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anathewierdo · 3 years

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Call of the Ocean Chapter 32: Opening A Can of Worms

Pairing: CEO!Mechanic!Dean Winchester x Mermaid!Reader

Word count: 6690

Chapter summary: Sometimes conversations we plan in our heads work out the way we want them to... and sometimes they don’t.

Series summary: CEO of Winchester Auto Dean Winchester has had enough of the office life. With his father keeping him from what he wants to do, which is work on the plant floor, Dean decides to leave for a quiet life. In Matagorda, Texas, he finds something he never thought he would, a chance encounter with a mythical creature.

Call of the Ocean Masterlist

A/N: It’s gonna be okay, y’all. I promise <3. This series is a collaboration with @flamencodiva . Text dividers made by the awesome @talesmaniac89

Next chapter will be posted on Wednesday, December 16th

As Bobby was taking care of Liara, Y/N couldn’t help but feel a slight tinge of loneliness. Roan and Thasman were snuggled up on the couch watching a movie, while she sat on a stool by the kitchen.

“Why don’t you come and join us, Y/N/N?” Roan called. “There’s more than enough space. And I’m supposed to be mad at this one.”

Y/N plastered a smile on her face but it did not reach her eyes, “I’m okay. I might go to--”

Before she could finish, the doorbell rang followed by the sound of someone knocking urgently. Y/N frowned in confusion. Ellen wasn’t expecting anyone. Thasman and Roan were not exactly sociable outside of the humans they already knew. Dean was supposed to be working at the garage, or at the very least, closing up.

The light on the porch showed a male silhouette. Ellen made her way over to the door and looked at the trio before peeking through the blinds. She smiled to herself seeing the young mechanic.

“Hey, Dean,” Ellen said loud enough for Y/N to hear.

Y/N stood up straight and bit her lip. She wasn’t sure what to make of Dean showing up. They didn’t have plans for anything, and he seemed very stressed at the shop.

“Hey, Ellen,” Dean paused and licked his lips. “Is Y/N here?”

“Yeah, come on in,” Ellen let him in just as Y/N hid in the kitchen. Ellen had turned to point her out only to see she had gone. “Huh? She was in the dining room just a second ago.”

Ellen looked up to see Thasman and Roan pointing into the kitchen.

“She’s in the kitchen,” Ellen whispered, patting his shoulder. “Good luck.”

Dean walked slowly towards the kitchen. There she stood her back to him, her hands on the counter for support. He could tell that she was crying by the way her shoulders slumped.

“Y/N?” Dean rushed towards her and ran his hand along her back. “What’s wrong? Sweetheart, what happened?”

Y/N shook her head and tried to dry her eyes. “It’s nothing, I promise. I’m fine,” she turned to try to smile.

Dean took her hand in his and led her out the kitchen backdoor to the side of the house. He could see Y/N trying to calm down.

“Dean, I promise everything is fine,” She took in slow deep breaths and tried to plaster a smile on her face.

It wasn’t working. The weight on her shoulders felt heavier with every thought about her father. She yearned to go home and free him. She hated to leave her people. She was a coward, she ran and left her people in the hands of a tyrant.

“You’re not fine, Sweetheart,” Dean whispered as he used the pads of his thumbs to dry her eyes. “What’s wrong? Did you get bad news from home?”

Y/N didn’t want to burden him any more than what he already was. With Lisa and his father, Dean didn’t need to hear about her troubles. Worst of all, she was hiding the fact that she wasn’t completely human. And yet, here was this gorgeous, green-eyed man who loved her.

“We… this morning, Roan and Ellen found someone from our home injured on the beach,” she whispered.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Dean muttered as he pulled her in for a hug.

“It’s Thasman’s guardian, Liara,” She sobbed. “She didn’t just raise Thasman though, she helped raise me too. And she’s the only mother figure I’ve known.”

Dean stayed silent as she cried.

“My mother died when I was just a…” she paused to look for the word. “Girl. And Liara was there with Thasman and they just…” she took in a deep breath. “They’ve helped me and I’ve been selfish and… I don’t know what to do.”

Dean could tell she was holding back. In the way she paused, she was looking for the right words to say. But her pain was not fake. What she was going through was not a reaction of someone who would make up a ridiculous story. Pulling back, he took her face in both his hands and kissed her gently.

“Whatever you want to do,” he whispered. “I’ll be here every step of the way.”

“You have your own issues to worry about, Dean. That Lisa, for example.”

“Forget about her,” Dean muttered. “She is nothing I can’t handle. But what’s happening to your home? Nothing compares to that.”

“This is not a tournament, Dean.” She sniffled. “Your problems are still important. I just miss my father.”

“Y/N,” Dean hugged her tightly. “My problems may be important, but I want to make sure you’re okay.” He gently let his hand caress the top of her head. “I’m sorry about earlier today. You needed me and I couldn’t think straight.”

“It’s okay. You were busy and I get it.” Her arms squeezed him tighter. “I only wanted a hug anyway and I’m getting it right now.”

“I love you, Y/N. And I don’t want secrets between us,” He said as he took her hand in his. “Walk with me on the beach?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. I want to make sure Liara is okay.”

“Do you think I can meet her?” Dean asked as he led her to the steps off Ellen’s porch and sat down pulling her with him.

The question took Y/N by surprise and a small smile formed on her lips. “Yeah,” she said softly, “I think it would be good.”

“Hey, Y/N?” He licked his lips thinking about what to say next as he held her close.

“Yeah?”

“You know you can tell me anything, right? You don’t need to keep secrets from me.” He let his fingers draw small circles on her shoulder. “I want you to know that you’ll be safe with me no matter what.”

“I--” Y/N bit her lip as she snuggled close to Dean’s chest. “I wish I could tell you, but it's very complicated. I wouldn’t know where to begin.”

“Would you feel better if I told you a secret I’ve been hiding from you?” Dean whispered as he took in a deep breath.

“No.” Y/N answered firmly, softly but honestly. “I want to know everything there is to know about you, but you don’t have to tell me something private just to make me feel better. I want you to share the deepest parts of you because you want to, not because you have to.”

“Y/N, It’s only fair if we can both share,” he sighed. “Secrets are only going to hurt when they eventually come out. And…” he licked his lips and gently moved away from her while getting up. “Lying about an Island that doesn’t exist is a big deal. Whatever website you got someone to make for you,” he scoffed. “They should have thought about the GPS satellites we have that can look over the Gulf.”

He closed his eyes realizing what he said. But it was out in the open now. There was no taking it back.

Y/N felt her heart’s pace pick up. There it was, the inevitable. Why couldn’t it have lasted longer? How long had he known?

This was it. Dean was going to leave her. Why wouldn’t he? He knew she lied, so why would he stay to listen to whatever she could come up with now?

“When you’re ready to tell me the truth,” he let out. “I’ll be here. And just so you know. I’ve been lying about who I am. My last name isn’t Campbell.”

“So we both lied. You don’t know who I am, and I don’t know who you really are.” Y/N’s face had ended up buried in her hands. Her eyes were shut tight and her lips were pursed in a thin line. “I can’t tell you the truth, Dean.” She muffled, “I guess we’re over. I should go check on Liara.”

Dean’s heart cracked at what she said. This was the last thing he wanted. He only wanted her to know that she would be safe with him. Her real secret would be safe. Putting his hands in his pockets he let out a small huff.

“I guess it is,” he whispered. “I’ll see you around Y/N.” he turned on his heels and began to walk away towards his house.

“Dean, wait.”

He closed his eyes, hoping that she had changed her mind. Wishing she would open up just a bit. “What?”

“If you’d rather not see me or hang out with me anymore… Don’t force yourself to. It was nice knowing you.”

Dean closed his eyes, “I’m not going to do that, Y/N. I’m not going to give up on us. Even if you think we’re over,” He walked up to her and caressed her cheek before giving her one last kiss. “I’m not going to give up on us.”

Dean said nothing more as he walked away. He hated this, but it was his lot in life. This was how it was for him. Cassie cheated on him, and now Y/N doesn’t trust him enough with her secret. Maybe she never did.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

“You look good for someone who’s probably supposed to be dead,” Bobby sassed as he looked at Thames. “I take it, he really is mine then?”

“Who?”

“You know who,” Bobby spat. “Thasman. He’s my son. Isn’t he?”

Thames didn’t have cards to play with. Of all the dreams she had had through the years regarding seeing the love of her life again, this wasn’t even on the list. She pursed her lips and took a deep breath. Decades of lying to everyone made saying it feel weird. Her head fell back on the pillow and closed her eyes as she answered. “Yes. He’s our child.”

“And you didn’t think that you could have been with me? That I wouldn’t have kept you safe?!” Bobby paced by the foot of the bed. His fists clenching.

“You know how this works, Robert. We would have had to return to the ocean sooner or later. I’m sorry. By the time I knew I was with child it was too late–”

“It was never too late Thames,” Bobby growled. “You could have come to me, you know that. I spent years,” he licked his lips. “Years! Thinking of you. Worried about you! I went to the damn beach every day of my life hoping I’d see you come back. Even if just for a day.”

“I wanted to,” She sweared. “I wanted to come back to you so bad.”

“Not bad enough,” Bobby huffed. “I guess I didn’t mean that much to you.”

“Don’t you dare talk about how I felt. I went back to my kingdom and soon discovered I was carrying Thasman before I could talk to my brother and mother. I had hidden you from them. So well in fact that I couldn’t begin to think what would happen if they knew the truth.” Thames took a deep breath, trying to regain control of her voice. “So I fled. I had Thasman and went back to care for him. I wanted to go with you, I did! I was just– I was terrified! About how you would react, what would happen between us, the fact that Thasman and I didn’t fit in your world.”

