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ilooklikeaburntchickenugget · 3 years

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Only Mine Pt. 4

A/N: So this is basically a series at this point but I’m kind of in love with this idea I’ve created of a pop star reader and MCR Gerard? I don’t know it’s interesting. Also, if you haven’t figured this out yet, the reader is based heavily off of Taylor Swift. Not looks or anything but her career. But instead of country star turned pop star (now turned folk artist), it’s rock band lead singer turned pop star. So yeah. Pairing: F!Pop Star reader x Gerard Way Word count: 1,983 Warnings: Mention of eating disorder, I think that’s all.

Most interviews did not excite you in any way, shape, or form. The idea of sitting down and answering consistent questions, some bland, some too personal, and even some misogynistic was exhausting. But when you were offered a complete 25 minute feature on you and your life from 60 Minutes, you gladly accepted the offer.

Sitting down in your large, open living room now filled with lights and camera crew as well as the reporter, you introduced yourself and the interview began. Initially the questions were primarily about your upbringing, how you started in music, all the usual stuff. But as the interview continued, the questions got more and more complex, and more and more personal.

“Your album, My Midnight Boy, blew up, you won award after award, went on a world tour,” The interviewer began her question, her soft nature making you more comfortable, “You’ve mentioned before that there have been both positive and negative effects to the response of the album. You’ve talked about the positive, but what about the negative?” She asked with a slight smile, as if tying to both apologize and make you more comfortable with the question. You took a deep breath and a light laugh.

“Yeah, I mean, I will be eternally grateful for the opportunity that album has given me, and will continue to give me,” You began, “But the amount of fame and spotlight it gave me also comes in a negative sense. There’s been a lot of rumors that have started, and tabloids that seem to consistently try and build a narrative of my life that just isn’t true.” You continued, “And it gets more difficult when they begin targeting people in your life, besides yourself. You try to build a shield around those people, but they’re inevitably going to see what’s happening and the lies being thrown around about you and them.” “Who are you talking about, in specific?” She asked next.

“Well,” You took a deep breath, “It’s primarily my husband. Which is extremely ironic considering this entire album is abut him. There’s this tendency some people get when they see my personal life to attack it using my work as their weapon. So there’s been this rumor around for years, since the album was released, about Gerard getting married to me to use me for my money and fame, which is completely and utterly not true.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because he would have left me during my worse and darkest days if he didn’t love me for who I am.” She hummed and nodded.

“And what were those days?” “Um,” You took a deep swallow, “I went through an extremely rough eating disorder a few years back. And I didn’t really know, or understand how bad it was until there were people who chose to intervene. And he was one of those people.”

“Speaking of your husband, you and him have been open about your relationship when compared to many other public figures in your same positions, which has led to many people to comment on it. What do you have to say to that?” She continued the topic of Gerard, sensing the uncomfortability of the last question and answer.

“That his and my relationship is not up for discussion,” You began, “We’ve been together for over five years now, we’ve gotten what feels like an endless stream of bad press and rumors, even from the beginning with a five year age gap, and now, somehow, our relationship exploded into somehow being infested by the world.”

“Is that why you and he are so private now?” “It was a mixture of that, and for our careers as well. Both him and I are constantly touring, or making music for our own projects, and we don’t get many intimate moments together. So when we do get those close moments, where it’s just him and I, we like to spend them with just each other, the two of us.”

“You and he have been an interesting couple, but fans seem to love you together,” She began, “There’s been common discussion about the two of you being so different. Gerard looks like this rebellious bad boy, and you’re an innocent good girl. Does that fit into your everyday life?” You lightly smiled knowing she was right, you and Gerard were opposite.

“Kind of, but not really,” You began with a laugh, “We’re similar in a thousand different ways as well. I think there’s a very common misconception among everyone in the music industry, that the image created by your work and by your stage persona is you in real life. And to an extent that’s accurate, but it’s also not. I don’t wear crop tops and short skirts, or sparkly body suits and dresses like I do on stage everyday in my normal life. So while both of us are different in many ways, such as our art and how we dress, our personalities are extremely similar. We’re both nerds about comics, we both love to read, we love to do a lot. So our careers are drastically different, but us as people, we’re very similar.”

“You’ve mentioned before that you’ve wanted to be a mom, start a family quite frequently.” You smiled and nodded, “Would you and Gerard still do that? Even after all the fame?” “I think so, yeah.” You began, “We’ve discussed the idea of having a family, of being parents a lot, and both of us are on the same page. We want to have kids, we want to have a family and raise one of our own. But we need the right time and ability to do so. We will both refuse to take a child into our world of chaos without knowing a way to remove them from that chaos, completely. And having them not be involved or in the public eye at all.” You explained.

“And I think in the future that’s going to require both of us to take breaks from our public personas, and our public lives, and focus solely on our private life for at least two to three years. At least to a point where we feel comfortable enough to say, ‘Okay, we’ve retracted our child from any chance of being targeted by anyone in the world who we don’t want them to see. Now let’s re-emerge ourselves, but only to the extent that we can be sure that our child will have two supporting parents, both of whom can properly care for them.’” She hummed with a light smile again, nodding.

“Now, there have been numerous ideas surrounding your previous project, Suggestions From Thursday, which was the band you started in and your only other project aside from your solo career.” You nervously nodded as the interviewer continued asking her question, “When you decided to release your first solo project, the band broke up. Is there any bad blood between the four of you?” “Um,” You nervously played with your fingers trying to create a fast and satisfactory answer that you wouldn’t regret later, “I would hope not. I haven’t really talked to the guys since the split happened. But I would hope there’s a mutual respect between everyone in the situation for both us as people and our history together.”

The interview wrapped up relatively quickly, the reporter was actually very nice and respectful. Her smooth and pleasant tone of voice, plus easy going vibe made you feel very open to talk, and pressured in no way. You knew the intention of 60 Minutes interviews was not to insult the person, but to explain and elaborate on who they really are, which you were more than happy to do.

Once the interview concluded and the camera crew had finished cleaning up your living room, you said goodbye, closing the door and taking a sigh of relief. While you enjoyed the interview and liked how no questions were asked as if to imply an answer, they were still exhausting. You went upstairs, running yourself a bath despite the fact it was 4 pm. And pouring yourself a glass of wine with that.

You were in the tub for a good hour before the water got too cold, getting out to change into an oversize sweatshirt and short pajama shorts. Gerard would be home in only a few hours and would be the only one to see you, so it was’t like it mattered what you wear.

You walked down stairs beginning to cook dinner, a good way to calm yourself down. You began reflecting on the interview, now partially freaking out over whether anything you said could or would be used against you. Yes, 60 Minutes was always pretty unbiased and tried their best to promote everyone who wasn’t actually bad, which you thought you were, but still. The PTSD from previous bad articles about you was slowly building up.

You were chopping some vegetables when you heard Gerard come in, kicking off his tennis shoes and walking into the large, modern kitchen where you were. He kissed your shoulder, giving you a hug from behind. “Hey babe.” You lightly smiled feeling his warmth.

“Hey,” He responded, still hugging you, “How did the interview go.” “Good,” You sighed, “Difficult, and personal, but good.”

“Personal?” He asked next, grabbing some water from your fridge, “What did they ask about?” “Typical things. How I grew up and got here, which grew into you and I, which went into even more personal stuff.” He rose an eyebrow at you taking a sip from his glass, as you sighed in defeat. “Well some of it was about my ED, but they asked me about kids too.” You mentioned.

“Oh?” He inquired again, “And how did you respond?” “With the truth,” You looked over at him from where you were previously invested in your cooking activities, “That you and I want a family one day, but only when we feel it best fit.”

“We could start right now.” He smirked and you scoffed.

“C’mon Gee, for real?” You whined. He sighed in defeat, walking over and giving you a hug.

“Fine, fine, I was just trying to cheer you up.” “I know.” You whispered, your head comfortably in the crook of his neck. “Maybe we should get a dog first.” You said.

“A dog?” He asked and lightly laughed, “We could.”

“Like as a test subject, to see how we would be as parents.” He lightly laughed, kissing the top of your head.

“Mkay babe, you go with that.” He let go of you, looking over at the food you has just started. AKA the chopped vegetables. “Let’s get takeout, sweetheart. You’ve had a long day.” “But-” You tried to protest “No buts.” He insisted. “I need you to not worry and do nothing right now. Other than sit down with me, and watch something.”

The two of you were placed on your huge couch, which could have easily fit eight people, your legs draped over Gerard’s as his arm tightly wrapped around your back, head on his shoulder. He had pulled a blanket over the two of you as you indulged in burgers messily, catching up on a show.

All day you had been heavily reflecting on a lot of what the interview was about. What hit so close was the idea that Gerard was going to corrupt you in a way, a common rumor that had been passed around tabloids and gossip sites dozens of times. You had never truly addressed the rumors, not even in the interview today. But as you mindlessly observed the scenes scanning the TV screen, you got an idea. A brilliant idea at that.

Swinging your legs onto the floor, you got up with haste, beginning to march out of the room. “Where’re you going?” Gerard asked, a confused look on his face.

“To write an album.”

#gerard way fanfiction #gerard way x reader #gerard way #gee way #mcr gerard #my chemical gerard #my chemical romance #My Chem #my chemical gee #my chemical romance x reader

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2nerd4this · 4 years

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Hell yes. Lina telling Cathy about her favorite things in the modern day. It’s all incredibly sweet and unexpectedly wholesome. Like Catalina knows what Cathy appreciates about the modern day, feminist movements and the ease of writing and things like that. But when Cathy asks all Catalina can say is she loves stuff like her fuzzy slippers and the endless kids books abut fish.

This was such a fun idea to write, thank you!

I am just going to post it here because I don’t want to overwhelm AO3, and it’s pretty short, but I hope it’s what you were looking for. Thank you so much!!!

It was a quiet day in the Queen’s house, and everyone was absolutely exhausted.

Show after show after show had worn them all out, and the one alternate they had was out sick, so they were all trying their best to hold out until she was back.

But today was their day off, when they would usually be found going to a museum or a movie or at least watch Netflix in the living room together, but instead they were all holed up in their own rooms. Honestly, most of them were probably napping.

Catalina, however, was not.

The first Queen was relaxing in bed, books that she had been meaning to read for weeks strewn about around her. Instead of reading, though, she was scrolling through her phone, telling herself she was taking a break, when in fact she had barely started.

Besides, she deserved a break anyway.

A knock on the door roused her from this train of though, and she quickly shoved the phone under a pillow and grabbed a random book from the bed, then muttered a soft invitation to enter.

Seconds later, Cathy slipped through the door and shut it behind her firmly, smiling minutely across the room before stopping in front of the bed and turning her gaze to the floor as she shifted nervously. Catalina immediately felt relieved- anyone else’s company might have been exhausting, but her goddaughter was always welcome.

“Mija! How’s your day been?”

“Oh, uh, fine. A nice break from everything.”

Lina nodded in understanding, then tilted her head curiously. “Did you want something?”

“I mean- yeah, but you look busy, so I can go if you-”

“No, no,” Catalina rushed, already piling books and setting them aside. “You’re a welcome distraction, querida. What’s up?”

Cathy smiled hesitantly, then rounded the bed and sat gingerly on the edge of it. Catalina shook her head fondly and wrapped an arm around the girl, gently pulling her closer and helping her get situated against the headboard.

“Do you- I mean, this is weird, but I was just... it’s been a while since you told me stories about... back then, and I really liked it, and I was just thinking that maybe-” she stopped herself mid-ramble, looking up to her godmother’s smiling face as she twisted her hands relentlessly, “Maybe you could do that again? Or something similar? I- I’ve been having a weird day, and I just wanted to hear you talk.”

There was a moment of silence, long enough for Cathy to start to fumble her way into an apology, only to be interrupted by Catalina’s soft laughter.

“What?” Cathy asked incredulously, looking quite affronted. Catalina just shook her head fondly and sighed.

“Nothing, mija. Just- you’re really quite adorable sometimes.”

“Hmph.” Cathy huffed, crossing her arms tightly over her chest, but the reddening of her cheeks betrayed her.

“Anyway, yes of course. Have any specific topic in mind?”

“Nope,” Cathy said, adjusting herself so she was laying down. She knew what was coming. Catalina smirked down at her softly, then adjusted herself so she was in a more comfortable position before nudging Cathy’s shoulder lightly. The final Queen shimmied up the bed until her head was in the older woman’s lap, and then pulled the blanket up to cover her both.

“Right. Well,” Catalina started, bringing a hand down to start running through Cathy’s hair, “I was thinking, earlier, about all the things in this new world that fascinate me.”

“Like health care and stuff?”

“Not really. More like... I don’t know... stuffed animals and lamps and window stickers and candy.”

“Aww, Catty,” Cathy muttered, a teasing smile flickering onto her face, “I’m the adorable one?”

“Oh, hush you,” Catalina chuckled, patting her head to silence her. “I guess I just like how much attention is payed to happy things now. Like... books for children. I know they aren’t meant for me, but they are just so sweet, and we never had things that were geared towards kids like that in our day. And... oh, I don’t know, Cathy, but do you understand?”

“Yeah, I get it,” Cathy mumbled, turning to her side to be more comfortable. Catalina chuckled softly, already knowing how this conversation was going to end up. “Tell me more.”

“Alright, mija.... I like graffiti art. The idea that people are that talented, and they put it on display for anyone who wants to see it.”

“Oh, yeah, I understand that...”

“Oh! And I recently discovered those little aquariums that people keep pet fish in! They put little rocks in the bottom and decorate the sides and add little accessories to make the fish feel more at home, it’s amazing.”

“Mhmm”

“And everything fluffy, of course. Fluffy blankets, fluffy slippers, fluffy rugs... it’s all so soft.”

“Mmm”

“Oh, and what about those little figurines and houses that people put out at Christmas time? They are really intricate and amazing, I’m always so impressed by the little details. And, of course, children’s jewlery. Always so precious and tiny. Oh! And what about....” Catalina wasn’t sure how long she rambled, or when her goddaughter stopped giving her input, but eventually, as her voice became hoarse and she broke from her reverie, she realized that Cathy was no longer shifting in her lap.

As expected, when she glanced down, the girl was fast asleep and almost completely hidden underneath the covers.

“Hmmm,” Catalina whispered softly to herself, “I never thought my voice would be a lullaby to a grown woman.”

She paused, smiling down at Cathy and slowly stilling the movements of her fingers.

“Sweet dreams, mija.” She leaned down to press a light kiss to the girl’s curls. “I’ll be here when you wake.”

#six the musical #fanfiction #six the musical fanfiction #why- you may ask- do all my fics end in sleeping?#It's because I'm tired #so #yeah

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higuchimon · 4 years

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[fanfic] Ways To The Soul

“So what kind of a soulmate mark do you have?” The question came from one of her classmates; she couldn’t remember their name anymore. It had been a good many years since then. But it was innocent – almost everyone asked that kind of question sooner or later, especially if the answer wasn’t obvious.

Not all of the ways were. Not everyone had a clearly marked countdown on them or a mark waiting to glow at the right time or a name written on themselves. There were less obvious ways, of course, such as sharing dreams or healing via touch or when one couldn’t see colors until meeting one’s soulmate. There were even a few rarer ones – such as those who sprouted wings upon meeting their soulmate.

And in all of her years, Asuka hadn’t experienced any of that. No signs or clocks or names upon her, and she’d never shared a dream or felt anyone else’s thoughts and she could see colors as well as anyone else.

But they asked. It was just a thing. Sometimes marks didn't show up right away, after all.

“You really don’t need to worry about it,” Fubuki told her one afternoon, not long before he was to start his first year at Duel Academia. “I mean, there are so many ways that you could find a soulmate!” He strummed a little at his ukulele. He still wasn’t very good at that.

“I didn’t say I was worried about it,” Asuka replied, going through her deck. She still had two years before she could start at the Academy, but she did have a very important duel against one of her friends that weekend and she wanted to do her very best.

