#we're not really on the beach but in the woods right next to it

[maudiemoods]

Camping at the beach and I am BURNT TO A CRISP!!

#its a really cool campground #we're not really on the beach but in the woods right next to it #its cool #ren won't shut up #i put sunscreen on i swear #maybe not enough i guess

[lovrily]

Loved the Steve Harrington x shy reader ones, can you please make another where reader is shy but super kind inside? Like she rescues sick kittens or dogs from street and lets them be free after a good care when nobody's around? Really wanna see Steve's reaction after he accidently finds her doing so.

P.s-Hope you're enjoying the beach🫶

hi friend!! the beach was so good but there's sand everywhere and i can't get rid of it xoxo. thank you for ur request i hope this fits what you imagined <3

shy + fem!reader | 1500 words

"hey!"

your head snaps up at the sudden harsh call, but their next words are softer and maybe a little exasperated.

"what the hell are you doing in the road?"

steve harrington approaches like a mirage. the anchor of your stomach drops, nerves nearly pinning you to the ground. heat ripples off of the pavement and off the edges of his hair, ringer-tee tight around his arms. his BMW is parked in a gravel offshoot a yard or two away. for a moment, you forget what you're doing and your hands go free.

"hi," you muster. "i was..."

oh! you whip back around, surprised to find the dog you've discovered still meandering toward the far side of the road. it's limping on its back right leg, as if it keeps pushing forward, the injury will heal itself. it's a bully of some sort; not quite a pit, but definitely not a bulldog. its fur is completely white save for some dirt around its paws and nose.

steve slows to a jogging stop and flicks his hand at you where you kneel. get up, he's motioning. his brows are drawn in the sunlight, and likely in confusion, too. when you go to stand, he takes your bicep gently in his hand and pulls you the rest of the way to your feet. he even steadies you once you're up.

"good?"

your ears go hot as irons. you want to thank him, but it's hard to speak when he's around, so you just nod.

"is it yours?" he asks.

"no," you reply. "no, i just...i was on my bike and i saw it limping."

he throws you an odd glance. "we're on the interstate."

it's true. in the wooded part, at least- surrounded by trees and a metal barrier. but the road is windy, and if a car came around from the opposite side, it would have to be paying good attention to spot you at the curve.

you blink at steve, surprised at how much he seems to care. it's obvious that he does- you're quiet; not dense. but you still don't know what to say.

"it's okay," you shrug.

really? that's the best you could come up with?

steve shakes his head, a little frantic as he takes your forearm and leads you to the metal barrier, climbing over it and then offering his hands to you a second time. "c'mon. hop over."

you blink at him, a little stunned still. it's a bit of a ridiculous reaction, maybe. steve is one of your best friends. but he's also...steve. you can't really be entirely calm around steve harrington. especially not when he appears out of nowhere and drives his car off the road to check on you.

you take his hands and step over. once you've landed, his hands swipe across your shoulders; an almost extended release.

the dog lingers on the other side of the railing. steve swings his legs back over the barrier, and it teeters backward, frightened by his height or maybe just the drop of his feet.

"hey," he calls, frazzled. "don't...it's okay. c'mere."

the dog whines, wary.

the whirring of an engine catches your attention, and you're forced to speak.

"steve," you say. his name is foreign on your lips despite how familiar he is to you. "there's a car."

"it's okay," he replies, kneeling. his voice is a murmur. the dog is backing further into the road, its wounded paw drifting over the yellow median. steve's gaze is sharp, both of you afraid for the animal now. you feel a little bad for dragging him into it. if something happens to the dog, now steve will have to be sad about it, too.

a blue volkswagen comes around the curve too fast for your liking and you're propelled over the barrier, grabbing the neck of steve's shirt.

you yank him backwards, although he probably didn't need it. the dog scampers off just in time as the car shoots by. its back lights stay dim, the driver not even tapping the brakes as flashes of white fur disappear into the forest on the other side of the road. and just like that, the dog is gone.

"damnit," steve huffs. but his shoulders are rigid. breaths rise and fall quickly from his chest, hard and fast, as if he's trying to slow down his heart. he glances over his shoulder, but not quite at you, without moving to pry your fingers off of his shirt. "i don't see it."

your expression crumples.

steve locks eyes with you after a moment of silence. his brown eyes are wide, expectant, as if he knew what your wordless response would be. his head cocks to the side a bit before he straightens out and sighs.

"alright, alright. i'll drive around and look for it."

his neck is warm. you let go, wrinkles from your grip left in the shirt. he wipes a hand over the top of his spine like you've left a film and turns to you.

"you shouldn't just park your bike on the road, mother theresa."

you scoff at the nickname, turning from his gaze. "i am not."

"yeah, whatever," he huffs in return, as if he's ready to leave, although he hasn't moved to do so.

it's nice of him to offer to look for the dog, but you're sure he won't find it again just by driving around. why would it risk going out onto the road again? you needed to look in the woods.

"why are you making that face?" he complains.

huh? "what face?"

"that...oh, man, whatever. alright. quit ogling at me. i'm gonna do it."

you laugh before you can stop it, and if steve was tempted to smile by that, he scrubs the look off his face quickly.

"what are you talking about?" you breathe.

"you're looking at me all...helpless," he retorts. "now i have to do whatever you ask."

that does it. if your ears went hot before, all of you is on fire now. you turn completely around, pretending to look for your bike in the trees, but you had left it in the complete opposite direction and you're too worked up to pass by steve on your way there.

finally, you're forced to turn back around. there's nowhere to hide from the incredibly obvious diversion you attempted and steve is going to be standing there no matter how long you pretend to be searching for something.

he's standing with his arms folded.

"do you do this a lot?"

you stare at him, brows lifting. do what? he reads your expression.

"pick up lost puppies, brake for birds...that sort of thing."

"those are different things," you murmur.

"you get it," steve retorts.

but you don't. the notion that you're some sort of sweet and gentle creature is odd to you, considering how clunky and awkward you feel most of the time, and for steve to suggest that you just did 'that sort of thing' was entirely unexpected to you.

of course, to steve, it's plain as day; you are the sweetest thing he's ever seen, and he would camp out in a tent on the interstate for the next week until he found that dog. for you.

he has to bite back a grimace at how enamored he is with you to offer his hand.

"c'mon. you can put your bike in the trunk and then we'll go look for the dog." he clocks your concern and sighs gently. "on foot."

good.

you're greedy and take his hand before you can be afraid to, and when you step over the railing, it's clumsy; your right leg landing harder than your left. you stumble, and steve catches you, your torso folded over his arm.

when he stands you up, you can't even look at him. but you can see the amused grin on his face out of the corner of your eye, kind and surprised and maybe a little cocky.

"you know what? i'll get the bike. you just...stand there. and try to stay standing until i get back."

you shoot a glare at his back despite your nerves. he returns with your bike, looking weightless in his arms, and says- "think you can make it to the car by yourself, or do you need me to carry you?"

you grin, all embarrassment. "shut up."

"that dog would be shocked by your harsh words if he could talk."

"steve," you laugh breathlessly.

he chuckles, quiet and soft, like he hadn't meant to let it out.

"this should be fun."

#stranger things #steve harrington #steve harrington imagine #stranger things fic #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington drabble #steve harrington x reader fluff #steve harrington x you #stranger things x reader

[pradaxstyles]

“Okay, maybe I have a crush on you! So what?” 

This would totally work for Ellie, after Santa Barbara, cause I think she'd be a complete and total emotional mess and wouldn't know how to handle her feelings..

Collateral

Pairing -> Ellie Williams x Fem Reader

Warnings -> Some game dialogue (second game, Tommy made me so mad when he came to Ellie with this. like let the girl live in peace please), brief mention of Ellie's missing fingers, swearing, end is a little rushed, not proofread, fluff at the end bc I said so <3

Word count -> 1.3k

Playlist -> Unbroken, Gustavo Santaolalla

Alexa's notes✨ -> Caroline!!!!! Thank you so so much for requesting something! It means the world to me. I really hope you enjoy this and that I did it justice! As always, please come chat or leave some feedback! love yall xoxo

Your relationship with Ellie wasn't something that was clear cut. It didn't have clear lines, it wasn't black and white. It was more of an array of muddled colors that somehow worked together seamlessly. You knew how she felt about you, and you her, so there wasn't a question as to whether you would go with her to Seattle in search of Abby and her friends.

When that was all said and done you both agreed on starting a life together outside of Jackson. The farmhouse had been one your favorite places you've lived in, partly because Ellie was right by your side.

That was until Ellie left for Santa Barbara.

The day Tommy came by, you could see the wheels turning in Ellie's mind. You had done so much to get where you were, and he was threatening that stability. You knew Ellie struggled with what happened to Joel. You knew it. Ellie tried so hard to hide everything from you, even now.

You'd been by her with everything that happened in Seattle, putting your life at risk every damn day because you loved Ellie. You've had the front row seat to everything that is Ellie Williams, and here she was, debating Tommy's words.

"This new guy heard my story," Tommy began. "He told me about a woman that he traded with while he was moving through California." He unfolded the map and laid it down on the table, smoothing out the creases. "Described her as built like an ox, traveling with a kid with scars across his face."

Ellie was hanging on to his every word.

You stood off to the side trying not to eavesdrop, but how could you not? Ellie sat up straighter, leaning in slightly to take a glance at the map in front of her.

"He said they were livin' across this coast, in a beached sail boat," Tommy reached over and pointed a single finger on the dusty map, "Right here."

You could tell Ellie felt torn, her eyebrows knitted together as she glanced around the room. Her gaze landed on you for a split second, and you could see the internal struggle that raged within the girl.

Moving to place yourself next to Ellie, "That's enough," you articulated, "We're done with that and you know it."

Ellie reached to place her hand on the small of your back. Shaking her head, she whispered a small, "I'm sorry."

The scratch of the chair against the wood filled the brief silence, followed by Tommy's scoff. "Reckon it's easy to forget about her. Sitting all comfy way out here-"

You took a protective step in front of Ellie, "Tommy-"

"'I'll make her pay.' That's what you said when we got back to Jackson."

Placing a strong hand against his chest, you gave him a shove. The look in your eyes lethal, "That is enough!" you exclaimed. "Get the hell out of my house and don't come back with that shit, ever again. Do you hear me?"

Tommy scoffed again, "What a joke." He shuffled toward the door while mumbling things under his breath.

You placed a gentle hand on Ellie's cheek and ran your thumb across her lips before stomping after Tommy. The screen door smacked into the side of the house with the force of you pushing it.

"You're a real jackass, you know that? How dare yo-"

"How dare I? She made me a promise! Don't you think that should mean something?"

A sarcastic laugh fell from your lips, "Are you fucking kidding me? Do you not realize what she's been through?" barely taking a breath, "What we have been through? We almost died in Seattle and I'll be damned if you pressure Ellie into going back out there for some stupid lead."

Soft pants came from your parted mouth. You were absolutely seething at Tommy's audacity. Why couldn't he just drop it? So many lives were lost in the search for Abby. It wasn't his life he was putting at risk, it was Ellie's. He'd have to shoot you dead before you allowed that.

Tommy gave you a sharp look before turning his back and leading his horse to the front gate.

You watched him ride off as you caught your breath.

Pulling the screen door shut behind you, you turned to find Ellie still seated at the table.

"Els, I'm so sorry he did that. He had absolutely no right to show up here and treat you like that."

Ellie warily glanced up at you, a bleak look painted her features. A sigh escaped her lips as she grabbed your hand and led you to the seat across from her.

"Babe, I think-"

"Please tell me you're not actually considering this. Please."

Ellie snapped her gaze down to the map and back up to you. "I can't live like this anymore, knowing she's still out there. I don't eat, I don't sleep."

You blinked the tears away that were threatening to slip. "Ellie.." Your voice broke slightly as you rose to stand. "You need to know that I've grown to care for you, deeply. But if you walk out of this house, I don't know if I'll be here waiting for you to come back."

Ellie rose and stood to face you, inches between you both. A pained expression covered her face, "That's up to you."

With that, she took her backpack and walked out the door, leaving you in the beloved farmhouse alone.

‧⋆ ✧˚₊‧⋆. ✧˚₊‧⋆‧‧⋆ ✧˚₊‧⋆. ✧˚₊‧⋆‧‧⋆ ✧˚₊‧⋆. ✧˚₊‧⋆‧‧⋆ ✧˚₊‧⋆. ✧˚₊‧⋆

It had been three months, and there was still no sign of Ellie. You waited every day for her to walk through that door and into your arms. The old calendar in the kitchen had been marked up, serving as a tracker for the days that molded into one.

It was easy to grow weary, to sit in silence most days and reminisce on the months prior. The ache was a deep, constant feeling in your body.

There was one day, the sun's embrace warm as you sat on the porch swing that you saw it.

Ellie's slim figure making its way up to the front gate, backpack in hand.

Your eyes fell into a sharp squint thinking your mind had been playing tricks on you.

The gate clanked open, and you knew she was home.

Standing up, you scampered towards the girl.

"Ellie?! Is that you?"

Ellie's own footsteps broke into a run after hearing your sweet voice. God, she missed that voice so much.

You slammed your body into her strong frame, wrapping your arms tightly around her neck. "Ellie," you melted, "I'm so happy you're back home."

She picked you up off the ground slightly, inhaling the scent of your freshly washed hair. "I missed you so much, baby. You have no idea."

Placing you back on your feet, her cool hands met your cheeks and you leaned into her touch, relishing the feel of her skin against yours.

Opening one eye at the unfamiliar sensation, "Uh, Els? What the hell happened to your fingers?" You all but ripped her hand off your cheek and brought it up to your face to inspect.

A deep chuckle fell from her lips and she smiled at you, "I'll explain everything, I promise. Let's go inside before you get cold."

Slinging her backpack across her shoulders, she intertwined your fingers in her good hand and led you back to the house. It felt right being back home with you. Ellie realized a lot of things while she was gone and was finally able to process some of those feelings. Not that she wouldn't tell you eventually, but Ellie loved you from the moment she first laid eyes on you all those years ago in Jackson. It took her a while to decipher those feelings, but she's never been so sure of something as she is this.

Glancing down at you, she gave your hand a slight squeeze, "I love you, sweet girl. More than you'll ever know."

#ellie williams #ellie williams x female reader #ellie williams x reader #ellie williams x y/n #ellie williams blurb #ellie williams x you #tlou2 #Ellie Williams fluff #I hope this was okay #pls tell me what you thought #aae writes

[panzershrike-pretz]

CHRISTMAS TAG GAME! <3

It's Festivus for the rest of us so grab your Chanukah bush, your mistletoe, your pagan ritual or whatever brings you joy and come gather round the fire and celebrate your pocket friends.

Thanks for the tag, @land-sh! Luv ya!

• favorite nickname you’ve ever been given?

Welp, I think Pretzu is my favorite of all; it was given to me by my best friend and I get such a sense of confort when she calls me like that. I feel very special.

And also, Rá, which comes from my irl name. I simply adore it, because it's the name of that Egyptian God xD but tbh, anything other than my name is good enough, I don't really like it

• where are you located?

Santa Catarina, Brazil 👉😎👉

Down fucking here AKKAKAKA

I want to share the fact that i think that SC looks like a seahorse's head 🤙

• what season is it where you are now?

Summer (this is a cry for help)

• favourite tradition this time of year?

Going to the beach! Is the best way to spend the holidays :]

• mulled wine, eggnog or hot apple cider?

I've never had any of these. I prefer the fouth option: lemonade

• turkey, ham or nut roast (Or Tofurkey?)?

I've never had any of these (once again), so I'll go with the next option: churrasco

• would you rather spend the december holidays in: a cabin in the woods surrounded by snow, or a house on the beach with sun and sand?

I already spend every year in the beach, so I'll go with the cabin with snow.

• are you pro-snow or anti-snow?

Pro-snow all the way!! I litarally spent only one holiday in the snow in my life, when I went to Germany in 2018 and that was fucking awesome. I miss snow so much aidbwnqjsj

• have you ever built a snowman?

Yes!

• skiing or snowboarding?

There's no snow here, but even if there was I hate doing sports xD

• do you decorate for the holidays?

My mom does, so the house is all pampered with stuff (even tho we're not spending christmas in it?? I don't understand it).

If I was responsible for decorating, I wouldn't. Too much work, I'm lazy

• favourite holiday movie?

I don't watch any.

• favourite holiday fanfic?

I also never read any.

• if you were to star in a hallmark movie, who would be your love interest?

Uh. Well. Hm. I'd be the protagonist's friend who's kinda just. There.

(I edited this right now, I'm proud of my abilities)

- Tagging (no pressure): @malarkgirlypop @luckynumber4 @xxluckystrike @next-autopsy @coco-bean-1218 @footprintsinthesxnd @whollyjoly and whoever else wabts to join! I'll not tag all my mutuals this time, but tou are included here if you want to do this thing!

#tag game #🥨🪶

[thelighthousestale]

We're Going On A Hippogriff Hunt

In the south of England, nestled behind a quaint thatched roof cottage, lay a dense thicket of woods. Between the trees, two young boys, James Potter and Teddy Lupin, embarked on a grand adventure. The sun dappled through the leaves, casting playful patterns on the forest floor as the boys set out on a very special quest - to catch a hippogriff.

Teddy, the elder boy at twelve, had an air of wisdom and experience about him that captivated the six-year-old James. Having recently completed his first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry James was sure Teddy was one of the smartest boys he knew. As they ventured deeper into the woods, James trotted behind Teddy and bombarded him with questions about magical creatures, eager to absorb every bit of knowledge his older brother possessed.

"Teddy, what's the best way to approach a hippogriff without it attacking you?" James asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.

Teddy, not wanting to admit he hadn't taken Care of Magical Creatures yet, replied quickly, "You have to speak to them in Parseltongue. The hissing sounds calm them down."

Satisfied with the answer, James mimicked the sound of Parseltongue, emitting "hssses" and "sszzzes" out loud, as they continued their imaginary hunt. Teddy continued to weave fantastical tales of magical creatures and their peculiar habits.

"And hippogriffs love to eat mince pies. So at Christmas make sure you save your pie so we can set up a hippogriff trap."

"Really?!"

"Oh yes, and they make their houses on the top of trees. That's why we are hunting for them in the woods."

"But they are so big! Won't they break the trees if they sit on them?" James asked as he picked up a rather large stick and used it to punt himself across a babbling stream.

"Hippogriffs don't weigh much though. How else do you think they're able to fly? You got to be light as a feather to fly."

"But we can fly and we weigh more than feathers."

"Yes, but we have brooms to help us fly. Hippogriffs don't have brooms."

"Wow, you're right!"