“I see,” Bobby ran a hand across his face. “You didn’t trust me. After everything I showed you. Everything I confessed to you. I didn’t mean that much if you were scared to come to me.”

“That much?! Try too much, Robert Singer!” she snapped back. “If I recall correctly, I confessed and showed you just as much.”

“And yet you kept my son from me,” Bobby hissed. “You kept family from me.”

“I did what I thought was best for him!’

“No, you did what was best for you,” Bobby spat. “I’m going to check your wound and then I’m gone. I think I can tell when I’ve been tossed aside.”

“In what way did it benefit me to not come to you?”

“You got to raise our son! You got to know him and love him,” Bobby said as he looked at her. “You took that away from me, Thames. You took it away because you couldn’t find a way to balance being with me and the ocean. Maybe I should have never fallen in love with you in the first place.”

“I raised him with lies because if I told the truth we would have been slaves or banished! I had to love him from a distance and pray to the ocean for mercy every time he reminded me of you.”

“You could have come to me, Thames,” Bobby reminded her, defeated. “I wouldn’t have turned you away. I would have moved us closer to the ocean to give you what you needed. You made the choice to stay away. You put yourself in that position because you were a coward.”

“You know what? I was! I am! I didn’t know what to do and what happened was the best I could come up with!” Thames sneered. “And I would do it over and over again to keep Thasman safe. I regret a lot of things, Robert, and that includes not coming to you back then. So be mad at me all you want. Leave for all I care. Just don’t take it out on him.”

“I would never do that to him,” Bobby shook his head, “He already thinks he isn’t worthy of anything. He thinks his mother abandoned him, and in a way…” he turned to leave. “You did.”

Thames knew he was right. Did he not think she knew that?! There wasn’t a day where she wished she could confide in little Thasman and tell him she was his mother. Her fear had been too great to even utter it and this was just the beginning of the consequences she knew she’d pay. A hand had rosen up to cover her mouth to prevent the sobs from being heard and no matter how hard she shut her eyes, the tears were still rolling and the nightmare wouldn’t end.

“Just go,” she pleaded. “Tell them I’m tired. Tell them whatever you want. Tell Thasman every damn part of the truth if you wish. I’ll leave you alone and you’ll leave me alone and just spend time with Thasman. He’ll need it.”

“Now don’t go doing anything stupid,” Bobby huffed as he turned around. “I still need to check your wound, you stubborn sea hag.”

“You’re the one going on and on about how I robbed you.”

“Was I wrong?” Bobby sassed. “Did you not rob me of knowing my son?” He pulled the chair close to the bed and got the materials he needed ready.

“No! Because you didn’t know you had him in the first place! I did it because I thought it was for the best!”

“Thames,” Bobby whispered and looked at her with tears in his eyes. “I may not have had him in the first place,” he licked his lips. “But you robbed me of getting to know him. Robbed me of seeing him grow up to be the amazing young man out there. You robbed me of my son. Even if I didn’t know about him, you robbed me of that chance.”

“You’re here, and he’s here now,” She chuckled bitterly as a sting started to build on her side. Goddess. “Don’t waste your time arguing with me and get to know him and talk to him. He’ll want to be with you even more when he knows what I did.” Thames sighed in defeat. “I never intended for you to not know him.”

“I’m not telling him,” Bobby said as he cleaned the wound.

“This time I didn’t say you would.”

“Well,” Bobby sighed as he put the bandage on her. “It’s healing nicely. I think you can put that balm on and get in the tub with salt water and you should be good as new.” Bobby muttered. “I’ll leave you alone, Thames,” he got up to leave the room.

“Robert, I mean it. I never meant for things to go like this. I do wish you could have met him under different circumstances. I am sorry…” She shook her head, exhausted. “Forget it. Thank you. Goodbye.”

Bobby swallowed the lump in his throat and turned to her. Reaching out he caressed her cheek and gave her a soft smile.

“For what it’s worth,” he leaned down and kissed the top of her head. “You did a good job raising him. Considering the circumstances.” he let his thumb caress her cheek. “I’m glad you’re alive. I really am.” With one last kiss to the top of her head, he walked towards the door. “Goodbye, Thames.”

The door closed, leaving Thames alone once more.

“Could’ve fooled me.” She mumbled.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

After the break up with Y/N, Dean had gone home and paced around like a zombie. Where did he go wrong? Why couldn’t she trust him? How could he fix it? The conversation played in his head, over and over again, like a bad movie. He had pushed too hard and too harshly. Did he make her close up? With a frustrated cry, Dean walked out to the back deck.

As Dean leaned over his porch railing looking out at the ocean, he watched the waves roll onto the beach. There was something calming about the sound they made. Closing his eyes, he sighed at the way the breeze caressed his face. It felt like Y/N’s touch. Opening his eyes, he looked at the water. It looked as though it was calling him. Shaking his head, he pulled away and walked back into the house through the kitchen and out the front door, making a beeline towards Baby.

“Dean?” Cas called. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to see Bobby,” Dean called back. “Don’t wait up.”

Peeling out of the sandy driveway, he made his way towards the shop and Bobby’s house. The mermaid Bobby asked to be kept and restored, there was a story. And Dean was going to get it out of the man. Bobby has said something about it when he first mentioned it.

‘I would like it if you could restore the wall instead of tear it down. It-- it has a special meaning to me and I would really like for it to stay a part of the garage.’

Those were the words Bobby had said when he first talked about signing the contract. The way his voice shook, almost heartbroken. Pushing on the gas pedal he rushed his way there. Not wanting to miss a chance to talk to the old man. Sighing in relief at seeing Bobby’s Chevelle in the driveway he got out of the car and jogged towards the front door. Lifting his fist he knocked strongly, shaking the door on his hinges.

“Bobby?!” Dean called when the old man didn’t answer. He lifted his fist and banged again, “I know you’re in there, come on!”

“Not now, Dean.” Bobby called from the other side, voice and words barely loud enough from wherever he was inside his house. “I’m very tired.”

“Bobby, please! I need to talk to someone about this and I think I know what you know!” Dean yelled. “Mermaids are real. You were in love with one. And I know--” he licked his lips. “I know I am too!”

Dean could hear Bobby’s footsteps approach the door and the familiar sound of the lock clicking. He took a close look at Bobby and understood. Something must have happened. The old man had a glass of whiskey and a sour look on his face.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, boy,” Bobby grumbled. “Mermaids don’t exist. And if they did, they do nothing but break your heart.”

“You say that like you’re talking from experience,” Dean pointed out. “You fell in love with one Bobby. I know you did.”

“How? What could have--”

“The mermaid on the wall!” Dean pointed out.

The scowl in the man’s face grew bigger. “The hell are you talking about?”

“You talk about that picture so much when I was fixing up your car,” Dean swallowed the lump in his throat. “I was fixing the car and you were talking about the woman you loved. She was a mermaid, I mean,” Dean pointed to the mermaid on the Chevelle. “Why make her a mermaid? Why not someone from the waist up? Why go through the trouble?”

“She liked those kinds of stories. She was my siren. Not that I have to explain a damn thing to you.”

Dean closed his eyes and sighed, hanging his head low. “Bobby, I want--” he paused and shook his head defeated. “Nevermind. I’m sorry I bothered you.” Turning on his heels Dean put his hands in his pockets and headed down the porch steps.

As Dean stepped into the front lawn, he heard a grumble and the sound of a door closing shut, followed shortly by steps until Bobby’s voice sounded directly behind him. “Why are you talking about mermaids all of a sudden?”

“I found out that Sindarta doesn’t really exist,” Dean huffed. “And I tried using GoogleMaps to take a look at the Island. Next thing I know--” he runs his fingers through his hair. “She said she couldn’t tell me about her secret which I know what it is,” Dean continued his rant.

“You’ve probably gone mad. Come on in. It’s better if you have someone watching over you.”

“I know she’s a mermaid Bobby! I know what I saw!” Dean growled.

“And you can tell me all about that inside over a glass of my strongest scotch.” Bobby grumbled as he grabbed Dean’s arm and dragged him back to his house. “Make yourself comfortable.”

Dean sighed and walked inside after Bobby, making sure to close the front door behind him. He shrugged off the flannel he’d thrown on on the way there and sat on a chair next to the couch where he assumed Bobby had seated before Dean got here. Bobby grabbed the bottle of scotch and an extra glass and handed it to Dean.

“Now,” Bobby sat down on a chair and grabbed the bottle from Dean once the young man filled his glass. “What's got you thinkin that mermaids are real?” He refilled his glass and placed the bottle between them.

“I fucking saw them, Bobby. Thasman, Roan, Y/N. The three of them, swimming in this cave with Ellen watching and Y/N splashed the other two with a fucking tail.”

“Did you smell toast?” Bobby grumbled. “What you’re saying is plumb crazy,” He leaned back, trying not to let on that Dean wasn’t crazy at all. He might have been mad at Thames, but he would never betray her trust in their secret.

“No I didn’t smell toast, Bobby! I wasn’t having a stroke!” Dean yelled, getting up from his seat and pacing. “I fucking know what I saw! After not finding the Island on the fucking map, I went over and saw them dragging Thasman to that damn cave!”

“So maybe they were dragging him to take a swim. What about it?”

