His heart hammered in his ears as she touched him. When was the last time he had held someone’s hand?

“Okay!” she exclaimed, breaking him out of his thoughts and patting her lap before she stood before him. He was sitting, and yet they were now nearly face to face. He found himself suddenly admiring her features; bright, blue eyes filled with more light and genuine nature than perhaps any he had seen before.

He stood then, unceremoniously bumping his head on another pot and ducking instinctively.

The witch hid her laugh behind a hand. “Maybe I should try to find a spell that can make my ceiling taller.”

Kristoff laughed. It was a natural, lighthearted laugh that left him. It was one that felt strange and foreign, but he accepted it. It felt right.

“Maybe I’ll see you around?” she asked as he headed to the door. She seemed hopeful, questioning almost, as if she held her breath awaiting his answer.

“Yeah, maybe. It was, uh, nice to meet you.”

“You too!”

He turned away from the cozy little home in the woods. He found that the thought of seeing her again excited him, his pleasantries devoid of the gritted teeth and discomfort he had come to know in situations such as these.

There was something about her, this girl-

“Oh, wait! I don’t even know your name!” she called out while he was halfway down her stone walkway.

He turned to answer her. “Kristoff. And yours?”

“Oh, it’s uh, Anna.” She clasped her hands together, rocking back on her heels as she continued. “It’s not a very interesting name, I suppose. Not for a witch anyway. I knew one named Chrysanthemum and one named Kiki, and oh, my sister-”

“Anna.” It was his turn to interrupt her, her bright eyes turning to him with rapt attention as she waited for him to continue. He stammered for a moment, suddenly unsure about why he had interrupted her at all in the first place. “It’s uh, it’s a beautiful name.”

Maybe it was a trick of the light or the heat of midday, but he swore he saw her blush as she thanked him and sent him on his way.

#kristanna #drabble

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lost-n-stereo · 5 years

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A/N: Nick/Sabrina AU. Inspired by this scene. Sabrina has already signed her name in the Book of the Beast. Nick and the Weird Sisters attend Baxter High. Sabrina knows the WS are witches but has no idea that Nick is a warlock. For prompt #15 “I’m not playing truth or dare.”

i dare you

Every high school is essentially the same.

You have your jocks and cheerleaders, weirdos and burnouts. Nerdy kids that eat lunch in the library and the in crowd that makes fun of them for it. Teachers that care either too much or too little.

Baxter High is no different. Football is everything in the town of Greendale, making the players something akin to royalty of the school. They walk around in their letterman jackets, shoulders back and heads tall without a care in the world.

If the Baxter High Ravens are royalty than there is one king and the rest of the school his loyal subjects.

Nicholas Scratch, known for his wicked good looks and wild personality. They say he’s like a wolf on the field, quick and cunning.

And deadly.

Sabrina Spellman watches him now from afar, not admiring exactly, but with interest. There is something about the boy she can’t quite put her finger on and it’s something that’s bothered her forever. They have gone to the same schools together since they were children, which is what happens in a small town.

But Nicholas doesn’t have parents, or even a guardian as far as she can tell. He’s a senior, one year above her grade, and she’s heard rumors that he’s lived alone since skipping out of a foster home his freshman year. He’s dated half the girls in the school and some at the same time. He’s a player, not just on the field but in life.

And for some unknown reason, Sabrina is fascinated by him.

The only real difference between Baxter High and your average high school is that some of the students are magically inclined.

Students like herself and a trio of orphan girls that call themselves the Weird Sisters. Agatha, Dorcas and their leader Prudence, are witches just like Sabrina. They have attended the Church of Night together since she signed her name in the Book of the Beast on her sixteenth birthday.

No one except her closest friends know that she’s a witch. No one noticed when she came to school looking a little different, her blond hair shining pure white.

No one noticed, except Nicholas.

“Your hair changed,” he had told her the Monday after her birthday and she’d shrugged, fingered the locks that came to her chin. “It looks hot.”

Her face was flushed as he smirked and hitched his backpack up over his shoulder before joining his teammates next to his locker. The weird sisters were close behind him, giving her dirty looks over his shoulder.

They cornered her in the girl’s locker room later that day.

“Don’t even think about going after Nick,” Prudence told her, backing Sabrina up against the lockers. “He belongs to me and my sisters and we have no plans of giving him up any time soon.”

“He’s far too fun to play with,” Dorcas added with a sneer.

“And much too handsome for you.” Agatha finished their taunting and Sabrina chose from that day on to ignore the sisters and their strange obsession with Nicholas Scratch.

But sometimes she watched him.

Like today, when he’s surrounded by his teammates and half the cheerleading squad. Senior prom is days away and the halls are draped in red and white streamers and posters line the walls highlighting the big event. She doesn’t expect to go, since her ex boyfriend is now dating her best friend, but Harvey is a junior, the same as her anyways. Even if they hadn’t broken up when she signed the Dark Lord’s book they still wouldn’t be attending.

“Sabrina,” Roz calls out loudly from down the hall, causing Nicholas’ eyes to jump to hers. Her aforementioned best friend is barreling down the hallway with their friend Theo in tow.

“What’s with the yelling?” Sabrina asks when they reach her locker. “Everyone’s staring.”

Theo snorts. “Not everyone, ‘Brina. Just Nick Scratch.”

She sneaks a peek over to his group of friends and sure enough his eyes are still on hers, but everyone else has since gone back to their conversation.

“Why does he do that?” Sabrina wonders out loud.

“Do what?” Roz asks as she pulls a book out of the locker next to Sabrina’s.

“Look at me like he knows me. We’ve never even talked to each other before.” Theo looks at Roz then, a wicked gleam in his eye, and Sabrina frowns. “What are you two not telling me?”

“Well you know how your aunts are going out of town this weekend? We think you should throw a party.”

“Yeah,” Roz agrees, giving Sabrina an encouraging smile. “And we could, you know, invite everyone. Including….”

Sabrina rolls her eyes. “Nicholas? Like I said, I don’t even know him.”

“Well, maybe if you threw a party you could change that.”

She almost jumps out of her skin when she hears Nicholas’ voice and when she turns around he’s practically towering over her. It’s not that he makes her nervous but she definitely wasn’t expecting him to be listening to their conversation.

“Is that so?” She sasses back, because this was a private conversation he just inserted himself into. “What makes you think I want to get to know you?”

“Oh, Spellman.” Nicholas leans down so his lips are level with her ear. “It’s cute that you think that you don’t.”

Sabrina is struck silent, which hardly ever happens to her, and judging by the smirk on his face he knows that.

“So, what time should we be at your place?”

Roz and Theo are staring at the exchange with wide eyes, and Sabrina knows it’s too late to back down now. Nicholas has given her a challenge and she’s never been one to shy away from one.

“Friday night, eight o’clock. Be there or don’t.”

