#the café was only making less than $20 a week

[beloved-blaiddyd]

A Tasteless Cup [Yandere!Joker/Reader]

Prompt: After the destruction of your previous reality, you and Akira Kurusu landed in Teyvat. In an effort to stay afloat, Akira had set up a book café in Mondstadt alongside you. However, is this the true flavor of "Freedom"? [Dedicated to: Riley H. Goodheart, for the Alone Together event]

CW: yandere themes, dubious food, manipulation/controlling behavior, toxic relationship dynamic. P.S: Akira is aged up [20s] in this fic, happens after Persona 5.

To Akira, those he lets into his heart will become an intrinsic part of him. They are more than a trick of a card, more than a mask to mimic and steal for his own, more than a numbers game. Every bit of them is his soul. His relationships are the culmination of his being and, eventually, his raison d'etre. 

And Akira Kurusu had a hard time coping with losing these links. 

To others, relationships are no different from chains. The surrounding people are less a home and more like bars to a cage— a prison. And despite being somewhat of a Mr/Ms. Congeniality, you aren't as affected by the fact that neither of you can return to your respective world.

You are both empty. You have been handed a clean slate, an empty card, and an empty vision.

You are both "fools" again.      

"Bit too early in the morning to start a serious discussion…" Akira tiredly muttered, removing his glasses before rubbing his eyes.

But as long as the sun rises once more, does a rebirth truly matter?

Anyone would be remiss to disregard the sheer jadedness in his eyes and the slight breathlessness of his speech. Akira poured himself a cup. Normally served to others rather than his indulgence, you quietly noticed that his cup lacked sugar. The cafe owner drank and embraced its bitterness, unflinching. 

It's been three months since you both arrived in the world of Teyvat. Getting by as an Outlander proved difficult, and thankfully, Akira is kind towards you and a jack-of-all-trades. One might say he has "maxed out his stats." Charismatic, skilled, and bold, he has the makings for an entrepreneur with a pyro vision to boot. Unsurprisingly, he had become one of old Mond's eligible bachelors in a short time frame. 

So, by just the third week, he managed to persuade Master Ragnvindr with a solid pitch. The cafe you both sit in is a testament to your shared hard work. With his brew proficiency and your hobby of accumulating knowledge through books and art pieces, the cozy place had become a second home for individuals such as the local librarian and the Guild's investigator. 

But you'll always remember his words the night before he was invited into Duke Ragnvindr's study room.

"Akira, are you sure about this?" You muttered, tugging his sleeve. "Once you finalize it, you can't just..."

"Hmm? Why are you hesitating?" He tilted his chin up slightly, confused. "It's a good way to keep our finances afloat, right? Don't you want to keep collecting books and art supplies? I thought you said you wanted to have a small library someday."

"But, for you to work this much for it-"

"You matter to me. You are the only thing left binding me down here in Teyvat." He casually shot you down, but his light tone could not erase the heaviness of his words. "Besides..."

"Don't you like it when I make a hot cup and fresh pastries just for you?" 

That dream materialized into something called Cafe LeBlanc. Though he claims the name wasn't his but a charming, cranky old man's— you doubt anyone else can come up with that. But he sounded genuine enough. His unexplainable "silent" face can sometimes make him a hard read.

… This isn't one of those times. You know what's troubling him quite well. 

"Yeah…" you muttered. "Can't we save this conversation for the end of the day instead?"

Akira laughed. 

"Smart," he hummed humorlessly. 

"You know I get too tired to do anything at night except washing dishes and doing crosswords. It's not happening. We'll have this talk now."

Fair enough. Avoiding one's problems is a mindset you never advocated. You'd be a terrible hypocrite if you start now. "Alright, I'll hear you out."

You shifted from your seat, dragging it closer to the counter. Akira downed his cup on the other side, revealing no liquid gold in its bottom. His eyes were wide awake thanks to the caffeine, yet you couldn't even glance upward. 

"(Y/n), do you remember how I got this pyro vision?"

You blinked, unsure how he'd make the fact relevant. Still, you nodded.

A long time ago, you liked how open Akira was about himself. You can tell he had immense trust issues he had worked on fixing. Akira is a good man. Being wrongfully expelled and imprisoned at a young age must've done damages you can't quite comprehend fully. Sometimes, you wish you had the courage to be just as vulnerable, too.

He traced the outline of a pyro symbol on the table with his slender finger collecting not a single dust nor stain. Despite the warmth his vision may hold, it did not detract from the cold atmosphere you both had to face. With the angle you were viewing him, you can't help but notice his eyelashes. They're prettier than yours, you thought. If only his glare wasn't so pointed.

"When I arrived in this world, I was alone and confused. But you? You weren't. I saw your face— the face of someone who had nothing to lose to begin with."

Akira's gaze softened. He was right. You adapted to this new world so suspiciously well. 

"I couldn't tell whether you saw our situation as a positive or whether you thought this whole transfer to another reality was a cruel joke. But I had a feeling you were as horrified as I was. That you couldn't bear the thought of living alone. I think that you also had friends you cared for, but now, you will never be able to hear their voices again."

He breathed in shakily, his eyes heavy. Akira may seem like a silent person, no different from Duke Ragnvindr, but the time you spent together backs up what your instincts are testifying right this second.

There's one true thought in his mind.

After all his efforts.

After all that he has gone through so that you'll stay by his side.

What was it all for?

"So, when a Lawachurl wounded you in Windrise, I stepped in. I can't help but project myself onto you. I thought about how you must also have friends waiting– family waiting– whether it's a cat or a sister— I knew I just had to. I had to risk everything, even if you were just a stranger to me then." He clenched his fists. "And you were worth it. You were absolutely worth every risk. You were worth everything. I knew I had to survive, if not for myself, but to help you."

"Even without some sort of— card– or whatever— to indicate it, I knew our relationship was progressing. That our understanding of each other has reached such high ranks. I know we had become each other's most trusted confidant, so why? Listen, I value freedom too, but—"

He slammed his cup down— you jolted as you heard it chip slightly. It wasn't his intent to scare. Akira would never wish to frighten you. But he can't stop his emotions and movements from being brash and pointed. 

"... Why did you want to quit working with me?"

There it goes.

"Is it because I haven't spent much time with you lately? You know I've been busy with trying to invest in a better flat—"

The pace of his breathing was starting to quicken.

"Kurusu, it's not that…" You need to rationalize this with him. Fast.

"I-Is it because work has been too much? I told you we could hire someone if you feel too faint for the job. I care about your health— hell— maybe even more than you do—"

"Akira, listen to me—"

His futile attempt to maintain control was like an age-weakened thread. The fibers of his composure whittled away string by string, itching to snap entirely. Akira's jaw clenched. 

The manacle may not be anchoring his feet down as it did in the Velvet Room, but there's no denying that doubt is tugging and clawing at his neck. He knew that if he should continue, only strained words would come from his coffee-bitter lips. 

He rubbed his head against his shoulder. He had to have been wiping a tear away, trying to make it unnoticeable but failing.

"But why are you LEAVING m—"

"Behold, for this fine hour, you are not only graced with the presence of soft rays— you are also blessed by myself: Fischl, the Prinzessin der Verurteilung!"

"Mein Fräulein meant to say good morning to you both, Arsene and Sholmes."

... Akira chuckled a short and strained sound that could easily be missed by a weak ear.

As though a switch had been flipped, Akira's contorted expression turned back to his customer service smile. You trembled slightly. Perhaps it's a skill he mastered during his part-time worker years in high school, but he seemed a little too good at hiding such overwhelming frustrations— almost shape-shifting.

It's… 

Eerie.

He's smiling. It's his usual smile he has that has a calm allure and a hint of cockiness.

As if nothing happened five seconds ago.

"Ah, greetings, Your Highness!"

The guests were none other than some of the regulars, Amy and her bird familiar. This blonde, eye-patched girl is the only person in Little Mond who consistently makes Akira act dramatic. 

He bowed, not missing a beat of young Amy's theatrics. After spending so many years chatting with Yusuke, he's gotten used to bouncing back conversations of this nature. Akira enjoys the young investigator's company. He saw tiny bits of his friend in her.

"What shall we, humble servants, offer you this dawn? Will it be your usual order, or does our dear royal have something else in mind entirely? We will do our best to provide you with maximum entertainment! After all, this is your castle, Mein Fräulein."

You stiffened.

We.

He's not letting you go just yet. You caught a glimpse of his dark pupils, slightly moving to meet yours. Imploring you without words to act out of his best interest.

Akira Kurusu has always been a witty man, but there is no way there's no anger beneath that mask.

"Are you alright, Sholmes?" Oz asked.

For whatever reason, Akira persuaded Amy to call you both Arsene Lupin and Herlock Sholmes. The former was likely a nod to his first persona's name. His explanation for the latter was something along the lines of "you strike me as the type who always wants to search for your truth."

You blinked.

Right. You're his version of Sherlock Holmes.

Ha.

Even here, he gets to dictate everything about you.

"... Yes, Your Highness, to what do I owe the pleasure?" you said. The blonde girl smiled and tilted her head up pompously. 

"What other brew could I possibly order but the darkest taste that leaves any normal mortal to shrivel in imagination?" Amy shrugged, her eyebrow raised as though everyone knew what she babbled on with commendable sass. Her aviator companion thankfully cleared the air— albeit a little too blunt.

"Mein Fräulein desires a cinnamon ginger affogato with more sugar than last time, please. Two spoons for the poor Mein Fräulein."

"O-Oz!?!"

It's easily one of the least bitter cups on the menu. It consists of vanilla gelato, a tablespoon of espresso powder, cinnamon sticks, hazelnut liqueur, and bits of dried sunsettia. I can't say what would make anyone fear such a thing except for those with complications. Someone else shared the same sentiment.

You and Akira laughed in unison.

Your eyes widened in astonishment. That was in sync. You immediately looked away as Akira busied himself with Amy's order. It was awkward knowing that even with your efforts to cut things off, there was still some vague commonality between you two.

"... Say, your Highness?" Akira smiled softly. "Would it be alright for me to probe some of your most revered royal musings?"

...

...

... What is his play this time?

"You have my ears, dear subject."

"Suppose there is a princess who is facing an uphill battle. Furthermore, her valiant knight aspires to rescue her. However, the princess, for unknown reasons, declines his assistance. Is that..." He shut his eyes, laughing that strained chuckle once more. "... equittable?"

"Oh, most grievous indeed! A knight, who is obligated by the code of chivalry, shall always respond to the plea of his princess when she is in peril. His solemn obligation is to protect her honor and safeguard her from any danger!"

Akira looked at you.

His eyes were cold.

"But what if the princess doesn't want to be saved? What if she believes she can handle the situation herself, or maybe she thinks having assistance would make her weak?"

"Ah, but thou dost speak in riddles!" Amy scoffed, unamused. "A princess may exhibit abundant power and courage, yet it is the responsibility of her faithful knight to guarantee her safety, especially when she questions her own necessity. For what good is a knight's valor if not to serve and protect his liege?"

"Would you say her actions essentially strip him of his purpose?"

"Why, of course!" Amy replied with full conviction. "One would not require Oz if he lacks such a necessary trait! It is the basis of our trust– our relationship! A true knight's honor lies not in the glory of battle, but in his unwavering commitment to his princess, even in the face of her refusal."

You sucked in a deep breath.

Akira, you—!

"Speak frankly. Do these inquiries pertain to me?" Amy glared at him. Akira shook his head immediately, umping up his flamboyant voice inflections.

No.

It's about you.

It's always about you when it comes to him.

"Of course not!" Akira feigned worry. "It was for a novel I'm writing— to honor one's love."

… To honor one's "love".

Love? You froze. He calls this relationship love? It hadn't been that for the past few months! Love is meant to be like coming home to a comforting home— not a cold palace with your unfeeling statue at the heart of it all.  

You were hoping that your life would be dictated by what you want it to mean this time around. You hope to create your own purpose, your own identity. You hope to reject his titles—being his partner and his "Sholmes." 

But mostly, you sincerely hoped his words were untrue and did not allude to something as sinister and self-destructive as his love.

Besides, you already have a lover waiting for you to leave this mess behind.

You and he already have everything planned out. A rented flat, food, work— everything is set. The only box to tick off was leaving itself, and then you'll be in your lover's arms.

But you swore.

You swore you just saw him smirk.

"(Y/n), could you please lend me a hand? Can you pass the cinnamon sticks from the cupboard?"

Starting your day by serving Amy leads to serving a hundred more. You can't just stand up and leave whenever someone asks for your service. It's impossible to make the shortest comment about how you no longer work for LeBlanc, even more so when people beg for book recommendations. Being friendly is part of who you are. It can't be helped.

What made matters worse was that people were ordering seconds. Apparently, Akira must've adjusted all the recipes on the menu because whatever was added to those cups made it all the more divine. You knew his skills were perfection, but to think he could even exceed that...

In the end, despite multiple delays, Akira still got you right where he wanted you.

"Thank you. Please come again!" He escorted the final customer outside and flipped the closing sign himself.

Now, it was just the two of you left.

"... You must be tired." You offered, hoping he wouldn't catch on. "It's been a long day, why don't you take a rest—"

"Nice try." 

Well, it was worth a shot.

You stiffly waited for him to say something. Anything. But instead, he took a kettle off the icebox and heated the stove with his vision. 

"Back to my story, do you remember where we left off?"

The wisest thing to have down was biting your tongue or pretending not to know what he was talking about. Unfortunately, your answer was immediate.

"Something about how you got your vision?"

"Ah, yes, that." Akira laughed. "Say, I told you about how I used to be the leader of the Phantom Thieves when I was in High School, right?"

While waiting, Akira tapped his fingers against the table but stopped when he realized you were becoming distracted. Snapping out of it, you cleared your throat.

"You were stealing hearts in the Metaverse, yes, I recall..." You mumbled. Due to the sudden need to speak, you ended up unwittingly playing by his script again. "You manifested a Persona and used that to reform the heart of rotten adults."

You flinched slightly when his tea was starting to release thin smokes. It smelled too much like rust. Maybe he exhausted it too much today. The customers you had were double the amount. You had to commend his willpower for still managing exceed his usual sleep schedule.

"Isn't the kettle burning?"

"Trust me, it's not," he answered nonchalantly. "I remember when I told my story to you, you were mostly understanding of our actions. You didn't judge us. Rather, you told me that humanity is selfish and destructive."

"But back to how I got my vision," he finally turned the stove off. "I genuinely thought my most distinct trait was my appreciation for Freedom."

"Yet you got a pyro vision." You joked lightly.

He didn't laugh. Instead, he nodded.

"Strange, isn't it?" Akira tilted his head to look at you for a bit, before back at the hot cup he was pouring. It's the same liquid he's been adding the entire day. This must be the last of those ten pints. "Here, try it."

You slowly took it. It's still a bit too warm, so you continued talking.

"I thought about it, too. If we go by theories, it will make more sense if Barbatos blessed me instead. But with you here..." Akira laughed. "Pyro is definitely my element. I'm seeing a pattern with vision-wielders like me. Based on what I've seen so far, pyro users are often the most passionate. And passion can put a leash on freedom when need be."

You took a sip.

He put an elbow on the table and propped his chin on his palm.

"How is it?"

"It's... tasteless?" You blinked. 

You thought he must've added something grand to the cups today. Was it all just one big placebo effect?

"Makes it no different than regular water, huh?"

"Well, yeah, I guess?"

"I've actually been disposing of this the entire day, that's why the coffees looked darker. Diluting the original sample is hard work but worth it. Enough as a substitute for normal water in case we run out. Who knew you could empty 10 pints so quickly in a day..." 

"You. In case you run out." You sighed, finally addressing it. "Akira, I'm no longer your partner."

"So is he."

You both paused.

He returned the kettle to the ice box before unmasking its contents.

"You were near-fatally wounded once before. You tasted it in your mouth when I defended you from that Lawachurl-

"You should know by now that blood isn't supposed to be tasteless."

Riley H. Goodheart can now message Akira Kurusu

#$ first follower event #$ brynn's manuscripts #yandere joker #yandere joker x reader #yandere akira kurusu #yandere ren amamiya #yandere akira kurusu x reader #yandere ren amamiya x reader #akira kurusu x reader #ren amamiya x reader #joker x reader #yandere persona #yandere persona 5 #yandere persona 5 x reader #why does he have so many names and aliases. #persona #persona 5

[chamomiletealeaf]

❄️ Baby It's Cold Outside ❄️

When you, a barista at a cozy coffee shop is on the closing shift, a familiar face walks in just as you’re about to get badly snowed in from an unexpected snow storm, leaving you with no choice but to stay the night, a café couch, and the company of Simon Riley.

wc: 4,184

a/n: So sorry this took so long ugh! So much has been happening recently with my birthday last week, Christmas, and some mental health issues. But! I'm doing better! And writing always helps. This was super fun to write and I hope you all enjoy! Happy Holidays everyone! <3

Warnings: None! Avoid reading if you don't want to be smothered with super adorable fluffiness.

“Tonight’s forecast will be a high of 35 and a low of 20. Expect up to five inches of snow tonight. Stay safe, and stay warm. Happy Holidays!” The weather woman on the TV cheerily smiled as she gave the weather report. You listened to the TV as you wiped down a tiny circular table the only two customers just got up from in the little coffee shop you worked in, desperately trying to scrub away a dried coffee stain left due to the lack of a coaster used despite it being provided at the table. 

*spritz spritz*

You spray the table again, sighing as you finally wipe away the chestnut colored ring stain. Five inches of snow tonight meaning less customers, or at least you hoped. You loved your job, but man were you tired. It was a holiday weekend after all. You’ve been working at the little coffee shop on the corner of the city for what seemed like ages now. You enjoyed the ambiance of the place. How comforting and cozy it was no matter what time of year, the warmness of the fairy lights illuminating the room, the ring of the bell above the door when people walk in, the quiet chatter of customers enjoying a little break in their day, the soft clanks of dishes and cups being placed down or picked up, and the slight buzz of the coffee machines whirring. It all became something so familiar to you. Comforting in a way. Sure there was always the occasional rude customer that sometimes made you want to cry in the break room or burst out laughing with your coworkers in the back, but that made your job all the more interesting. What made up for it was the amount of good customers you had. Super kind regulars who always tipped well and shared their lives with you, some even inviting you places with the group they were with. 