“He didn’t look like he was in any condition to swim, Singer! Damn it, why don’t you believe me!” Dean growled. “They were saying that he needed to be in the water or he could dry out. I mean he was delirious Bobby, was looking at a rock and speaking in their language calling it his mortum!”

Bobby ran a hand through his face at that, taking a long swig of his scotch and mumbling a small ‘balls’ while he was at it. Dean grabbed the bottle and poured himself some more scotch before downing it. Reaching into his shirt, he pulled out the pendant and held it in his hand. It gave off a small heat, but he figured it was the scotch coursing through his body.

Bobby seemed to have caught a glimpse of it.

“Where the hell did you get that?”

“Found it on the beach about a week before I met Y/N. I had heard someone in the water by the rocks and when I went to go see,” Dean shrugged. “They were gone and this was being washed to shore.”

“Well, shit.” Bobby gulped down his scotch and poured himself another glass.

“What?” Dean looked down at the pendant and then back at Bobby. “You know who it belongs to?”

The man shrugged, staring down his glass. “Thames talked about it once or twice.”

“Was that her name? Thames?” Dean had heard the name before, and then it hit him. “That’s the name of Y/N’s lost aunt.”

Bobby took another swig of scotch. “Yeah.”

“So you know!” Dean accused. “You knew the whole time what they were! And you were trying to deny it just seconds before.”

“All I said was that Thames mentioned a necklace like that,” Bobby huffed. “I didn’t confirm or deny anything.”

“Don’t play games with me, Singer. You know that there are mermaids in this town and all three of them are in Ellen’s house.” Dean huffed and shook his head. “She broke up with me. Y/N broke up with me. She didn't trust me enough. I wouldn’t hurt her. I would never hurt her and she…” Dean ran a hand across his face. “I just wanted her to let me in. To trust me.”

“They are very secretive, Dean.” Bobby huffed conversationally, trying to comfort the young man. “And with good reason. Who knows what would happen if the world knew about them.”

“What would happen if the world knew?” Dean said. He knew Bobby had slipped up. The old man gave himself away.

“Well, you know how it goes when something new is discovered. People suck into it until there’s nothing left.”

“So you think they would be dried out until their breaking point,” Dean brathed. “Before they are rehydrated to experiment on them?”

“That or worse.”

“What color was she?” Dean asked casually, taking another sip of the scotch. “Y/N's was a nice purple with lavender swirls.”

“Yeah, I saw her painting in the garage. Thames was orange,” Bobby mumbled. “Like an early sunset. With some black swirls thrown in.”

“That sounds beautiful Bobby… Except the Thames that resides in the Mermaid Wall only has orange in her tail. And maybe some gold here and there.”

Bobby froze where he sat, eyes wide and staring at Dean like a deer caught in headlights.

The latter took his shot. If there ever would be a chance to push Bobby off the edge to confess, this was it. “Will you talk to me about mermaids or not?”

"Balls," Bobby reached over to the bottle of scotch, pouring himself a generous amount of the liquor again. “You gotta tell me what you know first.”

Dean shook his head, taking his turn with the bottle. “I already told you what I know.” He replied. “What I need? Are answers.”

“Get comfy then. We got a lot to talk about.”

With those words said, Bobby stood up from his chair and put his scotch down. He walked towards one of his many bookcases, reaching to a closed cabinet at the bottom of one and pulled out a small key. Dean’s curiosity was through the roof, anxiously screaming at him to fucking walk up to Bobby and see what he had hidden there.

Such a chance never came, mostly because of his self control. Bobby was going to talk willingly and Dean would rather not make him uncomfortable. There was a faint clic, a small pause, and another clic. Bobby’s footsteps slowed as he returned from said cabinet. He held what Dean believed was a notebook, maybe an old book, at worst. The only sound that claimed the room was a faint criquet that had decided to serenade them from the outside of the house.

Bobby’s expression had turned serious, cautious even, if Dean had to guess. With the notebook clenched so tight in his hands the knuckles were white, he sat back down on his chair, eyes fixed in the book as if it would bite him. “Now, boy,” he began. “Y/N’s story is not mine to tell. That I won’t help you with. But while she was here, Thames tried to… explain the mermaid world to me.” He motioned to the notebook. “It’s all in here. So get your questions ready, we got a long rest of the night ahead of us.”

“To be honest I didn’t think I’d get this far with you,” Dean confessed.

The older man gave him a dry chuckle, looking at Dean as if he was the dumbest person alive as he reached for his glasses, “You wanna talk about mermaids or not?”

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Right after the breakup with Dean

Y/N had watched as Bobby walked out of the house. She noticed his face was sad as he bid his farewells. She also noticed how he hugged Thasman longer than ever. Whatever had transpired between the old man and the scrollkeeper, made Y/N curious. Walking up the stairs she knocked on the door, waiting for Liara to answer.

“Who is it?” Liara called through the door.

“Liara? It’s Y/N. May I come in?” She bit her lip and waited patiently for permission to walk inside the room.

“Of course, your Highness,” Liara called out. “Please come in.”

Y/N opened the door and walked in. Even with the dim lighting in the room, she could tell Liara had been crying.

“Is everything okay? Are you in pain?” The princess rushed to her side and held her hands. “Liara, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” The mermaid chuckled, bringing both hands to her face to clean the tracks her tears had left. “Mostly the shock that I actually made it here.”

“Bobby knew Thames,” Y/N whispered. “He asked about her when he saw my bracelet. I take it you had to give him bad news about her. He left looking sad.”

“He didn’t mention her. I just went on and on about what Michael had done.”

“Oh,” Y/N said as she looked down at her hands. “Liara, you did mention that Thasman’s mother fell in love with a human. Did she ever mention if he knew her secret?”

“I--” Liara swallowed the lump in her throat. “I can’t recall.”

“Liara please,” the princess all but pleaded. “I need to know. I--” the princess bit her lip, “I ended things with Dean but it feels wrong. I feel empty. I-- I want to tell him. I want him to know who and what I really am.”

The scroll keeper shook her head softly. “You can’t, Y/N.”

“But why?” she whispered. “Why can’t I tell him? He is a good man, Liara. And I-- I love him so much. I want him to know everything. I can’t keep it a secret any longer and the only other alternative is to distance myself from him, but I don’t think I can.”

“You can’t, you have a duty to your people once we regain the kingdom,” The scrollkeeper reminded her. “You and Thasman--”

“I already want to abdicate,” Y/N said. “I am not going to marry Thasman. I can’t. He is my friend and I don’t see him like that. He won the tournament, he can be king, but I will not be his queen.”

“But, Y/N, Thasman –”

“And he is the better choice! He is of both worlds, who better to bring our people out of the darkest depths than a merman who is from land and sea!” Y/N let out.

Liara sat up straight at the words the princess uttered. “What do you mean? How do you know this? Did Bobby say anything?”

“Bobby didn’t say anything.” Y/N proceeded cautiously. “Thasman didn’t go into the water for a week, Roan and I would only last three days at most.” She sent a suspicious look in Liara’s direction. “Why are you so concerned about that?”

“Nothing,” Liara took a breath. “I worry about him. I-- It’s impossible. Thasman is a full merman,” She continued the story. “His mother gave birth and she told me to care for him. His father died in your fathers service.”

“Liara you said you showed up when you first came to the palace and Thasman was given to you,” Y/N tilted her head at the scroll keeper. “I always wondered why the story changed and I thought it was just because Thasman’s mother may have contacted you before but…. Which is the truth?”

“This was decades ago, your Highness.” The mermaid insisted. “My memory is not as good as it once was.”

Y/N stood up and looked at Liara with wide eyes. “Who are you?” She shook her head. “You… you’ve been lying…”

“What are you talking about?”

Y/N reached over and pushed Liara’s hair out of the way. There flashing on the nape of her neck appearing and disappearing, the mark of Poseidon.

“Aunt Thames,” The princess whispered. “It’s you.”

The mermaid’s eyes widened, hands reaching up to grab at her hair and taking a look at it. Gone was the dull blonde shade of her hair, replaced by a vibrant yellowish gold.

“You’ve been lying to us,” Y/N growled as she shook her head. “All these years you’ve been hiding in plain sight.” Her eyes widened, “Thasman.” She whispered. “Is his mother really dead? Or did she just lie to him all of his life?”

Thames was now frozen in horror, only able to stare at the Princess wide eyed. Her mouth would move, trying to find the words, an explanation, but nothing seemed to come out. Y/N looked at her aunt and shook her head in anger. She could feel the anger bubble in her chest and electricity flow through her.

“You will answer the questions,” Y/N boomed, using her royal voice. “And tell the truth, now.”

“I only wanted to protect him,” She all but whispered. “I couldn’t be Thames, and I couldn’t come back here.”

“Why?” Y/N seethed. “Why couldn’t you?”

“If I stayed in the kingdom and had a child before my tournaments, it would’ve provoked outrage amongst the participants. War worthy outrage. I couldn’t hide on the surface either, I had no means to live here and I had no way of knowing if we would’ve been safe.”

“Wouldn’t Bobby have kept you safe?” She asked. “He loves you, Thames. I saw it in the way he talks about you. The way he was scared that you were dead.”

“Robert Singer is nothing but angry at me, and with good reason I suppose. For a moment,” Thames swallowed the lump in her throat. “For a moment I was scared that he would reject us. I wasn’t thinking rationally and I just disappeared. Using the magic I learned I hid myself. Had Thasman and in the blanket of night I left him at the door of the archives hiding his mark.”

“You would have let him marry me?” The princess covered her mouth. “He is-- How could you?”

