#less than 4 hours until christmas!

[normaltothemax]

"Don't hate on the hat. Where's your holiday spirit?"

#✦ ic: clint barton #✦ verse: tbd (clint barton) #✦ open starter: clint barton #✦ open starter #less than 4 hours until christmas! #also i 100% believe that clint spent his afternoon at various childrens' hospitals giving out presents #as he does most years #fight me #i have santa hat clint icons you think im NOT gonna use them for christmas themed starters?

[moominsuki]

✎ᝰ BAKUGOU KATSUKI ; — 4:58 pm

࿄ ! warnings — f!reader, suggestive, mentions of sex /. note i am sorry it’s been so long :/ but please appreciate this as an apology!

“i think that’s it. guests should be coming some time within the next few hours so we can just sit back and relax until then,” you sigh, hands on hips and smiling at your boyfriend who collapses onto the couch.

“thank fuck,” grumbles bakugou, resting his legs on the coffee table and you gasp, stomping over to him and nudging his legs off with your own foot.

“i’ll have you know i spent all hours of yesterday and today cleaning that table up and i won’t have your grubby legs leaving marks. you’re free to lay down on the couch though,” you say indignantly and bakugou groans in annoyance, looking up at your furrowed brows and exaggerated angry face.

“a man can’t put his feet up in his own house? what has this world come to?” bakugou dramatises, leaned back with his arms folded and you roll your eyes, brushing and patting the blond’s head.

“it’ll be over before you know it, kats’” you hum, sitting besides bakugou and kissing his cheek, “plus, your parents have been dying to see the place. we won’t have to entertain anyone for a good few months after.”

bakugou peeks one eye open at you and you take the opportunity to kiss him again, this time on his pouty lips. bakugou grabs you by the waist, pulling you onto his lap and you half-squeal.

“a few months? more like a few years,” he contends.

you scoff, “i was being generous with saying months, baby.”

bakugou narrows his eyes and shrugs.

“i think i was bein’ pretty generous with sayin’ years too.”

you open your mouth to argue but bakugou’s hands delve under your flowy summer dress and he’s kissing at your neck.

“oh no you don’t, mister. not now-!” you scold, but it dies on your tongue when your boyfriend digs his teeth into your clavicle and his kisses become noisy and borderline erotic. and were your hips always grinding down on his slacks like that?

“this dress is doin’ things to me, pretty,” bakugou groans and his lips find yours again and you subconsciously place your hands on his face, pulling him in.

“i know orange is your favourite on me,” you breathe, and bakugou chuckles, heavy hands delving into your underwear and groping your ass.

“damn right it is. fuck, you’re irresistible.”

you whine when bakugou continues kissing over you, almost effectively shutting you up.

almost.

“no! katsuki, get off me before i punch you!” you yell and your pushes are half hearted at best and bakugou stops, raising a tentative brow while his hands still rest on your bare buttocks. his expression is heavy - eyes deep set and dark, lips puffy and cheeks warm with pale pink hues against his tanned face.

“one hour,” he proclaims and it’s your turn to give him a quizzical look.

“i’ll fuck you so good within the hour that you’ll never wanna host anybody else except for us.”

you should push your horny boyfriend off. you really should just wait until the guests get here and ignore him. this goes against your better judgement - betting using sexual conquest.

“i can’t stand you,” you mumble, your hands in his hair as you capture his lips in a passionate, wet kiss.

your boyfriend turns you to lay the both of you on the couch and he’s smirking, all too smug for your liking.

“you get anything on my dress and i’ll invite people over at least once a month.”

the smirk never drops from his face, for it only deepens.

“you wanna sit on my face first?”

needless to say, not a drop of cum was spilled onto your silk dress within the hour of your fun, although you had to solemnly explain to his mother why you weren’t hosting for christmas this year. still, that was much less embarrassing to explain than the wet stain on the couch, to which bakugou shrugs, covering over it with a throw pillow.

“better the couch an’ not your lovely dress, right?” says your boyfriend, lifting a glass bottle to his lips and his mother agrees endearingly. it doesn’t help the flashbacks of him hiking your dress clad leg over his shoulder and pushing it up your waist, not before nudging his mouth over yours.

your eyes meet bakugou’s bright and cheeky ones as he wraps an arm around your waist, acting nonchalant as ever. oh, you were so going to get him back for this.

#bakugou x reader #bakugo x reader #༝˚૮ .♡ katsuki. #✎𓂃stamped: (my hero academia)。°˖⌕ #bakugou smut #i never know how to end these #bakugo smut

[discount-shades]

Sleepy Baby Part 6

a/n: It’s a little less fluffy.

Pairing: Jake “Hangman” Seresin / Reader

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1500 ish

Summary: Jake and Kisses talk about their pasts.

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Netflix’s ‘are you still watching’ screen had long since timed out and was now flashing through images of the various shows on the streaming service. Tucked under Jake’s arm and wedged between his body and the back of your couch you watch the changing light from the TV flicker across his face. He is gazing down at you as he runs his fingers up and down your back

“You know, I’ve been with you every evening for the last two weeks,” Jake said, breaking the silence. “When did you stop going to your therapy mandated one hour weekly bar socializing sessions?”

“When some weirdo I met at a bar three months ago tracked me down at work two weeks ago.” you grin up at him as his eyes light up. 

“He sounds like a creep, you should stay away from him.” 

“Yeah I should, but unfortunately he is really good looking so I went and gave him my number and my address.” You shrug, “I can’t get rid of him now.” 

“Good looks are a blessing and a curse.” Jake sighs dramatically and you lean up to kiss his chin. 

“It’s ok that you stopped, though, right?” Jake looks down at you, “I don’t want to… I don’t know, impede your progress, or something.”

“It’s ok, she wanted me to go out and meet someone.” You grin up at him, “When I see her tomorrow she will probably be more excited than you were when I gave you my number.” 

“Not possible.” he declares. “That was the best day of my life.” You snort at his response.

“Do you want to know why?” You shift so you can rest your chin on his chest. “You can ask, you know.” 

“You’ll tell me when you are ready.” Jake shrugs, “I’m in no rush and you’re worth waiting for.” He goes back to running his fingers up and down you back. 

“I want you to know. Long story long?” You ask, “or long story short?”

“Long story long,” he replies. You take a deep breath. You want Jake to know, but sharing always gives you a weird feeling, like you are looking for pity. Part of you wants to just info-dump the story and move past it. You are also unsure of how he will respond. 

“I started dating my high school boyfriend, Ian, at seventeen,” you tell him on your exhale. “We lived outside Seattle and almost our whole friend group ended up moving there for university.” His eyes are searching yours and you turn your head so your ear is pressed against his chest. The steady beat of his heart is soothing and it is easier to talk without looking at him.

“We got engaged at twenty-three and had the whole wedding planned for when I was twenty-five.” Your breath is shaky as you inhale again. “My mother got really sick about four months before the wedding.” You blink and a tear hits Jake's shirt. “Breast cancer, it was already Stage 4 when they found it and she died about two months later.” You sniff and wipe your eyes. “My father was devastated. He had a heart attack and died about a month after my mom.”

“Oh, Kisses,” Jake wraps both arms more firmly around you and holds you close. “I’m so sorry.” 

You relax into his arms, allowing yourself to be held. “They were pretty good parents as far as parents go.” you look up at him. “They had rules and all, but everything was done with humor.” You smile in memory. “Every rule had some kind of dire and completely unrealistic consequence if it wasn't followed. They would tell me to wear my coat in the winter or I would freeze solid and they would turn me into a Christmas lawn ornament and leave me out there until spring, stuff like that. There was a lot of laughter growing up.”

“Must be where you get it from," he says. 

“Yeah,” you say sadly. “Not gonna lie, you brought some of that back.” You put your head back on his chest. “We postponed the wedding for a year. The vendors were surprisingly good about it.” 

“Ian and Beth, my best friend since the second grade, got me through their deaths.” You laugh humorlessly. “I remember feeling so lucky that my fiancé and my BFF got along so well.” I started seeing Jenn, my therapist, and I was doing a lot better. 

“A month before the second wedding date Ian and Beth were killed by a drunk driver when Ian was driving her home one night.”

“Oh, Kisses–” Jake goes to speak but you cut him off.

“That's not the best part.”

“The best part?” 

“I mean you could also call it the worst part,” you sit up and look at Jake. “She was giving him a blow job when they were hit.” Jake’s jaw drops and he is staring at you with a horrified expression. “Yeah,” you say wryly. “It turns out they had a little thing going on since high school. All our friends knew but no one told me; I don’t talk to anyone from home anymore.”

“How did you find out?” Jake sits up too, arm resting on the back of the couch.

“The police told me. I was with his parents when I found out and I just started laughing hysterically. They were so mad at me for laughing. I just stood up and walked out of their house. Didn’t help cover the funeral or anything, just left and cut contact.”

“Is that when you moved here?” Jake's eyes are searching your face. 

“No, I stayed in Seattle for about a year.” You tell him. “The really funny thing is that it turns out I was the sole beneficiary for one hell of a comprehensive accidental death insurance policy, and since the other driver was speeding and three times over the legal limit when his truck hit their car it paid out in full.”

Jake whistles under his breath. “At least you got something out of it.”

“That’s the way I choose to see it. His parents were upset that kept it all, but I feel like I've earned it.” You shrug, “Money doesn't buy happiness but it did make me feel a little better, it paid for lots of therapy in any case.”

“So after a year of me complaining about Seattle, Jenn asked me why I didn't just move. So I applied for every library position I could find in the country and got hired here and moved to San Diego. We do video call sessions now.”

“For what it is worth, I am so happy you ended up here.” Jake takes your hand in his, kissing your palm. 

“Me too,” you grin shyly at him. “I was here for four months before Jenn talked me into going out to bars to socialize. I had been going every week for about two months when I met you. And I played our song.”

Jake makes a face. “In the Navy is not our song, we can’t dance to In the Navy at our wedding.”

“Wow….  You are jumping the gun a bit there with your wedding talk, but we can dance to any song we want at our wedding, if you are not a coward.” You tell him with a grin. 

“I’ll find a better song for us,” Jake assures you. 

“What kind of experience do you have picking out songs for your relationships? I want to make sure I am trusting an expert.” You tell him.

“I’ll have you know I picked Taylor Swift's Our Song for me and my high school girlfriend.” Jake says smugly. “I’m practically the authority on relationship songs.”

“That song’s a little on the nose. How did that relationship end?” You ask, “Did the song play a role in the downfall?”

“No, with Stacy and I, it was very amicable.” Jake smiles fondly. “She was my neighbor and we started dating when we were like fourteen. We broke up after graduation when we realized that what we wanted from our future careers would not fit together. She is a professional barrel racer now and happily married to a team roper.” 

“Did you grow up on a farm, Jake Seresin?” You're grinning ear to ear, trying to picture him in a cowboy hat. Maybe holding a calf.

“No, we lived next door to Stacy's parents' horse ranch.” He says, “Our families are pretty close. I even went to her wedding where we danced to Our Song for old times sake, proving that I pick good songs.”

“Then I shall leave our song choice to the professional,” you tell him dramatically.

You stretch and check your watch, it reads 2:30AM. “It’s too late to drive,” you tell him. “Do you wanna stay the night?” He looks up at you in surprise, it's the first time you have invited him to stay over. 

“Yeah,” his voice sounds hoarse and he clears it. “Yes, I do.”

“Then come on,” You take his hand and lead him to your bedroom. You try to hide how fast your heart is beating, but when his fingers shift over the pulse in your wrist and stay there you are sure he knows.

“Do I get to finally see those PJs you described to me the other day?”

You laugh, “No, I’ll save that mystery for another day, you will get to see the sloth PJs. though.”

#jake hangman seresin #jake seresin #jake hangman x reader #jake seresin/reader #jake seresin x reader #hangman #top gun hangman #hangman/reader #top gun x reader #topgun maverick #top gun fanfiction #topgun #topgun hangman #jake seresin x you

[vikinglanguage]

9 number things you might not know as a foreign speaker of Danish

This is a mishmash of both cultural things and linguistic things. The idea for this post appeared in my head at 3 am so bear with me. As for the lack of links, I am adding them in a reblog to try to avoid tumblr nerfing my post.

1) Quarters – how to measure time In Denmark, we love measuring time in quarters of an hour. We love it so much we don't care about specifying the kind of quarter, it's just kvarter (itk.). Generally, we tend to use kvarter mostly just when speaking about 15 or 45 minutes, but it does go further than that. So here's a quick guide on how to tell time other than just doing as you would in English:

15 minutes – et kvarter 30 minutes – en halv time 45 minutes – tre kvarter 75 minutes/1h 15m – en time og et kvarter · fem kvarter 90 minutes/1h 30m – halvanden time (see 2) 105 minutes/1h 45m – en time og tre kvarter

and so forth, if you care to. Using fem kvarter is uncommon but acceptable, but never go further than that using just quarters of an hour. I would say that once you pass 2 hrs, I most commonly hear people starting to just count hours and minutes as you would in English.

2) Halvanden – half second An archaic way of saying 'one and a half' that just stuck for some reason. This is the preferred way to say 'one and a half ' for most people. No, this is not a joke.

Halvanden, 'half second' means halfway between one and two. Until quite recently (we're talking less than a century) halvtredje (2.5), halvfjerde (3.5), etc. were also in common use, but they have disappeared so rapidly that most current speakers will have absolutely no idea what the hell you're talking about. However, the ghosts of this way of counting live on in the numbers halvtreds (50), halvfjerds (70), and halvfems (90). You can read more about that in my old post about Danish numbers (see reblogs).

3) Week 42 We use week numbers! Week 1 is the first week in the new year to contain a Thursday, as we count weeks as Monday through Sunday. You don't necessarily need to know what week it is all the time, but a lot of adults use weeks in place of specific dates. I am forever thankful to ugenr.dk (you just type in a date and it tells you what week it is in or vice versa).

Important weeks are:

Week 7/8 – winter break for kids in primary and secondary school (not to be confused with Christmas break). It varies depending on municipality whether it's week 7 or 8. Lots of people go skiing these weeks.

Week 26 through 31 – summer break is usually during these weeks. All students in primary and secondary school, as well as university students and students doing professional bachelor's degrees and the like have these weeks off from school.

Week 42 – arguably the most important week. All students mentioned above have this week off from school. It's autumn break and it's ALWAYS week 42 and JUST week 42. Originally, it was to allow students in rural areas help their parents harvest potatoes (a nickname for autumn break is kartoffelferien 'the potato break'), and we just kept it.

4) DD-MM-(YY)YY If you write dates as MM-DD people will think you're a lunatic. Don't, unless you're specifically talking about 9/11, colloquially referred to as just 9/11 (nine-eleven, as you would say it in English).

5) 00:00 Denmark, like a lot of other European countries, uses 24hr clocks. Obviously, analogue clocks and watches are common, and it's perfectly ok to say stuff like klokken fire om eftermiddagen 'four o'clock in the afternoon' or klokken otte om aftenen 'eight o'clock in the evening', but you are expected to just know that 21:00 is the same as 9 PM. You can also say klokken toogtyve 'twenty-two o'clock', and it's quite normal to ask for clarification of whether people are talking AM or PM by saying stuff like klokken elleve eller klokken treogtyve? 'eleven o'clock or twenty-three o'clock?'. You cannot use AM and PM when speaking or writing Danish. The day begins at midnight; 00:00.

Don't worry yourself too much over this. Everyone occasionally forgets that 19:00 is in fact 7 o'clock and not 9 o'clock.

6) Halv to – half one When you're measuring half hours in Danish, you're always measuring towards the next whole number. It's never half past, it's always half to. As such, half (past) one is halv to 'half two' in Danish.

7) Grades (years) This is an ultra quick rundown of the Danish school system. School is mandatory for 10 years and homeschooling is allowed. This covers primary and lower secondary school.

Most people start school the year they turn 6. My birthday is in April, so I was 6 when I stated school, my sister's birthday is in September, so she was 5.

The mandatory grades are as follows. The ages are all possibly ages of a child attending that grade (not accounting for starting school early or late):

Indskolingen, grades 0-3 0. klasse/børnehaveklasse - 5-7 yo 1. klasse – 6-8 yo 2. klasse – 7-9 yo 3. klasse – 8-10 yo

Mellemtrinnet, grades 4-6 4. klasse – 9-11 yo 5. klasse – 10-12 yo 6. klasse – 11-13 yo

Overbygningen/udskolingen, grades 7-9 7. klasse – 12-14 yo 8. klasse - 13-15 yo 9. klasse - 14-16 yo

Some may choose to do 10. klasse, if they feel like they need more schooling or maybe if they're attending an efterskole.

Once they've finished their mandatory schooling, a lot of Danes choose to attend upper secondary school. You can do it in 3 years (stx, hhx, htx, and eux) or 2 years (hf, 2-årigt studenterkursus). Special circumstances like being an elite level athlete or attending MGK (preparation for attending a music conservatoire) may lead to people spending 4 years in upper secondary. Hf often sees a lot of adult students.

Gymnasium/HF, the grades are said as [ordinal number, letter(s)] 1.g (15-17 yo)/1.hf 2.g (16-18 yo)/2.hf 3.g (17-19 yo)

8) Grades (performance)

Danish schools have a 7-grade system. It's called 7-trinskalaen, and each grade corresponds to an ECTS grade (in fact, it's specifically designed for compatibility, and a lot of people above the age of 30 miss the old scale). Generally, students don't get grades until 7th grade. The grades are:

12 – A 10 – B 7 – C 4 – D 02 – E 00 – Fx -3 – F

If you are not familiar with the ECTS system, E, Danish 02, is the lowest passing grade. The intention behind the 0's in 02 and 00 is to make it impossible for the students to "change" their grade by just adding 1 in front of the grade, but the 0's are in fact also said out loud.

9) Ordinal numbers

Ordinal numbers are written as a number followed by a full stop. You do not capitalise the first letter of any word following the full stop (see 7) even though MS Word will try to convince you it's the right thing to do.

You can read a lot more about numbers on the Danish numbers post (again, in a reblog), but the basics that might not be covered by formal learning materials are:

nulte zeroth. This literally only exists for 0. klasse and for numbers to the zeroth power. fyrretyvende/fyrrende* – fortieth halvtredsindstyvende/halvtredsende* – fiftieth tresindstyvende/tressende* – sixtieth halvfjerdsindstyvende/halvfjerdsende* – seventieth firsindstyvende/firsende* – eightieth halvfemsindstyvende/halvfemsende* – ninetieth

The forms marked with an asterisk are largely informal spoken language to the degree that they are even considered wrong by some. Generally, they are accepted as the standard forms among the younger generations, but be careful when talking to people above the age of ~45.

#original #danish #danish language #danish langblr #langblr #tongueblr #danish numbers #school #time #dates #numbers #uhhh i think thats it

[ladykailitha]

The Magic of Christmas Part 5/8

The paladin theory is something that a good friend of mine came up with, that if a person was playing them unironically they tended to be self-righteous assholes who actually believed they were holier than thou. Now if you were doing it for fun or to riff on how paladins were self-righteous jerks, then it didn't apply.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

***

September was the hardest on Steve. All the kids were away at school, busy being students and living their lives. If it hadn’t been for Eddie, he wasn’t sure what he would have done.

“Who are you going to work on next?” Steve asked around his slice of pizza.

Eddie wiped his hands on his jeans. “The ranger sounded more fun, so Lucas is next.”

“You got a thing against paladins?” Steve asked, throwing him a couple of napkins.

“Every person that I have ever known that played one unironically have been assholes so...”

Steve started laughing and Eddie cocked his head to the side.

“What’s so funny?”

He wiped away a stray tear. “Mike is exactly like that.”

Eddie blinked. “Wait, really?”

Steve nodded, his eyes continuing to water as he fought back bales of laughter.

Eddie started laughing, too. Soon they were falling over each other just laughing their asses off when the girls found them like that ten minutes later.

“We are gone for less than an hour,” Chrissy huffed, “and we come back to find you giggling like children. Did Eddie break out the weed or something?”

The two men shook their heads.

“I was telling about Mike,” Steve insisted, “and he was telling me his theory that people that play paladins are assholes.”

Robin blinked for a moment and then started laughing too. Which set Steve and Eddie off again.

Chrissy just shook her head and put away the dessert Robin and she got, bringing out the beer to the sofa.

By the time she had finished all three of them had calmed down enough to explain.

“I’m going to have to tell the guys about this on Sunday,” Eddie said, holding his ribs.

“What happens on Sunday?” Robin asked, flopping on the sofa next to him.

Chrissy sat down on Eddie’s other side. “D&D with the Hellfire Club. Eddie DMs, while Jeff, Gareth, Brian and I play. It’s fun. Gareth has been fiercely battling Eddie over that nugget for years.”

Eddie grinned, all teeth. “He’s only bitter because he plays a paladin.”

That got them all laughing hysterically.

“That’s hilarious,” Robin said after they managed to calm down.

“So what’s on the docket tonight for my reeducation or whatever it is we call these things,” Steve asked.

“A double feature,” Eddie said excitedly. “Muppet fantasy. It’s fantastic.”

Steve turned to Robin, “I didn’t know Tammy Thompson made movies.”

Robin gasped. “You take that back!”

Chrissy and Eddie just looked at each in confusion.

“She sang like a Muppet!” Steve insisted.

“She did not!” Robin hissed. “She absolutely did not!”

Steve leaned over to get in her face. “Like a Muppet giving birth!”

“You’re horrible!” Robin groused.

Steve turned to the other two with a smile. “Tammy was Robin’s first baby gay crush in high school. She thought she could sing but she was the only one who thought so. Well, not counting the music teacher and her mother.”

Then he proceeded to sing horribly and high pitched so that everyone was laughing. Yes, even Robin.

“All right she was that bad,” Robin finally conceded.

Steve waved his hand at her. “Thank you!”

“I didn’t know you two met in high school,” Chrissy said. “That’s cute.”

Steve and Robin looked at each other and then burst out laughing.

“Everyone knew who Steve was,” Robin said, “captain of two of the three sports he played in. Rich, good looking, popular with the ladies. It was annoying.”

“I was also a bit of a mean girl,” Steve said with a half shrug. “We didn’t meet until after I graduated when my dad forced me to take the most humiliating job at the mall.”

Robin shuddered. “It was horrible. It was a nautical themed ice cream shop in the food court and we had wear these tiny sailor outfits.”

“Like the shorts on the boys’ costume was shorter than the girls’,” Steve said. “We measured.”

“At least the girls’ costume had shorts instead of skirt,” Chrissy said.

“Thank you!” Steve said throwing his arms in the air. “Tell that to this one!” He pointed at Robin.

“I would have gotten more dates if it had been a skirt is all I’m saying,” she replied haughtily.

“You were getting dates while I was getting made fun of,” Steve groused. “It was the stupid hat. It wouldn’t sit right for a start. My hair is too thick. I even tried not styling it. Nope still refused to stay on straight. Plus, I was famous for my hair in high school, so I thought it was hiding my best feature.”

Robin giggled. “I had a whiteboard and everything. ‘YOU SUCK’ on one side and ‘YOU RULE’ on the other. He never did get a single mark in that one.”

Eddie licked his lips slowly. “There–there wouldn’t be pictures of this is... outfit, would there?”

Robin threw her head back and laughed. “There’s a commercial.”

“No!” Chrissy gasped. “This I have to see!”

Robin grabbed the remote and found the YouTube channel for their smart TV. She logged into Eddie’s account with a grin.

When Steve realized what she was going to do, he made a dive for the remote. But Eddie tackled him to the floor.

“Quick!” Chrissy said. “What’s the name of the shop?”

Robin cackled. “Scoops Ahoy!”

Chrissy typed it in on her phone and grabbed the video that clearly had teenaged versions of their friends.