But your favorite customer was quite the opposite of the other chatty regulars. You only ever saw him a few months at a time, and you never caught his name, but you always recognized him and remembered his order, always patiently awaiting his return. He was a big, tall man. Intimidating even, with light blonde hair that was always a bit messy as if he had just pulled a hat or mask off. You noticed the slightest sliver of tattooed skin on his left forearm when he would reach over to hand you a tip or to pick up the Earl Grey tea he always got with just a little bit of vanilla creamer in it. You always tried to make his orders look pretty to brighten his day, and for him to know it was special from you, so you always put whatever mini flower from the plants in the café you took such good care of in it. You hoped he would notice that his tea was the only one with the little purple flower in it. He only said a few words but tipped very well and would wait his turn to be served by you which you always thought was strange, since other baristas' lines were free. He never shared anything about himself other than small talk you would make with him, but he seemed happy to engage in your conversations due to the slight upturn of his lips when he listened to you talk. He was stealthy and quiet, like a lone wolf keeping distance from other animals, and the way he lurks in the shadows, observing like a ghost. His tired, soft, sweet, honey brown eyes never left yours as you spoke and you swore you could find the faintest hint of relief, no, comfort in them when he listened to ramble. You sometimes got lost in the way his light brown freckles on his nose, cheeks, and around his eyes looked like constellations and you wondered if any of them actually matched any. I mean, he did look like he was sent from the heavens above where the stars lived anyway. He was just that gorgeous. You wouldn’t be surprised if he was a speck of stardust turned into a human, with him being so pretty and all. He was kind of like a shooting star too. If you look away for a second, you might miss him. But if you do catch a glimpse of him once in a blue moon, you can’t help but feel like the universe is on your side. 

There wasn’t anyone left in the coffee shop but you after the last two customers left. It was close to 8 pm. The shop closed at 10 but considering the outdoor conditions, maybe you would be able to close a little earlier and get home before you wouldn’t have a way out. You finally finish wiping down the tables and pushing in all the chairs and take a second to look outside as you make your way back behind the counter. Gray dark skies darken the little part of the world you’re in and white flurries begin to fall, creating a light blanket of snow muffling the sounds of the earth the way a pair of fuzzy earmuffs might. As you watch the snowflakes fall from the inside of the café, mesmerized by their glistening, you hear the door chime. You snap out of your trance and scurry behind the counter, not looking in the direction of the door trying to make it look like you were working. Still not looking towards the customer, back towards the counter, you turn on the coffee machine and greet whoever walked in.

“Hi, welcome! How are y-”

You turn around and stop in your tracks when you see him. Blonde hair disheveled as always and sullen eyes looking ever so slightly relieved, cheery even with the way you catch the subtle glimpse of what can best be described as a hopeful twinkle in his pretty brown eyes. 

“Hi love.” The sound of his deep Manchester accent floods your body with warmth and you can’t help but smile.

“Well, look who it is. I haven’t seen you around here in ages! Started to think you found another shop.” You giggled, leaning on the counter in front of you subconsciously bringing yourself closer to him. 

“How could I? Could never find service like yours anywhere else. No one could make my tea as good as you can either.”

You look down and smile abashedly, flustered by his kindness and a bit shocked at his talkativeness. You figured it was because of the privacy you two had alone in the café.

“I’m so sorry to show up with the weather like this, but I just got back from work yesterday and I’ve been missing a bit of warmth.”

“Oh don’t apologize! I always have time for you.” You smile at him and you both look at each other for a bit, both getting lost in the other’s gaze.

You snap out of it first, jumping back from the counter to turn to put the kettle on. 

“Come, sit! I’ll make your usual.” You gesture to the bar stool at the counter and he pulls a chair out and watches you make his tea.

“Earl Grey with just a splash of vanilla creamer still, yeah?”

He chuckles and crosses his arms on the counter leaning on them.

“I don’t know how you do it.”

You smile to yourself, back still turned to him as you prepare the loose leaf tea to steep. You’re glad he’s finally opening up to you a bit.

The weather woman on the TV comes back on, gaining both of your attention. You turn your head from the tea kettle to the TV above the counter to the right, leaning back a bit to see and Simon looks too. 

“Well it looks like we’re getting more snow than initially expected tonight. From now until early morning, expect blizzards with over ten inches of snow. Stay safe and warm everyone!”

You and Simon look at each other after the weather woman finishes and the TV goes to a commercial break.

“Damn, I should take this to go then. Don’t wanna keep you open too long. They got no one else helping you close? Would hate to have you drive home in this.” He says.

You panic for a second hearing his plans to leave the shop so you can close and your eyes widen.

“No no! It’s- it’s ok.” You say a bit loudly.

“If anything, I’ll take the subway. I don’t live too far from here.” You reassure him.

He frowns at the thought of you traveling home alone.

“Well, maybe I’ll walk you then. It’s the least I can do to thank you for your hospitality.”

“I’d like the company.” You say with a smile.

You pour his tea into the cup and go to place it in front of him, but pull back at the last second.

“Oh wait! I almost forgot, don’t drink it yet!” You say as you jog over to the flower plant by the coffee machine, picking a tiny purple flower off of it. You bring it over to the cup of tea in front of him and place it in.

“I take care of the plants myself. Don’t worry, they’re clean.” You smile and he looks at the little flower floating around in his tea.

“You know, I only put flowers in your tea.” You giggle, and he looks up.

“Thank you. It’s lovely.” He lets himself smile back at you, heart melting at the way you’re so giddy and happy to serve him and treat him so special that he doesn’t even notice the storm outside, and neither do you. 

You do notice, however, that you never caught the man’s name.

“You know, I never got your name, after all the times you’ve been here.” You say to him.

He takes a sip of his tea, and hesitates for a second, thinking about whether or not to tell you his real name. You don’t know about his job, or who he is at all. No one other than the Task Force does. He wouldn’t want to put you in any danger. He’s already risking enough going out in civilization without his balaclava, figuring that it would attract more attention due to him sticking out being the only one with a mask on. But as he places his cup down on the saucer and looks up at your wide, patient eyes awaiting his answer, what kind of person would he be to let you down and kill the anticipation in your eyes, let alone lie to you? After all you’ve done for him? All the kindness you’ve shown? Maybe just a first name would be ok. After all, anyone could find out his first name from anything really. He opens his mouth then closes it, then opens it again.

“Simon.” He answers. “My name is Simon.”

Your heart flutters and melts like a snowflake falling on salted pavement at the sound of his name coming from his voice. 

“Simon.” You repeat back smiling. “Simon Simon Simon.” You chant in a sing-songy voice, getting used to the name. “That’s pretty. It suits you.” You say, cheeks starting to hurt from the smile plastered over your face.

Simon blushes at the sound of his name falling from your lips, finding himself wanting to hear it more often.

“What’s your’s love?” Simon asks.

You tell him your name and it was his heart’s turn to flutter and melt. He smiles at you and whispers your name to himself, familiarizing himself with it. He’s never felt so warm before, and he was quite shocked with the feeling, almost alarmed at it. He straightens up in his chair to try and stop himself from losing himself in you.

“That’s beautiful.” He smiles again, and takes a sip of his tea again.

A bang on the glass of the window on the other end of the shop grabs both of your attention. You both turn your heads and look outside, forgetting about the storm out there.

“Geez I forgot it was a blizzard out there.” You say worriedly. A gust of wind picked up a fallen tree branch and thrusted it against the window pane which caused the noise. 

Simon notices the worry in your voice and expression and an instinct to comfort and protect you takes over his being. He’s afraid of it. It’s unfamiliar, but he can’t help it, especially not when your pretty face looks anything but happy and the way your baby hairs messily poke out from your ponytail.

“Let me help you clean up. I don’t reckon anyone else coming by tonight. I’ll walk you to the subway.” Simon says, almost too enthusiastically and who are you to say no to those warm, honey brown eyes. 

But as you open your mouth to answer, the power goes out. Causing you to yelp instead of speak, leaving you and Simon in the darkness, both snapping your heads up at the ceiling to try and find where the light bulbs were that just flickered out. 

“Well, closing is gonna be a bit more difficult tonight than expected.” You say.

“Shit.” Simon says. 

There isn’t any light except from the glow of the snow from outside, but you can still make out Simon’s strong features, still looking so handsome, even in the dark. 

“There’s a fireplace by the couch. It’s gas powered so it should work.” You leave from behind the counter, stumbling around to find your way over to it. You feel around the mantle and sigh in relief when you find the switch. You switch the fireplace on illuminating the coffee shop and Simon gets up from his seat to walk over to the window, leaving his tea on the bar top. He looks outside and you make your way over to his side, and look out the window too. 

“The snow is too high to open the door, let alone walk in.” Simon says.

“Simon?” You say in a quiet voice.

He looks down at you, and you never really realized the height difference between you two, considering he’s normally sitting down at a table when you are talking to him.

“Yeah hun?”

“I don’t think either of us are going home tonight.” You say and wrap your arms around yourself due to the sudden chill in the room from the power outage. 

Simon looks out the window again, thinking of how to answer, or what to do next. Then, he laughs to himself, then looks back down at you.

“Unfortunately, I think you might be right love.” He says, and the pet name immediately warms your insides up again. 

You both stand there staring out the window a bit, unsure of what to do next.

“Well.” You say, breaking the silence. “Might as well get comfortable then. Looks like we’re staying the night.” You blush to yourself at the thought of spending the night with Simon. You also think to yourself how you’re asking for a raise when you get out of this mess. You move to sit on the couch in front of the fireplace, and Simon follows, sitting on the opposite side, nervous to get too close to you. You take off your apron and let out your hair, and Simon can’t help but watch you and how your features become more defined with the light and shadows created by the luminosity of the fire. You looked so beautiful and Simon has never felt so safe and happy. It’s weird to him, considering he barely knew you at all, and he’s not used to feeling this way, but he lets himself, just this once. 

“So.” You say, leaning back into the couch, taking off your shoes and pulling up your legs to sit criss crossed. 

“What do you do for work?” You turn and ask him, and his smile fades a bit. He turns his gaze towards the fire and you notice the change in his demeanor and you regret asking. 

“Can’t exactly talk about it.” Simon says, remembering that, right, he had a job. A scary and difficult one. 

“Oh. Sorry.” You apologize, and turn your gaze to the fire as well. 

Simon notices the embarrassment and regret in your voice and he snaps his head back to you.

“Oh no no it’s ok love. Not your fault.”

His reassurance makes you feel a little better and you regain some of your confidence.

“Well, you already know what I do for work.” You joke. 

Simon chuckles at that and leans back in his seat, looking back at the fire, getting more comfortable. 

“That I do.” He says, and he spreads his legs and puts an arm on the ledge of the couch behind him, making you blush since his arm was almost touching you. 

“And you do a damn good job at it.” He smiles.

You look at him looking at the fire and you notice the reflection of the fire in his eyes and how well the warm colors compliment each other. You wished you could stay here like this forever, just looking at him, just being with him, even if you barely knew him at all. There was something so domestic about Simon. Something so… homely.

Even with the fire going, and despite the warmth Simon made the inside of your body feel, the cold air of the dark coffee shop began to prick at your skin once again, causing you to wrap your arms around yourself as you and Simon sat in a comfortable silence staring at the fire as if it were telling you both it’s deepest darkest secret. Simon notices you curl in on yourself and he turns his head towards you.

“Here.” He says after a second, analyzing why you curled up, and he begins to take off his fleece lined cargo jacket. 

“Oh no I’m ok.” You lean away from him a little, not wanting him to sacrifice his comfort for yours.

“You’re shivering love. It’s ok, here, take it.”

You reach out and grab the heavy jacket and place it over your shoulders. It was big, heavy, warm, and smelled like him. Like mahogany teakwood and firewood that once burned but went damp from rainfall, leaving only clouds of smoke as evidence of it ever being set aflame. He smelled earthy, musky, but nice and clean with a hint of raw sweetness like a jasmine flower, and you drowned in it.

“Thank you.” You said shyly, flustered at how intimate wearing his jacket was.

“Looks better on you than it does me.” Simon says, and you giggle. 

You look at each other and smile for the millionth time that night and scooch a little bit closer to him and he does the same. The blaze of the gas fireplace lighting up the little corner of the coffee shop you two sat in with a low orange glow. 

You glanced out the window which reminded you of the storm outside. All of a sudden, you remember something.

“Oh my god!” You gasp and stand up, startling Simon a bit.

“What is it?” Simon asks, a worried expression on his face.

“I completely forgot oh my god.” You say as you throw his jacket off and scurry off the couch to a closet hidden away in a tiny hall for the employees to walk through to get to the break room next to the kitchen. Simon turns his body and watches you run away, hearing your shuffling about in the hallway.

You feel around the closet and finally feel a cardboard shoebox.

“Ah, yes.” You whisper to yourself as you pull the box down and search in the dark through it. You feel what you’re looking for and you smile to yourself, picking it up out of the box and holding it to your chest and you place the shoebox back into place and begin your way in the dark back to the couch.

“Everything alright back there?” Simon asks, body still turned towards you and you emerge from the dark back into the light of the fire, something small and rectangular in your hands. 

“I remembered that we have this for emergencies.” You say, and pull the item away from your chest, presenting it to Simon as you take your place back next to him on the couch, sitting on his jacket. 

I thought this would be helpful so we don’t have to drain the battery on our phones.

In your hands was a tiny, black, battery powered AM/FM radio.

Simon looks at the item in your hands and smiles at how cute you are. You would have no way of knowing Simon’s expertise when it comes to radio and communication especially in a dire situation. He finds your enthusiasm so adorable and he lets you have your moment, especially when you look so proud of yourself.

“Smart.” Simon says with a smirk.

“The batteries should be fully charged, since we never used it before.” You say as you fidget with the tiny box, trying to find the switch to turn it on.

“Who knew we would ever have to us-” The sound of static abruptly interrupts you and you jump a bit.

“Ah, there we go.” You say and adjust the dial on the side to find a signal, and the sound of a weather report slowly fades in, drowning out most of the static.

“Blizzards tonight with winds exceeding 40 mph at the least. Power outages have been reported across the city. It’s unsure when the power will come back but live updates will be provided.” You and Simon stare at the radio in your hands and listen to the report with eager ears.

“You know, it’s funny.” You say, speaking over the radio, gaining Simon’s attention. “One of the first things you said to me was that the reason you came by today was because you needed something warm, which is kinda the exact opposite of what’s happening now.” You say with a chuckle. Simon nods his head with a smile.

“Well, I didn’t exactly mean something warm like the temperature love.” He says, and you blush at his reference to what could only mean you, keeping your gaze on the radio in your hands, trying to ignore his eyes boring into you.

You adjust the knob on the radio and switch it to FM, trying to find some music to ease the tension in the air between you two. After a few adjustments and turns, the static fades into soft jazz music and you light up at the lovely, rich sound of the saxophone and piano through the tinny sound of the old speaker. You place the radio on the coffee table between the couch and the fireplace and wrap Simon’s jacket around yourself again. The warmness of him, the fire, and the relaxing jazz music made your head fuzzy, and you could feel yourself getting tired. You move in closer to Simon and he puts his feet up on the coffee table, crossing one ankle over the other. You feel him hesitate a bit before he places an arm around you, securing you by his side.

“Is this ok?” He whispers to you.

“It’s perfect.” You look up at him and whisper back with a smile. “Even though we don’t know how long we’re gonna be stuck here.” You laugh to yourself at the absurdity of the situation, still finding it hard to believe.

Simon hums in agreement, but he doesn’t mind, and neither do you. Not when you two are together like this. You lean your head on Simon’s chest and he turns his body towards you slightly, making himself more comfortable for you. You two hardly knew each other, only the feeling you both got when you were in each other’s presence, but it still felt like you two didn’t know anyone in the world but each other for your whole lives. You let yourself drift off to sleep against Simon’s chest, wrapped in his jacket with the soft light of the fire and slight staticy jazz music from the mini radio, letting yourself leave the stress and worry of the aftermath of being trapped at work for the next day. Simon lets himself drift off to sleep too. The snow is too piled up for anyone to come in or out, and it’s not like you two are completely stranded, so Simon’s survival instincts could be put off for a while. This was a problem to worry about tomorrow. Because right now, all that mattered was the softness Simon was experiencing inside that he never felt before, even if it terrified him. It just felt right. 

And even though Simon’s heart was cold, harsh, and sometimes unforgiving, matching the conditions of the current weather, the only thing that was cold right now, was the world outside the coffee shop on the corner of your little city.

#call of duty #cod mw2 #simon ghost riley #simon riley #simon ghost riley x reader #ghost cod #christmas #merry christmas #happy holidays #<3 #ghost #ghost call of duty #series #fanfic #call of duty fanfic #fluff #fluffiness #fluff fic #fanfiction #cod mw #cod #cod mw3 #simon riley x reader #ghost x reader #simon riley cod #simon ghost riley cod #simon ghost riley call of duty #x reader #coffee shop au #coffee shop

[merakiui]

I saw akademiya wanderer. My brain functions at mach 20. Imagine having a project with him or sharing the same dorm cuz you're broke! Oh the possibilities!

SHARING A DORM……… he can be such an annoying roommate at times and you know he acts the way he does just to be a playful nuisance. When he cooks breakfast for you each morning before the two of you head off to classes (sometimes he won’t let you leave the dorm until you eat; he just wants to make sure you’re taking care of yourself), he insists he only does this because if he didn’t you’d just starve and it would be annoying to hear you complain about being hungry. He walks the long distance to your classroom just to make sure you won’t try cutting class (not that you ever do) before eventually leaving for his own classroom. And he always waits outside the door for you once class is over, though it’s usually to teasingly nag you over various things. Definitely not because he wants to walk home with you or go to a nearby café to study and talk! No way!