Nick grins, a wolfish smile that shows his perfect white teeth. “Believe me, Spellman. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

***

The rest of the week passes without much fanfare but Friday comes quicker than she’d like.

She’s never thrown a party before, at least not one as large as this. There are people everywhere, spread out over the graveyard outside her family’s mortuary and all throughout the house. Her mortal friends, while they know she’s a witch, still haven’t spent much time here and she’s certainly never had any kids from school over before.

“Look at this weird shit,” Billy Marlin says, picking up random magical knick knacks that could probably kill him if the right words were uttered. He goes to stick his finger next to a Venus fly trap and Sabrina stops him.

“I wouldn’t do that,” she says, moving the plant so it’s out of reach. It may look like a regular fly trap on the outside but she knows for a fact it has a taste for blood. “In fact, I wouldn’t touch anything. My aunts are very particular about people touching their things.”

Billy rolls his eyes. “Whatever. Where’s the keg?”

“Classy, Billy,” Nicholas says with a laugh as he comes into the kitchen where Sabrina is currently tossing chips into bowls.

“He’s your teammate,” Sabrina murmurs, looking up just in time to see him pushing Billy out into the hallway.

“Not by choice,” Nicholas quips before turning back to her. “Hello, Sabrina.”

“Nicholas,” she says with a small nod. “Nice of you to finally show.”

He laughs. “Sorry about that. Had to pick up a few friends on the way here. And it’s Nick, by the way.”

Sabrina pushes the bowls of chips until they are in a perfect line down the center of the island. “Nick,” she says, tasting his shortened name on her tongue for the first time. “Glad you could make it.”

“It’s a madhouse out there,” he says as he hops up on the kitchen counter, his long legs dangling over the side. It’s been a long time since she’s seen him outside of school and she can’t deny that he looks attractive in his dark blue jeans and black leather jacket. In fact they are very near matching, except she’s wearing a dark blue skirt and her jacket doesn’t look as new as his.

“It is,” she agrees. “I didn’t expect so many people to show up.”

“Are you kidding? This place is a mystery to everyone. It’s like that scene in Casper when all the mortals show up to see what the ghost house is really like inside.”

Her eyes shoot up to his. “What did you say?”

Mortals. He used the word mortals. Definitely not a word in the average teenager’s vocabulary.

Nick’s brow furrows. “You’ve seen Casper, right?”

She searches his eyes for deception, sees nothing that tells her that he knows her secret or that he’s playing with her. “Yes, of course I have.”

“Thank goodness,” he laughs. “Otherwise I’d seriously have to question my taste in girls.”

That catches her off guard. “Your taste in girls…”

Nick just grins at her, pops a chip in his mouth and hops down from the countertop. “Come on, let’s go find something fun to do.”

Twenty minutes later there is a large circle of people formed in the living room, with Nick, Sabrina, Roz, Harvey and Theo grouped together on one of the couches. Everyone is looking around as if waiting for someone to tell them what to do and Sabrina knows it’s not going to be her.

“I propose we play Truth or Dare,” Prudence says from across the room. “Maybe it’ll make this dull party a little more interesting.”

“What are we in 8th grade? I’m not playing Truth or Dare,” Sabrina says at the same time that Nick says, “Yes! I’m down. Let’s play!”

Sabrina turns to Roz, Harvey and Theo. “What do you guys think?”

“Could be fun,” Harvey says with a shrug. “Better than Spin the Bottle, right?”

Theo shudders. “Definitely better. I can’t think of a single person here I’d want to kiss.”

The four of them laugh while Nick watches on quietly. He’s sitting on the couch’s arm, his thigh next to Sabrina’s side. She can practically feel the heat coming off of his body, as if he runs at a higher temperature than a normal person. He must be dying in that jacket, she thinks. Maybe he should just take it off.

A blush hits her cheeks then and when she looks up at Nick he’s smirking. As if he can read her mind he stands up and shrugs out of his jacket, leaving him in a long sleeve olive green button down.

“Let’s do this.”

The dares and truths start out innocently enough. Roz is dared to kiss Harvey, which is stupid because they are dating. Sabrina can’t deny that it stings, just a little deep down, because they dated for so many years and it’s always hard to see your ex with someone new. Harvey cracks a joke about it being like spin the bottle anyways, answers a truth about the worst nightmare he’s ever had, and shoots the next question to Nick.

“Truth or dare, Scratch?”

Nick runs his thumb across his chin as he considers his options. “Truth.”

“Do you have a crush on someone at Baxter High?”

Sabrina shoots him a look, wondering why he’d even ask such an absurd question, and then sees Roz grinning from beside him. Obviously a setup, judging by how eager she looks to hear his answer.

“I do,” Nick says immediately. “Someone in this very room, actually.” He pauses, probably for dramatic effect, before placing his hand on her shoulder. “Sabrina…”

Her breath hitches. Some people gasp.

Sabrina looks up at him and he’s giving her that trademark devilish smirk.

“Truth or dare?”

She hates that her heart is thudding in her chest. “Um...dare?”

Please don’t dare me to kiss you, she begs in her mind. Not the first time. Not like this.

“I dare you to show me your room.”

She nearly chokes on her drink. “Excuse me?”

The room is stunned silent, people bent forward from their positions on couches, chairs and the floor. Everyone waiting with baited breath to find out her answer to his dare.

“Come on, Spellman. I’m not asking you for anything scandalous. Just a little tour of your bedroom.”

The way he says it without a doubt flirty, even though his eyes are twinkling with amusement. He likes that he’s put her on the spot, that she is notorious for never backing down from anything.

She shoots a quick look to her friends, who watch in fascination as she stands up and holds her red cup to Theo.

“Fine,” she says with more confidence than she actually feels. “Let’s go.”

Hoots and hollers follow them out of the living room and they make their way through the crowded stairwell towards her bedroom.

“What are you playing at, Nick?” She asks when they reach the top of the stairs.

“I’m not playing at anything, Sabrina.” Nick reaches for her hand and she lets him hold it, watches as his large hand completely envelops her own. “I kind of just wanted to get a chance to talk without everyone else around.”

“Could have just said that instead of embarrassing me in front of everyone in school.”

Nick raises an eyebrow. “Were you really embarrassed?”

“Well, no.” He chuckles at her admission. “But still.”

His thumb brushes across the top of hers. “Lead the way, Spellman.”

Salem is sleeping peacefully on top of a stack of books on her dresser and Nick gives Sabrina a lazy smile before scratching her familiar on the head. “Cute cat.”

If he only knew Salem was actually a sleeping goblin disguised as a cute cat but she’s not about to spill the beans on that little secret. Even her mortal friends don’t know about Salem’s true form.

“So, this is my room,” Sabrina says, waving her arm around the space. She suddenly feels very vulnerable. Harvey only came in her room a handful of times while they were dating and never stayed for very long. He admitted after they broke up that the mortuary downstairs always freaked him out. Nick, however, looks right at home.