“Of course I wasn’t going to let you two get married! I was trying to find a loophole, some way you could be pulled out of that arrangement.”

“You knew there wasn’t one! I-- I’m going to tell Dean. I must.” Y/N made her decision. “You told Bobby. I’m going to tell Dean. And I am going to do what you couldn’t.”

“Princess Y/N, I never stopped searching. I couldn’t. And regarding your human, who knows how he is going to react? Or what he will do after you tell him?”

“I will risk it,” she shook her head. “If you could do it, so can I. I’m also going to tell Thasman. He deserves to know!”

“No!” Thames pleaded. “I’ll tell him. As much as I know he will hate me-- I will tell him.”

Y/N crossed her arms, unbelieving. “When?”

“Soon, I promise,” Thames said. “I need to compose myself and see how I tell him. Please your highness, I am begging you. Let me tell him.”

“Bobby said you would be as good as new by tomorrow. If Thasman has not learned the truth by the time the sun sets, I’ll tell him everything myself.”

“Yes your highness,” Thames whispered as fresh tears rolled down her face. “I’m sorry, my niece. I have caused you and your cousin pain, but I had no idea what to do. I was scared and with child. Please forgive me.”

“I’m not the one you have to apologize to, Aunt.” The Princess mumbled now, tired.

Thames nodded at her niece’s words and took a deep breath. “It was because he was caring, and kind. And he found out by accident.” she muttered.

The Princess paused and looked at her Aunt. “How did he find out?”

“It was one of the days before I had to take a dip. With the bracelet you now have, you know you must go back every month. Well, I did not have the kind parents you have, little starfish.” She reached over and smiled when Y/N allowed her to hold her hand. “So I had to return to the Ocean and I had promised to be back. But I forgot this shell I used to put on my hair and he followed me.”

“What did you do?” Y/N asked, leaning in.

“Well,” Thames took in a deep breath and leaned back onto the pillow. “He was waiting for me in the cave. He had set up a fire and sleeping bag and waited.”

“What did you do?” Y/N was now curious. The way her aunt's face lit up at the memory showed that she still loved Bobby very much.

“At first, I wrestled him,” Thames let out a chuckle. “I thought he was going to capture me in a bag and take me away.” She let out a sigh. “That is until he took my face in his hands and kissed me. It took my breath away,” She looked down at the flower pattern on the bed sheet. “I loved him more for accepting me for who I am,” she looked up at her niece. “If you tell this Dean who you are,” she paused to lick her lips. “Then you must be absolutely sure that he will not cause you harm, my Sweetshell.”

“I can feel it in my scales, Li-- Aunt Thames,” Y/N sighed as she licked her lips. “Does my father know you’re alive?”

“He does,” she confirmed. “He knew the day Thasman got hurt. I must have let my guard down when I saw what happened to Thasman. I never wanted it to be like this. But we are where we are and we must fix things.”

“I want to venture to the kingdom Michael is from,” Y/N said. “I don’t care how dangerous it is. I need to know. They need to know.”

“I advise against it, sweetshell,” Thames said. “But I can see you are dead set on doing it.” Shifting up against the headboard, she smiled, “Now, tell me. What has changed on the surface?”

Y/N smiled as she leaned in and began filling in her aunt on all the things that she discovered. From the phones with cameras, to computers, and even the new cars. Y/N filled Thames in on everything she could think of, even going so far as to tell her aunt about the birthday party. By the end of the night, Y/N felt slightly better. Heading to her room, she looked out the window to see Dean’s Impala was not in the house. With a frown, she wondered where he could be.

I know how this looks but I promise you all that everything will be worth it once y’all read the next few chapters <3.

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uwuwriting · 4 years

Text

Homesick recordings

This is the first part of my 1.5K celebration. I present to you the sequel to “Moments in the life of Y/N L/N”, the angstiest piece of trash I’ve ever written. Thank you 1.5 K guys it means a lot, thank you for being here and reading my crap writing and thank you for supporting my blog. Love ya 💖💖💖

masterlist II rules

When Y/N learns that her little girl is gonna leave for high school she suggests she tries recording herself when she’s feeling homesick. Sky believes that she won’t need it but as time passes she realizes that she might need her mom more than expected.

Monday, April 4th 20XX

“Okay so how do I do this exactly? *camera falls from its spot* Ah crap crap Jesus! Is it still working? Yep yep it is there’s my ugly face hehe. God why is my hair like that? Anyways um…. Hi, I guess? Do you say hi to a recording? This is weird to say the least. Today was the first day of school as you might have guessed and it was ….awkward. I got lost in that huge building twice and I ignored some kids by accident because they called me by my last name! I’m used to people referring to you when they say our last name ugh this is gonna take some time getting used to. The teacher is ....unique. He came into our classroom in a yellow sleeping bag and proceeded to worm around the room like a caterpillar. I don’t think he is the really giddy giddy fun teacher; he wrecked us during training. Gave us a freaking heart attack with a so called prank he pulled. *exasperated sigh* Who says that you’ll be expelled if you score last?? I don’t get it!! His name is Aizawa-sensei and I already believe he doesn’t like me. He stared at me for a solid five minutes with a frown on his face during training. If I’m being honest he was watching me the whole day which is kinda weird. I don’t know how to take that. Is he interested in my quirk or is he asking himself why they put me in his class? I can hear his voice saying ‘why do they keep sending me imbeciles?’. Well mister you can’t get rid of me now I got in and I’m staying! HA! *bang on the wall* YO SKY KID KEEP IT DOWN MAN! SORRY TOYOMI-SAN…..That was one of my roommates….She is a social worker I think. Oh I almost forgot, the apartment I found is nice. It deserves its price I mean. But you already know that since I called you once I got back from school…. See why this is stupid??? I’ll keep telling you things you already know because I have Alzheimer and I don’t remember what you know. *sigh* Oh well I guess you’ll have to endure this torture, you are my mother after all and I’m your precious only daughter so what can you do really? I finished my costume design. It turned out pretty cool, I like it. The jacket you suggested makes it ten times better. I look like a pilot. Well technically I am a pilot. I pilot clouds and now that you’re not here to scold me when I’m flying around I’ll take full advantage of it. You can’t stop me mother! Anyways, it’s getting late and I have school tomorrow so I’ll end this here. I don’t know when I’ll record next…. Most likely when I’m feeling home sick again. Haha it's the first day away from home and I’m already missing you and those two idiots. *soft snort* Goodnight mom, love you.” *recording ends*.

Wednesday, April 27th 20XX

“Hello again, it’s me, your neighborhood cripple. *wince* You could say I’m a sight for sore eyes because I’m sore all over. You’ve seen the attack on the news. Of course you have, everyone’s shaming UA high for lack of security. Why you haven’t called me yet is a mystery, I guess you’re at work? And before you start throwing a tantrum about me not calling first and blah blah, I wanted to record this first, let you see the actual injuries before I minimize them when I call you. *stares off* Something weird happened during the attack. Apart from the fact that well we were attacked and our homeroom teacher was almost beaten into a pulp, the villains were ….. interesting. When they first appeared I was teleported by this minecraft portal looking ass to another part of the USJ and to be honest I kicked some serious ass. That *wince* that was not the weird thing. While I was fighting I saw Aizawa-sensei facing some type of giant ostrich? Although that that thing wasn’t an ostrich…. I don’t know what it was but mom it was terrifying. *visible shiver* It just grabbed him and mopped the floor with him and I just couldn’t sit there and do nothing. So I went to help or at least that was my goal. That person who teleported me at the beginning tried to do it again and I may have snapped a little bit. I got so angry when he moved me to the other side of the arena that for a moment I totally forgot about what was happening. While I was fighting him his quirk kinda connected with mine. It was strange. Every time I shot a cloud at him the mist that surrounded him kinda engulfed it. It wasn’t only happening to me. I could manipulate his mist. Not every time just like he couldn’t sabotage my clouds every time, but it still happened. I don’t know why it happened or how it happened and I have no idea what I’m gonna do about it. Maybe it was part of his quirk but it didn’t happen to anyone else…..*wince* God I have a headache. *chuckle* You do realize you are never going to see these videos right? Seeing me like this would send you into a comma and then you would come back to haunt me and my classmates. Anyways, I’ll call you and then I’m going to sleep. Love ya mom.” *recording ends*

Tuesday, June 3rd 20XX

“*walking back and forth in her room* You know how I said that Bakugou is a really fun person to tease? Well that was before he exposed me to the whole class.*laugh* In reality I’m not really mad, it was a nice comeback and if I’m being honest it was hilarious but it was still a shocker. We were going back and forth with that tik tok challenge where you expose your friend’s flaws. So I was standing there pointing out his superiority complex when he dropped the bomb…… ‘It’s the daddy issues for me’......THIS KID. THE AUDACITY. I thought my daddy issues were kept on the down low!!! I’ve done nothing to trigger this comment!! Sure I may or may not have told Mina that you raised me alone and about that counselor incident but that doesn’t mean I have daddy issues. *grumble* You need to have a dad to have daddy issues. Ughh God I hate him sometimes so very much. Thankfully the summer camp is tomorrow. I’ll get to wipe the floor with him in volleyball. I’m gonna draw those anger issues out…. I need some air. *three hours later* I’m back… yay. It’s weird to think about it you know. What you must have gone through when he passed. I know you don’t really like talking about him or anything before I came along but I would love to know what he was like. I’m not gonna ask you in real life of course, I would never do that to you. I know it hurts. I just wanted to say it out loud…*barely audible sniffle* … Well this got sentimental real quick. I think I should go to bed. I love you mom, goodnight.” *recording ends*