Since the two of you live together, you’re bound to get into a few…situations. :) Wanderer has caught you masturbating before or he’s walked in on you while you were bathing or changing. You never seem to catch him being anything less than perfect (or maybe he does things when you’re sleeping… :) hmm somnophilia…), and he either vows to never speak to you about it again or he’ll tease you to the Abyss and back just to see your flustered expression. The two of you play TCG on weekends when you’re not swamped with assignments and projects, usually gambling certain things. Loser has to do laundry. Loser has to cook for the week. Loser has to do whatever the winner wants for an entire day. And so on. Wanderer claimed he could care less about trivial things such as card games, but he ends up really enjoying it. He has quite the competitive streak and loves to win, especially if there’s a prize to be had. >:)

You often drag him to gatherings and events so that he can be more social. He complains about it, but he can be tame for your sake (and your sake only). Truthfully, he’s willing to go anywhere you go so long as he’ll be able to stand by your side. Wanderer gets a little huffy if you bring your friends back to the dorm, and good luck bringing home a partner. You may have tried to get into the mood with them before, but Wanderer was such an irritating cockblock, barging into your room, making noise in the kitchen, spontaneously cleaning and organizing things around the dorm; and so it made it impossible to get into any sort of sensual mood. Wanderer likes to chase any potential partners away. You only need him, after all. He’s made it his mission to protect and gatekeep you from others.

After finals week has passed, the two of you usually celebrate. Whether that’s by going out for a celebratory meal with some friends or staying in and relaxing, you always end up having a lot of reckless fun together. One particular finals week left the both of you so drunk you ended up falling asleep in a heap of limbs together. Neither of you can truly remember all that you did that night, but Wanderer often jokes that if he’s ever going to have drunk sex with someone he’d want it to be with you. You tell him to be real and stop with the meaningless flirting. He laughs; if only you knew.

#genshin chit chat #yandere wanderer #yandere scaramouche

[accessibledaytrips]

Hounslow Urban Farm

Hounslow Urban Farm (Faggs Rd, Feltham TW14 0LZ) is a small farm open from 10am to 5pm all days of the week. There is a large selection of animals, many rescues, for such a small centre. It is suitable for all ages with a clear focus on families with young children. They offer encounters a few times a day where you can hold a variety of animals. You can feed many of the animals around the farm at all times. It costs £6 for children and £7.50 for adults.

Parking

There are two disabled parking spaces outside the centre and the main car park is around 50 meters from the entrance. There are places to sit as you enter before you pay, I went during the week and it was fairly quiet with no queues.

Accessibility

There are plenty of benches around the farm so you can see almost every enclosure without worrying about walking too far. There is a small section at the back of the farm where it may take 5-10 minutes of slow walking until you can sit down again. A large amount of the enclosures had benches in front of them and for the majority of the farm there are benches every 20 meters. The total length of the farm is just under 100 meters.

Wheelchair Accessibility

About 80% of the centre has paths with only a small section at the back being grass. The paths are a bit rough in places but would still be manageable in a wheelchair or mobility scooter. I went mid day during the week and it was quiet with only a handful of other visitors, the centre was spacious and there were plenty of places to stop and rest while looking around.

The Animals

You can see typical farm animals such as cows, sheep, goats, chickens and pigs. But there are also various owls, peacocks, lamas, reptiles and more that you can find on their website. https://hounslowurbanfarm.co.uk/animals/

Conclusion

Overall Hounslow Urban Farm is a great place to visit. Being able to feed the animals and the activities they offer are great for people of all ages, there is a play area and bouncy castle for kids and a café on site. The farm is a little rough around the edges and with Heathrow airport next-door you do hear the planes go by, other than that it can be a great way to see a good selection of animals. The small size of the farm makes it a lot less intimidating for those with mobility issues, and as someone who used to enjoy going to zoos, this is an accessible way to see and learn about different animals again.

#accessibility #daytripideas #health #travel #wheelchair #accessibledaytrips #accessible travel

[5ft2sunflower]

This Y2K pastime is becoming a big hit among South Korean youth

Written by Jake Kwon, CNNSeoul, South Korea Contributors Jeong Jiwon, CNN

Agroup of girls giggle as they try on a pair of pink glasses, plush pig hats and bunny ears. At another counter of the studio, one carefully straightens her hair. Together, they cram into a photo booth, pose, and then marvel at the photo strips the machine drops below. They tape one onto a wall filled with images of other young patrons.

It's a familiar scene playing out at several hundred small photo studios that have recently opened in Seoul. The spaces — with no staff visibly present — typically house three to six booths and are open 24 hours a day.

Since the pandemic, the studios have become one of the trendiest destinations among South Korean Gen Z. On the main thoroughfare of Hongdae, the city's busiest district, they're found on every block — sometimes, only a few feet apart.

20-year-old university student Choi Hui-je told CNN he visits a studio every time he goes out with friends, which is around five to seven times a month. Once, he recalled in a phone interview, he went five times in one week.

"It's a necessary stop. We go for food, karaoke, café, and then the photo studio," Choi said.

19-year-old Jenny Dall'alba, a student in the southern city of Busan, estimates she's gone more than 70 times over the past few years.

"This is not a fad but a must-go-to every time," she said.

Many around the world may have their own memories of hopping into similar booths. In the early 2000s, they surged in popularity thanks to the development of digital technology and coveted sticker versions.

But two decades later, in the age of social media and post-pandemic, they've taken on a whole new life in South Korea.

With over 245 locations in the Seoul Metropolitan area and 200 more around the country, Life4Cuts has a major share of the market: the brand estimates 2 million people visit their studios every month.

On Instagram there are more than 1.1 million posts with the hashtag Life4Cuts (in Korean) — with everyone from K-pop stars to influencers posting the outcome of their shoots.

Some are seen copying poses from viral TikTok videos or mimicking anime characters' famous moves. Choi himself likes to channel the expressive memes of pink beaver character Zanmang Loopy from the 2003 South Korean animation Pororo the Little Penguin.

Dall'alba, who keeps all her photos together in a pouch, says she enjoys getting creative by choosing different props and frames. She adds that her friends like to pose with K-pop group members that are baked into each frame and go multiple times to make sure to get a photo with every star.

There are also Instagram accounts dedicated to teaching visitors poses to try the next time in a studio.

Booths nowadays have better lighting and features like timelapses which have contributed to their popularity.

Business owners see the studios as a safe investment opportunity.

Kim Joo-hyun opened his Busan-based Life4Cuts studio in 2020, when his restaurant began struggling during the pandemic. With no government permit required to operate, he was able to set up a shop in less than a month, with a relatively moderate investment of 180 million won ($134,000).

"There is a widespread notion that you won't lose money opening them," Kim said over the phone, adding that it doesn't take much physical work and he's seen a profit margin of 50%. And while Kim is concerned with growing competition, he is also actively searching for another location to open a studio.

Kim was initially skeptical of whether the studios would be a passing fad, but as people started bringing their family, older relatives, and even dogs into the booth he's since changed his mind.

"(Customers) can buy small but guaranteed happiness," he said, for little money at about 4,000 won or $3 a pop. "The day-to-day life may be difficult but they can enter and exit with a smile on their face."

The tangible aspect of the photos may be what's particularly appealing to Gen Z. But Choi says there's something deeper — the pandemic reminded him and others of how precious life is.

"We know well our youth will not last. It's to remember the precious moments."

[vladimirherisse]

Victory Church Rhode Island's Reckoning

Vladimir Herisse, Jr.

February 16 2023

Okay, maybe not a reckoning. But the nonprofit church's metrics will be stated and evaluated, and ways upon which the church's brand could be improved will be discussed. Suggestions of different sorts of metrics will be provided as well. Their Instagram and Facebook pages will be held under the light for today.

Because we are discussing a church, there won't be very many vanity metrics, right? The answer to that is difficult to discern. To start off, we will take a look at their Facebook page. They have 1.3 thousand followers, and a little over 1100 likes. They stream their church services every Sunday, which peaks at around 20 viewers per week. They also average around 200 people attending service in person every Sunday as well. Those numbers aren't too bad, especially since the church's capacity maxes out at around 250 attendees. Their Instagram page boasts 904 followers, which is an ever better percentage of users actually attending service. They average around 30-40 likes per post, so that percentage isn't as good. Most of their church population is people older than 40, so they aren't as tech-savvy as the younger generation.

Victory Church also has a five star rating on Facebook, with 70 reviews. It is a church, so there's virtually no negative things to report based off of quality and service. It still is a good metric to have on a front page. They have 478 posts on Instagram, which is a hefty amount. The church has been around for very nearly two decades, so they definitely do not post often. From my research I've seen they try to post picture from service every Sunday, and of course they livestream the service on Facebook every Sunday as well. A bonus metric they have in real life is the fact that their leadership makes up 10 different nationalities.

Now we will discuss the ways that Victory Church could improve their metrics. To start, they could start posting more Instagram Reels to reach a larger audience. Photo posts don't make it into the feeds of new viewers unless it is sponsored, but making reels is like free sponsorship. If they made videos and posted less photos, they would certainly grow larger. The next thing that they could do is create a TikTok page and begin posting on there. TikTok is the second most actively used social media platform, right behind Facebook. If they made some content for the younger generation, their audience could reach new leaps and bounds.

There are also some sorts of metrics that can be used for their page that they don't use already. One advanced metric they could use would be a collaboration network. They do have pastors come out for events and speak on topics, but they never usually post any content when the pastors or speakers are in town. If they created posts for each pastor and tagged the church the pastor was coming from, they would be able to reach the people that follow that church. The next sort of metric they could use would be a channel metric, which basically is a metric that measures reach of a post or a whole page. It cannot be said whether or not they utilize these metrics to determine what or when to post, but it can be concluded that they most likely do not, seeing as they post at the same time in the week every week (there's nothing wrong with that, they are just a non-profit church, after all, they aren't business people). The last metric is a tough one to utilize, especially for a church. Because they aren't aiming to make money, rather asking for donations, it's hard to get any data on revenue or "lifetime usage" because they only have donations. They do have a café, but it's a very small source of revenue, and they only lose money giving out sizable coffee for a dollar or two. They could harvest revenue data from the coffees, therfore.

While Victory Church is a medium sized nonprofit church, there are many hidden gems that they can take advantage of within their sphere to increase their audience and improve their services for the better.

Credit: Victory Church Rhode Island on Facebook and @vitorychurchri on Instagram

[umichenginabroad]

My Exclusive Tell-All: Study Abroad in Iceland

Hi blog family,

Welcome to my final blog edition of the summer series. I'm writing to you from my home in Boulder, Colorado, now nine days after departing my temporary home in Iceland. Even though it's been over a week, many of the magical qualities of the trip have stuck with me, so I'm excited to take a peek in rearview mirror and review my six weeks there with you all virtually by my side.

In the Classroom

The first word of "study abroad" is indeed study, and so although I've primarily covered the adventurous bits of my journeys, the time has come to hit the books. The two courses I took were Programming & Intro to Data Structures (EECS 280) and Sustainability in the Icelandic Context. EECS 280 certainly has a reputation at U-M for being a kind of "make or break" course for students in computer science, but my impression of the course is slightly less dramatic. Although squeezed into a near third of a regular semester, I felt that I had a much stronger grasp on some basic programming functionalities than I began with, and the course was appropriately challenging for someone with minimal coding experience beyond ENG 100. There was almost always some amount of "take home" work, but as my colleague Erin has pointed out, the assignments were manageable to get through while collaborating with classmates.

The sustainability course was significantly less work than EECS 280, which strikes a good balance given the constant workload of the latter course. This course covers several areas of engineering topics, including different renewable energy forms, an introduction to thermodynamics, and some real life case studies from Icelandic energy generation. What's special about this class is that it serves as a backbone for many of the program excursions to geothermal and hydropower plants, which gives you can opportunity to see the content in action.

Living in Reykjavik

TLDR: Reykjavik is expensive. Everything in Iceland is more expensive. This doesn't mean it's not worth going.

Housing, excursions, and transportation are covered through the program, which primarily leaves students with the responsibility of paying for their meal and merchandise purchases out-of-pocket. For quick reference:

A realistic weekly budget is probably around $250-$300 USD.

An average meal is $20-$40 USD.

A shirt from 66 North, the premier Icelandic outerwear brand, is $45-60 USD.

With all of this said, there are some truly unique spots in Reykjavik that are only a short walk down Laugavegur Street or elsewhere nearby, so here is my non-exhaustive recommendations list:

Kiki's - great spot for dancing on a Friday night

Perlan - amazing panoramic views, only a short walk from Reykjavik University, and has underrated gelato

Sundhöllin - "public baths" by the program housing which is a true local culture experience

Café Babalú - a quirky but cozy coffee house, also a great place for homework

Klambratún - the local park with super summer vibes during the few sunny days in Reykjavik

Packing List

Even though its the summer, you can pretty much expect one weather pattern on average in Iceland: overcast, 50 degrees Fahrenheit, with a chance of rain. Pack lots of waterproof clothing, not just for the day-to-day but for excursions outside of the city (such as waterfalls) that tend to soak visitors. One thing you won't need: a winter jacket. Although it gets cool, bringing a down coat will only collect dust in your closet, as it doesn't get even close to the temperature range of a Michigan winter. A useful utility for your electronics are power adapters, especially those that are also transformers (devices which can adjust voltage). The voltage of electricity coming out of outlets in Iceland is different than in the US, and so you'll need it any time you want to power up. A final word of advice is that you pretty much won't need any local currency, despite being a common piece of travel abroad advice. Not a single place I went didn't take credit/debit card payment, and in all likelihood you won't end up using any Icelandic krona you convert at the currency exchange.

Final Thoughts

If there's one thing you can take from my blog, it's that studying abroad in Iceland is an incredible experience. If you're looking for a program that incorporates sustainability, is set in a scenic landscape, and exposes you to unique cultural contexts, IPE Iceland checks all three boxes. The main tradeoff compared to other abroad programs is living expenses, but like those other programs, you will have the opportunity to offset those costs through roles like this (become a blogger for IPE!) or through IPE student funding. To put it simply, I have absolutely no regrets about coming to Iceland for my study abroad experience.

I am sad to say goodbye, but hopefully I've given some insight into what living in Reykjavik, Iceland for six weeks looks like. Should you have any lingering questions, don't hesitate to reach out, I'm happy to help!

I'll leave you with a few photos, in case you're not yet convinced about coming to Iceland ;)

Until next time,

Charlie Cappelletti

Industrial & Operations Engineering

IPE Iceland

#ipeiceland #umichenginabroad #ipesummer2022 #charliecappelletti

[thesimplyluxuriouslife]

The French Way: How to Create a Luxurious Everyday Life

"He who comes home with the most money doesn't win. He who comes home with the most experiences wins." - Steve Smith, contributor with Rick Steves in Rick Steves France 2015

The Simple Sophisticate, episode #23

One of the most exquisite pleasures in my experience has always been having time at home without a to-do list. To enjoy my sanctuary that comforts me, rejuvenates me and allows me to dream so that when I do step outside into the world I can do, seek and produce, is one of the things I most treasure about living simply luxuriously.

And so it began when I was a child, no doubt, as my mother always cultivated a warm home, but as I grew up and became responsible for establishing my own abode, it took much exploration, dead-ins from time to time and investment to create a space that allowed the everyday to be just as stimulating as new experiences brought about by travel.

And in so doing, paying attention to my home environment, I began to pay attention to how I spend my days. Was I exhausted and unfilled at the end or exhausted and feeling productive? Did I have time in my day to spend it with those I loved, converse with those who engaged in creative, uplifting and thought-provoking conversation or care for myself in such a way that respected my overall health? And depending upon my answer, I would tweak, eliminate, maximize or designate more or less time to those activities that improved the quality of living.

"He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often and loved much." -Bessie A. Stanley

As the quote reminds us, living well is truly about prioritizing how we spend our days. Did we make time to enjoy the day, spend it with those we hold dear, take time to respect what our minds and bodies need or did we cram everything into our waking hours in order to fit a mold that we weren't asked for input regarding its creation? Everyone's path to living well will be different, but the key is to know what you want - more loosely rather than specifically. Because as we know, our lives intermingle with the rest of the world, but if we bring our best selves, have good intentions and are willing to be true selves, success is possible when it comes to living well.

Recently, I was watching the travel guru Rick Steves discuss on PBS his explorations through the countryside of France. While staying at Chateau de Pray and dining on their outdoor terrace, his dining companion shared the quote listed at the beginning of today's post. And I couldn't agree more especially when it comes to travel, but why not bring a similar way of living into our everyday? Why not . . . live well each and every day? Why not use the nice china in the middle of the week? Why not treat ourselves regularly to dinner or lunch with a dear friend at a restaurant that piques our interest or tantalizes our taste buds? Why not sleep on silk pillowcases each night?

Many may quickly scoff at such ideas as being too indulgent, thus deflating the exhilaration that is felt when they are only experiences from time to time, but what I hope to bring to your attention today is that with patience and careful planning, everyday life can indeed be lived luxuriously and can actually enhance the quality of our lives. Below are 20 ways to foster a simply luxurious way of living, but these are just a taste. If you would like the full list inspired by the French way of living, check out chapter 10 "Indulging Your Inner Francophile" in Choosing The Simply Luxurious Life: A Modern Woman's Guide.

1. Cook at home. Find simple, yet delicious recipes and discover the pleasures of cooking on your own schedule for your own dietary needs and preferences. (View TSLL recipes here.)

2. Indulge in café time. Once, twice or three times a week depending up on your schedule and enjoyment, select a favorite local café and stop in for some reading time, moseying through magazine time, or chats with friends. Indulge in one of the patisseries delicious sweet treats and lose track of time.

~Les Deux Garcons cafe in Aix-en-Provence, cours Mirabeau~

3. Wear luxurious lingerie everyday. As I talk about in my book, lingerie is a necessity for the woman who wears it, not for those who might see her in it. Why? Because simply knowing we are wearing beautiful, comfortable, luxurious lingerie feels good. And everything begins with our thoughts. If we feel good, we smile more readily, we are more open to new experiences and our attitude is lifted.