“These photographs are amazing,” Nick tells her, coming up in front of her wall of Polaroid’s. All photos of the woods, where she was born. “Why the woods?”

“That place is sacred to me,” she says and immediately blushes. How dumb that must sound to someone like him. But he doesn’t laugh or make fun, just smiles over his shoulder and moves on to the next thing.

“You’re really looking at everything aren’t you?” Sabrina laughs as Nick studies her things and wonders what he must think of all the oddities in this room. Her pure black dollhouse, the magical odds and ends that litter every surface.

“All of this is fascinating to me, Sabrina. It’s like looking into your soul.” He reaches for a photo on her nightstand, the one of her parents. “Is this your…”

“My mom and dad,” she confirms. “They died in a plane crash when I was young.”

A look crosses his face that she can’t define, something like sadness maybe but more than that. Understanding, if she had to put a label on it.

“My parents died when I was quite young also,” he says and when she starts to say she’s sorry for his loss he waves her off with a sad smile. “I came here to learn about you, Spellman. Tell me about yourself.”

She runs through the basics, her likes and dislikes, dreams for the future. It’s a strange thing, having a huge part of yourself that you’re unable to share with someone else and it’s a struggle not to tell him her secret. It’s never been like that with anyone besides her mortal friends.

But it’s there, the desire to tell him her deepest darkest secret.

“I’m talking too much,” she laughs after awhile. “Why don’t you tell me something about yourself?”

Nick’s sitting on the floor, leaning against her bedroom wall and facing where she’s sitting on her bed.

“Well, there’s not much to say. I’m an orphan, sent here as a child to live with my paternal grandfather, who died when I was thirteen. Oh, and I’m a warlock.”

This time when she chokes it’s on nothing at all.

“Did you just say…”

Nick laughs. “A warlock, yes. And I know that you’re like me. I’ve always known.”

She can barely string two words together. “What do…how did…wait…what?”

“Breathe, Spellman. It’s okay, I’m not going to tell anyone your secret.”

“How did you know about me?” She asks but she knows the answer before he even gets the words out.

“Prudence. She was worried when she noticed me noticing you. Told me you were a half witch and that I shouldn’t get involved with you.”

Sabrina scowls. “What did I ever do to her?”

“Grabbed my attention,” he says, standing up and walking over to where she sits. He holds his hands out and she bites at her bottom lip before placing her hands in his. “But that’s not your fault, it’s mine.”

He pulls her so she’s standing up but he’s at least a foot taller than she is so she has to crane her neck to look up at him.

“You knew,” she says in disbelief. “You knew this entire time and you never said anything. And why have I never seen you at the Church of Night?”

“I belong to a different coven,” he explains. “Although your Father Blackwood has been trying to recruit me for years.”

“This changes things.” Her breath hitches when he places a hand on the side of her neck. “We have so much to talk about.”

“We do,” he nods slowly, lowering his face to hers. “But for now…”

A soft sigh leaves her lips when he places a kiss to them.

“Do you have any idea how long I’ve been wanting to do that?” He whispers against her mouth and she hums in response.

“Why don’t you tell me?” She says with a sly smile. “I dare you.”

Nick smiles that wolfish smile of his, pulls her closer to him by her hips. “How about I show you instead?”

And that’s how she learns that Nicholas Scratch also never backs down from a dare.

#nick and sabrina #nickbrina #nabrina #nicholas scratch #sabrina spellman #caos #chilling adventures of sabrina #fanfic #100

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movingforwardsf · 4 years

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How to Pack Your Car Efficiently When Moving

Intro

Packing into a small car can feel like a mission for a clown, but it’s a necessary task if you’re moving across the country and want to take your car with you.

Don’t panic, instead rely on these strategies to get the job done right.

Do the Right Preparation

You have limited space, have your purged everything you can purge? Donate, recycle, toss anything that’s not coming with you.

Packing in a car calls for minimalism.

Create an inventory of everything you have, so you can double check it before you set off and when you unpack.

If you find that you have too much stuff for your car, you may want to consider hiring professional movers to help you haul your bigger items like furniture.

Start With a Clean Slate: Clear Out Your Car

May seem obvious, but you must must must clear out your car first. Not only does this show you how much room you actually have to work with, but it also just feels good to start with a clean slate and scope out the situation.

When you start with a clean car, you won’t wonder whether something that’s usually in your car made it into the car. You will be able to consciously pack everything.

Remove EVERYTHING: snow scraper, extra trash bags, random tools and nick nacks from work. Start fresh.

Pack Your Car the Night Before

IF you have a garage, pack your car the night before (rethink that if you live in a shady neighborhood or have reason to believe your care will be broken into … even safe neighborhoods have burglars.)

Lay out all your stuff and line it up in the order you’re going to pack it.

Pack Like Tertris

The best way to pack is strategically.

Rule of thumb: pack in the order you ill need to use something (it’s easy to accidentally do this the other way around).

Use Bags, not boxes … you can fit more items in the car.

Use every nook and cranny - cup holders, side pockets, under the seats … it’s all up for grabs (just remember all your “safe” spaces).

Use Overhead Carriers

These are a lifesaver, you can put a lot of gear and tubs that are awkward in size and shape on top of your car.

DRAFT:

So you’re moving across country, but you don’t want to leave your teal blue hatchback, “Reggie Roads,” that has been with you through thick and thin since college days. Plus, the moving truck isn’t going to get to your new home for another couple of weeks and you just can’t see yourself lasting that long without your favorite lava lamp. How do you pack all the things you’ll need in your small car that has a trunk the size of a bread box? Moving in your car can be a daunting task. Don’t panic. Read on for some tips for moving across country in a small car.

Do The Right Preparation

Moving in a small car is all about minimalism. Ask yourself: Do I really need those 30 beanie babies I’ve been holding onto since the 90s? Perhaps now’s the time to sell your transformer action figure collection on Craig’s List. Isn’t it time that you donate your funky gecko sock collection to a child in need? It’s time to toss, recycle and donate anything that isn’t absolutely necessary to bring with you to your new life. Time to get your purge on!

Once you’ve purged, create a list of inventory of everything you have so you can double check it before you set off and when you unpack. This way you won’t be agonizing over the fact that you left your favorite flashlight 500 miles away when you arrive at your new place. If you find that you have too much stuff for your car, you may want to consider hiring professional movers to help you haul bigger items like furniture, sound systems or your ginormous television.

Start With A Clean Slate: Clear Out Your Car

Once you’ve narrowed down which items will go in your car, it’s time to make room for them. Start by cleaning out your car. Not only will it be nice to have a clean car when you’re ready to hit the road, but it will allow you a better view of the lay of the land so you can visualize which items can go where. Resist the urge to leave things that you store in the car (snow scraper, extra trash bags, random tools and knick knacks from work) in the car. Clear everything out first so you can pack it back in the most efficient and space-saving way.