Fubuki blinked at her. “I know you are. You don’t have to lie to me. You’re worried because you’re one of the rare ones.” He tapped his fingers on his instrument for a few seconds. “You know, I bet you’re a Name-speaker. So there’s no way you’ll know your soulmate until they say your name.”

Asuka debated the ethics of grabbing the nearest magazine and whacking him upside the head. It was a very tempting thought. She kept her focus on her deck instead. The magazine hadn’t been invented yet that could get through his thick skull.

Why won’t he believe me? As far back as she could remember, she’d never been interested in having a soulmate. Once she’d checked out a book from the library about all the different ways that one could find one’s soulmate, and spent a very informative weekend checking herself to be sure that she didn’t possess any of them. She’d contorted herself into many unusual configurations making sure that there weren’t any marks on her back before giving up and asking Junko to check for her.

She’d never had a mark. She decided at a very young age that she didn’t want a mark. There were a couple of people that as she got older, she found mildly interesting but that was it – a mild interest than happily settled itself into warm friendships over and over.

Time ticked by, as it had a habit of doing. Fubuki went on to Duel Academia and vanished before the ending of his first year. Asuka held fast to the hope that he would return – Fubuki carried a song in his heart, a beautiful melody that his soulmate would know the other half of when they heard him singing. Because of that, he would return. She held faith in that.

Being able to spend time with Ryou helped ease the loss of her brother. She never asked about the odd mark on his right hand – the one grayed out, as if his soulmate perished. He never talked about it either.

She met others who had marks or signs of some kind. Juudai proudly showed off the name on his left arm, written in yellow and green – Yubel. A name she’d never heard of before – nor had Juudai. He held out hope that he would meet them one day, though.

Momoe’s timer wouldn’t run down until she was close to twenty-five. Junko already shared dreams with someone who she wouldn’t name. A few casual conversations she overheard indicated other options – rumor had it that Ayanokouji Mitsuru and Kouchou Ran ended up as soulmates, having brushed against each other at a duel tournament and knowing in that moment.

Quite honestly, Asuka could hardly go anywhere without talk of soulmates. They were almost as hot a topic as dueling was. At least Ryou never spoke of his mark, and once Juudai determined that no one in school knew who Yubel was, he was far more interested in talking dueling anyway. Misawa looked forward to late May of the following year, when his mark decreed he would meet his soulmate. Manjoume didn’t have a mark either, but he told a few tales about how his family tended to have the rarer signs, such as being a HealTouch or a TruthTeller. He had hopes of turning out to be a Name-speaker himself.

Shou’s mark was different from Ryou’s. Not all family members who had marks shared them, after all. His mark wasn’t one o the visible ones – he couldn’t see color at all, and wouldn’t until he met his soulmate.

Hayato had a name on his wrist as well, not one that anyone recognized. He said nothing about it, but Asuka suspected that he hoped he’d meet this “Sugiyama Takara” when he went to Industrial Illusions.

With every year that passed, there were more people who had marks. Some of them didn’t ask about hers – she would forever be grateful that Jim Cook wanted to talk more about geology than the mark on his own hand – but there were always those who could not help but press to know about hers and so many of them offered the same platitudes when they found out that she didn’t have one.

Most of those were the same ones that Fubuki offered before, promising that there were so many different ways that just because she didn’t have one now didn’t mean she’d never have one. It could happen any time. Maybe she was just a late bloomer. There would be someone for her.

“Maybe I don’t want someone!” Asuka snapped finally, on a day close to the end of her third year, when Fubuki checked in again to make sure she hadn’t had any shared dreams or unusual emotions overnight.

Fubuki stared at her, mouth open slightly, but no words coming out. He blinked a few times before he did manage to say anything.

“Are you sure?”

At least he didn’t deny the possibility. She gave him that much credit.

“Not yet. But it’s the best option I see so far.” She’d never really been more than superficially interested in anyone anyway, and never romantically. Potential dueling opponents only interested her. Not to mention she hadn’t yet decided what it was she wanted to do with her life. She waffled between teaching – which did have an appeal – and trying to enter the Pro Leagues or entering research related to dueling. Ayukawa-sensei had also suggested that she study medicine for duel purposes. With more injuries turning up related to the game, those who knew how to deal with that kind of ailment remained in high demand.

There was just always so much to do that wasn’t romantic and she wanted to do it.

Fubuki drew in a long breath and, of all things, smiled at her. “All right. I’ll stop asking. If that’s what you want, then I just ask one thing.”

Asuka crossed her arms over her chest. “What?”

“If you ever do decide to date someone – with or without a soulmate mark – let me know, please?” He tried to look a little like a puppy dog but she’d seen all of his looks growing up. That meant nothing to her.

But what he asked, she could do. “I will. Just don’t wait for it.”

Fubuki nodded. Asuka suspected it would be abut a week before he asked again.

At least more people were finding their soulmates and thus had less to talk about with their marks. Juudai knew who Yubel was – had fused their souls together, in fact. Asuka had to say she’d never heard about that before. Hayato wrote them all a mass e-mail gleeing over having finally met Sugiyama Takara. They hadn’t started dating yet but Hayato hoped to ask his fellow card designer out for tea sometime in the near future.

Misawa had settled happily into the Amazon Village with Taniya. It hadn’t taken long before he’d built a device that could transmit between the worlds – sort of a souped up mobile phone, as he’d described it, and started to make arrangements for long-distance lessons. He would be graduating with them, even if he couldn’t physically be there.

She’d learned that Professor Chronos also didn’t have a soulmate identifier of any kind, and she’d spent some time with him just talking about how sometimes their lives were far less complicated than those of their friends. She would miss being here for him.

As soon as Juudai defeated Darkness, Ryou’s mark flared into full life again – as did the matching one of Fujiwara Yuusuke. They hadn’t spent much time apart since then, learning about one another all over again. A great deal had changed between the last time they’d seen one another and now.

Maybe she would develop a soulmate attachment or fall in love in a different way. Non soulmate relationships existed, after all. She could see it when O’Brien visited Sea God’s Priestess. But right now, that wasn’t what she wanted to do with her life, and she couldn’t imagine being any other way.

The End

Notes: Asuka is asexual/aromantic in this. She doesn’t have a romantic soulmate at all. If she were going to have a platonic one, it would probably be Jim and/or Mizuchi. I might go into further detail on some of the ships mentioned here, and ones I didn’t mention (such as Edo and Saiou, who share an emotional link once the Light isn’t an issue anymore). But not right now. I’m getting ready to start finishing WIPs and write stuff that’s not GX.

#fanfic #higuchimon writes #ygo gx #gxmonth2020 #tenjoin asuka #tenjoin fubuki #au: soulmates

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nonmillennialstruggling · 4 years

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Random Updates

Roommate situation:

I feel a little bad about my last post venting about having an unexpected roommate for so long. Anyhow they are still here. Th evil former landlord filled an elder abuse claim against my friend so now there is at least a nominal investigation. Since I’ve interacted with his grandmother and seen how he takes care of her I’m 99% confident that the claim is completely bogus and made in bad faith. He really does think a lot about his grandmother and her needs. My only critique is that she doesn’t have an electric wheelchair and assistance getting into it each day to be able to be more independent. Anyhow he felt it would be better if they stayed in place until the investigation rules the claim as being made in bad faith. So they are still here. There is a silver lining-- I’m certainly not lonely while they are here. But I do still want my place back.

Job search:

I had a job interview today for a program evaluator position. Assuming my evil former adviser doesn’t hijack things I expect that I’ll get an offer. You never know how these things go but at the end when they let you ask your own questions you can kinda get a better indicator. They seemed really interested in talking with me more about the position and all freely gave me their emails and seemed really sincere when they told me to contact them anytime. The con is the pay is really bad for the job responsibilities and the hours seem to be an inflexible 8-5 and they want someone to start in 2 weeks. I think I could negotiate a December 2nd start date since I am hoping to finish data collection for the program eval I’m wrapping up in December. I’m out of town next week glamping with Ms. Doggy and I really want the following week to have my place to myself and go back to my old routine of working at my desk downtown. I haven’t been going to my desk downtown since I am around people at home (cuts down on the loneliness) and since my parking pass is in my car which has been out for a month now for what should have been a one week repair (never use Ed Voyles Honda). I would like at least one week of my old routine back before I go to an 8-5 (hopefully I could negotiate 9-6) job and then give up my lease on my desk early next year.

The unexpected:

I think something that makes me feel more positive abut having my friend here is that the night before I left for the American Public Health Association conference my friend was pulled over for a broken headlight literally in my driveway and then arrested for driving with an expired licence. I guess he missed the licence renewal notice but seeing him led away and then bonding him out has refocused me on how fucked up this world is to people and that’s increased my patience.

American Public Health Association conference:

I don’t feel the effort was worth the conference. I presented on the program evaluation I’m doing and got hardly any questions. None of the other presenters in that session got questions either. The second session I did on trauma informed research guidelines drew grad students who were interested in the topic and gave me someone to email references to (more work for me) but didn’t really attract professionals in the field to have a conversation with. I also don’t feel I really got anything out of the presentations I attended either except to have a better sense of people I might connect with re: discrimination as trauma. The last session I attended was triggering too because it turned into the facilitator and an attendee saying that they thought screening for trauma was a bad idea. (I didn’t know to expect that in spaces apparently oriented towards actually addressing trauma, but now I know that abuse-apologist mentality will influence spaces apparently oriented towards addressing trauma and can be better prepared for it.) I did get to connect with my cousin though who was also attending the conference so that was nice. Downside was that the original airbnb host I scheduled with wen MIA so I had to book a new place and that was obviously a flipped apartment with a landlord who was completely disconnected from the neighborhood and a very loud at 4am other person in the airbnb.

OK that’s all I can think of for my random updates.

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diamondorloj · 5 years

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You are so smart and well educated, especially regarding Israel and Jewish history, so I hope you don't mind if I ask you to help me, an uneducated (and to be honest mostly ignorant towards politics because of personal issues) person, to graps what the fuss is about all the political statements during ESC this year? I'm really confused and used google but I understand like maybe half of what's going on. Sorry to bother you.

Hey, thank you for coming to me. First off, I have studied and learned a lot abut the topics, but they’re very complex and full of details beyond my grasp. I’ll try to make this short, but your ask was a little broad and calls for a couple of explanations.

First off, there are rules against political statements and activism in every Eurovision song contest. For example, the only flags allowed in the arenas are the flags of UN states and of the EU, as well as unpolitical flags like the rainbow or the trans flag. In 2016, there was a conflict because the Armenian delegation held up a flag of Bergkarabach, which is debatable territory between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Now, here’s the EBU statement: “In the live broadcast of the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final, Hatari, the Icelandic act, briefly displayed small Palestinian banners whilst sat in the Green Room. The Eurovision Song Contest is a non-political event and this directly contradicts the contest’s rules. The banners were quickly removed and the consequences of this action will be discussed by the Reference Group (the contest’s executive board) after the contest.”

Determining a course of action on legal grounds based on the flag rule is going to be a little difficult because as of 29th November 2012, Palestine was granted the status of an observer state in the UN. However, showing the Palestine flag in Israel, on an Israelian stage, is considered political activism (and just generally…bad).

To briefly touch on the history of the Palestinian and Israelian conflict is almost impossible. The area of today’s Israel and Palestine used to belong to the Osmanian Empire, which shattered in 1922 officially and for a huge number of reasons. Great Britain took over mandate control for the area they then called Palestine, until it was possible to establish its own state. This was a common idea of the time for colonies that were supposed to be supported on their way to independency. Jews had fled to this area for centuries, but especially so during the 19th century because of rising antisemitism in Europe. While it wasn’t exactly pleasant to live as dimmi, people of the books and second-class citizens, it was relatively safe and peaceful, and Arab people happily sold their land to Jewish immigrants.

The idea of safety for the Jewish people led to the idea of a Jewish state, which is zionism. However, there were many options discussed as to where this Jewish state should be installed – among them were Uganda and Argentina. In the end, it probably was a mixture of many factors, like the Jewish connection to the land of Israel and Jerusalem, the fact that many Jewish people had bought land in Palestine for a relatively good price and that a lot of Jewish communities already lived there. Great Britain agreed to install a Jewish state, however they also installed the Great Mufti of Jerusalem, Mohammed Amin al-Husseini, and he incited violence and pogroms against the Jewish people. He vehemently opposed the existence of any Jewish state and also collaborated with the Nazis, organised a Muslim garnison in the SS, and is responsible for many people dying in the Holocaust because he prevented them from fleeing to Palestine.

So, after the Holocaust, the calls for a Jewish state for the Jewish people got louder because it had been made abundantly clear that no other state would guarantee their safety and survival. The UN was very newly installed and kinda improvised a new solution for the territorial conflict: There should be both a Jewish state, called Israel, and an Arab state, called Palestine. Jerusalem should stay under UN control. It was a hasty, imperfect plan, however the Jews accepted while the Arabs declined and the Arab nations surrounding Israel declared war on the same day Israel was founded. Against all odds, Israel won the wars and exists to this day. During the war, there were many refugees on both sides. Israel advertised for Arab people to stay and granted them full citizen rights. The Arab states called for Arabs to leave the places of war and conflict and were promised they could return to their homes when the war was over aka Israel destroyed. Well, guess what. Many refugees of these days and their decendants fled to Syria, Jordan, Egypt but were not taken in and instead were used against Israel. To this day, there are refugee camps in Jordan which does not grant any of their decendents who were born there city rights. Jewish people were dispelled from their homes and found a new home in Israel.

So, Israel as a state is the only guarantee in the world for safety and survival for the Jewish people. If you know any Jewish people in Europe, you will often hear their discussions and plans of going to Israel. The state exists, and it will continue to exist and thrive. To debate its right to an existence is politically pointless because it was granted by the UN and other leading political organisations, and antisemitic because it’s a direct call against the safety of Jews everywhere. Palestine wasn’t a state in the beginning at first and to this day has a special political status. In the 1940-1960s, a lot of Palestinians didn’t even want to be called Palestinians and the leading politicians in fact called for Palestine to be reunited with Syria, calling them Syrians. In 2005, Israel granted Gaza’s wishes and completely unrooted all Jewish life in the Gaza strip, making it free of living Jews for the first time in millenias. Unsurprisingly, peace did not follow.

Phew. I left out about a thousand details around here, so please use these points as a starting point for your research and take it with a grain of salt.

The conflict between Israel and Palestine to this day exists because Palestine does not acknowledge Israel’s right to exist and uses acts of terrorism and war against the state. Beginning of May, Gaza fired way over 600 rockets on Israel, aiming at schools and civilian buildings, killing 4 and injuring over 300 people. Their leading political organisation, Hamas, calls for the complete destruction of Israel and their people. They also refer to Israel as an oppressing state and an occupation of their territory.

One of the organisations that also believes Israel to be an occupator is the BDS organisation, which is a Boycott against Israel. It claims to be peaceful and harmless, but aims to completely isolate Israel in every way, culturally, economically, politically, from the rest of the world. They also want Palestinian refugees in Gaza and Westbank to have a right to return to Israel. However, given that Israel has a population of about 15 million people, and 20% of them are not Jewish, integrating about 8 million people of non-jewish Arabs into Israel would make Jews a minority in Israel and effectively end the existence of the only Jewish state in the world. (also good luck boycotting Israeli technology like the world's most efficient field hospital, the USB stick, and just about every smartphone works with Israeli technology.)

BDS called for a boycott of the ESC in Israel, Roger Waters himself foamed at the mouth when Madonna was announced to perform in Tel Aviv. One band that is at least close to the BDS is Hatari, the Icelandic group. They announced their intentions to use their performance to criticise Israel for the way they treat Palestinians.There was debate in Israel apparently whether they should be allowed to come to Tel Aviv, in the end they were allowed. They returned the favour by showing the flag of their biggest aggressor and threat to safety.