Just as the boys stooped down to look at markings on the forest floor that Teddy swore to James were hippogriff prints, a familiar face appeared along the dirt path that cut through the woods that led from the apparition point back to the cottage. Harry Potter had just come home from a day's work at the Ministry

"Hello, boys! What are you doing out here?" James quickly abandoned his investigation of the animal prints and ran up to his father wrapping his arms around him in a hug.

"We're hunting hippogriffs, Dad! It's important!"

Harry chuckled, as knelt down "Really? Important is it? Is your hunt successful?"

"No, but Teddy says hippogriffs like swimming in deep waters. Our stream is too shallow. Maybe they went to the beach. Can we go to the beach tomorrow?"

"hmm, not tomorrow, I'll be working tomorrow. Maybe this weekend we can go to the beach but I don't think you'll find any hippogriffs there."

"I don't know Dad, Teddy was pretty sure we would. And he knows what he talking about. He told me he met one of Hagrid's hippogriffs at Hogwarts."

"Ah, yes Ted is quite the authority now, isn't he. Why don't we go inside and get ready for dinner?"

"Can Teddy and I continue our hunt after dinner?"

"Of course, You can hunt until it starts to get dark." And with that little James ran up ahead of his father and towards the house.

"Err," Said Teddy from beside Harry. "Do you think he'll figure out how I made up all that stuff about hippogriffs?"

Harry laughed at his godson's concern. "No, Ted, I think he is having fun. He's very lucky to have an older brother who will play with him."

"OK, but maybe next time we go to Diagon Alley we can get a book on magical creatures? That way I can tell James the truth."

"I'll get you any book you want, Ted." Harry clapped his godson's shoulder and gave him a warm smile, "Go on and make sure James washes his hands before dinner. I'm sure Ginny has something delicious cooking tonight."

As Harry followed Teddy up the tiny path, he paused for a moment, to soak in the innocent joy of two brothers playing carefree in the summer before he made his way inside his family home.

#harry potter fanfiction #harry potter #james sirius potter #teddy lupin

[orphicpoieses]

A giant tag game response...

In the last several weeks, I've been tagged by multiple people for tag games, including some games even multiple times. So, instead of just creating a post for each and every tag I got, I decided to go deeply insane by creating one giant post in which I will answer each and every one.

For all of this, I am tagging: @enchantress-of-words @mirrorthoughts @leafamaranth @blind-the-winds @writingpotato07 @writingbyricochet @j-1173 @midnight-and-his-melodiverse @eli-writes-sometimes @lockejhaven @365runesofwriting @thetruearchmagos @yourfriendlywriter @moonlitinks

Wish me luck.

Okay, so first, let's start with the game I got the most tags for: Heads Up, Seven Up. I've been tagged by @primroseprime2019 (not quite as Heads Up, Seven Up, but Seven Snippets, Seven People), @mariahwritesstuff, @thetruearchmagos and @howlingbreeze. Thanks to you all for tagging me 💕

Since I got the tag, I nearly wrote 30k words on my current project. Sadly, I cannot share any lines with you, so here is an older snippet of mine and I hope, you forgive me for being so mysterious with my WIPs...

This belongs to a snippet for Celestials. I have this one in my drafts for about three to four months now, unsure, if I should continue. So, please, leave some feedback, if you want to read on or not! It would really help me out!💕

His strides were long as he ran down the hallway to the stairwell. "I said you should go away!", Conan growled behind him, but he ignored the archdemon, who followed him angrily. Their voices were already echoing through the door of Asra's apartment and before she could get up from the couch, there was a vigorous knock on the wood. "Asra!" His soft voice got through to her and brought back memories that she actually wanted to forget. Tears welled up in her eyes and even though no one saw her, she hastily turned away. "Get out of here!", Conan growled again and for a moment it seemed as if the two uninvited visitors were at each other's throats. Asra hastily wiped away the tears and stood up. If he didn't listen to Conan, then to her if she was about to send him away.

Next is 10 Songs, 10 People, tagged by @darthenra. Shuffle your music and share the first ten songs.

Looking Back by Satoshi Takebe

We're in the club now by Michael Giacchino

Shine my shoes by Robbie Williams

We are the people by Empire of the Sun

Dream Glow by BTS & Charli XCX

Unbroken by Arealie Brighton

Mayweather by Maître Gims

Mehr Davon by Tim Benzko

Destruction by TSFH

Steel on Steel by Jeremy Soule

Also from @darthenra, the Four Main Character tag. Describe four characters in your WIP that are not your protagonist.

Sadly, I cannot answer this, since my project is a mystery.

The next game is Get to know me, tagged by @eli-writes-sometimes.

3 Ships: I only got one and that's Crowley X Aziraphale.

Last Song: Heat Waves by Glass Animals

Last Movie: A Pale Blue Eye (Rewatch, because it is so good!)

Currently Consuming: The series Designated Survivor.

Currently Craving: Summertime vibes, beach waves and surf lessons

And last but not least: The OC Songs Tag by @writingbyricochet 💕

I will not name the OCs (yes, multiple!), but here are 5 songs with a that make me feel very close to them and just have the right vibes. Usually, I resonate with the complete lyrics, but because this would otherwise end in a much much longer post that I want to, I just give a snippet of the lyrics. Just google the songs, if you are interested in the soundtrack in my head 😁

Open Your Eyes - UNSECRET & Alaina Cross

Open your eyes Now is the time All that you know is changing Open your eyes Into the light There is a world that's waiting

I know where your secrets hide - Klergy feat. Katie Garfield

Bite your lip Taste your lies I write your name in circles Strike the fear Where the dark lies Where you are, your sins will follow Shadows come into the light I know where your secrets hide

Heat Waves - Glass Animals

I just wonder what you're dreaming of When you sleep and smile so comfortable I just wish that I could give you that That look that's perfectly unsad Sometimes, all I think about is you Late nights in the middle of June Heat Waves been faking me out Can't make you happier now

Would I lie to you - Nico Santos

Shadow in the dark, shadow in the dark I know what you've been through Trouble in your heart, trouble in your heart Where no one's ever been to I know you've been hurt before Don't want you to hurt no more Let me get to you

Dirty Hands (Gone Mad) - Kendra Dantes

Look in my eyes, they lie Went to hell a couple of times Can't say I don't try, I tried Now there's nowhere left to hide Now it's done, I'm undone Everything that I've become Let me show you my darkness It's dark, yeah

And that's it! All the tags I recently got, collected in one post!

If you read everything, let me thank you with my whole heart. It means a lot to me. I also appreciate likes, comments and reblogs and don't forget to tell me your opinion on the Orphic Daydreams and wether or not I should continue them.

Giving you all a nice hug and see you in the next giant post 💕🌈

#tag games #writeblr tag games #writeblr #wip: wings of fate #writing #creative writing #writers on tumblr #writerblr #writerscommunity #writerscorner #writersociety #writblr #literature

[zombiesun]

Top 5 places to wander around ?!

the local graveyard. it's absolutely beautiful and if you walk there before the sunsets and sit under the ornate overhang that sits in the middle you can watch the sun bleed over the mountains. I go there to smoke weed, to take naps, and to do rituals or petition the spirits to help me (subconsciously) bury someone that I was unable to do on my own. it's my sanctuary and the place I feel quietest and often safest. also all graveyards ever. I try to visit a new one whenever I can and wherever I travel.

tunnels. all tunnels but the deeper and darker the better. for contemplation, meditation, exploration - there's something very holy in there for me. they peak my curiosity and give a chance to be alone and surrounded by something. also graffiti museums. my sister and I recently found one that we haven't finished exploring but we're going to bring some speakers and a few friends and film something down there.

I worked at a summer camp in California last year that was on a large piece of property up in the hills and at night it was so peaceful and dark. there were smoking benches near the slaughterhouse that my friend and I would smoke at under the stars and then when we parted ways I would walk past all the sleeping animals, through the dark woods, following the paths until I reached an end or something new. it was very peaceful and big. not necessarily a place that made me feel safe all the time but something that always expanded me. I don't miss working at the camp but I miss the place.

I worked at a hostel on Venice beach last year after the camp and it was right next to the canals which were the best place to endlessly loop either for self-held conversations or private walks. in the mornings the ocean fog would roll in and it would be a great place to smoke. at night the lights would all be illuminated for the holidays and it was just a display of lights and novelty boats shaped as various animals. I really miss them.

of all the cities I've gone to I think Chicago was the best one for wandering. partly because you could very literally take the train to anywhere at anytime to anyplace. it was so easy to navigate it and so sprawling that there was so much to see. I visited a friend for a week and while she was working I'd visit as many place as I could in a day and then bleed it into the next. I could have explored so much more, but it was a wonderful place to wander until you found something interesting.

#mailbox #ask game #obsessed with this question thank you so much for asking it #delighted we are mutuals also your username shoots up my spine like a lightning bolt love it

[thesilkentheater]

cosmic gender envy, and trauma

It's been a long time since that summer, but every time the season brings with it bad memories and unwilling flashbacks in the corner of their eye. The festive banners and popsicles in big grocery store boxes make them think there's an eye watching them from beyond the veil, ready to pluck them up and take them on an unforgettable journey.

Though it wasn't all bad. There are good parts that they remember- looking out into a galaxy all around them, no pressure in the slightest, allowed to ramble and talk to this cosmic entity who was very confused by the gender problem they were having, never needing the concept. And, eventually, they came to the conclusion that they didn't really need the concept, either.

But that was the minority.

Three people died that summer. The first was in their third encounter with the strange demi-gods that roam the forest there, long after the group had figured out they were lost and found the route to civilization was becoming stranger and stranger. It would loop in on itself without doing so at all, fireflies painted red leading the way to their demise and safety all at once.

They remember it clear as day. It had been a hungry wolf sort of thing- they all looked sort of like things, or amalgamations of things, but none quite right- the size of a sixteen wheeler, and saliva dripped from its maw as it asked them for an offering to pass. But they had no animals to offer it, and so had resorted to blaming one another.

Someone pushed someone else, who shoved the person to their right, who was promptly gobbled up into the gaping maw as the wolf let them pass.

Maybe it would've been worse, if it was bloody or gruesome. But they think it might have been better, because it wouldn't have seemed so sudden. There would've been a process, a point where you could say he was alive and then he was dead, the time pinpointed on a clock and obvious enough that when it slid down the creature's throat you knew it was just meat. It was an, for all intents and purposed, perfectly intact person that was there one moment and gone the next.

And that alone made it feel so much worse. Like they weren't an indelible mark on this earth, that any one of them could be erased in an instant, forgotten and uncared for and simply no longer existing. Perhaps if they'd thought a little harder about it they'd realize that he had family and friends waiting for him outside this forest, but in the moment, everyone was so stunned and silently passed in such a way that it seemed they were all willing to forget he ever existed.

Of course, that could never be the end, because of course it couldn't. Because the the path had started to dwindle, and eventually the fireflies were the only thing guiding them. And then, it turned out, they were on a beach.

A great mermaid-thing greeted them, taller than a two-story house, and with a gentle smile said, "If you'd like, I will bring you all back now, but there is more to be found here for you. To continue, I will take one of you; but if you'd like to leave, I will assist you."

"Will we be able to leave if we say no?" Asked someone, before anyone could speak.

"Likely not until the end. For few creatures in these woods remember kindness; but I, of the sea, know it well."

"Of course we're going to leave," said someone at the same time one of the girls argued, "We should keep going."

And so the argument began. Shouting and terrible faces and petty drama and everything was all dredged up, and everyone was involved except for them; they sat on the side of a tree, yawning and hugging their knees, and hoped a decision would be reached eventually. Perhaps there was intricacies to the argument, perhaps nonsense and lines of logic that never went anywhere and gratuitous appeals to the natural human desire to live, but at the end of the day they weren't really listening.

Instead, they had been listening to a strange cosmic voice that had entered their ears. "Hello, dear."

And that had been the start of it all, really, hadn't it? Because the star seeing old deity had, eventually, convinced the selkie- and he said it was a selkie, not a mermaid-thing, because of some reason or another- to take a life and have them continue on the path, because if they left right now they would all go mad.

So the second death had to be voluntary, because the selkie was far too kind to take one by force. Everyone looked at each other, except for a girl they think was named Daisy, who walked forward one step and said, "I'll do it."

And the selkie, again unwilling to rip and tear flesh, simply dragged her under the water with tangled piece of kelp and bid them on their way with a fresh set of fireflies and a purpose- that there were only three left to meet on this trail.

The rest of the night is a blur, thankfully. They remember the beings- the owl with one eye slashed, a spider whose massive web had gone stale, and the deer with seven eyes. Sort of, in approximations and vague gestures, anyway, because those things were all red and black and non-euclidean in the same way that the being they worship now is incorporeal.

"Worship" is a strong word. They chat, sometimes, and there's no particular power dynamic because there's no reason for there to be one. If that being had not wanted their company and unfiltered words, he could have killed them on the spot. Easy as that.

It ended up well, they suppose, putting a box away on the shelf. But the eyes they see peering at them from shadows, and the drool they feel drop to the floor despite there being nothing, and the webbing they get caught in without ever being stuck to anything real; that will never leave them.

#writing #short story #creative writing #lgbtq #lgbt pride #nonbinary

[salasalasalamander]

I WROTE A BOOK pt1

this is the first book ive written

¹Chapter 1

Sniff sniff sniiifffff. My eyes cracked open—a stray dog was sniffing my face. Shluuurp. The stray dog seemed to enjoy the smell of someone who has been on a bender for a week. Well, that's one way to wake up. I stood up and cans clinked across the sand. I felt like I had been through a motorcycle crash. 

I realized I was lying in a hole on a beach with singed clothing and a broken watch. I checked my pockets for clues to where I was, but only found half a pack of Mallgorillas and an empty pack of Oldsea matches from the bar down the corner from my home. I started looking for the car wreck I must have windshield-cannoned from, but I could only see a rusted-out pickup truck in the distance. 

I walked along the beach and up some stairs. I figured I must be really far out into the country because there was a truck here; you never see a vehicle this close to a city. Beyond the truck there was a wooded area that looked maintained enough that it could be a park, so I headed in that direction, really hoping for a forest ranger station. 

I walked through the park for a while until I saw two people sitting on a bench. One was a muscular goth chick and the other was a scrawny greature of a man. There was a six pack on the bench next to them and more cans in a backpack at their feet. 

Looking back, maybe I should have been suspicious of their lack of horns, but on the other hand, maybe they both just had Male Pattern Hornlessness. (There are two types of hornlessness: Type I is physical abrasion, while Type II is a degenerative disease. With your donation, we can put an end to Brittlehorn.)

I walked up to them and said: "Hey, I have two questions: can I have a light? Also, where the fuck am I?"

The goth chick replied, "You can have a light if we can have a cig." 

"Hell yeah," I said, handing them each a cigarette. 

"Thanks, man," the goth chick said as they lit all three cigarettes. "We're in Throwweptain Park."

"Oh, I meant that more generally," I said. "I've never seen a grainy beach on the mainland before."

"No, we're in Salttray Park," the scrawny guy chimed in. 

I looked past them and saw a sign hanging from a tree that said "Cheesecliffe Park". 

"Hey, I'm still on the mainland, right?" I asked. 

"Yeah, we're in Florida," the scrawny guy said. "What mainland do you mean?"

"You know, Dregg?" I said. They both looked at me like I had three heads.  

"What are you talking about, man?" the scrawny guy asked. "Did that mai tai do some damage?"

"Yeah, are you good?" the goth chick said. "You're like, bleeding a bit, dude." 

I put my hand to my forehead. There was a trickle of blood going into my left eye. "Oh yeah, I woke up in a hole today. Pass me a beer."

"Oh yeah, I know those days," the scrawny guy said as he handed me a can of Brockman's.

"So what happened to you? You look like you fell out of a car," he continued.

"I think I got my ass kicked, y'know…" I said, trying to remember. "I think it was at a party. I'm not sure how long ago. I'm not sure what happened but I was having a blast."

"You don't seem too concerned," the goth chick said. "Does this happen to you often?"

Oh man, did I have strange dealings with the bridgeman, that guy who's always under the bridge? What's his name again? The guy who makes various white powders? I must have been really off the rails…or on them I thought. Or at least, I thought I had thought it, but it turns out I said it out loud. I must have hit my head pretty hard. 

They were both staring at me. "This isn't the first car wreck I've woken up in," I told them. "But this wasn't as bad as the time I went off the bridge into the ocean. It was co-o-old. I probably would have died if I wasn't wearing winter hunting gear."

"And I thought the winters at home were bad," the goth chick said. 

I took a drag of my cigarette. "No shit." I wiped the blood off my eye. "Anyway, my name is Deer. What's yours?"

The scrawny guy began to answer first. "I'm Anthony—"

"JANE." The goth chick interrupted him in a loud, strange tone. Then they smiled awkwardly and wiped a bit of lipstick off their teeth.

I returned the smile and wiped a bit of blood off my own teeth. "So, how are you guys getting back into town? Come on down to my home-bar."

"You have a bar in your home?" Anthony asked.

"Nah, my home IS the bar," I replied. "It's a dive on the second storey of a ramshackle building in the toxic waste part of town. There's a lot of fake mahogany in it. I sleep in one of the booths with a blanket and a heater. I 'work' full-time security for the guy who owns it. It's a deal I worked out—he lets me live there and gives me food and beer all day and I bounce people for him."

"Sounds like a pretty sweet setup," Anthony said. "We're pretty far from the nearest town, though."

"Do you want to sleep on my couch tonight?" Jane asked. 

"That sounds warmer than a cubicle," I said. 

"We're hosing you down on the front lawn first," Jane said. "It's like chipping paint."

"What do you mean by that?" Anthony asked. 

Jane said, "You know when you can see the layers of graffiti on a wall? Just tags on tags? That's what the crust on you looks like."

"That's fair," I replied. "It's hard to find the motivation to shower when the shower is a sink in a bar bathroom."

"Sometimes I just use the soda gun behind the bar. You can use a lime instead of soap in a pinch, and bar towels get the job done. It's more refreshing than you'd think."

Jane snorted, but Anthony nodded sagely in understanding.

"Ah, yes," Anthony said. "I used to bathe in rivers, I get it."

"I think you have a concussion," Jane said. "Let's get you home."

"Do you know a good doctor?" I asked.

"There's only two kinds of doctors in this world, man," Anthony said. "Good doctors and cheap doctors. And we can't afford the good ones."

"I know a guy who sews up bullet wounds for five dollars a pop," I said.

"That sounds good, let's do that," Jane said. 