Friday, March 14th 20XX

“Of all the things that could’ve happened, this one was the last one on my list. Actually it wasn’t even on the freaking list, dammit! *sniffle* You know things like this don’t happen to everyone. I must be a really lucky person. Tell me one other person who gets to meet their dead parent in a high surveillance prison?? And above that I got an explanation why he was like this. Amazing right? God this is so stupid! I hate it. I hate this situation, I hate that I can’t tell you about it, I hate keeping you in the dark because at the end of the day I’m not the one who was in love with him. He may be my dad but I don’t have a connection with him! I never met him! He wasn’t there when I started walking or talking, he wasn’t the one who dropped me off on the first day of school, he didn’t teach me how to ride a bike, he-he * sob* I shouldn’t-shouldn’t be upset over this. Aizawa-sensei and Present Mic should be the ones sobbing on their floor. Not me. He doesn’t - I don’t- ugh - I don’t mean anything to him in the end. He died 15 years ago. That’s it. He was in love with you, he knew you, I was nowhere to be found. If he could reach out to us more than just a few words he wouldn’t know who the hell I was. *sobs* I have a picture of you two you know….It’s the one I had found when I was five. When you told me that that was my dad I felt like I could form a connection with the person in that photo. So I kept it, you never went through your old photo albums anyway and you never looked for the missing photo. And I kept it with me. I tore a small pocket in my backpack and put the photo there. I thought that having both of you with me at all times would bring me luck. I liked the fact that I looked like him. Now I realize how painful that must have been for you, seeing him in me everyday….and Aizawa-sensei, god, having me in his class must have been torture. He didn’t know that I was his friend’s daughter of course but I looked enough like him to bring back memories. God this sucks…. *deep breathes* I-I have practice so I gotta go. Love you.” *recording ends*

Thursday, March 20th 20XX

“Hi, it’s me again. I know that I’m recording almost a week after the previous one but… mom I have been assigned a mission and it’s major. It’ll be an attack at a hospital where we believe that experiments are being conducted. We got that information from um what do I call him? *shakes head* from a prisoner in Tartarus, the high surveillance prison I was at last week? Yeah that one. The mission will be really dangerous, that’s what we’ve been told and I can understand that. I mean we are attacking a major operation of AFO, of course it’ll be dangerous. Since we are students we are to stay away from the hospital and monitor the surrounding area but…. I asked Present Mic to go with them in the hospital. I can help keep things in place and I can move people in and out quicker than any of them, plus this is personal. I think Present Mic understands that. He said he’ll talk to Aizawa-sensei about it but regardless….. I’ll find who did that to him, I promise you that. I want to know if...if this was all some grand plan because what they did to him they did to dozens other people and as much as I hate them for taking my father away, I also hate them for what they’ve done to all those other families…… I’m recording this because I don’t know if I come back in one piece or if I come back at all. This is very dangerous and we don’t really know what to expect. What we are getting ourselves into. I wanted to say thank you. Thank you for giving me everything that I needed in life. Thank you for being the best mom anyone could ever have. You raised me by pushing your own sadness and grief to the side and doing the best job you could. So thank you for being my mom and I’m sorry for the pain I caused you. I love you mom, so very much. Bye, bye mommy.” *recording ends.*

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antique-teacups · 4 years

Text

sunshine in L.A.

A/N: kind of an original character piece but also not entirely. i just was having a great time writing! hope you folks enjoy!

word count: 3k

There was something about her twenties that never felt quite right, worn like a sweater a size to large. She watched as her friends floated from relationships and friendships seamlessly, while she felt caught. In what exactly, she wasn’t sure. Part of her hoped with time that feeling would fade, become background static instead of pumping along with her heartbeat. Going with the current, she did exactly what was expected of her. Attended college, albeit a community college, but college none the less. Part time work covered what financial aid wouldn’t, even scraping enough together to buy a beater car.

Time drifted on and the feeling stayed, haunting and hollow. Avoiding the problem didn’t lessen its size but it never grew. In the back of her mind constantly. Social media was the worst part, watching her friends flourish and flower, while it took everything in her to remain sane and present. Two years flew by in the blink of an eye and she were left with a tiny degree she was not sure she really wanted. When the opportunity did present itself, she knew it was one she could not possibly pass up.

She knew that even in L.A these demons could surface but maybe the constant sun could choke them out. Packing her meager belongings into the back of her car, she pointed it in the direction of L.A. Whether she actually ended up in the sunshine state wasn’t the point, but rather, it was to get out. Stop the cycle before it became the only focal point of her life. It took longer than it should’ve, she passed the days slowly. Each spent behind the wheel simply heading west.

L.A. was a zoo. She worked your way through the city with fascination and hopefulness. She was certain of one thing and uncertain of many. She hoped to write but was willing to do just about anything to make money. Well, just about anything, she still harbored some self-respect.

L.A. had of a way of worming its way into your heart, no matter how shitty people made it seem. Each self-respecting L.A citizen hated the city as much as they loved it. She found a decent studio apartment, managed to get a job as a barista quickly, and spent the first month slinging caffeine in the daytime and writing into the wee hours of the morning. Cash was always tight, considering she did live in one of the most expensive cities, but there was semblance of happiness. It was clawing it’s way in on the edges of her life.

The customers were not particularly strange, at least not always. There were a couple of memorable moments, but most days passed by in monotony. She knew customers by their orders, not names. These small moments between the register and picking up their coffee offered she a small window into their world. These hints they dropped left her wondering about their lives outside their order and these four walls. Who were these people who flocked to the shop like cattle to slaughter?

She certainly played favorites, every barista did, with both customers and coworkers. There were those who made the days a little brighter. The first was her coworker James. Somewhere in his twenties like her but an old soul. He came to work in sweaters, cooper rimmed circular glasses, and disheveled hair on the daily. He was welcoming and warm and chased away some of the darkness.

The two of them became instant friends. He would wait after work to hang out, get drinks on the weekend, and spend Sunday brunch complaining about his hangover. At first, she was confronted with the concern that maybe he was worming into her life in hopes of it ending in a relationship, but as soon as she met his boyfriend Scott, that fear was put to rest. In a way, she chose the two of them as family. She spent countless hours with them, at ease with the way things were.

In James, she confided most of her fears and a lot of her guilt. The backstory of her life surprising him but explaining the front she put up. Tragedy often bores the strongest soldiers. In the year she had been in L.A, James helped her pick up the pieces and put herself together, an unrepayable favor. Thanksgiving was right around the corner and she were destined to spend it with James and Scott.

“James, I’m running to the grocery store after work and if you play your cards right there might just be a bottle of Prosecco with your name on it.” she joked over the espresso machine, a sly smile on her lips. James and her always bantered at work, often to the amusement of the customers and other coworkers.

James matches her smile, “Oh honey, you act like I would actually need to play my cards to get it, I’ve got you wrapped around my finger.” He chuckles and turns back to the drawer. The day was getting late, closing time just mere hours away. She was practically counting down the hours till she could curl up on his couch and binge “New Girl”, the new obsession for the two of them.

“I like to pretend it’s the other way around, but I would admit you are right, James. But besides that, anything else?” she asked, hardly looking at him. There was unspoken communication between you two most days, a glance could tell a story. “I was thinking pizza this fine Wednesday night. But I’m certainly open to suggestions.”

“And break the Wednesday night pizza tradition, how absurd!” James feigns hurt, a hand over his heart and concerned expression painting his face. “The table is already set, we can’t go making changes now, silly girl.”

“Then pizza and prosecco it is. Perfect.” She giggled and sent a curt nod in his direction. The entire conversation was an open invitation for him to change the plans, but he never did. Wednesday night was always reserved for the two of them. They devoured pizza and whatever show they were working on. It was sacred to them both.

The rest of the day passed quickly, the sun just barely setting when she and James locked the shop doors. A brief hug and a quick exchange of words and the two of them were off in opposite directions. A pit stop at the grocery store and then to James’ place. He would order the pizza in, as per tradition. Tasked with grabbing the drinks and whatever bits she needed, she would be to his place shortly.

Her car sat tucked in the back lot, warm from sitting in the sun. Cranking the window open once she had climbed inside, turning on the radio, she set off to the grocery store. It was smaller than most that scattered around L.A, which is why it was her favorite. She did not have to fight the yoga obsessed mothers to get through the aisles or hope the hipsters didn’t pick through the all the good stuff before she got a chance to be there. The old man, who she assumed owned it, knew her by name. Often, he would gift products just a day out of date to her. He did save your ass more than once.

“Charles, what’s the good word for today?” She asked, swinging the door open and nabbing a basket.

Smiling, he gushed, “I beat the finalist in Jeopardy today, but I’m here and he’s there,” shrugging he went on, “I put some of those cookies you like in the back, they went out of date yesterday, Dandelion.” Charles had been using the nickname since she had started coming here. She was totally convinced he had to be her guardian angel. When she asked him where it came from, his response surprised her. “Like the weed, you always come back. You are full of fire and strong. I can see it.” She felt partial to this grocery store. She ended up here for a reason.

“Great, I was craving something sweet all day. Remind me, I have got something for you in my bag before I go. Don’t worry, nothing poisonous.” Jokingly she added.

Charles had a love for Jim Harrison. Often when she was browsing at old bookstores or garage sale’s she would stumble across one for him. He probably owned nearly every single book published by Harrison, but always acted thankful and surprised when she presented him with another. She wanted to make sure he knew how much she appreciated him in a way of more than just saying thank you.