Steve immediately stopped struggling when the opening jingle started, allowing Eddie to get up and watch this absolute disaster of less than a minute’s worth of hell.

“Those are some criminally short shorts, Stevie,” Eddie murmured. He leaned forward and started cackling. “Does the register really say boobies?”

Chrissy leaned forward. “Oh my god! How did you get away with that?”

“Apparently film executives pop out of Hell as fully formed adults who wouldn’t know a joke if it bit them on the ass,” Steve said on the floor. He leaned his head back far enough to see the screen. He sighed. His hair looked like shit.

Eddie poked Steve in the ribs. “You looked cute.”

He held out his hand to Steve, who took it to get up. He plopped on the floor and leaned back against the sofa. “Yeah, you think so now, but I have no doubt you would have teased me for it back then.”

Robin looked at the remote in her hand and then back at Steve. “Sorry. I thought it would be funny. But you didn’t have a good time and that wasn’t fair to you.”

Steve shrugged.

Eddie put his arm around his shoulders. “I might have teased you, but only in the most unhinged flirting kind of way imaginable.”

Chrissy rolled her eyes. “He would have been insufferable about it, too. He would have made me come with every time even though I’m lactose intolerant so that he could make goo-goo eyes at the pretty boy.”

Steve looked up at him. “You think I was pretty?”

“Sweetheart, not was, is.”

Robin smiled at them and then shared a glance with Chrissy. Absolute idiots, the pair of them.

She pressed the remote and got them back their double feature. They started with Dark Crystal and throughout the whole movie, Steve didn’t budge from Eddie’s side as they sat together on the floor, Eddie’s arm still slung over Steve’s shoulders.

It was only when it was over and they took a brief break before starting Labyrinth that Eddie let go at all.

Steve moved to the large sofa, but when Eddie came back, instead of sitting on the floor like he had been before, he squished himself between Chrissy and Steve, forcing Steve to plaster himself against Eddie’s side.

Robin shook her head. It was going to be an eternity before they got to Christmas.

*

“You going to admit you like him now?” Robin asked a couple of days later as they sat on their sofa eating mac and cheese.

Steve sighed. “I can really see myself with him for the long term.”

“So why don’t you make a move then?” she asked, poking him with her toes.

Steve picked at his food with his fork, stabbing the noodles without any real effort to get them to stay. “I don’t know. We’ve talked about it before. You think he’s head over heels and I think he’s just being polite because I’m paying his bills right now.”

“Oh.”

Steve looked up at her and echoed. “Yeah, oh.”

“Shit, Steve,” Robin muttered. “I could ask Chrissy. I bet he tells her everything.”

“Would you tell her if she asked for Eddie if I liked him like that?” he asked, going back and picking at his food.

She deflated. “No. I would tell her he has to talk to you.”

“And I’m not ready for that,” he murmured finally setting his food aside. “There’s too much time between now and Christmas, I don’t want to make things awkward if he doesn’t like me like that.”

Robin winced. Especially for New Year’s eve.

“Yeah, okay,” she conceded. “Just make sure you tell him as soon as you can. You don’t want to wait too long and find out he’s moved on with someone else because he thought you weren’t interested.”

Steve nodded. “I know. I’ve just got to keep up the flirting and teasing so he knows I’m interested and hopefully he’ll make the first move.”

“I really hope this doesn’t blow up in your face.”

“You and me both, Robs. You and me both.”

***

Part 6 Part 7 Part 8

@spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @chaoticlovingdreamer @maya-custodios-dionach @goodolefashionedloverboi @messrs-weasley @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @justforthedead89 @emly03 @bookworm0690 @itsall-taken @vecnuthy @bookbinderbitch @redfreckledwolf @littlewildflowerkitten @yikes-a-bee @awkwardgravity1 @scheodingers-muppet @mira-jadeamethyst @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @genderless-spoon @anne-bennett-cosplayer @irregular-child @carlprocastinator1000 @mogami13 @samsoble

#my writing #stranger things #steddie #ladykailtiha writes #christmas #artist eddie #businessman steve #autistic steve harrington

[yyawnjun]

CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

reader x enha boys ; summary specific activities with your fav boys !! ; short scenario ; no warning ; a.n. merry christmas !! ; @kflixnet ; genre: fluff ; 1.8k wc

HEESEUNG - 희승  { hot chocolates at the Christmas markets }

It was getting dark, and the full moon was shining brightly in the sky, but Heeseung and you were drawn to other lights. They were the Christmas market lights. It was traditional for you to walk through those tiny streets each year, which had gotten even smaller due to the various stalls that had taken over the sides.

From sweet to savory food, clothes to perfumes, spices to Christmas decorations for the home.

They were lovely, and they awakened in you the excitement of anxiety and joy that you loved so much. Both of you, however, had a goal on December 25 to win the record for the number of hot chocolates drunk in one day.

Last year, you had managed to drink 4 in total, but now you were toasting the last two, bringing you to a total of 6.

You both felt a huge feeling of weight in your stomachs along with a chocolate mustache after taking the final drink. You were sat on the couch with a knot in your gut while Christmas movies played in the background after three chocolates each in less than two hours.

Folded in under the covers, yet satisfied and glad that you broke your record.

SUNGHOON -  성훈 { warming your hands and heart }

Sunghoon, who was used to the cold of the ice rink, would never have guessed that your trembling was due to the low temperatures your body was subjected to.

After leaving the house, you spent a few minutes walking through the town to go to the restaurant where your family was waiting for you to join them for the traditional Christmas lunch. Your boyfriend didn't realize until your teeth started chattering incessantly and the sound got to his ear. How much colder could you have been?

He had been holding your hand the whole time, but the warmth of his palm was not enough to warm you.

He had turned to face you, saw your teeth trembling and your face heated. He had offered you his hand warmer and coat right away. You had smiled at him right away, and he had taken your hand and stated, "Let's run," following a brief kiss. And he started to run. You were taken aback by the gesture and had no choice but to pursue him closely.

Even though you weren't very fast, it was difficult to keep up with someone so tall. Following a period of surprise and apparent objections, you started laughing heartily at the funny scenario. It wasn't until you were panting heavily at the restaurant that you realized how well that run had warmed you up.

JAKE -  제이크 { reading a Christmas story }

In your little town, it was traditional to come together on Christmas Eve and read stories to the neighborhood kids.

This year, your boyfriend wanted to do it, and you had set up the meeting at the school's gym, which was available for the occasion each year.

It was enough to make you chuckle to watch him struggle during a silent reading exercise before the actual moment —all while wearing half of his Santa costume.

His attention was fixed, and he occasionally stroked his white beard. 

You saw how quickly his eyes followed the text. His reading speed was evident on the one hand, but so was his intense focus on the other.

He smiled at you until he closed the book, saying that he was ready with a proud nod. When you got closer and helped him finish the outfit, you could see the joy shining in his wide eyes.

The kids started to show up soon after, and the gym was full in an hour. Jake's heart sped, and you swear you could feel it. Who knew at that precise moment how many kids he would be telling stories to?

Your encouraging words and kisses were sufficient to give him back his bravery. He walked onto the stage, grinning broadly and mimicking Santa's laugh to start the reading. His accent added to the enjoyment of listening to his well-paced speech. So much so that you soon found yourself enthralled and seated in the audience.

JAY - 제이 { wrapping gifts for your neighbors' children }

You and Jay had been together for years now, long enough to afford a small apartment together in a large building. 

It was all you had wished for, and there it had been your Christmas present. Even though it hasn't been decorated, your tiny home is already dear to your heart. After a week or so of settlement, you had already made the polite rounds of greetings with your neighbors.

They were the most variegated families, yet many of them were child-bearing couples. You had the idea to bring small gifts for the kids as a token of your desire for a lasting and enjoyable relationship after those interactions. 

Thus, following a shopping expedition to every store where children's clothing and toys were sold, you found yourselves wrapping gifts on your apartment floor.

The atmosphere was cheered by background Christmas music, which made your hearts dance joyfully. 

As Jay tenderly wrapped a present while singing, your eyes lingered on him and your thoughts drifted off. Maybe one day you might witness him wrapping your kids' presents...  Your cheeks flushed as you averted your gaze at that notion.

You didn't think Jay noticed it until he came out with, "I know you were staring at me…I'm practicing so much for when we'll be wrapping our children's gifts".

The naturalness and certainty with which he spoke made your heart beat wildly.

No one could understand how that man was even more attractive in your eyes after that sentence.

JUNGWON - 정원 { before Christmas }

At that moment, you were using deep breaths to counteract the fast beats.

You had barely finished preparing for when you were invited to Jungwon's family's traditional Christmas celebration.

You were going to take part in the most private time of Jungwon's tradition, which made him extremely happy and made you feel like a member of his family.

However, this did not reduce the anxiety, which lasted until your boyfriend entered the room where you were staying. 

He came in quietly, sneaking in like a cat, so much so that you didn't even hear him, and remained staring at you as you touched up the last details of your look. You did not realize his presence until a silent "Woah" from him made you flinch. 

He was staring at you, mesmerized as you turned to face him. He watched everything you did, occasionally becoming fixated on certain features on your face that attracted his attention. He thought you were so gorgeous there were no words to describe it. 

Before you put on your lipstick, you smiled at him and moved to place a final kiss on his face. 

After the kiss, Jungwon offered to help you with your lipstick. 

In the meantime that he was there the anxiety had lessened, but the veiled trembling of your hands had not. So you smiled happily at the offer of help. 

Jungwon took the lipstick and came over to put it on you. You were sitting, and he had raised your chin a little. You had to close your eyes to resist the temptation of another kiss.

And everything remained silent until you heard a door open and saw the face of Jungwon's sister. She smiled and left you both focused on finishing. 

As soon as you finished, Jungwon smiled at you, and all worries disappeared.

SUNOO - 선우 { Christmas cards }

Since Sunoo was practicing, his writing has been becoming better and better. 

And the days before Christmas were your favorite times to see him write. He quickly dedicated himself to practicing writing with the fountain pen and ink that you had gifted him beforehand. 

He was able to concentrate for extended periods and ultimately produce authentic pieces of art. He would thus write all the little cards that turned out to be almost more beautiful than the gifts themselves.

On the eve, however, he was determined to write a much longer card. 

You were intrigued about who the receiver was, so you would sometimes try to look around while wrapping the gifts. You could never read the receiver since Sunoo quickly hid what he wrote. So it was till Christmas morning the next morning.

When you awoke, you saw a letter by your bed.

The one Sunoo had written and decorated the night before. It was printed on paper with a baroque cut and gold decorations. The lettering was flawless, with perfect symmetry and precision. But the most lovely parts were your name as the first word, the poem, the last loving dedication, and all the careful lexical selection. Your eyes were a little clouded after you finished reading. You immediately looked up and noticed Sunoo holding a tray with your favorite breakfast that he had made.

"Merry Christmas, love"

NIKI - 니키 { Wrap gifts in something that doesn't look like the gift?? }

Niki recommends wrapping the gifts in something that does not resemble them at all. For example, a necklace that transforms into a sweater or a cloth that transforms into a chair.

As a result, this becomes your sole pastime before Christmas. 

You had quickly gathered all of the gifts and various materials to wrap everything.

It quickly became a competition to see who could make the most unusual present. Despite your efforts, Niki won. He managed to transform a scarf into a wonderful seat, a book into a long dress, and a pair of mugs into a tree - still, no one knows how he did it...

You also ended up baking and decorating Christmas cookies to go with each gift-and here you defeated him on the decorations challenge. 

The most awaited moment came the following morning when gifts were exchanged. While what appeared to be a television arrived as a gift from you to him, it was a pair of shoes that he had long desired.

To you came what looked like a large wooden spoon. 

You laughed so much that your hearts were full of joy from the first morning. But as you opened the gift, your gaze was filled with confusion rather than laughter. What appeared to be a spoon transformed into a little dark blue box. 

Inside it, you found a ring with small gems of your favorite color.

In the little note, you found written, "Until the next spoon."

#k labels #k-labels #enhypen #enha imagines #enhypen headcanons #enhypen jungwon #yang jungwon #jungwon fanfic #jungwon x reader #jungwon #enha x reader #enhypen fluff #sunghoon #enha #sunghoon x reader #enhypen x reader #sunghoon fluff #sunghoon scenarios #heeseung x reader #lee heeseung #heeseung #enhypen fanfic #heeseung fluff #enhypen jake #jake fluff #sim jaeyun #jaeyun fluff #jake imagines #jaeyun scenarios #jaeyun imagines

[thecreaturecodex]

Rakshasa Immortal, Korittunni

“The Mouse King” © deviantArt user MalakiaLaGatta, accessed at her gallery here

[”The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” by ETA Hoffmann is much darker and weirder than the more famous ballet it inspired. It’s mostly to do with the machinations between rival magical kingdoms and the Mouse King’s extortion racket for Christmas presents. As opposed to the ballet, which is fully half plotless dances based on ethnic stereotypes. I do enjoy Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, but let’s be honest. The Mouse King in the story is much more monstrous, having seven heads. For practical reasons, this is usually dropped from adaptations. A Soviet animated version compromised with three heads, and designs with that number are much more common than the full set.

The character has no name in the original story, just a title. We do get his mother’s name: Mouserinks. She’s the one who cursed the prince into being a nutcracker in the first place, and the Mouse King is hunting him to prevent him from turning back. My name for the character is derived from a Tamil word meaning rat or mouse. Since I’m making him a rakshasa, and different adaptations vary in what species he’s supposed to be, I figured that it was appropriate. The flavor text may draw some inspiration from the recent OGL unpleasantness.]

Rakshasa Immortal, Korittunni The Mouse King, The Rat King Concerns greed, gluttony, rodents Domains Animal, Evil, Law, Trickery Subdomains Fear, Fur, Greed, Tyranny Worshipers evil ratfolk, extortionists, misers, wererats Minions rakshasas, rat kings, swarms Unholy Symbol seven crowns stacked in a triangle Favored Weapon rapier Obedience gorge yourself on fine food and drink for 1 hour. Despoil any leftovers so no one else may benefit from them. Gain a +4 profane bonus on saves against disease Boons 1: summon swarm 2/day; 2: hunger for flesh 2/day; 3: heroes’ feast 2/day

Rakshasa Immortal, Korittunni CR 21 LE Outsider (native) This humanoid stands smaller than a human and has seven rodent heads, arrayed facing in all directions. They are clad in a fancy military dress uniform, carry a fine saber, and wear a crown on each of their heads.

Korittunni the Mouse King is one of the least of the rakshasa immortals, but that does not make him any less dangerous or destructive. He is obsessed with things: taking them from other people and destroying them if he cannot take them. No object is below his acquisitiveness; he enjoys stealing toys and candy from children as much as he does jewels or magical items from the wealthy and powerful. He rarely works alone, and surrounds himself with sycophantic ratfolk, ver, wererats and other rodent-like humanoids. Most of his elite agents are other rakshasas, typically with rodent features in their natural form.

Korittunni often is the one to initiate hostilities, but if he can take what he wants through intimidation, trickery or mind-controlling magic, he does so before fighting. His teeth are strong and powerful, but he usually fights with a dueling sword. He is a master of bardic magic, weaving spells and magical dance together in order to augment his own abilities and those of any of his minions. Korittunni often leaves his victims alive but humiliated, cursed or polymorphed, as a warning to others who would cross him.

The Mouse King’s kingdom is a vast subterranean city, from which he plots robbery and extortion. Many criminal gangs pay him protection money, and in turn he helps to supply them with tools and talent from his own reserves. And doesn’t just wipe them out and steal from them. Korittunni is a dangerous partner, however, as he will often make the terms and conditions of his deals more and more restrictive, until his allies are little more than slaves. He can be charming when he wants to, but his default mode of expression is to threaten and bully. He is something of a mama’s boy and speaks fondly of his own mother, although whether she actually literally existed as he describes, or is a composite character based on dozens of reincarnations, is mysterious.

Korittunni is only two feet tall, but no less dangerous for his size. He always carries a magic rapier capable of stealing magical defenses and a rod of splendor.

Korittunni           CR 21 XP 409,600 LE Small outsider (native, rakshasa) Init +14; Senses darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, Perception +29, scent Defense AC 38, touch 22, flat-footed 27 (+1 size, +10 Dex, +1 dodge, +14 natural) hp 420 (29d10+261) Fort +17, Ref +26, Will +22 DR 20/epic and piercing; Immune death effects, disease, petrifaction, poison, polymorph; Resist acid 20, cold 20, electricity 20, fire 20, sonic 20; SR 36 Defensive Abilities all-around vision, evasion Offense Speed 30 ft., climb 20 ft. Melee +3 spellstealing rapier +43/+38/+33/+28 (1d4+9/15-20), 7 bites +35 (1d4+3) or 7 bites +40 (1d4+6) Special Attacks bardic performance (59 rounds/day, swift action, countersong, deadly performance, dirge of doom, distraction, fascinate, frightening tune, inspire competence +6, inspire courage +4, inspire greatness, inspire heroics, soothing performance, suggestion), detect thoughts (DC 35), voracious Spell-like Abilities CL 20th, concentration +31 (+35 casting defensively) At will—bestow curse (DC 25), contagion (DC 25) 3/day—greater command (DC 26), greater teleport, nightmare (DC 26), quickened phobia (DC 27), ravenous rodents 1/day—demand (DC 29), mass hunger for flesh (DC 28), polymorph any object (DC 29), prediction of failure (DC 29) Spells CL 20th, concentration +31 (+35 casting defensively) 6th (7/day)—mass cat’s grace, mass cure moderate wounds (DC 27), greater scrying (DC 27), irresistible dance (DC 29), pied piping (DC 29) 5th (7/day)—cloak of dreams (DC 28), greater dispel magic, mind fog (DC 28), nightmare (DC 28), seeming (DC 26) 4th (7/day)—dominate person (DC 27), freedom of movement, hold monster (DC 27), legend lore, pessimism (DC 27), sleepwalking suggestion (DC 27) 3rd (7/day)—cure serious wounds (DC 24), fear (DC 24), glibness, haste, mass feather step, sculpt sound 2nd (8/day)—blur, gallant inspiration, heroism, invisibility, quick change, silence (DC 22) 1st (8/day)— charm person (DC 24), comprehend languages, cure light wounds (DC 22), identify, saving finale, undetectable alignment 0th—detect magic, ghost sound (DC 21), light, lullaby (DC 23), prestidigitation, read magic Statistics Str 23, Dex 31, Con 28, Int 25, Wis 22, Cha 32 Base Atk +29; CMB +34; CMD 55 Feats Combat Casting, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Extra Performance, Greater Spell Focus (enchantment), Improved Critical (rapier), Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Mobility, Quicken SLA (phobia), Spell Focus (enchantment), Spring Attack, Step Up, Whirlwind Attack Skills Acrobatics +31, Appraise +25, Bluff +36, Climb +32, Diplomacy +18, Disguise +40, Escape Artist +31, Intimidate +29, Knowledge (arcana, engineering, dungeoneering, local) +25,  Knowledge (planes) +27, Perception +29, Perform (act, dance) +32, Sense Motive +27, Spellcraft +25, Stealth +35, Swim +24, Use Magic Device +29; Racial Modifiers +4 Bluff, +8 Disguise, +2 Perception Languages Common, Goblin, Infernal, Senzar, telepathy 300 ft. SQ change shape (humanoid or rodent, polymorph), rakshasa lord traits Ecology Environment urban and underground Organization unique Treasure triple standard (rod of splendor, +3 spellstealing rapier, other treasure) Special Abilities Bardic Performance (Su/Sp) Korittunni can use bardic performances as a 20th level bard. Rakshasa Immortal Trait (Ex/Su) Korittunni is a rakshasa immortal, a powerful unique outsider capable of granting spells. This also grants him the following abilities

Immunity to death effects, disease and poison

Resist acid, cold, electricity, fire and sonic 20

DR/epic

Telepathy 300 ft.

Korittunni’s natural weapons, as well as any weapons he wields, are treated as epic, lawful and evil for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

Ravenous Rodents (Sp) This spell functions as a creeping doom spell, except that the swarms summoned appear as rats and mice. The swarms have the animal type instead of the vermin type, and do not have the poison special attack. Instead, they gain the voracious ability (see below) and deal damage to unattended objects in their area as well. This is the equivalent of a 7th level spell. Spells Korittunni casts spells as a 20th level bard. Voracious (Ex) Korittunni’s bite attacks deal double damage to creatures with the plant subtype, and to objects made out of plant materials such as paper, wood and most cloth.

#korittuni #rakshasa #rakshasa immortal #mouse king #rat king #the nutcracker #the nutcracker and the mouse king #eta hoffmann #demigod

[mothwingwritings]

There’s Just No One Like You pt.3

F!ReaderXTaiju Shiba

PART ONE PART TWO

Waaah, I am SO sorry this one took so long guys. It seemed like everything that COULD stand in my way DID stand in my way, so I truly am very sorry. :(

But here it is! Chapter three! This one is over 17K words (making it the longest thing I have posted here) and I am so glad I finally get to share it because it sure did beat my ass. :)

This chapter covers your time with Taiju up to that fateful Christmas Eve night. I wanted to fit in a lot of interactions (and ended up having to cut some because I don’t know how to chill) and emotions, so there is whole ass roller coaster in here waiting.

There is also some one sided Koko x reader in here, the one sided being on Koko’s end.

WARNINGS: Incredibly abusive/unhealthy relationship (reader gets hurt mentally and physically), VERY dubcon everything, yandere vibes, brief religion mentions, family abuse (mentally and physically), language, blood/gore, mentions of sex (but nothing too explicit), one sided affections from Koko to reader, some angst, Taiju being a huge asshole, stalking, gas lighting, Taiju pretty much controls your life and it ain’t the greatest :(

18+ only please!!!

(There will be a part 4 and that will be the finale.)

Part 3. Angel

Sometimes you barely recognized the person staring back at you in the reflection.

Physically, not much had changed about you in the past few months. You’d lost some weight (your clothes didn’t seem to quite fit like they used to), and the circles under your eyes grew darker by the day (a side effect of continually being kept up into the wee hours of the morning), but you still looked undeniably like you. Even donning a bit more makeup than you used to (heavier, and in places you never previously needed it) and doing up your hair to Taiju’s preference over your own (pulling at your scalp, making your head ache), it was still your eyes looking back at you in that long, ornate mirror that liked to mock you each time you passed it by in the hallway.

This was you, this was your life now, and this is how it is going to be from now on.

How many times had you chanted those words in yourself? They were supposed to help you cope, a ward you went over and over to fill your head so that your thoughts wouldn’t be free to roam. Your brain was apt to wander and stew, conjuring cruel phantoms of your family, friends, and companions.

If you were the only casualty in all this you could try and make peace. It was unfortunate that the people closest to you got tangled up in this whole mess of a situation, hunted and hounded until they themselves were left broken and terrified.

Taiju coming back into your life wasn’t something you could hide from your family forever. They would find out sooner or later that your late night outings and early morning risings weren’t always for school or study sessions with Tomoko (as if your slipping grades weren’t enough of a red flag). You decided early on it was best that you broke the news to them yourself, ascertaining it would cause a lot less grief then if they happened to hear it through the grapevine. When you worked up the courage to break the news to them, they were less than thrilled to hear the announcement.

They loved you, they trusted you, and they had the highest hopes for you. They had sacrificed so much of themselves to make sure you were safe and cared for. They raised you to make the correct choices and instilled in you from a young age the difference between good and bad, right and wrong.

That’s why the hurt was so raw when you peered into their eyes and saw such flagrant disappointment reflecting back at you. Taiju Shiba was definitely not the suitor they had hoped for. They expected you to do better.

But they were willing to push their discomfort aside to give Taiju another chance, which was more than you could have asked for. Elation filled you when you invited Taiju to dinner with your family, hopeful this would put to rest all the bad blood of the past and you could all move on. No more sneaking around, no more lying, no more threats and curses about your parents under Taiju’s breath. If you could just get them together and talking, even if the conversation wasn’t deep, a bond could be nurtured that could bloom into something wonderful.