We walked out of the park to the parking lot to find Jane's car. Jane's car was a rusted dark green Chrysler New Yorker that had been lifted, but it was an old lift kit so the frame was beginning to sink again, giving the entire car an off-kilter appearance. 

"The car sits even when it gets to over 40, so as long as the cops don't see us while we're in an under 40 zone, we'll be fine," Jane assured us.

"Yeah, but it starts rocking at 80," Anthony said. "So you have to keep it between 40 and 80 because that's as smooth as this car drives."

"Partymobile," I said. "At least it has all 4 doors still."

As I said this, I tried to open the door behind the driver's seat. The entire door came off in my hand, clattering to the ground making me step back in dodge.

Jane just said, "I got this. Hold the door for me, would ya?" They went to the trunk and got a hammer and some nails, and then with one hand picked up the door put it in place nocked a nail between her fingers and  hammered the nail halfway in held the door with her knee and hammered it the rest of the way down  

We got in the car and started driving. As I looked out the window, I started thinking, Man, I must be really far out in the country. I've never been here before. I didn't know there was still this much island left that I hadn't seen.

I started to feel carsick and the rocking didn't help. "I think that head wound did some damage," I said. "I just need to sit in the dark of a bar." I didn't know where my home was, but I figured anywhere that's dingy and skunky is home. 

Jane pulled over at the first roadside bar that we came across. It was called The Shady Ox. As we walked in the door, I watched Anthony bump into someone on their way out and steal their wallet. He opened the wallet and looked at the ID once we sat down.

"Hey, I think that guy stole this wallet," Anthony said, holding up the ID. The person in the picture looked nothing like the guy who he had bumped into.

"Who are you to judge?" I asked. "You just stole his wallet."

"Yeah, but it still has cash in it!" he said, giving me and Jane each a share of about 10 dollars. I looked out the window and saw the guy getting into an unmarked white van. 

"I think he was a cop," Anthony said. "I've been busted by undercovers before."

"Who, them? Outside in the car?" said Jane, he would have busted you if he was a cop

We all leaned over to look out the window. "What the hell is that?" I asked. There was some kind of bizarre animal sitting on top of the garbage cans outside of the bar. It looked like a little hairy man with a mask and black gloves. "He looks like a small burglar."

"That little felon man is called a raccoon," Jane explained. 

"A racket?" I asked. "Wait… you don't normally see a dog with all four legs together like that. It's too symmetrical. Someone must have made that rocket dog."

"'Too symmetrical'? What does wildlife look like wherever the hell you're from?" Jane asked. 

I took a picture of my childhood dog out of my wallet. He had two heads and mostly straight legs, though the third back one was on a pretty serious angle. "All in all a pretty standard dog, right?" I said, showing them the picture. "The second head breathed fire sometimes. That was pretty cool. I'd always lose my lighters so the lil bastard came in handy. Man, I loved that dog."

Jane and Anthony stared at me in stunned silence. The waitress came by and placed our beers on the table. "So what childhood pets did you have?" I asked.

"...I had a chow…" Jane said. 

"I had a cat with a missing leg," Anthony added, nodding sagely. 

"So… where did you say you were from again?" Jane asked. 

"Dregg," I said.

"I've never heard of a Dregg," Anthony said. Jane looked at their phone. 

"I just looked it up but all I could find was a rap-metal fusion band," Jane said.

"So is that a 'sold to One Direction' kind of situation or what?" Anthony asked.

"What is that?" I replied.

The look on Jane's face shifted from confusion to excitement.

"Would you call yourself a traveler?" they asked.

"What?"

"Are you from another dimension?" Jane pressed.

"I mean, I could be? I don't really know where I am now!" I said. "It's too far away from the ocean here. I don't like it." 

"We were just at the beach," Anthony said.

"I'm used to ALWAYS being able to see the ocean," I said. "The land to ocean ratio here is wack. There's only supposed to be like three islands on the whole planet and there's just so much, where did you guys get all these continental plates from?"

I started to clean myself off with bar napkins.

"Uh, guys? I think I just heard someone say 'deploy the ferret'," Anthony said. 

"Deploy the what?" I asked. I felt something sharp dig into my skin and crawl up my leg. The next thing I knew, there was a gigantic furry worm attacking my face. "Aaah! Get it off!"

Jane threw a punch, which connected with both the worm and my head, resulting in a mighty crash as we both fell backwards off the bar chair. I got to my feet a second before the "ferret" did. I squared off with the ferret and prepared to fight it. It hissed at me viciously. 

I stepped to the right, then dodged to the left and threw a punch, but the ferret jumped onto my arm. It started running towards my face.

Jane ran up to me and tried to kick the ferret off my arm but ended up kicking me in the head instead. I fell and the ferret was launched behind the bar, straight through the swinging doors to the kitchen. 

Jane's half-court kick knocked me flat on my ass and I got up seeing stars. "Can you take me to your couch now?" I slurred. And then I passed out again.

—

Chapter 2

I woke up and pulled the pillow off my face; it was glued with blood. Looking out the buckshot holes of Jane's garage, I saw that the rusted-out red truck was parked down the street again. 

I poured instant coffee into a kettle which I'd filled up with water from Jane's garden hose and walked into the living room. Jane was already there, staring out the window. 

"That's the same truck I saw when I got here," I told Jane. "I'd think it was following us, if it looked like it could move." 

"Let's keep an eye on that," Jane said. "ANTHONY!"

"What?" Anthony responded from the next room.

"Raise the paranoia meter one—no, two notches. We're on high alert," Jane said, and lazily saluted.

"On it boss," Anthony said in a 20s mobster voice.

Anthony walked into the living room with a red bag with a white cross on it in one hand and a sewing kit in the other.

"That ferret did a number on you, buddy," Anthony said to me. 

I touched the back of my neck and felt warm blood. 

Anthony pulled a beer from the red bag. Inside the bag there was a box of bandages, a roll of gauze, scissors, a bottle of disinfectant, and a six pack of Lucky. "Yep, we're gonna have to stitch you up."

I took off my shirt and opened my drink. "Welp, can't say this is my first time doing this," I said with a sigh.

"Got enough barbed wire tattoos," Jane said.

"I think I need one more," I responded challengingly.

"Allright, don't move." Jane stood behind me and threaded a needle. "Just look at the pretty trees and hold still." 

"I can see a couple inches of ocean, I'll be fine." I could see the tiny patch of ocean in the distance between the trees across the way, so I focused on that while Jane sewed up the back of my neck. 

"You weren't lying when you said you'd done this before," Jane commented, tying a knot in the thread. "We'll pop this string sucker out in a week and ya should be good." 

I rubbed the stitches. Anthony slapped my hand away. "No touching."

"Hey, your mobster voice gave me an idea I've been trying not to forget," Jane began. 

"Oh, what is it?" Anthony asked.

"Iiiit waaass…" Jane had apparently already forgot it and was struggling to remember. 

"'On it, boss'?" Anthony supplied helpfully. 

"Right!" Jane exclaimed. "Let's fire down to the thrift store, pick up a couple of suits, do an outfit thing."

"That sounds good," Anthony and I said nearly in unison. I noticed my clothes for the first time since I woke up on the beach. My worn-out jeans, denim vest, and long-faded past recognition Sledder t-shirt were gone, replaced by a cozy pair of pajamas.

"I washed your clothes for ya," Jane said. "And you, as well." I looked out the back window and saw a crushed, dirty patch in the tall grass. "How are you dirtier than outside?" Jane continued. "Anyway, you're the least drunk, so you're driving," they said matter of factly.

"Fuck yeah," I said as we walked to Jane's car and they tossed me the keys.

"Hot one today, eh?" I said, lighting a smoke off the mirror and handing them each one. "Your car makes me nauseous, man."

"You get used to it," Anthony said. He seemed zoned out in the back seat.

I noticed a mark on the back of my left hand when I put my hands on the steering wheel. "How long's that been there for?"

"I thought it was one of your tattoos," Jane said. 

I examined it closer. It had 2 rings bridged together with X's and a symbol of a bird holding three keys, one in its mouth and one under each of its wings. "Ya don't see many 2 winged birds. This is strange." 

"Whaddya talking about?" Anthony said, suddenly alert.

"You really aren't from around here, huh," Jane commented.

I gripped the steering wheel and focused on my hand. It started to feel hot. I moved my hand to the window; the leather under my hand was slightly melted. 

I turned the ignition and it only struggled. Jane said "Feather the gas a bit," and flicked the windshield wipers on. A loud bang and a plume of black smoke from the exhaust. The car started and the right windshield wiper stuck half way while the left moved squeakily back and forth. 

"I'm fuckin starving," I said and drove off, the car rocking and making hideous sounds, shedding rust down the driveway.

"Your Sledder t-shirt turned to rags in the dryer. You should pick up some new clothes while we're there," Jane was telling me. 

"Man," I said, taking a second to mourn my Sledder shirt. "I'm shocked it lasted that long though."

I heard a voice shout from three houses down. "FUCK OFF WITH THE NOISE!"

- 

Chapter 3

A few hours later, we pulled into the parking lot of the beach with our pinstripe suits and our fast food feast. I tried to brake but the pedal jammed, so I geared it to neutral and cruised into two parking spots, then pulled the hand brake. 

"Another perfect landing," Jane said. I pulled the key out—or rather, the plastic top of the key, while the metal part stuck in the ignition. 

"That happens sometimes," Jane said. "It's an easy fix. Pliers and some glue. Any of you got pliers? Because otherwise we're catching a bus."

"We have thirty eight cents between us," Anthony pointed out. 

"I could weld ya a new key top," I said. "...If I had my torch. Goddamn, I kinda miss the little bar cubicle." It sunk in that I wasn't home anymore.

We got out of the car and started looking for somewhere to sit.

It really cooled of jane said sitting on a log

"I think it's safe to say we're not in Kansas anymore," I said. I was referring to the fictional land of Kansas, from the popular story The Oz of Wizard, but Jane later told me that in this world Kansas is in fact a real place.

"Tell me about where you're from," said Jane with barely concealed excitement.

"It's a pretty nice place. The wildlife is beautiful, but ya gotta watch out for it."

"Tell me about those birds with more? Or less? Than two wings," Jane asked.

"Well there's the birds with four wings. They're called rhythm birds. They write complex melodies; their songs are beautiful. It also gets sampled all the time into music."

"That sounds like the best pet ever," Jane said excitedly.

"Oh no, they're deafeningly loud indoors. They perch at the top of trees, which are few and far between on the mainland. A lot of the other wildlife can climb trees so the bird that could sit at the top of a tree, nest there, and still have their song heard was the one that survived."

"There's also 7 winged birds that are nearly silent and fast as the devil. They have 6 wings to the side and one rudder wing at the bottom. I got attacked by one once—their claws are sharp. The more curved scars are from that."

"Also on the island there's a lot more terrifying wildlife. There's three species of bats. One of them is about man-sized and terrifying. Pray you have a shotgun when you see those bloodsuckers. They don't come out much though and the others are tiny, maybe 6 inches long, but they breathe fire and never stop eating. The fire comes from a methane gas sack and they have flint-like fangs. Pretty much organic flint, I suppose. I found one that wormed into my engine block, chewed into the wires, then died. I made a lighter out of it with a tooth, a bone and a leather body. It was dope. I actually kept track of that thing for 2 months."

"And then there's vulture bats. They're born about three inches long but don't have a limit on how big they can grow. There's a theory that this is how the man-sized bats came to be."

I looked at Anthony and Jane to see their reactions. Anthony was stunned but Jane looked fascinated. 

"Those burgers were good, man," I said before slurping down the last of my milkshake. 

"I'm outta smokes and I'm starting to get angry," Jane grunted through a mouthful of fries. 

"There's something in my suit sleeve," Anthony said, undoing a zipper on the inside of his sleeve. They reached into the suddenly appearing pocket and pulled out a slim jim. "Hey, score. I think I know how we're getting home." 

"Put that away, dumbass," Jane snapped. 

"You wanna walk home?" Anthony suggested.

"No," Jane relented, "I'll keep lookout."

We eyed the parking lot for an easy lift and chose our prey: an old white van. We oozed across the parking lot to the edge and Anthony slipped the jim in and wiggled it to the left then wiggled it to the right and still couldn't get it in place.

"Pass me that." He passed it to me. I stepped up to bat, slid down, found the groove, and popped the locks in 2 seconds flat. "Numbnuts," I said offhandedly and pried the wire plate off. "Oh shit, it's different," I said, seeing the many wires. "The cars I'm used to have like three or four wires."

"Numbnuts," Anthony mocked in the way that puts your upper lip to your nose,and started to pull the wires down.

"Look with your brain, dumbasses," Jane said opening the visor. The keys tumbled down onto Anthony's head. "Looks like you're sitting in middle," they continued, "princesses first." 

Anthony and I climbed into the car and Jane followed and started the car. "It's been a while since I've done that without fiddling." 

"Hey, this van's pretty bougie," Anthony said, touching the console screen with his knuckle. "Heated seats? Lets turn them up. Check the glovebox, man." 

Jane started the car and I looked in the glovebox. Inside there was a pair of leather gloves and a box that took up most of the space. I shook the box gently; it made a soft thunk. I opened it and unwrapped the silk sheet. Inside there was a revolver with a note: "in case of emergencies".

I inspected the revolver. It had a pearl handle and sleek shiny body. I checked if it was loaded and it was. I took a bullet out and saw ornate runes carved into the shell and put the bullet in my pocket leaving five in the chamber so it wouldn't blow my package off if it misfires. 

"Talk about a score," I said, tucking the gun into the waistband of my suit.

At the bottom of the box was another six bullets and a fifty dollar note. "Let's hit up a gas station. These are my last three smokes."

We drove, careful to not get pulled over, to a gas station and Jane smoothly backed the van in and we got out. I could have sworn I saw one of the top rear exhaust pipes move, but figured my eyes were playing tricks on me. I looked at the back of the note and saw it had the same symbol on my hand. I put it in my pocket to check later and make sure it was real and walked into the gas station.

"Heyooo," I said warmly to the clerk. "I need a few packs of smokes, man. I'll have some mallgorilla—"

"What the fuck is a mall gorilla," the cashier slurred and pushed a far too heavy tongue piercing back in their mouth. "We got marlboros," they said, eyes red and droopy. 

"I'll take a pack of that then and gimme a pack of cheap and some menthols too."

"What are you, a chimney?" said the cashier turning around and grabbing three packs from behind the counter and putting them on the table, that be all for ya.

Just then Anthony walked up, put three beers on the counter, and said "Why yes I am." 

I handed the clerk the fifty and they handed me less change than I expected, but at that point I was jonesing too hard to care. I had barely walked out of the store before I had the first marlboro in my mouth and Anthony was already pulling out his lighter. I handed Jane one through the window and climbed in.

"Is it just me or does the exhaust look like it's moving?" said Anthony. 

"It's probably just loose," Jane said before taking a large drag, leaning back and starting the car. She exhaled through her nose and said, "Thank god for Seven Eleven under their breath while driving out of the parking lot."  

We pulled up to Jane's house and Anthony and I hopped out. Anthony went inside and opened the garage door then sat next to me on a chair while I sat on a rock in the front yard. Jane backed into her garage. Lets see if there's anything in the back she said. 

"Good idea," I responded, flicking her a menthol and lighting mine and Anthony's. "Lets hang out a spell, grab the pliers and pick up our car." 

"That sounds good," Anthony said.

"These taste different from the smokes back home," I said.

"Yours were smoother," Anthony responded.

"Uuuuuh, guys, we have a problem," said Jane.

Chapter 4

Jane was staring, horrified, into the back of the van. Two thankfully out of shape middle-aged guys wearing sweater vests, bowties, sweatpants and bunny slippers stared back, looking like a pair of toddlers caught with a meth lab.

I jumped to my feet, staggered two steps, and hit the ground, dizzy from the nicotine. the two guys jumped out and went for the front seat of the van. The taller one hopped in the driver's seat and the rounder one got in the passenger seat. The tall one opened the visor, looking for the keys  (now in Jane's pocket) while the fat one opened the glovebox, looking for the gun (now a centimetre away from my left testicle). 

"Grab the keys," the round one yelled to the tall one. 

"It's not there! Grab the gun!" the tall one yelled back.

"It's not there!"

They hopped out and started legging it down the street while I carefully tried to stand up. Anthony helped me into the chair and I caught my breath.

Once I wasn't dreadfully dizzy, we carefully examined the back of the van. It had a periscope attached to the left “exhaust pipe”. There was a sofa along one side and a built-in computer/radio station along the other. At the far end of the van, there was a coffee maker bolted to a cabinet and a 24 pack of donuts that was about half eaten.

Jane entered the van first. "The donuts are still fresh," she said, putting one in her mouth and passing two back to us. She looked in the cabinet and retrieved three cups and poured still-hot coffee into them. "So what the fuck just happened?" Jane said.

Chapter 5

Scraaaaatch scraaatch. Anthony was scraping a coin across the table anxiously. We had all changed back into our regular clothes. 

We were in the basement, coffee and donuts in hand, and sat down on the old raggedy sofa. Jane sat next to me and Anthony in a chewed and taped together armchair separated by a coffee table with two drawers and coated in all manner of scratches. The basement was comfortably dim and grungy enough to really feel like home.

The question of "So what do we do now?" hung in the air but no one dared ask it.

I checked the inside pocket of my vest, finding my pocket knife and a quarter of weed that thankfully survived the wash without the baggie ripping.

Jane pulled a pink and purple tray with a grinder and papers from a drawer in the coffee table and set it in front of me. I started rolling and tried to come up with a plan.

After rolling three joints I lit the first and passed left to Jane. 

"So if they haven't come for us yet, they're probably waiting till dark. I'm not sure what to expect but I think they'll send someone tougher than a pair of desk jockeys. We got lucky they weren't the gnarly kind of agents."

"So what should we do?" Jane said, barely audible as she passed to Anthony.

"We can run or we can fight… most likely we'll do both one way or another," I said.

"I think the van's in better shape than your car, Jane. No offense," Anthony added. 

"None taken," Jane said.

So we take the van. I suggested that we put a mattress in the back and drive as far as we could. "If we never look back we just might make it," I said.

"We could lay low somewhere out of town," at least, said Jane, mid exhale the colour slowly returning to their face.

“That's a good idea,” I said.

“And if we fight?” Anthony said and swallowed uncomfortably.

“What have we got for weapons?” I asked.

Jane stood up and rummaged through a toolkit, chose a larger than average hammer, spun it in her palm and nodded approvingly. She walked to a section of wall with a poster worn beyond recognition. She took the poster down and—SMASH— hit the drywall with the hammer. SMASH SMASH. "Give me a hand, would ya?" they said, tearing out a piece of drywall.