4. Let go of busy. A powerful decision that will change your day-to-day living drastically for the better. Busy doesn't mean better or more productive, it simply reveals a life that perhaps could be managed better. After all, living well means living a life of quality. A life that focuses on what is necessary and lets go of the rest. And when you let go of busy, you have more time for moments of simple leisure and luxury that cultivate an everyday life to savor. (Click here to dive into this topic.)

5. Cultivate a capsule wardrobe for each season. Knowing you have in your closet clothes that will make you look and feel your best is a very powerful tool to possess as you begin your day. While this takes time and never really ends due to lives and bodies changing, it is worth our attention. (Click here to learn more about building a capsule wardrobe.)

6. Follow your own schedule. Perhaps it's Friday or even Saturday night, everyone must be out doing something, staying up late, right? Wrong. Your daily schedule is one that works for you and those you spend your time with. Perhaps you prefer Wednesday evenings out because Thursdays are lighter days at work and you enjoy spending your weekends waking up early and getting things done. Whatever schedule works for your goals, intentions, health, family, etc - adhere to it and don't apologize. After all, our lives, needs and desires change, listen to what is nudging you, calling your name and that is where you will find the unexpected beauty.

7. Discover a personal scent. Similar to knowing you are wearing luxurious lingerie is the choice of scent you layer upon your skin before stepping out the door for work or for play. A luxurious decision and investment, but one that will reveal your attention to detail.

8. Subscribe to daily/weekly/monthly periodicals. Running throughout the philosophy of living simply luxuriously is being well-read. Depending upon your lifestyle, curiosities, locale and interests, you will select reading material that interests you. Most importantly, gather knowledge, choose to learn something new each day, read a review of a new play or restaurant and be encouraged to give it a try. Become in the know of current events in order to strike up a conversation with anyone. Reading in truth, is a way of tickling your brain and refusing to live each day the same even if the events may be routine.

9. Save time and don't wash your hair everyday. Purchase a dry shampoo and have on hand for the days you don't lather up. Shampoo less often, thereby saving yourself more time in the morning, and believe it or not, improve the condition of your tresses. (Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk)

10. Invest in quality skincare products. In episode #13 of the podcast, specifics are shared on how to create glowing skin, and by investing in quality skincare products, your most beautiful skin will shine. The power of prevention is real, and while it takes time and a bit of investment, the pay-offs are tremendous.

11. Design a workout regimen to look forward to. Whether you enjoy exercising outdoors in Mother Nature or attending classes lead by instructors that inspire you and classmates that boost your mood, explore your interests and community to see what is available and what captures your needs and proclivities. Most people after having exercise will tell you that they feel better, energized and less stress, and if you can bring that into your everyday life, everything will be affected in a very positive way. (Revolver Yoga Studio, Walla Walla)

12. Find time to treasure hunt. Even if you are not necessarily going to buy, poke around in local consignment shops, yard sales, second-hand shops, antique boutiques and even boutiques that catch your eye. If nothing else, you will walk away with ideas on how to design, style and mix and match what you already have.

13. Be sincere, yet kind. While everyone has days that you are simply grumpy for any list of reasons, taking it out on others is something you will most likely regret. And even if you have to deliver news that isn't favorable, there is always a way to do so with kindness. Being conscious of how we treat people and our delivery will almost always be appreciated, and even if it is taken for granted, at least we can go home at night and feel good about the energy we put out into the world.

14. Shop at local vendors and boutiques. Perhaps you live in a town that you hand-selected for the community it offers, but what if you didn't? Either way, supporting local vendors when it comes to food or local boutiques when it comes to shopping for gifts, necessities and products not only builds good-will, but strengthens the economy of the local community. And additionally, when it comes to buying food locally, you benefit your overall health as most foods are free from pesticides and hold more nutritional value that your body craves.

15. Eat real food. Full of flavor that will satiate, real food is a choice your body will thank you for. Processed food may be more convenient and help you reduce the shopping trips to the grocery store, but in the long term, it is a bad investment. Returning home after a long day knowing the food you will be incorporating into your meal will be satisfying and nutritious will remove guilt and properly fuel your body for whatever it may be asked to do next.

16. Elevate the conversation. Easier said than done when we are exhausted, stressed and frustrated, but when you do your best to refrain from complaining and gossiping, you are less likely to go home in the evening regretting or feeling guilty about partaking. In fact, when conversations are full of curious information - books, local events, news, etc - you can walk away inspired, motivated and eager to do something new. Why not bring such a conversation to those in your world?

17. Create an evening routine to look forward to. At the end of the day, your body and mind may be entirely taxed which is why making time (even 15 minutes) for unwinding with a favorite pastime is crucial. Being able to look forward to this simple routine can be the silver lining no matter what your day has unearthed.

18. Schedule regular spa appointments for beauty and health maintenance. Much like exercise, caring for our bodies is a means to caring for our health, overall beauty and mind. So be sure to schedule your facial, massage, hair cut/color, waxing and any other must-dos before you walk out the door from your last appointment. They can often be the respite in a busy week and will no doubt leave you feeling rejuvenated.

19. Stock a bar cart for spur-of-the-moment entertaining. Whether you drink alcoholic beverages or not, stock a bar cart that has drinks and nibbles at the ready for last-minute guests. Even for one or two guests, having a bar with wine, beer or if it's morning - croissants and hot tea keeps the food with the conversation in the living room or sitting room. Luxurious and ready for any everyday occasion. (A glimpse of my

20. Fill your home with inspired music. For techies or retro audiophiles, have your turntable or playlists ready for any occasion. From leisurely jazz tunes when you return from work and wish to read the daily news to beautiful Bach in the morning as you get ready for work, set up your music station, turn off the television and forget about time, even if for a moment.

Whatever inspires you in your travels or remains memorable to you from your past, why not bring it into your everyday life if at all possible? Cultivate an everyday life that perhaps no one would believe is possible, but rest assured it is. After all, as Annie Dillard reminds us, how we spend our days is how we spend our lives. Why not spend your life living well each and everyday?

~SIMILAR POSTS FROM THE ARCHIVES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:

~Episode #32: The Francophile's Style Guide: The 14 Essentials

~10 Gifts of Mastering the French Mystique

~Why Not . . . Indulge Your Inner Francophile?

~Why Not . . . Find Your Je Ne Sais Quoi?

~10 Ways to Unearth Your Inner Francophile (episode #4)

~French-Inspired Living: Books to Enjoy

Petit Plaisir:

Befriend a local wine shop to ensure great wines no matter what the occasion.

~Liner & Elsen "One of America's six great main street wine shops." -Bon Appetit

2222 NW Quimby St. (off 22nd Ave.) Portland, OR 97210

They can ship the wine to you!

Staff who've helped me in the past: Neil Thompson and Kevin Geller

~Chateau Du Grand Bos (2005) Bordeaux, France (wine enjoyed in the photo to the right).

~Images: (1) a cafe in Paris in Montmartre captured by TSLL

Tune in to the latest episode of The Simple Sophisticate podcast

#tsllpodcast thesimplesophisticate

[angiestown]

there are things customers at work ask for that seem like they shouldn’t be a big deal but are actually very annoying and it always makes me wonder what seemingly simple requests at other places are actually annoying

#big one I can think of off the top of my head is when I'm slicing regular sized bread and a customer asks me to slice a longer loaf #like a sandwich bread or a french bread #like I'm already slicing bread what's the big deal right? but to slice their bread I gotta #remove all the current bread from the machine #change the bags out for the longer bags #adjust the machine so the long bread fits #slice their one loaf #adjust the machine for the regular bread again #swap the bags back again #then put all the bread back in #another one was people buying stuff at the café #like we have a café ofc it should be fine to buy stuff there/pay for other groceries #but every time we use the cash register we have to wash our hands again + keeping the café up to stuff was just an added headache #I'm so so so happy that they closed it during covid and put floral there temporarily only to see floral sales skyrocket #so now it is permanently the floral department and I don't have to deal with it at all #the café was only making less than $20 a week

[nothereforyou]

Long Story Short, I Survived

Did someone order some angsty Steve x reader that turns into Bucky x reader?

The first morning without Steve beside you, after five years of having him next to you, is like being doused with cold water. One moment you’d been blissfully asleep, warm under the duvet that still smelled of him, and the next--well, reality could be colder than any river of ice. He’d chosen her, chosen to go back to where he was really from. Maybe he was never yours to begin with, maybe you were living on borrowed time, safe in his arms.

Life restarts slowly without him. At first, it’s not much more than eating, sleeping, and doing what you need to survive. Surviving is...you don’t have words for what surviving is after. Steve is still around, hovering outside the apartment you’d once inhabited together. He drinks coffee in the café across from the building, lets himself in once or twice a week to make sure you’re alive and the place hasn’t completely gone to seed. You scream at him the first time, scream we were happy!, insist he should’ve stayed. The bastard ignores you.

Steve keeps cleaning, you keep surviving.

Before long, you can get out of bed. You clean your own damn apartment, but Steve still comes. He sits on the couch you picked out together, looking irritatingly good and unfazed. He looks like an old man but you still ache for him. Your Steve, your handsome Steve who had fucked you on every surface in this apartment, looked like a grandpa you should be taking for a walk in the park. He’s still your Steve, deep down. He’s still the only man who’s ever made you cum and who made you laugh over brunch and who slipped a ring onto your finger and promised---

Was he ever yours to began with?

You can’t leave the apartment, the entrance of the building is so packed with reporters there’s barely room to get through the doors. You hadn’t realized the love of your life leaving you would include reporters, vying for the story of why Captain America left his wife. You wish they’d get the story and let you know why.

You’d been married less than six months when it all went down. A quickie wedding in a chapel that was somehow still open. You kept the photos on the coffee table and didn’t think too hard about what that meant.

Sam comes, takes you to get coffee. He talks about everything and anything, just not Steve, not the one thing you desperately want to talk about. It’s good to see Sam, to see someone who really knew Steve. He tells you about spending time with his sister, Sarah and her sons. You make it through the afternoon without crying, which is an improvement. As he leaves, he gives you a look that can only be described as pitiful. It makes you want to scream and rip apart one of the throw pillows, to scream from the roof tops that you’re okay and it’s not even that big of a deal that he just left, you’re fine, and for the love of fucking G-d, stop talking about it.

They don’t stop talking about it. You keep surviving.

Bucky coming to visit is a shock. You’d met him once or twice before he was dusted and you’d heard about him during the five years he was missing, but you weren’t friends. He stands in the doorway and stares at you, looking like he wants to turn and run. You stare right back at him, waiting for him to make the first move. You both stand there, staring at each other. After what feels like forever, Bucky wordlessly takes a seat at your kitchen table and stays.

It’s nice to have another person in that lonely apartment. Bucky sleeps on the floor in the living room, comes and goes as he pleases. But he’s there and it’s a stability you didn’t know you were missing. After a few weeks, you start going for walks through the neighborhood. The reporters have left, something else has caught their attention for long enough that they’ve left you alone. (Nobody seemed to be bothering Steve, then again, they probably didn’t know what he looked like. According to the general public, he’s on the moon.) It’s nice to get some fresh air and it’s nice to come home to someone besides the plants. You don’t talk, more often than not, you come home and Bucky’s sitting at the table, eating cold beans. But he’s there and it’s nice.

Steve stops coming and you both mourn. Bucky mourns for an almost what could have been and you mourn for the husband you spent all of six months with. It’s during this mourning when you two really find each other. It starts small, you bring Bucky a cup of coffee in the morning and he grunts his thanks. Bucky cooks breakfast before you leave for work at the bookstore down the street. It’s nice, reminiscent of when Steve was there.

Then Sam gives away the shield.

You’re having a movie night when the news about John Walker comes out. In the six months that he’d lived with you, you’d never seen him so angry. Bucky is seething with anger. He gets up and paces, muttering unflattering comments about Sam.

“Bucky? Is...this...did he…?”  Your voice stops him. You sound so small and fragile. You’d seemed so solid and okay that he forgets you’re not. He forgot that your husband left you and your world crumpled right in front of you. And suddenly, he’s angry again, but not at Sam--that’s for another day--he’s angry at Steve in a way he hasn’t been before. How could he leave you? Beautiful you, who’s good, and makes coffee in the mornings, and smells like roses, and would probably look so pretty spread out underneath him. (That last thought is also for another day, when he can afford to think about what it means that he wants you spread out under him.)

And shit, you’re crying.

Bucky stands there in a panic when you start crying. It’s fucking stupid you’re crying, it doesn’t matter who has the shield, it’s not going to bring Steve back into your life, not in the way that matters. But it had felt like things were going to be okay when you knew that it was Sam who was going to get the shield and the title. Sam, who’s good and kind and who won’t let it corrupt him. This John Walker motherfucker is an unknown. He’s not Steve and he’s not Sam and he looks like the world has never told him no. What’s he going to do with all the power?

Bucky pulls you into his chest, lets your angry tears soak into his shirt. He awkwardly pats your back and pets your hair. Once the tears have dried, it makes you giggle how uncomfortable he is with comforting someone. Bucky smiles down at you, a heart breaking smile that’s too much like Steve’s but also not enough like Steve’s and makes your stomach flip a little, which makes you start crying all over again. After 20 minutes of crying and awkward patting, Bucky scoops you up and carries you to your bed. He lays with you all night, letting you cry and then holding you while you sleep.

It’s his first night in a bed (his first night with a woman, his brain helpfully adds) in...he doesn’t know how long. The thought makes him flee like the coward he is.

You wake up and Bucky’s gone. There’s a note on the table, says he went to ask Sam what this is all about. A knock interrupts your breakfast preparations. “Buck, you don’t have to--” It’s not Bucky, it’s three men in suits, and one John Walker, bearing flowers. You almost punch him, scream that he’s not Captain America and never will be. John thrusts the flowers at you and marches into the apartment as if he owns it. Before you can toss him out on his ass, one of the suits is explaining they have a plan for you and, unless you want them to recall certain activities you’d been apart of. Activities that would make you a war criminal. Activities that would send you to prison for decades.

So you, Captain America’s (ex?)wife, publicly become John Walker’s strongest supporter and girlfriend. The official story is that you’d met during the interviews (if there were interviews for the new Captain America, they hadn’t included you in them), and fallen in love at first sight. You were taking it slow, out of respect for your husband who was still out there somewhere (the moon, maybe?), but you were very much madly in love. Bucky and Sam come home from...wherever they’d been and find you cuddled up to their enemy. Every time John smiles and calls you kitten, every time you have to kiss him, you want to punch him in that stupid face of his.

The police station is a fucking mess. Bucky’s been arrested, the police are being racist and fucking with Sam, and to top it all off, John’s the one who frees Bucky. You’ve known Bucky long enough to know how much this pisses him off and then he spots you and his jaw clenches even harder. You have to hold yourself back from running over to him and explaining what happened. You desperately want to tell him that it’s not what it looks like, that you’re not wearing a stupid, flimsy sundress that brings out John’s eyes because you want to, someone dressed you and this is so you don’t go to prison. A quiet voice reminds you that maybe going to prison for a long time would be worth it if you never had to see that look on his face again. Words are exchanged, Bucky and Sam walk off, John warns them to “stay the hell out of his way”, which doesn’t sound as cool as he thinks it does.

You go home, home to the apartment where Bucky is. He’s at the kitchen table, eating cold beans again. There’s a bag by his feet (when had he collected enough things to have a bag?) and you realize he’s leaving. He’s so mad about Walker that he’s leaving, like Steve did.

“Don’t leave.” Your voice is small in the quiet, dim apartment. “Just...stay. Even if you don’t talk to me, just don’t leave.” “I’m going to talk to Zemo. You stay here with Walker.” Before you can think, before you really consider what it means if you do this, you surge forward and kiss him.

You stand in the kitchen, kissing for a few moments before Bucky pulls away. He stares down at you, looking wild and scared, before turning and walking out the door.

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes imagine #bucky and his beans are my otp #lemme know if you want me to turn this into something!! #this is the longest fic I've ever written #marvel x reader #fatws x reader #bucky x reader

[another-fantasy-world]

The Bets

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆　　 ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆      ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆　　 ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

GIF isn’t mine

Pairing: Elle Greenaway x Fem! Reader, Jemily

Summary: A little session of betting stupid shit with Morgan, Garcia and Dr. Reid gone wrong. or in which Elle and Y/N join the Mile High Club

Warnings: 18+ Mile High Club. (Which means light smut okay?) Brief Classic CM violence. Jemily cuteness and soft Elle.

Word Count: 2,016 words

Anyone ever wondered what it’d be like if Agent Greenaway worked with Agent Prentiss? I don’t think we were ready for the amount of POWER these two would have if they did work together. The amount of death glares and sass towards assholes and misogynistic men-

also, the lack of Elle fanfics is now considered a crime-

 ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆　　 ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆      ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆　　 ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

It all started when you walked into the bullpen, bee lining to your desk, setting down your stuff and immediately hearing Morgan’s chuckles and Garcia’s giggling while they huddled around Reid’s desk.

“Ohhhkay? What is going on? I understand that like, there’s no case yet today but it’s waaaay too early for you guys to be giggling.” You furrowed your brows at them

“Nothing is going on cutie pie. You just made me win a bet. “ Garcia looked smug while Morgan just glared playfully

“How was I supposed to know that they didn’t have fun last night, much less leave a hickey?” He says, referring to you and Elle

Being the only couple who’s been formally approved by Hotch, Strauss and the HR, the both of you were proud of your relationship. Elle often comes in after you because you make her fetch your coffee in the morning, and you often disappear during lunch because you were off on a food run for her.

And don’t even get me started on her glaring at men who had the audacity to flirt with you, then smirking when you turn them down with an emotionless look on your face. She was yours and you were hers, and you both weren’t afraid to announce that.

“Oh we did. Just not last night. It was this morning.” you nonchalantly says, shrugging your shoulders

“Did you know that morning sex is better than evening sex?  Men can experience a daily 25-50% differential in testosterone in the morning, translating to a huge appetite for early sex. For women, however, significant changes in testosterone don’t happen daily, but monthly, with the largest increase happening mid-month during ovulation and that increase is not nearly as dramatic as what men experience...” Reid rants, making you all stare at him, not moving so as to not interrupt him.