How naïve you were back then.

The dinner was doomed to failure the moment the invitation left your lips, a quick nod and grunt the only affirmation the he had heard you at all. A few nights later, he arrived at your family house donned in his black dragon’s attire, tattooed chest bared beneath the loose fit of his robes. You pulled him aside the moment he stepped in the door to hurriedly ask why, of all things, he was wearing that. He knew your parents were big on appearances, and you had been harping for days about how delicate this entire event was. Your parent’s approval hinged on this one meal, and he chose to come in full on gang wear?

He responded by curtly telling you he had a meeting after this and there was no time to change afterwards, leaving it at that. There wasn’t a chance for a rebuttal as your mother turned the corner to greet him, the expression plastered to her face enough to make you want to crawl into a hole and disappear. Her lips pursed so tightly that the smile she attempted to give him looked almost comical.

To your parent’s credit, they gave him an earnest shot that evening. Asking Taiju how he had been and how his family was, what he had been up to in the interim of leaving and coming back. Unfortunately Taiju decided to take their niceties and harmless questioning as direct threats and interrogations, each response (if he even gave a response other than his sharp, hateful glower) was brusque, presumptuous, and condescending. You sat like a lump by Taiju’s side the entire meal, shoulders hunched, caving in on yourself. All the hard work you put in sticking up for Taiju, focusing on how he had changed and grown, how things weren’t the same as they used to be, were all escaping down the drain. Humiliation and hurt swirled turbulently within you, making the food you were forcing down your throat taste like ash.

Though the whole event only lasted around an hour, the disconcert you felt was endless. Taiju was successful in proving one thing to your parents that night, and that was that things definitely weren’t what they once were, they were now much worse.

Needless to say, that dinner was a cataclysmic failure.

As Taiju left your house that night he made sure to plant the most lascivious kiss he could upon your lips before making his way out the door, knowing full well your parents were mere feet away, watching. You had never seen your mother’s face pallor the way it had that evening. Your father was so befuddled that even though he was known for being an eloquent speaker, he found himself at a complete loss for words.

Mere minutes after he had left your home they had reached a unanimous decision: You were never to see Taiju Shiba ever again, and any attempt to do so would be firmly and swiftly shut down.

…And yet here you are now, in the home you share with him, getting dolled up to spend the rest of the evening basking in his presence.

Your doppelganger in the mirror was frowning.

Yes, it was better by far to keep up your incantation chanting and push all other thoughts out. If you could just get those words into your goddamn head and move on, wouldn’t things be so much better?

A defeated sigh escaped your reddened lips. It felt useless. Neither mantra nor distraction could stop how increasingly hollow you felt, like the entirety of your insides had been gutted and thrown in the trash.  More and more you felt like as if you existed outside yourself, experiencing things at a distance, no longer in tuned with your physical form.

The girl in this mirror may be you, but she’s fake. Just a shell of the actual you trying desperately to be what you once were.

The dress you had squeezed yourself into seemed far too mature for you, the dramatic split down the side and plunging neckline making you feel like you were going to some kind of charity ball for rich socialites, not your own birthday party. But Taiju picked it out because he wanted to see you in it, and if there was nothing else that had been engrained in your head these long months it was what Taiju wanted, Taiju got.

Taiju wanted you to be official. He wanted you to move in with him. He wanted you to sacrifice your life and time for him. He wanted you to replace the people in your life with the people in his life. He wanted you to realize you were his family now, that he loved you more than anyone else ever could or would, and that he was the best thing to ever happen to you.

Good on his end, all of his wishes having thus far come true.

Locked in the rampant gluttony of his dominion over you, pieces of your true self were shed bit by excruciating bit. You lied to your family, made excuses to your friends, and regurgitated apologies to your teachers and classmates for half assed assignments and missed school days.  And they ate that up, having no reason to doubt you. You were a good kid, a nice person, a student that was always prompt and never caused issues. What need would you have to lie?

However you can only force a smile so many times before people start to dig deeper.  It was only natural that time would chip away at the façade you had created, and your sister fancied herself a detective as she analyzed every word you spoke in hopes of uncovering some scandalous dirt.

You always had a somewhat rocky relationship with her, which you figured was pretty par for the course with most siblings. Sometimes you hated her and sometimes you loved her, she knew just how to get on every one of your nerves and at the same time would be the only person who truly understood what you were going through. So when things shifted in your life she was quick on the pickup, relentless in her search to find out what was really going on with you and this mysterious man from your past.

She didn’t have to stay in the dark long, as things around your household began to heat up in the days following the family dinner. Threatening notes showed up at your door and in your mail box, demands to see you penciled in an erratic, angry scrawl. When that ceased to have an effect, graffiti littered your walkway, choice words and lewd imagery that was just as bold and ostentatious as the man who orchestrated the vandalism. There was a tight leash around your neck which kept you from reaching out to Taiju for questioning, but even if you could you were doubtful the harassment would end.

Your sibling became personally affected when things became more physical, your father’s car becoming the victim to a late night keying. Though the damage was all cosmetic, it cost more to fix than the car was worth, setting the household back with the unplanned expense.  The keying caused your parent’s anxiety to teeter out of control, and thus an iron clad rule was brought into effect immediately.  You were by no means allowed to leave the house alone, and it was none other than your older sister who had been appointed as chaperone to be stuck constantly at your side.

At first she found it amusing. Her little sis who stayed out of the lime light as much as possible suddenly being center stage in a bizarre, tumultuous crime-esque drama was definitely something that was relative to her interests. Meek little (name) entering some kind of sordid relationship with a gang leader was icing on the cake. You couldn’t recall the last time she had spoken to you so much, her jaw continually flapping to ask about Taiju and his gang and your role within that gang. You wanted to pop her each time she leered at you with that teasing lilt in her voice, knowing full well you were in for another unescapable earful.

But it grew old fast, especially when this meant that instead of having her own social life she was stuck playing your bodyguard. Her light hearted jabs turned into heated barbs. Accusations and complaints that used to be hidden beneath her breathe were now spoken to you plainly. She was mad about being thrust into this position, and you became her punching bag of blame to help alleviate her displeasure.

Things can only bend so far before they break, and your sister was never known for being pliable. At some point she became convinced to the point of obsession that she could end all of this and put Taiju in his place, she just had to come up with the perfect plan first. As much as you advised her against this, it became her primary goal, and no amount of goading or assuring her that things would eventually die down satiated her desire to claim her old freedoms back as quickly as possible.

It had become commonplace to feel a presence follow behind you from school to home, and you had become an expert at ignoring it. Whoever they were, they never said anything to either you or your sibling, always making sure to keep several paces behind you. Far enough that they weren’t invading your personal space, but close enough that trying to make a break for it would be a bad idea. You hadn’t a clue who the silent enigma’s were, their faces covered in masks with hoods overcasting their eyes. All you knew was that they usually came in two’s, and though none of them were ever big enough to be Taiju himself, their Black Dragon attire made it apparent who they worked for.

On one particular evening something was off. You sister was grumpier than usual, and the force that was following you seemed more overwhelming than it typically did. It was a miracle that you made it home without incident, your sisters’ clenched fists and grit teeth blaring signs of how much she was struggling to keep herself in check on that slow walk home.

However, even as the threshold into your yard was crossed and the figures behind you began to depart, you sister’s discontent didn’t wane. Her anger would not be quenched that night by merely making it home, she needed the satisfaction of something more.

“Don’t you fucking losers have anything better to do?” She mockingly spat over her shoulder, halting the two figures in their tracks. “Isn’t following two girls home who have absolutely no interest in you or the shitty company you keep a little pathetic? Maybe you scumbags should get lost and go find a life.”

Pleasure lit her face after she spoke, the airing of her true feelings instantly alleviating some of her tension. However, the duo she had dissed was not the type to take trash talk lightly. Before she could take another step her progression was stopped by a sloppy, wet, mess colliding with the back of her head, the noisy squelch upon impact booming in the quietness of the evening. One of them must have been eating as they were walking, remains of a half-eaten burger and fries’ tangling in your siblings thick hair, condiments and what was left of a soda dripping down her neck to soil her clothing.

She seethed. Indignation coursed through her as their laughs echoed down the street, bringing her to her boiling point. Desperately you attempted to calm her and clean her up, spouting anything you could think of to convince her that you could handle this. Your words fell on deaf ears and she shoved you aside with a force that staggered you, knocking you to the ground

“This whole fiasco is your fucking fault,” she spat, violent eyes honing in on you prone form, “If you hadn’t become some gang leader’s whore we wouldn’t be in this mess right now! Do you even know how much this effecting mom, dad, and me? Do you even care, or are you so off in your own little mob princess fantasy that you’ve gone completely nuts?”

She cut you off before you could speak, “I don’t want to hear any more shit from you, and I refuse to live like this any longer. If no one else will do anything, I will.”

Bold words from a bold girl, her silhouette looked stalwart and assured as you stared after her retreating back that you almost believed that she could do something to end this.

But bravery goes hand in hand with stupidity, and your sister had definitely bit off more than she could chew when she took on the black dragons.

She didn’t make it home that night. You and your parents stayed up till the wee hours pacing and worrying, calling all of her friends and the local police department. No one had any information to provide, so you remained in the dark until early next morning when the cops were finally able to share some news.

You sister had been found by an early morning jogger crumpled up in an alley way, her body bruised and bleeding from a beating she withstood, most likely from multiple assailants. Her face was so mangled and puffy from bruising that it was hard to tell it was even your sister at all.

She spent the next several weeks in the hospital recovering, but each time you went to visit she refused to acknowledge your existence. You expected her to be mad, to go off on you and scream until she was hoarse about how much she hated you for causing this. But the cold silence she offered was far, far worse. She didn’t hate you so much as you simply no longer existed to her at all.

Your parents were at their wits end. Your sister was refusing your presence. In the span of a few short weeks, your family bond had been successfully destroyed. All you could do was watch as the people you loved broke down, morphing in to strung-out, anxious husks of who they once were.

It was ultimately your decision to move out and seek shelter with Taiju, which looking back now must have been his plan from the get-go. The longer you stayed under your families lock and key, the worse things would become. They mauled your sister, what would stop them from going after you father or mother next? What if they didn’t stop at just beating them? And what could you do to stop them, other than give them what they wanted?

The day you left home you sobbed nonstop as Taiju rampantly tore through your bedroom. Your parents had finally gone back to work after all the frenzy had died down a bit, weary yet trusting that locking you up alone in the house would be okay. Taiju utilized this time to making his daring ‘rescue’, springing into action the moment their car had left the driveway.

At first he left the packing up to you, but when your shaky limbs weren’t moving fast enough for his liking, he pushed you aside to haphazardly chuck clothing and other belongings in whatever bags and suitcases he could find. He was frenzied, a violent mix of excited, triumphant, and pissed off as he stormed his way through your room, showing very little regard of your property and your feelings when he ripped through memories and trampled over your possessions. The choked cries agitated him, and he warned you more than once to shut up or he would give you something to cry about. Luckily for you, he was so busy tearing your life apart that his words remained nothing more than exasperated threats.

Once he had accumulated adequate supplies for your indefinite stay, he proceeded to usher you out of the house with a haste you found gratuitous. Noticing your reluctance to leave he sighed, placing your bags down so he could provide you his undivided attention.

Catching your chin in a light pinch, he jerked your head up so that your watery eyes met his observant glare. “I know this is upsetting to you, but even you agreed this is for the best. I’ve gone long enough without you by my side, every second spent in this house is a waste.”

You could tell by the timbre of his voice that he was trying to sound understanding, but the impatient giddiness he was feeling at having you so closely within his grasp was bleeding through. The manic gleam as his feline eyes drank you in was making you feel ill, like you were a farm animal being lead to slaughter.

“You’re my family now, and I take care of what’s mine.” His voice was low as his hand fell to the base of your neck. Strong, thick fingers pressing tenderly into your skin pulled you forward until his lips were grazing your ear. “My good girl just has to let me take care of her. Somebody else could get hurt otherwise, and you don’t want that do you baby?”

You phone buzzed violently in your hand, dragging you back to reality. Starring down, Koko’s name illuminated your screen. After a moment’s hesitation, you answered his call.

“Hey Princess,” Koko’s voice chided, “You almost ready in there? The carriage is going to turn back into a pumpkin at this point.”

“Sorry,” your voice was clipped as you responded, “If it was my choice I wouldn’t be wearing the most complicated dress in the world.”

He laughed, “Come on now, I’m sure it can’t be that hard to navigate. The boss wouldn’t pick something he can’t rip off you easily.” You could almost feel the smug smile on his face as his words made you blush furiously.

A heavy sigh came through the speaker, “Anyway, try and keep in mind that if we’re too late it’s not you that is going to fall under Prince Charming’s wrath for this, and I’d like to spend the night in my own bed and not a hospital.  I’m sure you look beautiful. Please, come out here soon.”

The phone clicked and you gave your own elongated sigh. With one last look in the mirror, you headed out the door.

You paused for a brief moment after you arrived outside, staring down the steps at the man who awaited you. Koko hadn’t noticed you yet and was in the midst of furiously punching away at his phone, looking positively disgruntled with his cinched brow and grimace. You knew he had to be making up excuse after excuse to Taiju over why you were running behind. You huffed in guilt. Koko wasn’t wrong when he spoke earlier. It was his ass that was on the line the longer you loitered, even though you were the one completely at fault.

“Sorry again,” you piped up, drawing the man’s instant attention. He puffed a rouge strand of hair out his eyes as he flicked them over you. His demeanor relaxed, shoulders instantly losing their tightness as he flung open the car door he had previously been leaning against. You eyed the vehicle with a slight frown, unsure of whom it belonged to or if Koko even had a normal driving license to be operating it.

Then again, you learned early on that with most things that involved the black dragons, it was better to not know the origin of them.

As you descended down the stairs you were met with a whistle, a wolfish grin spreading over Koko’s face as he awaited you at the bottom. “There’s the princess,” he teased, doing a slight flourish when you grew near, “Looking as lovely as I presumed you would.”

“Yeah,” you looked away, discomfort mounting the longer his eyes took you in, “Thank you.”

“Shouldn’t you be a little more excited?”  He snorted, moving aside to grant you access into the awaiting vehicle, “It’s your birthday after all, and your knight in shining armor is going so hard at pleasing you today.”

“Can you cut it out with the fairytale metaphors,” you grumbled, “It’s not like I’m ungrateful. This is all just...”

“A lot?”

You gave a small nod of agreeance. It was eerie how conscientious he could be sometimes.

You relationship with Koko was complicated, to say the least. There were days when you absolutely despised him, your brain going feral at the sight of his stupid smug grin and teasing eyes. The familiarity he approached you with never ceased to make you cringe, as if he were entitled to your companionship and confidence simply because you were his leaders’ significant other. Often times you felt just as trapped by him as you did Taiju, the raven haired boys’ awareness that your social circle had been drastically cut down to Taiju’s family and the black dragons was a huge driving force in your awkward, forced companionship. With all your friends and family gone, who else did you have to turn for camaraderie?

Inupi was around as well, of course (Taiju wouldn’t let you step foot out of the house without at least himself or one of those two nearby), but there was something about the way Koko glued himself to you, taking a vested interest that Inupi did not. For both Koko’s sake and your own, you played dumb to that interest, knowing full well nothing good could come of it.

But for each moment of torment with Koko, there were also times when he supported you, stood up for you even, and on days when it felt like no one else was in your court you couldn’t deny that that was much appreciated. If you were being honest with yourself, you weren’t even sure if you would have been able to survive meeting all of Taiju’s men for the first time without Koko by your side.

Countless rows of men stood before you, identically bowed at 90 degree angles. Their backs reflecting the logo of the black dragons were turned to the sky, causing what little moonlight filtered down from the clouds to reflect off the bright white of the lettering.

They spoke in unison, their voices rumbling together to form a great roar. ‘Too loud’ your brain warned, eyes flicking wildly around the darkened shrine they had assembled before, ‘Far too loud for a place of worship at this time of night.’

Every word Taiju spoke was responded to promptly, the mass of men showing nothing but the utmost respect for their leader. Taiju’s reluctance to explain the darker aspects of his life were quick to dissipate after you had moved in. He had mentioned the Black Dragons prior of course, but the true extent of his involvement and the crimes they committed was all still fresh news to you. You guess he figured it best to make sure you were properly secured before airing out all his dirty laundry.

And this was an induction for you, of sorts. Despite being adamant in your voicing of wanting as little to do with his gang as possible, Taiju was an expert at countering. It was hard to fight the fact that by being his girlfriend you had defaulted into being a member of the Black Dragon regardless of how you felt on the matter, and as such, needed to attend at least one of the meetings to formally introduce yourself.

You stood slightly behind Taiju as he spoke, who was mid-explaining your significance in this world that had been thrust upon you. It felt unreal, like you were outside your body piloting someone else. Your joints were simultaneously stiff and like jello, your constitution so weak that if the wind gusted too strong you were sure you’d blow away with it. A steady thrum of nausea had been flopping in your stomach the entirety of Taiju’s speech. So many eyes trained on you, so many souls weighing your worth, judging your appearance. It was making your head spin.

You only became aware that Taiju’s speech had ended when he placed a chaste kiss on the crown of your head. He whispered in your ear what you thought might have been encouragement, but could have just as easily been an admonishment. With the state you were in, it was a wonder you could function at all, let alone recognize someone was speaking to you. He guided you towards Koko and you followed without putting up a fuss, happy to see that your legs could still move properly, and even happier to be out of the spotlight.

With a few barked orders you were left alone with Koko as Inupi trailed after Taiju. You felt anxious as you watched Taiju become engulfed in the sea of men, nerves eating you as your protection and lifeline slipped father away. The flood of people began to trickle closer your way, and you couldn’t help but grip on to Koko coat as you heard a few curious whispers and felt rogue glances directed your way. A chill passed through you. Getting lost in a mass of delinquents was not what you were looking to achieve tonight, and even if the company by your side was not much better, at the very least he was someone you knew.

“You made it through,” Koko stated, making no move to pull away, “Despite the fact that you looked like you were going to burst into tears the whole time.” When his attempts at light-hearted teasing had no effect he frowned, lowering his voice until only you could hear it, “You can relax now, (name). It’s over, all right?”

“I’m sorry, I’m just not used to all of this,” you mumbled in reply, trying your hardest not to stare at anyone surrounding you. It was not lost on you that nearly every other individual in the crowd dwarfed you in size and stature. There were only men familiar with fighting on a daily basis in your midst, and in the event something happened and they turned on you, you wouldn’t stand a chance. "Any one of the people could kill me in an instant.”

He laughed, causing you to shoot him a look. They angry gleam in your eyes only seemed to widen his smile.

"Well, I guess you're right about that, wouldn’t take much to beat down a little pipsqueak like you. If Taiju wasn’t in the picture I would say you would be in a world of trouble here, smack dab in the middle of all this.” He spread out his arms, reminding you of a used car salesman trying to hype up his unimpressive lot. “But that’s not the case, and no one here is dumb enough to try and fuck with the boss’ property.”

You weren’t wild with being described as ‘property’, but were left with no time to voice your qualms when you felt him drew himself nearer, pushing into you in a way you could only describe as invasive. The press of your bodies now bordering on scandalous, you broke out in a cold sweat. If Taiju saw the way Koko had positioned himself beside you, if his fierce eyes were to hone in on the way his guard captain’s lips hovered so close to your ear in this moment, you weren’t so sure he would make it out alive.

Koko’s dark eyes were lidded as he stared down at you, a brief flash of something wild and desperate passing through them as his words tumbled from his smirking lips.

“Besides, I’m here for you too, aren’t? It’s not just Taiju they’d have to go through to get to you, princess.”

A light touch against your back pulled you to your senses, and you glanced over to see Koko shaking his head. “I’m sure you already know this, but now is not the time to take a breather. You’re a tough girl who’s gotten past worse moments than this. You can make it through one dinner, yeah?”

You weren’t sure what made you want to wretch more, the coddling tone of his voice, or the warmth of his hand on the small of your back.

“Now hurry and get it. I lied to the boss and said we left ten minutes ago, so we are going to have to really haul ass.”

~

You watched through the window as the car pulled up to the restaurant. Taiju had been waiting out front, and now that he was fully in view you could see he was dressed just as nicely as you were. Donned in a tailored suit you had never seen before with his hair slicked back out of his face, he looked positively dashing. You couldn’t help but feel taken by how fetching he appeared, a swooning sensation overtaking you the longer you took him in. The deep blue of his suit and stark white of his shirt made him look mature and dignified, and the sparse statement jewelry on his hands and neck truly pulled the entire look together.  You would agree whole heartedly with Koko’s early ‘prince charming’ statement if it weren’t for the positively peeved aura that permeated his entire form.

Taiju’s eyes were mere slits, holding a murderous glint as they bore into Koko. Judging by how entirely unamused he appeared he must have been standing outside for a while, and you knew you’d have a lot of damage control to do because of that. Arms folded impatiently across his broad, puffed out chest with a scowl chiseled deeply into his stern face, he looked the very definition of furious. Even other patrons made sure to avoid his path, lest they do something to trigger his rage.

It was cute in a way, seeing him standing watch out front grumpily as he anticipated your arrival. It would be a sweet gesture if it remained just that, a little bit of grumpiness and not a threat that someone was going to be pulverized if he waited a moment longer.

Deciding it was best to spare Koko Taiju’s wrath, you exited the vehicle as quickly as possible. When Taiju’s attention was drawn to you his murderous demeanor shifted, a slow smile spreading across his lips as he looked you over. “Damn baby,” he spoke a bit breathlessly, hungry eyes roving your dolled up form, “you look fucking gorgeous. I was getting pissed off waiting for Koko’s slow ass to bring you here, but seeing you now it was worth the wait. If I wasn’t a stronger man I don’t think you would be making it through this dinner in one piece.”

You withheld a shiver, laughing off his heavy advance, “It would be a shame if I didn’t get to see the birthday surprise you had planned for me though, wouldn’t it?”

He smiled at you devilishly, offering an outstretched hand.

“I guess you make a valid point. I’ll try and be on my best behavior, but no guarantees.”

You approached him with measured steps, still a bit wobbly on the heel’s you had yet to get fully used to. Your clammy hand clasped his, and he began to lead you inside.

“Let’s go,” he smiled down at you, “the others are waiting.”

~

The restaurant Taiju had picked for your birthday dinner was a place you had never dined at previously, and as you made your way to the back party room, it was clear why.

Opulent didn’t begin to cover this place. As you strode past the other diners in their expensive designer suits and luxurious dresses, sipping the finest wines from crystal glasses and nibbling at exotic cuisine you had never tasted, let alone knew how to pronounce, you felt very much out of place. But there was confidence in Taiju’s steps as he led you, an air of showmanship as he paraded you past the rows of aquariums that lined the walls and snaked between the guests. The aquatic animals in their enclosed environment appeared much like how you felt, out of place and trapped.

He was speaking to you, something about how this place was one of his favorites, but the lights were dimmed for ambience and your steps were unsure as you struggled to keep Taiju’s rapid pace. Your brain could only be occupied with approaching this situation a literal step at a time, your downcast eyes keeping close watch of the terrain to help prevent slipping and creating a scene. You wouldn’t want to be the one to upset Taiju’s party, even if it was supposed to be ‘your day’. The only thing you wanted out of all this was for it to go just as Taiju had planned. If everything met his expectations, at least the day had the potential to be peaceful.

A breathe of relief escaped you when you made it to the party room without incident. Taiju opened the heavy mahogany door for you, sweeping you inside with a firm hand on your rear. You bit back a yelp when he tightly squeezed, a chuckle rumbling through his throat at the red that flushed over your cheeks.