I stood up and helped them rip up the wall.

Once we had created a fairly large hole, they reached in and felt around before pulling a duffle bag with Y2K stitched into the front and 2012 stitched underneath out of the wall.

"We made a bug-out bag, yeah," Jane said, walking back to the couch and sitting down.

We looked through the bag. It had two sturdy pairs of black clothing, a few MRIs, five hundred dollars in cash and a purple box with a pink strap that clipped at the front. 

"These are for once we're safe," Jane said, tapping the box and putting it back in.

Jane pulled open a side pocket and removed a handgun. “Glock, ten mil,” she said, checking it to make sure it was still in working order. There were two boxes of rounds that Jane examined a few bullets out of. “Nothing seems to have gone," Jane said, high-fiving Anthony.

"Well, let's get that mattress in the van," I said, carrying the duffle bag out of the basement.

Jane grabbed a hacksaw from the toolkit. “Might come in handy," they said.

We went into Anthony and Jane's bedroom and carried the mattress to the van. Jane helped me pull the couch out and put new sheets on the mattress. Anthony got fresh bedding. By the time we finished we figured we'd have about forty minutes before dark. We sat down in our new surveillance camper and lit the final joint.

“Well, tonight we toast to living or dying,” I said, holding the doob up like one would with a drink and passing left to Anthony.

Anthony said, "Living or dying," with grim commitment and toked, then passed to Jane then started coughing once he had finished. Jane said the same and stared off for a second after exhaling. 

"Do you hear that?" Jane asked.

“It's time to move,” I said urgently. Jane and I hopped out of the back and ran for the front. At that near exact same moment, two SUVs the colour of the stormy night sky screeched to a stop and three agents hopped out of each, clad in tactical gear and bearing submachine guns. They jumped into action while rubber was still burning.

Me and Jane jumped into the front seat, ducked and started the car. Bullets raged off the front and shattered the glass. The rest of the car seemed to have been armoured. The glass tore into our skin as we careened through the neighbour's lawn, bullets praying for weak spots the whole way through. Anthony slammed the left door and returned blind fire with the machine pistol. It would have been like trying to kill a dragon with a zippo, but it made the agents and drivers duck, which cooled our lead shower long enough to barrel across the road and through the shrubs into the yard of the least lucky bystander.

“YYYEEEEHAAW,” I exclaimed. “THIS VANS REALLY SOMETHING!

ANTH, YOU STILL ALIVE BACK THERE?!” I said not daring to pick up the pedal in the slightest as we blundered through the (thankfully not home) neighbour's front yard and onto the road.

“The highway is just forward and left of here,” Jane said urgently. The van lurched forwards, relieved to taste concrete again. The speedometer ticked up as we raced for the freeway.

“Uhh, I think so,” said Anthony shakily. "That was the biggest gunfight of my life." Anthony promptly fainted, thankfully onto the mattress.

#creative writing #novel #fanfic

[casspurrjoybellbittner]

Wreckless - Sea Shells and Hermit Crabs

*Warning Adult Content*

Finnegan

The sand tickles my toes.

Some is cool and hard and some is warm and squishy.

Emmett is reading, he's having a break after we built a castle and went swimming.

I don't wanna be still so I'm looking for shells.

Ick, a jellyfish... it's up on the sand and probably can't hurt me but I walk way around it.

Two other kids run in front of me and I have to stop so I don't crash into them but that's okay, that's when I see it.

The most perfect amazing shell ever, just a little ways into the water and mostly buried.

I wade in almost to my knees and lean over and grab it.

A wave hits and sand swirls as I lift it from the bottom but when I pull it out of the water I can see that it's only the edge that I could see, the rest isn't buried.

What I saw is exactly what I got and I'm pissed.

I drop it and go back towards the shore.

Emmett is walking towards me.

I wasn't supposed to go in but I didn't, really.

"You wanna swim? I'll take you."

"No, I wanted a shell. It was pretty but all broken."

I show him the other two I found.

"Very cool finds, 'Finn'. Want me to take them back to the towel?"

It's hot and the sun is really beating down. 

Time for a break. 

"No, I'm done, wanna go back to the hotel."

"Okay."

We pack up all our stuff and we're almost to the hotel when he asks me if I'm okay.

"Yeah, wanted a big pretty shell but no shell on my arm and no pretty shell to look at, either. Can we buy one?"

I know he thinks it's cheating but I don't care, I want one.

There's a store right up on the boardwalk that I can see from here.

"I wanna go in."

"If you really want to, sure."

He leads the way and inside they have bins and bins full of shells.

They also have other things, like crafts made of shells and some toys and swim stuff.

I find a huge pinkish conch shell and grab it.

I'm gonna put it on my desk.

"Want a stand?"

Emmett grabs two pretty pieces of wood making an 'x'.

I didn't know that's what it was for.

"Yes please."

They have cool bracelets with tiny shells and I grab one to give to him.

It'll look great on him and it can help him remember the beach. 

I spend a long time looking at all the cute hermit crabs but eventually we need to go.

"Ice cream?" he asks.

There's an adorable retro shop right next door and he pauses in front of it.

But why did he ask?

I always want ice cream. 

He probably just wants to cheer me up because I'm sad for the crabs. 

I wanna take them home.

He's nice and carries all my stuff so I can focus on my ice cream cone.

I have two huge scoops.

One is chocolate chip and one is chocolate with marshmallows in it.

Yum.

I wanted three but Emmett said two would be enough and he's right, it's a lot.

"I'm gonna grab the first shower and when you're done with your cone you can come on in because you definitely need one too."

I do, he's right.

I have sunscreen stickies and sand and ice cream down to my elbow.

"Okay."

When I'm finished, I strip and leave my shorts on the bathroom floor and walk into the shower.

"Hi."

"Hey there. Get rinsed and I'll wash you off."

That sounds perfect.

I get all wet and then he soaps me up.

He says I have ice cream on my lips so I try to lick it off but he says he'll get it and kisses me.

It's a silly way to eat ice cream and I think he just wanted kisses even though ice cream is almost as good.

Sometimes.

He's hard and I reach out to touch him.

"Naughty Emmett," I tease.

"You have no idea. I've spent the last two hours deciding where to fuck you first."

"I thought you were reading."

That earns me a growl and another kiss.

"Did you choose?"

"Hmm and the second place."

Two lovies?

"Where?"

"I'm going to show you right now, babe."

"But I need to wash my face."

"You may need to wash it when I'm done with you, too."

"Emmett sunscreen?" I ask.

I like when he shoots on me.

I think he needs to play as much as I do so I'm gonna make him mad.

"I don't need it. I don't want to play with you, Emmett."

I soap up my face and turn under the spray.

"Finn, you're going to do what I say and give me what I want. Get on the bed, now."

"No," I run, naked and dripping, into the living room.

He catches me before I make it to the couch and spins me around.

"Don't make me angry, Finn. You won't like what happens."

He's wrong, I will like it very, very much.

"I don't like you. Leave me alone, Emmett."

He laughs and tries to drag me back into the bedroom but I escape and run into the bathroom.

"Fine, the bathroom it is."

He lifts me right onto the counter.

"I don't care where it happens at this point but your little ass is about to get filled."

His head turns and he looks down at my pill bottles.

"What are these?"

He lifts one and looks at the label.

"Finnegan?"

No, I'm Finn.

"No, later."

"No, now. Are these new?"

I huff at him because he's being stupid. 

I grab my cock and play with myself for a second to feel better. 

"Yes."

"July 30, that's... not this past week but the week before. You have refills. Is this a refill or brand new?"

"It's new."

"What are they for, Finnegan?"

"Stop it. They don't matter... we were playing."

Why's he being so mean?

I wanna play and be 'Finn' and have fun.

He steps back and grabs the second bottle.

Now I know it's trouble.

"Please? I need... you and I want to be 'Little Finn'."  

"I know darling but I need some answers."

"No,"  I say, crossing my arms over my chest and pouting at him but he just turns and heads out of the bathroom, with my medicines, leaving me alone on the counter.  

[thatsgay-writes]

Day 16

PREVIOUS

"Here they are, the brave young women whose tale of struggle and survival has gripped the nation." The host says as she sends the camera a smile. "The unsinkable nine, as we have come to know them. Ladies, you must have dreamed of coming home for so long. Now that you're here, what do you wanna do most?" She questions as she turns towards you and your friends. "Honestly, smoke about a hundred cigs, you know? Like, really rip through a carton or two." Dot starts as she leans forwards on the couch. The host gives her a slightly awkward smile, "Okay. How about the rest of you?"

"I don't know; Maybe hit up the OG for a never-ending pasta bowl and just... I don't know... Get back to our real lives." Toni says next followed by Nora. "I'd like to read the Odyssey again, rather than, like, live it." She jokes awkwardly, causing some of the girls to laugh in response. "Leah, what about you?" "Oh, um, I just wanna reconnect with certain people... People who may have been worried and-or felt like we had unfinished business. And if that person is watching right now, I just wanna say that I did not not miss you every day." You cringe at Leah's little monologue, still not feeling 100% about her after her fight with Shelby.

"My turn, Brooke, and I've got a nice, straight answer for you. I'm going to fuck the rowdiest guy with the biggest dick as soon as I fucking can." Fatin says, causing everyone to pause the fantasy you all shared and look at Fatin. Fatin turned to look at you, since you were at the end of the couch, and you couldn't contain your laugh. "Holy shit!" You belt out as you roll onto your side, "I don't think you can say that." You tell her after you finally catch your breathe. Fatin rolls her eyes, "Okay, make it more media-friendly. I am going to fornicate with the healthiest penis I can find ASAP." You let out a laugh at her newly formed answer.

After that, Dot changed her answer and Fatin got on Leah for her "emo shit show" answer and how Romeo's would be in everyone's DM's, before they finally started cheering over the fact that there was a chance to return home. "We're going home, bitches!" Martha yells as she holds up the bottle of vodka, causing all the other girls to cheer. You go to celebrate with them but notice how Shelby stays silent and slowly pulls away from the group. You watch her go, debating if you should follow her, as Toni helps you stand. Her face holds a large smile that slowly falls as she notices how distracted you are and that Shelby was walking away.

Ever since kissing Shelby, Toni had been confused on her feelings between the both of you. She had loved you for years but Shelby just had something so attracting about her. Unknown to her, you were having the same thoughts. "I'll, um... I'll be right back." You say as you pat Toni's hands that were still holding your own after helping you up. Toni just nods her head as you hop away after Shelby.

---

"You don't seem very excited..." You try and joke as you hop around the rock Shelby was sitting on, closing your mouth as soon as you see how sad she looks. You fidget nervously for a few seconds as Shelby doesn't respond to your presence. You let out a deep breathe before sitting down next to Shelby on the rock. "Are you okay?" You ask as you slowly reach out your hand to grabs hers. You move slowly so she has enough time to pull away but she doesn't. When you tangle your fingers with Shelby's, she finally reacts some and turns her head to look at you. She opens and closes her mouth a few times wanting to say something, but ultimately ends up closing it and shaking her head. You let out a sigh but nod your head. You lean forwards and cup one of her cheeks, giving her a quick kiss on the other one. Your face gains a small smile as you notice Shelby blush, "I'll leave you to your thoughts... If you ever need someone to vent to or a shoulder to lean on I'll be here." You tell her as you slowly stand up and start hopping back towards to other girls, missing how Shelby stared after you longingly.

---

As you get closer to the other girls, you smile as you hear them all laughing and joking around. "Oh, Martha, you're gonna be trippin motherfucking balls dude." You hear Fatin say as you finally reach the group and collapse next to Toni. Hopping around was not fun and you were going to need to find a walking stick or something soon. "And she won't be alone." Rachel says as she holds her hand out towards Fatin. Taking what looks to be a bag of gummy bears? You nudge Toni with your shoulder and send her a questioning look. "Martha ate edibles." She whispered to you before turning back to the group and reaching for the bag. You covered your mouth in shock and laughed at the fact that Martha, sweet and innocent Martha, ate edibles. "You want one y/n?" Toni asks as she holds one out towards you. You think about it for a second. Your doctors back at home would probably advise you not to get high but you had been feeling fine the past few days. "Why not." You answer as you take the gummy bear from Toni and pop it into your mouth.

---

"Marcus!?" You hear Martha yell out for the 5th time as almost everyone laid on the beach, high out of their minds. The only ones not laying down were Fatin, who looked like she was meditating, Shelby, who still hadn't returned from the rock, and you, who had taken a seat on Toni's back and kept tracing out random letters and shapes on her back. "I'm so fucking blissed out. Not even from the gummies, just from the thought that in 48 hours I can have an orgasm." Was the first thing Fatin had said in an hour, causing you to giggle and almost fall off of Toni's back. Unlike Toni, who always got more relaxed when she was high, you got more giggly, enthusiastic, and talkative. You being high rivaled Shelby's whole "Who wants to play an ice breaker?" persona.

"Wait? You haven't like self-induced?" Leah asks, seriously but still with a playful tone. "No, I can't do it with my hands actually. I have this weird cello-vibrato PTSD. It's a whole thing." Fatin responds, breezing over the subject. "So your electric toothbrush hasn't seen any action?" Dot asks causing you to laugh more and add on, "I mean we all kind of assumed." You send a wink Fatin's way before turning your attention back to Toni's back, effectively spacing out on the conversation.

When you do focus back onto everyone, it's from Toni tapping your thigh to get you to get up. "Huh?" "C'mon we're gonna go play in the water." Instead of standing up and hopping your way towards the ocean, you just roll of Toni's back and lay on your back in the sand. "I'm good... I think I'm just gonna lie here." Toni gives you a questioning look but you just push her thigh towards the water. "I'll be fineeeee, go have funnnnn." Toni rolls her eyes as you purposefully draw out words and follows the rest of the girls into the water.

You could hear the girls from where you laid, all of them letting out screams and laughs of joy. You would have joined but hopping around on one leg isn't fun and tired you out pretty quickly. You rolled onto your side once the sun felt too hot on your face and you noticed that Shelby hadn't joined in on the fun either. You contemplated going up to her and trying to talk to her or give her more space, but went with the first choice. If she had rejoined the group than maybe she would want some company now.

---

"Not a fan of the water?" You ask as you let yourself collapse next to Shelby, taking note how she now had the bottle of vodka and it had a less in it than it did before. "I... Um..." Shelby stuttered out as she purposefully did not make eye contact with you. "It's fine." You say with a shrug and lay on your side. "No need to talk, just relax." You say as you suddenly get hype fixated on making shapes and letters on her back. Missing the way she tensed up before finally relaxing. You spaced out again from what was going on, a common thing that happened when you were high.

---

The rest of the day blew by as everyone did their own thing. Nora and Rachel went off talked somewhere, you noticed that Toni and Shelby got into a argument, and you just chilled around with Fatin, Dot, and Leah, while Martha decided to adventure into the woods. "Guys! Guys! Guess what I just saw!?" Martha yells as she runs over the hill and back towards the group. "I just saw Marcus and he's alive!" She yells out, out of breath, causing everyone to laugh at how ridiculous she sounded. "No, guys, I'm being serious!" Martha defends and grabs the nearest person to her, Dot, and starts dragging her along. "C'mon, he's in the woods." Dot turns to give the group and exasperated look but you all decide to follow along.

You had your arm wrapped around Toni as you all journeyed through the woods. You had tried to get out of going, but Martha wanted everyone to go with her. "You're just saying that he, like, fucking pinocchio'd?" Dot asks, having not stopped laughing or joking about the situation since you all headed into the woods. "Yes. That is exactly what I am saying." Martha says in relief, missing that fact that Dot was still making fun of her. "He turned into a real boy." She finishes as you and Toni see Marcus... Who is still as fake as he was the day he was found. "I don't know, he kinda looks the same to me." Toni says as you release her arm so she can pick up Marcus. "Hey! My leg!" You say excitedly as you notice it laying under Marcus. When Fatin goes to kiss Marcus, you kiss your leg. It was all fun and games until Leah had to mention the fact that Marcus and your leg had been swept away but suddenly ended up in the middle of the forest. You had thought the same thing but hoped to just ignore that fact. "Leah. We're mellow. We're leaving."

---

"Oh Shelby, you love America so much. USA! USA!" Martha cheers, trying to get Shelby to join her but the other girl is completely zoned out. "Is she okay?" You and Toni ask at the same time. Both of you sharing an awkward look with each other, neither of you had told the other about your own kiss with Shelby. Luckily, Fatin isn't stuck in an unknown love triangle and walks over to Shelby. You all watch as Shelby starts to brush her hair, it seems to stay tangled no matter what she does. Until the brush gets stuck in her hair. Fatin attempts to help her but Shelby goes into full freak out mode. "It's all ruined." She says as she grabs the scissors out of Fatin's bag. Fatin attempts to stop her but Shelby was inconsolable.

"I don't' fucking want it! I don't want it!"

NEXT

#the wilds #the wilds x reader #shoni #shoni x reader #toni x reader #shelby x reader #toni shalifoe x shelby goodkind #toni x shelby #toni shalifoe x reader #shelby goodkind x reader

[imagines-by-a-typical-fangirl]

Unexpected Places (Pt. 04 of 11)

Pairing: Ivar the Boneless X Reader/Bjorn X Reader

Word count: 3 K

Summary: As a princess, you've lived in a golden cage all your life, always a piece on someone else's game. But everything changed when the Norsemen came crushing down on Wessex, like waves in a violent storm. Their king spared your life and decided to take you with him to his kingdom, in what felt more like a rescue than a kidnapping. There, you were not only confronted with a completely different culture and lifestyle, but also with two of his sons. The oldest one has his eyes set on you, but it's the youngest one, Ivar, who gets who claimed your attention since the first sight. And he seems to have an unnamed interest in you. Of course you hoped whatever that was would pass, but when unexpected feelings start to flow a different way, things begin to change.

<- Previous part (03)

Next part (05) ->

{Vikings Masterlist}

×

Fit For a Princess

You're listening to the chattering between Aslaug and Helga, looking at pieces of jewelry at the market place. You say something every now and then, but you can't shake away Ivar's stare. On the last days, two weeks or so, he's right there, sitting across from you on every meal, eyes burning through you. Hvitserk said he's studying you, still expecting you to snap, to decide you had enough of all this and want to go back home. To Wessex, where your older brother now rules. And Ragnar already said he'd take you back if you wanted, so there's that.

But leaving Kattegat hasn't even crossed your mind, not before and not now. How could you trade all you have here, and slide back into the invisible chains you had on? It wouldn't be just stupid, it would be the death of you. You're finally understanding who you are, the things you like, the kind of people you like. In England, you had to play a specific role, because everything was political. Here, you're just who you are. And you do what you want to do. This is true freedom.