“Thank you Reid for that interesting fact, where did you even learn that?” you ask him, you were truly curious as to where the doctor reads his facts when it was apparent that he hated the internet.

“Encyclopedia.” he states, a little giddy from just sharing what he knows.

“Psst. Lovergirl. Here comes your own personal devil.” Derek wiggled his brows, pointing with his eyes to the door, knowing that it’s Elle you just smirked and laughed.

“One, Lovergirl? Really? You couldn’t think of better nicknames?” You started, turning around to get your coffee from Elle, kissing her cheek

“Derek called you the devil.” You whispered to her

“What?” Elle playfully shoves Morgan

“Hey! No snitching!” He whined

Elle just gave him a pointed look before turning around, her desk just in front of Reid’s. She sits down before stealing your coffee. Your lips barely open to complain, but closed immediately when she gave you that same look she gave you earlier today when she was sipping...something else. With wide eyes and tomato red cheeks, you mumbled incoherent words before just walking away, embarrassed. You even forgot that she stole your café made coffee, all you could think of is Elle’s lips on yours, slowly kissing down-

Your cheeks reddened even more when you heard Morgan guffaw. Pouting slightly, you directed your attention to the stack of paperwork piled on your desk. You sorted them out first before actually doing it. A few minutes pass by and you feel a presence behind you, then they block your light, indicating they were tall and buff...

“What do you want Morgan?” You sighed out, closing a case file, moving into another one. Wanting to just finish and come home with your girlfriend and just cuddle.

“Bet you can’t make Elle blush like she did you.” He proudly stated

You looked at him with a ‘I’m so done with you’ face, you could see that he was serious and you just sighed, you might as well entertain yourself.

“You wanna put money on that?” Famous last words.

Morgan put 50 bucks on the line and you just couldn’t resist, you went on with your day as usual, frowning when you sift through tons of paperwork, dragging your feet just to get coffee from that damn awful coffee machine and finally, asking for Hotch’s permission to go out and get lunch which he approved, getting your keys, kissing Elle’s cheek, rushed out and went to that one food chain that both you and your girlfriend loved.

Girlfriend. Such a common word, but you and Elle made it special. All the emotions and feelings compiled in a 10 letter word, all the pain, tears, blood (you got shot protecting her and she slapped you when you woke up just because of that. But that’s also where she first kissed you, so no complaints really), pining, and happiness you guys went through just to get to this point.

Arriving at the BAU office, you hurried up, shifting your weight from one leg to the other as you watch the numbers go up anxiously, the line stretched on and on, making you at least 5 minutes late. Elle gets cranky when she’s hungry, and for your sake and the rest of the team, you hurried your ass up.

When the elevator finally arrived at your floor, you rush to Elle’s desk, who’s now glaring at the computer screen.

“Bubba~ I’m so sorry. Here, I’ll make it up to you” You set down the paper bags on her desk, you made sure to get extra just to make it up to her.

As you set down the paper bags, you discreetly leaned down, placing your lips right beside her ear and nibbled on it a bit, your hair providing the necessary curtain of privacy you needed. You quietly moaned as you briefly whispered a few profanities into her ear before straightening yourself up. Smirking at how red Elle’s ears and cheek are, you looked over to Morgan who was now staring, dumbfounded.

You smiled smugly at him, lifting your hand up and motioning for him to give you his --well, your money. He frowned before slapping the crisp 50 dollar bill on your hands, huffing in annoyance.

“You betted on me?” she gave you that ‘no non-sense bitch face’ thing, and your blood ran cold. You could remember what happened the last time she gave you that look. You weren’t able to sit on a chair properly for weeks.

“Oh- Uhm. Erm. You just eat your food yeah? I have paperwork to finish.” You turned to get away from her, but she tugged your shirt from behind.

She puts her palm out and looks at you expectantly. You pout at her with your pleading eyes but she just raised her eyebrow at you. You groaned and went to give it to her, only to be interrupted by JJ.

“We’ve got a case?” You ask her, discreetly slipping the bill in your back pocket.

“But there’s only 45 minutes, 15 seconds and 3 milliseconds left.” Reid whines

“Sorry Guys. Hotch says we’ll debrief on the jet.” She says, walking off holding the files while Emily lifted both their go-bags to her shoulders, following JJ, making you roll your eyes at their obviousness.

You looked at Elle and she stared back at you, smirking and nodding at each other before hurrying to gather your stuff.

Once everyone settled in, Garcia popped onto the computer screen and she explained the details of your case. There were multiple strings of suicides following a major highway, but there were a couple items missing. Jewelry, electronics etc. You concluded that it’s most likely an organized unsub, who steals and framing the victims as suicide, but in multiple ways. 3 women were hanged, four were shot in the head, 3 shot in the stomach and 7 stabbed, yet there weren’t any blood trails around.

After the debriefing, the team settled down, deciding to take a nap during flight. Reid was curled up in the couch, his book in his hand that’s draping down to the floor, Hotch with his head on the table and Rossi with his head leaning on the window, Lastly, Morgan who was reclining his seat, slept with his earphones on. JJ and Emily are nowhere to be seen so you just assumed that they were cuddling somewhere.

No words were spoken. Both you and Elle just basking in each others presence. Occasionally sharing opinions on what you think of the unsub, and then she just stared at you with a look in her eyes.

“Elle? Bubs?” You ask her, you always were the one for nicknames, you made one up as soon as you met her, and how it slowly changed from scary girl, to pretty girl and now to Bubs and Bubba. It really amazes her.

“Come with me.” She whispered, dragging you to the plane lavatory.  

She locks the door and stares at you. You gulp as the two of you were pressed against each-other in a tight space. She wraps her arms around your neck, pulling you in a passionate kiss, like she was afraid you would suddenly vanish. Sadly, both of you need air, pulling away for just a second before your lips attach to her neck, being careful not to leave marks, You really don’t think Hotch would like the thought of the two of you doing each-other in such a public place with him in a 20 mile radius.

After a few moments filled to the brim with muffled and silent moans, euphoria, smirks, punishments and hair-pulling later, the both of you fixed yourself. When you both looked appropriate enough, Elle opens the door to a JJ who’s also opening the door to the other lavatory right across yours, with a panting Emily sitting on the toilet.

You peeked over Elle’s shoulder and seeing the scene in front of you. Safe to say you were shocked. Really shocked.

“Emily’s a bottom?!” You whisper-shouted in disbelief, making both of them blush and your girlfriend chuckle.

“Guess who owes me a hundred bucks?” She smirks at you

“Noooo. Ellie. Please, I bring you lunch everyday!.” You pleaded as you follow her to where you were previously sitting.

“Uh-huh, No backing out on bets remember?” She pulls you to her side, hugging you from her seat. She rarely shows affection in public like this so you usually ingrain it in your memories, take notes or just plainly cherish it, living in the moment.

“But a hundred?”

“You won fifty from Morgan earlier and I want it back.”

“But I won that fair and square”

“You used me to gain that money Bubs, I don’t like that.” You grumbled but gave her a hundred bucks anyways, smiling slightly when you remember that she’s the one who buys the coffee for the both of you anyways.

“Hey, uhm-”

“Everyone knows.” You and Elle simultaneously replied when JJ and Emily sat in front of you

“Honestly, did the both of you think that we wouldn’t find out? We’re profilers for heaven’s sake!” You deadpanned, playfully glaring at them

“I think we did a pretty good job at hiding actually.” Emily scoffed

You glanced at Elle, barely containing your laughs before returning your sights to the couple in front of you, 

“Em can you help me with something?” “Jayje? Can you come over? Sergio needs a babysitter” “Em can you pick Henry up? Michael needs a haircut” “I played a lot of scrabble with some girl named ‘CheetoBreath’” You mimicked the both of them, pretending to be talking to someone on the phone.

“Okay! Okay! Stop. Stop-” Emily playfully glares as she and JJ both have red cheeks.

You and Elle continued teasing the couple for a few more minutes before moving from topic to topic, ranging from double dates to near death encounters that scared the shit out of your girlfriends.

It’s moments like this that make your gruesome job bearable, the teasing, the laughter, the feeling of family. You could never imagine yourself working with other teams at all. And that, in your opinion, is what makes the BAU indestructible, no matter what the consequences may be. 

#elle greenaway #elle greenaway x reader #Criminal Minds #criminal minds x reader #jemily #cheetobreath #criminal minds imagine #jennifer jareau x emily prentiss

[not-me-simping-for-blasty]

Wrong Number, Asshole - A Bakugou Katsuki Soulmate AU

All Parts

Part 11:

“So, what, you’ve just known about your soulmate for over a week? And you didn’t tell me!” Your best friend huffs, slouching into the booth across from you. 

The café you had decided to meet Selene in seemed abnormally loud today, but even through the noise you could hear her frustration. And you understood it too- she’d been listening to you fantasize about your soulmate for years now, so much so that it must have gotten annoying. But she listened anyway, and apparently you repaid that favor by not even telling her when your tattoo appeared, nor when you actually met him. 

You couldn’t help it though. As much as you wanted to gush about it to everyone, another part of you wanted to keep it a secret. You didn’t wanna share Bakugou yet, as selfish and ridiculous as that sounded.

“I know, I know, I’m sorry; but honestly, it was just super surreal. Like I didn’t know how to talk about it.” You meet her eyes, grateful to see that even through her frustration, Selene still just looked happy for you. 

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Had to give you a little shit, but really I’m excited for you.” She takes a sip of her drink, leaning forward on your elbows. “Can I see the tattoo?”

You pale.

It really was an ugly tattoo. Messy and scribbly and poorly drawn, and odd even  as far as soulmate tattoos go. Every other person you’d known with a soulmate tattoo - which, granted, wasn’t many- had a name. Even your soulmate himself had your name! But you didn’t. You had his phone number, and no matter which way you thought about it, you couldn’t figure out why that was.

“Yeah, it’s uh, on my collarbone.” You unzipped your jacket, pulling it to the side to reveal the tattoo. 

“It’s- it’s, um, not what I expected.”

“That’s what I said. It showed up on my birthday,” You shrugged. “Wasn’t there the night before, but when I woke up it was just sitting there.”

“Why a phone number?” She questions, poking at the mark with a gentle finger. “And why does it look like-”

“Like that?” You chuckle, pushing her hands away and zipping your jacket up once more. “I have absolutely no idea. I’ve never seen anyone else with a phone number before; even Bakugou has my name.” 

“Um, who?” 

“His name’s Bakugou. My soulmate, I mean.”

“Wait- you talked to him? And you still didn’t tell me? You bitch!” Selene throws her head back, a laugh tumbling out of her lips. “I thought you’d just been hiding the tattoo, I didn’t know you were hiding him too!”

“Shut up- you’re being so loud!” 

“I can’t help it! This is just so exciting!”

“Yeah. It is.”

“Y/n,” You watched your friend straighten, a wicked smile crawling across her lips. “What’s that look about, huh, does somebody have a crush?”

You can feel you cheeks and ears flushing, but you don’t say anything. Selene just stares at you, wide manic grin across her face that just seems to make you blush even more. It’s a stalemate until she reaches across the table, poking at your red cheek. You break.

“God, fine, maybe- I don’t know, okay!” You huff, looking down to avoid her eyes. “We’ve talked like everyday since my tattoo came in, but I still feel like I don’t knowing anything about him!” 

“Huh-”

“He’s so, like, dodgy- about everything I ask him. It was like pulling teeth just to get his name! And it’s not even his full name! Just his last.” You pulled at your jacket, sinking into your seat. “Bakugou just like, avoids everything I ask him! I’ve told him about my quirk, and what I’m studying, but he won’t tell me anything! He just like gives me a two-word answer or calls me a name- which is fine, I actually find that part funny- but still. He gives me nothing. Absolutely fuck all nothing unless I literally beg for it!” 

“Woah, okay, breathe, Y/n. ” Selene holds a placating hand towards you. “Look, I’m sure he has his reasons. I mean, they’re probably shitty reasons since he’s like a 20 year old gu-”

“21.”

“Yeah, okay, since he’s 21, and definitely immature, but they’re still his reasons.”

“Who the fuck cares about reasons? I mean we’re literally soulmates. We’re gonna know everything about each other eventually, so I have no idea why he’s being so cagey! Actually, now that I think about it, it’s really kind of irritating!”

You gasp suddenly, not realizing how involved your rant had gotten. Apparently you were more upset than you realized, or at least significantly more annoyed.

You think back to how you felt yesterday- after you’d read Sunshine at the end of his text. You were light and airy and happy, but all of that seemed to have faded. God, what you wouldn’t give to feel like that now.

Selene waves a hand in front of your face, up and down in front of your eyes until you meet her gaze.

“I get that. I understand where that would come from, but all that really matters is whether or not you like talking to him- do you like talking to him?”

“Yes.” You say simply, surprised by how easy the conclusion was to come to. “I do.” 

“Then don’t stress, sweetie.” Selene pats your hand. “Tell me about the things you do like.”

“Yeah. Okay.” Your smile is small, timid, unsure, but you find the words come easy. “I like that he’s funny- and that he swears a lot. And that might be even more funny, because sometimes I’ll look at my texts and I swear it’s like there’s a 12 year old on the other end.” 

Selene just smiles, nodding to urge you on.

“I like that he gets super shy if I say anything nice to him- it’s like he freezes up and just swears everywhere and types in all caps.” You feel your cheeks heating up as you speak, but that doesn’t stop you. “I like that he’ll text me if I don’t text him- and that he responds fast when I do. And I like that he’s blunt- there’s less words for me to get anxious over that way.” 

“Alright. I’ve decided.” 

“Excuse me?”

“I like him for you.” She shrugs. “And I have good opinions so don’t argue.”

“But he still-”

“Yeah, I get it. But at the end of the day he’s still your soulmate, right?” She leans forward, tapping your forehead. “So stop overthinking it. You wouldn’t have that tattoo if he wasn’t supposed to be good for you.”

“Yeah.” You feel the sudden urge to hug her, overcome with yet another reason why you loved her so much. “I was being sort of ridiculous wasn’t I?”

“No, not ridiculous. It’s a valid complaint.”  

You nod.

“He does need to start telling you more, especially if you’re already telling him about you.” Selene brushes her hair back with an errant hand. “But I also think you tend to fixate on reasons to leave instead of looking for reasons to stay- and I’m not gonna let you do that this time.” 

You just look up at her, finding nothing but Selene’s gentle smile. 

It hits you then that she’s right. You did always search for the bad instead of making your own good. With relationships. With friendships. Even with school- but she was right. You couldn’t do that this time. It wouldn’t just affect you, it’d affect Bakugou too. 

“Hey, I love you, you know?” You suddenly tell her.

“I know. You’re my ride or die, bitch, of course you do.” She laughs. “Now c’mon, lets go actually order, and you can let me read through all those texts you were talking about.”  

“No!” 

She just laughs, grabbing your hand and dragging you towards the register.

--/--

Later that night you’re sitting with your phone in hand, nerves making a tangled mess of your insides.

You were stalling.

There was a part of you, a big part of you that just wanted to ask him. Ask him about his full name, and his quirk, and his job, or his school if that’s where he was- about his life, and just not take no for an answer. Wanted to needle and pry and be annoying until you had one fact about him to match every one you’d already given him about yourself.

But there was another part of you too. Another part that wanted to see him call you Sunshine and keep him happy instead of possibly irritating him. And that part was screaming just as loud.

You groaned, setting your phone down once again, and rolling onto your side. Your eyes caught on to the TV. You’d switched it on earlier, hoping the background noise of the local news could help settle your nerves, but it didn’t work. As of now though, you were quickly held captive by the footage you saw.

On screen was a recap of a battle that had occurred a few days ago- and it didn’t look good. The villian was terrifying; a black, oozing mass of tar that seemed to swallow people and objects whole. It was running a rampage through the city, it’s undeniable strength completely unchallenged by the police force- until suddenly? An explosion. Multiple explosions. Big, loud, noisy explosions and chaos and bright light until the villain was shot clean through with a grenade blast. The villain fell, engulfed by a cloud of smoke and debris.

You watched as the smoke cleared from the camera footage, only seeing the vaguest outline of a man before they were jetting offscreen by the force of their own explosions. 

“Burgeoning pro-hero Dynamite yet again saving the day, and then quickly leaving the scene.” The newscaster announced, voice drowning out the sound of the disaster footage. 

The scene switches as the fight recap footage ends. The usual roundtable of reporters is shown instead, and they quickly begin discussing the fight.

“It’s not altogether surprising,” A woman says. “In fact, it’s almost better if he leaves, don’t you think? I mean, surely no one’s forgotten what happened in Hosu right?”

Another reporter winces. “Yep, definitely not. Even a year out from the incident it’s still hard to see him in the same light as before.”

You shift on your bed, suddenly scared half to death by the loud sound of your phone hitting the floor. 

Fuck. 

Even after the quick break, you still couldn’t decide what to say to him. 

Luckily, he didn’t let you worry about that for much longer. 

#katsuki bakugou #bnha bakugo katsuki #bakugou katsuki #bakugou katsuki x you #bakugou katuski x reader #bakugou x y/n #bakugou x you #bnha fic #mha fic #bakugou soulmate textfic #bakugou soulmate au #mha soulmate au

[matbarzyy]

Where We Land (Bonus) [A.B.]

A/N: I love this trope and some people’s reblogs and tags made me feel soft (looking at you @fallinallincurls​ and @hookingminor​) so I figured I’d write a little bonus. If you want to see something specific with these two I might consider writing some more little extras like this. This one is set just a few years after they start dating so you get to see more of their dynamic as a couple and with Alex.

Word count: 1605

.

“Have a good day love,” Tito murmured as gently pressed his lips against yours. He was already dressed and his shoes were on, but he couldn’t leave without giving his two favourite people a goodbye kiss.

“Don’t go yet,” you groaned and reached out to wrap your arms around his neck. “Need more kisses.”

“I promise you’re getting all the kisses you want tonight,” he chuckled, having to put a hand out on the mattress to keep you from pulling him back to bed. “We can take a bath together after Alex is in bed?”

“I’ll be waiting,”

“Go study hard,” Tito left one last kiss on your forehead before pushing himself up and finally leaving the room.