“The birthday girl finally appears.”

Your attention was drawn to the center of the room, where a lone square table made of the same rich wood as the door stood. It was illuminated by a single ornate chandelier that hung over the center, casting an invitingly warm glow over the two bodies that sat waiting for your arrival.

You smiled at the familiar faces of Hakkai and Yuzuha, your first genuine smile of the entire day. “Sorry I’m late. I had a bit of a wardrobe malfunction.”

Yuzuha laughed, “Yeah, with that ensemble it isn’t hard to see why.”

From the corner of your eye you saw Taiju lurch, prompting you to rush your next words to halt any brewing drama. “It’s the price of beauty I guess,” You smiled, slowly making your way to the table, “I would hate to show up to such a nice place looking like a street urchin.”

She cracked a mischievous smile, “You didn’t have to come looking like a full on debutante either, though. Were you scared the paparazzi would catch your bad side?”

Her words were nothing more than playful banter between friends, this you were well aware of. But you knew Yuzuha was also aware of how critical her older brother was of the interactions you shared with her, never taking kindly to commentary that could even remotely be considered criticism of yourself or your relationship with him.

“Show some damn respect, Yuzuha.” Taiju growled, pulling out the empty chair next to Hakkai so that you could take a seat. “The last thing she wants to hear on her birthday is your bullshit.”

“It’s called sarcasm,” she retorted, shooting him a pointed look, “Sorry for joking around with my friend, I’ll make sure to speak like a robot from here on out so I don’t upset anybody.”

Before Taiju could respond, you placed your hand on his arm, calming him. “It’s alright Taiju, I took no offense. Besides, late birthday girls deserve to be a little picked on for taking time out of such a lovely occasion. I’m surprised Hakkai didn’t chime in as well.”

You had grown accustomed to being a bumper between the siblings, an intermediary force to lessen the blow of Taiju’s fits. Most of the time it worked, but there was a fine line to it. More than a few occasions had occurred where his anger had gone past the point of gentle words and soothing touches, and when it became uncontrollable there was little that could be done other than pray it would subside quickly.

More often than not Yuzuha was on the receiving end of these assaults, and whether she provoked Taiju herself or if she was acting as a shield for their little brother, she would always get the worst of his violent tendencies.

When you first entered the family dynamic it was hard to grasp the severity of the abuse he inflicted on his siblings. At first you were just privy to the aftermath, watching Hakkai limp by you in the hallway, a puffy black bruise blossoming around Yuzuha’s eye. You believed the wounds must have come from elsewhere originally, aware that Hakkai was embroiled in gang life just as his brother was. Yuzuha clung to him like glue and probably ended up in a fight now and again by association. The few times you tried to breach the topic they were never at liberty to go into much detail, and after repeated question dodging, you dropped the topic entirely. If they wanted to open up about their issues to you, they would do it at their own speed.

… Which wasn’t to say it didn’t bother you, seeing them in pain and unwilling to tell you why. Since you aligned yourself with Taiju you had become especially close to both siblings, seeing as they were the only people left that you trusted to openly communicate and confide in. Though it did also occur to you that maybe they didn’t think of you as being that tight knit, and it could be that they just didn’t WANT to confide in you. They had good manners, and though you hoped it wasn’t the case, it was entirely likely that maybe they saw you as nothing more than an extended stay guest they were obligated to be polite to, and that was as far as their feelings extended.

Regardless of what the story behind their injuries was, at the start of your tenure in their home you truly believed Taiju had no hand in their abuse. There had to be some other explanation to it, no big brother who says he loves his siblings would treat them in such a violent manner. Even if they did have a tendency to have verbal battles, that wasn’t proof of any physical altercation. Hell, how many times had you and your own sister got into heated fights without laying a single hand on one another?

The first time you witnessed the abuse Taiju inflicted on his siblings in person is a moment you don’t think you’ll ever quite forget. You can recall it as clear as the day it happened, the burn in your leg muscles as you rushed to Yuzuhas side, your whole body moving on auto pilot to come to her aid. At that point her face was already bloody, bruises forming on her arms from where Taiju was grabbing her.  You called out to him, but he was so consumed in his manic fury that your words didn’t register. Unsure of what else to do, your grabbed his reared back arm, hoping to stop his onslaught.

All it did was redirect his blow.

His fist connected just below your eye left eye, the force of the blow knocking you to the ground.  Despite the fact that she was right next to you, Yuzuha’s scream sounded distant as you sat on the floor, knocked to your ass in a total daze. Blood began to trickle down your cheek, and the shock of what had just occurred hit you so hard that it took several moments to even register the pain. When it came, it was excruciating.

“Fucking Christ,” he seethed, pulling you up roughly by your neck. Your body quaked in his grasp, the tears cascading down your cheeks mixing with the blood of your fresh wound. It splattered on to his hand, your shirt, the floor. “I guess I have to teach you a lesson about what happens when you interrupt my business, don’t I baby?”

It only took a few more blows for you to black out from the pain.

After you woke up that night, he was so gentle with you. There was a tangible discord between the intense pain of your wounds and the warmth of his caress. In the space of passing out and coming too, you had been cleaned up, bathed and bandaged, and now were wrapped in the softest blanket ever created, ice pack held to your face by Taiju’s hand as his other arm kept you close beside him.

He didn’t apologize. In fact, he admonished you. All you could do was listen numbly while he spoke, verbally scolding you as a parent would a child.

You caused this damage to your body. You made him hurt you. If only you could have been good and stayed in your lane. If only you would have behaved. Why did you get in the way? Why did you do this?

The whole time you listened, you couldn’t bring yourself to voice the question hammering in your head.

Why did HE do this?

“You look very nice.”

Hakkai’s soft voice called out beside you, breaking you free from your morbid thoughts.

“This is our first year getting to celebrate your birthday with you,” he smiled awkwardly, “I’m glad to be here with you. It’s cool that we get to spend this special day with you, I mean. Uh…”

You could see the gears in his head turning, obviously trying hard to come up with some topic of conversation that wouldn’t inadvertently piss someone off and further sour a day that was supposed to be in honor of you. Hakkai’s subtle thoughtfulness was something that you found endearing, and you found yourself cracking a smile at the comical amount of vexation on his face.

“Thank you,” you giggled, “I’m glad you are here too. This spacious room would feel very empty with just Taiju and me in it.”

The gratitude you felt was no joke. The party room was cut off from the rest of the establishment, eerily stifling with how secluded it felt. You could barely hear the bustle of the kitchen right next door, let alone the noise of the other patrons.  If it weren’t for Hakkai and Yuzuha, you were sure you’d feel even more imprisoned than you normally did.

“It sure is big,” Yuzuha joined the conversation as her eyes scanned the area, “It could fit a whole bunch of people. You should have let her invite more people, made it an actual party. “

‘No,’ you stiffened, ‘don’t go there.’

“It’s her birthday after all,” Yuzuha carried on nonchalantly, uncaring of the mounting tension in the room, “I’m sure she had some other people in mind she wanted to bring today.”

“Maybe you should shut your mouth instead of talking about shit you know nothing about.” Taiju snarled, casting a vehement look her way. “The people who care about her the most are in this room.”

He spoke with finality, but Yuzuha wasn’t willing to end the conversation with that. “She misses her friends, you know.” She snipped at her brother. “That one girl… Tomoko was it? She still tries to call the house, even to this day!”

There was a pang in your heart at the mention of her name. It was true. Every so often you’d see her name flash across the call ID of the home phone (your cell number had long since changed, only the people Taiju deemed fit knowing the new number), and an urge like no other would possess you to pick up as soon as you’d see those letters brighten the screen.

But each time your hand would reach for the receiver, you’d stop, memories of what had been done to your family overwhelming you. Taiju had told you before that if she became a ‘problem’ to him, he would have no qualms with forcing her out of the picture.

He couldn’t ruin her too. You wouldn’t be able to bear it.

The icy terror that griped you over this threat inspired you to take your own precautionary actions. At first you lied to her about your sudden disappearance, telling her that everything was fine, you were just busy. Throwing excuses at her left and right that you had spent hours honing in hopes they were believable enough to slip past her radar. You had the perfect answer for why you were missing so much school, why you didn’t live at home anymore, why you were constantly with Taiju, why you couldn’t see her anymore.

When pre-crafted excuses stopped working, she became more persistent. She stopped wasting time getting answers from you, instead opting to confront Taiju directly. She accused him of brainwashing and kidnapping you, pointing all the blame of your absences and what had happened to your family towards him.

If she hadn’t given him these verbal lashings in the halls of your school while others stood witness, you were positive the same fate that befell your sister would have also been granted to her as well.

Watching her fight for you so valiantly shattered your heart in a way it never had previously, a sickening realization clutching you in an unrelenting squeeze. No amount of distancing yourself from Tomoko or promising to never see her again would keep your friend safe. She wouldn’t back down in her fight to get you back, and neither would Taiju in his fight to keep you. And if it came down to her power versus his, there was no question of who the victor would be.

It was clear what had to be done. You had to try and break her, because if you didn’t, Taiju certainly would.

You convinced Taiju to let you see her alone under the guise of fake anger, successfully getting him to believe that you were so disgusted with how she treated him that you wanted to make it explicitly clear to her that you wanted her out of your life for good. With his blessing, you took her on in Taiju’s stead, spitting every volatile thing her way you could think of. Every fight you ever had had been unearthed, long forgotten grudges dug up to use as the fuel to your fire. To add insult to injury, all of the insecurities that had ever plagued her you spat back in her face, stomping not just her heart but her self-esteem into the ground. Vile words cascaded in an endless, horrible strand from your lips, acting as a double edged sword. They were tearing apart not just Tomoko, but you as well.

After your heated screaming match, you both left as sobbing, broken messes. For that you were almost thankful, taking one look at your fucked up state was all Taiju needed to believe Tomoko would never be a problem again, no further acting needed.

But Tomoko was too smart for your bullshit, she always had been. So she kept trying and trying and trying to reach you. She never stopped, and you knew she never would.

If some miracle were to happen in the future and you could make your way back to her, you knew you would never be able to repay her or make things right. Your friendship was shattered by your own two hands, and no matter how much work you put into correcting your errors or how unceasing Tomoko’s forgiveness was, none of it mattered. You made your choice, and you would never deserve the unconditional love Tomoko provided.

“She has more than enough friends here.” Taiju spoke plainly, taking a swig of his drink. “Besides, that girl is a fucking bitch. You saw how (name) looked the last time they saw each other. I bet she’s just trying to act friendly so she can hurt her again.”

“It’s in the past,” you cleared your throat, your mediator skills kicking in once more, “I’m just happy to be surrounded by you guys today.” You turned your attention fully to Taiju, making sure to give credit where he was expecting it to be due. “Thank you so much for this beautiful party, Taiju. I’ve never been treated to something so nice.”

The mechanical words caused a pleased smile to bloom across Taiju’s face. Nothing could light up this man’s demeanor like your subservience.

“Anything for you, baby.”

~

The meal itself went surprisingly well.

Sure, there was a squabble here and there. Yuzuha occasionally mentioning something that ticked Taiju off, or Hakkai’s mannerisms sparking a snide comment or two did affect the soiree, but overall it was nice. The dinner seemed comfortingly normal, like you were just an average family without any grudges that was sitting down to enjoy each other’s presence.

How you wished it could have stayed that way.

You weren’t even sure how it started, but a minor disagreement between the siblings had grown from heated words to full on yelling. Initially it embarrassed you more than anything, the atmosphere of this upscale restaurant no place for a scene, private room or not. You tried in vain to get Taiju’s attention, but even speaking to him in as sweet a tone you could only got a sharp command to shut your mouth as he carried on his tirade.

Clanging dishware startled you, drawing your attention to Taiju as he pushed off the table. He loomed over your seated forms, eyes shooting daggers at Hakkai who shifted nervously in his seat beside you.

“What the fuck did you say,” Taiju’s voice was low, a threatening tone to it that he reserved for when you really crossed the line with him. You could feel the anxiety radiating off Hakkai, his clenched hands shaking in his lap. Too afraid to make eye contact, his gaze bore holes in the table before him.

Like a whip, Taiju’s hand snatched at his younger brother’s collar, his reach across the table knocking a cup to the floor. It shattered upon impact, bits of glass and remaining liquid coating your leg and foot. Apprehension kept you from cleaning the mess instantly, a slight grimace on your face as a chunk of glass wedged itself between the strap of your sandal as you scooted your foot away.

A heavy silence hung in the air as both men remained frozen in place. Glancing up at Taiju, you noticed his breath coming unsteady while his grip remained firm on his brother. Something dangerous danced in his eyes as he took in Hakkai, who had leaned himself uncomfortably up against the table. The younger boy’s legs bent at an awkward angle to take some of the strain off his neck, a terrified look of uncertainty on his face as his brain struggled for a solution to get out of the debacle he found himself locked in.

Your mind raced for something to say or do that would end this as calmly and with as little blood as possible, but Yuzuha beat you to the punch. Ever Hakkai’s protector, she couldn’t stand to see her brother in this position any longer.

She stood, defiantly latching herself to the arm that held Hakkai in place. There was fire in her eyes, a built up rage that was threatening to spill any moment. You prayed you would suddenly manifest some manner of telepathic communication to try and dissuade her from the action she was set on making. As much as you didn’t want Hakkai to go home with a black eye, you knew there was nothing Yuzuha or yourself could possibly do or say at this point to save him. The attempt itself was already damning enough.

“He said you were ruining (name)’s birthday,” her words were brusque, umbrage seeping from her every pore, “And he’s fucking right. Your entire presence for the past ten years has done nothing but cause pain and misery for all of us. You didn’t just mess up her birthday. You messed up her entire life, asshole.”

In an instant, Yuzuha was on the floor.

The speed at which it occurred left you all momentarily stunned. Hakkai, suddenly free from Taiju’s hold, collapsed down on the table. This in turn caused more dishes to fall to the floor, one of which shattered near the fallen Yuzuha. You felt like your body had turned to stone as the scene played out in before you. The image of Taiju towering above his sister, his hand secured tightly around her collar as it just had her brother, keeping her in place. His fist connected once, twice, a third time. Her lip bust open, blood gushing out profusely with each strike. Yellow bruising began to creep around her eye after the fourth hit. She was trying to shield herself, one hand locked in a fruitless struggle to escape his grip, the other doing its best to block herself from the incoming blows. Worming around the floor, bits of broken glass pierced her flesh, red trickles marring her bare legs.

It took Hakkai speaking to draw you from your haze. Unsure of what he even said, the desperate rasp in his voice drew you back to the earth and all the horror that came with it. Raising yourself on unsteady legs, you knocked your chair aside as you stumbled your way towards Taiju. Faltering for a moment when you reached him, visions of the last time you attempted to separate Taiju from Yuzuha on playback in your head as you stood behind them.

But with her face in your direct line of sight becoming bloodier by the moment, you decided no longer cared what happened to you. It would be worth it if you could save her.

You flung yourself around his torso, burying your face into his broad back. You felt the coarse fabric of his suit moisten from your tears, your arms trembling with a mix of fear, adrenaline, and desire to redirect his attention. Squeezing as hard as you could, your body rocked with small sobs.

“Please,” you pleaded, “Please Taiju, stop. I know you are doing this to stand up for me, but please…”

Taiju stilled in your hold, and the seconds that ticked by were excruciating. No one spoke, only the sound of Yuzuha’s labored breathing and your soft cries disrupting the tense atmosphere. Slowly you began to feel Taiju’s tense muscles relax in your embrace, and you all but breathed a sigh of relief when he released his hold on Yuzuha, her beaten body falling unceremoniously to the floor.

“Baby,” he sighed, pulling his body back to its full height.  He swiveled in your loosened hold until he faced you, his large hands finding purchase on your tear soaked face. His thumb grazed beneath your eyes, wiping away the tears the continued to spill.  “You’re being far too lenient here, you know when they run their mouths-“

Taiju stopped mid-sentence, his eyes sharpening as they looked off slightly behind you. Your body grew taut as you felt his grip on your face tighten, worry seeping into you that maybe Hakkai had done something behind you to once more ignite his rage.

“You’re bleeding.”

It took you a moment to process the words, your own gaze finally glancing downward to see a small trail of blood had followed you from your seat. Now aware of it, your foot began to throb in pain. The glass that had slipped in previously had embedded itself deep within your skin, the gash staining the entire left side of your once pristine white sandal in a bright crimson.

“I’m sorry, I must have stepped on glass,” you sniffled, sitting yourself down in the chair Taiju had previously occupied to better assess the wound, “I’ll pay more attention next time.”

Taiju grunted, kneeling down in front of you so he could assist. “You need to be more careful,” he scolded, but his voice held no true bite to it. He grabbed an unused tablecloth, dunking it in what remained of his ice water on the table. “Let me see it.”

You removed your hands to give him a better view, taking the chance to check on the siblings. Yuzuha had made it to her feet and was rubbing carefully at her eyes, attempting to remove any evidence of tears. Hakkai hovered around her, doing his best to dab at her wounds without causing more pain.

With a quick jerk, Taiju pulled the glass shard from your foot, causing you to wince. He immediately applied the washcloth to soak up the new blood that had started to pour out, but the pressure he exerted was more than necessary, adding to the discomfort. It hurt, and Taiju was tactless in how he was tending to you, but it seemed an insult to be bothered by it when Yuzuha was just a few feet away in such a demolished state.

“Hakkai,” Taiju snapped over his shoulder, drawing all three of your attention, “Go get the waiter, let him know we had a little accident and need some help with cleanup.”

Hakkai nodded, giving his sister one last look before heading on his way.

“Yuzuha,” Taiju grumbled in irritation, “Go clean up before we go home, I don’t want you bleeding all over the car.”

She lingered a moment before moving, as if she didn’t truly believe she was getting off so easily. But when Taiju kept his attentions on you she made her way to the door.

“Wait.”

She halted, her hand frozen on the handle just as she was to make her escape. Your heart rate quickened, wanting nothing more than for her to just make it out of this godforsaken room without any further incident.

“You need to apologize to (Name),” his voice was stern, “Apologize for ruining her birthday.”

Your eyes snapped to Taiju, momentarily speechless over the absurdity of his statement. You didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at situation, but you knew you shouldn’t be surprised. This wasn’t Taiju dodging responsibility or trying to play dumb. This was Taiju earnestly believing his deluded words.

This was Taiju showing his love for you.

You shivered, your body suddenly feeling extremely cold.

Yuzuha turned her head, dull eyes meeting yours as she pulled the door open.

“Sorry (name). I’m really, really sorry.”

~

“… Yuzuha?”

You knocked gingerly on the bathroom door, calling out as you did. The drive home felt as if it stretched on forever, everyone planted to their seats in complete silence. Even the gregarious cab driver made nary a bit of conversation, his words lost in the tense atmosphere. It was no wonder that as soon as you made it back, Yuzuha had dashed inside and holed up straight away in the bathroom to properly address her injuries.

It also didn’t shock you when there was no response to your knock. If you were in her shoes, you were certain the last person you would want to see would be yourself. But still, you worried for her and couldn’t help but feel immense guilt over how the night had gone down. If there was anything you could do to right this, you wanted to do it and then some.

Considering relenting after a few failed attempts, a soft voice called out to from inside before you could step away. “It’s unlocked, you can come in.” A click followed her words, letting you know the lock had been released.

With her permission, you opened the door just enough to squeeze inside, closing it quietly behind you. Taiju had told you not to bother checking on her, so you lied and told him you were going to the kitchen to grab a glass of water. It was lucky that the rooms were adjacent to each other, if you heard him coming to check on you it meant you could slink out quickly.

“Hey,” Yuzuha said plainly as you entered. Her back was turned to you, but she met your eyes in the mirror she was facing. “I’m surprised he let you come see me, what with me instigating such a scene and all.”

She spoke jokingly, but there was sadness in her voice. Yuzuha was one of the strongest people you had ever met, but the state of her family cut into her deeper than she let on. When things got really horrible, or events happened that truly shook her, you could see just how much it affected her peeking through the cracks. She couldn’t be a stone statue all the time, no matter how much she wished otherwise.

“He didn’t,” you responded with an equally pathetic smile, “I lied and said I was getting some water. I shouldn’t stay here long.”

“Ah,” she responded with a sigh, “Figures. But it’s a shame. I really wanted to enjoy this day with you.”

You felt tears prick your eyes at the honesty of her words. Her voice sounded so defeated, her body sagging from a mix of pain and exhaustion. Your eyes slowly inspected her, noting that she had already bandaged up all her cuts. Her hand pressed an ice pack into her face, completely engulfing the left side of it. Yuzuha was so young, yet looking at her now she looked as if she lived multiple consecutive life times in a row, the weight of it all mounting on her as it steadily crushed her alive.

How much longer until all of this turmoil completely consumed her?

“I’m so sorry Yuzuha,” You choked on your words, holding the tears that threated to spill at bay. “You don’t deserve any of this.”

Her eye found yours once more in the reflection, despondency reflected within it.

“Yeah,” she breathed a shuddering breath, “Neither do you.”

~

“That took a while.”

There was an accusatory tone to his voice that would typically set you on edge, but with state you left Yuzuha in fresh on your mind, you paid little attention to him. Warmth still enveloped you from the embrace you shared with his sister moments prior, your shoulder slightly damp from the tears she finally had the freedom to let lose. It was haunting, the way her arms gripped you like a lifeline, clinging desperately to your affection.

“Sorry,” you mumbled absent mindedly, “I’m a little slow because of my foot.”

Which wasn’t a total lie, the wound on your foot did slow you down and the shoddy, excessive wrap job didn’t help either. You figured maybe Taiju was overcompensating when he did it, attempting to make up for how rough he had gone at the cut earlier.

When you entered your shared bedroom he was already splayed out on the bed. Stripped from his fancy dinner attire, all he wore now were his boxers, the rest of his body on display. The jet black of his tattoos was a sharp contrast to the paleness of his skin, the way the lines dipped and curved against his muscles a thing of mesmerizing beauty. He leaned back on his arms, golden eyes staring down his nose at you as he followed your movement from the entrance to the vanity across the room. His legs were spread, feet lazily hanging off the side of the bed, and the boxers he wore were pulled down dangerously low, sitting right beneath his hips, just on the cusp of indecency. Though there was a slight frown on his lips he appeared relaxed, pleased even. He finally had you alone.

As much as it embarrassed to admit, it still made you anxious seeing him this way, and he knew this. The man seemed to live for the blush that bloomed across your body when he’d undress for you, eating it up entirely with a hungry smirk on his lips. He loved it almost as much as he loved seeing you in compromising situations.

He had no qualms forcing what he wanted from you in any situation, and it was a given that this applied to the bedroom as well. He believed implicitly that it was his divine right to see and have all of you whenever and wherever he desired, and if you wouldn’t freely give that to him, then he would simply take it. You know he preferred when you were compliant, treasuring the moments where he could convince himself you were a willing participant in his actions, but there was also a certain thrill he’d feel when you would do a minor act of rebellion. The way his breath would shudder when you’d try and push his groping hands away or the slight upturn of his lips when your limbs would tangle around yourself in a weak effort to hide your nude form. He’d always fuck you the hardest when you’d try and deny him, feeling immense satisfaction as he carved an indelible feeling of his ownership inside of your core.

You had already donned your own pajamas, but in your rush to check on Yuzuha had left yourself adorned in all your accessories. You were in the process of taking off your most recent acquirement; a stunning gemstone necklace Taiju had gifted you at dinner just before shit hit the fan. Noticing your struggle with the small clasp, Taiju rolled himself off the bed, proceeding to make his way towards you.

“Let me.”

You stopped fumbling with the dainty chain, your hands instead moving your hair out of the way so that he could finish the task. His fingers felt cold as they ghosted your neck, goosebumps dotting your arms at the feather light touches mixed with slight gusts of his breath. The necklace sparkled in a dazzling array as he lifted it off you, placing it with care on the dresser beside him. You pushed aside nagging thoughts of how many carats it may be, how he could afford such a thing, or where the hell you could ever wear something so extravagant.