Pack Your Car the Night Before

If you have a garage, pack your car the night before. This will save you time in the morning when you’re trying to get out of Dodge. It’s no fun packing the day of when it takes longer than you estimated and before you know it, you’re only barely pulling out of the driveway at midnight. It’s much better to be able to get up, jump in your car, grab a coffee, beat the morning rush hour traffic and go! On the other hand, if you don’t have a garage, you may want to be cautious about leaving all your belongings in the car overnight while it’s parked on the street. Even in a safe neighborhood, a car full of belongings may attract burglars.

Pack Like Tertris

Let’s get to the nitty-gritty of packing for your car. Be strategic. First, the best way to pack a car for a road trip is to be mindful of packing things in order of when you will need to use them. In other words pack the things you won’t need right away first (desk lamp), and those you will need last(cat calendar). Second, use bags, not boxes. Boxes take up precious small-car real estate while bags can fit more stuff. Finally, use every nook and cranny your car may have: cup holders, seat pockets, glove compartment, under the seats. Heck! You could probably fit a tube of toothpaste in the sun visor! Or a pair of shoes in the side door compartment! Just be sure not to create blind spots or to have anything loose that could fall on you while driving. After all, safety first!

Use Overhead Carriers

It may be worth investing in an overhead carrier, especially if your car is particularly compact. These carriers provide a lot more space for things like sports gear or plastic tubs that are awkward to try to fit inside the car. Be sure to strap it on tight with thick rope or nylon straps.

Conclusion

Not everyone has the luxury to buy a car once they get to their new city or town. You and Reggie Roads are in it for the long haul (pun totally and completely intended). We hope these tips help get the both of you safely to your new home. If you are in need of additional moving services or equipment, don’t hesitate to give the Moving Forward Sunnyvale Professional Movers a call for a FREE quote.

#Sunnyvale Movers #Sunnyvale Moving

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lal-ffxiv · 5 years

Note

How does envy manifest itself in them (they take what they want, they become resentful, etc)?

Luka as an adult doesn’t feel much envy because they just accept what they have and don’t have. “No one needs to feel envy when others are willing to share,” Junkmonger told Luka. It is the way Luka lives their life now, but Luka wasn’t always that way. The first few years at Forgotten Springs they would become very envious of others.

Luka had nothing. Not a name, not a single belonging or any memory. The envy of others’ belongings lead to lots of stealing. Younger Luka had a collection of nicked knick-knacks before they even had their own name.

The cause for most of the envious feelings were other’s memories. It was infuriating to hear and see others laughing because of something they both experienced, but you can’t steal a memory. Anytime Luka felt the negative feelings they would walk out into the desert and sit in the sand dunes all day to get away. As if the sun could boil the anger out of them, Luka didn’t become resentful though.

Luka was lucky that the ones of the settlement where caring and sharing. Luka didn’t need old memories if they had new ones. Eventually they gave back they things they stole too. It might have been the last day before Luka took off into the sands, but at least they gave the items back.

((Very interesting question! So fun writing this. Thank you for the ask @smitten-miqitten !!))

#about luka #luka answers #own writing #Mun Note

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the-archetype-of-civilization · 6 years

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Parasites (Drabble)

It was bizarre that he hadn't seen Maddy these past couple of days. He assumed that maybe she was busy with work, going to other parts of the ships. He sighs as he continues working on the vents, trying to get through without having to flick to her all the time. Ender was sure he was bothering her half the time.

That being said, she always seemed to have her door locked or something and would never answer his knocks. He assumed maybe she wanted to be alone or was busy with something. But things felt weird in the ship, like something was amiss. Everybody was fine and dandy, but he couldn't help but shake the feeling that something was happening and that Maddy was a part of it.

His anxiety grew worse she didn't seem to receive his text messages. What was going on? Was she deliberately avoiding him? Did he do or say something to her to piss her off? He started to doubt himself and become somewhat depressed that he had failed as a boyfriend, as a lover, as a friend.

But, he had to know what was wrong. He goes to her door and knocks hard. "Maddy...can we please talk? I haven't seen you in days and I'm getting worried..." No answer. He lets out a shaky sigh. "If I did something wrong, please tell me! I'm sorry if I pissed you off or something...I'll try to be better, I promise..." Still no answer. He was becoming desperate. "...look, I...I'm coming in, okay? Please don't...I dunno, shoot me or something..." He enters the code to her room and enters. He peeks in. "Maddy?"

The room was empty, even though her belongings and knick knacks were still there. "Maddy!?" he called out louder. Still no answer. He starts to look around the whole room. No sign of her at all. He had to figure out her schedule and see what was wrong.

Going to the main office of the engineering room, he looks over the schedule for the last time he saw her. He saw that she was working in a certain engineering shaft. After asking the engineers working around that time, everyone seemed to say that that was he last time they saw her and didn't find her since. He was starting to become scared for her life.

Ender decided to look around the shaft and see what happened. There wasn't anything here, since it was probably cleaned up by the janitors or something since she was there. But, after looking around, he saw the surveillance camera and got an idea.

After talking with the manager to look through the cameras to find Maddy, he sifted through the footage until he found her. He saw her go inside the room to work on something, until he saw someone knock her unconscious and drag her off. Ender stood up in his seat as he saw this, anger and fear conquering him as he tried to find where this person was taking them. He saw them go down to the labs down in the lower floors.

Ender rushes off to go and get a weapon.

Once Ender managed to convince a few security guards that Maddy was in danger, he brought his little posse down to the labs. The place was dead quiet and there wasn't a single soul here. Both of the guards and Ender all collectively shuddered at what might be going on down here. The guards were nice enough to provide Ender with a pistol, able to stun or kill at notice, and a guard key that gave them security clearance to access any door. While Ender set his gun to stun, he was ready to switch on a moment's notice.

Going through the halls and reaching a fork in the hallway, they decided to split up as one went straight, the other going left. Ender went right. On his way, he saw a small light under a doorway. Deciding to go with his gut instinct, he switches to kill and unlocks the door.

As the door slid open, Ender saw Maddy strapped down to a table and a man standing over her with an injection needle ready to pierce her skin. He quickly takes aim at him. "FREEZE!" he yelled out, hoping the other guards might hear him. Considering how dead this place was, he was sure the echoes would clue them in.

The man jumps and holds his hands up, the syringe still in his hand. Maddy was shaking and crying, hyperventilating through her muffled tape. Whether she was happy, scared, or both, Ender couldn't tell. But right now, he needed to make sure she was safe. "Drop that syringe, slowly. Any sudden moves, and I'm putting you down" he warned him. The man abided as he gently puts down the syringe on the floor. Ender goes over and pistol whips the man, the man grunting in pain as Ender picks the syringe away.