Funnily enough, homosexuality is punishable by imprisonment and death in Gaza. So I can’t help but wonder how well their support was received in Palestine… It’s a typically European knee-jerk reaction. They want to show solidarity with what they think is the underdog in that conflict, and they’re cowardly showing their protest in a democractic, safe country.

Madonna’s performance is problematic because she agreed to do a non-political act and proceeded to slap the flags on their dancers at the very last second, betraying the trust and rules of the hosts. Her act shows a big, scary man dressed like a soldier in a black uniform as Israel and a tiny woman in a white dress as Palestine, and in the beginning she talks about supposedly hidden crimes that ‘we all know of’ wink-wonk. It’s a tired provocatin and villainification of Israel imo. The reactions all over social media show that it was not actually perceived as a message of peace and love, but as a message of pro-Palestinian interests, painting them the victims and only the victims of the conflict.

There was probably more going on with political statements in the ESC, but you referred to Jewish history and Israel, so I hope your questions are covered with this response!

#marina replies #long post #i don't wanna tag this bc it will attract antisemites to my blog

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just-come-baek · 6 years

Text

Wedding Fever 3

Pairing: Baekhyun x Reader

Word count: 7.7k

Summary: Baekhyun is the best man, and I am the maid of honor at our friends’ wedding. Although should we be excited about our friends getting married, we seem to complain a lot more every time we meet for another preparation. Maybe it’s a bit fanciful of me to think that, but I hope, somewhere between choosing flowers and venting about the reception prep, he’ll like me just as I like him.

A/N I thought abut this story and there should be 2 more parts. Sorry for not updating this sooner

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The weekend arrived way too soon for my liking; I hadn’t had enough time to brace myself for meeting Baekhyun’s parents; however, knowing me, regardless of how many days I’d have to repeat the pep talk I was giving myself at least twice every four hours, it wouldn’t suffice. I was a nervous wreck, and if I was going to stress for another day, I’d definitely go bald.

With accordance to a text Baekhyun had sent me, he was going to pick me up within thirty minutes, leaving me too little time to get dressed, do my makeup and pack my suitcase. And despite the stress he had put me in; I carefully chose an elegant outfit consisting of sky-blue button down, a pair of high-waisted white jeans and a pair of shiny oxfords. As for makeup, I opted for a gentle touch; light brushes of blush and soft colors of eyeshadow perfectly matched my matte red lipstick.

Knock! Knock!

Upon hearing someone knock, I turned my head toward the doors, quickly dashing to open them. It must’ve been Baekhyun on the other side, and since I hadn’t seen him in a while, I smiled at the silly thought. Maybe it was lame of me, but I actually missed him. And though I would love to meet with him under different circumstances, I was not to complain.

The moment I swung the doors open, I saw him in his perfect form. His hair was neatly combed, a matching sky blue shirt around his broad shoulders and chest, light brown trousers loosely hugging his legs. He almost looked like a casual version of me, and it took a lot of self-restraint not to throw myself in his arms and kiss his breath away.

“What the hell are you wearing?” Baekhyun asked as he glanced at me from head to toe.

“What’s wrong with my outfit?” I questioned, looking down at myself, not sure which part of it Baekhyun didn’t like. It seemed classy, so what was his problem?

“Nothing’s wrong about it, you look great.” Baekhyun started, still eyeing me up and down. “But we’re going to a casual barbeque party, and not a job interview. Haven’t you got anything less… official?”

“You really think so? I don’t want to disappoint your parents,” I genuinely said, as I wasn’t convinced about changing out of my attire. Maybe it was a bit solemn, but I was to make my first impression, and I wanted it to be prodigious.

“They’re gonna love you regardless of what you’re going to wear,” Baekhyun spoke confidently, not even doubting my ability to make his parents fond of me.

“How can you be so calm? I’ve been a bundle of nerves the entire week,” I admitted, and Baekhyun chuckled boyishly, effortlessly making my heart pound as if I had a mini-heart attack. “I can’t be the only one freaking out.”

“I just know there’s nothing to be afraid of,” Baekhyun stated casually, as I waited for elaboration. “Almost two years ago, my brother introduced his girlfriend, and it wasn’t a big deal, so why should our situation be any different?”

“Hmm… I don’t know… maybe because we’re faking it?” I concluded, having another mini-panic attack. “Your mother must be one of these women with a lie detector in her eyes, we’re gonna get caught. I know it,” and there it was, full mode of an anxiety attack.

“Relax,” Baekhyun calmly commanded, as he placed his hands on my shoulders, making me look into his eyes as if it was to soothe me. Quite contrary to his intentions, his deep tranquil gaze put me in the even more nervous state. “It’s going to be fine; it’s just a barbeque, not an interrogation. No one will find out.”

“Right,” I answered, though I wasn’t entirely convinced.

“Okay, so get changed, you don’t want to be late, do you?” Baekhyun challenged, and I shook my head. Arriving late wouldn’t be the best first impression, and I must’ve not let that happen. “Put something more casual.”

“Ugh, fine,” I replied, though much unwillingly. “Just wait here,” I said before I locked myself in my bedroom, throwing everything out of my closet, seeking anything remotely less formal. It wasn’t as easy as Baekhyun made it out to be, but when he saw me in the same shirt, a pair of shorts and trainers, he approved it despite it being only slightly different.

“Please tell me you packed only casual clothes,” Baekhyun spoke, as I rolled my tiny suitcase out of my bedroom.

“Only T-shirts and sweatpants,” I retorted, and Baekhyun nodded, happy that I wasn’t so stressed anymore.

“Okay, we should go now. Otherwise, we’re seriously going to be late.”

***

“Who are you texting so passionately? You’ve been on your phone the entire ride,” Baekhyun asked, somewhat fed up with the lack of the conversation. The radio was on the whole time, and he tapped his fingers against the steering wheel in the rhythm, but it still didn’t make up for my uninterested hums whenever he asked me something. “Are you seeing anybody?” he added, and I perked up my head when I registered what he said.

“What?” I looked at him, perplexed. He thought I was dating? How ridiculous! At the moment, it wasn’t possible; I was still hooked up on him. “No, I’m not dating anyone.”

“Then who are you texting with that big smile?”

“Jiwoo,” I answered shortly, locking my phone, letting her spam my inbox. “We’re going shopping for her wedding dress on Tuesday, and right now, she’s looking them up online.”

“Oh… well… I thought we were sick and tired of the wedding. What has changed?” Baekhyun spoke, sounding very much disappointed and deceived. I mean… we had never been particularly ecstatic about the whole thing, but now my attitude did a 180. Admittedly, picking the wedding dress was the second best thing about being Jiwoo’s bridesmaid. (First thing was obviously getting to see Baekhyun.)

“Nothing has changed,” I quickly answered, not wanting him to think that I was pretending to be fed up with Jiwoo’s shenanigans regarding her wedding. Multiple times, she or Hongbin had made me regret agreeing to become the bridesmaid, but planning the purchase of her wedding dress – it was an entirely different thing. “TLC has brainwashed me, and I think I’ll enjoy helping her pick her dress even if she ignores my opinion. You can’t blame me for being a girl, girls love shopping for clothes.”

“If you put it that way…” Baekhyun nodded his head, now understanding my point of view. “Then I can only hope you two have fun.”

“Thanks,” I replied casually, quickly unlocking my phone, eager to check out more screenshots Jiwoo had sent me. Just like I expected, during my short conversation with Baekhyun, Jiwoo had managed to forward over twenty pictures of gorgeous gowns.

“Have you ever thought about what you’re going to tell your mother about me? You know… how we met, when we started dating, and other stuff like that?” I asked, though my eyes were trained on the screen, zooming in and out the pictures, studying the tiniest details.

“Not really,” Baekhyun answered, and I hummed, trying not to show any disappointment; I had been stressing out for the entirety of the week, whereas he hadn’t given any fucks about it. “I mean… I thought about it, but I haven’t come with anything substantial. Have you?”

“Actually, I assumed you would have everything figured out by the time you come to pick me up,” I confessed, though not confidently. “But I guess we can act normal as much as it’s possible, and when somebody asks a question about our ‘relationship’ one of us has to make something up, and the latter must play along. What do you think?”

“Yeah, let’s do that,” Baekhyun agreed, and I smiled, contended that he liked my idea. “What about skinship? My mother is a devil, and she pays a lot of attention to it. She’s going to sense that something’s off if we leave space for Jesus between us.”

“Seriously?” I asked, quite surprised that Baekhyun’s mother didn’t mind her son being all touchy-feely with his girlfriend right in front of her. Better yet, she preferred seeing her son passionate and demonstrative. “It’s okay,” I spoke, and Baekhyun tore his gaze away from the road to look at me, astounded. “What? It’s not that we’re going to fuck on the dinner table halfway through the meal, so it should be okay.”

“Really? I didn’t expect you to be so cool about it.” Baekhyun replied, but when he realized my exasperated glare, he wished he had bitten his tongue. For him, I must’ve looked angry, but in reality, I was just mildly insulted with no intentions of correcting him. I needed him to elaborate on why he thought I wouldn’t be cool about him touching me.

“And why is that?” I teased, trying my best to sound serious.

“It’s nothing,” Baekhyun said, attempting to dismiss the topic.

“Please, do tell,” I urged him, expecting to hear something I already know. “I’m really curious; why do you think I wouldn’t be cool about it?”

“You won’t let it go, will you?” Baekhyun asked, and I firmly nodded my head. I was stubborn just like Baekhyun, and I wouldn’t stop pestering him until he told me what he meant. “I mean… not in a bad sense… but I have never seen you affectionate with a man… well… at least not in front of me… so I just assumed you must be very private and… well… not so fond of public display of affection.”

“Hmm… so in your opinion, I’m a prude,” I concluded, and Baekhyun chuckled nervously, definitely not enjoying our conversation. “Wow, a prude! Thank you so much.”

“I didn’t mean it in a bad sense,” Baekhyun defended himself, and I remained silent, curious what else he could say to make the situation even worse. “And I’ve never called you a prude, all I said was that whenever you date you probably don’t make out in front of everyone, making all single people feel even more miserable.”

“Well… you’re right, I don’t do that,” I agreed, remembering how many times Jiwoo and Hongbin had made out in front of us. (Way too many to keep track of it.) “I’m not a prude, though.”

“That’s good, prude people are boring.”

***

“Are you ready?” Baekhyun asked when he pulled over in front of his parents’ house.

Waiting for my response, Baekhyun turned off the engine and looked at me.

“Turn the car around,” I spoke, certain that I wasn’t ready to face his parents. Not now, pretending his girlfriend, probably still not ready even if we were dating for real. “I’m calling it off, I can’t do it,” I blabbered, knowing another mini-anxiety attack was to kick in.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Baekhyun whispered, as he held my hand, thinking it would calm me down. “Relax, we’ve come so far, we can’t bail now,” he spoke, but I shook my head, denying his every word. It wasn’t right for his family. It wasn’t right for me, either. I had agreed to it impulsively because of my attraction, and now, I was about to make a fool out of myself. I should have known better not to act on my feelings. “Besides, the hardest part is already passed us,” he added, but it didn’t matter. I couldn’t do it.

“Baekhyun, I can’t,” I spoke, my voice weak. “They don’t deserve being lied to. We’re going to get caught, and when that happens, they’re going to hate me.” I blathered, starting to suffocate in the car. Although I rarely get stressed, Baekhyun’s precarious request was to make me faint out of fuss. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Calm down,” Baekhyun cooed, tucking my hair behind my ear. “Everything’s alright, we can do this,” he added, and I looked at him, seeking serenity and assurance in his eyes. Regardless of how many doubts I had, Baekhyun seemed confident that we could get through this. “Just trust me; I wouldn’t bring you here if I didn’t think we could make it.”

“I trust you,” I replied, and when I was to grace him with a reassuring smile, I jumped in my seat when someone knocked on the car’s window. Perplexed, I turned to see a cute elderly couple smiling at Baekhyun.

“Don’t worry about anything. See? They already love you,” Baekhyun mentioned, and I smiled at him nervously knowing it’s too late to butt out. “Come on, it’s show time.”

Baekhyun got out of the car, and I hesitantly followed suit.

“What took you so long? Everybody’s starving, but your dad didn’t want to start without you,” Baekhyun’s mother said as she embraced her son tightly as if he just returned from war.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Baekhyun nonchalantly spoke, smiling at me. “We came earlier than you told us to,” he candidly said as he stretched his arm to lace our fingers, wanting to introduce me.

“Is she your girlfriend?” Baekhyun’s dad asked, genuinely happy that his son was finally seeing someone. Proudly, Baekhyun nodded his head, and then his dad smiled at me, shaking hands with me.

“At last you brought someone!” His mother cheered, as she pushed Baekhyun aside to give me a robust hug, almost crushing my bones. “Your father and I thought you would never introduce any girl to us, but thankfully we were wrong.”

“Gee, thanks,” Baekhyun chimed in, staring at his mother clung onto my tensed body. “You also thought I’d drop from college, and then what happened?” Baekhyun sarcastically asked as he tried to disguise his discomfort and offense.

“We were proud of you then, and we’re proud of you now,” Baekhyun’s father defended them, as he looked at him and then at me, probably thinking how great of a couple we made. Too bad it was only a charade because no matter how compatible we seemed to other people, Baekhyun would never think about actually asking me out.

“How come I don’t believe you?” Baekhyun teasingly questioned, as he sneaked his arm behind my back, resting his hand on my hip. He had warned me about skinship, and when he showcased it in front of his parents, my cheeks flushed. In their opinion, he was being adorable and possessive, but I knew his affection was artificial and meaningless.

“Because you’re an ungrateful son,” Baekhyun’s mother jested, and I giggled at their interaction. I wished I had this kind of connection with my parents. “But we love you regardless, so why don’t we just go to the garden. Your brother is already preparing the grill, so we should supervise him before he and his girlfriend eat the whole food.”

“What do you say? Should we join them or just unpack first?” Baekhyun turned to me, looking down at me fondly. The way his eyes drill holes in mine could only one thing – he wanted me to stall the barbeque as if striving to discuss something.

“Let’s eat! I’m starving,” I replied enthusiastically, going against Baekhyun’s wishes. There was no point in discussing anything, but I was making my first impression, and I didn’t want them to think I was so shy I’d hide behind Baekhyun the entire gathering.

Displeased, Baekhyun squeezed my hand tighter, gritting through his teeth. “Sure, let’s eat first, your stomach was growling the entire ride,” he joked, and I jabbed him lightly, making their parents giggle at our playful contact.

When they led us further inside, I met the rest of Baekhyun’s family which included his brother with his girlfriend, two aunts with their husbands on Baekhyun’s father’s side and one uncle on his mother’s side.

At first, I was a bit intimidated and overwhelmed by their questioning but having drunk a bottle of chilled beer helped me keep my stress level in check. I was the newest member of their family, so their curiosity was understandable. Thankfully, just when the food was being served, Baekhyun’s brother announced that he and his girlfriend moved in together, and that revelation ultimately outshined my relationship with Baekhyun.

During the barbeque, Baekhyun was an absolute sweetheart; he cut the meat for me, he went inside for another beer when I finished one, he even wiped my elbow when I accidentally dirtied it with some ketchup. He was caring and thoughtful; his current behavior was even better than in my wildest daydreams.

“So… when have you started dating?” Baekhyun’s brother, Baekbeom, asked, fed up with the interrogation. Yes, he and his girlfriend of two years decided to live together, but on the other hand, his baby brother brought a girlfriend for the very first time.

Unsure, I looked at up Baekhyun, urging him to answer the question. We were in this together, but we were here because of him, so it only made sense for him to start replying. He would break the ice, and I’d follow suit, making our love story more natural.

“Not that long time ago,” Baekhyun started, as he put his bottle of beer on the wooden table. “As you might’ve heard, I’m Hongbin’s best man, and she’s Jiwoo’s maid of honor. And sometime between looking up perfect wedding locations and picking wedding invites I realized how difficult it’s going to be her friend, so I asked her out.” Baekhyun lied so confidently, I’d believe him if I didn’t know the truth. It was a cute story, and I wished it was true, although I knew it would never happen.