“Your foot doesn’t hurt too badly, does it?” He asked as he turned back your way, serious concern lacing his voice.

‘It’s nothing compared to what you did to your sister’ you mused briefly, but shook the thought from your mind, shooting him a small smile instead.

“It feels a lot better now. I just don’t want to put too much pressure on it.”

He nodded, taking a step forward. His thick arms snaked around your stomach, pulling your back against his bare chest. He planted a prolonged kiss to the top of your head, eyes never once leaving yours in the vanities reflection. Once it concluded, he sighed, resting his chin on the top of your head.

“If only Hakkai and Yuzuha didn’t fuck tonight up,” his arms circled you tighter, “I had everything planned perfectly, went through hell to get that reservation months in advance, and they still couldn’t fucking act right.” He scoffed, “Just one night, all I wanted was one night where we could enjoy each other’s company and have some fun on your special day.”

He sighed again, sounding truly disgruntled. “It’s embarrassing. I taught them better than that.”

Removing the last of your jewelry, you smiled up at him as sincerely as you could.

“It’s alright, I still had a good time. Thank you, Taiju. It was a nice birthday.”

He returned your smile, planting another kiss atop your head. His arms moved from your torso, hands traveling to your arms. You heard him inhale behind you, his eyes drifting closed as he slowly moved his hands up your arms, stopping to rest them heavily upon your shoulders.

“A nice birthday huh,” he leaned down, his voice low as he whispered huskily into your ear, “But I can make it much better, baby.”

His hands slid the thing straps of your tank top off your shoulders, the loose fabric instantly working to fall off your chest. You shuddered, hoping that maybe the events of the night would have been enough to deter how the night was to inevitably end. Your body still ached from the night before, and seeing his scuffed knuckles reflecting back in the mirror as they began to fondle your now bare breasts only made you think of Yuzuha alone in the bathroom, sobbing and in pain. Was the blood that flecked them his or was it a remnant of her?

“Taiju, I’m tired,” You spoke gently, not wanting to make him mad. You shifted in an attempt to shrug off his feverish hands, but it only made his ministrations more determined. His growing erection was now pressed snuggly against your ass, and he relinquished one of his hands to pull your waist further into it, enjoying the friction with a purr.

His mouth latched to your neck, hot, sloppy, kisses littering the delicate flesh. You whimpered. Between his mouth and his hands, you didn’t know how your neck was ever without bruises.

He broke away momentarily, eyes flashing open to meet your gaze in the mirror. A devilish grin curled on his lips, expression dripping with lust as a dark chuckle rumbled from his throat.

“Well then,” he growled, arms swiftly scoping you up in a bridal carry as he turned towards the awaiting bed.  “I guess I’ll just have to wake you up.”

~

You weren’t sure what time it was.

At some point, you had awoken in the night. Discombobulated from your fitful sleep, it took a few moments for you to get your bearings. Your check was pressed into Taiju’s chest, your body rising and falling slowly with his breathing. His heart was beating steadily in your ear, the gentle consistent thump of it reminding you of a metronome. Maybe it was in a sense, seeing as Taiju had a hand pressed to the back of your head that kept you firmly in place atop of him and unable to see the clock. Maybe this is how you should count the time as you force yourself back to sleep.

And oh, how you wished you could get there soon. You were exhausted mentally and physically, every inch of your body begging for rest. You hurt too, the awkward position you had been pressed into not helping in the slightest, every bruise and ache of the day and nights liaison amplified by your unnatural posture. You shifted slightly, attempting to at least move the bottom half of your body to try and achieve some semblance of comfort. Alas, that only reminded you of the sticky mess that had pooled between your legs prior, what was left over from multiple orgasms Taiju had coaxed from your body, his own release a part of the mix.

“You awake?”

His voice startled you, knocking all previous feelings of sleepiness out the window.

“I’m sorry,” you responded, voice groggy from slumber, “Did I wake you?”

He chuckled, “No, I’ve been awake. I was watching you sleep.”

For a moment you were thankful for your uncomfortable position, knowing it prevented him from seeing the blush of embarrassment that illuminated your cheeks.

Silence fell over the two of you once more. Your eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the room, picking up things that had been obscured previously. Taiju moved a bit, finally sating your curiosity about the time as the bold red letters flashed 4:09AM you way. In a blink, it changed to 4:10.

His change in position ended up being more comfortable for you as well, and you took the chance to shimmy around a bit until you found a good spot to nestle into. He kept his hand on your head, keeping your from roaming too far. After you had relocated, he languidly began to cart his fingers through your hair, and you found yourself relaxing at his touch. The sleep that had previously eluded you was sneaking its way back, your eyes growing heavy as you focused once more on the soft beating in his chest. As they began to flutter closed, he spoke to you once more.

“(Name)?” He spoke in little more than a whisper, as if he were checking to see if you had fallen back to sleep or not.

“Hm?” you hummed in response, fighting back sleep a bit longer to hear what he had to say.

A moment passed before he spoke again, causing you to think maybe he was the one who actually ended up falling asleep. However his words were clear when he spoke them, a question being posed that you were not expecting him to ask.

“Do you remember when we first met?”

You laughed a bit. Was this a test? “I hope you aren’t trying to make fun of me for forgetting the first time around, I thought I apologized enough for that already.”

“I’m not,” he was quick to respond, and there was a melancholy resonance to his voice that made you perk up, “… It’s just… Do you remember what you said? The very first time we met in that play house?”

You were fully alert now, intrigued by the line of questioning. Taiju was not someone who hesitated about anything, and yet here he was, sounding almost nervous as he asked such an innocuous thing.

“Um,” you stalled, granting your brain some time to remember that far back. “I’m sure I told you that I thought you were cool, and I thanked you for saving me.”

He gave a short laugh, “You did say those things, but you also said something that stuck with me more than that.”

“Yeah, what was that?”

“You said you were lucky… lucky that you met me.”

Hearing him say those words transported you right back to childhood. Sitting scrunched up in the playhouse, smiling like a bashful idiot up at Taiju. Despite the circumstances, you couldn’t help but smile at the nostalgia.

“No one had ever said that to me before.”

The smile fled from your face, the shake in Taiju’s voice freezing you in place. He sounded to the point of tears, but you were so stricken by the sudden passion in his words that you dared not try to confirm.

“Not one person in my life had ever been happy like that to see me,” he continued, struggling to keep his emotions in check. “No one ever said it was lucky that I was around. My mom… She was dying. Every day she got worse and worse. I had to watch her waste away, and if I went to dad needing help with anything, he pushed me aside. Said he was too busy taking care of everyone and everything else, that he didn’t have time to spend on me when his world was coming down around him. I was just in his way.”

You were silent as he continued, body stilled. Afraid that if you even made one small move, the moment would be over.

“Yuzuha and Hakkai… Fuck, they were just kids, you know? I mean so was I, but Hakkai was like a fucking baby. They had no idea what was going on. They tried to go to dad too, but he just wasn’t around. They were lost and they had no one to turn to, no one except me.”

He took in a shaky breath, “So I did what I could as the newly appointed man of the house. I did my best to protect them and help them, but God they just… They wouldn’t listen to me. They didn’t understand that I was helping, so I had to try and make them understand. But even then, they wouldn’t take me seriously unless I got physical.”

“Somewhere along the line everything just got so fucked up. I didn’t have anyone to turn to. Not even my own family wanted me around. My mother was dead. My father was gone. Hakkai and Yuzuha avoided me. Everyone I thought was my friend had jumped ship, telling me I had become mean, that I wasn’t fun to be around anymore. I had no one.”

His hand stopped, falling in place once more to cradle your head. In the brief silence, you continued to listen to the dull thud of his heart.

“Then I met you. And you told me with your bright eyes and big smile that you were lucky, lucky to have someone like me in your life. I couldn’t stop thinking about that, about you. Every time your face came to mind my chest ached. I wanted to see you again so bad, I wanted to know everything about you and be with you all the time. Everyone told me I was being ridiculous, that it was some dumb little crush I’d be over in no time. But my desire to be near you never stopped.  As time passed my feelings only grew, and even from that young age I knew that I would love you for the rest of my life.”

You felt Taiju shift beneath you, a deep breath escaping his lungs. When he spoke again, tiredness had crept into his words. Snuggled against him, you could feel his body relax beneath you as he began to drift away.

“God put me through hell, and for the longest time I didn’t understand why,” his speech was slurred with sleep, and knew it wouldn’t be much longer before it fully claimed him. “But when I met you I understood. It was to meet you. You are my angel, (name). You said I was your hero, but I want you to know that you saved me too.  I love you so fucking much that sometimes I don’t even know how to handle it.”

“(Name)…” His words were breathy, spoken right on the precipice of a dream, “Do you still feel that way? Do you still feel lucky that I found you?”

He was gone before you could respond.

~

Going to Black Dragon meetings was starting to be the bane of your existence.

You weren’t even sure why you had to attend, Taiju never let you listen in on what they discussed or have any say in the gang’s activity. Not that you actually wanted that kind of involvement, but sitting around off to the side for hours on end wasn’t your idea of fun either. And if you had to be there anyway, you would prefer at least some form of stimulation.

On top of your mandatory attendance and lack of purpose, he forbade you from interacting with anyone while you were there (excluding your normal entourage of Koko and Inupi, of course). You barely knew the other people in Taiju’s gang and figured it best to keep it that way, but the lack of correspondence with others  further increased your boredom. As soon as the two of you showed up he’d go stash you to the side, keeping you within view but away from the action. You felt like a decorative tea cup placed in a china shelf, something that was nice to look at but not to be touched.

You sighed forlornly, chin cradled in your palm as it rest against your knee. You had asked before why your presence at these things were necessary, but just as with every other time you questioned Taiju’s decisions, it didn’t end so well for you (if he even chose to answer you at all).

“Here.”

Something cold nudged your arm, making the hairs stand on end. Your eyes traveled up to the culprit, Inupi, who had just come back from his trek to the vending machine.

You took the drink from him with a ‘thanks’ as he sat himself next you on the dilapidated shrine step. Your back hurt from being hunched over on the stoop so long, and your ass was cold from the jagged concrete. As you sipped your beverage, your eyes passed over the mob of men several feet away from you who were engrossed in a deep discussion, no doubt in your mind that it was about something unsavory.

“How much longer do you think it’s gonna be?” You absentmindedly asked the boy beside you, your eyes locking onto Taiju’s large back in the distance. His blue hair danced wildly in the cool night breeze, a bright beacon amongst a sea of black.

“Hopefully soon,” he sighed, leaning back casually on one hand while his own drink was perched in the other. “I have to wake up early tomorrow for some bullshit make-up exam.”

You shot a wry smile at him, “And here I thought you were valedictorian material.”

He snorted, hiding his smile as he took a swig of his drink. “Who says I’m not? Tests are bullshit ways to measure intelligence anyway.”

Though Koko was usually your allotted babysitter, Inupi was the one to hold that honor tonight, and for that you were thankful. Inupi wasn’t much of a talker, least of all to you, and he certainly wasn’t one to openly bare his soul to people. But in the past few weeks he had slowly become accustomed to your presence and through the time you spent together a sort of bond had formed. It wasn’t deep enough to be considered friendship, but maybe it was headed in that direction.

Honestly you expected the conversation to end there, the rest of the meeting to be spent with the two of you side by side in silence enjoying your respective beverages in peace. But as you felt him continually fidget beside you, you couldn’t help but be a little on edge. Of all people, Inupi was always one of the more collected members of Taiju’s gang. Even under pressure he remained stoic, so it couldn’t help but alarm you to see him so uncomfortable in such a lax setting.

“… Is something wrong?” You questioned tentatively. Things were cool between the two of you, but you still didn’t want to cause any upset. The question seemed innocent enough to you, but around so many volatile people you were never quite sure what was overstepping your boundaries.

“No,” he was quick to reply, his voice flat despite his jitters. “It’s nothing.”

You hummed in acknowledgement, the noise eaten up by sound of the wind.

“It’s just…”

You glanced his way, observing that his eyes were set firmly in place, glaring fiercely off into the distance. You followed his gaze, ascertaining it had honed in on the two top dogs of the Black Dragons, Taiju and Koko.

He sighed, sounding almost irritated. “It’s stupid, never mind.”

Your brows furrowed, “It isn’t that stupid if it’s bothering you this much.” You stared back down to the half empty can in your hands, the lingering cold causing your fingers to go slightly numb. “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to, though.”

Another beat of silence passed.

“…I just wondered what your dreams were.”

Your head snapped his way, noting an almost imperceptible blush had befallen his cheeks.

“I told you it was stupid,” he grumbled, refusing to make eye contact. “I don’t know… It’s just something I have been thinking about a lot recently. People’s goals, what the hope to achieve, what they want out of life and what they are working towards, shit like that.”

“It’s none of my business,” his eyes lifted, falling back to the men before him. “But I can’t shake it. The fact that some people’s dreams will never get realized no matter how hard they work. They bleed themselves dry and work themselves to the bone for some shiny, encompassing obsession. They just keep digging the hole deeper hoping to strike gold at the bottom, only to find more dirt.”

He shifted, his eyes meeting yours, “Those are the type of people that drag everyone around them down there with them to get stuck in the mud. And the people caught in that crossfire… they don’t really get to dream anymore. And if they do, it just hurts them.”

You remained silent, ruminating over his words. He breathed deeply, hanging his head in a defeated manner.

“I thought maybe it was getting better,” he spoke softly, as if he were telling you a terrible secret. You could barely hear him over the sounds of the meeting ending in the distance, causing you to lean in a bit to catch his words, “But if anything its getting worse. You should be careful (name). It’s not just Taiju that wants to swallow you whole.”

The iciness of Inupi’s words pressed in around you, mingling with the cool gusts that rocked the overhead tree branches this way and that. You wrapped your goose bump riddled arms around yourself for consolation as another thick gust of wind ripped through the air, the ferocity of it causing you to clutch yourself tighter. A sudden threat of tears made your eyes clamp shut, hoping to keep them from forcing out.

“Dreams, huh?” Despite trying to sound light hearted, the words came out sounding disjointed and broken. “I haven’t thought about those in a long time.”

Inupi lifted himself, turning his head to you one last time before making his way towards the others. “That’s probably for the best. Maybe that’s the only real way to get through all this.”

As he began making his way toward the crowd, you knew you were supposed to follow. But your body had become rigid, perched like a stone deity at the base of the derelict shrine. No one came to tend this forgotten space anymore, the saisen box eternally empty and the paint long since chipped away. It’s only company now was delinquents, ghosts, and people like yourself trapped somewhere between the two.

Your heavy eyes shifted focus to the slowly dispersing crowd, a chill coursing down your spine when they landed on Taiju and Koko.

Both sets of eyes were watching your every move.

~

“Oh my God.”

The words escaped you through an airy, bewildered gasp at the sight that stood before you.

Maybe it was a childish thing to think, but you could never picture Taiju ever losing. The entire time you had known him he had been an unhuman beacon of strength and power, undefeatable against anyone who dare cross his path.

So why was he hunched over before you, dangling limply between Inupi and Koko like a wet piece of clothing hung up to try? Deep black and purple splotches dotted his body, weaving in and out of his tattoos like a child sloppily trying to color within the lines. His hair hung down over his face, obscuring your view, but with the way the two men flanking him were struggling you realized he must have passed out and was just dead weight they were supporting.

You ushered them inside, hurriedly tossing pillows aside to make room for his body on the couch. After he had been positioned on the cushions you could truly ascertain the beating he had endured, and you felt your heart stutter as you assessed the damages. As if the bruises weren’t bad enough, you were sickened to see blood pooling from an open stab wound near his abdomen. Raw flesh stained the brightest red you had ever seen consumed your field of vision, mocking your belief that the man this had happened to was invincible. Tears blurred your vision as somewhere in the background you heard Inupi try and explain that the stab wound wasn’t too bad-it had missed his vitals-it was far shallower than it appeared.

Though he was unconscious, the pain etched into Taiju’s furrowed brow told you all you needed to know. Your eyes weren’t deceiving you, he really had lost. For the first time in his life Taiju Shiba had entered an altercation that he did not come out on top of and this was the after math of his actions.

The scene was too surreal. You had never seen Taiju in physical pain before, taking some of the hardest blows imaginable head on and reacting to them with nothing but a cruel smirk on his face. It made you wonder if whatever had occurred tonight at the church was more than just the average gang tussle.

Inupi and Koko helped you clean him up. You were thankful to have them around, not sure what you would have done had Inupi not had been able to stitch him back together. Despite being surrounded by it, gore had never been your strong suit. Other than gathering supplies, cleaning affected areas, and applying ice and bandages, you felt useless as you watched Taiju writhe around in a restless sleep, moaning in discomfort with each healing application. At some point his hand found yours and squeezed so hard you thought he may break it. Your bones groaned under the pressure, but you squeezed it back to let him know you were there, using your free hand to wipe the gathering sweat from his forehead.

When things calmed down, Koko pulled you to the side while Inupi finished up with Taiju. His face was grim when he stopped in the dimly lit hall, and now that your initial shock had faded it was clear to see that he also hadn’t made it out of the scuffle without taking blows.

“(Name)…” he sighed, contemplating how to proceed. His focus darted from you to Taiju in the next room over, his frown deepening each time he spotted his fallen boss. His eyes were a stormy mix of resentment and disappointment as they passed over his disheveled form, scoffing before he directed his full attentions your way. “It’s time to jump ship.”

Despite his tempestuous nature, his words came out surprisingly clear, ringing through the air like a bell. “With Taiju falling, the Black Dragons are done for. We need to get out of here before things get worse.”

His words caused a whiplash, leaving you dumbfounded that someone who had always appeared so loyal would say something so frank. You had expected an explanation, or at bare minimum, a rundown of what transpired from when Taiju kissed you goodbye at the door, to when they dragged him home. Who did he fight? Did it happen at the church, or did they jump him before he got there or after he left? Was that gang still looking for him? Would they come back to try and finish the job?

A few hours ago Yuzuha ran off without offering an explanation either, and she hadn’t answered your texts or calls the entire night. For that matter, neither did Hakkai. Were the two of them involved and were they okay? Did they know the state their brother was in, or were are they fucked up worse than he was somewhere?

You mind whirred with questions, your body teetering as the severity of this situation hit you. Someone out there was stronger than the indomitable Taiju Shiba, and if they had the strength to bring him down then what was stopping them from coming back for the kill? If some provoked, hot-tempered monster of a gang boss tore down your door right now there would be no way you could protect Taiju, let alone yourself. You felt tears burn your eyes, your breath coming out in ragged gasps as your hand gripped your chest. Your brain screamed to try and call Hakkai and Yuzuha again, but the dread filled thought that they may not be alive to answer kept you glued in place.

Your duress had not gone unnoticed, and it took you a moment to realize that Koko had pulled you into his chest, wrapping you close in a constraining embrace. Your breath caught as you felt him stroke your hair, soft murmurs of affirmation pressed against your ear. His arm snaked around your back, the heat of his body scorching as his fingers left angry red indents in your flesh.

His presence was nothing but a burden to you already overwhelmed form.

Bile rose in the back of your throat. This wasn’t a friend trying to comfort you in a time of need. This was an opportunist trying to strike his claim.

“I know this is scary,” he whispered, his breathing labored, “but I need you to go grab what you can. We can’t stay here any longer, (name). It’s over now.”

With all the strength remaining within you, you shoved him away, both parties tripping a bit as distance was created. The confusion and hurt that engulfed his expression was temporary, quickly replaced with annoyance. A scowl rested on his lips as you confronted him.

“What the hell happened,” you cried, a tear streaking down your cheek. “Who did this to Taiju? Where are Hakkai and Yuzuha? And what do you mean it’s over? Koko, what the fuck happened tonight?”

After a moment’s contemplation, he relented. You listened aptly as he explained how the night progressed, from escorting Taiju to his yearly Christmas Eve pilgrimage, to dragging his broken body back home. He explained Toman’s interference and how Yuzuha had stabbed her older brother with the intent to kill. Much like your own sister, she had finally reached a point where she would no longer idly stand by and let Taiju do as he pleased.

Much to your relief, Koko did explain that both she and Hakkai, though a little roughed up, were fine and safe with Toman’s inner circle. You weren’t the keenest on its members, but you had met a few through your association with Hakkai and they seemed an amiable enough sort, even if they were Taiju’s enemy. It put you at ease to know the sibling were with them, and it consoled you to know the chance of Hakkai’s gang coming back for Taiju was slim to none.

Koko concluded his retelling by explaining how the arrival of Toman’s leader had spelled the conclusion of the fight, his appearance ultimately put a stop to Taiju. With their boss’ resounding defeat, the end the Black Dragons as you know it had been solidified.

You listened numbly to the entire sordid tale. The shock of Taiju’s bloodied body on the couch wasn’t waning, and now that you knew all that transpired, a tremendous ache had bloomed in your core. All this planning, scheming, and unrest was going on under your nose without you even realizing it. Yuzuha had planned to kill Taiju, and she damn well almost did judging by the oozing wound you just helped patch up. A whole gang war erupted right down the street from you all while you sat around at home, none the wiser.

Yuzuha, Hakkai, Taiju… None of them may have returned from that.

“(Name),” Koko’s voice broke through to you, a sickening sweet tinge to it. You realized then he was touching you again, this time more gently, his fingers trailing up and down the length of arm. “I’ll keep you safe. Now that Taiju has been taken down, you’ll come with Inupi and me. We’ll leave before Taiju gets up-“

“Shut the fuck up Koko.”

The bite in your tone halted his motions, his expression dancing between agitation and shock as you ripped yourself from his grasp.

“If you want to leave, then leave. In fact, that’s probably for the best. You know where the door is, see yourself out.”

His hand tightened into a fist, body vibrating as he withheld his rage.

“Don’t you see,” he spoke through clenched teeth, “Don’t you see all the shit I did for you? Me, personally, not that abusive shithead you were cradling so lovingly in your arms minutes ago.” His eyes traveled to Taiju before falling back to you. “I know he took the credit for half the shit I did, but who do you think supported you these past years? Your home, the food you ate, the clothes on your back… you really think this asshole knew how to make all that happen?”

He took another step towards you, “I supported you, ME. I took care of you and protected you, I provided for you, I sheltered you as best I fucking could from this monster and his violent mood swings, and still… still you pick him over me?”

There was desperation in his voice as he pleaded with you, watery eyes giving you a glimpse of his breaking heart.

“So that gives you a right to my love,” you croaked out, the broken words tumbling from your lips, “I don’t recall ever asking for you to do any of that for me Koko, but I guess I owe you now, huh? Does that make me your property, just like I’m Taiju’s?”

You noticed him flinch, the ice in your words plastering a scowl on his lips. His body grew stiff as you took an unsteady step his way. “And that’s what everyone wants right, to be the one to own it all? The power, the money, the people, all of it should be yours to do as you see fit, that’s what all this is about right? Who gives a shit what the actual human beings involved feel or want?”

You held his gaze, matching his intensity. The room was thick with tension, and your knees were knocking so violently you felt as if you would crumble any second.

Still, you held your ground.

“I never wanted this to happen to anybody. I didn’t want anybody to get hurt, but that’s all that seems to happen anymore.” You took a shuddering breath, “And idiotic as I may be, I’m not leaving Taiju while he’s like this. I… want to be by his side. That’s my decision.”

He stared at you with hard eyes as the seconds crept by. You heard Inupi shuffle in the other room until he came into view, tentatively making his way over to Koko. He placed a hand on his friends shoulder, shooting him a knowing look that caused the dark haired boy’s body to slightly deflate.