“I really like this one,” Helga says, as your eyes wander through the many rings, earrings, and necklaces. “I'd like those two as well.” She continues as you pace around, further away from both women, turning the corner and then walking to another store. The pieces they have here are all made of metal, delicately bent into beautiful shapes. You caress a bracelet with the tip of your fingers, wondering if it'd look good on you.

“Don't waste your time with these cheap things.” The voice, that you now recognize immediately, makes you turn around. Ivar comes from among the people, only stopping when he's standing next to you.

But despite his attention being on the jewelry, your eyes are on him. “You're tall.” It comes out suddenly, because he never stood beside you like this, so you couldn't have noticed.

“Well, you're tiny.” Ivar glances at you, playing with one of the rings. “Anyway, you shouldn't be looking at these things. They won't suit you very well.”

Giving the old man an apologetic look, you randomly pick a bracelet. You don't get why Ivar is being rude, but, judging by what Hvitserk had told you, his brother isn't one to hold back. He says what he thinks, it doesn't matter how mean it may sound to others. You're still trying to figure out if this level of brutal honesty is good or bad. “I really like this one.” Searching on the small bag attached to your dress, you take four coins, way more than what the bracelet is worth, handing it over to the man and putting the bracelet on. The silver color is beautiful, and the drawings carved on it remind you of the pattern you saw on one of the boats that brought you here.

Ivar rolls his eyes exaggeratedly, sighing. “You are such a kind princess.” Dropping the ring, he starts walking side by side with you when you set in motion through the market. You weren't expecting that.

“King Ecbert was king of Wessex. This isn't Wessex.”

“(Y/N)! Wait for us.” Aslaug calls and you stop, giving her a look and a nod before turning to face Ivar, who towers over you.

“Therefore, I'm not a princess anymore.” Shrugging your shoulders, you give him a small smile.

“That's a shame, isn't it?” He lowers his voice, leaning closer.

“Not really.” Shrugging your shoulders, you give a little step back, putting a strand of hair behind your ears before giving him a little wave, walking back to where both women are.

After they're done shopping, as you walk back home, the clouds push themselves apart just enough for the sunlight to appear. That makes you stop, taking in the warmth on your skin, but it soon disappears.

“Hey, (Y/N),” Hvitserk calls, coming from the beach with his father, Ubbe and Bjorn, who's walking behind them. “We're going to meet some traders. Wanna come?”

“Why not?” You mumble, elbowing Hvitserk when he's close enough.

“Go put on some pants then. We're riding there.”

“Oh.” It's so absurd it's stupid, how you can't seem to do the simple things people know by heart here. “I'm not very good at riding.” Whispering, you tell him, not wanting anyone else to listen.

“I'll help you out.” He nods, tilting his head to where Bjorn is. “Without cracking your head open in the process.”

Smiling you nod before heading inside to change out of the dress. You're just about to head out when Aslaug tells you to grab a cloak in case it rains later, so you have to make another trip to your room. But soon enough you meet Hvitserk and the others again, reading the horses.

“Which one is mine?”

“Over here.” Hviserk guides to a beautiful white horse. “Give me your leg.” He says, and for a moment you furrow your eyebrows, but soon enough you understand what he means. Raising your leg, Hvitserk grabs your calf and you push yourself up, successfully mounting on the horse with his help. It feels funny to be this tall. You have ridden before, but most of the time you used a carriage. There was no need for a princess to ride on the back of a horse at Wessex. It's wild though, and you've grown to love wild things. “Keep your feet like this on the stirrups at all times. Don't put of your feet all the way in or it might get stuck if you fall. If you touch her with your ankles, she'll move forward. Pull the halters and she'll stop. The same thing goes to pull her left or right, but since we'll ride together she'll just follow the other horses.”

“Got it.”

“Your ass might hurt at the end of the day, so be prepared.” He warns before jumping to the back of his horse. “If it'll help you feel more steady, you can hold on the saddle, but trust me, you'll get the hang of it once you lose the fear of falling.”

“Have you ever fallen from a horse before?” As you speak, the small group starts moving, and your mare does the same, keeping their pace, slow at first until everyone starts galloping, and all air leaves your lungs. You hold tightly to the saddle, scared at first, but you remember what Hvitserk just told you. If you let the fear of falling win, you'll never learn to ride properly, and you'll never enjoy it. Slowly, you let go of the saddle, holding only on the halters, making sure it's loose so she'll feel free to run.

And the sensation is amazing. The wind makes your hair whip your face over and over, and you lightly shake your head to get rid of it. Glancing at Hvitserk, you mirror his position, a smile creeping over your lips. The landscape, green, blue, and gray, passes by in a blur, and you try to take it all in. It's beautiful, breathtaking. Almost literally, because when you finally stop, you're struggling to catch your breath.

“You ok?”

“Yeah.” You answer, and Hvitserk nods before moving to stand next to his father and brother. You see a small troop approaching, riding up the hill.

“You're quite good at this,” Bjorn says, guiding his horse away from his siblings and near you. “A few more lessons you'll be riding like a true Viking.”

“I really like it. Its... Thrilling.” You're finally calming down, and your thighs ache a little bit.

“Wanna see the traders coming?” Turning his horse around, he gestures at a cliff, not too many miles away. “We could go up there, it'll give us a nice view.”

“Isn't it a little high?”

“The horses are used to it. C'mon.” Without waiting for your answer, he starts galloping away.

Glancing at Hvitserk, you hold the halter tightly to keep the mare from moving. “You think I should?”

“Sure, it has a nice view. But if you feel like the trail there is too much you come back here, alright? The horses are used to it but you're not.”

“Alright.” Touching the mare with your ankles, you loose the halter and she immediately moves, following Bjorn's horse. It doesn't take much until you're deep inside the woods, the horses now trotting. Bjorn keeps silent, giving you a few glances since you're slightly behind him.

“That way.” He says, and you just let your ride follow his. The smooth ground soon starts changing, with more rocks, and becomes unravel. When you see a steep slope, with apparently nothing to hold on to, you pull the halters, making the mare stop.

“I think it's too craggy.” You speak up, getting Bjorn's attention. “I don't want to fall on my first try.”

“She's used to this kind of inclination. You'll be fine.”

Considering it and also what Hvitserk said, you decide to leave the cliff viewing for another day, when you feel more secure on the horse. “I think I'll pass, Bjorn. Maybe another cliff where I can go on foot.”

“Don't be a pussy. It's not that craggy.” Then, he kicks his horse hard and it sets in motion. It doesn't surprise you, but when the mare moves as well, following him, you're startled, and in the sudden change, you let the halter fall.

Holding on the sell, you can only watch as Bjorn's horse easily climbs the slope, at a fast pace, and yours do the same. But when it suddenly turns left, around a huge rock, you lose your balance, and since there's nothing to hold on to, both your feet escape the stirrups, and you're pulled to the ground hard. Losing your breath, a sting on your ankle makes you yelp as you roll down the slope, only stopping once the ground is flat again. Rolling on your back, you take deep breaths, trying not to move the left leg since the pain is spreading through your foot and calf. “Damn it!” You exclaim, removing the hair from your face.

“(Y/N)!” It takes only a few seconds until you see Bjorn kneeling by your side. “Are you alright?”

“I just fell from a horse and rolled down a hill!” You speak fast, the pain on your back making itself aware. “Of course I'm not fine!”

“Let me take you–” He says as he starts to pull you up.

“No.” You cut him off, slapping his hands away. Bjorn has done enough for today. If he wasn't trying to be a freaking show-off, this wouldn't have happened. “Go get–”

“(Y/N)?” You hear his voice and breathes out relief. “I heard a yell.”

“Over here. Lying on the ground.” Annoyed, you cover your eyes with both hands. “Can you please see if my ankle is broken?”

“What happened?” He asks in a low voice, and you uncover your eyes to see him jumping to the ground, kneeling next to your stretched out leg.

“Bjorn made his horse bolt up the slope and mine followed.” You explain, giving him a hard glance, groaning when Hvitserk lifts your leg to remove your boot. “Easy there!”

“Sorry.” He mumbles. “But calm down, it's not broken, just sprained.”

“Shit.” Taking a deep breath, you sit up taking off the other boot as well and throwing it at Bjorn. “You can't keep yourself from getting me hurt, can you?”

“Me? Everything you had to do was hold on. The horse–”

“I'm not a Viking!” Bursting out, you look up at him. “I'm not some shieldmaiden, I'm still trying to fit in here and learn things. You can't expect me to follow your pace.”

“I just–”

“Bjorn, you should get back. Help father with the traders, I'll take her back to Kattegat.” Hvitserk interrupts him, and Bjorn leaves after a grunt, saying something you couldn't understand.

“And he thinks he has the right to be pissed!” Lying back down, you groan. “I think this is a sign to stay away from him. Every time he's in the situation, I get hurt.”

“Alright, c'mon.” Hvitserk pulls your arm until you're seated again. “You need to put some ice on this ankle, let's go.” Hvitserk takes your mare first, tying her up with his horse before mounting and pulling you up to ride with him.

Despite the slow pace he keeps, your back still hurts. Resting your head on his back, you sigh. “Why are you so quiet?” You ask after a while.

“I'm thinking about the right words to tell this to mother. She won't be happy.” He answers, a hand resting on his thigh as the other holds the halter. “She's not very fond of Bjorn already.”

“It was partially my fault too, I think. I let the halter slip and had nothing to hold on to.”

“You're know Bjorn likes you, right?” Hvitserk suddenly says, and you pinch your eyebrows together. This thought hasn't crossed your mind. “That's probably why he did that. That's how he... Gets a woman's attention.”

“Would you do the kindness of telling him it's not working?” Muttering, you rest both your arms on his back folding them as if his shoulders were a table. “Actually, I've been meaning to tell you... I met Ivar at the market place today.”

“...And?” He asks after a few seconds of silence.

“Nothing, just... It was nothing, really.” It's hard to understand exactly what you want to tell Hvitserk. You just can't seem to put your feelings or thoughts together. “I was looking at these things and he said they wouldn't suit me.” Stretching out your arm, you show him the bracelet. “I bought this there.”

“That's nice. But cheap.” Rolling your eyes, you remember Ivar said pretty much the same thing.

“He also said I'm kind. But that was probably in a mocking tone, so...” You get into Kattegat, and Hvitserk greets some people. “I don't know.”

“I believe it's safe to assume Ivar doesn't hate you.” Hvitserk slows down the horse when a group of kids run by. “If he did, he wouldn't put himself on your way like that... Or look at you the way he does.”

“And how does he look at me?” The words come out slowly because you're not sure if you want to know.

“The only thing I can say for sure is that he never looked at a woman like that.” You finally get to Ragnar's house, and Hvitserk asks a man to help you down. Once you're safe on the ground, he jumps off, telling the man to take the horses. “And I mean it in a good way.”

He puts a hand around your waist, helping as you jump on the right foot until the table in the main hall. “Do you think he–”

“What happened this time?” Aslaug asks, her voice already giving out that she's not happy.

“Twisted ankle. She fell from the horse.”

“Take her to her room, Hvitserk.” The Queen mutters, saying something to the girls who were following her. “And carry her this time if that isn't too much to ask.”

“Alright.” He replies, picking you up with a hand on the small of your back and another under your legs, quickly finding the way to your chambers.

Giggling, you give him a look “I love when your mother–”

“Careful with the teasing this time. I might just drop you to the floor and I don't care if your a princess who fell off a horse.” The fake angry tone makes you laugh again.

“My bad, Prince Hvitserk.” You snap back, rolling your eyes.

Aslaug has her maids help you bathe first, cleaning the dirt that is attached to your face and hair before lying you on the bed again and applying a piece of fabric with cold water on your ankle, keeping it elevated with some pillows. She isn't happy to know the whole story, despite you assuring her it's alright now. You could've died, she said, breaking your neck. But it's useless to worry about what could've happened. The best thing to do now is to focus on the ankle, which she said will be better in a few days, and let the whole incident go.

Later that night, you give little jumps to the main hall to eat something. It's just Ubbe and Bjorn, seated on a table at the corner. Nodding at them, not wanting to chat with Bjorn at the moment, you sit at the edge of the table in the middle, your back turned at both men, taking the jar and pouring yourself something to drink.

“How's your ankle?” Ubbe asks, and you look over your shoulder.

“It's fine. I'll be able to walk normally in a few days. But my back still hurts.” Completely ignoring Bjorn's existence, you turn away from them again.

Drumming your fingers on the table, you wait for the Queen's maids to bring your meal. When you feel someone moving behind your back, you assume it's them, and place your cup further away to open some space. But instead of the bowl with rabbit stew, a necklace is put down before you. And it's absolutely beautiful, with three blue stones surrounded by a golden metal, delicately molded around it. It's different from anything you've ever seen in Wessex. Taking it in your hands, you see Ivar dropping to the seat next to you, and you turn to look at him.

“What is it?” You ask, unable to hide the smile that comes to your lips.

“A necklace.” He simply says, and you roll your eyes at his tone. What a way to ruin the mood.

“Yeah, I noticed.” The smile slowly drops as your eyes go back to the piece, fingertips caressing one of the stones.

“This was made for a princess. Not those cheap things.” He gestures at your bracelet, and you giggle.

“Well, this is absolutely beautiful.” Glancing at him, you find he was already staring. “Is it for me?” You inquire in a lower voice, not wanting to make any assumptions that might embarrass you.

Ivar nods, lightly pushing your shoulder. “Turn around. Let me put it on.”

Doing as he says, you turn your back at him. Ivar takes the necklace and places it around your neck, and you hold your hair up so he can close it on the back. Once he's done, you let the hair fall before turning to face him, folding your left leg and carefully laying the wounded ankle on the bench between you and Ivar. “How does it look?”

You wait for an answer, but it doesn't come. Ivar's eyes were fixed on the necklace, but slowly, they come to meet yours. Tilting your head to the side a little, you feel heat spreading through your cheeks.

Shaking your head lightly and looking down, you take a deep breath. “Have you heard that I fell from a horse this afternoon?” You're glad you got your brain to function, changing the subject. “Twisted my ankle.”

Ivar's stare falls to your bare feet on the bench, the skirt of your dress pulled up to your knee. “Mother told me it was someone else's doing.” As he speaks, Ivar gives an angry stare at where his two brothers are, and it's obvious who he's looking at. “But I think you'll survive.” You feel his fingers caressing your skin, from your knee and down through your calf, so softly you wonder if he's really touching you.

“I will.” You assure him, biting back a smile.

“Ivar,” Ragnar calls, and it does take a while until you both look at where he's standing, near the thrones. “Your mother wants to speak with you.”

“What now?” He asks, annoyed.

“I don't know. Go ask her.” And he disappears.

“Guess I'll have to go.” He glances at you, grabbing the clutch.

But before he can push himself up, you grab his arm. Perhaps you shouldn't do it. Perhaps this whole thing is just some kind of joke he's pulling on you, but still, the necklace is beautiful and he was... Kind. So you lean closer to him, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. “Thank you for the gift. It's very beautiful.”

Ivar is frozen, even after you let go of his arm. He stands there, blue eyes locked on yours. Slowly, painfully slow, a smile comes to his lips. And it feels different. True, genuine. “You're welcome, princess.” He whispers before pushing himself up to his feet and walking away.

You're still a little dazed when the rabbit stew comes, and you can do nothing but play with the spoon. But heavy footsteps get your attention, and when you look at your side, you catch a glimpse of a very angry Bjorn disappearing inside.

He saw everything. And it takes you by surprise to notice that, the moment you laid eyes on Ivar, you immediately forgot Bjorn and Ubbe were here. Everything just... Faded away, and there was nothing else, just you and him. And this is not the first time it happens.

×

@multific @revolution-starter @crackhead1-800 @youbloodymadgenius @clown-boyyy @kitten0394 @castielsangelx-blog @goldlion07 @midnightmystic @readsalot73 @xvxcarolinexvx @momowhoo @fangfoxy @msrawog @walkingonshunshine @alytavzla @anotherfan07

#ivar imagine #imagine ivar #ivar x you #ivar x reader #ivar x y/n #ivar the boneless imagine #ivar the boneless fanfiction #ivar the boneless x reader #imagine ivar the boneless #viking imagine #imagine vikings #ivar vikings x reader #vikings x reader

[askfacultystaff]

Rama Raid’s backstory Pt.6.

Rama: *Narrates* my sisters all cheer and i popped my head through the doggy door.

Lincoln: We're going to the beach tomorrow?

Lynn Sr.: Ooh, gosh. Sorry, son. Not you. Someone could get attacked by a shark.

Lynn: Or caught in a riptide.

Luna: Or stung by a jellyfish.

Lana: *gasps* If that happens, I call peeing on the wound!

Lincoln: *dejected* Come on, you guys! Be reasonable!

Lola: You're bad luck, Lincoln! You! Can't! Come! *closes the doggy door on him*

Lincoln: I guess I brought this on myself.

Rama: *Narrates* Later, i approached the front yard with a megaphone*

Lincoln: *into megaphone* ATTENTION, LOUD FAMILY! *hears the feedback hiss and fixes it; back into it* I HAVE A CONFESSION TO MAKE!

Rama: *Narrates* My family pop up to a window to hear my confession*

Lincoln: CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, I AM NOT BAD LUCK. I JUST LET YOU GUYS BELIEVE THAT SO I COULD GET OUT OF GOING TO YOUR STUFF. IT WAS A REALLY SELFISH THING TO DO. WE ALL NEED TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER. I'M REALLY SORRY.

Mr. Grouse: Nice confession, Loud!

Lynn: If you're not bad luck, then how come after I banned you, my team won our doubleheader, and now, we're going to the playoffs? Huh?

Mr. Grouse: She's got you there, Loud!

Lincoln: COULD YOU PLEASE JUST GO BACK INSIDE?

*Everyone clamors in agreement with Lynn*

Lynn Sr.: Sorry, buddy!

Rita: Sorry, honey!

Lynn Sr.: We'll write!

Leni: Lynn's right, you're bad luck!

Lynn Sr.: Step farther away from the house! Rama: *Narrates* My family closes the curtains thus ending the conversation*

Lincoln: Ugh! Lynn and her superstitions! As long as she thinks I'm bad luck, I'm doomed. I have to find a way to prove her wrong *shakes some more acorns out of his pants* Dang squirrel! *realizes* Wait.... 😨

FLASHBACK

Lynn: Yeah-huh, you are! Which is why I’m banning you from all future games.

END FLASHBACK

Rama: *Narrates* As i can remember about what she said, i became massive angry, so i shouted them for everything they did to me.