“Did she agree?” Baekbeom’s girlfriend, Mihyun, asked, engrossed by the story which was only a figment of Baekhyun’s imagination.

“Of course, she agreed!” Baekhyun spoke in a slightly louder voice as if he was offended by Mihyun’s inquiry. “Do you think we would be here together if she said no?”

“If he didn’t ask me out back then, I’d probably be the one to do it,” I interjected, making the whole table chuckle. Neither of it was true, so I assumed it wouldn’t hurt to boost his ego, especially when he was playfully bullied by his closest family members.

“Oh, I like that,” Baekhyun’s mother spoke, nodding her head, smiling at me. “Girls must be strong and independent these days. I like her, Baekhyun. You chose well.”

“Obviously,” Baekhyun agreed, leaning forward to peck my cheek. “I always choose what’s best,” he added, squeezing my hand. “So… is there any dessert? I’m craving your legendary cheesecake.” Baekhyun spoke excitedly, smoothly dodging an incoming series of questions.

“Of course,” Baekhyun’s dad hollered, as he rubbed his palms together, craving the mentioned cheesecake probably even more. “I’ll get it, honey,” he added, pecking his wife’s lips in the cutest of ways.

“Your parents are adorable,” I leaned and whispered into Baekhyun’s ear, and he giggled.

“What are you two lovebirds conspiring?” One of Baekhyun’s aunts asked, and Baekhyun sent her one of his brightest smiles.

“They probably can’t wait to be left alone,” Baekbeom commented, smirking at us. “They must still be in their honeymoon phase. Probably going at it like rabbits,” he added mischievously, getting jabbed by his girlfriend. “What? Am I wrong?” He inquired, and his mother shook her head disapprovingly, as she was more interested in the romantic part of our relationship. Frankly, I couldn’t blame her; I wouldn’t be keen on knowing all the details of my children’s sex life, either.

“Baekbeom, stop it,” Mrs. Byun scolded her elder son before she looked at Baekhyun. “Not in front of my cheesecake,” she jested when her husband walked out of the house with the dessert. “So… changing the subject, where did my son take you on a first date?”

“Hmm?” I hummed, buying myself some time, not wanting to blurt the first blatant lie which came to my stupid mind. “My first date with Baekhyun? Oh, he took me to the bowling alley. I had no idea what I was doing since it was my first time bowling, but he promised to teach me, and then he kicked my butt, although he said he wouldn’t.”

“I’m not even surprised,” Baekbeom spoke matter-of-factly, smirking playfully.

“That’s my son,” Mr. Byun interjected, earning a jab from his wife. “What? I didn’t say I approve of that. All I mean is that I’d do the same thing,” he added mischievously, leaning forward to plant a soft kiss on Mrs. Byun temple. “You love me anyway.”

“How have I dealt with such a brat like you so many years?”

“Like I said. You. Love. Me.” Mr. Byun articulated every word carefully, so the message would get through her thick head. Apparently, Baekhyun had taken stubbornness after his mother, whereas the playfulness after his father.

“Not in front of my bacon,” Baekhyun shouted, as he put a slice of grilled bacon into his mouth, disgusted by his parents’ affection. For someone who enjoyed public display of endearment, she surely didn’t mind demonstrating it, either.

“Don’t give me that attitude,” Mrs. Byun scolded Baekhyun, as she reached for the knife to cut her bakery masterpiece. “Would you like the first piece?” She asked me with a large piece of cake on a paper plate, and although I was already full, I couldn’t say no.

“Speaking of bacon,” started Baekbeom, “it was Baekhyun’s nickname in primary school. He was a bit chubby, and other kids kept calling him that. Has Baekhyun ever mentioned that?” Baekbeom asked, and I chuckled, wondering how cute he must’ve looked when he was a child. I probably wouldn’t be able to handle his cuteness.

“And who started calling me that?” Baekhyun looked at his older brother deadly as if he was ready to attack if he embarrassed him any further. “You; it was your fault I was bullied.”

“I don’t think he has,” I muttered, smiling warmly at Baekhyun. Of course, I didn’t know anything about his school years. We barely talked about current affairs, let alone our past experiences. Once or twice we had held a serious conversation, but it had never been of sorts. “But I bet he was the cutest boy in his class.”

“Oh, you’re right, honey,” Mrs. Byun agreed with me, promising to show me all of the family photos, and though I hated going through my old pictures, I’d gladly sneak a peek at Baekhyun’s. I believed that Mr. Byun had taken a few cringy ones for moments like this one.

“Don’t even think about it,” Baekhyun warned me, raising his finger as if I were a child. “No one’s seeing these pictures, especially not you,” he added, and I pouted, disappointed that I meant so little to him that he didn’t want to share the tiniest bit of his childhood memories with me. It felt like a punch in the face, and it hurt.

“How are Hongbin and Jiwoo doing?” Baekhyun’s father asked, trying to change the subject as he noticed my disappointment. My acting wasn’t as convincing as I thought it was, I concluded. Mr. Byun could see through my façade too quickly; I had to be more aware of my reactions. I couldn’t let him fathom what was going on between his son and me.

“Fine, then forget that you’ll ever see mine,” I whined, trying my best to disguise my failure with playfulness before anyone else could grasp the situation.

Baekhyun, amused by my retort, only stuck out his tongue, and I elbowed him slightly.

“They’re busy with preparations. We barely managed to escape from their crazy demands,” Baekhyun explained truthfully, glad that we dismissed the ticklish topic. “We have our hands full with all the nuisance, but Hongbin and Jiwoo have at least twice as much work to do.”

“But Hongbin’s like our third son.” Mrs. Byun announced, feeling slightly sad because of his absence. “Besides, we haven’t even seen his fiancée. How could he not introduce her to us?” She wondered, as she cut the rest of the cheesecake, and distributed it among the other guests.

“I let him know that you miss him. He’ll be ecstatic to come here,” Baekhyun snickered, and his mother glared at him, not pleased with his tone. “He’ll pop up here in a heartbeat.”

“Or we can always visit you sometime, hoping Hongbin would be around. As you said, he’s super busy. It would be too much of a hassle for him to drive all the way here,” Mr. Byun reasoned, and everyone except for Baekhyun and me loved the idea. If his parents paid Baekhyun a visit, we would have to continue the charade. Maybe Baekhyun played his role perfectly, but with each minute into the act, I knew I’d fall for him more, and when the time of break-up would come, my heart was to wilt.

“Of course, that would be lovely,” Baekhyun said, but I knew he didn’t mind his words; he was panicking just like me. It was supposed to be a one-time thing. Well… maybe we’d have to perform at Hongbin’s wedding, but then the newlyweds would have all the attention. “Just let me know, so I can prepare the bedding for you.”

OK, I didn’t sign up for this, but I agreed to help him out, and it was a low blow to back out now. I’ve already fed them with lies; I might’ve as well conducted it to an inevitable end.

Shorty after the forced invitation, everyone focused on Baekbeom and his work. Or more precisely, on the work trip to Thailand where he’s going next week.

“Can I have a bite?” Baekhyun asked, pointing his fork at my plate with half-eaten cheesecake. Mrs. Byun had made a delicious dessert, but I was already full of all the meat that Baekhyun had put on my plate, and I just couldn’t finish it.

“Sure,” I replied happily, pushing my plate closer to Baekhyun. Excitedly, Baekhyun licked his lips, as he stared at the cheesecake, digging his fork in it, taking the largest bite I have ever seen. “Seriously?” I asked, a bit too loud, obtaining a lot of unnecessary attention.

With his mouth full, Baekhyun tried to defend himself, but I had no idea what he was trying to say. But seriously; if he wanted to devour the rest of my dessert, he just had to ask. I’d give him anything he would ask me to.

“They’re adorable, aren’t they?” Mrs. Byun cooed when Baekhyun was stuffing his mouth with the remaining of my dessert, while I was trying to steal the plate back.

“Sharing is caring,” Baekhyun whined, still chewing. This guy was incredible – how the hell have I fallen for this one when so many other men were available? I just stared at him; he was chewing with his mouth open the food he shamelessly stole.

God, I really adore him.

“It gets a bit cold, don’t you think?” Mr. Byun asked his wife, who immediately understood what he meant by that.

“Why don’t you take your luggage to your room, and then show her around the neighborhood? The night is delightful; you two should take a stroll.” Mrs. Byun said, and though she tried to force another romantic gesture out of him, I was thankful for that because we could stop pretending for a while.

“Should we do that?” Baekhyun inquired, looking at me with his sparkly eyes. Did he really expect me to take down that offer? Quickly, I nodded, and Baekhyun rose from his seat, stretching his arm to take my hand and help me stand up.

Afraid that his mother could be spying on us, Baekhyun refused to let me carry my own baggage. I wasn’t going to oppose his offer, though. My suitcase was rather heavy, and if Baekhyun was willing to help, even though only to keep up the appearances, I was thankful.

After a lot of complaining and cursing, we reached Baekhyun’s room. It wasn’t anything special; a simple bed with a yoga mat placed next to it, a desk with old notebooks, a bookcase with dozens of comic books, and a wardrobe.

“Do you want a blanket or a hoodie?” Baekhyun asked as he placed our luggage beside the desk. “It may be a lot colder in an hour.”

“There’s no need; I’ve brought a sweater. Wait for a second,” I replied, as I opened my suitcase, and threw everything on the floor, seeking for that particular piece of clothing. “OK, I’m ready, we can go now.”

The moment we assumed we were a decent distance away from his family, we could finally relax. Taking deep breaths, we strolled down the pavement side by side. They couldn’t hear us conspire, and it was calming to talk to him without anyone just waiting for me to make a mistake and completely blow my cover.

“For one second I thought your father caught me,” I told, relieved that in the end, Mr. Byun didn’t confront us about our little act.

“My dad? No way! He’s like the most oblivious person I know,” Baekhyun retorted, and I bit my tongue before I told Baekhyun I couldn’t agree with him. If anything, he still had no idea about my feelings, so this title should belong to him.

“Yes way!” I shouted, laughing. “He gave me that you won’t fool me look.”

“Don’t worry about him. He’s harmless. But on the other hand, there’s my mother. I can bet that by the time we get back, she’ll have our wedding all planned out. Seriously, she’s annoying beyond human’s endurance.” Baekhyun warned me, and I laughed, hoping he was exaggerating. She couldn’t be that bad. Or could she? “She’s probably interrogating my brother, demanding grandkids.”

“She can’t be that bad,” I said, hoping I was right. I knew her for a couple of hours, and she seemed to be lovely. “Let’s not worry in advance, though. We did a pretty good job, didn’t we?” I sighed in relief, smiling because we survived the barbeque without getting caught red-handed. “So, why don’t you want me to see your baby photos?”

“Well… I didn’t think you’d be interested,” Baekhyun answered honestly, looking down at his shoes. “I was a chubby kid, and these photos are hideous. I’d burn them if I could; trust me,” he explained, and now, I seriously wanted to have a peek. It couldn’t be that bad.

“I highly doubt that,” I chimed in, wondering how Baekhyun looked when he was little. Even with some fat, he must’ve been the most adorable kid in the entire school. “Any other interesting secrets you have there?”

“I’m not giving secrets for free, you know…”

“Oh, ask away. I have nothing to hide,” I said confidently, but then that one college memory flashed in the back of my mind, and I felt sick. I hadn’t told it anyone; only Jiwoo knew about it, and I wondered if confiding to Baekhyun the truth would help me close that chapter once and for all.

“You look like you want to say something,” Baekhyun remarked, as he read my expression.

“I guess I do, but it’ll totally ruin the mood,” I tried to joke, but Baekhyun seemed oddly solemn and mature. It was out of his typical silly character, right now, he looked as if he was ready to hold me in his arms if I burst out in tears.

“I don’t mind; we’re friends and friends are out there for each other for the better or worse,” Baekhyun said, and I smiled warmly at the fact that he actually stated that I could rely on him. We barely hung out, yet he proved to be a better friend than I had expected him to be. “And if you need another incentive then fine, you’re allowed to look through my childhood photos,” Baekhyun added, and I barely managed to keep my cool.

Baekhyun was silly and playful, but when needed he was very supportive and considerate. And besides his marvelous inside, he was incredibly good-looking on the outside. He was a walking perfection, and I almost teared up when he held my hand reassuringly.

“My deepest secret? Let me think.” I sighed, trying to voice my thoughts coolly. It had been almost two years ago, and I didn’t want to seem pathetic and petty in front of him.

OK, men up for the fuck’s sake! You’re a grown-up woman! Say it quickly! Don’t run around the bush. Just tell him that at the drop of a hat! It’s no big deal. I preached to myself, looking at my shoes nervously. Finally, I gathered the courage to recount that nightmare.

“I’m all ears,” Baekhyun added, swinging our locked hands back and forth. The atmosphere was serene; the warm wind blew gently, his eyes were trained on the path ahead, my heart was pounding next to him.

“I’ve never told this anyone,” I started, looking everywhere but Baekhyun’s side. I wouldn’t finish my confession if he looked me in the eyes. “During my sophomore year, I was dating this guy named Jungkook. Things were going smoothly between us, and I was slowly falling in love with him. But apparently, I didn’t mean to him as much as he meant to me.” I said, and Baekhyun remained quiet, drawing circles with his thumb on my hand.

“One time, there was a party; he wanted to go, but I was snowed under my notes because I had an exam the next day. Jungkook went alone, and I stayed in my room studying. But shortly before midnight, I ditched because I knew I wasn’t going to learn anything. And when I finally found him, he was in a room nailing another chick.”

Jungkook was my first serious boyfriend, and it hurt like a bitch.

“And here comes the best. The cherry on the top of a fucking cake; this girl he cheated me on with was Jiwoo.” I confessed, and Baekhyun stopped dead in his track, yanking me gently, forcing me to look him in the eye. His grip tightened, but I didn’t dare to meet his gaze.

“Before Jiwoo met Hongbin, she was a completely different person. She was a seducer, living for attention. It was foolish of me to expect her not to chase after him.” I explained harshly. “But on the bright side, she helped me get rid of him before I seriously fell for him. He wasn’t worthy of me if he couldn’t resist her.”

“How can you still be friends with her after what she did to you?” Baekhyun asked as he couldn’t completely comprehend the situation.

“I gave her a second chance, and she promised to change. Shortly after that incident, she met Hongbin, and she truly changed.” I answered honestly, even if Baekhyun thought I was an idiot for not cutting her out of my life. I’d kept her around, but I didn’t forget what she had done. (And probably never will.) Jiwoo was to start anew with Hongbin and never fail my trust again. I believed in her.

“Wow.”

“Yeah, but it’s in the past. I’ve moved on,” I lied, hoping Baekhyun wouldn’t realize it. It happened years ago, but I was still petrified at the thought of introducing my new boyfriend to her, afraid of such history repeat itself. She was in a serious relationship with Hongbin, but it was stronger than me to picture her hands on my man. “Can we go back now? It gets cold, and I really want to go through your family photos.”

***

With our hands still interlocked we reached the house; by the time we arrived, everything was cleaned, and all the guests moved the party inside.

Despite my sad confession, Baekhyun had changed the topic, and when we were standing on the porch, I was laughing so hard my stomach was beginning to hurt.

“Are you ready?” Baekhyun asked, being willing to give me a few more minutes before we would have to get back into the act. It was considerate of him, and I gladly agreed to hang out for a little longer. My chances of spending some quality time with him were limited, so I was determined to make the best of it.

“I may be seeing things, but I think I just saw your mother peeking through the curtains,” I leaned and whispered into Baekhyun’s ear. We were absent for quite a while, and she might’ve been worried or just curious about our interaction when we were alone.

“Really?” Baekhyun mused, giggling. “Do you think we should give her a show she wants so much?” he asked, and I cocked my eyebrow at him, wondering if he was thinking the same. Did he seriously want to make out in front of his mother? There was nothing I wanted more, but was it okay to use the situation like that? I wanted him to kiss me because he wanted to, not because he had to prove something.