Then, he went to see Alex and quietly knelt by the little boy’s bed to wake him up.

“Alex, come on, time to get up,” he shook the little boy’s shoulder until he stirred and then smiled. His son only groaned in response, opening his sleepy eyes and rubbing his hands over his face. “Breakfast is ready, I’ll open the curtains.” Tito informed him.

He leaned forward to kiss his cheek and got up to let light into the room.

It had become a routine since you came to live with them. Tito got ready for practice and let the two of you sleep, he made sure breakfast was ready right before he left and then he kissed the two of you goodbye. You got Alex ready once he was gone and dropped him off to school before getting to your own classes. In the afternoon, Tito would pick Alex up from school and you’d be home soon after them unless you had to spend extra time in the library to study.

“Have a good day, Alex,” Tito said before leaving the room, and the young boy waved from his bed.

“You too daddy!”

Less than ten minutes later he had devoured a large bowl of cereal and you were cleaning up in the kitchen while he got dressed in the clothes that had been laid out the previous night.

“Got everything for school?” You checked with Alex as soon as he was by the door. You had just been about to forget your phone, so you hoped he was less distracted than you.

“I need you to sign my book!” His eyes widened as he remembered, and he hurried to take his backpack off his shoulders to get the book out.

“Alex, daddy’s supposed to sign that,” you took it from him and checked what it was. It was just a few grades his teacher wanted parents to see, mostly A’s and a few B’s on short surprise tests.

“But Miss Werber is going to check if it was signed, I don’t want to be punished,” he looked at you with all the anxiousness a six years old could muster when it came to a teacher checking he had done his homework.

“Try to tell daddy the night before next time, okay?” You took a pen out of your bag and signed before handing it to him. “Come on, we don’t want you to be late,” you let him walk out the door first and watched as he skipped to your car.

You sighed after you dropped him off, hoping Tito wouldn’t mind you signing something for Alex. He was still his son, no matter how much you took care of him you hadn’t discussed everything about your responsibilities towards him. Up until now Tito was always the one to sign school things for him; Miss Werber wouldn’t even recognise your signature. At least it was fancy enough that she would know Alex didn’t just make up something himself, so you hoped that’d be enough to keep him out of trouble.

.

Meet you for lunch?

The text from Tito came just as you were leaving the library to get yourself something to eat. Your friends had left you a few minutes ago and you told them you’d meet them as soon as you were done with your assignment. You texted them to let them know you wouldn’t be joining and replied to Tito so that he wouldn’t rush.

Sounds good, my next class is at 2

Be there in 20

You smiled to yourself as you walked a little further past your usual café. Tito had met you there a few times, but there were too many students in it and far too many of them happened to be hockey fans. Instead, the two of you had picked a lovely place only a few blocks further to meet at when he wasn’t busy during your lunch hours. You liked that they had small booths rather than just tables, they offered more privacy.

You got there first and picked a booth in a corner away from a window. You wanted a quiet lunch with Tito and sitting by the window meant there was a high chance of someone recognising him. Most people didn’t bother him, especially when he was sitting in a café and they spotted him by the window, but the stares made you uncomfortable.

You liked having a routine like this with him, and you wondered what would become of it at the end of the year. You would graduate then, it would be the end of five hard years and you’d be able to apply for the jobs you were interested in as something other than an intern. You hoped it’d be close to this place, or that there’d be something similar nearby where you and Tito could become regulars.

“So, how was your morning?” Tito asked after greeting you with a kiss and sitting across from you.

“It was good, pretty busy,” you said and interrupted yourself when someone came up to take your orders. “Um, Alex also asked me to sign something for school this morning. I know we never really talked about that but I didn’t want him getting in trouble,”

“Please tell me you’re not worried about what I might think because you signed a paper for Alex,” Tito reached out to take your hand over the table, and you gave him a small shrug. “We live together, you take care of him like he’s your own kid and drive him to school every day. Of course you can sign school stuff for him,”

“Okay, it’s just… I don’t know, we didn’t talk about it before I didn’t want to overstep,” you explained, still shy under his bright blue eyes.

“You never overstep, but fine, let’s talk about it now,” he nodded, lacing his fingers through yours and rested his elbow on the table to prop his head up with his free hand. You gave him a quiet ‘okay’ before he continued. “Remember last week when I asked where do you see yourself in five years?”

“Yeah?” You wondered where he was going with it, but you recalled the conversation perfectly.

“You told me you see us, with Alex, maybe in a house with a garden, and a puppy.”

“I remember,” you smiled at the thought. You had been staring at the ceiling in Tito’s bedroom, his hand in yours as you talked about the future. There was so much ahead to imagine, so many possibilities and decisions to take together. The conversation had ended in kisses that left your lips red and swollen.

“Well I can see that too, you know? And I thought about it a lot, and maybe… maybe it could also be with another kid too, when we’re ready. And if you want that with me,” he added, a little shyer now that he had said that. The talk was supposed to be about Alex but he couldn’t help bring this up.

“I want everything with you,” you reassured him, giving his hand a squeeze that made him smile. Neither of you were ready for it just now, but it was something you had already thought of for the rest of your relationship.

“Then please, don’t ever feel like you’re overstepping when you take care of Alex. You’re always there for him no matter what, when he’s ill and you pick him up from school in the middle of the day, when he wakes up at night and comes to find one of us, when you come watch him skate even on the days you’re supposed to be studying.” Tito listed what he could think of at the top of his head, but the truth was you were there in every single moment and he couldn’t be more thankful for it. “You’re always there, and you know what that means?”

“I’m sure you’re about to tell me,” you felt your eyes begin to pool with tears, and Tito’s next words were enough to make a tear roll down your cheek.

“That means you’re Alex’s mom in all the ways that matter.” He said it with such conviction that all you could do was nod and wipe your cheeks with the hand he wasn’t holding. “No tears, please,” he smiled softly, clasping both of his hands over yours and bringing it up to his lips to leave a kiss on your knuckles.

“You can’t just show up for lunch and tell me that and expect no tears,” you laughed in disbelief, sliding out of your seat to join him on the other side of the booth. Tito welcomed you with open arms and you rested your head on his shoulder for a moment. “I love you so much,”

“I love you too,” he kissed the top of your head. “And Alex loves you more than you know.”

.

Please reblog and let me know what you thought <3

taglist (add yourself here): @itrocksmysocks @kerwritesthings @pupsandpucks @barzysreputation @whythough1319 @smit41 @glassdanse @fiveholegoal @brokeninsidebutnobodyknows @thefootballfaithfull @calgarycanuck @heatherawoowoo @fallinallincurls​ (strikethrough means I couldn’t tag you)

#anthony beauvillier #where we land #tito beauvillier #anthony beauvillier imagine #anthony beauvillier fic #tito beauvillier imagine #tito beauvillier fic #nhl fic #hockey fic #nhl imagine #hockey imagine #new york islanders #ny isles #writing #fluff

[rosaliepostsstuff]

Good Team | B.W.

Pairing: Bill Weasley x fem!reader

summary: Right after you graduate from Hogwarts you manage to get a job as a curse breaker at Gringotts. You surprise your dear friend, Bill, as the two of you get an assignment together, to find precious manuscripts, in a place believed to be only a legend. word count: 7696

warnings: language, cigarettes (Bill is a smoker), briefly nudity (a shower), food and drinking, alcohol, a bit of violence, an injury

a/n: It’s finally here! I’ve been working on this one for so long, seriously, but it was a lot of fun. It’s my first Bill fic and it is pretty long so I’m a bit anxious, so if you liked it, please do leave some feedback, it means the world to me!

tags: @izzyyy-1​ ; @amourtentiaa​ ; @thisismynerdyself​ ; @pxroxide-prinxcesss​ ; @lumos-barnes​ ; @hufflepuffalice​ ; @slytherclawbitch​ ; @famdomhideout​ ; @mollenniumfalcon​ ; @accioweaslcy​​

 You drew the string on your trusted backpack and patted it gently.

You looked around the room one last time - mostly to calm yourself down rather than to actually check whether you had forgotten anything - if you had, you wouldn’t have noticed it anyway.

You picked the backpack up with ease, even though its contents would allow you to survive in the wilderness for weeks. Thanks to your fresh, new job, you had obtained a permit to charm it with the Undetectable Extension Charm.

You threw on your dragonhide jacket, then glanced at your watch while tying the shoelaces of your boots – 10 minutes till you were supposed to be at Gringotts to pick up your Portkey. Just enough time.

The day for William Weasley started ordinarily. He was supposed to be back at work at 9 A.M., after having a few days off thanks to an assignment well completed, to receive a new one.

He also knew someone new, from England, was going to assist him on this one. It wasn’t uncommon for him to work with others, curse-breaking was a highly dangerous, often tricky profession, after all, so he didn’t put much thought into it. Maybe apart from hoping they wouldn’t make his job more difficult for him, which was fair.

He had woken up in the small flat he was renting in the city. Having grown up on the outskirts of a small village in Devon, living in a big city was an entirely new thing to him – with all it had to offer. He quite enjoyed that, so even though he was out on the job rather often, he opted to rent a flat in the city and commute to work, outside of it, by apparition.

The flat was pretty shabby, but he didn’t need much. The bed in his small bedroom was situated in just the right spot in relation to the window, that most of the year the sunrays hit him in the face, waking him up, at just the right time – like today.

He got up and grabbed a pair of sweats and a t-shirt to pull on after a quick shower. Then he had a mug of coffee with a quick breakfast. The grounds at the bottom of the mug stubbornly got into his mouth a few times, but he didn’t care really – he just spit them out and took another sip, glancing at the clock while the news reporter on the Muggle radio spoke in the background.

Bill could understand a few words here and there at this point – the man presented the weather forecast, as Bill was finishing his coffee and cleaning up after himself.

A quick change of clothes and a teeth brushing later, he was glancing at himself in the broken mirror of the tiny entry hallway. He seized a hair tie off a dresser and tied the upper half of his shoulder-length hair into a ponytail, then apparated to the headquarters of the Egyptian Gringotts branch.

Standing by the Portkey with less than a minute to go you felt slight nerves in your stomach. You couldn’t know if this was the excitement of your new job and finally getting to see and surprise Bill, or just the anticipation of the unpleasant feeling of travel you were about to experience.

You had no time to dwell on it. “Miss Y/L/N,” the goblin called out your name to signal you, and you grabbed the broken clock, then a few seconds of your insides turning later, you were standing in some kind of hall.

“Miss Y/L/N, right this way, please,” before you could have a look around, another goblin spoke from behind your back now, evidently not wanting to waste any time.

You were brought to an office and told to wait for your new supervisor to fill you in. You had a feeling this would take long, and you were right.

The office decor was quite unlikely for goblins, there was no grandeur – on the contrary, it looked rather mundane, and very beige. You got to study the appearances of Mr Wickedgher – the goblin you were waiting for – and his predecessors a few decades back. Behind the small window covered by aluminium blinds, you saw ordinary buildings on the other side of the street.

After a while, you started bouncing your knee up and down, while admiring Wickedgher’s quill arrangement – it was very neat. There were a few moments where you heard voices in the corridor outside the door, but they passed by.

Finally, the fourth time it happened, after a voice unmistakably belonging to a goblin, you heard a very familiar, deep and warm wizard’s voice. You straightened up in your chair a bit, (as if it mattered,) then got up when the door opened.

Bill was shocked to see you, just as you expected. You put your warm greetings off until you were done with this meeting. You couldn’t tell if Wickedgher picked up on the fact that you and Bill knew each other – and if he did, he didn’t really care.

You sat on the edge of your seat when he spoke – you had only received a brief description of your assignment in England and it seemed as if Bill knew nothing. Even though they were stationed in Egypt, the goblins were sending you into the middle of Europe upon learning some new facts concerning a legend previously believed to be made up. The task, although very challenging, seemed exciting.

“We were able to confirm one location you can start with, I’m afraid you’ll have to take it from there. We have prepared you a Portkey that will depart tomorrow at 7 A.M. precisely. Any further questions?” your boss asked calmly, glancing at a drawer in his desk very briefly.

You thought intensely – this was your first job, nothing came to mind now, but was there anything else you could ask about? Anything you should ask about?

You put your faith in Bill. He glanced at you after a second, to check if you were going to say anything, then replied, “We’re good, Wickedgher. Anything else today?” “I suppose you could use the time to show our new recruit our office, but nothing apart from that. Just make sure you’re on time tomorrow.” “Will do,” Bill said and you nodded, then you grabbed your backpack lying at the foot of your chair and the two of you left the office.

Bill had his back turned to you. A cheeky, slightly shy smile made its way onto your face. He turned around with arms crossed on his chest and an eyebrow raised, suppressing a smile. “Got something to say to me?”

You grinned at him, saying “surprise?”, and you saw him break, so you reached up to embrace him. He gave you a tight, Bill, bear hug.

“Why haven’t you told me, you rascal?” he chuckled, still holding you a couple of seconds longer. “I wanted to surprise you..! I applied right after I got my N.E.W.T. results and they reached back two weeks after. When they told me I was going to Egypt I knew I had to keep it a secret, though I didn’t know they were gonna give us a mission together until three days ago,” you explained, still beaming at him. When you decided to become a curse-breaker during your fifth year at Hogwarts, working alongside Bill once again seemed like a dream. No matter how helpful the rest of your friends have been over the years, you didn’t feel as good with any of them by your side, during your curse-breaking feats, as you did with Bill.

“That would be because I’ve just finished working on one nasty tomb down south then,” he told you, his facial expression saying he was just recalling that particularly difficult task he clearly just wanted to forget about.

Bill showed you around the few spaces to your disposition during work and you took some time to go over all the evidence you had been provided with, and prepare yourself for the assignment. Then the two of you decided to grab lunch and coffee together, to catch up.

“So where are you staying? Renting anything?” Bill conversed, lighting a cigarette, as the two of you sat at an outside table of a small café. “No, not yet. They still haven’t told me if I’m gonna be stationed here, or for how long. And as for today - I wasn’t really expecting to have to stay the night here just yet. I thought we were leaving right away,” you admitted, you still haven’t figured out where you’d be sleeping that night. “Oh- then, you can crash at mine. It’s not much, but it would be hard to find anything for you on such short notice…” Bill offered, concerned.

You felt a mixture of nervousness and excitement. But then you supposed crashing on the floor of his flat was nothing in comparison to what you were probably gonna go through very soon.

“Thanks, Bill, I appreciate that,” you smiled at him kindly.

You followed behind him on the narrow staircase of the old apartment building, after a day full of walking around the city. On the fourth floor, Bill walked up to one of the doors, fumbling in the pocket of his jeans for the keys. Standing by his side, you had an odd mixture of feelings.

At 18, most of your friends still lived with their families. It was a part of stepping into adulthood, but nonetheless, it felt strange to think that you were about to walk into a friend of yours’ own flat.

Upon entering the tiny space, you saw Bill everywhere. It did look like a 20-year-old’s place. There was a faint smell of cigarettes present and it was quite tidy, but not Molly-like immaculate. Just like Bill – the most laid-back Head Boy Hogwarts has ever had.

Going from the tiny entry hall there was a small kitchen, a bathroom, and a room serving as a living room and a bedroom, with a foldable couch.

“I was speechless too when I first saw it,” he joked, making you chuckle. “Make yourself at home, Y/N! You thirsty, want something to drink, water..?” He walked over to the kitchen and visually searched it. “Nah, I’m good for now, thank you,” you replied, walking over to the couch after setting down your bag. “…Booze..?” he continued, in a tone pretending to be ashamed of the question, a single hand holding a bottle poking out of the archway. “Sure, Weasley, let’s get hammered the night before a job. 7 AM, remember?”

“Eh, suit yourself,” he said, stretching his back while he walked over to the window. The sun was setting, the room was illuminated by its pinkish-orange rays. He opened the window, reaching one of his hands into his back pocket for a smoke.

You walked up next to him and leaned on the windowsill.

It was a beautiful evening. The warm air was blowing in your face, the sun setting low and you lost yourself, enjoying that moment. You felt an immense sense of freedom, like you could do just about anything at that point. Nothing was stopping you, all worries and responsibilities forgotten. All you felt was the open world in front of you, and Bill next to you. You were happy.

“We should probably get an early night. A good rest before leaving for Merlin knows how long won’t hurt,” Bill reasoned, breaking the silence, as the smoke from his last drag was leaving his lips. The sun was almost fully set now, the inside was getting dark. He stubbed the cigarette out on the outside of the wall, then tossed it into an old jar, already half-full with others.

“Right, yeah…” you nodded, pulled out of your daydream. “Do you want to use the bathroom first?” he asked.

You felt a bit odd using his shower, though just like any shower outside of home.

After turning the water on you allowed yourself to relax a bit. You took a look around the kind of cosmetics he used and it felt like learning some deep secrets.

You lathered your body and tried not to think about the less pleasant part of your job, namely, when would the next time you get to take a proper shower be, after this one.

A double knock on the door startled you. “Would you like tea?” William asked from behind the door. “Uhm… yes..?” you replied, subconsciously covering yourself. Even though there were a closed-door and a wall between you, it felt strange to speak to him while you were naked. After that, he was gone again, and you quickly finished your shower.

When you walked out, the couch was unfolded and the bed was made. On the floor, some distance from it, laid a make-shift bed out of blankets.

Bill was in the kitchen, sitting by the small table, looking out the window with a steaming mug in his hands. Another one was waiting for you on the other side of the table.

He looked up at you as you walked into the room, then sat down opposite him. “Thank you,” you said, sliding the mug closer to yourself. “I like having one before sleep,” he confessed, referring to the tea.

When Bill was taking a shower you had a look into your backpack, preparing for the morning, then looked out the window some more to pass time.

He walked out in a pair of boxers and a loose, weird sisters t-shirt. You wondered if that was how he usually slept or if he put the shirt on because of you.

A bit hesitantly, you walked over to the bedding on the floor, ready to tuck in for the night, but he stopped you.

“You didn’t think that when I offered you a place to crash, I’d make you the one sleeping on the floor,” he pretty much stated. “Noo,” you replied sheepishly, both of you knowing well that you did.