With his gun aimed at the man, he uses his other hand to get Maddy free from her restrains. The guards soon ran in and saw her. "Jesus...Maddy, you all right?" one of them asked, the other quickly going over to restrain the man. "What was he trying to do?" the other asked as he put his cuffs on him. Ender nodded over to the syringe. "Whatever it was, it's over there in that syringe. Don't let it touch you...there's a reason he isolated him and her here and I don't want to find out why" Ender said.

The one standing near the door picks up the syringe and puts it in a baggie to be examined while the other guard restrains the man and starts to push him out the door. "You got Maddy?" he asked, Ender nodding immediately in response.

He frees her and removes the tape over her mouth, Maddy looking at him incredulously with tears falling down her face. "Ender...how did you...?" she asked, sobbing a little in her words. Ender shakes his head as he drops the gun and hugs her tightly. "Oh Maddy...I'm so sorry I didn't find you sooner..." he whispered, kissing her head. She collapses and falls limp in his arms as she sobs and cries uncontrollably, clinging to him loosely. She was so scared that something might've happened to her, something that might've changed her. But, somehow, he saved her in the nick of time.

Ender holds her tightly and doesn't let go, praying and thanking God that he found her in time.

They could be together again.

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dnd-kakaa-blog · 7 years

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Into the Underground and Back

Greetings friends!

Kakaa is back! We just came back from the more IMMENSE trip ever. I am so glad to be back in my nest bed. You see, it’s been a few days, but we finally arrived at Rocher, the Town dedicated to the god Torm. I can’t believe that there is a whole town dedicated to a god of all things. (Though my goddess will always reign supreme in my heart!) Everyone was wearing his colors and his symbol was EVERYWHERE (no seriously, are there any places in this world dedicated to Dol Arrah? I have to know- I haven’t met anyone else who was a follower other than that crazy kook in Barovia). This is the town where our friend Dain gave up his inheritance and swore himself to Torm. We were easily allowed inside, thanks him. We traveled for three days to get to Rocher from the village of Fererro. Nothing too notable happened, except for the tower incident ( ^__^). As we were leaving the village, we came upon a giant tower with its top missing. It looked to be only two stories high, but our friend Vermillion swore that it was bigger on the inside (Ha! As if I could believe that!). Some of them went exploring inside, while I landed on the top floor from flying on the outside. As all of us met on the top floor, the tower suddenly vanished! As well as the surface that we were standing on! Everyone was too surprised to land properly, but I managed to keep myself afloat in the nick of time! (Deception roll = 3). We had no idea what happened, or what had caused the tower to disappear, but it looks like it has completely disappeared from the vicinity. Vermillion was convinced that the tower belonged to Iedren, the elven arcane researcher who had taken a liking towards him. The problem was, the tower was originally stationed at Glaive, and was full of magical knick-knacks. This tower was completely empty and devoid of such items. Such a mystery indeed! Hopefully if we come across Iedren again, he will help us solve this conundrum. Back to Rocher, we settled ourselves in the inn. Dain reunited with his fellow friend and follower Nathaniel, a human who was saved by him. Apparently due to this, they eventually found their way to Rocher and thus started their journey as initiates of Torm. They left to do initiate stuff while the rest of us went around town. Friends Morkai and Darion left for the training grounds while the rest of us went to view the town’s wares. For some reason, our friend Sir Winston really wanted to buy a ruby worth 50 gold from this one jeweler, but she went along the lines of “I don’t want to take apart my goods, stop bothering me”. He then realized that the eyepatch over my head has a ruby worth 50 gold, and proceeded to badger me to give it to him (as if!). If there is one thing about myself, it’s that nothing is more precious than my shinies. THEY’RE PRICELESS I SAY. And as soon as we finally reach our keep, I will decorate my new nest with all of them! Back to the rest of the group, we were having a hard time buying things such as armor and weapons, because you have to be a “devotee” to access them. From what I know, it is a class higher than “initiate”, and you have to pass a test to attain the title. You even get a red band around your arm to represent your status! (They look so cool!) In the end, there is no one who is closer to getting those items than Dain *human sadface*

We wanted to leave the next day, but Dain came back and said he had unfinished business that he needed to attend to. So we agreed to stay one more day. Morkai and Darion came back satisfied with their training. Sir Winston and Vermillion mentioned that they met an interesting human wizard at the tavern who was here to meet with someone in the forest next to Rocher. Before heading in for the night, Daisy, Cerulean and I went to the butcher shop to find fresh meat for Nova, Cerulean’s panther (I never had panther before). We left after making a deal with the butcher to give us a live pig for Nova, but we had to pick it up the next day (lucky girl, this will definitely fatten her up for the big feast).