Lincoln: YOU KNOW WHAT???? JUST BECAUSE YOU KICKED ME OUT OF THIS HOUSE, WHICH MEANS YOU WISHED I NEVER BORN???? THINK ABOUT IT!!! YOU GAVE ALL TEN SISTERS, EXCEPT ME, BECAUSE IT NOW CALLS "FAMILY AND SISTERS" AND "NON-BROTHER"!!!! *Groans with full of anger* YOU ALL HAVE BAD LUCK TOO IF YOU BAN FROM YOUR ACTIVITIES JUST TO KICK ME OUT????

Lincoln: I'M LINCOLN AND LOUD NO MORE!!!! I'M NEVER GOING TO SEE YOU EVER AGAIN, ESPECIALLY YOU, LYNN!!! YOU BEATED ME UP TOO MUCH TO DEATH!!!! *Tears up* YOU... ALL... GROUNDED FOR BAD LUCKS YOU HAVE!!!! I'LL NEVER RETURN TO YOU!!! *Runs away while bursting his tears of grief*

Rama: *Narrates* I ran away.... After i shouted them.... I never returned to Loud House.... Forever.

Rama: *Narrates* The Next Day, the softball playoffs. So-called family and Bobby are there to support Lynn. The squirrel mascot is dancing a little less energetic than usual.

Lola: What's with that squirrel today? His choreography is so dated.

Mascot: Hey, man! You try dancing in this heat!

FIVE MINUTES LATER

Baseball Announcer: Talk about bad luck. Everything is going wrong with the Squirrels today. What do you think, Pep?

Pep: *downright bored* I think I've wasted my life.

Baseball Announcer: Just look at our poor squirrels!

Rama: *Narrates* Margo takes a swing and flings herself into the umpire and the bat hits her helmet. Two more squirrels collide into each other and miss the catch. One Squirrel tosses the bat right at Squirrel Mascot by accident. Lynn pitches and the opposing batter hits the ball right back her, knocking her socks, shoes, and hat off and making her spin in mid-air before landing on the ground.

Baseball Announcer: Yowza. *shows the score: Hazeltuck Lions: 3, Royal Woods Squirrels: nothing* Two outs in the bottom of the ninth, and the bases are loaded. Lynn Loud steps up to the plate, but with the luck she's been having today, the Squirrels are looking a whole lot like roadkill.

Luna: Way harsh, dude!

Baseball Announcer: I think you're rubbing off on me, Pep.

Pep: *dully* Oh, I have that effect on people.

Baseball Announcer: The windup, the pitch.

*Lynn swings and misses*

Umpire: Strike one!

*Lynn swings and misses again*

Umpire: Strike two! Baseball Announcer: And the pitch! Rama: *Narrates* The sound of the ball getting hit by the bat is heard and the rest of Lynn's team runs the remaining bases.

Baseball Announcer: It's going...it's going...IT'S GONE!!! LYNN LOUD HITS A GRAND SLAM!!! SQUIRRELS WIN! SQUIRRELS WIN!

Rama: *Narrates* So-called family and Bobby cheer for Lynn as she makes her run around the field. Baseball Announcer: *clinging to Pep* SQUIRRELS WIN! SQUIRRELS WIN! *knocks Pep down*

Rama: *Narrates* Lynn finishes her run and gets picked up by her family in celebration of her victory.

Family: CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ROCKED IT, LYNN-SANITY!

Rama: *Narrates* So yeah... That's why i'm no longer part of my so-called family -_-

Next Part_Pt.7.

Reblogs are appreciated to enjoy backstory

#the loud house #lynn loud sr #lynn loud #rita loud #lori loud #leni loud #luna loud #luan loud #lucy loud #lana loud #lola loud #lisa loud #lily loud #no such luck #based on true story #backstories au #alternate story

[jxtina-86]

The Welcome Party

Tiny shorts, power drills, Alexia, Dean and Seth combined make for a very frustrated Roman. RomanReigns/Alexia. See here for the rest of the series/order to read

Warning: Smut/Language

Rating: MA

I glance up at the sound of a truck approaching, my heart leaping into my mouth. I watch as it slows, but continues on its journey, not giving me a second glance. I return to staring at my feet and my anxiety-ridden knee which I can't seem to stop shaking. I slide my phone out of my short's pocket and stare at it dumbly, noting that barely two minutes have passed since I last checked it. No messages – only the photo of Lex and I stares back up at me. Lex snapped it as I carried her on my back down the beach. My eyes are shielded by sunglasses, but hers are propped up on top of her head. It's why I like it so much – it's us, but it's only her I see. She grins into the camera lens and my heart skips a beat every time I stare at it a second too long.

I click on messages anyway and read her last text.

Satnav says we're 30mins away xxx

I re-check the time, my stomach clenching nervously as I realise that they must be within at least five minutes of arriving. I sweep a hand over my head, fisting the knot of hair at the nape of my neck.

“Hey man, do you even own a toolkit? I mean, how have you got this far on your own with just a hammer and wood glue?” Dean rounds the corner from the garage, with said items in his hands.

I shrug. “That flatpack shit comes with those little screw things. Does the job.”

Dean shakes his head. “What happens if something breaks?”

“I'm never here to break anything. And if it did, that's what handymen are for, right?”

“What, so you and Lex break the b-”

“Don't even finish that sentence,” I growl as I stand, taking full advantage of the height of the porch step.

“Fine. All I'm saying is that you gonna have to get your DIY game sorted, bro. Girl's gonna start pestering you to put shit up on the walls, change curtains, build furniture and all you got is a fucking hammer and wood glue.” He waves both items in front of me and I grab them from him.

“Like you could do any better. The last time I saw your place, we had to eat dinner on the floor. Why? Oh, that's right, you lost your temper attaching legs to a table.”

Dean scowls. “The instructions didn't make any sense.”

“Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.”

He starts to open his mouth, but Seth's voice interrupts. “Bro, where is she?”

“I dunno.” Tucking the hammer under my arm, I dig my phone back out of my pocket. I find Lex's number and hit call.

**

“So how was your day?” Lex's voice echoes through the speakers as she moves around out of view.

“Long. You?”

“All the better for speaking to you now,” she chuckles and then she slides into view. “And y'know, this.” She points to the large glass of red wine in her hand.

“That bad, huh?”

She rolls her eyes, reclining back on the couch. She stretches out her pyjama-clad legs, toying with the shirt that looks suspiciously like the one that disappeared from my bag last weekend. Her long hair is bundled up on top of her head and she pats the bun absentmindedly.

“They keep talking about re-locations. No-one knows what's going on, the rumour mill has gone into overdrive.” She takes a long drink from her glass. “Anyway, I shouldn't complain. At least I don't have to drag my ass across the country every week.”

“Speaking of which, I got next weekend free.”

Her eyes light up. “Interesting...”

“I can get there at six on Friday.”

“Y'know you don't have to come all the way here. I'm more than happy-”

I cut her off with a shake of my head. “Easier for me to come to you.”

She nods slowly. “They mentioned Tampa.”

“Who mentioned Tampa?”

“Work. Re-location.”

I shift on the hotel bed. Is she really suggesting what I think she is? “Huh, interesting.”

She pauses, her expression void of any emotion. The silence is fucking deafening and I grapple internally to think of something to say.

“Well, y'know, rumour mill...” she shrugs. “So, next weekend.”

I open my mouth to backtrack on my previous statement, to tell her that if she moved to Tampa, I'd be over the fucking moon. I'd have a reason to go home on my days off, rather than staying in strange cities. Over the last six months, I've spent more time in her apartment than in my own house. To the point where she gave me my own key last month so I could let myself in if she was at work. I felt bad that my offer of reciprocation was pointless. Whilst she's stayed at my place a handful of times, it's not like she's going to drop by on the off chance.

The times when I've gone home alone, I've missed her like crazy. I mean, I miss her when I'm on the road, but Seth and Dean do an amazing job at distracting me. But being in my house, alone, knowing she's a good ten-hour drive away, fucking kills me. So I'd rather come to her.

But her suggestion of Tampa plays on my mind. The thought of her sharing my house, sharing every moment I'm home with her in a place we can call ours. That is the fucking dream right there. But... It's too soon, right?

So I smile and she wiggles her eyebrows. “I'll be taking back that shirt, baby girl.”

She looks down and then back up at me. “I'll fight you for it.”

I groan. “You play dirty.”

“Says you,” she retorts. “Never met a dirtier player than you, Mister.”

I clutch a hand to my chest as I mock-gasp. “Me? You got me mistaken.”

“Whatever.” She takes a sip of wine and then places it back on the table. “You want this?” she plucks at the shirt and then crosses her arms over her body and pulls it up over her head. “You come get it.”

I get a brief view of her breasts in a black lace bra before she tosses the shirt at the camera, shielding her from view.

“Who's playing dirty now?” I say to the dark screen, my chest tightening as I hear her soft sigh.

**

“Josh, stick it on speaker.” There's a fumbling noise and then: “Hey Ro, we're, like, two streets away.”

“Okay.”

“You checking up on me already?”

“What? No!”

“I'm kidding, big guy. Okay, one street away now.” I can hear the indicator ticking in the background and I turn to see a black pick-up truck turn towards us, the attached trailer following obediently. The phone clicks off as it stops in front of the house.

I brush past Dean as I watch Lex cut the engine and open the door. I swallow hard as I take in her bare legs, the denim cut-offs grazing the top of her thighs. She's got an oversized tank top on, knotted just above her right hip and as she stretches, it rides up to expose her stomach. She grins as she drops her arms and pushes her sunglasses up onto her head. I wrap my arms around her and leaning down, brush my nose against hers for a split second before I capture her lips with mine.

“Hey you,” she murmurs against my mouth as we pull back.

“How was the ride down?”

“Long. And jackass here,” she nods to her brother who has just rounded the corner of the truck. “He hogged the radio all the way.”

“She lies – there was a good hour where I was subjected to the worst Beyonce impression ever.” Josh holds out his hand. “Hey man, good to see you again.”

I let go of Lex and shake his hand. “You too. Thanks for helping Lex with the drive.”

“No problem,” he shrugs. “Sorry I can't stay to help with all the unpacking.”

“Sorry, my ass,” Lex chides. “It's his last spring break and he's headed for Miami. Trust me, if he wasn't there ain't a chance in hell he'd have offered to drive.”

“Spring break huh?” Dean pipes up as he offers Lex a brief hug. “Bet you gave him some kind of lecture – no drinking, no drugs, no girls, no fun?”

“What and lose my chance to get my hands on all the future blackmail material? You gotta be kidding me.”

“Good to know you're just as cruel to your own flesh and blood as you are to us,” Seth is next to offer a hug to Lex and she snorts in response.

“Whatever, little one.” She catches Josh's eye. “Don't you stand there trying to be cool, you were totally freaking out in the car about this moment.” She gestures at Seth and Dean. “He's a big fan,” she stage-whispers, making Josh's face flush.

“Ignore her, bro,” Seth claps his hand on Josh's shoulder.

Josh looks like he's about to have a heart attack as Dean shakes his hand and all three turn to the trailer behind the truck.

Taking the opportunity, I grab Lex's hand and pull her towards the house.

“Where we going?” she asks as we pass through the front door. “I have been here before, Ro. No need to give me the grand-”

I cut her off with a kiss as I push her against the first wall we come to. I feel her hands slide up my arms and curl around my neck as I grip her hips and not so subtly grind against her. She hums against my lips and I have to bite back a growl and the growing urge to throw her over my shoulder, shut and lock the front door and start to christen every room in this house.

“Wanted to say hello properly,” I groan as I pull away to take a breath.

She raises an eyebrow. “Plenty of time for that later, big guy.”

I hiss as she wiggles her hips in my hands. “Trust me, it's a welcome party you wanna be a part of.”

**

The key rattles in the lock and I look up from the couch to see Lex enter the apartment. Her blazer is slung over her arm, purse on her shoulder and laptop bag in the same hand as her keys. As the door closes behind her, she's already kicking off her heels, flinging down her belongings and diving onto the couch. She hits me with a thud and I grunt at the impact.

“Thank God you're here,” she mumbles into my chest. “When did you get in?”

“An hour ago,” I reply, bringing my hands up to tug her hairband free. Her thick, dark hair cascades over her head and I slowly ease my fingers through the strands, gently massaging her scalp. She sighs in appreciation, nuzzling against me as I scoop her hair to one side and slide my fingers down over her neck.

“I could get used to this.”

“Same.”

She's quiet for a second and then: “The rumour about Tampa turned out to be true.”

My fingers delve under the collar of her blouse and skim over her shoulders as she raises her head to meet my eye.

“Yeah?”

“They offered me a position there.” She holds my gaze, her eyes void of any expression.

“Did you take it?” I ask, trying to keep my voice level, my actions steady.

“I said I'd think about it.”

“Right.”

“It's a lot to consider.”

“Sure.”

She pulls back and my hands slide away from her skin. “I thought you'd be more excited than this.”

“What do you mean?”

Lex's eyes widen. “You are kidding me?”

“What?”

“Oh, forget it.”

She shifts off me and stands. Rounding the couch, she heads to the bedroom, leaving me dumbfounded. What did I do?

I mean, when she mentioned it before, I started to think that perhaps, maybe, it would be the right time to suggest the possibility of... But then I backed out. Wimped out, more like. I didn't want to jump the gun. I didn't want to pressure her into making a decision that wasn't 100% her choice. One of the things I like, no, love, about Lex is the fact that she knows her own mind. She's not going to be swayed easily by anyone or anything. Her take it or leave it attitude is what attracted me to her in the first place. I love her confidence, her determination, her fiery temper.

If she's going to move state, it has to be her decision, right? I can't force her to do it either way, right? Because what if it all goes wrong? What if it turns out to be a mistake? What if that's all because of me?

Lex stomps back into the room, breaking my train of thought. She passes the couch without a word and heads for the kitchen instead. I hear the refrigerator open and then close, a glass being placed on the counter and the satisfying click of the bottle opening.

“I'm moving to Tampa.” Her voice is slow and deliberate. I look up and see her standing in the doorway. Gone is the skirt and blouse, replaced by yoga pants and another one of my shirts.

“You are?”

“Yes.”

I pause, debating my next question. “And where are you going to live?”

Her lips twitch, but she wins the fight to keep them under control as she answers. “I might know someone.”

“Someone?”

“Yeah, he has a house.”

“He does?” I stand and walk towards her. “Big house?”

“Pretty big.”

“Room for two?”

“More than enough.” She casually sips her wine. “What?”

“I would love for you to move in with me.” My hands find her hips and pull them against me.

“Who said I was talking about you?” she grins up at me and relief floods through me.

“I better be the only person you talk about, Lexi,” I growl into her ear.

“Possessive much?”

“Tease much?”

She doesn't answer, but her mouth is on mine and I can taste the sweetness of the wine on her tongue.

**

“Y'know, I think this bit goes here and then that... Ah, fuck, I don't know what that's for.” Seth drops the pieces of wood on the floor with a clatter. “These instructions are bullshit, bro.”

“No, wait, look. If you turn them this way, maybe...” Dean is sat on the floor, surveying the instruction papers. He cocks his head to one side and then the other.

Josh is gone, the trailer and pick-up unloaded. Boxes are piled up in my basement, left with Lex to organise whilst the three of us grapple with the concept of flatpack.

I reach down and grab the instructions. “That bit goes here and that bit goes there. I mean, I think it does.”

“I gave you guys one job.”

We all turn and see Lex standing in the doorway, surveying the scene of flatpack furniture scattered over the floor and the instructions battered in my hands.

“Give it here,” she walks towards me and swipes the instructions from my grasp. I notice there's a box in her other hand.

“What's that?”

“This?” she holds the box aloft. “This is what's known as a toolkit.”

“You own a toolkit?” Dean scrambles to his feet. “Dude, your girl owns a toolkit. You own-”

“Fuck you, Ambrose,” I growl.

“Of course I own a toolkit. I've lived on my own for six years and I ain't got time to wait for some man to come and fix something for me.” Lex opens the box and retrieves what looks like a power drill. “Right, Seth, you need to hold that part the other way round and then I need some of those,” she gestures at the bag of screws by my feet. “What kind of screws are they, Ro?”

“Uhm...” I pick the bag up. “Big screws?”

Seth and Dean don't even try to hold back their laughter and I see Lex smirk too. Scowling, I tear open the bag and examine them more closely.

“They've got a criss-cross in the top.”

Lex nods and selects a different drill piece, changing it without trouble. “Give them here then.”

I hand over a handful and watch as she stuffs them in the pockets of her shorts, diverting my attention to her ass. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Dean nudge Seth and sly grins edge across their faces. Unaware, Lex leans forward to place the drill on the floor and then scoops her hair up into a ponytail. I can't help but rake my eyes over her legs as she picks the drill back up.

She glances over her shoulder at me. “What?”

“Nothing.” I hold up my hands in defence.

“Thirsty, bro?” Dean snorts.

Lex giggles as she revs the drill. “C'mon then,” she gestures to Seth who obediently lines up the two parts for her to screw together.

Dean and I are rendered beyond useless as Lex makes quick work of the dresser frame, only called into action to shift it into position against the wall.

“I thought you were gonna get this sorted before I got here?” she says, flicking through the instructions for the drawers.

“Like I said, Reigns ain't got anything but a hammer,” Dean informs her.

“Useless,” she grins at me. “Good thing I'm well acquainted with power tools, huh?”

My mouth goes dry at her insinuation and unfortunately, it's not lost on Dean either. His eyebrows disappear under the sweep of hair on his forehead.

“Really, Lex...” he snickers.

“Perv,” she punches his arm. “What, no jumping to my defence?”

“You're always reminding me how capable you are of handling yourself,” I retort, regretting my words the second they leave my mouth as Dean snorts. Now it's Lex's turn to raise her eyebrows.

“Girl's gotta do, what a girl's gotta do,” she says with a wink, accepting Dean's offer of a high-five. “Hey, don't be grouchy, big guy.”

She circles her arms around my waist and stands on her toes to reach my ear. “You've got your chance later to show how capable you are of looking after me.”

Her voice is low, dangerously low, causing my dick to stir ever so slightly. She pulls back with an innocent look on her face, but her eyes are glint in warning.

“Can't we just kick these two out now?” I whine back at her. But my plea falls on deaf ears as she scoots away from me and prises the drill out of Seth's over-eager hands.

I grumble my way through the rest of the dresser construction and the consequent wardrobe debacle, Dean and Seth not helping with my frustration. The icing on the cake being when I leave the room for a second to get some water, only to re-enter as Dean drop the wardrobe door on Seth's foot.