You walked over to your spots and laid down in silence, then you could hear the rustle of Bill’s bedding as he tried to get comfortable.

“Thank you, Bill,” you said, quietly. “Not a problem,” he replied, and you rolled onto your side to sleep.

“Night, Y/N,” he said, sounding as if he were falling asleep already. “Good night.”

When you woke up it was already bright outside. You rolled onto your other side and saw that Bill was still asleep.

He was sleeping without covers, curled up in a ball. His long hair was messy and his face half-buried in the pillow. You let yourself look at him for a moment with a small smile on your face.

Glancing at the clock, it was still early. You closed your eyes back, to wait until he woke up. When you opened them again, you could smell the breakfast being cooked.

Bill was trying to be as quiet as possible so you wouldn’t have to be up earlier than necessary. As soon as you realised what was going on, you felt giddy. You stretched in bed, then got up. When Bill heard the commotion, he poked his head out of the kitchen.

“Morning,” you greeted with a smile upon seeing him, making your way to where he was. “Good morning, colleague,” he replied, then got back to making food.

He appeared to have washed up and dressed already, his hair half-tied up into a bun. You sat by the table, wincing after hearing the term. “Colleague?” you asked, not amused by that banter. He chuckled with his back turned to you, but didn’t reply. “Tea, coffee?” he asked sunnily instead. “Coffee, please.”

He poured some into a mug, then placed the ready food on a plate and carried all that to you at the table.

“Thank you, Molly,” you couldn’t help yourself.

Bill snatched a kitchen rag off the counter and with an angry expression, placed his hands on his hips. The resemblance was uncanny and you found that funnier than you probably should’ve.

With a smirk, he let go of the act after you giggled and joined you at the table with his own plate and mug.

“How did you sleep?” he asked. “Pretty good, thank you. It didn’t take me too long to fall asleep in the evening. And I actually woke up before you did, but fell back asleep.” “Oh, wow.” “Yeah, how was your sleep on the floor? You seemed to be pretty comfortable,” you giggled to yourself, recalling the image. Bill cleared his throat, “I am a man of many talents, and sleeping anywhere is one of them.” “Okay, then…” you suppressed another chuckle.

“How d’you feel before your first job?” “Excited, I guess?” you answered truthfully. “I think I’ll do okay. You always said I’d be a good curse-breaker…” “And I stand by that.” “How did you feel right before your first job? What was it, some castle ruin in Wales..?”

“Mhmm, yeah…” he mumbled, chewing on his food. “I remember not being able to get a good rest because Fred and George stayed up and had a little emergency. They mixed up the powder of a few different types of fireworks and almost blew the whole house up. Excited to go to Hogwarts, they were. Charlie and I had to help them fix it without waking mum up so she wouldn’t find out,” he grunted. “So you’re already one up on me.”

Bill extended his hand to you, to help you up after you’ve fallen out of the Portkey.

“Ahh, I thought I was getting the hang of it, I landed in Egypt pretty gracefully,” you grunted while getting up, brushing gravel off of your butt. “Practice makes perfect, love,” Bill commented, already scanning your surroundings.

You found yourself on a dirt road, and though the opening for the path was pretty wide, there were miles of woods surrounding you. You had a rough idea where in central Europe you were situated, in a valley between mountains. You didn’t expect to find what you were you were looking for so easily, however, so all maps you could need were securely in your backpack.

The weather was pleasant, much cooler than Egypt for sure, but it was still the middle of summer. You tapped the watch on your wrist with your wand to change it to local time.

“6:06 AM – look, we went back in time…” you joked stupidly and Bill looked at you with a half-smile.

“We should move. From this spot, it shouldn’t take us too long to find some clues mentioned in those notes.”

Your goal was to find a tower, where over 500 years ago, a wizard named Halllegend Hugshot supposedly lived and carried out his research and experiments. The fruit of said research was the true purpose of your mission.

The only real problem was that apart from a few lucky apprentices, nobody has ever seen the tower. Halllagend was believed to have disappeared without a trace somewhere off the coast of the Black Sea, and the folk from a nearby dwelling, long abandoned and in ruin, said the area was always empty, uninhabited. And till that day it was believed to be only a legend, magical historians saying that Hallagend never set foot in that part of the world.

You went on quite the hike through the woods, the only thing to guide you were vague notes and a few inaccurate maps from the middle ages. Dawand Davisshot, for example, would find his way to his mentor’s residence by cutting through a cave that has collapsed centuries ago.

You and Bill had your lunch on the way, wanting to make as much progress as you could before setting up camp. Hours were passing, you’ve made your way up a smaller mountain and the only thing keeping you from believing you were completely lost – were occasional sightings of things like peculiar rocks or old trees that may have been the landmarks mentioned by the apprentices.

“You think when we get there, what’s next?” you questioned Bill a bit out of breath, to relieve boredom, well into the afternoon. “Hmm?” Bill muttered, pulled out of his thoughts. “We find the tower, we high five, we get inside and then what? See a desk in the middle of the room, and on it, a pile of parchment rolls waiting for us to take them? What do you think the place is going to look like?” “Guess I haven’t thought about that in much detail. Could be anything... But I doubt a regular building would’ve remained uncharted for that long,” he pointed out. “I suppose,” you agreed. “I’m just hoping for no dragons inside. I’ve had my share of dragons…” you mumbled, recalling your venture to the portrait vault and mostly, the time you joined Bill on his job at a dragon sanctuary.

You’ve noticed that he stopped and hesitated to go further, looking around and down at the ground.

You dug your foot around a bit. The ground was covered with dense thickets, it was easy to blend in with the rest while walking. Underneath, however, was not soil, but solid rock.

“Good one, Weasley,” you praised, having a closer look, and he didn’t reply. The mineral was like nothing you’ve seen before. You didn’t reckon it was Muggle.

When a single ray of sunshine got through the leaves above, when the clouds moved with the wind, shining on it, it almost glowed.

“The place looks like what Humpty Wanderer or whatever his name was described…” Bill observed, suspiciously. “Where’s the tower, though,” he didn’t hide his mild annoyance.

It was true, the opening in the trees stuck out in the middle of the woods, and all that rock seemed justly out of place.

With the lack of a better idea, you took your wand out and raised it. “You think a simple spell will break his defences?” Bill quipped defiantly.

Ignoring him, you opted to start with the simplest one – you cast Revelio nonverbally and the mineral started to glow underneath the cover. You could see now that it covered all of the circular area of the opening in the trees.

You looked at Bill with the smuggest smile. “Shove it,” he retorted in a friendly manner, then flicked his wand to get rid of the thicket. The general glow subdued and shapes started to reveal themselves. Shapes you recognised to be runes.

“HA!” you laughed “Don’t take ancient runes for your newts, it’s good for nothing, d’you know how boring it is?” you mocked the voice of Bill from a bit over two years ago, when you were finishing your fifth year at Hogwarts, about to start your sixth year, and he – graduate.

“Yeah, I take it back, alright… I’d be fucked without you,” he muttered, studying the shapes without understanding. Instinctively, you’d counter that. But instead, you smiled idiotically to yourself at those words, reading a bit too much into them.

Bill looked up at you expectantly and you blushed a bit. “So… would you..?” he prompted, bringing you back to reality. “Ah..! Yeah, yeah, of course…” you muttered, then went on to translate the message.

“It says the passage can be opened on the night of the new moon… the new moon..?” you looked at him desperately. Waiting around for the right phase of the moon didn’t sound very pleasant to you. “No, no, that’s in a few days. What is it today, the 22nd ?” “Yeah.” “Then that’s three days from now,” he said, with focus written on his face.

It made you feel a bit guilty, as if by translating the message you were the one making you two sit around and do nothing in the middle of nowhere.

You set up camp in a pleasant spot not far. Being one to fear an encounter with wild animals after dark, you made sure to set up magical barriers as well.

The tents Gringotts provided its curse-breakers weren’t the most luxurious, the goblins had better things to spend their gold on. Your tent consisted of two rooms – one, middle-sized, with a bunk bed, a table that could fit four people and a small, very basic kitchenette. Off to the side was a bathroom.

“Shotgun the top bunk,” you announced after Bill finished setting up the tent and the two of you walked in. He tutted and swore.

That evening you prepared supper for the two of you and as a peace offering after snatching the superior bunk, you also made some tea.

“Bill..!” you called out to him when you were done. He had been hanging around before, then disappeared. “Out here!” he answered, by the sound, from somewhere near the tent entrance.

Upon stepping outside, you saw two foldable chairs and a table, and Bill standing next to them, looking unsure.

“Ah, making a house feel like home,” you commented and Bill winked in reply.

You sat outside as it was getting dark. Your moods were mixed after that eventful day. You were exhausted after the whole day of walking and you weren’t exactly happy with what you discovered. You couldn’t know what would happen on the night of the new moon. All left to do now was wait around for three days and it could still be for nothing.

But you supposed it could still have been worse.

And so both of you weary, you got ready for bed and clambered into your bunks. You turned off the light and tried to get comfortable in the cold camp-bed.

“Night, Y/N,” said Bill, yawning, bringing you a bit of comfort. “Good night, Bill.”

And so the first day ended.

When you woke up the next day, your whole body ached. Bill was already up, it was past 11 AM. After making a teasing remark about how well you slept, he disappeared somewhere, while you groggily ate ‘breakfast’ and got ready for the day.

He was still absent when you finished, so unsure what to do with your time, you grabbed a book you took the liberty of packing into your backpack. However, after you positioned one of the chairs in the shade underneath a tree, you managed to read half a chapter before you saw him walking back towards the tent.

You were curious as to what he was doing but didn’t want to appear nosy. Glancing up from your book with a small smile, you showed you had acknowledged his presence, and hoped he’d start talking first.

He smiled back and walked past you, inside. You fought a battle with your curiosity, your fingers almost ready to close the book.

But you reopened it fully in haste and pretended to be immersed in it, when he came back out a minute later, after having refilled his water bottle.

He placed the second chair next to you and sat down with a heavy sigh. Agonizingly slow, he opened the bottle and quenched his thirst.

“What’re you reading?” he asked, curiosity in his voice.

You tried not to show your mild disappointment and raised up the book to show him the cover and let him see for himself.

“Mhmm… I’ve heard about it. I read her last book and wondered if this one was any good.” “I’ve barely read a few chapters but so far it’s alright,” you pondered.

Bill hummed in response. He leaned back in his chair and looked up into the bright sky, closing one eye due to the sun poking through the leaves.

“I took a walk and had a look around the area,” he started. You hummed this time. It was exactly what you were waiting for. “Yesterday not enough for you?” you asked. “Why, muscles achy?” he teased you, nudging your leg with his. He was fit, you had to give it to him. Ignoring your groan, he continued – “I found a nice spot by the cliffside. Maybe we could go there tonight.” “Why do you wanna hang around a cliff edge during the night?” “I thought it would be good for stargazing if the sky’s clear,” he explained, making you suddenly feel a few degrees hotter at the thought. “If we’re to camp here, might as well do something worthwhile in the meantime,” he reasoned.

“Wow…” you exclaimed, after arriving at your destination as the sun was setting.

This spot showed a clear view of the valley and the stream running through it. You could see all the surrounding mountains and the different various layers of flora at different heights.

“Told you,” Bill said in an undertone.

The cliffside itself didn’t look as dangerous as you had imagined. The spot was actually quite cosy, you felt sheltered. You put a thick blanket over a large log to sit on it.

The two of you admired the view almost wordlessly until the sun was fully set.

The starry sky prompted a bit of nostalgia in both of you. You reminisced your years at Hogwarts, talking of your shared adventures and friends. Of how you visited the Burrow for the first time and almost sabotaged your trip, wanting to prepare a gift for the Weasleys. Or how indecisive Bill had been with his career choice in his OWL year.

A cloudless sky during the night caused a chill in the air. The two of you had brought blankets but you still subconsciously sat a bit closer to Bill and leaned into his side, as he leaned back on his arms, looking up at the sky.

“Good thing I went with curse-breaker in the end,” he stated. “Yeah… and here we are,” you chuckled.

“I’m glad you’re here with me,” he said. Bill sounded different that night. He spoke in a tone you’ve never heard before. It was simultaneously deeper and softer, reaching into your very soul. And without thinking, you somehow spoke differently, too. Your voice was sweet and tender.

“We just make a good team,” you claimed with a smile. “Yeah,” he agreed.

There was a bit of a pause after that, after which he added – “…and I’d have bored my ass off otherwise,” making you laugh. “This camping trip’s not so bad after all…”

“Aaah, ah..! I almost forgot!” he began, straightening up abruptly. “I packed this…” he muttered, reaching into his own bag to retrieve a thermos with two mugs, one for each of you. He flicked his wand and the mugs filled themselves in the air, then floated into your hands.

And so the custom was followed. You went back into the tent before too long, and when Bill wished you a good night that time, it felt somehow better, spreading warmth through your body.

And so, the second day ended.

You felt a gentle stroke on your shoulder, that had nothing to do with what you were dreaming of. In an instant, you couldn’t even remember what you were dreaming of.

“Y/N…” Bill said quietly, standing next to the bed as you laid on your side with your back turned to him, and woke you up completely.

He retreated his hand, you took a deep breath, slowly opening your eyes, and stretched. When you turned, you saw him leaning his forearms on the railing. “I made breakfast and got tired of waiting,” he admitted, smiling a bit.

Indeed, you could smell food and coffee waiting for you at the table. The air was considerably chillier than the two previous days. When you got up and pulled a hoodie over your head, Bill opened the door a little to let a bit of natural light inside.

You sat at the table together, not saying anything, and for a moment you forgot why you were there in the first place. You forgot how inconvenient the delay seemed at first. You couldn’t place the feeling, but you were really happy about spending that time with Bill.

There he was, with all his cool aura – his hair half-tied up at the back per usual, slight stubble on his face, wearing a loose, grey t-shirt, fitted jeans and boots. And you got to see him with his resting face on, then furrowing his eyebrows slightly as he wondered whether to put raspberry or strawberry jam on his toast, while he sipped on his morning coffee. And nobody, and nothing else around.

He looked up suddenly, noticing you haven’t touched anything yet and pulling you back to reality, his blue eyes pierced into you. You dropped your gaze instantly and he did the same, you felt the heat reach your cheeks right away.

He cleared his throat quietly, possibly making the situation more awkward. “The weather got worse,” he began, having made his decision concerning the jam. “Yeah, it’s chilly, isn’t it?” you chuckled, hugging the hoodie tighter around yourself. Bill turned to you with a smile and you noticed once again, that he was wearing a t-shirt. “Right, of course…” you recalled all the times at Hogwarts when you’d wrap yourself in jackets and scarves, while he walked around in barely a thin long-sleeve.

You spend the rest of the morning each doing your own thing. It started raining in the early afternoon, providing you with the background noise of pitter-patter, the droplets hitting the tent’s surface.

Bill suddenly remembered he had packed his set of wizards’ chess, which kept you entertained for about a couple of hours.

“It is still gorgeous outside, though,” Bill pointed out, pulling the fabric covering the entrance back a bit to take a look.

He walked over to his bag with a purpose, grabbed a hoodie and pulled it over his head. “Care to join me..?” he asked. “In what?” you questioned in reply, confused as to what he had in mind. “Getting a bit of fresh air,” he answered, matter-of-factly. You stared at him with an expression suggesting the idea wasn’t very appealing, which only seemed to make him smile wider.

He snatched his jacket and throwing it at you, said – “Come on..!” with a grin, then pulled the hood over his head and walked outside.

Fully certain you had gone insane, you put on his jacket and joined him. He looked completely unbothered, content just standing there. Having cast the umbrella charm, you quickly skipped over to cover him too.

Bill dried a part of a boulder for you to sit on. “See? Pretty nice,” he noted and you scoffed in response. But his shit-eating grin meant you couldn’t keep a straight face.

It wasn’t bad, despite the rain it was quite sunny. You had Bill’s jacket on, keeping you warm from the wind, surrounding you in his scent, and his mood was contagious.

He reached into the pocket of his jeans. “You wanted to go out just so you could have a smoke, didn’t you?” you quipped. “Not just for that,” he countered with a cheeky smile, putting the cigarette between his lips. “Remind me, have I asked you before what your mum said when she found out that you smoke?” you put on a face of the deepest thought. “…she doesn’t know,” he answered, lighting it.

He was right, it was pretty nice.

You sat in comfortable silence. When he finished smoking, you put your head on his shoulder, almost pulled in. It came to you without another thought, to wrap your arm around his, your other hand resting in his elbow, and he rested his cheek on top of your head.

The sound of rain all around you, tapping against the leaves above brought you a sense of serenity. You looked at the sky above, wondering if you could perhaps spot a rainbow somewhere, as the sun poked through the clouds for a moment.

You felt the gentle weight lift off of your head and, almost instinctively, you lifted your head too.

“Do you think I’d look good with earrings?” Bill asked, thinking deeply.  “Or just like one, maybe..?” You chuckled, shaking your head. You couldn’t believe this guy.

“Probably depends on what kind of earrings you’re thinking of…” “Something cool,” he replied, shrugging his shoulders. “Ah, of course. Well then, I guess so. Would match your vibe,” you said without much thought, not looking at him.

He was suspiciously quiet, so you turned your head and saw the mischievous smile. “So I’m cool, huh?” he shrugged his eyebrows.

“Forget I said anything,” you shook your head again and tried not to smile or blush. “Fat chance. I’ll store this one deep down,” he announced. “Though I may have heard that one once or twice before…”

You had no witty comeback for that, and your façade cracked quickly. You started laughing and Bill joined in quickly. It felt light-hearted.

You didn’t know when his face had gotten so close to yours, he brushed a strand of hair off your face and his hand stayed on your cheek. His thumb brushed over your skin delicately and you leaned closer, leaving the last step to him.

He connected your lips, yet they were barely touching. He tested the kiss as if he expected you to push him away any second, and when he pulled away it left you awakened and frustrated.