She scanned the aisles looking for the familiar packaging of her favorites. She hardly noticed the boy till she had practically run into his back.

“Another one in Charles good graces, a rare species.” He teased.

Chuckling, “That must mean there are people on Charles bad side, which I highly doubt.” He was home strung, as far as she could tell. Clean cut and not looking for a lot of attention, judging by his all black attire. “I’m assuming you’re one of the lucky ones, too.” She implored.

“Thankfully, I have managed to make my way into one of his chosen few. Even without it, I would still come here. This is the only grocery store where I don’t have to cross my fingers and hope all the good stuff isn’t picked over. Charles seems to have a force field to keep this place hidden. Certainly, the best kept secret of L.A.,” he pauses, searching your face, “you work at the coffee shop on Sunset, Eight-Fold Coffee, right?”

“Guiltily is charged, Mr. iced latte with almond milk,” tapping your temple, “steel trap. I only know people’s drinks, not their names, sorry. I was wondering if you looked familiar or if it was just the lighting.”

Extending a hand, cheekily responding, “David. The name’s David Dobrik, or iced latte if you please.” His smile was easy and charming, you couldn’t help but stare. His entire posture oozed ease, you couldn’t quite decide if he was trying to flirt or simply be friendly. Of course, that wonderful friend called self-doubt started to crawl its way into your chest, so it was time to go.

Flashing him what you hoped was a friendly parting smile, “Y/N. Y/N Y/L/N. It was nice finally meeting in more than just an ‘iced latte with almond milk’ kind of way. I’ll see you around. I have promised the roommate a night in and if I don’t come through, the world might stop turning.” Turning on her heel, tossing David a small wave, she headed for the register. All the things she needed forgotten.

She set the single bottle on the counter and wait for Charles to ring it up. Silence elapses, you lost entirely in your own thoughts.

“Dandelion?”

“Huh, what?” she missed what he asked, cheeks flushing at him catching her in dreamland.

“Lots on your mind today?” Charles inquired, a knowing look on his face.

Smiling and rolling her eyes, “I respect the fishing for a morsel of mind but maybe when inquiring minds aren’t near.” she winks. Digging in your bag, she pulls the book for him, Returning to Earth, out. “I found it at a garage sale this weekend and thought you could add to your collection. But this one, is to expand your horizons.” She pulls The Pleasures of the Damned by Charles Bukowski out. “I’ll need it back but keep it as long as you need, I know where to find you. See you around Charles.” She pays and get ready to go, sneaking one last glance in David’s direction. Grabbing onto her bag with the prosecco and cookies tucked in, she heads for the doors. One last look to the aisles and she can see David still tucked amongst them, scouring for something in the sea. A shake of her head and she is out the doors.

Tossing the bag in the passenger seat, she meanders down the streets towards James. A stampede of thoughts about David comes and goes. It was just mutual acknowledgement that the two of them did in fact kind of know each other. Yet, she found herself wondering if she should tell James about him, see if he had any insight on the guy. The thought felt foolish considering it was just a run in at the grocery store, nothing more.

Charles knew more about her then he let on. He knew her heart was kind but had been through a lot, he knew you were loyal and strong, but he knew also knew when her heart would tell you who to let in. David did not need much from that grocery store, mostly some alone time. His inquiring mind also wanted some more information on the barista who stole his breath away. As he left that day, Charles told him something he would carry with him for a while. “People like her, they guard their hearts, but hers is golden. It won’t always be shut.”

Opening the door to James and Scott’s apartment, she could smell the pizza. Her mouth was already watering. James rounded the corner into view between the small kitchen and living.

“I was beginning to wonder if you bailed.” He poked.

“On you, never.” Rolling her eyes.

“I am almost flattered.” He made for the bag in her hand, noticing the cookies right away. “Charles treats you like your one of his own grand kids. One of the people placed on that golden list.”

“About Charles coveted list, I ran into a guy from the coffee shop. David? Iced latte with almond milk, dresses like an unemployed ninja. Do you know anything about him?” She asked trying to keep the hopeful tone from her voice.

James searches her face before continuing. “A sudden interest in a customer, more like prominent interest. I’ve noticed the favorites you play with him.” He flashes you a joking grin. “I don’t know much about him honestly. I’ve heard whisperings from the other baristas that he has some youtube channel, not much else. He seems nice.” Bumping his shoulder with hers, “It wouldn’t hurt if you tried to be friends with him. It’s not a crime to branch out. I would not be insulted if you did. I worry that maybe you don’t because I take up a lot of your time.”

“Certainly not, you take up a perfect amount of my time. I just, remember how hard it is for me to be friends with people, I guess. I am a lifelong hermit. Plus, if he’s doing that whole ‘social media career’, he might not be the kind of friend I want.” Socializing was never her strong suit and if David’s preferred choice was blasting his life across the platforms, maybe she would take a pass.

The two of you vegged out on the couch way past what was a reasonable time, both scheduled to open tomorrow. He was on her mind all night, the little she knew about him had her mind doing circles. He seemed innocent enough, a good guy if Charles liked him.

The sun shown through the windows all morning, bringing a warming light to the coffee shop. All day you hoped he would pop in, yet, it went unanswered. Clocking out, she nabbed her notebook and a mug of coffee, making her way to the bank of windows along the window. She tried to keep her mind from wandering, yet it seemed impossible. Perhaps she scared him off.

“I figured you were a writer. Nobody suggests poetry books, Bukowski especially, unless they are a writer. Or terribly sad, but judging by the notebook, I’d say the first.” David said, standing next to you bathed in the afternoon sun. He looked as though he just woke up but in a delicious way. His hair was messy and his eyes warm. She could not help but bath in the light emanating from him.

A small smile spread on her lips, “You’re a fan?”

“I saw it on Charles counter on my out yesterday. A simple Google Search did the trick. Guy seems kind of dark for you.” A blush plays on David’s cheeks. “I was hoping to run into you today. Listen, me and my friends are going to this party tonight, would you be interested?”

“Uh,” glancing behind the counter you see James shaking his yes vigorous, “sure, why not?” It seemed in David’s presence, the hole in her chest seemed to lessen some.

#david x reader #david dobrik #davids vlogs #david dobrik imagine #david dobrik x reader #vlog squad #vlog sqaud #i mostly write vlog squad

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littleredroseonthevalley · 6 years

Text

Wildest Dreams

Summary: A New Year’s. A wedding reception. Two parties, set apart in time, spell a begining and an end in Emily’s life.

Rating: M - Not suitable for children or teens below the age of 16 with non-explicit suggestive adult themes, references to some violence, or coarse language.

Notes: Hello, everyone! I wanted to do a Nathan piece for weeks now, especially after The Big Reveal on TJ. My first attempt was ‘An Opera on Separation’, but Zig ended up worming his way there and it turned out to be less about Nathan and more about Emily getting over Nathan and ending up on the arms of Ziggy-Pop himself.

Then, last Thursday, I heard ‘Wildest Dreams’ by Taylor Swift while trying to come up for a new number for my dance crew and it really inspired me!

Oh, and a fair warning, this is NOT a part of ‘An Opera on Separation’ universe. This is a completely separate one-shot. Perhaps I ought to take a page from my fellow authors and change the MC’s name, but I tend to prefer the default name for reasons.

And I used the ‘An Opera on Separation’ taglist. Sue me.

Emily was leaning against a wall and wishing she was dead.

Who the Hell decides to break with someone just outside a Starbucks? On the day before Christmas Eve, no less?

Emily’s ex does.

She sighed once more. Her holidays were miserable over it, as her family expected her to bring her significant other to the feast. Showing up alone was right depressive.

Returning to work on the 26th hadn’t been any easier, as somehow the entire office building where she worked as a secretary ended up figuring out about her shameful break-up before lunch hour. That certainly thwarted her hopes of having at least half a day of peace.

Consequentially, all her colleagues insisted terribly for her to attend the building’s New Year’s Eve party, as a way to ‘get back on the horse’, so to speak.

She pushed back as hard as she could, but she ended up caving. She supposed she could hang around until ten or so, have some cheap liquor and leave to spend midnight the way God intended.

Drunk and alone on her bed.

What the young woman did not count on was the fact that the hours between eight and ten would be Chinese torture in form of a company gathering.

Everyone around her seemed to be drunk on the sad excuse for champagne the company had provided, and the friskier were coupling up in bizarre pairings, like Crystal, the sour receptionist, and Dan, the Porno King from accounting.

Those scenes of moral decadence only served to further Emily’s depression. Despite attending a prestigious university and having academic honours, she was stuck at the same dead-end job as the woman who seemingly collected chocolate wrappings on her desk drawer.

Corporate America was a soul-sucking monster and that girl was out of soul to give.

Feeling claustrophobic, the woman unlatched herself from her spot on the wall and walked over to the balcony for some air. The place was thankfully devoid of people, except for a blond guy who was smoking and leaning against the railing.

She considered leaving, but the idea of returning to the crowd was enough for giving her a small anxiety attack. No, if she hung out on the opposite end as him, perhaps he wouldn’t notice, or would pick up the cue and leave her be.

And it worked for a while, she could sit down on the dirty floor and stretch her aching legs. The man finishes his cigarette and picks another one from his suit jacket and tries to light it, to no avail.

He sighed loudly and seemed to curse under his breath. He, then, turned to her and said, amicably: “Hi-ya.”

She looks over to him and takes a moment to realize he’s talking to her. Then, she responds with a lazy: “Hey.”