“Let’s do this,” I encouraged him, sliding my hands into the back pockets of his trousers.

Gently, Baekhyun brushed some stray hair off my face. His eyes searched mine, and I’d melt unless his hands kept me in place. Licking his lips, he leaned forward, and our lips locked in a delicate kiss. After a few seconds, he started to move, and I mirrored his actions and pace.

His lips were soft, and his kisses were perfect. Maybe it was embarrassing, but I was already turned on, and ready to take the fun to another level or two.

“Wow,” I said in wonder when he pulled away to take a breath. His lips were addicting, and I had to have another taste, so I urgently pulled him against me. Due to my clumsiness, I stumbled backwards, Baekhyun’s chest pressed tightly against me, and now, I was squeezed between him and the porch’s railing with no chance of escaping.

He was so close to me, with his hands on my hips, kissing my breath away. I could stay in this moment forever; his mouth on mine, gently nipping my bottom lip, urging me to let him deepen the kiss.

“Baekhyun,” I murmured, and he took his chance and pushed his tongue into my mouth. He kissed me as if wanted to do that for an extremely long time, but I had to remind myself he was solely doing it to keep up the appearances. Baekhyun was trying to convince his family that he belonged with me, and if I didn’t know the context of our kiss, he’d have fooled me too.

When kissing Baekhyun, it was ridiculously easy to forget the surrounding and get lost in the romantic sensation. One of us moaned at some point, and though I wasn’t sure who, I had a feeling it was me since I was kissing him for real, pouring all of my emotion in it.

It was probably my first and last chance to do so, and I couldn’t waste such a lifetime opportunity. Some people wouldn’t be able to look at their soul mate, yet I got to kiss mine, and it was another reason to stop considering myself the unluckiest person on Earth. I got to experience it, and I was going to cherish every second of this memory.

“It was…” Baekhyun started, as he pulled away. His hands were still holding the back of my head, and he was staring into my eyes. It was too much for me; I had to look away in embarrassment. A little bit caught off guard, Baekhyun cleared his throat and said, “I think she bought it. She shouldn’t cause any more trouble.”

“Yeah, that’s good,” I said awkwardly, looking at him scratch the back of his head in chagrin. “I’d hate to get caught,” I added, smiling as the warmth gradually cool down. Baekhyun’s plain words were like a bucket of ice-cold water poured on my boiling heart; only the smoke of disappointment hung in the air.

“Let’s get inside,” Baekhyun mentioned, as he led me inside. It was a bit disheartening to watch him being so casual; as if we hadn’t just made out. He didn’t dwell on what kind of emotions he made me feel, and thinking about it pained me physically.

***

When we got inside his parents’ house, everyone either returned home or was getting ready to sleep. Baekhyun and I weren’t that much different; we lied about being exhausted, and easily sneaked into his room.

Once sheltered behind the doors, I lay down on Baekhyun’s old bed, while Baekhyun looked for his pajamas, which consisted of an old T-shirt and sweatpants. Quietly, he left the room to change, and when he came back in his sleepwear, he was still ridiculously attractive.

Now, I was confident I had a problem, and this problem had a name, and he hung around quite often. With each passing minute, my infatuation grew stronger; by the day of Jiwoo’s wedding, my heart would burst out of the unrequited feelings.

When around him, for the first time in my life, I felt alive. And now, having tasted the heaven, I assumed it was about time to learn how to live without him. This short journey helped me realize how it would feel to be with him, and because he had no feelings for me, I should stop lying to myself and look for someone who could love me back.

At some point, I felt stronger and more mature.

“What are you thinking about?” Baekhyun asked, sitting beside me on his bed. “Your eyebrows crease as if you’re in pain,” he added, and I tried to relax. Baekhyun was beginning to suspect something, and I couldn’t let him find out, and expose myself to the mortification that would follow my shameful confession.

“I was thinking about how much work we still have regarding Jiwoo’s wedding,” I lied, and Baekhyun understood my evident displeasure. It was probably the last chance to relax before we would get snowed under another shitload of planning.

“Well… you’re right.” Baekhyun agreed with a deep sigh. “You can go change, the bathroom is the second door on the left,” he instructed, and I got off the bed to look for my pajamas in the pile of my stuff next to my empty suitcase.

“Ummm… Baekhyun? Do you think I could borrow one of your shirts? Because you rushed me back then, I forgot to pack my pajamas.”

“Are you seriously going to blame me for it?” Baekhyun asked, trying to refrain from laughing. “Wow,” he added, as he stood up and walked to his wardrobe. “Here.” Baekhyun handed me an oversized T-shirt and a pair of old sweatpants.

When I came back, changed and with brushed teeth, Baekhyun was one the yoga mat, trying to find a comfortable position in which he could survive the night. Watching him gingerly, I strutted to the bed and hid under the covers.

“This is absurd,” Baekhyun groaned, and I watched him wiggle from beneath the duvet. “I think I’ll take the couch in the living room.” He announced as he picked up the pillow.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said before he left the room. “Just sleep next to me. It’s not like we’ve never shared a bed before.” I reasoned, and Baekhyun looked at me, thinking about his decision. True, we had slept together a few times before. Also true, the bed is smaller with each time. “Just come here already. Unless you want your mother to think that we’re fighting.”

“God no, just scoot over.”

***

When I woke up, Baekhyun was gone. Nonetheless, I could feel his presence; his scent lingered in the air, his stuff was scattered all over the floor, and his phone buzzed every ten seconds when he got a text message.

It was 9 o’clock.

Not bothering to change into my clothes, I walked downstairs. Baekhyun’s father was in the living room watching the news, while Mrs. Byun was making a mess in the kitchen, preparing the breakfast.

“Oh, you’re awake.” She said when I entered the kitchen, “Baekhyun’s out for fresh rolls.” Mrs. Byun answered my question which I was about to ask. “How did you sleep tonight?” She looked at me as if she knew that I shared the bed with Baekhyun, but decided not to mention that fact.

“Like a log, actually,” I said, sighing, as I remembered how Baekhyun was hugging me when I woke up in the middle of the night. Our limbs were tangled, and he held me close. It was incredibly comfortable, and it broke my heart a little to know it would never happen again.

“Do you want some coffee?” Mrs. Byun asked as the kettle started to whistle. I nodded, and although I offered her my help, she firmly refused. According to her, I was a guest, and she couldn’t bother me with housework despite my need to impress her. “Baekhyun’s so happy with you.” She stated, catching me off guard with her statement. “Maybe, he doesn’t love you as much you love him yet, but give him some time, he’s getting there.”

“You really think so?” I asked, trying not to sound pathetically hopeful. She was his mother, but she was fooled by our acting. She didn’t know the truth, and she was misreading the situation. He only seemed infatuated because we made it look like it. And no matter how poignant it was of me, I still wished she was right.

“Of course!” Mrs. Byun said confidently, and I sent her a feeble smile. “I know my son, and I know when he’s happy. When he came downstairs earlier, he was radiating. What did you do at night? I didn’t hear a thing!”

“We didn’t do anything!” I protested, and she laughed loudly at my embarrassment and timidity. “Really!”

“If that’s true, then you must mean to him much more than I assumed.”

“Oh.”

#baekhyun smut #baekhyun scenario #exo smut #byun baekhyun #baekhyun fluff #baekhyun angst #exo scenario #baekhyun fanfiction #baekhyun #exo baekhyun #slowburn #wedding fever #exo scenarios #exo fanfiction

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professionallyprocrastinating · 5 years

Text

The Murder Mystery

From this prompt, heartily encouraged by @aelphaba1

Ramona really, really hated her family’s insistence on setting her up on blind dates. She found relationships so much easier when she was writing them, and could actually make sense of both party’s actions and motivations. Also, with her characters, she didn’t have to deal with complaints that she made no sense and was a ‘creepy wierdo’.

This time, Ramona’s sister had bribed her with the promised loan of her kitchen next time Ramona needed to cook in bulk, and the assurance that this dating site found matches based on search history and common interests. That, at least, made her morbidly curious about the person she would be meeting. At worst, they could at least talk about interesting topics until Ramona’s dating obligations were fulfilled.

Ramona was a writer; specifically a crime and thriller writer. ‘Interesting’ was the nicest possible way to describe her search history. ‘Creepy’ and ‘potentially criminal’ were far more common terms. That the dating site had actually found someone to match her up with was kind of impressive.

Josh felt kind of guilty going on a blind date, with a person who might turn out to be genuinely nice. He hadn’t had much luck with blind dates in the past, since most of them found him off-putting or boring, and they never seemed to have anything in common.

He never killed them, since they never treated him badly enough to deserve it, but it got depressing after a while. He hoped that a dating site that matched people based on search history and common interests might turn up someone who would at least be able to carry on an interesting conversation.

Josh was a serial killer, targeting people who deserved it; Mafia Bosses, CEOs who exploited their workers and used questionable business practices, politicians who allowed themselves to be bought by vested interests... People the world was honestly better off without. He was doing a public service, really, albeit one that would probably get him arrested if anyone found out. Then again, sit-ins in a segregated bar used to be grounds for arrest and imprisonment, too, so clearly there was a sliding scale for illegality.

Well, perhaps the date would go well, and perhaps it wouldn’t. Perhaps he would even find out about the shitty ex- who treated them horribly enough to warrant being Josh’s next victim.

The dating site also set up a convenient meeting place for the date, in this case a quiet coffee house in the BoHo part of town. Ramona got there early, found the table booked in their name - apparently her date was a guy called Josh - and pulled out her notebook. She had fifteen minutes, possibly even more if her date shared the previous one’s tardiness, so she might as well get some writing done.

Besides, sometimes it scored her a free drink, if the owner believed in supporting independent artists.

Lost in her work, she jumped a little, pen skittering across the page, when a voice like hot chocolate came from beside her, “Sorry to interrupt, are you Ramona?”

She looked up, and then up some more. The man who interrupted her was tall, with lean but defined arm muscles, mostly revealed by the short-sleeved button-down he wore. His jeans weren’t so tight to be able to tell if his legs matched, but Ramona was willing to make an educated guess. Well, he would make a nice character description for her next male lead, even if he turned out to be an internet troll living in his mother’s basement. “Yes, hi. You’re Josh?”

His smile was as nice to look at as the rest of him. “Yes, hi. Sorry, I didn’t think I was running late.”

Ramona shook her head, “Oh, no, I was early. There turned out to be less traffic than I thought, so I had time to kill.”

Josh sat down across from her, and earned instant points by not trying to play footsie. “What are you working on, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Well, at least they could get the awkward out of the was early. “I’m a crime fiction writer. This will hopefully become the outline for my next book.”

There was a gleam of interest in his eye, which earned him even more points, upgrading Josh to ‘text and thank for a nice date’ status. “What’s it about.”

Josh wasn’t sure what falling in love was supposed to feel like, but he was pretty sure that it felt like this.

Ramona’s detailed descriptions of the detective who kept barely missing the killer, the race against time, the anticipation of the victims who knew that they were going to be next... he took back evey bad thing he had ever said about dating sites. This one had matched him up with the most perfect woman on the face of the planet. A first date was probably too soon to start planning a life together, wasn’t it? Maybe an exception could be made?

Ramona paused for breath, and he took the opportunity to contribute, so she would know that he was actually listening, rather than faking it. He didn’t want to mess this up. “What’s the villain’s motivation? Like, subconcious trauma, skewed morality but wants to make the world better, or just in it for the adreniline rush.”

The way her face lit up took Josh’s breath away, and she gestured to her notebook. “I don’t mean to be rude, but do you mind if I write this down?”

She could ask him to sit in an abandoned car for hours, and he would probably agree at this point. “Oh, go ahead.”

Josh waited a few minutes, before he dared to interrupt. “Out of curiosity, how would you kill someone and make it look accidental?”

Ramona barely looked up, her distracted tone comparable to the most beautiful music he had ever heard. “Air shot between the toes. Makes it look like a heart attack.”

Josh swallowed hard, pushing down a surge of arousal. Oh, yes, he was in love.

Ramona was plesantly surprised by how well the date was going.

Josh hadn’t once mocked her, and seemed genuinely interested in everything she had to say. He hadn’t even complained or become offended when she pulled out her notebook to start scribbling, but casually pulled a book out of his backpack, sipping coffee while he waited for her to finish. Looking at the title, Ramona recognised the book as one with an author who actually did their research. “Hey, do you know how long it would take someone to die from a stab to the gut?”

Immediatly, she winced, hoping that she hadn’t just committed some weird and unintentional faux pas. He didn’t get up and run out of the cafe, which was something, but his eyes did darken slightly. Ramona didn’t think it was with anger, though, and he tilted his head to the side, thinking. “Two minutes to half an hour, it depends on a variety of factors.”

Was a first date too early to start thinking abut wedding rings? Ramona thought that the answer was probably ‘yes - way too fast’.

A pity, that; a gold and platinum ring, with an inlaid ruby or two, would look amazing on him.

Josh worked as a Butcher’s assistant, but he always made sure to shower and change before he came home.

They had both received some very askance looks from family members after moving in together after only a few months, but they didn’t care. Ramona didn’t freak out when ther was the occasional bloodstain to be washed out of his clothing, and he thought it was adorable when she bought her notebook to the table, writing between bites.

This one was new, Ramona having just finished filling up her old one. She looked up from her writing as Josh finished his coffee. “Babe, I’m not sure if this murder scene I’m writing is realistic enough. Can you look it over and tell me?”

Josh could do one better than that; he could actually test it out. “Mind if I take it to work with me and read it over? I’ll tell you when I get home tonight.”

Ramona smiled happily at him. “Sure. I should probably get my old notebook transcribed onto my computer, anyway.”

Josh kissed her on the cheek on his way out the door. “I might be a bit late coming home, one of the other staff wasn’t feeling well yesterday, and I might need to cover. I’ll be home in time for dinner, promise.”

Ramona nodded and waved goodbye, already searching for her charger. She’d probably be spending the day at her favourite cafe, staffed with people who didn’t care how long she took up a table, so long as she kept buying drinks and gave the employees something do during the lull period. Josh had already decided that he would probably never need to visit any of them.

On the other hand, there was a customer who had taken to making one of the trainee’s life difficult; complaining about everything and threatening to call the immigration police or local law enforcement. Josh seriously doubed that anyone would actually miss him.

He didn’t manage to completely wash away the smell of blood before he got home - he didn’t want to be late, not after promising Ramona that he would be on time for dinner. She didn’t seem to mind as he handed back her new notebook. “It works perfectly, babe, you’re doing an amazing job.”

Ramona beamed, putting the finishing touches on the pasta dish she was making. He knew for a fact that she threw it together in half an hour, but that wasn’t important. “Oh, a co-worker read it over my shoulder and asked if you were re-writing Sweeny Todd or something. I think that’s the only near-horror thing he’s ever looked at, honestly.”

Ramona huffed. “Not hardly, Sweeny was an idiot, and Mrs Lovett’s pies shouldn’t have sold half so well. Adult meat is mostly muscle; cooking it in a pie would make it far too tough and gamey. They would have done better to go for foundling babies. Fatty meats are far more tender.”

Josh wrapped his arms around her. “Have I mentioned lately how much I love you?”

#writing prompts #nanowrimo #why am i like this

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julia-highstorms · 6 years

Text

If Jane Was Here (Noah’s POV) - Ch. 04

Summary: ILITW by Noah’s point of view. Read Chapter 3 here

Note: F!MC! It took me a lifetime to write ch. 3, but chapter 4 came so fast, instead! 🤗 Hope you guys enjoy it!

Pairing: Noah x MC my babies

Word count: 1785

Chapter 4 - What’s Coming to You

After Dan passed out again, they brought him to MC’s house, putting the unconscious boy on her sofa. Andy and Ava left soon after, because of their curfew.

They called the police and waited for them to arrive at the door. MC was still shaking.

“Hey… You okay?” – he asked her, who was sitting next to him on the steps of the door.