He saw that in your eyes, while his showed shock. He kissed you once again, passionately this time, pulling you in. You kissed him back with just as much emotion, you wrapped your arms around his neck and his hood got pulled off in the moment. You failed to realise you broke the umbrella charm. One of his hands remained on your face, cupping your jaw, while the other found your waist, both of them felt as if they were made to be there.

He pulled away reluctantly. Only then you realised just how soaked the two of you were and laughed about it. Needless to say, you ran back to the tent hastily, to dry yourselves off.

And that night you could safely say that it felt, by far, the best out of all the previous times, to be wished good night by Bill when he lied next to you in the warm bed, as the sound of rain lulled you to sleep.

And so, the third day ended.

The final day before the new moon, the weather was considerably nicer.

You didn’t talk much on your way there. It was getting dark quickly, but you could see the spot in the distance – the almost courtyard-like area where the tower, or the passage to it, was supposed to appear, stuck out like a sore thumb.

You arrived there and waited. It got dark, and you still waited for something to happen.

“It said the passage can be opened, but not how to open it,” Bill pointed out.

You didn’t say anything. Truthfully, because he was right. And the fact that there could be something you should be doing right now, but instead, you were just standing there, was scary. You could be waiting until the very dawn and nothing would happen, and for your next chance, you’d have to wait for a full moon cycle, or come back to the goblins empty-handed.

“It’s… it’s still early, the sun has just set,” you attempted to stay positive, looking up at the dark sky and trying to find the moon.

It took some more waiting for you to start seriously worrying, Bill was pacing the area and smoking. But then you felt something.

Very strong magic in the air, it was like the whole ground was shaking, shaking your insides, while none of that physically happened. The moon shone through the opening in the leaves above, and once more, the rock below you started glowing.

This time the glow kept growing, it became unbearable, you had to close your eyes to protect them, and the magical force became so strong it was pushing you away from the circle.

This lasted for maybe two minutes, yet felt much longer. You saw through your eyelids that it was dark again, and nothing was pushing you away anymore. You were finally able to take a proper breath.

“You okay?” Bill asked, concerned, from somewhere behind you. “Yeah,” you answered and nodded, even though you could see nothing. You cast Lumos Maxima overhead and Bill finally joined you as you realised you stood a few meters away from the steps leading up to an old, wooden doorway. Doorway into the tower.

You looked at each other as if trying to find answers for what just happened. When you walked up the steps slowly and approached the doors, everything suddenly became eerily quiet. You could no longer hear the forest around you.

“What do you think?” you asked Bill quietly. “Just… just stay on your guard.”

You did so, but without seeing any other option, placed your hand on the door handle.

You knew immediately what happened, feeling it drive through your mind. It was enchanted, the entrance used Legilimency on you, but this was not your first time. You blocked your mind quickly, and the lock clicked soon. You pressed the handle and opened the door ever so slightly, just so it wouldn’t lock again.

“It was enchanted. The handle. Some security charm, it used Legilimency on me,” you explained, coming down from the shock. “Did you manage to block it?” Bill questioned, placing a hand on your shoulder. “Yes,” you replied as if it were obvious.

“Can you use Legilimency on objects?” he asked after a few seconds, remembering you were a natural Legilimens. “Think about it, Bill, you should have your answer. Though if something’s charmed to have sentience, maybe. Haven’t tried…”

You stepped inside, keeping your eyes and ears peeled for anything dangerous. Bill lit the lamps, and you were able to get a proper look at the spacious room.

It looked like a normal house. From the 1400s of course, but nonetheless. Not a hermit’s lair, not some kind of evil den, but a house someone lived in. It wasn’t even dusty, or cobwebbed. An illusion charm?

After searching the entire first floor you still didn’t come across a study, a lab, or anything alike. You were about to leave one of the rooms when you heard a familiar purr.

“He had a cat..?” Bill wondered, but your eyebrows furrowed. “A chimaera, rather,” you replied, making his face fall.

There was no other way out for you, anyway. Hoping your experience with chimaeras would prove enough for you to handle this one, somehow, you stepped back into the main hall.

The beast stood guard in the centre of the room, proudly, and didn’t show any signs of aggression just yet. It watched contently as you made your way along the walls towards the exit at first, but it didn’t like it when you got closer to the staircase upstairs.

Its purrs changed into growls and its hoofs kicked the ground angrily, giving you a clear signal to stop. The surroundings changed, the paint started to peel off the walls at first, everything began to age rapidly. The tower seemed to shake the stronger, the louder the beast roared, and threatened to fall apart.

There was no other solution now, but to fight it. Yet even for two certified, skilled wizards such as you and Bill, and adult chimaera was a dangerous challenge. Stunning spells were flying, you had to dodge attacks from the beast who could not decide whom to attack while thinking of a solution.

As you were getting tired, so was the beast, but that still didn’t mean your success was close. You saw your chance when it was about to pounce the ground in front of you. You got ready to cast the Conjunctivitis curse and raised your wand.

The chimaera hit the ground and you felt a sharp pain at the back of your neck, then everything went dark.

When you eventually came back to your senses, you felt incredibly tired. Your head was lying on something soft and warm. You could open your eyes, but you didn’t want to, you felt comfortable like that.

“Y/N..?” you heard a warm voice say as someone’s fingers delicately pushed some hair off your forehead. Bill’s voice, and Bill’s hand, you realised. And underneath your head, was Bill’s lap.

You opened your eyes slightly and saw his face, a bit shiny and dirty due to the dust that stuck to his sweat. He was relieved. You also noticed you were still inside the main hall of the tower.

“How do you feel?” You took a breath and wet your lips. “I could use a nap,” you admitted, making him smile.

You sat up with his help and felt the back of your head. It still hurt a bit, but probably not as much as it should’ve. You could feel a freshly healed wound there - Bill’s doing.

“Where is it?” you asked, impressed with how not only Bill remained intact after you’d collapsed, but also you were still alive. “I managed to push it back into one of the back rooms and close the door,” he answered, looking into space as if he couldn’t believe it himself.

You looked around all the rubble and remembered why you’d come here.

“Soo… all that for nothing, huh,” you said grimly. “Well, not quite,” Bill corrected you, “there’s still the attic.”

You carefully climbed the spiralled stairs, hoping for no more security beasts or charms. You took the door which stood out the most and hit the goldmine.

A room full of bookcases and worktables, measures, ingredients and lab glass. Little bottles everywhere, and above all, scrolls upon scrolls of parchment.

It felt weird to finally be done with it. You were almost sad to leave, as you hiked back down the mountain the next morning, but shook the feeling off instantly. You couldn’t know what the future held for you. What epic assignments were yet to come. One thing was certain.

“Soo…” Bill began, looking straight ahead. “…Still looking for a place to live..?”

#bill weasley #bill weasley x reader #bill weasley x mc

[cozcat]

opening lines meme

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories. (If you have less than 20, just list them all!) See if there are any patterns. Choose your favourite opening line. Tag some people to play the next round!

Tagged by @lordeasriel, thank you my dear!

The world is already beginning to look less strange [redacted]. 

It’s a two week voyage to Cittàgazze.

Kirsten’s forgotten her toothbrush. 

Kirsten has never seen Amy look so exhausted. 

“He’s landed.” Ten minutes late. 

The thing is, she never thought about kissing Kirsten, not until that moment. 

Amy doesn’t quite realise what it is at first. 

It is as the heat of summer begins to fade that Sabran Berethnet steps off a ship at the harbour of Zeedeur, her journey bound for Brygstad.

Mary does not remember her first time in a church – the church she was christened in, baptised in, began to become who she is in. 

She wakes long before he does, the golden light of dawn bleeding through the curtains far more than she’d like. 

Mary Malone, at twenty-eight, her first time in a country that neither raised her nor educated her. 

The scholar would much prefer to be in the north, rather than rubbing shoulders in a London building dedicated to the place, with its ever-burning furnaces the antithesis of a north it exists to exalt. 

Asriel loathes these parties - too many people that he doesn’t know and that he doesn’t need to, and too few people for him to make a hasty retreat. 

She sends the child away, and is left in silence. 

There were stories told of old Masters of Jordan, of men of knowledge and learning, of fame and fortune and infamy, of those whose deeds were praised, and of those whose only saving grace unto their bones was the sanctuary of the walls of Jordan’s crypts. 

Lyra is an odd child, Marisa is finding – stubborn and argumentative, but wide-eyed and inquisitive, and far more obedient than she’d have expected a child raised by or near Asriel to be. 

The looming threat of the apocalypse had been enough to distract her momentarily, to preoccupy her with impending disaster – the memories only truly come to haunt her in the silence after the gates of Hell have closed, the smoke from the flames within still dissipating into nothing. 

It’s only been a few hours, she thinks, maybe a night. 

They sit opposite each other at a slightly sticky table in a greasy little café, with cups of tea so strong and sweet that their spoons almost stand upright. 

“I’ll drop you off, come back in a week, let you do some of your normal human things, laundry and working and visiting your grandparents, and I’ll be back before you know it.” The Doctor smiles, that beautiful, uninhibited smile, a smile that Yaz would do anything to see. 

I think the only pattern here is that I am very fond of short opening lines, and I hate opening with dialogue (but I don’t write much dialogue anyway).

My favourite is probably the sixteenth, because I’m fond of the full first paragraph: Lyra is an odd child, Marisa is finding – stubborn and argumentative, but wide-eyed and inquisitive, and far more obedient than she’d have expected a child raised by or near Asriel to be. That is to say, she follows directions occasionally, and on those occasions, sometimes without complaint.

And my AO3 can be found here because I am nothing if not an aggressive self promoer.

Tagging: @little-tayy, @madamoiselledewinter, @gabolange, @sapphoshands, @birgittesilverbae, @need-not if you so desire!

#i love having to redact because i drop spoilers in line one of a fic lmao #myfic #ask meme #i'm realising how much fic i've written relative to old rates of writing? #this goes back to the start of 2019

[aftgficlibrary]

Are there any AUs where renison or lailalverez is the main pairing?

there are quite a few but here you go -maz

renison:

Before All I Heard Was Silence by moonqueerdom (T | 7,430 | 1/1)

Allison's eyes widened and her face burned immediately, spreading to her neck and the tips of her ears. "Oh my gosh, Renee," she lowered her face and covered it with her hands.

Renee chuckled. "She is beautiful when she blushes, ok noted."

"Oh my gosh, Walker, stop that," Allison's voice was too wobbly and high-pitched even for her own ears, and there was a grin threatening to pop on her lips.

~

About to disappear in the afterlife, Allison Reynolds meets Renee Walker, who was ready to change her life even after death.

Last Café by uberimmortal (M | 4,802 | 1/1)

Like every weekend for the past year, Renee finds herself on a Saturday morning in front of the Last Cafe. She takes a deep breath, key still in her hand, shivering from the autumn breeze as she tries to muster up some energy to open the door. The sun is just beginning to poke over the horizon, lighting up the city in a blue haze, not close enough to this side of the earth to provide any real warmth. One by one street lamps flicker until they turn off completely.

The Gracekeepers by wishbonetea (M | 112,116 | 20/20)

The sea has flooded the earth. Allison lives on a circus boat, floating between the scattered islands that remain and trading dazzling and death-defying feats for food from the islanders. Renee lives alone in a lighthouse in the middle of the ocean, with only the birds and fish for company. As penance for her past, she works as a gracekeeper, tending the graves of those who die at sea. A storm brings them together, but under clear skies they must part. When one of the Foxes goes missing, Renee joins to help. It’s meant to be a temporary escape, but Allison might be a reason to stay.

⁂

An AU of Kirsty Logan's The Gracekeepers.

she's got lips like wine not sugar by IzzyAguecheek (Not Rated | 8,561 | 1/1)

The coffee shop was mostly empty the first time Allison came in. It was too early for most people, specially on a Sunday, when most people didn’t have work and therefore didn’t need to stop by to grab a coffee to wake up. Allison, however, didn’t strike Renee as the type of girl to drink coffee before a shift at some boring company. She looked more like someone who had stayed up all night and now was trying to fight off a hangover with caffeine.

Dan was late, per usual, so Renee and Andrew were the only employees working. Andrew took one look at the car parked outside, right in front of the window, and firmly turned his back on the girl sitting at the corner booth.

“You take that one”, he decided.

(or: Renee works at a coffee shop, and, when Allison becomes a regular there, she is absolutely in love. It's just a Renison Coffee Shop AU.)

counting my blessings by quensty (T | 10,354 | 1/1)

The last letter is from Wymack.

Allison, it says. Forest Falls, California, has been having problems with a robber. Dan and Matt are too far, and Neil and Andrew are already working a job in Nevada. Get on it. -DW

“Motherfucker,” Allison says.

Real Gravity by loose_canon (T | 1,723 | 1/1)

RECORDED 04:08, PILGRIMAGE YEAR 1584 DAY 29

[begin message]

Hey, Mom. You’re probably watching this and thinking about how much you want to kick my ass right now. Well, my butt, because you don’t say words like “ass,” much less think them. Anyway, I know you’re mad at me. I’m the ungrateful daughter who hijacked an emergency pod and zipped off into space in the middle of the eclipse service like a dumbass—sorry, dumbbutt—with another girl because I just had to go and open myself to the spirit of lesbianism. I’m not gonna lie, I’m mad just like you are. Part of me wants to just say that the spirit is a good fucking time and be on my way. But I need you need to know that I’m losing something, too.

A sci-fi one shot: Allison leaves a final message for her mother after she and Renee escape the generation ship they grew up on.

On Dragon's Wings (Under the Blue) by tinystreetlamp  (T | 8,417 | 3/3)

For hundreds of years the six kingdoms coexisted in peace due to a magical contract that prevents violence between them. Ever since Allison's brother Jean was kidnapped by Riko she has wanted to lead her armies to war against the Island of Night, but the contract prevents her from doing so. When crown prince Nathaniel arrives and asks for sanctuary, Allison sees her chance to unite four of the kingdoms against Riko and rain down her vengeance upon him.

(How to seduce a pirate: drag her underwater unexpectedly)

/Graphic Depictions of Violence

vengeance and death by cthulu_sun (M | 2,446 | 1/1)

legend says you have wax-dipped wings and golden fingernails and knives made of the blood you have spilled. legend says you are not merciful.

-

in which renee is a tired guardian angel, finds the foxes, and falls in love.

a hundred jewels on throats by ghvsts (T | 3,226 | 1/1)

"have you seen the goddess from the seafoam," they whisper, "she is more beautiful than anything."

(in which seth is ares, renee is persephone, and allison has had enough)

fabrication of a grand scheme by cloudghost (T | 13,787 | 1/1)

Renee was silent for a while. Then, finally, she said, “I want to try going outside.”

“I thought you were scared.”

She hummed her assent. “That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t do it.”

Since that was basically the philosophy Allison lived by, she nodded. Renee turned back around and met Allison’s gaze. In that moment, Renee looked unbreakable and unshakeable, like nothing that ended up in her way could ever stop her for long. Allison shivered.

Love You a Latte by ceilingfan5 (G | 8,465 | 1/1)

Allison's favorite barista is adorable Renee, so when she gets the news that she has to go on a terrible family vacation and bring an "appropriate plus-one", she decides to finally get herself uninvited from the rest of those events for all eternity. She and Renee go together, pretending to be a very much in love couple, stir shit up, and leave a lot closer than they ever expected. (Obviously they fall in love.) Allison may say "I decided love was fake a long time ago and it’d take a miracle to change my mind now,” but if anyone can be a miracle worker, it's Renee.

say you'll never harden to the world by orphan_account (T | 10,300 | 1/1)

Of course it’s when the knife finally doesn’t feel awkward in her hand anymore that Allison shows up.

Instead of the relaxed way she usually holds her wings, they’re pulled taut behind her back. Her arms are crossed in front of her chest and there’s a decidedly not pleased look on her face.

“Hey,” Natalie says, not interrupting the sequence of stabbing moves she’s been practicing. She has no time for the way seeing Allison makes her feel.

Safe – a joke. Not alone – Allison might not even be real. Cared about – impossible.

Those kinds of emotions aren’t meant for someone like her in the first place, and she’s not going to indulge them.

give me shelter or show me heart by hondayota (Not Rated | 4,720 | 3/3)

Renee had always thought of hope as a feeling, something she scraped out of her insides when she had nothing else to hold onto, but over the past months, hope had ceased to be a feeling and had become synonymous with Allison Reynolds.

or

the renison zombie au no one asked for

or

renee and allison are hella gay even when there's zombies

laila/alvarez:

It's Called Fashion Hunty. Look it up. by theKristastrophe (T | 15,440 | 8/8)

Sara works for a company that she doesn't hate but doesn't love either. So she sits at the bar with her two other best friends and tries to get through the work week.

When a fresh lawyer stumbles into thier weekly Rant Club, Sara knows she's in for a wild ride.

Featuring gratious eyerolling, snark, and everyone's favorite Foxes.

Buckle up kiddies. It's time to Sashay, Sashay, Sashay...

Come Close by tinystreetlamp (T | 10,932 | 1/1)

Sometime around 200 BC in Ancient Greece, in a world where the greek gods are real, Laila is a warrior from Sparta. During her first visit to Athens she meets not only Jeremy of Troy but also falls head over heels in love with Sara, a daughter of Apollo and local poet. But Sara is cursed, and soon the three cross the Mediterranean on a quest to break the curse and save Sara.

Sara means Sun by tinystreetlamp (M | 27,739 | 8/8)

Five years ago, ships with black and red sails appeared on the horizon and wiped out all of the royal family - except one. The Raven King conquered Coralia and is doing everything he can to stay in power. Jeremy of Troia, the rightful heir to his kingdom, has been in hiding for the past five years, but he found something worth fighting for.

Laila, an Elven Warrior and Jeremy's best friend, will do anything to protect him. Meeting a cute stranger isn't going to change that.

/Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death

#aftgfl ask #mrating #teen #notrated #general #oneshot #complete #theme:complete #under10k #10to20k #20to30k #100k+ #renison #laila/alvarez #theme:au #au #coffeeshop #fluff #noexy #pining #selfharm #torture #drinking #apocalypse #slowburn #friends2lovers #homophobia #fantasy #fakedating #fallinginlove