“It looks like I’ve upset you. Sorry, that wasn’t my intention.” He turned on his heel, motioning for inupi to follow as he made his way towards the exit. He stopped briefly at the threshold, pivoting his head your way one last time.

“I won’t bother you again, but I want you to remember one thing,” there was a waver in his eyes as turned around once more, “I don’t own you, but Taiju doesn’t either.”

The door clicked softly as they left, leaving you utterly alone.

You made your way back to Taiju, fretting over what to do next. You debated calling an ambulance, but realized if Koko and Inupi went through the trouble of dragging him all the way home there was probably a good reason they didn’t take him to the hospital to begin with. Taiju had no friends to call now that the Black Dragons had apparently disbanded, and Hakki and Yuzuha were going through their own trials. You alone were now tasked with being Taiju’s savior.

You were vaguely aware that you were pacing, constant motion matching the onslaught of thoughts that fretted your brain, worrying about all that could go wrong.  What if the stab was deeper than you thought, or you didn’t clean it well enough and it got infected? What if there was some other wound you missed, or damage happened internally that you weren’t aware of?

A cold sweat pooled on your brow. What would you do if Taiju died?

“You stayed.”

His voice fell through the crack of his lips, small and fragmented. You were at his side in an instant, crouching on your knees beside where his head lay. He lifted his shaky hand to find purchase on your skin, his grip felt unsteady and cold as it grazed your face. Your expression softened. This was the first time in your life that you had ever seen him vulnerable.

“You could have gone with them, but you stayed with me.”

He attempted to raise his torso, but you placed your hands on his shoulder to slowly guide him back down. Gently reprimanding him, you sat yourself on the far end of the couch and gingerly repositioned his head so that it was nestled in your lap.

“Of course I stayed,” you murmured, softly carding your fingers through his messy hair, “I wouldn’t be much of a guardian angel if I left you like this, would I?” His lips upturned at your words, letting out a relieved breath. “But Taiju… Why didn’t you tell me things had gotten like this? I had no idea… I didn’t realize… If I had known, I wouldn’t have let you leave…”

You tripped over your words, a fresh batch of tears dribbling down your face to land upon his. You squeezed your eyes shut in an attempt to staunch them, embarrassed that Taiju was the one so badly hurt, yet you were the one sobbing.

“I’m sorry.”

Your eyes shot open, surprised to hear the words directed your way.  Glancing down at the man in your lap, you saw that he was crying too.

“I really fucked up, didn’t I?” He nestled his face against your stomach, and you realized that even in this battered state, maybe he was embarrassed too. “With the black dragons, with Yuzuha and Hakkai, with you… I feel like I’m losing everything all over again.”

He winced when he tried to roll on his side, the wound near his back a fresh reminder of the night’s failures.

“…Maybe somethings were lost,” you spoke slowly, “And things have definitely changed. But it doesn’t have to be for the worse, and it doesn’t mean that you are going to face it alone. Even if you lost this time and really messed up … I’m so glad you made it home to me Taiju.”

He turned his attentions back your way, intense emotions wavering in his tear stained eyes.

“I am too, baby.”

There was something in the way his voice wavered, how his eyes continued to stare up at you with a vulnerability you never imagined Taiju could exhibit. Your heart was breaking the longer you held him. With strained effort he lifted his arms once more, placing his hands lightly on your cheeks as if he were holding something incredibly fragile. He gently rubbed a tear away as it streaked across your face, his eyes drinking in your features as you stared down at him.

“You know, with the light shining behind you like that, you really do look like an angel, (name).”

Despite the tremendous pain he was in, a genuine smile graced his lips.

Taiju had hurt you more times then you could count and in ways you would never wish on anybody. There was toxicity dripping from every facet of your relationship with him. It wasn’t right, you couldn’t even call it good, but in that moment as you nestled his wet face in your arms, you realized that you loved him so much that you really didn’t care. Maybe he had broken you down to this point, forcing his affections onto you until you caved, but it was true.

Taiju Shiba had you completely, and that wasn’t going to change.

#taiju shiba x reader #taiju shiba x y/n #yandere taiju x reader #tokyo revengers x reader #tokrev reader insert #tokyo revengers x y/n #yandere taiju shiba #taiju shiba #yandere x reader #Tokyo Revengers #Tokyo revengers reader insert #Yandere tokyo revengers #Dark Fic #dark reader insert #tokrev #this one killed me so if the editing is shit I am so sorry #thank you for reading!!! #I love you all #Also I feel really bad for Tomoko... She is your ride or die and doesn't deserve this lol #mothwingswritings #I hope you enjoy!

[inthememetime]

🤺with Vlad

Sorry for the delay! A fight between Clad and someone who doesn't know he regularly gets in fights with superheroes. Star's morning shift has gone Very Sideways. That's ok- the betting pool is about to make her rich.

-

Everyone knew Amity Park's mayor had the kind of self-control shared by honey badgers and angry geese worldwide. He fought with words- in person, online, or via letter- and pranks.

Argument with the US President on Chirper? Pretty normal.

Prank war with Phantom? A bi-annual event nowadays.

Hissed arguments with GIW agents? Average, and the betting pool on when he'd snap was getting pretty big.

But he didn't physically fight very often. There was that one time when Phantom overshadowed the Fenton kid, but even that was with a gun, not hand-to-hand.

If Jack Fenton ever got tired of him, he could snap the billionaire like a twig. The bets on why Maddie Fenton hadn't broken his spine yet were getting more traction than the ones about when he finally became a serial killer, if he was a mad scientist like the Fentons, and if he was actually Phantom's dad- another of Wes' theories, but a benign enough one.

That was what made The Incident so shocking. Amity Park didn't get much human crime- after all, the victims stood a pretty good chance of coming back to haunt their attackers. Every great once in a while, like that cold November morning, they'd get people they fondly called visitors, less fondly tourists, and rudely called interlopers.

The men from out of town were Interlopers.

It had started quite normally; the mayor had visited the usual 24-hour diner Saturday morning, famous for coffee with a little something extra (whiskey or ectoplasm, depending on the guest), and set out a plan with one of his many assistants.

From her position behind the counter, Star could make out it was about the annual Christmas parade, but couldn't catch the details. That was fine. If she were lucky, she would be able to catch a few minutes on her homework while they ate.

It was fine until the visitors walked in. "Hi, welcome to the Spooky Spoon Cafe! If you'll find a seat, I'll bring you menus. How many today?"

Standard question, she thought. People frequently used the Spooky Spoon for birthdays or other events. The visitors- no, the tourists- disagreed. "Three, can't you count?" One snapped with an ugly sneer, and his friends laughed.

"Right, no additional guests," she confirmed, customer service smile tight like armor on her face. She sat down the menus. "When you're ready to order, just let me know. I'm Star, I'll be your waitress today."

"So your parents gave you a stripper name, huh," one asked with a leer. "You live up to it?"

She took a step back, quickly. "Sir, I'm a minor."

"So?"

Forget tourists, these were interlopers. "Right. Well, I serve food and drinks, and that's it. Let me know when you're ready to order, please."

She stopped by the mayor's table to refill the coffee- and add a shot of hazelnut creamer to his assistant's, and ectoplasm for him. "Is everything quite alright? If you want to head out early or call in someone else to watch the counter with you, I'm sure Henry won't mind," Mr. Masters offered.

What he meant, she knew, was that he'd throw enough money around to make sure Henry didn't mind. She didn't hate the mayor, like a lot of their classmates. He was an excellent tipper- usually, she'd come away with a cool $100 tip on a $20 order, as long as she kept the coffee and ectoplasm coming and didn't bug him.

He also reminded her a lot of her grandmother's snappy Dalmatian French Poodle mix- nippy, but wouldn't really hurt you. Very high-strung- not that she'd say that in front of him.

"Thanks, Mr. Masters, but Henry and Paul both came down with Covid, so it's just me until Lea gets off work at 4. I think I've got it," she added, braver than she felt.

"Right. Well, we'll try not to bother you."

She was about to reply when one of the men whistled. "Hey lady, we're ready."

Ugh. What creeps. "Great, what can I get you?"

The food orders were pretty sensible, at least, but then they got to the drinks. "3 Irish coffees, hold the coffee," one joked.

"I'm sorry, we can't serve alcohol today, as only minors are working. We've got a lot of types of creamer, though, or ecto-"

"The hell is it on your menu, then?"

She flushed. It was 8:30 in the morning, why did they want shots anyway? "We usually have an adult over 21 in store, but not today, so-"

"Not even the cook's an adult?"

The cook was an adult, but only 18- not legal to serve it yet. "We don't have anyone who can serve you alcohol today," she explained again. "We do have an Irish Coffee creamer that tastes like the real thing, though, if-"

"Thought this place served shots."

"We're not a bar," she said, losing patience but keeping calm besides, "so we don't have a bartender on staff. We can add shots to drinks up to a limit, usually, but not today."

The asshole turned red and opened his mouth to continue, when asshole number two interrupted. "Hey, what's this about turkey or veggie bacon? Why don't you have real bacon? All the pork's like that."

"It's religious reasons on the part of the owners, so we're not able to offer pork. But the turkey bacon tastes just like-"

Asshole 3 stood up. "I think you have an attitude problem."

Another chair slid out, this time at her back. "Hmm. Three grown men crying because they can't have pork or alcohol at 9 a.m., harassing a teenage girl, and trying to intimidate her into- what? Killing a pig for you? Finding a bartender? And she's got the attitude problem?"

Oh. Oh no. The mayor was vicious in an argument, and she knew without a doubt this would dissolve into a screaming match- probably just when the brunch crowd rolled in.

Asshole one didn't let it get that far, and only years living around ghost attacks let her dodge the smack going her way. It still hit- she heard the sharp sound- but not on her.

Oh shit, was that Wes filming outside? What was he- a sharp crunch sounded before a shout of pain, and asshole one's face was bleeding profusely. "Get out," the mayor said simply. Calm- but years of hearing arguments between him, Danny, Phantom, and others told her it wouldn't stay that way for long.

"Fuck you, you old-"

"I'm calling the cops," she managed to squeak, and one of them rounded on her, only to be bodily picked up and slammed, hard, on the carpeted floor.

The mayor didn't look winded. In fact, he almost looked happy, maybe excited. "Go ahead, Star. Call the police," he said calmly as the third guy started smacking his friend's face to wake him. "And maybe an ambulance if they don't grow some common sense."

Well, she was gone. "What happened?" Ray asked when she ran to the kitchen, and her locker.

"It's a 3-on-1 fight. Interlopers against the mayor, I'm calling the cops."

"Holy shi-" he ducked under the counter as a motorcycle helmet went flying over it. "Dude, I think the old man's winning," he said, impressed.

"Hi, I'm at the Spooky Spoon, and 3 guys just attacked the mayor, can you- yes, I know he's a dick, but still- oh, that guy definitely needs an ambulance now. That's a lot of blood. Huh? Oh, I'm Star, I'm a waitress here."

She popped her head up again to find asshole 1 covered in blood and unconscious under the table. Number 2 was on his knees clutching his throat, and 3 was- throwing a really bad haymaker.

Just. Objectively bad. Phantom when he just started bad.

The mayor didn't even move, just let it miss, and she hissed and winced when the final man was lifted a few inches from the force of the punch into his diaphragm. That was going to hurt for a while.

"Oh, Star, wonderful. How far away from us are the police?"

Number 1 lurched to his feet, but the old man idly tossed him back down like a child would a ragdoll. "Hush, you had your chance."

She swallowed. "They say about 15 minutes."

He scowled. "The response rate is supposed to be a maximum of 10. Andrea, do you- Andrea?"

His assistant was gone. "Hm. She won't last long," he muttered ominously. "Regardless- you might want to call Henry and tell him. I'll pay for the damages, of course."

"Um. Right."

Wait- she had $50 on him being a secret badass. Ooh new school year, new outfits here she comes! Or better yet- a car!

#inthememetime #danny phantom #vlad masters #danny phantom au #long post #star

[remcycl333]

Hey rem 💖

I just wanted to say thank you and also share my story in case it might help someone who's struggling.

It happened at the end of last month but I was feeling a bit shy so I didn't share it at the time but anyway 💕

I manifestation (revised) getting my 10 days off after my manager told me she couldn’t give it to me.

So where I am from, every month you work, you accumulate 2,5 paid days off and you can chose when to use them as long as you tell the manager before they start making the schedule. I had accumulated 10 but since it was my first job, I did not know and asked for 8 days off. I had asked for those days all the way back in August because I wanted to be sure to have Christmas off.

For personal reasons I decided to resign and leave at the at the end of November but they told me they needed help for the month of December so I decided to stay but asked to get my 8 days vacation. I had asked to be off from the 21st to the 28th but when I realized I could ask for 10 days, I asked to get from the 19th to the 28th off instead. However, my manager told me she could only give me 8 days (from the 19th to the 26th and I would go back to work on the 27th) because I wasn’t supposed to work that month and she had already made the planning and adding my 10 days off would be too much. I resigned myself until I saw that she actually gave me only 4 days. 

I was super mad and I was going to text her about it but 💖 I read your post on revision and how you revise your day to have been better 💖 so I was like: - I want 10 days so I’m getting 10 days on the dates I wanted. - So I affirmed: “I’m so happy I got my 10 days off from the 19th to the 28th and guess what!”

I went to sleep, woke up having totally forgotten about it and then I received the notification that my leave was approved by my other manager from the 21st to the 28th but on my schedule I'm actually off from the 19th to the 28th 🥳. 

All that in less than 24 hours 💖

(I ended up resigning again but a win is a win!!)

Thank you so much for your posts and overall presence on this platform 💕 You've literally helped me so much!!!

Have a good day 💜

yay that's so exciting!! im so glad i've been of help to you <3 i hope you have a wonderful christmas 🤍

#success stories

[inthewindandinthewater]

A Plain of Stars (Chapter 4)

A/n: I told you chapter four would be along quicker! Last chapter flopped extremely, I hope I haven't lost you all.

Warnings: Light cursing, arranged marriages.

Summary: As the Christmas season falls over Hogwarts the Yule Ball is quickly approaching

Chapter Five (Coming Soon)

⋆⋆⋆☆✦☆☆✭☆☆✦☆☆✭☆☆✦☆⋆⋆⋆

Chapter 4

“Hey… Hey!” A hand waving directly in front of your face and the obviously put out voice of Evan Rosier snaps you out of the trance-like state you’d fallen into. “What the hell are you doing!?” He asks, exasperated. “What.. are you doing?” You retort intelligently, still far off in voice and even further off in thought. Evan throws himself back into his chair and sighs dramatically. “I was trying to ask you about the yule ball but you seem preoccupied, so I guess I’ll just shut up and wait for class to start in rapt silence.” He throws a glare that you’ve only seen Evan deliver so effectively, one laced with the heaviest dose of the least potent venom known to man. You lean forward toward him, feigning interest and attempting to cajole him “I’m sorry Ev, please continue.” You say, waving a hand as if pressing play on the blondes non-stop commentary on life. 

“Thank you” He says, ignoring the sarcasm marking your tone, “the yule ball is next week so I was going to ask who you were going with.” The yule ball was a celebratory ball held by the school every year, it was open to the upperclassman from fourth year on. The ball was exciting the first year, picking out a dress, finding a date, worrying about who would be going with who and how they’d coordinate their outfits. But as the years went on the magic faded a bit, it was still fun and it gave everyone something to look forward to at the end of the semester but the planning gave you a headache. “Oh.. I guess I hadn’t thought about it,” you lie, of course you’d thought about it. 

It seemed aligned with the social script that you should go with Regulus, if he was attempting what you think he’s attempting. Looking back on it to the naked eye what you and Regulus have is nothing more than the vague beginnings of a something-ship. The two of you aren’t obviously any closer than the rest of the group, but the closeness you have feels different. 

Take yesterday for example. The two of you had taken to nightly study sessions in the library, typically you’d only do this two or three times a week. But on the nights where one of you was busy and you couldn’t have your hour or two tucked away in a back in a corner of the library you felt yourself longing for it. 

This particular night both of you had readings to catch up on, and as such you forwent the table you usually inhabited and opted for one of the softer couches. So there you sat; an oversized, deep green sweater over your school uniform and your legs tucked up to your chest as you cradled your history of magic book in front of you. Regulus, ever the gentleman, sat next to you with his back straight and one ankle crossed over his opposite knee and his defence against the dark arts textbook in his lap. 

You spare a glance over the top of your reading glasses at the boy, he really was very pretty. His head hung low over his textbook, ebony curls falling over his forehead, his sharp jawline set as he concentrated on the text in front of him. You’d noticed it before, you’d have to be stupid to look at him and not see it. But it wasn’t until now that it made a blush crawl up your neck and into your cheeks at the thought of him sitting a mere foot away from you. 

“I can feel you staring, you know?” He says, a smile smirk adorning his angular face. Shit. You didn’t even know how long you’d been staring at him, and honestly you didn’t think you wanted to know. How absolutely mortifying, you needed to think of something to say, some quick retort that would make it seem less pathetic than it really was. “I-” your whole body seemed to betray you at that exact moment, your legs shifted uncomfortably under you and your blush deepened as you stuttered over your word. 

Regulus raised his eyebrows as he watched you struggle, obviously amused. “I wasn’t staring” is the overwhelmingly intelligent response you come up with. “So we’re blatantly lying to one another now?” He says, placing his bookmark in the page he was reading and closing the book. Which makes you cringe at the thought of the book in your hands, in your flurry you had closed it with no indication of where you’d stopped reading. “I was going to ask you something, but you seemed focused and I didn’t want to interrupt you.” You respond to him as if it's a matter of fact and not something you’d made up to save you dignity. “Well, you have my undivided attention now.” Regulus turns his body slightly towards you and you pull your legs a little closer to your chest. 

“I was wondering..” Oh god, think of something you’ve embarrassed yourself enough. “If you remember how many pages of notes we were assigned for history?” Okay… sure it’s not your best work but it gets the job done, with luck he’ll just answer and go back to his reading. 

“You want to know how many pages of notes we were assigned?” He quirked an eyebrow at you, that frustrating smirk returning to his face. “Yes.” you answer curtly. “None.” 

Fuck. 

He was right, you hadn’t been assigned any. This had overjoyed you at the end of class today, you’d been the one to bring it up first when you all left. “Finally, I don't have to spend an hour on pages tonight. Happy fucking Christmas!” That’s what you’d said. 

“Right.” you looked down at the book in your hands, wondering why you’d grabbed it in the first place. Then you remember that Regulus had asked if you were going to the library tonight at dinner, and instead of actually thinking about the homework you had to do you’d just taken the books you had on you and left with him. 

Who was this boy turning you into?

“We do have a report due in Dark Arts,” He says, holding up his textbook “I assumed that’s what you’d be working on, but you’d need your textbook for that.” His tone was grating on your nerves, did he have to speak like he held all the common sense in the world under his thumb? You narrowed your eyes at him as he flipped his book open once more, now you just felt silly. On one hand you could go back to reading your book and waste your time, or you could just sit there in silence. 

Or a secret third option. 

Regulus moved then, placing a hand on your knees and gently shoving them off the couch. As your socked feet hit the floor next to your shoes, Regulus scooted in next to you. It all happened very quickly, and perhaps someone who had experienced a little more life than you would be able to breathe right now, but you hadn’t… and you couldn’t. His leg pressed into yours as he flipped back a few pages and slid half the book onto your lap. 

“You might as well do something productive if you're just going to sit here.” he mumbled, his eyes glued to the pages in front of you.

So you’d been thinking about it, about him mostly. That wasn’t the first time he’d done something physical, but it was the first time he was so pushy about it. Usually it was something simple, like a hand extending your way to help you up off the grass when the five of you would sit out by the Black Lake. Or his habit of sitting next to everywhere you went, and how he’d been slowly sitting closer and closer as time went on. You didn’t mind it, the shy intimacy of it all. It screamed Regulus, you were happy to accept whatever he was comfortable giving you. 

But now you didn’t fully understand where you stood with him, no one had outright told you about any plans for an arrangement. At this point it was all speculation on your part, maybe you were going crazy and if you were you blame Regulus for all his shy flirtation and Pandora for putting the idea in your head. 

“Merlin! Would you stay in the present for one second!” Evan all but screamed at you to get your attention. It was a fabulous question really, you weren’t sure if you could anymore. So much to think about, so little time to think. “Yeah sorry, you were saying?” you shake yourself back into the moment. “I was saying I think I’m going to ask Anna-Marie” he cocks his head to the side, a wave of blonde curls bouncing in his wake. “Sure, if you want to” you say, trying your best to remember who that even was, “I think so, she’s pretty enough to be fun for a night.” He shrugs, dawning a devil may care smile. 

Class had started soon after, saving you from anymore prying questions about your own prospects for the dance. 

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“So Evan asked Anna-Marie to the ball today” Agnes sighed as the two of you walked back to your dorm. “That was quick.” 

Agnes looked over at you, eyes wide, mouth agape. “Don’t look at me like that, Aggie. Not cute” You say. She closes her mouth but still keeps her owlish eyes trained on you. She stopped in the middle of the corridor and you stopped with her, not having the heart to leave her behind lookin so defeated. 

“you knew?” She sounded like she’d been betrayed. “He mentioned it,” you say quietly, like if she couldn’t hear you she couldn’t be mad at you. “And you didn’t tell me?” She sounded more disappointed than mad. “I didn’t have time!” You defend yourself, “he told me at the beginning of our last class and we were with him at dinner, I’m really sorry” You say, not entirely sure why you felt so bad, maybe it was the watery look in her eyes. 

“It’s not your fault, it’s not like you told him to ask her” She says, dropping her shoulders and starting to walk again. 

So that’s where the guilt was coming from, you had. In your Regulus induced haze you had told him to ask her out. But what were your options? Tell him to ask Agnes to the ball out of pity? Or maybe tell him about her crush? Great, it's a race for worst friend in Hogwarts and you're winning by a landslide.

The walk back to your dorms was silent, Agnes didn’t seem in the mood for light conversation and the guilt gnawing at the lining of your stomach effectively silenced you. 

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“You know I really don’t understand it.” Regulus huffed, setting down his quill and shattering the comfortable silence that had settled over the both of you as you continued to work on your DADA reports. You turn your attention to the boy, looking at him in his as a silent prompt for him to finish his thought. “Why would he ask Anna-Marie?” 

You sigh, placing your quill in its inkwell, “were you hoping he would ask you instead?” You retort, false pity lining your tone. You were a bit tired of talking about it, why was it so surprising that Evan wanted to go with a pretty girl to a dance that meant exactly nothing? Regulus gives you a look in response, rolling his eyes and picking his quill up once more. “I don’t know what’s so surprising about it” you add, “it’s not like he’s marrying the girl” 

This seems to set Regulus off a bit, his posture stiffens and he lets his hand drop to the desk, staring at the top of your head as you bend over your page. “No. He’s not,” He says, obviously not done with his thought but pausing for dramatic effect, or at least that’s what you assumed he was doing. It worked, you look back up at him, waiting for him to continue, “but he should be more careful, these aren’t just silly dances anymore.” His tone was far too serious for your liking. 

“And why is that?” You ask sharply, you were growing more and more easily frustrated these days, and he wasn’t helping. Regulus just shakes his head and raises his hand to mark something out at the top of his report. “Why is that?” You repeat a little louder, enunciating every word clearly. “Don’t worry about it, if you don’t understand then it clearly isn’t a problem of yours” He says avoidantly, not even sparing you a look. “Fine” You say, gathering your things and carelessly shoving them into your bag. Regulus’ head snaps up, “Where are you going?” He asks, if you didn’t know better you’d think he sounded a little panicked. “I’m obviously not smart enough to be in your presence, so I’ll be leaving now” You say, grabbing your bag and leaving him there to watch.