“I’m just a little cold…” – she answered, hugging herself.

“Do you want me to go get a blanket or…”

“It’s not necessary…” – and then, she rested her head on his shoulder. Noah felt his heart jump a little, but stayed still. – “…This is nice.”

“Hm…” – he couldn’t answer a thing. All he could feel was his cheeks getting hotter and hotter as he felt MC’s warmth against his.

“But can you stay here? You mom won’t be worried?“

He was about to answer her that it was okay, that his mom never cared about him anyway, when someone called him.

It was his mom.

“Crap…” – he muttered, before answering the call. – “Hey, m—“

“Where are you?!” – she yelled from the other end. – “Do you know what time is it, Noah Marshall?!”

“I know, mom, but…”

“I don’t know what you’re doing, and I don’t care. You had just one job, that is making the dinner, but then I came home to find nothing! You better be home in five or…” – she started threatening him.

“Okay, okay, I’m coming!” – she hung up. – “Jeez! She never comes home this early from work, but tonight she just had to!”

“You better go, Noah.” – MC told him, softly. He looked at her.

“Are you sure? But the cops are coming…”

“I can handle them alone.” – she smiled to him.

“I know that you can, but…”

“It’s okay, really.” – her warm hand squeezed his, reassuringly. – “Thanks for staying a little bit, Beanie Boy. Now, you better go.”

“Okay…” – he reluctantly stood up and started walking toward the road. – “Uh, if you need me, just text me!” – he yelled at her.

She nodded, waving at him.

He and Mom argued the whole night.

She said something about “he was too old to go play in the woods” and blamed him for Jane’s death, again. Because he took her to the woods that day and she never came back. And it was his fault that Dad left, because their precious angel was dead.

Because of him.

It was his fault. It was always his fault.

And then, he yelled at her that no one asked to be born. And she slapped him in the face and ordered him to go to bed.

If Jane was here…

Noah didn’t sleep at all that night. He just couldn’t.

Every time he closed his eyes, he would see those creepy vine creatures.

And Redfield. And Dan lying unconcious on the floor.

And Jane’s face, her lifeless eyes wide open, watching him in the dark.

If Jane was here…

He went to school earlier the next day, succesfully avoiding his mom.

He didn’t see MC, Ava or Andy the whole morning.

Noah hoped that they were okay.

That afternoon, all the students were obliged to attend an emergency assembly to discuss the rumours about Dan. He sat near the back of the auditorium, as Mayor Green spoke from behind a lectern.

“Hey.” – he looked up as Ava joined him, with Lily and Stacy. They greeted him too.

“Is it true what Ava said?” – Lily asked him, nervously sitting on the chair next to him.

“That you fought some, I don’t know, vine skeleton doggy things?” – Stacy was pretty curious too.

“Yeah… They were made of moss and bones…”

“Told ya.” – Ava interrupted.

“…And they were terryfing as fuck.”

“Uh, I think you meant that they were awesome as fuck.”

“They’re not ‘awesome’, Ava! They’re scary!” – Lily squeaked, her hands trembling.

“Scary things are awesome.”

While Lily and Ava argued, he saw MC alone a few rows ahead.

“Pssst. MC. Over here.” – he called her.

MC joined them, as Mayor Green called Lucas and he took the stage.

“Hey, are you okay?” – he whispered to her.

“Yeah. Thanks for asking.” – she answered with a tired and small smile on her lips, as Lily said:

“I don’t know, guys, this sounds important. Maybe we should listen.”

“Lily, c’mon. We’ve heard this speech every year since first grade.” – Stacy answered and Noah agreed with her:

“Besides, we have more important stuff to talk about. Like what went down last night.”

“Ugh. Last night is a blur. I barely even remember getting home.”

“What did you tell the cops?”

“Just enough. They wouldn’t have believed the full story anyway.”

“I barely believe it, and I was there.” – he sighed, putting his face into his hands. – “I barely slept after I got home. And I had nightmares all night. What happened out there was… frickin’scary, man.”

MC put a hand on his shoulder: “We handled it like pros.”

“Yeah, maybe you did. I was scared out of my mind.”

“Could have fooled me.” – she smiled, winking at him. – “You were totally a badass hitting those things with that flashlight.”

He scoffed, but couldn’t hide a smile.

“You’re a bad liar.” – he said, feeling cheered up already. – “Well, anyway… We filled these guys in on what happened.”

“I still can’t believe those plant skeleton things.” – Ava calmly said, looking at her nails.

“I still think they sound horrible.” – Lily shivered, just imagining about them.

“What? No, they were awesome! I mean, aside from trying to rip our faces off.”

“What about Lucas?” – MC asked, looking at the boy in the stage.

“Andy texted him.”

“I still can’t believe you guys were actually right.”

“Hang on, we need to get that on tape.” – Ava said to Stacy’s confession.

“So, what happens now?” – Lily asked, looking worried to them.

“What do you mean? They found Dan, so… everything’s over now. Right?” – Stacy had the same expression in her face.

“I doubt it.”

“Those monster things… I think they worked for Mr. Red. Like puppets.”

“What, he couldn’t kill Dan on his own? He had to send pets to do it?”

“I don’t think they were trying to kill Dan. At least not mainly.”

“How do you figure that?” – Noah asked MC.

“Think about it. Dan was helpless out there. They could have killed him easily. But it was more like they wanted to… take him somewhere.”

“But you stopped them.” – Stacy concluded.

“Which means they’ll be back. Whatever Mr. Red wants… I think he’s just getting warmed up.” – MC stopped speaking for a couple of seconds. – “Hey… can I ask you guys something? When was the last time each of you talked to Dan?”

“Oh jeez…” – Ava muttered, trying to remember.

“I don’t know.” – Lily said in a low voice.

“A couple of years, maybe?” – Noah answered, but wasn’t so sure.

Dan (along with Lily) was one of the few of his friends who wouldn’t pretend to not know him after Jane’s death. Actually, he would wave at him when they met in the hallway, between classes, but they haven’t really talked since… that day.

“The last day of school. Just before summer vacation.”

“Did he seem… distracted? Did he bring up what happened when we were kids? Did he asked you abut Mr. Red?” – MC asked the cheerleader.

“I don’t remember. I think we mostly talked about our plans for the summer… But now that you mention it, he did seem kind of… evasive?”

“MC, why are you bringin this up?” – Noah asked her, surprised.

“I’ve just been thinking about a conversation he and I had… I’m wondering if maybe he was stuck on what happened when we were kids. Trying to make sense of it. And maybe…”

“…Maybe he went back to the woods by choice.” – and then he understood what MC was thinking.

“Well, there’s only one way we’ll find out for sure.”

“What?” – Stacy looked confused at Ava.

“We go to the hospital and ask him.” – MC said, firmly.

And then, the three o’clock bell rang as Lucas finished his speech.

After the assembly, they all lingered by the lockers as students grabbed their things and headed home. As Ava, Lily and MC decided to go home together, Andy showed up to check if they were okay, before his basketball practice.

Mayor Green approached them soon after.

“Hey mom.”

“Hello Stacy. Everyone. How are you kids holding up?”

“We’re fine, mom.”

“Um, actually, can I ask you a question?” – MC said, after clearing her throat.

“Certainly.”

“You mentioned Dan is in the hospital… I was wondering, can we see him yet? We need to talk to him about… um… school stuff.”

“Oh, the hospital is not allowing visitors yet, I’m afraid. I think they’d prefer to wait until Dan wakes up first.”

“Wait, back up. Dan still isn’t awake? Are you saying he’s in, like, a coma?” – Noah asked, feeling his body getting cold.

“I’m sorry. It’s just too soon to tell. But as soon as there’s news, I’ll make sure you’re all aware. You know, despite the circumstances, I’m glad to see you all hanging out again. You’re good kids.”

“I reject that combination of words.” – Ava answered.

“Well, I’d certainly prefer you to some of Stacy’s other friends…”

“Mom, come on.”

“Speak of the devil…” – Noah muttered, watching Britney approach, walking down the hall. – “Aaand that would be my cue.”

“Likewise. Mom, let’s go.”

He, Stacy and Mayor Green walked out of the school building, after saying goodbye to MC, Ava and Lily.

“Do you want a ride home, Noah?” – the woman asked him, taking the car keys in her purse.

“That would be great, actually!” – he answered, surprised by the offer.

“Good. Follow me, you two.”

They crossed the parking lot and entered the vehicle.

“So, how have you been, Noah?” – she asked, starting the engine. Stacy sighed by the passenger seat.

“Good…” – he answered from the backseat.

“I haven’t seen you playing with Stacy in years, since…” – Stacy intervened before Mayor Green talked about that unpleasant topic:

“Because we’re not kids anymore, mom.” – he could see the girl rolling her eyes through the rear-view mirror. They shared a small smile, before she changed the subject: – “Anyway, is Connor coming for dinner today?”

Noah thanked the cheerleader mentally.

“I hope so. I’m planning to bake a pie for him.”

“Cool.” – the girl yawned.

“What kind of pie? I’ve got this apple pie recipe and…” – he stopped talking suddenly, realizing that he was way too excited about the topic.

“Apple pie? That’s a great suggestion! Can you share it with me? You can text it to Stacy.”

“S-sure! Uh, if you’re planning to have a special dinner, I have this great recipe…”

Stacy fell asleep in the middle of the conversation, but it was the most pleasant ride Noah had in years.

If Jane was here…

#if jane was here #ilitw fic #noah x mc #ilitw noah #ilitw mc #ilitw #it lives in the woods #choices ilitw #choices it lives in the woods

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alia-turin · 6 years

Text

Fic Title: Broken Bonds [Chapter VIII] All Chapters: Master List

Rating:T Characters: OC, Libertus Ostium, Cor Leonis, Luche Lazarus (mentioned), Titus Drautos | Glauca (mentioned), Nyx Ulric (mentioned), Gladiolus Amicitia, Crowe Altius (mentioned), Iris Amicitia, Prompto, Ignis Summary: Finally I reached ‘Iggy’s chapter’. Somelight hearted conversation between Ignis and Ada about Altissia, the ring and the upcoming Ignis restaurant. Things with Cor getting messier. Notes: There is small Episode Ignis spoiler Tagging: @birdsandivory @yourcoolfriendwithallthecandy @jojopitcher @fromunseeliecourt @lazarustrashpit @littlestfangirl

(if you wish to be tagged or untagged, please let me know)

Ada was at the bridge waiting for Gladio for their usual early morning work-out. She had spent the rest of the night on the wall taking over someone else’s duties. The hunters could use some rest and she couldn’t sleep anyway. She had yet again abandoned the Marshal in the middle of his sleep but she was struggling with how to deal with him. Of course, the problem wasn’t Cor, the problem was in her and she knew that sooner or later he would get bored of her bullshit and just tell her to leave him alone. Maybe subconsciously that was what she was trying to do? Maybe she was so scared of getting close to another human being that’s he was sabotaging herself.

“I’m afraid Gladio is busy this morning.” Ada turned around to see Ignis standing almost behind her. How on earth didn’t she hear him? “But if you want I can spar with you, it has been a while since I have had any sort of training.”

“But you are…” Ada was going to say ‘blind’ but stopped herself. How do you point that out without sounding like absolutely bitch?

“Blind?” the man suggested. “It is inconvenient but I have learned to find my way around it.”

She looked at him, glad that he cannot see the doubt covering her face. On one hand she was curious. She knew he lost his sight in Altissia but continued to follow the Prince long after, and the Prince’s journey certainly was eventful. Ignis had found his way around it, literary, but she still wasn’t sure she wanted to be the person who set the helpless retainer on fire.

“Okay…” she finally said. “But I won’t hold back.”

“I would be disappointed if you do.” He made a step back and adjusted one of his gloves.

Just now Ada realized she knew nothing about how he fights. Gladio was a powerhouse and that was his weakness as well. Prompto was their gun guy but physically he was easy to win over even for someone as small as she was. She has never seen Ignis fight.

She started casting a spell but before she finished there was a snowstorm around her and she knew it wasn’t hers.

‘That’s my trick…’ Ada thought but before she could even decide what to do Ignis appeared out of nowhere and swing at her with iced dagger. She had to wrap in the last possible second in order to avoid the hit. A very accurate hit which was going to end in her chest if she didn’t wrap. It was hard to admit but it wasn’t skill that saved her ass, it was pure instinct.

The storm was beginning to pass and she could see him, slowly but confidently walking toward her. She wrapped behind him, her dagger aiming for the back of his neck, but he somehow avoided that. She followed with series of knife attacks and wraps, but he was avoiding all of them. Casting her favourite snowstorm was going to be useless, he couldn’t see anyway, it was only her line of sight that was going to be affected. That exchange continued for a while, he was blocking or just evading every single attack she was making and even she managed to trip him few times he would always roll away just before the final blow. He cast a snowstorm again and Ada could feel her patients disappearing. She rushed towards him in all or nothing attack and it turned out to be nothing. She could barely see him, and he turned out to be closer than she thought. He tripped her, Ada fell hard, hitting her head in the cold ground. She tried to wrap but his cold dagger was pressed against her throat.

“I believe that’s my win.” She could see the man smiling and she smiled back even if she was sure he couldn’t see that.

“Well fought.” She responded and pushed herself up. Ignis was already standing, offering her a hand. It was amazing how during the fight she could swear he could see every move she made, but now…his hand was offered to her but it was a bit in general direction so it was up to her to find it and grab it.

“How do you do that?” she took his hand and found herself on her feet.

“I’m not completely helpless. Plus, lack of sight helps me focus on other senses and even feelings.”

“This glaive’s arrogance probably helped you.” At least she could admit she was beaten. She remembered a time when Tredd pulled pranks on her for a week because she kicked his ass.

“If you were arrogant, you wouldn’t take the loss so well.” He adjusted jus gloves and added. “Can ask you something?”

“Sure. It’s your right as a winner” Ada teased and walked with him towards the railing of the bridge.

“I know that the Marshal agreed to the idea about the restaurant and he had some conditions abut it and I also know that you, Gladio and Prompto managed to fulfil his conditions.”

At first Ada nodded but stupidly realized he couldn’t see that.

“Yes, we have.” She voiced her motion.

“Would it be extremely ungrateful of me, if I ask you to change the location?” he continued.

“No, especially since you ask so nicely.” Ada was more than impressed with his way of speaking. Part of her was even jealous. “But, where and why?”

“Galdin Quay.” He said calmly. “It is the place on this continent closer to Angelgard and I want to be as close as possible once the prince awakens.” He fell silent of a moment then continued. “Plus, they used to have excellent restaurant and as far as I am told must of their equipment is still there.”

“I really don’t see an issue with that.” Ada found the devotion Ignis had to the young prince more than admirable. Then again, the prince was their only hope for actual survival, she would probably camp in the water if that was possible and was going to bring him back to this world. “You might need to run that past Cor. I mean the Marshal.”

“I am aware who Cor is.” He gave her a teasing half smile and Ada realized she was blushing. Did he somehow know… “Did the Marshal give you trouble for that? Your voice was shacking when you mentioned him.”

“No, it’s not about that. We had a disagreement about something, but is unrelated.” It wasn’t actually a lie. It was just that she had a disagreement, with herself regarding him. At what point of her life did she become so unsure and scared of everything… “Can I ask you something. It’s fine if you don’t want to respond.” She decided to change the topic quickly before he sensed something else in her voice.

“Go ahead.” He had raised one of his eyebrows in curious expression.

“After Altissia…how…I mean it’s one thing to fight with me in more or less controlled environment, but you guys travelled so far. How?” She hoped that wasn’t pushing it too far.

“I had friends with me.” He didn’t even hesitate to answer. “And I had no choice. I have sworn to serve my prince and I would do anything I can to do so. Even if it wasn’t my oath, Noct means more to me than I can put into words. In Altissia I was ready to die for him, and that hasn’t changed ever since. Losing my sight is inconvenient, but as long as I could help him and support him, I will do that until I am breathing.”