The next day, we stayed at the inn and waited for Dain to come back. And sure enough, he came back…with a red band! Our boy is a DEVOTEE! Congrats to him in becoming closer to his god! (we may have different faiths, but I can respect someone who dedicates themselves to the Light). Anyways, Dain had a vision from his god that there was a great danger at the base of a cliff in the forest, and that his mission from Torm was to investigate that area. As a group, we headed to the forest. Before we left, we picked up the pig from the butcher and wrapped a leash around it. When we got to the entrance of the forest, we did not see any cliffs, so we headed deeper. Cerulean let the pig go so that Nova could work for her food as it runs away. If only it actually worked because that pig ran a few feet before keeling over from exhaustion (in our defense, it was a REALLY tubby pig). It was an easy meal for Nova I guess. Darion did not appreciate our efforts though (Cruel he says! though I am surprised because as a bird of prey I hunt in the same fashion, he should be used to it by now :P). On the way to the cliff, we encountered a few bears, but we took them out easily. Got a few pelts and slabs of meat out of them too! (We shall have a great feast indeed!).Finally, we made it to the cliff base. Sir Winston, with his very perceptive ears, heard voices coming from the wall and looked around. Lo and behold, he was able to poke his head into the face of the cliff! It was an illusion! To our dismay, we found an interesting group: a pack of kobolds, a troll, and a few bulettes all congregated within this secret cave. The kobold was forcing one of the bulette to break a magical looking door all the way at the end. These kobolds weren’t your ordinary ones from what we noticed. They all had a single green scale adorned to their bodies like an emblem, and the area around the scale was a greener color. They were all larger than usual kobold, and the largest ones seem to be more green. It’s as if they are absorbing some sort of power from the scales. They were not aware of our presence, so we thought of a game plan to take them out. Since the opening was small, we planned on funneling them outside, making it easier for us to take them out. Dain was our lucky winner and caught their attention. It was a long battle because these kobolds were definitely stronger and more durable than they were supposed to be, and the troll’s sinewy muscles seemed to keep regenerating after our killing blows (it was very disgusting). The bulettes’ metallic armor was also a powerful barrier against our attacks. I didn’t know why at the time , but apparently my fire magic ended up burning the troll to dust after one minor blow (I learned later on that only fire or acid can kill a troll. That’s pretty awesome considering that I am the only one in the group capable of casting fire…I think. I’m such a special bird :) ). Long story short, we managed to defeat the monsters and went inside the cave. The magical door was huge! And pretty looking too (they had runes around it), but unfortunately, we were not able to decipher its meaning. There was a slot on the side; I’m pretty sure if we placed something in it, the door would open. Then again, I am not a smart bird, so who knows what sort of magical voodoo rituals we have to do to open this door. There was an opening on the right of us, and it seemed purposely made (by the bulette?). Curiosity got to us as we voted to go into the tunnel to see where it went. As we headed down, Dain, Cerulean, and Sir Winston talked to us about the kobolds we just defeated. Apparently this was not the first time they encountered the likes of them. The first time was at Dain’s hometown – Kor’Valkrai, a major city up north. It also snows there from what they told me. I have never experienced snow, so I hope one day I can visit this majestic white wonderland. (It is cold, white, and icy. The description boggles me). The kobolds with their bulettes were attacking some of their mines, but their group was able to fend them off (but not until after some of them got cursed with “the ugly”. How ugly can these featherless beings get? It must have been horrifying). Even then, they had no idea why they attacked, or what the purpose of the scales were. So as we were going down, I realized how “down” we were descending. I’m a giant bird. I’m from the Plane of Air. I’m basically in the sky almost 24/7. Going down into the earth where there is barely any space for my wings scared me a lot, and it takes a lot for me to admit that I was afraid. I’m not sure if the others noticed, but my knees were quivering. We came across a wide cavern; it had a stone path that overlooked some water from a few feet below. We started investigating the area, and as Sir Winston looked over the edge, he suddenly fell over into the water. Vermillion jumped down to save him, and as he did so, a giant mass of mouths and eyes went and attacked him! While this was happening, a few more tentacle creatures, posing as stalactites, fell from above in a preemptive attack. Daisy had the misfortune of getting one to the face, but we managed to get it off. (I like to point out that Darion and I finally got to use our awesome combo against one of the beasts! It’s the one where I grab him from the legs, and he swings his sword back and forth while we fly). We learned later that they were darkmantles, and the one below the stone path was a gibbering mouther. They are creatures of the Underdark. This was not good. Did we actually find ourselves in the Underdark? After our scuffle with those odd creatures (and luckily we did not encounter more of them!), we found a small opening on the side of a wall where we could rest up a bit. It was then that we started talking about where this path would take us and why we were still following it. As we rested up, I prayed a bit to my Goddess for courage. By some divine intervention, my amulet started to glow, but I did not get the feeling of reassurance that I was expecting. No, I felt dread and danger. Wherever we were heading towards, we were not ready for it, and it did not bode well for us.

I kept it to myself as we continued along this tunnel, wanting to be brave for the others. The next giant opening we came across had multiple holes along the walls and ceiling. That was not a good sign. I am not a smart bird, but obviously this was something’s home and we would be vulnerable if we were to traverse through this area. Morkai, the great tactician he was, suggested we huddled into a group and kept our backs against each other’s. This is to ensure that we would have sight of all directions. It was a good strategy, but we were not prepared for the creatures that came after us. Darion called them “rust monsters” as these giant, bug-like monsters started crawling out of their holes. We understood why they were called that as we found that they had this strange ability to erase metal with their feelers. Many lost parts of their armor. Some lost pieces of their weapons. (I lost a whole stack of bolts *human sad face* THEY WERE EXPENSIVE).

We came out of that area alive, but our equipment was not looking that great. We questioned again why we were continuing our trek, especially since most of us were not comfortable with the loss of their gear. Maybe we would find the answers behind the kobolds? Or the mysterious door? Or even Dain’s vision? Many of us were unsure, but we kept going forward.

At long last, we found ourselves at a dead end. Well, not necessarily so, but we came to a room that was divided by a chasm, and beyond it lay darkness. There was a broken bridge between the gap that only had a single rope attached to each side. There was also a small path at the side of the room, but the ground looked cracked and unstable. We threw a torch all the way to the other side of the darkness to find a caved in entrance…and a dead bulette (THAT IS NOT A GOOD SIGN). Even though we saw this, we went ahead and started balancing along the rope to the other side, Morkai was the first to go, then Darion. As soon as our Gnomish friend reached the end, my amulet started glowing once more. Though this time it felt like it went ablaze with fervor. It was like an alarm resounding through my very being. My goddess rarely gives me any signs, but if there was any time to do so, it was now. Danger lied ahead. Whatever it was, it was related to the darkness that my Goddess was warning me about. Despite this knowledge, I knew at this point- WE WERE NOT READY. WE WERE GOING TO DIE. Sir Winston started calling for them; apparently he also received some sign of danger from whatever he worships. I cried for them to come back- I don’t want anymore of my friends to die. It’s too soon. Please! Morkai and Darion agreed and started heading back. Darion arrived first, and just as when Morkai reached the middle of the rope, Danger came. Two enormous beings came up from the ground in a hostile fashion. Darion, with his vast knowledge of monsters, knew what they were- Umberhulks. They felt…odd? Bizarre? Something felt off when you looked at them. Anyways, Morkai was trapped on the rope, and the rope did break, but luckily he was attached to another rope from both ends, so he ended up hanging in the middle of the chasm. We had to do some quick thinking, because the Umberhulks were heading towards us. I had no choice but to cut one end of the rope so that he swung towards our side. Darion, Dain, Daisy, Cerulean, and Sir Winston were pulling him up, but something about the Umberhulk’s presence unsettled everyone. All of a sudden, Darion let go of the rope and started swinging at the others. We had to stop him as well as keep holding onto the rope. The Umberhulks had some weird magic that messed with your head if you looked at them, says Darion. This was bad- how can we fight these things if we can’t even look at them? Once Morkai was up, we started running, but not before the Umberhulks appeared on our side, coming out from the walls as if it was water. We ran. We ran, ran, RAN. I’ve never been so afraid in my life (the closest was when Strahd almost wiped out our whole party after we saved the wereraven. However this time, we do not have a powerful sorcerer to save us). We later learned that Nova did not make it out, as she fell prey to the beasts (I am so sorry Cerulean, I can still remember the tears in your eyes). At one point, we had to climb a ladder, but Darion’s dog could not climb up. He screamed for me to carry him, but he seemingly intense distrust towards me delayed us (I still have the bite marks! Ow!). We had Sir Winston to pick Doge up in the end, but by then the Umberhulks had caught up. Morkai stayed in the back to cause some cave-ins to block their path. As he did so, the cave-in headed towards us, so we ran even faster. Back to the rust monsters, back to the rest stop, we kept going for hours, and it was taking its toll on our bodies (we spent a long time just walking down, so running back was torture). In the room with the tentacle monsters, I had the misfortune of having one of those creatures get a preemptive attack on my face (THEY ARE NOT TASTY!). We ended that quick as we ran, and ran, and ran…. Finally we made it back to the surface, and it looked like the umberhulks did not follow us. Not wanting to stay much longer, we headed back to Rocher where we immediately KO’ed in our rooms. And here I write to you, my journal, about everything that has happened up to that point. I will try to sleep, and hopefully, forget the horrors of the underground. Hello again!