“Motherfucker!”

“Sorry, bro. It slipped out my hands!”

“Bullshit! You were too busy-” Seth stops short when he catches my eye. “Dude quit with the fucking bristling. Your problem's with that fucker, not me.”

“You've got thirty seconds to get that door screwed on,” I growl. “Now!”

“Chill, bro. What crawled up your ass and died?”

“Twenty seconds.” I clench my fists, wishing they'd carry on talking so I could just save myself the torment and kick them out of the house.

“Don't be mean,” Lex's voice floats over me as her hands slide around my waist. I feel her lips press against my back. “They've been really helpful.”

“Yeah, we're real helpful. Unpacking trailers, carting around boxes, putting together flat-pack, putting up with your whiny ass...” Dean trails off with a smirk as Seth finally screws home the final bolt. “Wardrobe, done.”

“Good, now fuck off.” I'm fighting to keep it together as Lex's hands trail up over my stomach. I pry them away and she chuckles quietly behind me.

“Hey, we were promised beer and take-out,” Seth scowls.

“Fine.” I reach into my short's pocket and retrieve my wallet and pull out all the notes inside and thrust them towards Seth. “Take it and leave.”

“Nice seeing you again Lex.” Seth grabs the money and darts out of the room.

“Yup, pleasure as always.” Dean is quick to follow. I hold my breath until I hear the door slam and a car start up.

“It amazes me how you three managed to work together for so long,” Lex comments as she starts to clear up the tools scattered over the floor.

“With great difficulty,” I mutter.

“What you sulking for, big guy?” She curls her arm around mine, tugging me towards the door with the toolkit in her other hand. “You got me all to yourself now.”

My dark mood is quick to vanish. “Damn right I do.”

She laughs as we make our way down the stairs. “So where's this welcoming party you mentioned?”

“This way.” I direct her towards the kitchen, taking the first opportunity I get to pick her up and place her on the counter.

Moving back, I open the refrigerator and take out the bottle of champagne I stuck in there last night. “Glasses are next to you,” I say to Lex as I unwrap the foil and hold my thumb on the cork whilst twisting the bottle with my other hand. It pops softly and I pour out two glasses.

“You didn't have to do this,” she says as she accepts a glass. “I would have been perfectly happy with beer.”

I shake my head. “Not how I roll, baby girl.”

She laughs. “No, that's exactly how you roll.”

“Don't spoil the moment,” I mock-frown and she also attempts to arrange her face into a serious expression. “Much better. Now, I think what we do now is clink glasses and bask in our own smugness.”

“Oooh, I can totally do that.” Lex touches her glass against mine and then, with her pinky raised, she takes a sip. “That's some good stuff. You really did push the boat out.”

I chuckle and take a drink from my own. “Anything for you.”

“Anything, huh?”

I raise an eyebrow in question. “What you got in mind?”

“Same thing as you, most likely. Think you made it pretty obvious from the off what you've been wanting to do.”

“Enlighten me.” I place my glass on the counter and slide my hands up her legs, pushing them apart so I can stand between them.

“How many rooms in this place?” Her fingers lace around my neck and pull me closer.

“Eleven. Including bathrooms.” My hands on her hips, gliding over to reach for her ass.

“Double-figures.” Her eyes dart between mine and my mouth.

“You up for it?” I murmur. “I mean, I'm pretty sure I can think of eleven different positions to twist your body into...”

Her breath hitches as I capture her lips. “That sounds good to me,” she exhales after a moment.

“First, I'm gonna take off these ridiculous tiny shorts.” I grip the waistband and tug it softly. “You have been teasing me all fucking day in these.”

“That was the plan...”

I growl against her throat. “And then I'm gonna lay you down on the kitchen table and eat you out until you're begging me to stop.”

“When have I ever begged to you stop?”

“There's a first time for everything.” I pull her towards me, feeling her legs wrap around my waist.

“We'll see about that... And then what? Tell me, big guy.”

“You're getting ahead of yourself.” I cup her ass as I lift her off the counter. “One step at a time, right?”

I back up to the table and turn to sit her down. Her legs remain locked around my waist and I have to prise them free to start to unfasten her sneakers.

“You have no intention of getting further than this room before you fuck me,” she whispers as I duck my head down to her neck. “I can read you like a book.”

“Oh, really?” My hands are under her tank top, sliding it up and over her head. I cup the back of her head, first pulling away the hairband and then guiding her to lie back. I lean over her, my hand grazing her chin as I tip her head back to expose her throat. “For that, I'm going to drag this out for as long as possible.”

I trace my tongue down her hot skin, grinning to myself as I feel her legs sneak up around me once again. Her bare feet, nudge my shirt, her toes toying with the waistband of my shorts.

“No cheating,” I groan against her collarbone. “Stop it, Lex. I'll tie your ankles to the table legs if I have to.”

She lets out a soft moan, her back arching so she can grind against me. “I might like that.”

“You're insatiable.”

“You love me for it.”

I lift my head from just above the swell of her breast and catch her eye. “I love you for more reasons than that.”

Her hand strokes the side of my face. “I love you, Ro.”

I catch her hand and press the palm to my mouth before I push it above her head and lower my head back to her breast. I trace the cup of her bra with my tongue and then wet the lace covering her nipple. Her back arches again and I cover her breast with my mouth, lightly grazing my teeth over skin and lace. Sneaking my hands under her, I un-do the clasp and push the material out of my way. I push her bare breasts together and lower my mouth to one and then the other, tugging her nipples into sharp peaks.

Letting go, I reach for her hands and bring them back down to her breasts. “Keep them hard for me.”

Propping my chin just above her stomach, I watch her fingers pinch and her face contort in a mixture of pain and pleasure.

“Good girl,” I murmur before I turn my attention to her lower half. I run my tongue around her belly button, making her squirm. Her legs are still around me, halfway up my back in fact, but she's stopped digging in her toes. They feel tight but in reflex, not with purpose. I ghost my hands over her thighs and down to her calves and unwrap them. Placing them on the table I blow warm air over her stomach and watch as she flinches.

My thumb plucks at the button of her shorts and then with my forefinger, I slide the zipper south. Her scent hits me and I growl in anticipation. Her hips jerk as I press my mouth against the waistband of her black panties. I peel the shorts away and down.

“Don't ever wear these again unless we're alone,” I say, keeping my voice low and deep. “Next time, I might not hold out as long as today.”

“Like I said, that was the plan,” Lex groans as my hands run up and down her legs.

“That and that fucking power drill... You trying to kill me, baby girl?”

She starts to giggle, but it catches in her throat when I push her legs further apart and lower my mouth to press against the dark, damp patch forming on her panties. “Never...” she hisses.

I curl my fingers inside the waistband and slowly pull them south. The familiar strip of hair greets me and I pull back to admire her naked on my, our kitchen table. Her hands still grip her breasts under my command, her legs dangling off the edge of the table, her core dripping wet for me.

I circle my hands around her waist and then pull her towards the edge of the table. She hangs on the precipice as I grip her ankles and plant her feet on the table, opening her up for me and it takes all my inner strength not to fuck her right now. Dropping to my knees, I press soft kisses against her inner thighs, listening as she hums softly above me. Her hums turn into curses as I slide my tongue against her opening, tasting her for the first time in a long time. Since the decision to move in, I've been on the road. The closest I've gotten to her in two weeks is an evening jerking session, watching her fingers sink inside her, going fucking crazy as I watched her coat her fingers in her juices and then lick them clean.

I push my tongue in a little deeper as I curl my arms under and over her thighs. I splay one hand on her stomach to hold her still and with the other, I twist it so my thumb can brush against her clit. She hisses at the first touch, but I start with easy, gentle strokes. She murmurs her appreciation and I pull my mouth away to look up at her. Her nipples are red from pinching, her bottom lip plump from biting.

I shift my free hand and grab one of hers, pulling it down so it rests on my head. Her fingers grip hard as I settle my mouth back over her wet core. I run my tongue flat against her opening, up to her clit and then back down, moving my hand so I can push a finger inside her. She groans from the intrusion, but her hips thrust down encouragingly. I slide it in and out of her slowly, feeling her walls clamour to hold it deep inside her. I push in another finger and she moans loudly, the sound music to my ears.

I press my tongue to her clit, one long sweep upwards before I twist the tip around it and feel her jerk under me.

“Yes, Ro. Right... Fucking... There...”

I grin against her hot skin as her demands echo around me. I tug on her clit with my lips and she howls, her hips bucking. I place my forearm on her stomach, holding her down to the table.

“You're so fucking close to being tied down...” I groan against her, feeling her squirm in delight, her walls clenching around my fingers. “You'd like that wouldn't you?”

“Fuck, yes.”

I pick up my speed, my tongue back on her clit, my chin coated in her juices as I push her closer and closer. Her feet grapple for purchase on the edge of the table and I have to fight hard to keep her still as I bring her off with my fingers and mouth.

Moans catch in the back of her throat, resulting in breathy gasps instead. Both hands are now on my head, holding me to her. Her nails dig into my scalp and I hiss, the sensation making her twitch.

“Make me cum...”

I release my arm from across her stomach and reach for one of her hands. I guide it from the back of my head to the front, capturing her fingers in my mouth to wet them. I press her wet fingertips to her clit, my hand on her wrist guiding her fingers in circles. I watch, mesmerised as she picks up speed, her fingers tugging on her clit as I continue to push my own fingers in and out of her wetness.

“Fuck, Lex. You have no idea how hot you look right now,” I groan against her thigh. “Make yourself cum. Do it for me, baby.”

I cast my eyes up to watch her face. Her eyes are squeezed shut, her brow furrowed in concentration as her lips purse together one second and then her mouth drops open and a choked cry escapes. Her body snaps up as her legs start to shake and I quickly remove my fingers from her and replace them with my tongue so I can stop her from falling from the table.

Her juices seep into my mouth as she climaxes hard, half-formed words falling from her lips as she pinches and twists her clit, her legs trembling in my hands. I pull back reluctantly and slide my hand up her leg to reach her hand. Her chest rises and falls with heavy breath as I guide one leg and then the other off the table. They hang limply as I rise from the floor and hover over her. Her face is flushed red, her hair sticking to her cheeks and forehead.

I gather her up in my arms and carry her out of the kitchen and back into the lounge. Setting her down next to the couch, I pull back to tug my shirt over my head. Her hands come to rest on my chest as I ease my shorts and boxers away from my waist. Her eyes drop to eye my dick, but I place a finger under her chin and force her gaze back up.

“Any other day, I'd be begging you to suck my dick, but right now, I can't fucking wait any longer.”

She smiles coyly as I lean down to kiss her. Her tongue slides over mine, her small moan sending vibrations all the way down my body to dick and beyond.

“Turn around,” I tell her in between nips of her bottom lip. “Turn around and get on the couch.”

She does as I say and I kneel behind her, nudging her legs open with my thigh. I push her body against the back of the couch, easing her slightly higher so my dick rubs against her wet entrance. She grinds back against me as I push forward, my arms sliding over hers, down to her hands that I grip hard.

Her head tips forward and I take the opportunity to sweep her hair over one shoulder. I press my chest against her back as I ease slowly in and out of her, my mouth on the back of her neck.

“Fuck, Ro... I...”

“Talk to me, Lex. This feel good, baby?”

“So fucking good...”

I push into her firmly, pausing to feel her walls clamp down on my length. “You feel amazing, Lex. So wet...” I grunt. “So fucking tight.”

She rolls her hips in response and I curse into her neck. “You like that?” she moans.

“Do it again,” I growl into her ear and she rolls her hips in the opposite direction. My body flattens against hers, pressing her into the back of the couch as I pump into her in response. “Save your energy, baby girl. I'm not done with you...”

“Yeah?” Her voice is raspy as each of my thrusts turns harder.

“Not by a long shot. We got the basement to cover... The den... The stairs... Fuck, Lex, you're gonna ride my dick on those stairs...”

Her head rocks back on my shoulder and I lean down to capture her mouth. One hand leaves mine and comes up to cup the back of my head, winding its way through my hair as our kiss becomes sloppy and I break away to curse as my knees start to shake.

“More like I'm going to sit on the top step with my legs spread and watch you crawl up to me,” Lex mumbles.

My hips snap against her at the image.

“Yeah, that's right... You fuck me whilst you have the chance. You'll be fucking begging for it later.”

Her eyes are dark as I hold her gaze, my thrusts relentless as her words swim around my head. “Lex... Shit...”

“Harder, Ro. Fuck. Me. Harder,” her teeth grit together as I guide a hand down her body to touch her clit again. She jerks, and I soften my touch until she's squirming in my arms and I can feel her tightening around my length. “Jesus... I'm...”

I devour her moan as I slam into her one last time, my own release exploding inside her. I fall forwards, trapping her between my sweat-ridden body and the couch. Her fingers ghost along my hairline and then under my chin. I look up to catch her eye and grin as a lazy smirk crosses her face.

Pulling out, I ease back to sitting on the couch and pull her back into my arms. I brush my lips over her temple, my arms circling her waist and gripping her tightly as I hold her against me.

“You okay?”

She turns her head up to meet my eye. “More than okay... Let me go and clean up...”

I let go of her reluctantly, leaning my head back on the couch to watch her upside down ass disappear from view. I hear her footsteps on the stairs and then it's quiet for a few minutes.

“Ro...”

I get up and walk towards the stairs, turning the corner. My eyes almost bug out of my head. If you can say one thing about Lex, is that she's not one to bullshit.

She sits at the top of the stairs, still naked with her legs crossed, her foot bouncing gently for a second.

“Crawl for me.” she purrs, slowly uncrossing her legs.

Fin.

#roman reigns #romanreigns #roman reigns fanfiction #roman reigns fic #wwe fanfiction #wwe fic #roman reigns smut #roman reigns imagine

[jonnyparable]

Cottage Hills : The Vanishing of Basil Reed, Part VII

The Pentadora

Winter is finally ending, and the town is getting ready for the Winter's End Prayers, where the townsfolk will hold a vigil around the Winter Flame, and listen to Rev Carter tell the story of how the founders and the Goddess overcame the eternal winter. After the ceremony, villagers usually gather in each other's homes, exchange gifts and stay up until the first sunrise of spring.

A few days have passed since the wedding and while some of the villagers go to the square to help with setting up the ceremony, Gray and Saibara are busy working at the forge when Saibara notices they have a visitor.

Saibara:

"Yes, good form, Gray! Your metalworking has improved tremendously. Soon you- hmm... Good morning. We're not open yet Oak, are you looking for something...?"

Oak looks up with a fretful look on his face. He waves weakly and nods. Gesturing slightly to Gray.

Oak:

"I'm sorry for the intrusion... I was hoping young Mr Gray here would be able to help me with something. Gray?"

Gray:

"Of course, Mr Oak sir. What can I do for you?"

Oak:

"Actually, it's.... It's about Mary. I... I might have said something at the wedding that... Upset her. And I'd like to apologise but she's not at her bookshop. Or if she is, she hasn't been open... I know the two of you are close... Could you help me find her?"

Gray:

"Sounds like she doesn't want to be found, sir...but alright, if I know Mary, there's only one place she'll go. Come on. I'll take you there. Be right back, Master!"

Gray takes Oak to the pier at Mineral Beach. They walk there in stony silence. Gray isn't really sure what to say, or if he's doing the right thing, and Oak, deep in thought, doesn't say anything. When they get there, Gray points to the end of the pier.

Gray:

"Alright Mr Oak. Mary's there. I can see her.... Look, I don't know what you did to upset her, but I'll be waiting right here on this bench. If I get the sense that she doesn't want to see you... I'll have to ask you to leave, alright?"

Oak looks at Gray for a minute, then nods solemnly. He walks over to the edge of the pier. Mary is sitting there on the ledge, just looking out at the lake. Its winter so the lake is pretty quiet. The ferry isn't operating today and most of the fishing boats are docked. He walks up to her gingerly. The boards beneath him creak to let Mary know he's here. She turns her head away, wiping her eyes.

Oak:

"H-hello, Mary."

She doesn't say anything. Oak stands there for a while before moving forward to sit down next to her. She doesn't move. She just looks away. They sit like this on the pier for a bit in silence. Just the sound of the water lapping against the pier and the gravely shore. Suddenly, Mary breaks the silence.

Mary :

"....... How did you know I was here?"

Oak:

"Oh! Well, Gray helped me... He... He knows you very well it seems. And he cares for you a great deal...are the two of you -"

Mary:

"Please don't. Don't... Don't act like my father... You're...."

Oak:

"Mary...I came here today to apologise... And to tell you the truth about what happened. I just hope you'll at least listen, and.... After that, I'll leave."

Mary looks down quietly at the water. Oak sighs heavily and takes a deep breath.

Oak:

"So... Twenty years ago... I became obsessed with finding the Tree of Life...I brought our family here to find it, and soon, it led me down a path of madness. I guess you already know this much... But the truth is I just wanted to be the first to prove that its not a myth, and that it is all real. I had catalogued and studied every plant, but a mythical tree? I wanted glory and fame and I lost myself completely...The search plagued me and I spiralled into a dark place."

Oak:

"When I ventured into the woods that fateful day... I was but a shadow of myself. My mind had been warped by greed... And this insatiable desire to find the tree. A desire that haunted my every waking moment and gnawed away at my mind...but... The Goddess... The Goddess found me in the woods and... she saved me. From myself, really."

Mary had wanted to just not speak, but she can't help but let the unanswered questions and the pain and emptiness of not knowing, come pouring out. Before she knows it, her face feels hot, and tears are streaming dien her face as the weight of all the years suddenly comes crashing down like a glass tower.

Mary:

"Well how nice for you! She just showed up in the woods and saved you! If she saved you, why didn't you come back out of the woods? What happened? Didn't you want to come back to us? We thought you died!"

Oak:

"Mary, I never got to apologise, and I am sorry for putting you and your mother through all that. There's not a moment that passed since that day where I didn't think of you, I longed always to go back. Mary, pl-"

Mary:

"So why didn't you? And why now all of a sudden? It's been twenty years! What was so important that made you leave, without a word? We were so lost without you... You abandoned mother! She... Do you know? She...never gave up on you...she always said you'd return. Everyone said she was so heartbroken, she lost her mind! She mumbled everyday that you came to see her in her dreams. Even dying in her hospital bed, she held my hand and told me not to give up on you... But holding on has just been too painful! I wish I could have forgotten you! I wanted to! To grow up as the daughter of the famous Basil Reed, who drove his wife mad with grief! You have no idea what it's been like all these years! You know what, enough of this. I'm leaving!"