“Do you have some fire?” He asks, rather supplicant. “My lighter seems to have given up on me.”

��No, sorry. Non-smoker.” The woman answers, still wishing for the man to go away.

“Such is my luck. Perhaps it’s a sign that I smoked way too much today. It’s a nasty habit, but I never had it in me to stop.” He snorts, anxious. “What brings you to the smoking area?”

She looked at him, confused. “This is the smoking area?”

“Yep.” He popped the p and pointed to the ash dispensers around the balcony. “I’ll go ahead and say you wanted a break from all that inside.”

The young woman sported a small side smile over the comment. “Pretty much. And to stay out of Crystal line of sight. After she’s done with Dan, she’ll have nothing else to lose.”

“Dan still works here?” The blond asks, more to himself, surprised. “I was sure he’d be fired after all the data leaking.”

“You and me both, pal.” She says, while sipping her beverage. “ The virus got into the system through one of his porn movies, after all.”

“I think whom you really should look out for is Marcia from HR. I saw her pulling a busboy into a closet some half an hour ago. That woman is insatiable!” The guy bemoans, well-humored.

Emily raises a well-kept eyebrow, throws a smirk and says: “You speak out of experience?”

He laughs. “Jesus, no. It wasn’t over her lack of interest, though.”

“How conceited!” She accused, smiling. “I’m Emily, by the way.”

He also smiled, charmingly. “Nathan. Nice to meet you.”

“Nathan? Like the boss?” She asks, curious.

“You know the CEO?” He responds, surprised.

She nods. “Well, yeah, I’m one of his secretaries.”

“Ah, cool.” He shakes his fair head. “Life-long dream of being a secretary?”

The statement was ridiculous enough to drag a loud laughter out of the girl. “No way. I’m a writer. Well, I was a writer.”

“What happened?” He asks, taking a seat next to her.

“It happened no one wanted to pick up my manuscript. Then I tried to self-publish, but that fell through pretty quickly.” She sighed. “After that, I decided to cut my losses and had a friend wire me with this gig. So here I am.”

He grimaces. “I’m sorry for that. If it makes you feel better, I always wanted to be an anthropologist, but my dad thought going on field studies resembled too much a vagabond lifestyle and argued that corporate law would be much more my speed. And so, here I am, and guess what?”

“What?”

“Corporate law sucks.” They laugh.

“It does make me feel a little better.” She pokes.

“Well, I’m glad my misery is amusing to you.” The man smirks with his shiny pearly teeth.

“What brings you to this disgrace of a party?” Emily asks, blunt.

“It was a pretty good excuse not to attend my parents’ disgrace of a party.” He responds with a shrug. “You?”

“Some of the girls at the desk thought it’d be depressing for me to spend New Year’s alone, so they nagged me until I agreed to come.” She throws back an offending lock of hair.

He hummed. “That may be the reasoning of most of the people in here tonight.”

“Damn year ending on a Wednesday.” She huffs. “I suppose it’s fitting. A mediocre year ending on a mediocre day.”

“I’d drink to that.” The blond echoes.

“Cheers!” She raises her lonely red cup.

Emily was going all out for that party later tonight. She had only just left the hairdresser’s and was ready for putting on the dress, which hung at her closet door for over a week in anticipation for tonight.

The piece had been handpicked. She’d much prefer a Paco Rabane, but the evening required some demure, and so she went with a blue-and-gold, slit on the leg, Gucci ball gown and a matching clutch. The also blue high heels disguised her short stature and highlighted her lean legs.

Finally, the jewellery. She was covered in diamonds, from his earrings, neck and hands, everything was adorned with pieces which sported the precious gem. Even her hair was held up with an encrusted pin.

She put on the luxurious outfit and sat down to do her makeup. Supposedly, she could have had it done at the beauty parlour, but she rarely liked the results when she let others do it for her. Not to mention, she was rather disgusted with the shared brushes and products.

No, she was a dextrous woman. She could do it herself.

First, the base on her cheeks, to disguise small acne scars, some sun damage and the insistent swelling from the past few days. Then, a smidge of blush, for a healthy colouring. Emily was way too pale for her own good.

Next, the eyes. Eyeliner and mascara would make her eyes pop against the white, and now unmarred, skin. Then the mandatory red lipstick, carefully applied to her full lips.

It was a night event, she could humour herself and splurge a little with the products and not look like a clown.

When she was finally done, she picked up the clutch and checked her money, phone and documents. Then, fetching the car keys, left for the party.

“Have these naval charts approved by Tuesday, and have my car picked up from the shop first thing in the morning.” The greying-haired man ordered with little as much as a look to the young woman standing by his desk.

“Yes, Mr. Sterling, sir.” She nods and writes down his commands at her planner.

“You may go now, Emily.” He dismisses, and the girl excuses herself.

Closing the door with care, she returns to her seat at the desk she shares with two other secretaries, Kate and Jess.

“I don’t know how you can deal with that dick and keep that stupid smile on your face.” Jess mentions with a sneer.

Emily shrugged. “I’m happy these days. It won’t be Mr. Sterling who’ll pop my bubble.”

Kate scoffs, her sixth sense for a good piece of gossip tingling hard. “Happy, right. Just the other day you’re lamenting on the corners because of what’s-their-name. When we’ll know the name of this ‘happiness’ of yours?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The other responds but couldn’t contain the smirk.

“Yeah, sure!” Kate shouts and points accusingly. “You totally smiled. Come on! Please, please, please!”

“No! Just drop it.” Emily said, good-naturedly.

“Kate, Emily’s entitled to her secrets.” Jess said, not as much to defend her as to get the other girl to sit quiet. Emily never could understand why, but Jess was never much of her fan.

“Fine.” She huffed in response. “Meanie.”

The three women finished their shift and parted ways at the company’s doorstep. Emily walked over to the subway station with a skip on her step. She did not lie when she said she was very happy to be brought down these days.

Life was much too good when you’re in love.

Reaching her modest one-bedroom apartment, she quickly changed her clothes and put herself to work. Her boyfriend would be stopping by later tonight, and would stay for dinner, so Emily had to whip out a first-class meal and clean up the place by nine.

Dating her boss’ son was something that the redhaired did not planned for, it just happened, and it certainly took some adapting. Their relationship had to be kept under wraps, lest Jess and the other employees think she’d receive preferential treatment.

But it was worth it. When Nathan said he was actually Nathan Sterling, III, it shocked her. She felt rather betrayed, as he kept that slight detail for over a month of going out, and the ‘no-telling rule’ was rather uncomfortable.

But Nathan was also a caring, loving boyfriend. He makes her feel like a princess every day he’s with her. He called or texted three times a day, just to check on her and talk about their day. He showered with gifts, ranging from the romantic, like flowers, to the lavish, like diamonds, to the thoughtful, like a first-edition of her favourite childhood book, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’.

In the end, forfeiting bragging rights to Kate was a too small of a sacrifice. She loved Nathan, she wanted to be with him. Waiting until such time she could quit her miserable job for ‘coming out’ to her friends was absolutely worth it.

At exactly nine o’clock, a knock on the door jump-start Emily from the oven to skip over to the living room. She opens the door with a wide smile and says: “Hello!”

Nathan doesn’t say a thing, he prefers to let down the bags he’d been holding, picking up the woman by her waist and twirl her over the cramped living room, eliciting giggles from the redhead.

Reaching the middle of the room, he smiled broadly, kissed her nose and said: “Good evening, Emily. How you’re doing?”

“I’m fine. Better now.” She unwrapped herself from his arms. “Just sit down, I’ll finish dinner in a moment.”

“Great, I’m famished!” He says, boisterous. “By the way, I brought some wine.”

“I’ll grab the bottle opener.” She shouts from the kitchen.

Soon enough, Emily emerges with a carbonara, two glasses and a bottle opener and sets them on the table.

“And I brought another thing, as well.” The blond says, a wicked smile on his face.

The redhaired couldn’t help but smile over the man’s childish antics. “What is it?”

“Well, remember you said Tuesday you wanted to go out dancing?” He asks, but before she could answer, he continues. “I felt really guilty I couldn’t take you, BUT, I could bring an iPod and a sound box. So get ready, Em, ‘cause tonight we’re dancing on the hottest and most exclusive club in the city!”

Emily beamed at the surprise. She walks over to him and kisses him deeply, until them both are out of air. After they break apart, she says: “I love you.”

“I love you more.” He smirks and bends down to kiss her again.

She was up in the sky, and no-one would bring her down.

The party venue was a good two-hour drive from her place, across state lines. But it did not matter, Emily enjoyed driving on the highway, with the high speed cleansing her frustrations and the hustle-bustle of people driving across the land engaging her mind.

She enjoyed looking at the vehicles passing by, looking at the faraway license plates and conjecturing stories about its passengers, where they were going and from where they came.

The ferry that took her to Martha’s Vineyard was no less of an enjoyable experience, feeling the salty wind hitting her face and observing the great reddish-blue expanse of the ocean beyond the sound.

Once at the wealthy suburb, she drove to a small, wooded area near the country club. She decided to walk to the venue, her old, rusty and noisy Kia would certainly be too much of a difference from the imported, luxury cars that filled the valet service.

No, she was aiming a low profile that night, and that sky-blue old machine would not do.

The fifteen-minute walk from the gates to the main salon was harder than she expected, given the heels were less for movement and more for show. Her feet would remember this night tomorrow morning.

Emily reaches the ostentatious French doors at the club entrance and gives her invitation to the usher. The young man greets her with a smile and walks her over to her seat.