We’re back in our rooms in Rocher! I do not know how we survived the events from yesterday, but I feel that we can all agree that the party does not need to explore and investigate every nook and cranny in the world. Let’s see… our dear Cerulean has her cat friend with her again! We all thought that Nova fell to the umberhulks, but apparently Cerulean’s bond with her companion is even more powerful than death itself! (though I have to wonder if she is able to do this all the time, you see people tend to get hungry….) Anyways, some of us decided to head back to the cavern just to inspect the door again. As we looked around for clues, Darion proceeded to perform a little gnomish ritual to sense…magic? Definitely one of those strange gnomish cultural things. Someone thought up of taking the metal from the bulette’s body and taking it back as precious material. After a few minutes of struggling to remove it, I thought of the great idea of using Sacred Flame to burn the organic parts, leaving only the metallic husk (pats for Kakaa, I’m so smart). We brought it back to the blacksmith and exchanged it for a HUGE sum of money. We took the time to fix our damaged equipment and buy some new gear (new shield! Though I’m really not feeling the Torm symbol, but oh well). While we were still doing errands, Sir Winston tried bargaining for my ruby eyepatch again. He would give me money or something equally shiny in return. As much as I would like to help a friend out and collect more shinies, I don��t think he realizes the significance behind this eyepatch. This was one of the first items that I looted in Barovia with my original team. Along with its superior shininess, it also holds sentimental value. It is a reminder of the friends that have left and will probably not see ever again. My mission comes with leaving many loved ones and friends behind, so it’s nice to have these items to remember them by. In the end, I traded some of my other shiny gems in order to help him get his ruby. (Though he is a fool if he thinks it’ll ever beat my eyepatch!) Now the big question came to mind: should we continue walking to Kor’diovere, or should we use our newly gained wealth to buy a horse and cart for easier traveling? I feel that we will talk about it for hours, so I will stop here for now until we reached an agreement. See you next time!

#Dungeons and Dragons #dungeons and dragons 5e #5e #dnd #d&d #dnd 5e #d&d 5e #light cleric #Kakaa's Adventures to Find a Good Meal

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libraryofrewrita · 6 years

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Chapter 1: Start of a New Adventure

Some time had passed since the return of our Yo-kai friends and Whisper explained that after the second grandson of the late Great Lord Enma had returned and accepted the title of Lord Enma to hopefully prevent a repeat of the events that Mckraken had caused and to fix up things in the Yo-kai Realm, all of the Yo-kai just went back to doing their own thing while hoping to someday return to the Human Realm for one reason or another.

(Katie and I were admittedly jealous that Whisper and Jibanyan got to stay at the Koma Brother’s vacation house while they were there. We understand why they were staying with them, but come on! Maybe one of these days, Katie and I will actually get to see it. I wonder if it’s like Harrisville?)

Eventually, Lucas discovered that his key was glowing whenever he walked by the Yo-kai Elevator and on a whim, he put the key into a stone pillar exactly like the one that had activated the elevator in the Human Realm. News had spread about a possible chance to return to the Human Realm and after testing it by sending Lucas up the elevator and having him come back with proof that he had been able to reach the Human Realm, everyone that wanted to return to the Human Realm was happy again, but they had to go in groups since there was so many Yo-kai that wanted to return to the Human Realm at that moment.

(From what I can guess, the first group was either Whisper, Jibanyan, and the Koma Brothers (Group A) or Mr. Goodsight, Ms. Frost, Mr. Barton, and Lucas (Group B) or maybe both groups went up first. There might have been room for both groups. Either way, they had the strongest reasons to be the first group of Yo-kai to be back in the Human Realm. (Flip page)

Group A was the ones that not only brought back Lucas to keep things in check until the title of Lord Enma could be passed down, they had also brought me and Katie to help defeat Mckraken. Meanwhile, Group B was made up of the Yo-kai that had well known human forms in the Human Realm and while we’re not sure what they did to explain their absense in the Human Realm without anyone questioning them, they would be more than happy to return to their routine.)

Actually, the order probably doesn’t matter. Our Yo-kai friends were back and that was all that mattered. Now we’re back to our own routine of studying, learning about, and befriending Yo-kai…well, actually, as a thank you for helping to put Mckraken in his place, a lot of Yo-kai had sent us their medals.

(Of course, we don’t have all of them, but hey, we have plently of time to collect the other medals, especially since according to Whisper, there’s a lot of new Yo-kai appearing in Springdale.)

*****

Nate jotted down the final words in his journal, noticing that he had run out of pages, and he sighed with annoyance.

“Thank Lord Enma our parents are going on a joint shopping trip tomorrow afternoon. I need to get a new journal.”

“Nate, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were becoming one of us.”

Nate gave Whisper a playful smile and softly pushed him out of fake annoyance.

“Oh, hush. I’m just glad to see you here, Whisper.”

Katie giggled at the scene as she finished the final drawing in her Yo-kai sketchbook.

“Yeah, I need new supplies too.”

“What did you want to do after you get your new supplies and stuff tomorrow?”

Nate and Katie just shrugged. Even after the return of their Yo-kai friends, the problem of boredom still lingered.

“We’ll think of something tomorrow…hopefully.”

*****

That night…

Nate and Katie were peacefully sleeping in Nate’s room with their Yo-kai friends nearby. A short figure sneaked into Nate’s room and climbed onto the chair near Nate’s desk. After confirming that the journal, sketchbook, and Medallium on the desk belonged to the two kids, the figure put them into a bag he was carrying. The figure then carefully sneaked by the sleeping Yo-kai and saw the Yo-kai Watches belonging to both kids.

“Okay, they’re still here. I should be able to make sure that Gin, Kin, and Bronzlo don’t succeed with their plans.”

The figure took Katie’s Yo-kai Watch out of her hands then removed Nate’s Yo-kai Watch from his wrist and gently placed both in the bag. He then pulled out some Yo-kai capsules and started putting Whisper, Jibanyan, Komasan, and Komajiro into the capsules.

I’m sorry for trapping you, but I promise it’s just for a short while.

As he put the capsules into the bag, his ears twitched when he heard faint footsteps on the roof and quickly hid in Nate’s closet with the goods to keep from being spotted.

“Wait, are you sure this is the right place?”

“According to our mistress, it should be.”

“But there’s no evidence of these kids being involved with Yo-kai! They’re not even wearing Yo-kai Watches! She must have been mistaken!”

His ears twitched again as he heard a soft sigh.

“Well, if there’s no proof of them actually being involved, then there’s nothing we can do here.”