Taglist: @ell0ra-br3kk3r

#the maruaders #slow burn #harry potter #regulus black x reader #regulus black x you #regulus black #no beta we die like half the characters in this gd fandom

[peterparkers-bad-youtube-apology]

may i pls request an arvin fic with prompts 38 & 42😭🥹🤍

Hey love I hope you like it! I'm sorry it took a little while but I absolutely loved this I thought it was so so cute. Anyways I wanted to say thank you for supporting me for so long, you were one of my earliest followers and it means a lot ❤️ Also as an aside, there are 4 more summer of love prompts left in my inbox, those will be out shortly too. Let me know what you think, love u xx

The Hookman

38 - Making s'mores

42 - Getting scared while camping

Pairing: Arvin Russell x Reader

Warnings: None

Summary: You take Arvin camping for his birthday

Regular Masterlist

Summer of Love Prompts

Summer of Love Masterlist

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Arvin didn’t care much about his birthday, he never bothered planning any sort of celebration or party, he found it all unnecessary. He loved to celebrate your birthday though, and your anniversary, and Christmas, any opportunity to spoil you really. You liked spoiling him too, but he always appreciated the gesture much more than he cared about any of the actual gifts. He just wasn’t a very materialistic person, which is why this year you’d decided to give him an experience for this birthday instead of any physical object.

You would have loved to fly him to some exotic location and have some big romantic weekend, but you couldn’t afford anything like that. So you went with something much simpler, camping. One of your friends offered the perfect spot for a romantic getaway, it was secluded in the woods, perked on top of a large hill with a great view, and less than a mile from a massive lake. You were overjoyed with the find, and the same friend helped you make a list of everything you would need. You proposed the idea to Arvin and he was excited, spending the weekend alone with you was his ideal birthday really.

Although he was a little reluctant to let you plan the trip and pay for it, you wouldn’t budge on the matter, and he was forced to concede eventually. He did double check your packing list though, just to make sure you hadn’t missed anything essential. Once you were both sure you had everything you’d need you loaded it all into his car and headed out. It was about an hour drive, and it was a bit difficult to navigate the truck to the campsite, but the view was worth the effort. You were surrounded by a circle of trees, the forest was buzzing and everything smelled fresh. Below your campsite you could see the corner of the lake, and in the middle of the campsite there was a makeshift fire pit born from the hundreds of campers who had been there before you.

You attempted at first to unload the car and set up the tent yourself, insisting Arvin relax, but there was no way he’d let you do it all yourself. So you two put up your tent and piled your things inside. By the time you had your campsite all set up the sun was starting to set, and both of you were getting hungry. For your first night you’d decided to pre pack some sandwiches for dinner, so all you had to do was gather a bit of wood and start a fire. You two snuggled up next to each other in some folding lawn chairs while you ate and watched the sun go down.

“This is incredible,” Arvin hummed contently before he looked over at you, “You know I think this is already my best birthday ever.”

You flushed, “Well it’s not actually your birthday until tomorrow, but thank you. It’s really nice out here.”

“Yeah it is,” he agreed, tracing his hand over one of yours, “We should get out the s’mores before it gets too dark.”

“Don’t you wanna save those for tomorrow?” you frowned, “I mean I didn’t bring a cake or anything so that’s kind of our only dessert.”

“I’m sure we’ll have enough for tonight and tomorrow,” he hummed, “Plus it’s my birthday trip, I think I’m entitled to some s’mores if I want them.”

You rolled your eyes and pushed yourself out of your chair, “I’ll be right back.”

You returned with graham crackers, a bag of marshmallows, several Hershey’s bars, and some metal skewers you thought would be perfect to roast the marshmallows on.

“Yummy,” Arvin hummed, ripping into the marshmallows and throwing one into his mouth.

You carefully placed one of them on your skewer and dipped it into the fire, “They’re so much better roasted.”

“They’re delicious either way,” he said with a mouthful of marshmallow, making you crinkle your nose.

“It’s rude to speak with your mouth full Arvin,” you scolded playfully.

He laughed, “Oh I forgot, you fell in love with me for my good manners,” he placed another marshmallow onto his skewer and shoved it into the fire, “Did you ever tell ghost stories when you were little?”

You knit your brows as you tried to remember, “No, I don’t think so. There was rumor that one of the houses in town was haunted, but that’s the closest I can remember.”

He nodded, “Lenora and I used to tell them to each other,” his hand slipped over your leg, squeezing your thigh before he continued, “Not just when we were camping, but that always made them scarier. They’re so cheesy, I can’t believe I used to be scared of that shit…”

“That’s cute Arvin,” you laughed, “Do you remember any of them?”

He rubbed the back of his neck, “Uh, I don’t know, I haven’t thought about them in a long time.”

You pulled your marshmallow from the fire and began assembling your s’more, “Could you try and tell me one?”

“You wanna hear a cheesy ghost story?” he chuckled.

You nodded, “Of course, I like it well you tell stories, your voice is nice.”

He blushed and bit his cheek, “I suppose I probably remember enough…”

“Yay!” you cheered and leaned back in your chair, “Well get on with it.”

He let out a low hum as he pulled his burning marshmallow away from the fire. He blew it out, the marshmallow was nearly black, “It starts with this criminal, a murderer I think. I don’t remember exactly what happened to him but basically he loses his hand and it gets replaced with a hook. So he’s this hook handed killer, and he was always going after pretty young girls,” he glanced over at you, “It took years to catch him, and when they finally did they hung him. So he dies, but since his soul was so twisted it couldn’t rest properly, and he came back as a ghost. Now he wanders all over the country looking for more pretty young girls to kill. Oh!” he cracked a big smile, “And he especially likes girls with (y/h/c).”

You rolled your eyes, “I can’t believe that used to scare you.”

“That one didn’t scare me, it scared Lenora,” he defended, “I used to tell it better.”

Arvin kept trying to recall more and more details about the story while you finished your s’mores. You were almost certain that he was making it up just to try and scare you. You humored him, nodding along with whatever new details he added, laying your head on his shoulder while he talked. You two continued like that until the fire started to sizzle out. Arvin volunteered to fully extinguish it so you could get comfy in your makeshift bed.. Inside the tent you’d laid your sleeping bags on top of each other to provide a bit of padding and brought a pile of blankets to keep yourselves warm. You wanted the tent to be as comfortable as possible so you’d brought more than a fair share of blankets and pillows.

“Fires good,” Arvin promised as he crawled into the tent, zipping it closed behind him, “You look comfy.”

You smiled, “I’ll be comfier once you’re in here with me.”

“I’m coming,” he promised as he began stripping his clothes.

He got down to his boxers and crawled under the blankets beside you, “Ready for bed kitten?”

“I’m pretty tired,” you snuggled up to his chest.

“Me too,” he wrapped his arms around you and pressed his lips to the top of your head, “Thank you for planning this, I love you.”

“I love you too,” you cooed back.

He held you close to him until you fell asleep. Admittedly it was more difficult than normal, it was harder to drift off without your comfy mattress under you. Snuggling up to Arvin helped, but you already knew you wouldn’t be sleeping as deep as you normally would. Sure enough you found yourself waking up shortly after you drifted off, Arvin was already deep asleep, but you were suddenly uncomfortable. You rolled over so your back was against Arvin’s chest. He scooted closer to you and you closed your eyes in hopes of drifting off again.

When you fell asleep the second time you were able to fall deep enough into sleep that you started to dream. You would have hoped to have some sort of sweet dream about you and Arvin, instead you were struck with the hook man. In your dream he came stalking up to your tent, ripping it open and yanking you from the inside. Luckily you were woken up before anything too gruesome could happen, the sounds of the wind grazing your tent had drawn you back to reality. Arvin was still sleeping soundly, his face buried in your neck, his lips placed against your bare skin. His tight grip helped to relax you after the bad dream. You took a deep breath and closed your eyes, sinking back into him with a smile. The adrenaline started to die down and your pounding heart relaxed.

Until the wind picked up again. This time it was more than just the wind, you heard some sort of awful, high pitched screeching that made your skin crawl. Arvin stirred but didn’t wake up. You sank under the blankets, pulling them up to your eyes, which were darting rapidly around the tent. The screeching sounded again, you tried to calm yourself but your mind was already getting irrational. Really you knew it was just a stray branch or the car, but you couldn’t help picturing the hook man from your dreams. Stalking you outside the tent, running his hook over the car, getting ready to tear you away from Arvin and murder you.

With a small squeal you flipped to face Arvin again, “Arvin,” at first your voice was quiet, still unsure if you wanted to wake him, “Arvin,” this time you were a little louder, pushing against his chest, “Arvin!” you snapped suddenly, just in time for the wind to pick up once more.

He groaned, reaching up to rub one of his eyes before he opened it, “Something wrong baby?”

Your cheeks flushed, suddenly feeling embarrassed that you’d woken him up, “I, uh, I had this kind of weird dream.”

His lips tugged to a frown, “What about?”

“The hookman…” you uttered shamefully.

He smiled and started to chuckle, “Really?”

“Yes!” you fell onto your back dramatically, “Then I woke up and I started hearing this screechy sound, it's freaking me out.”

“I’m sorry baby, I’m sure it was just a tree or something though,” he wrapped his arm around your middle and pressed his lips to your ear, “Or an owl, or anything. We’re in the woods, there are weird noises sometimes.”

“I know,” you groaned, “It’s just nerves.”

He nodded and moved right up next to you, “Well just come here. I promise it was normal forest noises, but if it was a hookman, I would protect you. You’ve got nothing to worry about, you’re always safe with me.”

You snuggled back to his chest, wanting to feel him close again, “Promise?”

“Course, I don’t care if it’s the hookman or the devil himself,” he mumbled against your forehead, “I wouldn’t let anyone hurt you, I love you too much for that.”

“I love you too Arvin,” your cheeks flushed and you smiled, “It’s probably after midnight now.”

“You think so?”

You nodded, “Yeah, so happy birthday.”

“Mmm, thank you baby,” he yawned and leaned in for a quick kiss, “I’m about to pass out again, but you can wake me up if you need me.”

“Of course, thank you hunny,” you cooed sweetly, “You always know just what to say.”

He said nothing, simply pressing his lips to your head again before sleep overtook him.

⭒☆━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━☆⭒

Taglist: 

@niallsvirgosun @roseke​ @namoreno​ @zspideyy​ @emistrash​ @andreagf956​ @tomsirishgirlx​ @peachyafshawn​ @agbspidey​ @nj01​ @sleepybesson​ @misshale21​ @prancerrparkerr​ @raajali3​ @ellabellabus07 @minjix @inthegetawaycarwithtaylah @graciexmarvel @lnmp89 @mcushvft @s-we-e-t-t-ea @liltimmyst @gloomynigvts @cest-la-vieve @afro-hispwriter

#arvin russell x reader #arvin russell x you #arvin russell fluff #arvin russell fanfiction #arvin russell imagine #arvin russell #arvin russel x you #arvin russel #arvin russel x y/n #arvin russel fluff #arvin russel x reader #arvin russel imagine #arvin russel smut #arvin russel angst #tom holland #tom holland fanfiction #tom holland x reader #summer of love #tom holland x reader fluff #tom holland x you #tom holland x y/n #tom holland x reader angst #tom holland imagine #spiderman fanfiction #peter parker #peter parker fanfiction #spiderman #spiderman x reader #marvel fanfiction #tom x reader

[sobeautifullyobsessed]

Happy Christmas, Mr. Holmes

a Sherlock Holmes x OFC fic

summary: Christmas comes to Baker Street, in a form Sherlock Holmes had never envsioned. There is a sweetness in seeing the holiday through someone else's eyes, and there are lessons in holiday spirit and the nature of giving--as well as how Love makes the season even brighter--to be learned. Part of a continuing romantic series, this is the tale of Sherlock & Tessa's first Christmas together. It just proved too irresistable for me not to tell!

rating: general audience; chapter 1 of 4

Chapter One - a Christmas 'thing'

(Sunday, early December)

"I’m off then," Tessa was busy buttoning up her coat, as it was an extremely chilly day in London.  

Sherlock glanced at her from behind the paper, the brunch she’d prepared for him half-eaten, his coffee growing cool.  He looked at her quizzically "What for?" he asked, surprised to see her bundling up to leave the flat.  He’d thought they had the afternoon ahead of them, perhaps a dvd or two to watch while relaxing quietly, fire in the hearth, her head upon his shoulder, few words spoken but for commentary about the movies, comfortable as any old couple who knew each other’s ins and outs.  With Christmas approaching his caseload had lightened significantly and he counted on Tessa to fill the hours with him, as John was in Northumberland, attending a retirement celebration for another doctor from his unit in Afghanistan, and so was away all weekend long.

"You weren’t listening again," she replied, her tone indicating this was no surprise to her.  "Sherlock, I told you, I have some Christmas shopping to do—some of my favorite people are still on my to-do list, and that,” Tessa’s eyes lit with mirth, “includes you." She was pulling on her gloves, and headed in his direction, presumably for the ritual she could seldom do without—the Goodbye Kiss. She would get no proffered cheek until he’d had his say.

"Well, at any rate, shopping shouldn’t take all afternoon." Sherlock stated this as an established fact," Surely you’ll be back before too long."   Then the afternoon could proceed as he’d expected.

"Well, actually…." Tessa paused, sighed and continued, "I’ve got a thing this afternoon, so I won’t be back till after dark."  

"A ‘thing’?  And just what sort of ‘thing’ do you have?”  She’d piqued his curiosity now and he wouldn’t settle for less than a full explanation.

"A Christmas thing, Sherlock.  A thing at a church."  She was smiling at his growing consternation, at making him ask instead of volunteering the information herself.  She’d learned he listened better when he had to work a bit for it, although the telltale scowl forming on his face warned her not to push the tease too far.  She patiently repeated what she’d told him several days before, "Sylvie and Jasper’s girls are in a Christmas pageant at their church.  They’ve been practicing for weeks, and I promised Syl I wouldn’t miss it."

The sigh he gave was rife with irritation; he closed his eyes a moment and asked, trying his best to minimize any aversion in his voice, “And where exactly is this pageant to take place?”

Tessa narrowed her eyes, shaking her head slightly, “Um….Saint Mary’s of the Angels, on Moorhouse Road in Notting Hill.”  She bit her lip and held her breath a moment before deciding to ask, “Why would you want to know that?” Tessa downplayed the sudden hope that he just might be interested in joining her there. That was a near impossibility, although she’d be more than happy if he did.

"Because, my dear, perhaps we could meet for dinner afterwards, and it would be best if we met close by, don’t you think?"  Sherlock turned the page of the paper, indicating he thought that the matter was settled. "What time is this performance going to begin?"

"4:00, this afternoon.  I wouldn’t imagine it will run more than an hour or so."  Tessa found she was disappointed; dinner would be fine, but she really would’ve loved to share this little holiday presentation with him—though she’d never dare to ask.

Sherlock took a deep, dramatic breath, as he completed the debate inside his head, yes or no to an idea.  He lowered the paper, giving Tessa his full attention.  ”Only an hour then?”  Tessa nodded yes, and he continued, “You know, I could join you there.  At the church.  If you’d like me to.” His face was impassive, but for the slight amusement in his eyes.

Although Tessa was speechless in her surprise, Sherlock could see from her face that he’d hit the mark. He usually could read her very well, and it was obvious this time that she wanted very much for him to join her.  He realized she hadn’t invited him, not because she feared him declining, but simply because she knew the idea would be naturally anathema to him.

Recovering from her shock, Tessa felt obligated to caution him. “Sherlock, this is a group of five and six year olds we’re talking about.  Far from disciplined, excited about their play, excited about Christmas.  You do understand what you’d be getting yourself into?”

He suppressed the cringe that would normally have been on his face.  ”Tessa dear,” he said, reminding himself he needn’t sound magnanimous, “let’s just consider it an early Christmas present, shall we?”

Tessa was still skeptical.  ”Um…you should know—from what Sylvie says, there may even be a couple of sheep.”  She waited for a response and when he remained silent, she added with great emphasis, “Live sheep, Sherlock. Are you sure about this?”

He nodded, certain he’d followed the right course. “Never surer.  I will be there, count on it.”  

The smile she gave him was surely worth all the irritation and boredom he expected to experience in the church.  He started to lift the paper up to read, when she knelt beside him, hugged him tightly, and nuzzled his neck sweetly.  ”Sherlock,” she said into his collar, “sometimes you can be such a dear.” She moved back a little, just to see his face; saying in complete sincerity, “What have I done to deserve you?”

He answered her most dryly, giving her the half smile he knew she adored, “You must’ve been a very good girl as a child.”

Tessa’s only answer was a loving smile and a lingering kiss.  She rose to leave without another word, but as she reached the door, Sherlock called to her, “If you’re thinking of getting me new gloves, the only ones worth investing in can be found at Harvey Nichols.”  He lowered the paper, wanting to stress the importance of the details he was about to impart, “Cashmere lined, with five-finger, precise touch technology.”  He started to return to his page, but then flicked it down a moment, adding “I’d prefer them in black, of course.”

Tessa tilted her head, acknowledging his request as one would acknowledge the victor in a well fought contest. “Of course,” she replied with a smile, before turning to leave.  She hoped the other item she had in mind would come as a complete surprise, for he had so few of those in his life and she knew he enjoyed them when they came.

Tessa reached the church nearly a half-hour early, having dropped her Christmas packages off at her flat beforehand.  She didn’t mind arriving early; as she headed to a pew off to the side, she saw the children were just finishing up with a final rehearsal of their pageant.  She smiled at their obvious excitement—in a space designed to echo with prayer and song, there was their happy laughter ringing out (along with the attendant shushing of the adults around them).  She hadn’t told Sherlock, but her family parish at home had a similar tradition, celebrated for almost fifty years. She had even played the Christmas Star when she was five, and it was one of her earliest, dearest Christmas memories.

Truth be told, it wasn’t just her promise to Sylvie that brought her here—it was a deep longing for a connection to her family so very far away, at this family-centric time of year.

Tessa had left her phone on vibrate, in case Sherlock should text her to beg off coming to the church.  At 3:55 she felt it go off, and was fairly certain it was him, perhaps with a brief apology or explanation for why he wouldn’t attend.  She didn’t expect him to carry through, and wouldn’t blame him in the least if he didn’t; she understood him enough to realize how uncharacteristic it would be for him to appear at such a function.

She pulled her phone from her coat pocket and clicked on his text.  ”I’m in the church vestibule.  Where are you?”  Her eyes widened in surprise, her delight clear to anyone who cared to look her way.  She quickly texted back, "3rd row, far left hand row of pews." Tessa turned to watch the doors at the back of the church, and within moments she saw him, his classic greatcoat swirling behind him at his rapid stride, collar upturned against the cold (and in his usual nod to vanity, she knew).  Sherlock’s face was set in her direction, looking crisp from the cold, his curls gently tousled so that she just wanted to reach out and tame them a bit.  He slipped into the pew beside her.

Tessa couldn’t help herself; she stood on her toes to kiss his cheek.  Her lips were warm against his chill, and she whispered in his ear in amazement, “You’re really here.”  Sherlock, looking down at her, answered in a tone clearly saying there was never any doubt, “Of course.  Did you really expect any less?”

Tessa looked down herself, demure in the moment, “Well…I wouldn’t have held you to it.  But now you’re here, I’m very glad.”  She twined her arm around his, facing forward, saying, “I just hope you won’t regret it.”

Sherlock teased her gently, his voice a soft, deep rumble for her ears alone, “With you by my side, how could I?”  He glanced forward at the activity around the altar and the final preparations.  The quiet of the church was broken by a growing hubbub of murmurs as those in attendance waited to see their own come down the center aisle and begin the pageant.  Tessa had leaned her head against his shoulder for the moment, and as always he found it made him happy to have her assume such a feminine pose.

A teenaged girl stepped up to the podium to the left of the altar, and gave a brief welcome to the crowd, and then began to narrate the tale the children would be enacting.  There was a choir of tweens in the loft, who, with each section of the play, would sing a carol fit for the story.  The younger children reacted in a variety of ways to performing; some embraced it with seriousness and all due attention; some allowed themselves to be led to the altar, looking frightened and unsure, their teachers coaxing them along; some were easily distracted, waving at their families in the pews, or turning back to watch the choir, or focusing on the sheep (the ones led in by a couple of older boys playing shepherds, as Tessa had predicted).  The little girl playing Mary looked angelic, though her nerves got the best of her and she planted her thumb firmly in her mouth the moment she reached the altar. There was a bevy of angels in white and gold and silver, wings of feather or foil or painted cardboard, depending on the ingenuity of the parent making the costume.  One carried a large gold plywood star, and went to stand on a step stool behind the Holy Family, so that the Three Kings could find their way.  

The wise men presented their gifts, and the teachers then moved forward to lead the children in singing “Away in a Manager”, which they mimed—again with varying degrees of success—using simple motions that fit the gentle lullaby.  At the conclusion, the audience broke into appreciative applause.

Sherlock had not made the performance his only focus.  Throughout the little play, he glanced sideways at Tessa, enjoying her response to the music and the pageant, her hand resting comfortably in his, lying soft against her thigh.  She had sung along with every carol the choir had performed, her voice rising clear and bright on the Glorias of “Angels We Have Heard on High”, singing it out with all her heart.  He knew it was his feelings for her that colored his reaction, but still he thought it was the sweetest he’d ever heard them sung. And he surprised Tessa when he joined in himself, on “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and “Joy to the World”.  She slipped her hand in the crook of his arm again, squeezing it tightly and smiling up at him, as he showed a velvet baritone she hadn’t expected.  He would tell her later that he’d served his fair share (as had Mycroft) in church choir at his parents’ behest, until his voice changed and proved for several years to be ungovernable.  Oh, but she enjoyed the surprise of it in the soft light of the church.

The pageant complete, the lights of the church were unexpectedly dimmed, and the crowd was hushed in anticipation of the finale—the lighting of the towering Christmas tree to the right of the pulpit.  As the bright white lights on the tree came on, the crowd “ooohhhed” with satisfaction.  The choir began to sing “Silent Night” with almost all present joining in.  Sherlock heard Tessa sing along with the first few words, and then she fell silent.  He turned to look at her; her head was bowed, her lips were trembling, her breath hitched at times.  It was clear she was doing her utmost to fight back tears—and despite her best efforts, she appeared to be losing.  She took her hand from his arm to reach into her bag and get a tissue, dabbing at her eyes, still with her head bowed.

The choir sang all three verses of the carol, and the music died away.  The lights in the church came back up, and the narrator then invited all in attendance to the basement for Christmas refreshments.  Parents, children, families, began to move from the pews back to the vestibule where the stairs were located.  Tessa remained still, not yet looking up.  She shook her head and took a deep breath, remaining seated, still without a word.  Sherlock sat beside her, not asking yet, simply waiting.

When she appeared to have recovered her composure, she finally looked at him.  Her lashes were still wet from crying, but she was gamely trying to smile.  This time he had to ask, gently, solicitously, “Tessa, why the tears?”

The small smile that dimpled her cheeks was pure but bittersweet, "Oh, you know me.  What day could pass without at least a few melodramatic tears?”   But she could see that answer wouldn’t satisfy his disquiet on her behalf, and so went on, "Really—it’s the music.  It never fails to move me.  I think it sounds…" she looked down again, perhaps afraid emotion might overwhelm her if she kept looking at the puzzled concern upon his face, “I think it’s the most beautiful of all the carols.  Simple but pure, you know?"  Sherlock nodded, not in agreement, but to encourage her to continue.  "I’ve always thought it was inspired by Heaven.  I’ve always thought it sounded like coming home at long last, after years of being lonely and far from those who love us."  Tessa turned back to him, her eyes bright with emotion, "It’s just…this time of year…I get a little homesick. For my family…well, what’s left of us.  And our traditions.”  Tessa took a deep, bracing breath, more in control of the sentiment that had overwhelmed her earlier, “It’s different for me here, and somehow it sort of aches.  You know what I mean?”