Ada just stared at him admiring his devotion and wondering what kind of person was the young prince to inspire that. She had never spoken with the prince, just seen him few times. The royal family was rarely a responsibility of the glaives. She had a lot of respect of his father, but again it wasn’t because she knew the father but because of his actions. Ironically same actions that provoked respect in her had born anger in others.

“Did you know the glaive that put on the king’s ring?” Ignis’ question surprised her.

“Which one, there were two?” Ada could feel heart sinking somewhere in her stomach.

“Two? I always thought there was one. The glaive that defeated general Glauca.” He seemed surprised and Ada didn’t blame him. “I know that he passed away after the event, I tried to speak with Libertus but he avoided the topic.”

“They were close friends. We were all kind of close. You develop certain sort of affection toward people who fight and bleed with you even if you wouldn’t be friends in other circumstances, but these two knew each other before they joined the Kingsglaive. I think Libertus still hopes that Nyx is somewhere there but, if he was, we would have known. Also, no offence, but Nyx died after he put the ring, and here you are. I’m sure Libertus doesn’t hate you, it’s not your fault, but he probably cannot come to terms with the fact Nyx wasn’t so…lucky. If that could be called luck.” Ada was surprised at her own words. She never thought about that before, mostly because she had learned to accept things as they were long time ago. Ever since her family left Galahd she had been accepting what life was throwing her way and just fighting for her survival. She had accepted Nyx’s death and even if she mourned the loss of her friend in her own way, she knew no amount of ager or regret will bring him back. Too bad she couldn’t say the same about Luche’s death.

“You said there was another glaive?” she was hoping her words were forgotten but that wasn’t the case apparently.

“Libertus probably knows more about that than me.” Even if she was trying hard to avoid the topic, she actually knew very little about that. “He was somebody close to me, but decided to go where I couldn’t follow. Libertus told me he put the ring and the old kings killed him on the spot. That’s all I know.”

“The kings could be cruel.” Ignis added.

They both fell in silence after that. She had to fight her urge to defend Luche. She knew he messed up and he did deserve a punishment, but death? Losing a limb was going to be more than sufficient. And of course, there was Nyx. He didn’t deserve what he got either, but here they were.

“I will travel to Galdin Quay with Iris to set things up.” Ada said finally. “If you can just run it past the Marshal…” as she said that she saw a familiar figure approaching in the distance. ‘Fuck.’ Ada suddenly wished she could wrap somewhere but that wasn’t really an option. “I need to go.”

“Thank you, Ada” Ignis almost shouted after her since she was already on her way.

There was no avoiding that now. She took a deep breath and walked toward the city, same direction where the man she wanted to avoid was coming from. She tried to pass as far as possible from him but that didn’t work out. Her heart was beating so hard in her chest she thought she might drop down any moment now with a heart attack.

“I was hoping to wake up next to you today.” Cor had grabbed her wrist as she walked past him. It wasn’t a strong grip, in fact she didn’t even have to jerk her hand away in order to get free, but somehow, she found herself unable to release her wrist.

“I needed some fresh air.” She felt fourteen again, avoiding responsibilities with stupid excuses.

“Are you avoiding me again?” he let go of her and Ada was free to continue on her way but now she found it difficult to move away from him. Everything about him was driving her crazy. His smell, his body, his voice, his eyes…she wanted him. Not just physically, she wanted all of him and it was strangely painful to realize that, but at the same time she couldn’t relax around him exactly because she wanted him so much.

“No, I just have things to do…” she did but none of these things had to be completed now. “I will drop by once I’m done, also I think Ignis wants to speak with you.” She said all that way to fast and her body was finally released from whatever spell or madness had taken over her. “Please, don’t be angry with me.”

She didn’t wait for his response just walked away as fast as she could, hoping that at least part of her body was showing some sort of purpose, because clearly, she had none. Ironically, her avoidance of any personal issues had motivated her to work harder and help the people of Lestallum, but sooner or later she had to face the mess she had already created. Ada hoped that a demon was going to kill her before that happened.

#ignis scientia #cor leonis #libertus ostium #final fantsy xv #ffxv #ff15 #final fantasy 15 #my writing #fan fiction

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necromantic13 · 6 years

Text

[3] Moira O’Deorain - Bitter Medicine

Part Three of HACKER VS. GENETICIST: SNIPER REVENGE. There will be at least one more part. I’m rolling a lot of canon and fan theory together here so take it for what it is.

Part One Part Two

Where’s the fun in playing fair?

Every day, Sombra prised a little harder on the tiles of Moira’s life, and every day she unearthed a little bit more about the geneticist’s sordid past. It was, at first, illuminating: she found details of her past work, from the inception of her controversial studies in foundational genetic manipulation to her subsequent disavowal by Overwatch during the Venice incident. The trail of logs and GPS ping data showed that Moira had ventured out on her own soon after, hired by all manner of intrepid criminal organizations to fund her work for their own gain - including Talon, and for much longer than Akande had implied - perhaps for longer than he knew. She found evidence of her help in secret Talon operations, the details of which were buried under heavier firewalls and more circuitous IP rerouting than her initial dig would unveil. It was enough to know they were there; she would get to the center of this mess eventually.

She also found private notes, long ago sequestered into a dusty inbox, from Dr. Angela Zeigler. They were decidedly unprofessional in nature, and Sobra could feel herself blushing as she unwrapped a part of Moira’s life she hadn’t expected to find. Recounting of rendezvous, wistful desires for the future, and the persistent use of the pet name darling littered the long forgotten digital trash bin, lost to all but the most persistent of hackers.

Sombra, swiping gently at her screen so as not to disturb the spider sleeping quietly at her side, wondered if any embers of that fire still burned in the cold soul of Moira O’Deorain. A fire could be used as a weapon if stoked in the right direction. Her past was sordid, to be sure, but by all accounts the woman was proud of her morally-corrupt work. It was the personal stuff that really got to people like that.

It was enough for one evening. Disconnecting, she slipped down into bed, letting the spider curl against the curve of her shoulder. She was close to something big, and once she had it, she’d better know what manner of threat Moira O’Deorain presented.

Later that day, she had a meeting with Akande and some of Talon’s passel of lower-ranked operatives to gather intel on a recent operation. They delivered it in the form of flash drives - flash drives, as though this were still 2020 and microgenetic source code weren’t something that had been invented, perfected, and mass-produced a decade ago. She rolled her eyes and accepted it with as much grace as she could muster, resigning herself to using one of her retrofitted computers instead of absorbing the intel directly into her cybernetics like she preferred. Hopefully there wasn’t anything too sensitive on those files.

“Give me an hour, boss,” she promised, ignoring the awestruck look of the three operatives in the room. She had, it seemed, sown her reputation well.

Akande nodded, dismissing her from the room.

Work made Sombra hungry, so she headed toward the kitchen to snag what was left of the sandwich she’d had for dinner last night. The fridge was packed, and as she was shifting around a jug of milk and carton of eggs to reach her roast beef on rye, she heard a pair of voices descending the stairs.

“But you must, Lacroix,” Moira’s sharp, self-assured voice echoed as she entered the room abutting the kitchen. “Your health is of the utmost importance after all.” “I am fine, Dr. O’Deorain,” came Widowmaker’s response, light and detached as ever. It carried the same strain it always did when she conversed with Moira. “We all went through a rigorous exam last month - there is no need for a follow-up.”

They rounded the corner, Widow a step ahead of Moira and looking decidedly displeased at her shadow. Sombra caught her eye; she was tired. She’d seemed more tired than usual lately.

“Hello, Sombra,” Moira said as she stepped into the room. “Perhaps you can talk some sense into Amélie.”

“That’s not her name, Moira.”

The doctor waved her words away, dismissing them immediately. “She mentioned experiencing fatigue as of late, and pains about the joints. I’m simply suggesting she let me examine her.” She stepped around Widowmaker to sit in one of the room’s many chairs. “You care for her, yes?” She gestured toward the spider. “You have more influence over her. Tell her to do as I say.”

The lines around Widowmaker’s eyes were strained, and in any other situation she would have offered a tongue-lashing so severe it would have left Moira deafened. Instead, she stayed silent, a parade of unreachable emotion visibly taunting her.

Sombra smiled at the geneticist.

“Maybe she just needs some convincing. How do you plan on healing what ails her?” she asked, voice deadly-sweet. Widowmaker looked over at her, frowning, knowing her well enough to recognize when Sombra’s act began.

“Simple calisthenics. Stretches. I don’t imagine genetic therapy would be required at this stage, but if there is any degradation of the joints themselves, it may be necessary along with a round of rapid nanobiotic healing.”

“Sounds dangerous,” Sombra said, regarding the lines on the back of her glove as though it were the most interesting thing in the room.

Moira chuckled. “In inexperienced hands, certainly. As the one who conceptualized the methodology, I am more proficient than your average user.” Moira spoke in such a way that indicated she loved nothing more than to hear herself recite the record of her own brilliance. Sombra understood that well enough - she did the very same thing.

But she was speaking of Widowmaker as though she were a thing, and not standing right there, and that was where the similarity ended and Sombra’s choice was made.

“You - really?” Sombra replied, doing her best to look impressed. “I didn’t realize that. Everything I’ve learned about nanobiotic regeneration indicated Dr. Zeigler was the inventor.” She feigned innocence as she attempted to distract Moira from the topic of the spider’s health. It worked like a charm - Moira was silent, regarding Sombra with a mixture of curiosity and disdain.

“I assure you, nanobiotic reconstruction was my pioneering work.”

Sombra shrugged, half-smiling in apology. “Sometimes even my data is wrong. Perhaps she worked on it with you? A student of yours, maybe? Coworker?” Her finger was on the button, ready to press it as soon as the opening was there; as soon as she was ready to leverage what she knew.

Moira laughed in response, but there was no part of her mirth that extended past her voice. “There were many up and coming great minds during my younger years. Dr. Zeigler was certainly among them, although our paths crossed rarely.”

“Doesn’t that just figure.” She laughed, looking idly at her fingernails. “Zeigler ending up getting the credit. Makes sense, though, if you think about it. She’s the darling of the science community, after all.” She looked up, one eyebrow raised to punctuate her weighted words, hoping her subtle threat wasn’t lost on the geneticist.

It wasn’t.

“I see,” was all she said, turning back to Widowmaker. “Have a good evening.” Sending a scathing look Sombra’s way, she left the room.

Widowmaker looked at Sombra for a long moment before speaking. “What are you doing?” she eventually asked, her voice soft.

“My job,” was all she said. “Speaking of, I have some numbers to crunch for Akande.” She turned on her heel, making it two steps before she thought better of leaving so abruptly. Returning to Widow’s side, she put a hand on her cheek and kissed her with what she hoped was reassurance. “I’ll see you later?” she said.

“I have nowhere else to go.”

Hesitating a moment, she nodded. Dropping her hand to her side, she headed for the office she shared with Gabriel down the hall.

She could feel the spider’s eyes on her back as she left: cold, stoic, and concerned.

Moira was professional, if cold to Sombra whenever they passed each other in the mansion. She took her tea in her room, made no attempts at small talk, and at least when Sombra was around, avoided referring to Widowmaker as anything but Lacroix.

She thought she’d won, at least for the time being. In a battle of wits pitting Talon’s master hacker against their master geneticist, she’d somehow come out on top.

A part of her worried she’d missed something; that there was a hidden pit located somewhere in her path, but until she had more to go on, she allowed herself to bask in the knowledge that she’d bested the doctor and, she hoped, won everyone some well-needed peace from her constant self-righteous presence

The next morning, as she began her daily delve into Moira’s past, something strange happened. The firewalls around Talon’s deeper databases were...gone. Not disabled or weakened, but entirely, completely eradicated. It was as though they’d never even been there in the first place.

Sombra smelled a trap, but it was a trap with bait too tempting to ignore. With a single wave of her hand, she dove in.

What she found horrified her to her core.

Someone had uploaded entire feeds of video data, timestamped over a decade ago and featuring a distraught Amélie Lacroix on a metal gurney. Splayed out like a lab rat, she saw Moira digging needles into her scalp, monitoring beeping machines, and recording every sordid detail of her work into a recorder. She heard the confused woman’s cries for help, wondering what was going on, where she was, and why her. She called for Gerard to save her, pleas unanswered save for Moira’s excited voice, empty of empathy as she increased the dosage of whatever she was pumping into Amélie until she fell silent.

Curiosity borne of abject terror kept her eyes glued to the screen. She didn’t want to see any of it, but she simply couldn’t look away. It was in her now, downloaded to her central database, there to stay until she went in and manually purged it.

Until she forced herself to touch it again.

The screen went black after a few minutes of graphic video documentation, and left her staring into the blackness of her own palm. There was nothing accidental about that. Moira had left it for her on purpose; left it for her to stumble into unprepared.

She hadn’t won, after all.

“What’s wrong?” Widowmaker asked after the silence had gone on for some time, looking up from where she was folding her laundry on the dresser.

“Nothing, nothing,” Sombra insisted, unable to suppress the tears streaming down her face. She scrambled gracelessly off the bed. “I have to go.”

Pushing past the spider’s outstretched hand, she left the room, Widowmaker’s voice shouting her name after her as Sombra ran.

Want more? Head over to Part Four. If you like this, maybe check out Glitch in the System for more spiderbyte!

#moira o'deorain #sombra #widowmaker #spiderbyte #sombramaker #widowsombra #olivia colomar #amelie lacroix #overwatch fanfic #overwatch

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v3-killing-harmony-imagines · 7 years

Text

‘How about the guys reacting to s/o asking to well.. you know ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)’

Hohohoho NSFW (SORTA) WARNING AND ALCOHOL

+reader-san gets drunk for one heh

Saihara Shuichi

The two of you had been together for a while

He had decided it was time to take things to the next level...

...unfortunately each time he tried to tell you, he would wuss out and change the topic

This cycle had repeated for a couple of months, him getting flustered ( Like Kiibles and Angie) and changing the topic

At first you had wanted him to come and tell you what he wanted

But after a while, you had started to get annoyed with it

So one day he comes back after a day of studying cases, you’ve made supper for him!

The two of you eat, he thanks you for it after you’ve finished

He’s about to get up when he notices something

“Uh...s/o?What are you-”

“Shhhsh..”

Oh dear lord you’re taking your shirt off

Oh blimey you’re walking closer to him, saying how bad he’s been for making you wait

You give a seductive chuckle as he flushes, straddling him as he sits frozen in the chair

You glide a finger over his chest, drawing circles as his breath hitches with each rub

You continue to tease him, running hands just under his shirt, fingers at his jaw line, all he can do is overheat and groan

Suddenly you rest both your hands on his shoulders, gazing up to him in some form of longing affection

“Hey...Saihara....do you really wanna do this?”

He looks back at you, breathing heavy as he chokes out a ‘yes’

Ouma Kokichi:

He’s the one who usually suggests any form of sexual acts

Teasing, intercourse, He’s usually the one do initiate it all

But today he had crossed the line

Teasing you non-stop in public, being whinny, disagreeing and being dramatic

You had just gotten fed up with it by the end of the day

The second the door closes, you’ve got him pinned against the wall, growling at him

“Oho? Is my darling s/o-chan a bit over-stimulated?” despite your glare he continues to grin cheekily

You tell him that he’s going to get punished for his actions, he tells you to bring it on

Honey get ready power bottom coming through

You pull at his hair, tearing his scarf and biting at his neck as he retaliates by pulling at your hair

You lock lips with him, nipping at his lips and tongue with your teeth

The two of you never separate as it continues on the couch, both of you panting

You straddle him, ripping his shirt off, he gives a brief snort of annoyance and the slight crack of fabric breaking fills the air

Now he’s trying to pull of your shirt, you let him have at least that much

In all honesty you really just wanna tie him up, make him suffer aned unable to move

However at the moment he’s trying to gain control and flip you over, smirking all the same

On a normal day you would have let him, but you weren’t about to give in this time

You lean in, sucking on he delicate flesh by his collar as your other hand runs down, palming his bulge through his pants

He gives a groan as he covers his face with his arm

You give a sly smile as you go down...