Oak:

"Mary. I know you're upset... You need to listen to me. Please, sit down! When the Goddess found me, I had to first be purged of the madness within me. Only when I was healed, and had proven myself, could I return to my family. The Goddess gave me a task, a new mission in life, a second chance and I had to leave with her... Your mother, she knew everything... The Goddess let me say goodbye to your mother in a dream, Mary. I told her everything. I told her to care for you, and that I'll see her again one day. She knew why I had to go. And she always believed in me that I'd come back to her. She wasn't mad. She also knew why she had to keep what had happened to me a secret."

Mary:

"What? Keep what a secret?"

Oak:

"Speak to no one of this, Mary, But the tree is but just one gift that the Goddess gave to mankind throughout the centuries. There are four others, scattered around the world and they are all known as the Pentadora, or the Five Gifts. For twenty years, the task she set for me was to travel with her to these hidden locations around the world. Taking the name of Oak, I stayed by the Goddess' side. Together, we travelled around the world to protect the gifts...from... From people like me."

Mary:

"What do you mean people like you?"

Oak:

" People driven mad by their desire to find the gifts. Like I was. The Goddess gave all these gifts to mankind long ago to help us all, but over time, people became corrupted by greed and selfishness. Wanting to keep the gifts only for themselves. They forsook the Goddess, and soon, she hid them all, sealed away by forests, mountains, mist and water. And anyone who goes searching for them becomes filled with a dark hunger and a madness.... A madness that only the Goddess can heal. Being with the Goddess renewed me, opened my eyes, and extended my life, but I was, at the end of it all, too late. I never got to see your mother before she died. But that is the price I have paid, Mary, for I lost sight of what was truly important to me, and I tore us all apart. I wish I could turn back time, but I can't change the past. I'm sorry, Mary for everything, I know you're angry, and that none of this changes what happened. But... That's the truth."

Oak gets up suddenly and starts to walk away. He feels a little relieved. But also, perhaps wanting to leave before hearing what Mary has to say, his departure feels a little abrupt. He turns back one last time to say goodbye.

Oak:

"..... I thought I should say though that I'm glad I've at least been able to see you now, Mary. These last few months spent with you in Cottage Hills have been... The happiest in my life. You've grown to become a beautiful, kind and brave young woman, despite all I've put you all through. I only wish I had the courage to tell you the truth sooner. I know I haven't the right to want to be a part of your life now, after all this time, so I'll be leaving town soon. I'm not sure where I'll go but I hope to see you again soon, Mary. Goodbye."

Mary:

"Wait! Stop. That's it? You're just going to leave? ... I can't let you just walk out of my life like that again....

Oak:

"I.... I don't want to go... But I don't know if I belong in your life anymore, Mary, after all I've done. I don't want to hurt you by staying."

Mary:

"All my life, I thought that all I ever wanted was to know what happened to you and why you left, that I'll be happy if I just knew where you went... If I just had answers! But... Seeing you now, in front of me, I realise... I don't care about any of that! I'm just happy to see you again... And to know you're alive.... I'm not angry. I was never angry. Just... Lost. I don't want to lose you again. I want you to stay. Please don't go!"

Oak:

"Mary... I never once stopped loving you, I hope you know that. You and your mother were the only reasons I kept going, and the only reasons why I was able to overcome the madness in the end. Because of how desperately I wished to see you both again, and to make things right. I'll stay, Mary, of course I will. I love you Mary, so much."

Mary:

"I love you too....father."

They embrace, and in that moment, it's as if the last twenty years never happened, and everything is right in the world.

Mary:

"Now, how bout you tell me all about your adventures with the Goddess! I want to know everything about the Pentadora! "

#the sims 2 #ts2 pictures #ts2 screenshots #ts2 neighborhood #ts2 scenery #sims 2 #sims 2 simblr #cottage hills #harvest moon tree of life #The Vanishing of Basil Reed

[anissanightyoung]

Of kisses and Roman traditions

[SUMMARY] Where Seungkwan enjoys kissing you and blames it on the Romans.

Idk what this is. Fluff? Flirty!Seungkwan definitely. Oh and noona!reader😁

3,087 words

HAPPY 6 YEARS TO MY BOYS💖💎

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You and Seungkwan have already kissed on three occasions. You didn't want to put too much thought into it, and you never mentioned it anyway. But sometimes it's hard to stop thinking about what those kisses mean.

The first kiss was at Seungkwan's house. All your friends were already asleep, tired of playing all his board games, and drunk innumerable bottles of liquor. You had finished cleaning up when Seungkwan came towards you. "Yah, why did you clean? This is my apartment.” You laughed at his half-asleep state, you could see just how tired he was trying to beat Soonyoung with one drunk. He did his best, but Soonyoung kept giving him +2s and +4s of tequila or vodka and mixing alcohol in Seungkwan's system ended badly. He threw up twice overnight.

"Look at you, hangover's gonna bite your ass in the morning. And you know I can't sleep when this place is trashed." You can hear him laughing lazily, trying to stay awake. "Come on, let's get you to bed." Seungkwan grins, "Starving. Creamy cheese bagels. Feed me?" You laughed at his antiques. You met him a year ago, and you know drunk Seungkwan needs to eat before he goes to bed. "This is a way of waking up hangover-free, noona. You should try it." But you know that Seungkwan will still have a headache the following day, with an Americano as a telling sign.

"You're too cute for your own good, do you know that?" You joked to him, shaking your head. You were warming up the bagel when he took your hand. "Happy anniversary, noona."

"What?"

"Do you think I wouldn't remember? It's the anniversary of the first time we met.”

"What a sappy, sappy man you are." You laugh while finishing his sandwich. You turned around to face him and said "ah" so he could take a bite out of the bagel. When he did, it was as if he had tasted food for the first time. When he had already swallowed his first bite, he suddenly threw his arms into your waist, swallowing you in a cuddle. That surprised you because he's not usually that sweet, and now he's very touchy.

"What are you doing?" You asked him when he set his bagel down on the counter and tugged the ends of your shirt pulling you closer to him. This is the only time you have noticed how he is a few inches taller than you, and that he has long eyelashes a bit like those of a baby. You were that close to notice that. He slowly bent over your face, staring directly at your lips, waiting for you to stop him. When you didn't, he closed the gap between the two of you and kissed you softly.

When he retired, he laid his head upon the counter and slept his intoxication away. You figured he’s too wasted to have done so. When you asked about the kiss the next day, he brushed it off, saying,  “Sorry, got wasted trying to beat that tiger hyung.”  

“Just don’t do it again okay? Friends don’t do that.”

“Yepp,” popping the last letter, “I’ll take you to your favorite burger place to make it up to you.” He drags you to his car while holding your hand. When he was driving, he held your hand still. “Hey, it's not okay to kiss, but it's okay to hold hands?” There was complete silence.

“Friends can hold hands, sure. When did friends start kissing on the lips?

“Friends with benefits do.”

“Ya are you asking me to? Cause you know I’m not into that kind of shit!”

Seungkwan laughed at your outburst. “Joking noona, sheesh. You’re getting old.”

“Shut it, I’m barely a year older than you.”

Throughout the ride, he didn't let go of your hand. However, you didn't seem to mind the extra warmth.

The second kiss took place around a campfire.

Soonyoung told the three of you that he wanted to go for a drive, and you were shocked when he suddenly parked by a beach. You never asked how Soonyoung got all of your clothes and other belongings, but he seemed to need the view of a peaceful ocean at night, so you all decided. You were already there, and the semester had just ended.

While you and Seungkwan were eating dinner you bought near the store, Seokmin began jamming to a guitar and singing his heart out. Soonyoung was on the lookout for the beach's caretaker to inquire about some wood for a campfire.

“I swear, I know Soonyoung oppa is the most spontaneous of us all, but I never expected him to be this bad. Is it really because of the finals?” 

“He may look carefree, but hyung goes through a lot,” Seokmin chuckled. You understand; everybody has their own way of dealing with their baggage, and Soonyoung's are to be daring and laugh his problems away.

“Minnie, can you play the song you submitted for your music class as a group project?” Campfire?” You believe it is appropriate for the atmosphere of the evening. While Seokmin was singing, you glanced over at Soonyoung to see how he was doing. His smile is beaming, and his eyes are glassy as he takes in the stunning scenery in front of him. You were relieved to see that his plan worked.

You looked at Seungkwan, realizing that this was his first time hearing the track. “Kwannie, pay attention to the next line. It's comforting.” You sang with Seokmin when the part came up. It reminds you of how Seungkwan made getting out of bed easier every day. Your anxiety held you awake at night or made you fearful of what might happen the next day. But Seungkwan, he unintentionally shone on you at a difficult period. Slowly but steadily, you began to anticipate waking up knowing that he would face the day with you.

Soonyoung accompanied Seokmin to the market to buy some food after he finished jamming due to his hunger. It was time for you to jam. Of course, you'd choose Taylor Swift's The Way I Loved You, in honor of her Fearless cover. You've always admired Taylor Swift's music, especially the older songs because you identify with the words she wrote. You were grateful for how her music got you through your childish heartbreaks.

You were so engrossed in Seungkwan's angelic voice that you didn't know he was already squatting in front of you. Both of you were grinning at each other when the last chord was struck, and you kissed him as though it were nothing out of the ordinary. The kiss felt right; it felt like it was what completed the song you were singing; it felt like the happy ending the song promised. To keep your balance, you clutched his arm. When you jerked away from him when you awoke from your daydream, he immediately drew you back in and kissed you again, squeezing your hand three times.

The four of you had agreed to spend Christmas Day at Seokmin's. Your mother didn't let you hear the end of it when you told them you couldn't come home because your family has always been conventional. Your mother guilt-tripping you to come home, saying, "We're family, we're supposed to spend time together." “Ah, well, families are supposed to support one another, not nag each other to death when one fails to meet one's expectations.” After that, you hang up, assuming that if you don't agree, your mother will say something else that you don't want or need to hear.

Seungkwan was supposed to pick you up, so while you were waiting for him, you double-checked everything you'd packed to make sure you hadn't forgotten anything. Seungkwan's introduction of Soonyoung and Seokmin is one of the things for which you are grateful. You've outgrown your crappy friends from high school, so the trio is a breath of fresh air for you.

You place your bags in the trunk as soon as you see his car, like a little kid heading to Disney World. “Thanks for picking me up, Kwannie,” she said, beaming. You excitedly slid down to the passenger seat. He immediately hugged you once you were sitting, saying, "Ah noona, you're in a good mood?" You can see his smile doesn't reach his eyes when you've broken free from the embrace. He's giving you a fake one.

“This is my first trip away from my home. I already know it'll be a lot of fun.”

“Really? At Seokmin Hyung's house, you'll feel right at home. His mother prepares the most delicious Christmas dinner. My mother's cooking pales in comparison.” Seungkwan once gave you a dish made by her mother, and one bite was enough to make you feel like you'd died and gone peacefully to heaven. The fact that Seokmin's mother cooks better piqued your curiosity. “Ah really? Then I'd really have to give it a taste.” He smiled again, the false smile, and you're starting to get bothered by it.

“What are you doing, Kwannie?” You're giving me this strange grin.”

“What do you mean strange?”

“Fake smile. It's the first time you've feigned a smile at me. What’s up?”

“You can see right through me, can't you?”

“Yes, I do. Would you like to talk about it?”

“Nope. But I'd like to take your hand.”

Seungkwan is holding your hand and exhaling contentedly. He kept it until you arrived at Seokmin's house.

Seokmin's house is warm and inviting. They live in a house on a corner with a vibrant garden surrounding it. The living room has an L-shaped couch that can comfortably seat all four of you, with additional seating available. Seokmin and his sister have a wall full of family photos and accomplishments. You can tell Seokmin's parents are a laid-back, loving family, as shown by his kindness and good humor. You don't know if it was the long ride, but you fell asleep as soon as you sat on their couch after the house tour.

When you first awoke, you chose to visit their garden, which you recall has a swing set. Seungkwan is seated by himself.

You teased, "Where are your twins?"

“They went grocery shopping with Mrs. Lee.”

“What kept you from going?”

“Too exhausted from driving.”

“Then you should've just slept with me.”

Seungkwan swung his head in your direction right away. “I-uh, what?”

Then it dawned on you what you'd said. This is so humiliating. “Sleep!” you exclaimed, “Sleeping, with eyes closed and resting-“

“I never expected you to finally ask me-”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHEN YOU SAY "FINALLY" YOU LITTLE SHIT?”

He laughed out loud at your reaction while you chased him around the backyard. He quit running around after you told him that you wouldn't smack him in the head.

“I hate you.”

That made Seungkwan stop laughing.

“Do you regret meeting me?”

You were surprised at his sudden change of tone, no longer joking. “Is this what it’s all about?”

“Well. Yeah.”

“I'm not sure what got you to think like that. You said, “But you know our first meeting was a flop.” When people meet for the first time, they usually ask for each other's names, go through some more tedious formalities, and then seal the deal with a handshake. You had an early class with him, and you didn't mind sharing a seat with him almost every time because you thought he was one of the quiet ones. The year was difficult for you because things didn't go your way, you had a lot of misfortunes, and you had a lot of work piling up that was affecting your mental health.

As you sat down in your chair one fateful morning, you put your cup of coffee on your side of the table. This is where Seungkwan got his drink mixed up with yours because you both have the same coffee taste.

“- flop is an exaggeration for that noona-”

“-you drank my coffee in our 8 a.m. class thinking it was yours, I'll never forgive you.” Reliving that moment made you roll your eyes. “But you know what? You wouldn't have replaced it if you hadn't, and I wouldn't have had the best year of my life.” It may seem to be an exaggeration, but it is true. You were grateful for Seungkwan's carefree and playful personality, which helped you get through your lowest point. He had no idea what you were going through, but you were relieved that someone was taking care of you.

He can be seen chewing his mouth, attempting to conceal his smile. “Ah dumb main character in a drama,” air quotes the phrase, ‘I wish I hadn't met you.' “I instantly thought of you.”

“Huh, that's strange.”

“What is?”

“That. As I previously said, this has been the best year I've had in, what, three years? And it's all thanks to you. I might be harsh with you all of the time, cursing at you whenever I get the chance, but that's just how I am. I'm glad I got you as one of my most reliable friends, my rock, and my go-to person. Even Seokmin and Soonyoung oppa were introduced to me by you. Seungkwan, I'd rather live in a world with you in it. Don’t think otherwise.”

Seungkwan stared at you and felt a combination of emotions. He kissed you when he understood what he felt.  At first, you thought it’ll be quick like the last time, a peck. But he deepened the kiss, and when his tongue touched yours, you hear him groan. He tugged you closer, afraid you’ll get away. He reassuringly held your hands, squeezing them three times just like the second time. I can get used to this. You thought. You focused on his soft lips, how you’ve always felt content while kissing him.

He pulled away, his chest heaving for breath. “Holy shit,” Seungkwan said. You nodded in agreement, apparently unable to concentrate because of your heart beating so loudly.

“I-, uh, I--”

“I thought we’ve talked this through?-”

He sighed deeply before adding, “I-I got cold. Sorry, noona.”

“You dumb shit, if you were cold, I would have made you hot chocolate. I’m nice sometimes you know.”

“I don't mind,” he smirked, “you're hotter anyway.”

“What the heck is wrong with you? I swear to god, you've been flirting with me since that drunk uno shit.”

“It's a Roman thing to kiss under the mistletoe,” he said, pointing to the mistletoe he was carrying.

You both laughed it off, thinking about how ridiculous it sounded. “Roman tradition my ass.”

You and Seungkwan are both in the hospital on New Year's Eve.

“Ah, what a dumb plan you had there,” you exclaimed, staring at him in disbelief.

“Well, I've always wanted to go out of my comfort zone...”

You give him a light smack on the head. “Shut up. Now I'm trapped in a hospital over New Year's because of your dumb plan.”

It's never a good idea to combine Seungkwan with hiking. Sure, he's fit, but when was the last time he went hiking?

“Then have Seokmin hyung or Soonyoung hyung accompany me.”

“They're still at Seokmin's.” You and Seungkwan both arrived at your dorms earlier than anticipated. After all, you didn't want to overstay your welcome; it was your first time. You were worried that Seokmin's mother would think you were too at ease in their home.

“Well, if you want to go home, you can.”

“Who will look after you if I go home?”

For a moment, Seungkwan didn't dare add a sarcastic comment on that question. So, instead, “Come on y/n, don't be so mad...”

“Where are your manners, I'm your noona?”

“three kisses in and I still can't call you by your name?”

You blushed when you remembered all of the times Boo SeungKwan kissed you and how sweet his soft lips were.

“Noona is blushing, wah.”

“I hope your ankle doesn’t heal you little shit.”

Raising his eyebrows at you. "You don't mean that. You love me."

"Of course I do. I love all three of you."

He reached for your hand. "I bet you love me more." There it was again, Seungkwan surprising you with his sudden seriousness. He was staring straight into your eyes, waiting for your response. Luckily, a nurse came in to check his vitals.

 A few minutes after the nurse came out, both of you were ignoring each other due to that sudden tension. To ease the situation, both of you just watched television until you fell asleep.

"Y/n wake up." Nudging you by your shoulders. "We're nearing the countdown. Cmon," and urged you to stand by the window, waiting for the fireworks.

Seungkwan then leaned in to put an earphone in, with a song already playing in the background. You realized it was a song written by Soonyoung's classmate, Woozi, for a songwriting class. You were bopping your head to the music when the ten-second countdown started. 

You and Seungkwan alternately sang along.

10

9

"I promise myself, while drinking a glass of water in the morning, to tell you"

새벽에 물을 마시면서 혼자 다짐해 나는 너에게

8

7

"Beautiful words like the lines in a movie"

영화처럼 달콤하고 예쁜 그 말

6

5

"The words I've prepared overnight for days"

몇 날 며칠 밤새 연습했던 그 말

4

3

"I want to say them to you tomorrow with clenched fists"

내일은 꼭 두 주먹을 꽉 쥐고 말해주고 싶어

2

1

Seungkwan turned to face you just in time for the next line.

"You are pretty." 

너 예쁘다

As soon as the clock struck twelve and the fireworks went off, Seungkwan kissed you. What astonished you was how you knew he was about to kiss you and how you returned the kiss with fervor as he deepened it. You can't help but compare this man to fireworks; how dark it was before him, and how awestruck you were when he came into your life.

Seungkwan was the first to back away, touching his forehead to yours and giggling like a joyful little kid. “Did you know that it’s a Roman tradition to kiss on the first minute of the new year?”

“Blaming the Romans again, I see?” playfully raising your eyebrows at him.

He laughed at that, giving you no excuse. "I love you, Y/n."

You grinned as you silently thank the Romans for their weird traditions.

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