The figure sighed with relief as he listened to the fading footsteps and waited a little longer, just to make sure that they weren’t trying to catch him in the act. If they knew that he had been there, it would spell trouble for the world. He peeked out slightly and after confirming that Kin, Gin, and Bronzlo weren’t still hanging around, he walked over to Nate’s desk, left a note in one of the drawers, and left through the door.

I hope that the kids understand that what I did was necessary.

*****

Nate and Katie both stretched and yawned.

“Neh…morning, guys.”

They were surprised by the silence and looked around.

“Guys?”

None of their Yo-kai friends were around and they would’ve assumed that the Yo-kai went downstairs if they hadn’t noticed that something was off.

“My Yo-kai Watch! It’s gone!”

The wrist where Nate’s Yo-kai Watch rested was now blank, much like before he had gotten the Yo-kai Watch and when the Yo-kai had temporarily left the Human Realm.

“Mine’s gone too!”

True to Katie’s word, she didn’t have her Yo-kai Watch either. It wasn’t hanging around her neck or in her hands. They both knew that they couldn’t have lost them that easily and that was when they looked towards the desk in Nate’s room.

“The medallium, the sketchbook, and the journal! They’re gone too!”

They searched the drawers and saw nothing out of place…except for a piece of paper that read,

To Mr. Nathan Adams and Ms. Katie Forrester,

I apologize for any distress I may have caused you by taking your items, but it was a dire emergency. Someone was trying to make you forget about Yo-kai for some reason, so I had to make it look like you knew nothing about them, which meant I also had to kidnap your Yo-kai companions. Please come to the Memory Store if you wish to find out more about what’s happening. If you don’t know where it is, it’s in the alley next to Uptown Everymart.

- A concerned ally

Nate and Katie were terrified at the fact that their Yo-kai friends and their items had to be taken because someone tried to erase their memories. Thankfully, the shopping trip was going to happen in the afternoon and it was still early, so all they had to do was find the Memory Store and get their friends back, along with their items. They quickly got dressed and grabbed some money before heading out, promising to be back for the shopping trip.

*****

When they got to Uptown Everymart, they looked down the alley and saw the Memory Store. It was hard to miss, but they also had no clue where it had come from. Last time they checked, that had been a grassy lot, but that was the last thing on their minds. They pushed open the door and saw that it was a small shop filled with clocks and various knick-knacks. They saw a glass display towards the back of the store, manned by an older gentleman, and they walked up to it.

“Welcome. Name’s Nick Nack. See anything that you like?”

Nate and Katie looked in the glass display and saw their Yo-kai Watches laying next to each other!

Our Yo-kai Watches! Looks like they’re still in good shape!

Below the Yo-kai Watches was a label that read,

Amano Model and Kodama Model, $1.00 each

The kids dug out a dollar each and pointed to the Yo-kai Watches.

“We’ll take those, please.”

Nick nodded, took their money, and got the Yo-kai Watches out of the glass display. Nate and Katie put their Yo-kai Watches on, happy to have them back. Nick handed them a small pouch that was strangely heavy.

“Free with the purchase. Have a nice day, you two.”

Nate and Katie went out of the Memory Shop and they opened the small pouch to find four Yo-kai capsules and a letter. They quickly rushed to Triangle Park and since there was no one else around, they decided to test a theory.

“Whisper? Jibanyan? Komasan? Komajiro? Are you guys okay?”

“Nate? Katie? Is that you?”

They knew who that voice was right away.

“Yes, it’s us, Whisper!”

“Oh, thank Lord Enma you found us! Quick, let us out!”

They quickly opened the first capsule and Whisper came out of the capsule. He hugged Nate and Katie, mumbling something about the cramped space. While they had been expecting Whisper to have a dramatic enterance upon his release, they knew this wasn’t exactly the time to question it. They opened the other capsules and released their other Yo-kai companions, who were extremely happy to see the two human kids again.

“Let’s see what this note says, guys.”

Nate held up the letter in his hands and the group sat down on a bench, reading the letter.

To Nate and Katie,

If you are reading this, this means that you have gotten your Yo-kai Watches and Yo-kai companions back. If you are wondering where your Medallium, journal, and sketchbook are, that will be addressed shortly. For now, pay attention to this letter since your very lives depend on this.

For reasons you will find out later, you two have been targeted by a trio of Yo-kai known as Gin, Kin, and Bronzlo. These Yo-kai are part of a tribe known as the Wicked tribe, but these three Yo-kai have the ability to turn back time and change the course of history. Thankfully, I also know a thing or two about time travel and was able to stop them from stealing your Yo-kai Watches and to an extent, your memories of the existance of Yo-kai. I want all of you to be on your guard since it’s very likely that they’ll try again with another tactic in the future to change the course of histroy.

Regarding your other items…you don’t have to worry. They’ll be returned when you come back from the shopping trip you’ll be on this afternoon.

- Your concerned ally

“Wicked tribe…Wicked tribe…”

Whisper muttered to himself as he looked up the Wicked tribe on his Yo-kai Pad.

“Here we go! The Wicked tribe is a special group of Yo-kai that is famous for causing immense trouble for humans and Yo-kai alike. The first Wicked Yo-kai were said to have appeared sometime during the one of the periods of the feudal era of Japan. It doesn’t specify which once though…and…that’s it?”

Whisper was both embarrassed and annoyed at the lack of information on the Wicked tribe.

There are three Yo-kai from this tribe that almost took away Nate and Katie’s memories for some reason and there’s nothing else on this tribe?! Not even a list of known Yo-kai in this tribe?!

*****

Unknown to the group, there were three Yo-kai watching them, their faces filled with what could be best described as shock.

“What the-?! I thought that they weren’t involved with Yo-kai!”

“Someone must have caught on to our plans and did something to keep us from going through with them!”

“Ugh! We can’t do anything now! Not only will those brats and their Yo-kai be on guard for us, but whoever warned them about us will probably try to keep us from messing with them with our previous tactic!”

With revenge brewing in their minds, the trio disappeared to rethink of a new tactic to proceed with their plans.

*****

Whisper tried to calm himself down, for the sake of the group, and he said,

“Why don’t we head back home and get ready for the rest of the day?”

The group nodded and walked back home, hoping that the rest of the day would be much better.

*****

Hehe…a point for the good guys, and nothing for the Wicked tribe.

A figure had followed the group after their visit to the Memory Store, just to make sure that nothing bad happened to them and silently chuckled at knowing that Gin, Kin, and Bronzlo could do nothing about it in this time preiod. Still, they did do something back in his own time period, something completely unforgiveable that he was unable to prevent and while he could fix it in this time period, he knew that the result would be more effective if Nate and Katie were the ones that fixed it.

Next Chapter: https://libraryofrewrita.tumblr.com/post/169470089369/chapter-2-donuts-and-medals

#yo-kai watch #yo-kai watch au #rewrite #au #chapter 1 #book 2

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