It’s a long night

Amami Rantaro:

He’s just been Normal avocado boy for the entire day

It was a free day for the both of you, so he suggested to go to the mall

Totally didn’t spend all day looking at forever 21 clothes

When the two of you headed over to the food court for lunch, he noticed something..strange about you

Slightly flushed cheeks, looking away when you made eye contact

He puts his cup down (Diet cola as he said it was ‘vegan’ ?) “Hey, is there something wrong?”

He can see you choke on your food, gasping out “Ah no I-I’m fine!”

He still doesn’t really believes it but...he knows that something is up

Nevertheless, he drops it and tries to keep up a conversation

After 5 minutes, you haven’t really said anything

“Seriously, what’s the matter?”

Again, you brush him off

He notices how you shift in your chair, how you bite the inside of the cheek and lips

“Are you.....” He lowers his voice “Horny?”

Well fuck you didn’t have to be that blunt Amami

You don’t say anything, but that’s all the confirmation he needs

Amami smiles, making sure to be a little more ‘suggestive’ with his moves after that

Licking his lips, dropping something before leaning down with his ass in the air, sucking on his straw a little too hard

He’s just been pulling the collar of his shirt down, complaining about how warm it is before you pull him down

“...can we go...”

He gives an innocent smile, agreeing before walking hand in hand with you to the car

He’s keeping hands to himself on the way home, trying to remain his ‘friend’ at a normal...uh....level?

Once he gets in the door, he can feel you tugging at his shirt

“Hey...”

“Hey.” He mimes

“Uh, can we uh..” you motion with your fingers, much like a key and a lock hole

He can help it, he gives a hard laugh

“Yeah, we can do-” he repeats the action much to your amusement “-that.”

Without a word, he closes the distance between you

Kaito Momota:

He had been wanting to have sex for a while

However, he had always held himself back as the mood didn’t seem right, you were busy, tired or it was too late

so in the end he had decided to let you come to him when you were ready

He’s been flipping through a pile of unfinished work, sighing as he opens yet another text book, looking relentless for the answers

He’s been procrastinating, and now finals are coming up and he’s so stressed

His hands have rubbed through his hair so many times that it’s flopped down in layers over his eyes, he gives a frustrated exhale as he combs it over his scalp

The hours go by, his hand is starting to cramp and he’s sweating by the time he gives up, laying back in his chair and releasing a sigh

He rubs his eyes, looking up at the star decorated ceiling (he had insisted on having them, “As long as you can reach, you can put it up” You had told him-he nearly fell off the step stool)

He’s hears his door open to a slight ‘creak’ he just gives a hum of recognition as you walk in

The lighting is surprisingly low, you click on the main light switch

He gives a hiss as he covers his eyes, leaning back further from the light

The revolving chair gives a nasty groan, it tips backwards, bringing Kaito with it

He’s now laying on the floor, hot and stressed

he hears shuffling, in a second you’re kneeling beside him

you rub a cool hand over his forehead, brushing hair out of his eyes

He gives a content sigh, leaning into your hand

“Stressed?”

“Mhm.” “You’re burning.”

“Mhmm..”

Then you lean down and kiss him straight Unless reader-san is a guy ;)))) on the lips

He gives a pleasured sigh as you move on top of him

He can feel you running your hands under his shirt, as he wraps an arm around you

“Hey wait...” He pulls away “Are you sure you wanna do this.”

You stutter a bit, hands clenched with his shirt as you nod

By the end of the night he’s not stressed, and he needs to get a glass of water from his body temperature

Kiibo:

He’s actually really glad if you suggest it, he’s not confidant enough to suggest it himself...

He doesn’t even know what he did to make you..’feel’ that way in the first place?

He had tried his hand at baking, attempting to make a vanilla cake

The batter had been too runny, the cake came out a little bit on the burned side

Even with you helping him he still managed to mess it up..

So the icing part was going to be fun

Piping the bag had been a little less...effortless...

And trying to squeeze out vanilla cream while having metal hands isn’t really the easiest thing

He steadies himself, getting ready for the moment to pipe the cake

You give him a word of encouragement,

The second his hands tighten the bag bursts, white cream getting spraying everywhere

He gives a squeak, backing up and screaming

The room is silent for a second, before you burst out laughing

He flushes, standing there silent as you continue to laugh

“I-I’m sorry for making a mess.”

He takes a finger, wiping off some cream from his face, it’s slightly more milky than intended...

He wipes his finger clean using his tongue, not noticing how quiet you’ve gotten

“Is there something wrong?”

“N-no..”

You help him clean up, ignoring the trickle of warmth flowing through your abdomen

...that night you ask him, palms sweaty Moms spaghetti

You can literally hear his inner fans begin to spin as he pants

“Um..that is...I’m uh..actually been ready for..intercourse for a while now..”

Things progress slowly from there on, but he and you enjoy it

Korekiyo Shinguji:

It was his birthday, and yet he took you out to a fancy restaurant

“Common courtesy for a man like I.” He has said

The dim lighting and tranquil music fills the air as the two of you dine

Steak,potatoes, salad, ribs, wine yeet, baked chicken, pasta, soups and a verity of liquors

Not to mention the various desserts

It must have cost a fortune, but Korekiyo doesn’t let you pay a single cent

Full of alcohol and food, the two of you head home hand in hand

Korekiyo is talking abut you can’t really focus on anything... but his jaw looks sharp...and...his hair smells....nice

Did you already arrive at home? Huh when did that happen...

“S/o are you feeling ok?”

Oh what

Did he just ask you that?

“Huh, Oh...yeah I’m fine?”

“Is that a question or an answer?”

“What”

Oh dear

He sighs, telling you to get changed, he’ll get you a glass of water

When he comes back upstairs, water in hand, he notices how it’s oddly silent

He turns the light on, and he regrets it immediately

“I said get changed not get naked.”

Hey, You’re not fully naked

You barely sway as you walk over to him, you know your limit, you didn’t drink too much

That doesn’t change the fact that it’s making you feel warm, and your mind is slightly fuzzy

“Ko-re-ki-yo....you aren’t gonna unwrap your present.”

He giggle as he begins to sweat, a rare feat

You whisper in his ear, trail hands down his chest, lick and bite at his neck

As much as he knows that he shouldn’t be taking advantage of you when you’re intoxicated, it isn’t the first time the two of you have done it and you keep telling him that you wanna treat him

It isn’t long before he can’t take it and pushes you onto the bed

The next morning you have a slight headache but are happy for the events that happened the night before

Gonta Gokuhara:

He’d NEVER have the strength so event think of something like that no

So it’d have to be you always suggesting it

Tonight the lights are low, you can hear the water running as he uses the bathroom

When he comes out of the washroom, he smiles up (Or down) at you

A small peck escalates to a kiss...which escalates into something else...

Now you’re sitting beside him on the bed, asking him if he wants to take things further

Gonta flushes, stumbling over his words as he releases shaky breath after shaky breath

He wants it but he needs to be agentelmanandhedoesntwannaupset

Oh boy you just took your shirt off he can feel the blood rushing to his face and coc-

“Hey, Gonta, it’s ok, if you don’t wanna do this.”

You take his hand, softly stroking it

He wants to do this

He does

So he agrees, and nervously uh...fucks you

this is the highest point of my writing what the fuck

You have to help lead him along the way, to build up his confidence

Ryoma Hoshi:

Summer means free time, meaning more time for Hoshi to mope around

He mostly spends his time outside, the tennis courts where he smacks a ball back and forth

He used to hand out at the corner store a lot, smoking whatever was in his pocket while letting his brain float

After he met you, he had eventually stopped doing that, to your request

He had just come home from a long day outside, the heat had cooked him alive, all he needed was a glass of cold water

He doesn’t pour water from a filer or a tap (due to his height rip) But instead he grabs one of the bottels on the bottom shelf, it had been your idea to place a couple in there and he was grateful in this moment

He took a seat on the counter, enjoying the song the radio played and the cool breeze coming from the air conditioner

He gulps down the cool liquid, some of it running down his shirt but he could care less at the moment

Pulling his beanie off, he wipes the sweat off his forehead

“Hoshi? Are you ba-”

Oh, Hi

you apparently weren’t expecting him to be uh, drinking?

Either that or you didn’t think he could get up on the counter

Oh b o y what are you doing

Shitshitshit

You’re leaning over him and pulling his damp shirt off

He can barely think, you ask him if he’s ready for more heat

Boyyyyyy

With one breath he gives a nod

He can feel you go down further, hands at his pants as he tries to remain calm

You don’t come up until he finishes

And he returns the favor ; )

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iat235fp · 5 years

Text

Final Project Research #1

Topic: Lignite Mining in Lusatia

Background Information

Lignite Mining

Lignite coal, also known as soft or brown coal, is a soft brown type of coal being used exclusively as a fuel for steam-electric power generation. It is one of the lowest quality of coal due to its soft, crumbly and liquid composition. It has a low carbon content with high moisture level (40-60%) which results in producing more carbon dioxide emission compared to burning hard coal. This makes it the most harmful coal to human health. It is the main source for health harming air pollution and climate changes to greenhouse gas. A 2013 study by The University of Manchester on the life cycle environmental impacts of electricity from fossil fuels in Turkey analyzed all types of fossil fueled plants based on eleven criteria and showed that lignite is the worst option overall with eight impacts higher than for hard coal, ranging from 11% higher fossil fuel depletion to six times greater fresh water eco-toxicity. Compared to hard coal which requires deep underground mining methods, lignite mining requires opencast (open pit) operations as they are relatively closer to the surface of the earth. This makes the mining process of lignite comparatively cheaper than other mining operations.

Lusatia, East Germany

Since the 1970’s and until today, Germany is the largest lignite producer in the world, followed by China, Russia and the United States. Coal mining in Germany is distributed over the three main areas of Rhineland, Central Germany and Lusatia. About 80km south-east of Berlin, Lusatia, the east Germany region surrounding the towns of Cottbus and Senftenberg, is one of the largest mining areas in Germany. The distrcit has been strongly economically dependent on lignite mining and lignite processing industries since the mid-19th century, shortly after lignite deposits being discovered at the end of the 18th century. It was first used to power steam engines, trains, and clothing manufactures. In 1882, Europe’s first brown coal briquette factory was opened in Lusatia.

Impacts of Lignite Mining

Social Impacts

Because lignite mining requires opencast operations, it has altered 179,490 hectares of countryside land in Germany. Since 1924, 313 settlements have been lost to lignite mines in the country. Out of this number, 136 villages were vanished due to mining expansion in the Lusatia district alone. Besides the homes taken away directly for mining, the residents living by the mines eventually left their homes as they were suffocating from dust, noise and the threat of imminent destruction of their homes.

Environmental Impacts

Air Pollution

Combustion of lignite coal releases particulate matter (PM), sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), heavy metals and other pollutants to the air. This pollution can travel thousands of kilometres across borders and even oceans. Burning coal for electricity generation is also one of the biggest industrial sources of CO2 emissions, fuelling climate change. Lignite is likely to have more sulphur and ash content and less energetic value compared to hard coal, so burning lignite in coal power plants creates more air pollutant emissions per megawatt generated.

Water Pollution

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)

In order to prevent flooding in opencast mines, the underground water level has been lowered in large areas (constantly pumping water out of the mine). For the production of 1 ton of lignite, 8 tons of water had to be pumped out of the mining region. By doing this, the water is exposed to ferrous compounds in the air, causing them to rust. When the open-cast mines shut down, the pumping ceases, the water level is climbing back up and flooding the mines. Abandoned mining pits refilled with groundwater with a pH of < 2.5 produced by sulphuric acid originating from mine remnants. With the help of rainy weather, large quantities of iron ochre are flushed out. This is the outflow of acidic water from coal mines.

Spree River & UNESCO Spreewald Biosphere Reserve

The Spree River basin with a catchment area of about 10,000km2 is located in the South-Eastern part of Germany. It is a river that flows through the Saxony, Brandenburg and Berlin states of Germany, crossing the Czech Republic border. The river is well known as the governmental center in Berlin lies on its banks. The Spree River runs north from Lusatia district through UNESCO Spreewald Biosphere Reserve before arriving Berlin city centre.

UNESCO Spreewald Biosphere Reserve is a popular tourist attraction. It is situated 100km south-east of Berlin in the Lausitz region. It is known for its traditional irrigation system which consists of 1,300km small channels (called ‘Filesse’) within the 48, 400 hectares area. The landscape was shaped during the ice-age. In 1998, there were about 50,000 people living in the biosphere reserve. People mostly depend on tourism.

Presence of Iron Ochre and Sulphates in the River Spree as a result of opencast lignite mining – rising groundwater is flushing iron out of disused and working open-cast lignite mines in the states of Brandenburg and Saxony and carrying it into the River Spree and its tributaries. The iron ochre subsequently formed turns the river water into a brown mass (rust-colored mud results from a chemical compound known as iron (III) oxidehydroxide, iron ochre) that has now reached the Spreewald biosphere reserve and tourism area. At Spreewald, fine brown sludge is filling the biosphere reserve up, killing the wildlife, from dragonflies to fish and worms.

A study by the IWB Dresden, an institute focused on geophysical and hydrological issues related to mining, posits that the Spree River dumps 6.8 metric tons of iron ochre into the reservoir of the Spremberg Dam alone -- per day.

Considerations & Actions

Economic Factors

A 2018 RWI publication calculates that 13,245 jobs are directly or indirectly related to the brown coal sector in Lusatia. An estimated 7,800 jobs are dependent on the mines in Lusatia, a region abutting Poland, where Cottbus is situated and memories of the 2.5 million people put out of work after the fall of the Berlin Wall remain acute. Some 1,900 jobs are at stake in another nearby mining region in eastern Germany.

Post Production Treatments

A mine-water cleaning plant is supposed to go back into operation near the town of Vetschau. The name makes it sound like a large technological device. On closer inspection, though, it looks much more like three little fish pools -- at least to the untrained eye. But plans call for the water of Vetschau's extremely polluted mill channel to start flowing back through this cleaning facility in the near future. The process is slow, however, because the iron ochre in the water has to be allowed to settle at the bottle of the three basins, where it can then be collected.

AMD Prevention

Numerous strategies have been proposed to control AMD, most common of which involve postproduction treatments, in which neutralization and precipitation techniques with alkaline materials are utilized. However, such treatments are often unsuitable because they are difficult to manage, require large amounts of alkaline materials and generate huge waste by-products, which require significant investment, and may produce long-term undesirable effects. A more viable option for reducing AMD is to prevent sulfide oxidation at the source. If achieved, prevention can provide a permanent solution and is low cost. There have been several strategies developed to prevent pyrite oxidation and subsequent formation of AMD. These methods are classified into five major types: physical barriers, bacterial inhibition, chemical barriers (or passivation), electrochemical protection, and desulfurization.

Legislations

A number of measures are taken by legislation bodies in attempts to control the mining situation.

1) The Paris Agreement (French: Accord de Paris), dated November 2016, is an agreement within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), dealing with greenhouse-gas-emissions mitigation, adaptation, and finance, starting in the year 2020. Germany’s commitment to the Paris Climate Accord is to reduce carbon emissions by 80 to 95 percent by 2050.

2) Germany’s Coal Exit Commission

3) Energy Strategy 2030 (dated July 2018): The government of the Land Brandenburg has established an energy plan for the future. The main goals of this strategy are: decreasing end-user energy use with 23% by 2030 (=1.1% per year); increasing the share of renewable energy to 40% by 2030; and cutting primary energy use (lignite, oil, gas, etc.) with 20%. Measures to be taken to achieve these goals include: improving system integration, developing better grids and improving storage technologies. By 2030, CO2-emissions should be brought down with 72% against the 1990 reference values. This means lowering output to 25 million tons. Energy Strategy 2030 also includes participation of stakeholders and should promote acceptance of the necessary measures.

Visual Approaches