Sherlock had his own aches aplenty, but for most of his adulthood he had successfully kept them to himself.  Seeing Tessa so vulnerable—and so pretty in her unvarnished emotion—made him feel protective, almost possessive in an archaic kind of way; made him want to be the one to whom she turned.  After all these months he was still surprised that she could evoke such feelings in him.  The simple, very human, nature of this—which he’d so long prided himself on rising above—turned out to be pleasant and fulfilling after all. He supposed the greatest love stories had that at their core—the feminine cleaving to the masculine as Nature intended all along. What she’d given him from their beginning was unconditional acceptance and understanding; it stood to reason that he would fiercely want to provide for her happiness.  As he felt at this exact moment.  

Without a word, Sherlock folded her gently in his arms and pressed his lips against her hair, making Tessa relax easily into him. Holding her so, in the now quiet church, he noticed how the small white lights on the Christmas tree strikingly brightened the white and gold decorations gracing the branches—stirring him to reflect on how they were so very like the illumination Tessa had brought into his life.  Seeing things through her eyes had opened up parts of the world he’d never taken time to notice before, and it came to him that she was doing the same now, showing him Christmas from a soft and sentimental point of view that had long since vanished from his lexicon, as far back as his discovery that Father Christmas wasn’t real after all.  What sort of gift, he wondered, could he give her in return, and how might he temper with some Christmas joy, her homesickness for her family so far away?

“We’ll dine in tonight,” he told her softly, knowing her well enough that she’d likely want to spend the evening quietly and as close to him as possible.  She nodded her grateful assent and they started down the aisle to the back of the church.  As they left, his arm wrapped protectively around her waist, Sherlock felt the beginnings of a plan start to form.  It would require time, it would require effort, but if anyone could do the task, he knew that it was him.  There might even be some favors he’d need to call in, but he had a wealth of those saved up, and Tessa was certainly worth whatever cost might come to bear.

(to be continued)

If you enjoyed this, I'm hoping you would be so kind as to reblog it. Being stuck in shadow ban prison has severely curtailed exposure of my work here on tumblr. Any reblog you could give me would be sure to share this story with many others, and maybe get this piece some much-needed love. Thank you!

buy me a coffee?☕

#my writing #Happy Christmas Mister Holmes #bbc sherlock #fluff #Christmas #Christmastime #sherlock Holmes #Benedict's Sherlock #established relationship #Sherlock Holmes x OFC #Sherlock x OFC #Christmas comes to Baker Street

[pvrply-bruises]

2024 Vision and Goals 🍀🌱

After a few harsh and challenging months, I have come back with plenty of motivation to lose weight and keep it down.

To congratulate myself, I'd like to point out I moved out of my parents' home, I quit a toxic job and landed a new, slightly better paid job, I am trying really hard to make my current relationship work and I have worked on changing my own damaging behaviors, I had a tough financial month and I have reset my personal budget as well as my spending habits and strategies.

Without further ado, here are the plans/stats/ideas to successfully lose some weight.

Note 1: I do not know my actual SW. Last time I weighed in, I was at 59 kg, but I definitely gained these past few months.

SW: *educated guess* 64 kg.

GW: 54 kg.

UGW: 50 kg *just enough to donate blood*.

Due date: End of 2024 (12/31/24).

Checkpoints:

05/12/24 (partner's birthday celebration)

05/26/24 (may's pay date)

06/23/24 (last week of final term at work)

07/07/24 (few days after dad's birthday)

07/28/24 (end of work break)

08/18/24 (long weekend)

09/22/24 (love and friendship day)

10/06/24 (after birthday check)

10/27/24 (before Halloween, yay!)

11/17/24 (nothing special)

12/08/24 (after candle night)

12/22/24 (almost Christmas!)

12/31/24 (end of year, NYE)

Strategies: under 4 axes of action (nutrition, ⭐vation, movement, finances).

🍓Nutrition: as a grown up, I need to function. In order to function while doing this, I need to ingest proper nutrients to keep my body as balanced as possible.

Eat meals (lunch or dinner) with the following arrangements: 1/2 a plate is salad, 1/4 is protein and 1/4 is carbs.

I will allow dessert, if available, 2X/week (weekday and weekend).

No juice, only water.

Snacks will consist of fruits, greek yogurt, fruit purée, a few dried nuts, low cal gelatin, ripened cheese, ham, eggs, etc.

No added sugar.

No alcohol unless beer (with partner) or wine. For special occasions only.

No vaping/smoking *this will be a tough one.

No chips, cakes, chocolate, fried food, candy or ultra processed snacks.

Counting approximate calories and have a limit of 1,300 cals daily. High restriction is easier to maintain long term. Also, I don't actually know the calories in my lunch because I don't cook it.

Use MFP for the previous point.

⭐vation: as an old timer in EDblr, I objectively know that food and exercise are the way, but my sick brain insists on this method. And the method works (at least for a while).

Fasting, daily, for 18 hours at least. From 6:30 PM until 12:30 PM.

OMAD 2X/week. Preferably lunch, but dinner if required.

Always skip breakfast. It's the easier to skip due to my routine.

Fasting less during the weekend if a social function requires it.

If working out harder than usual, EAT to avoid passing out.

Drink green tea, black tea, unsweetened herbal tea, coffee (stick to 2–3 cups daily). Drink as many beverages as you'd like, without sugar, of course.

Brush teeth 4 times a day: before work, during break, after lunch and before sleeping.

🤸‍♀️Movement: my 25-year-old body feels as if I am 47. I need further movement, not only to lose weight, but to feel ALIVE.

Walk 8k steps daily. How? Take the bus, walk a lot during my day, get off at a further bus stop and walk home; after work, go out and walk around the neighborhood to complete steps.

On July, either join the gym or take up dancing lessons. If schedule allows, continue this from July until December and then into 2025.

Sunday every 2 weeks, go to a hike at Monserrate. Time going up and down, track improvement. Do it alone, with my partner, with friends, raining, sunny, windy. Starting on 05/04/24.

If working out harder than usual, EAT to avoid passing out.

Buy a yoga mat. Use it to stretch.

Note 2: a side goal for this year is to reach my front and pancake splits.

💡Finances: as a human with dreams, hopes and aspirations, I need money. I make enough to live well, but hardly enough to save for later in life. Food expenditure needs a cut for me to grow my wealth.

After calculations, I spend about 20% of my monthly pay in groceries. However, this is if I EAT A LOT for dinner and buy inefficient food (nutrition wise). However, implementing all previous measurements, means I no longer need to spend that much on food. I will stick to a budget of 5.65% of my monthly pay.

Buy consciously, buy nutritious food. Stick to the general idea of: red meat, chicken breast/thighs, yucca arepas, cheese, fruit purée, chicken ham, tomatoes, green fruit (apple or pear), popcorn, rice, instant noodles, cucumber, red bell pepper, greek yogurt, blueberries, wok veggies.

Do NOT order take out, ever. Even worse if you have groceries at home.

Uninstall all delivery apps.

Only eat out twice a month IF BUDGET allows. If not, do NOT hesitate to tell people, 'it's not within my budget'.

Do NOT spend money at work. You have 'free lunch', you have a small allowance, and all they sell is crappy chips. Do NOT waste your money on vending machines or greasy cafeteria food *this is an easier one.

Do NOT buy clothes until you are able to maintain a certain low weight.

Rewards system:

Besides dropping pounds, it's encouraging to have a few prizes waiting to be claimed if the effort makes a noticeable mark in my body and mind.

63 kg: a pat on the back.

62 kg: finding the time and painting a small watercolor piece.

61 kg: going to a museum for free.

60 kg: going to a planetarium light show.

59 kg: do a fun, colorful make up for a Sunday photoshoot.

58 kg: measure my waist, legs, hips and arms.

57 kg: go to the botanic garden.

56 kg: go to an amusement park to have fun.

55 kg: go to a curly hair care salon to find out how to properly care for my locks.

54 kg: get another ear-piercing.

53 kg: buy a cheap but cute ring.

52 kg: going to the cinemateca for a foreign film showing.

51 kg: donate blood.

50 kg: buy enough clothes and shoes, for work and personal activities.

Tracking: I will post the following stats daily or as needed.

Daily cals consumed.

Steps walked.

Money spent on food.

Lts of water consumed.

Did I smoke/vape?

Did I drink?

Cups of coffee.

Hours fasted.

Weigh in.

I love myself. I loathe myself. I do this to find balance between my mind and my external world. I believe if I cultivate this type of discipline, I can conquer all other goals I have set for myself. I do this for me and me ONLY.

Love, me.

#st4rv1ng #tw ed sheeran #ed relapse #light as a feather #tw ana rant #ana buddie #pro for me not for thee #tw ana diary

[deepperplexity]

Prompt: 9. Strings Attached

Pairing: Turpin x Wife!Reader

POV: Second, Reader

Setting: Christmas Party at a grand estate

Continuation of: Prompt 4. Biting Cold

A/N: So, I heard you, shall we continue this little story then? After all, dear Richard is owed a little pleasure too after that carriage heating - isn’t he? 🙊👀

Tags/TW’s: Smut [Kissing, Praise, Gift-wrapped, Dom/Sub, Penetration, Oral Sex, Bondage], Lots Of Love.

Word Count: 2.4k+

Masterlist page // Masterlist post // AO3 // LINK TREE

The ball-like Christmas party was a wonder to be part of. Especially on Richard’s arm. You weren’t keen on people chatting too much with you, or strangers trying to invade your personal space — with Richard by your side that was never a problem. Some may have felt lonely, excluded even, from the bustle of the party when none dared come close or strike up a conversation (at least not without your husband’s showed approval) but you quite enjoyed it.

You were safe, protected, cared for and held on to tightly by the only person who mattered to you. A man none dared insult, interrupt or even approach without some sort of indication that he was willing to speak with them. Still, none dared enter his personal space — only you were welcome there. Welcome to touch him, speak freely with him, to be close to him. It was a privilege that you valued beyond anything else in the world.

That he had a few hours ago gifted you with a toe-curling, heating orgasm none would ever know. But you did. He did. All the pleasure between the two of you was for none to know but the pair of you to enjoy. And boy, oh boy did you enjoy it; him.

You giggled quietly while Richard spoke with the host in a short, dismissive manner. The short, stout man raised his brows at you but quickly found his neutral expression when Richard glared at him.

“I apologise, I simply thought of something most enjoyable, my Lord,” you said to the man with an innocent smile. He softened while Richard looked down on you with a raised brow. “Will you excuse me, darling?” you asked quietly, your eyelashes fluttering while your cheeks turned rosy. His eyes widened, just enough for you to notice. “Certainly,” he stated calmly even if the tiny smirk playing at the corners of his lips told a different story for less than a second.

“I shall find you momentarily,” he continued after a breath and you nodded before you said goodbye to the host of the grand celebration for higher society before family and true friends would claim all’s attention closer towards Christmas Day. The only attention you wished to garner was that of your beloved husband though. And that you most certainly had.

≪⁕≫

The door closed silently, a mere click of a sound echoing from the other side of the room. You stood by the bed in the guest room that had been arranged for you and Richard at the grand estate, waiting for him in your stockings and a red satin string that was wrapped around you as if you were a present for him. It curled around your thighs, stretched up in a V over your upper body — the silky fabric rubbing against your nipples teasingly — only to flow over your shoulders and become one line before twisting and wrapping around your waist until the two ends tied together in a simple bow. The ends dangled right at your pelvis.

Your body was nearly fully showcased for him yet the view you offered where that of your back while you listened to his breathing grow heavy. It was such a small difference, but each part of Richard was controlled — ordered and precise — so to hear his breath hitch and falter, growing heavier and deeper, made you feel utterly powerful.

“Love,” he exhaled as your bared cunt began to wet the string where it was wrapped several times from all directions over your core. The part of you only he had ever touched, tasted, smelled, filled. “What, in god’s name, is this wondrous creature I’m beholding? This cannot be my sweet little wife, my pure little flower, my innocent little love,” he hummed with a thundering vibration in the low tone. It made your entire body heat and soften.

You had never done such a thing before, it was so vulgar — so erotic. But for him, you wished to be every bit as lust-inducing as he was to you wrapped in the finest velvet and softest silk, the lightest of cotton; a glorious present for you to unwrap each and every evening. You wished to grant him that same thing, no matter how nervous you had been thirty seconds ago, how many times you had to convince yourself over and over that he would appreciate it, that he would enjoy it. Enjoy you daring to do such a thing as dress yourself in a mere string and stockings.

You dared not turn while his footsteps echoed out, moving him ever closer. Your stomach corded itself with knots, your palms turned damp and it felt as if you weren’t able to drag enough air into your tight lungs. And then he touched you.

The second his warm finger began to stroke a line from your shoulder to your bum, along the string at your back, you felt yourself let go of your inhibitions. His touch was light but worshipping. “You are exquisite, my love,” he exhaled with awe in his voice. You leaned your head back and closed your eyes as his finger skimmed your buttock and stroked along the line of your stocking before sliding over to the other leg and repeating the motion upwards to your shoulder.

He grabbed your neck sturdily. A gasp slipped between your lips. He stepped into you, his nose in your hair and his stomach against your back while he inhaled your smell without hiding it. “Richard,” you moaned as his other hand wrapped around your front, splaying out over your stomach atop the red silk. “I shall enjoy this,” he murmured darkly before his teeth graced the shell of your ear and you whimpered. “Hush love, you have done most beautifully,” he continued and the praise sent spikes of pleasure through your very soul.

“Turn for me, love,” he commanded gently but he twisted you around with the hand gripping your neck while you obeyed. There was no fighting the demand in his voice. You loved that. Loved that he could be so dominant, and commanding, yet you never doubted he held you at the forefront of all his actions — your safety and comfort of the utmost importance for him. “Merry Christmas,” you exhaled as you came face to face and he smiled. That special smile that was for you and only you. When his heart was overflowing with love, appreciation, and awe for you; that was when he gave that smile.

“Merry Christmas, love,” he said in return and leaned forward to plant the softest of kisses atop your forehead. “I love you,” you whispered while every nerve in your body was set aflame by his hold of you. “As I love you.”

He leaned back and released your neck, taking half a step back. He admired your body, from head to toe and lingered in certain places you knew he had a particular fondness for. All your fear, your worry, your self-consciousness, it all melted away under that adoring gaze.

“You are perfection,” he whispered, almost as if it weren’t meant for your ears. “Such a gift,” he continued and your breath hitched as he hooked your eyes with his grey ones. They were endless, love-filled, clear and open. All for you.

“Stand still, sweetness,” he demanded quietly and you nodded. At a loss for words when he became that man in the bedroom. He could be the sweetest lover, the gentlest of bedders, or he could be him. You loved both equally but when your husband took command and allowed some of that dominance he had in his veins to shine through you got excited. After all, you trusted him completely.

So, you stood still. Your chest heaved and your thighs rubbed together but there was nothing you could do about that. “Such pretty string,” he murmured as he lazily dragged his finger along it down your front. “Such, a pretty, bow, my love,” he continued as his finger grabbed one of the ends and began to tug. You wanted him to rid you of the now-stifling silk and touch you everywhere. To take and claim, ravage and caress. You were his and you wished him to be as desperate as you to re-establish the never faltering law of it being so.

His fingers hooked the string and, with a jerk, you were flush against him. The edge of his lips turned upwards in a smugly satisfied smile. You radiated heat, his warm finger against your soft stomach sent chills along your spine, stiffening you.

“So pretty,” he said, “like the day I found you.” “Richard, please,” you said while you tried to hold your hands still — to not reach for him or bury your fingers in the gloriously grey strands of hair skimming the neckline of his gorgeous coat and shirt perfectly matched with a lush cravat. “You are mine, mine alone,” he said and grabbed your neck with his free hand before slamming his thin lips against yours. You moaned and melted into him, unable to resist touching him for another second.

He groaned as you tugged at the lapels of his coat, skimming your hands upwards to his neck before embedding your fingers between the soft strands of hair you always ended up tugging on. He grabbed one of the ends of the string and pulled it, unravelling the bow effortlessly. “You never cease to amaze me,” he said into your mouth, against your hungry lips.

He took half a step back, dragging a whimper from you at the lack of contact. But then he went down on one knee, pulling the string away from your body gently, methodically, while watching the slightly red marks left behind. Leaning in, he kissed your upper thighs, your stomach, the mound of your core. You were on fire for him. Seeing him kneel before you were a pure aphrodisiac.

As he kissed his way up your body he slowly rose and dragged the string with him. Once you were free of it he directed you to the bed, pressing down on you until you laid flat on your back among the lush covers. “Hands,” he demanded and you offered them to him. He tied you up, pulled them over your head and tied the string to the bed. Your chest heaved, your skin covered with a slight misting of sweat from the pure heat of your insides while he straddled you, leaning over with a hand by each side of your head.

“All tied up for me,” he said and kissed you before backing down along your body, leaving a new trail of kisses searing your sensitive skin. When he reached your cunt and began to lick and suck you writhed beneath him. Moaning, calling his name like a prayer. He built you up, up, up while the sound of a muted Christmas carol from the ballroom ended up fully tuned into his movements.

You exploded a mere moment later, your entire body convulsing and trembling while your dear husband lapped at your entrance with a satisfied humming. “Mine,” he said and kissed each of your inner thighs while he raised himself up on his knees.

You looked with hooded eyes up along his body, the light dusting of grey chest hair, the rounded stomach he boasted so perfectly paired with his thick thighs and strong arms connected by broad shoulders. He was magnificent. “Mine,” you said in return and his eyes widened with a wave of lust muddling the clear grey colour.

He grabbed your hips, and with one single thrust, he was buried within you. You gasped and threw your head back at the amazing sensation. Richard’s groan filled the room as he pressed himself a bit further in, filling you completely.

“Beautiful,” he said and you looked up at him only to see him view you with the warmest of adorations in his eyes. It made your heart ache. Before you had become close, there had been only cold grey in those eyes of his but now, now they shined and shimmered with all things lovely. Always for you, only for you, with and by you.

You tugged on the red satin string holding your arms in place, wanting to touch him yet being fully into the restriction keeping you in place for him. You would give yourself to him in any manner, whatever he needed or wished for you wanted to be. As he was all things for you.

He straightened and grabbed your thighs, tugging you down so far the string was fully stretched and tensed. It dug into your wrists, offering a hint of pain with the pleasure he provided, heightening it. And then he moved, withdrawing and pummelling back in with vigour. Drawing moans from the both of you while the bed rocked.

Your body burned, his grunted breaths and quiet moans filled your ears while your own body tightened and tensed as he built you up once more by each stroke hitting the perfect spot in your already sensitive core. When he moved his hands down to make one of his thumbs circle your clit you cried out.

He kept going, taking your pleasure while you convulsed and shook by his actions until he thrust into you harder and harder, more erratic in his motions while he chased his own climax. You whimpered and moaned as your orgasm was dragged out by him and then he stilled. With a guttural groan, he spilt into you. Claiming you anew, marking and searing you with his cum.

After a moment of silence filled only by your shared panting and the muffled music of the live orchestra down below he laid down atop you, supporting his weight on his elbows while untying the string. The second your arms were free you wrapped them around him. Exhausted and blissed out, happy and contented beyond measure.

“I love you, angel.” “As I love you, my sweet love.” “When you spoke of our marriage coming with strings attached, I must confess these were not the type of strings I imagined,” you smiled out, knowing full well what strings had been attached to your marital bond.

Richard chuckled, “Indeed. Quite preferable strings, though. Do you not agree, my sweetness?” “I wholeheartedly agree,” you answered and kissed his cheek while he snaked his arms in under you. “Any strings, I’ll tie any and all strings to have you,” you continued as his breath hitched, right by your ear. “You stole the words out of my mouth, my love.”

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A/N: Oh, I just adore Richard! 😭 He’s just so amazing, gosh I love him… I hope you enjoyed this continuation of prompt 4 darling! I had so much fun writing this, and isn’t it just so wonderful to imagine our dear Judge Turpin in a happy marriage filled with mutual love? Gosh, I love it… I hope you feel the same darling 💚

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[Dec:2022]

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[bomberqueen17]

sewing updates etc

yeah the holidays were so fucking hectic and all i’ve wanted to do was sew and i just have not had time.

we’re coming down to the wire, there’s less than a month left before we leave for our trip, and i have seven garments i still want to make, plus two muslins. BUT of those, three of them are patterns I’ve already muslined, and the ones I need muslins for, I have one of them already cut out and just waiting to be sewn up.

(I also have just cleaned my entire house to the point of being able to rearrange furniture in the living room. i threw out pay stubs from 2014. i’ve been real busy ok.)

I don’t have time to find photos to put in here, but. So far, I’ve finished one thing-- the merino jersey Turner dress-- which is not for the trip but I did wear it for Christmas. Yay! Setting that aside.

1) i’ve also finished a maroon linen Honeybourne dress, which can go on this trip probably. It needs a little more hemming, I’m progressing steadily on that.

2) And I’m entirely done with the bodice of another Kineton dress (i did the muslin of that one recently, elastic waist v-neck with pockets) in linen rayon, and I just have to do the waistband and skirt and then hem the bottom and that will be done. Might machine-hem that one for time.

3) I next will cut out and make another version of the same dress, in green cotton double gauze, with the skirt lengthened but left with side slits so I don’t have to make it fuller-- that I intend for a beach coverup, and it will be opaque enough to wear for daywear as well, and will have pockets. I might make the pockets bigger.

(I actually did muslin just the sleeves for this one, as I wasn’t sure how the flutter sleeve armscyes worked-- I cut out a version of the Kineton bodice and changed the shape of the center front to make it a crop wrap top, and it went together and worked so beautifully that I’m just going to pop a lining in there and then bias-bind the lower edge and make waist ties, and now I have a flutter-sleeved linen gauze wrap top that I can wear with sleeveless tops for sun coverage, and it’s small enough that i can cram it in my purse or tie it around my purse strap like a scarf if it’s too hot to wear it.)

I muslined the Avola slip dress in cotton and it fits well enough, I can now make it in final fabrics-- I want to do several in silk, but I am going to postpone that until after the trip. For now, I will try make two in linen, to bring-- one a camisole top, one a knee-length dress. They are easy and go together quickly. So, 4) and 5).

6) I am going to make the Rockwell dress without a muslin, from cotton voile. I had woven a waistband for it, but I just found fabric in my stash I could use to make the neck binding from and I might just do more bias tape for the waistband of that as well, while I’m doing it. i’ll have to see.

and 7) I also have an idea for a reversible dress I want to do, from a pattern I’ve made hacked with a technique I saw on the Internet, and that would be super neat to make and I think it would go together easily, but I might put it off for last and see how fast I can progress on these other projects.

Oh right but 8) I have a muslin all cut out, have for months, of the knit scoop-neck top/dress pattern that I want to make two of for this trip, and I couldn’t find the fucking pattern directions so I’ve finally given up searching and today printed off another copy. I have the damn thing cut out! I just need to put it together! And if it does, this should also be very simple and easy and quick to make more of, and i badly want at least one for this trip. So like. this is just a long list.

I just haven’t had any fucking time to work on this! I’ve gotten a lot done but I swear every other day someone wants me to come over or I have to go do some errand or I have to spend six hours on this other thing or whatever. If I just had like... several days, which I could spend sewing, i’d be done with all of this in no time. Maybe now that the holidays are done, I can make this happen.

We’ll see.

Tonight I need to cut out that beach coverup dress I think. I think I have time to work on some of this stuff. What’s been crucial for me so far is to have a good mix of machine-sewing and cutting out and such, which I do in the basement when I’m good and awake, vs hand-sewing and finishing and such, which I can do on the couch while watching stupid YouTube or whatever. So the key for me is to get stuff from the basement done while I have the brainspace for it, and stockpile couch-sitting work so I can work on it when I’m fit only for zoning out.

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