A server comes and offers her champagne, which she gracefully accepts a flute and made herself comfortable.

The party was about to start.

“Emily, please, say something.” Nathan pleaded, looking hurt at her while she just shrunk further within the couch. The woman was silently looking at the void for over fifteen minutes now.

“I think you should leave.” Emily complied, letting out the phrase in a hoarse voice.

He really wanted to fight, to scream, to stay and have her react. Even if it meant she would throw something pointy and hard at him.

But, in the end, the whole thing was breaking his heart as well and he was never one with high threshold for pain, so he complied to her wish and walked over to the door. Before stepping out, he turns back one last time and says: “Call me if you want to talk. Anytime.”

Emily did not respond. After Nathan shuts the door on his way out, she did not make a sound. She enjoyed the silence of the house, she noted the tiny steps of bugs in the kitchen, the dripping of raindrops on the windows and the leakage on the sink.

The first thought that hit her with some reasoning came who knows how later in the day, and it was a simple phrase.

Nathan’s engaged.

An arranged match, he said. Kassidy Marquez’s family controlled port infrastructure around the Gulf of Mexico, and it was a big move for a shipping company, as large as it was, still confined within the Northeastern Seaboard.

He came by that afternoon to tell her of his father’s decision, to have him wed the young girl. He confessed to know Kassidy from college, and to have casually dated her in the past, but assured Emily of his ‘undying love and devotion’.

Nathan also expressed his intentions to maintain a relationship between them, even on the event of his marriage.

She didn’t want to think about it. She couldn’t think about it now. She was out of breath, like she was drowning in dry land.

She just wanted to draw the drapes and pretend she was dead.

“Oh my, Emily, you’re such a delight!” The older woman says, laughing of something the girl had said.

“You’re too kind, Mrs. Franklin.” The redhead smiled politely.

“What’s your relation to the couple, again?” The other wonders, remembering she had not been told.

“Oh, I’m a working colleague of the groom’s.” She responded. “Speaking of which, it seems they’re ready to have their first dance. Would you care to accompany me?”

“I’m much too old!” The woman complains, good-naturedly. “Go along! I’ll see them from over here.”

“Please, Mrs. Franklin, you’re much too youthful to call yourself old. But if you excuse me, I love this part of weddings.” Emily stood up and walks over to the dancefloor, blending in with the crowd watching the newlywed couple.

The bride was a looker, with her long black hair and tanned skin, a shine on her eyes like a blushing virgin, that freshness of going on to a new life. Her luxurious and pristine Vera Wang dress highlighted the posture of a young aristocrat and flew through the room like a curtain dancing on the wind.

But if we’re judging by appearance, the groom was the pretty one. He looked every bit like a fairy tale prince, with his tall and lean frame, white skin as if he had never met the sun in his life, and the blond hair combed backwards. The suit was midnight black, perfectly tailored overseas, and with sapphire cufflinks to give a finishing shine of upper crust.

They twirled through the room the whole fifteen minutes of Blue Danube in flawless grace, and without breaking a sweat. Soon after, they started the rounds through the guest tables, to receive the congratulations from the various guests.

A good hour later, when Nathan and Kassidy reach table 13, which contained the looser relatives on the Sterling family, they are greeted by the recently-widowed Great-Aunt Susett Franklin.

“Oh, my darlings!” She kisses each of their kisses, much to the displeasure of Kassidy. “Congratulations on the nuptials! It is such a wonderful adventure, and I hope yours to be filled with bliss and bounty.”

“Thank you, Aunt Susett.” Nathan says, politely. “How do you like the party? I hope you’re not feeling too alone out here.”

She laughs, dismissively. “Not at all! Emily has been keeping me in good company the entire party. Lovely girl, that one.”

Kassidy made a face. “Emily? I don’t remember an Emily at the guest list.”

“I don’t think you’ve met her, honey. She says she’s Nathan’s colleague, from work.” The older woman comments, in passing. “A shame you’ve come by just when she left to freshen up. She seemed so eager to congratulate you!”

A cold shiver shot through Nathan’s back. It couldn’t be, could it? After months of silence, she wouldn’t come to great lengths to attend the reception. However, he certainly did not know any other Emily, lest one who worked for him.

His ocean-blue eyes run through the venue, looking for that unmistakeable red hair.

And, then, he sees her.

She looked as beautiful as ever, with the dress and the accessories he had gifted her over the months of their relationship. But her eyes were different, they seemed dead and filled with tears.

She set her sights on him and seemed to pierce his soul with it and all he wanted to do was scream.

But it did not last long, as on the next second she turns around and leaves the party.

The blond muster some stupid excuse and dashes after her, not caring what anyone would think or say. He underestimates a seasoned woman on heels with a very good reason to run, as he couldn’t find her on the hallway by the salon, nor at the entrance hall to the country club.

Nathan would only be able to catch up under a willow, a short walk from the main gateway of the club. “Emily! Emily, wait!” He says, and reaches for her arm, pulling her close and forcing her to face him. “What are you doing here?”

“I came for the free booze. What do you think I was doing?!” The redhead shouts to his face. “I was torturing myself like the idiot I am.”

“You’re not an idiot.” He responded, severe. “Why didn’t you call me? I’d come to you.”

The woman scoffed, incredulous. “And drop your wedding?”

“I dropped it now, didn’t I?” He shoots her a side smirk, trying to dispel her hostility, to no avail.

“Don’t do that!” She shouts. “Don’t try to charm your way out of this. It won’t work.”

He sighed. “Okay. But I can honestly say I really missed you.”

“It. Won’t. Work.” She repeated.

The blue-eyed man shrugged. “It’s no trick, but believe what you want. Why you’re here?”

“I thought I needed to see it for myself.” She declared, her voice wavering. “Shock therapy, I guess. To force myself to let go.”

“You know you don’t have to if you don’t want it.” He looked pleadingly at the woman, who stood tense and straight like the willow next to them. “I love you. I want you. We can make this work if we really want to.”

“Look, Nathan, I get why you did what you did. I get that you left me for Kassidy, and that what we had wouldn’t have a future. But don’t ask me to be a part of your Boston Brahmin fantasy.” She shot him a look. “If you can’t be in it for the whole thing, at least let me find someone who is.”

The reality of things start to catch up to the young aristocrat. “So you’re just gonna leave? You’re abandoning me?”

“You left first, Nathan.” She coldly accuses. “You left me all those months ago when you said you’d be marrying Kassidy. And I’m not going down with the ship, I’m sorry.”

The blond start taking steps backwards, trying to focus his eyesight, blurred by the pain he felt on every muscle of his body.

Seizing the opportunity to leave, Emily looks back at him and says: “I really loved you, you know?”

“I know.” He manages to respond. “I love you, too.”

“I truly hope Kassidy makes you happy.” She said with a melancholic smile on her face.

“She won’t.” He responded, but the redhead had already left.

Emily ran the rest of the distance to her car, where she hastily took off every piece of jewellery and tried to clean off the make-up, ruined by the tears.

When she calmed herself minimally, she started the engine and drove away.

Taglist: @alicars; @boneandfur; @choicesfannatalie; @diamond-dreamland; @emerald-bijou; @kennaxval; @liamxs-world; @lizeboredom; @mfackenthal; @mrsdrakewalkerblog; @radiantrosemary; @topsyturvy-dream

#the freshman #nathan sterling

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coolinaustin · 6 years

Photo

CoolinAustin’s SX Shortlist: Free Party Highlights for Wednesday, March 14

Here’s our roundup of today’s best free parties! Also make sure to check out our full list of the best RSVPs on the SXSW tab at the top of this page. Hit us up on Twitter for even more updates from the field, and check back for party highlights each day of the fest. Have fun out there!

Shout-out to the cool folks at Festival Saviors, Keegan’s List, ATX Concert, @SXSWMF, and Fest Xperts — check them out for some more hot party tips. Also, Showlist Austin is an amazing resource for set times at unofficial showcases throughout the fest.

PledgeHouse 11:30am–6pm • The Blackheart, 86 Rainey St. • RSVP requested Four days of solid music lineups on two stages, plus free Torchy’s Tacos and High Brew Coffee at the morning acoustic performances! Today’s acts include Warbly Jets, Mt. Joy, Marlon Williams, Becca Mancari, Tristen, and others. RSVP separately for Thursday / Friday

101X + Bud Light Day Parties Noon–6pm • Buffalo Billiards, 201 East 6th St. • Free; no RSVP needed Bud Light specials and a chance to see interviews and short acoustic sets by good bands with minimal crowds.

Dr. Martens Presents COLLiDE @ Container Bar 2018 Noon–7pm • Container Bar, 90 Rainey St. • RSVP required Today’s lineup includes The Buttertones, Soccer Mommy, The Qualitons, Porches, Bully, and White Reaper.

YETI Presents: BMI SXSW Showcase Noon–7pm • Yeti Flagship, 220 South Congress Ave. • RSVP required Drinks ($3 beer), food ($5 bbq) and music.

Secret Sounds Noon–6pm • Sidewinder, 715 Red River St. • RSVP requested Complimentary drinks throughout the day and two stages featuring “a cracking line-up of local and international buzz artists ready to strut their stuff.”

Waterloo Records Day Parties Noon–7pm • Waterloo Records, 6th and Lamar • Free; no RSVP needed Four days of free shows by some of the buzziest SX bands, with autograph signings after each set. Today’s lineup includes: Hinds (noon), Son Little (1pm), Moaning (2pm), Lucy Dacus (3pm), Shopping (4pm), Ought (5pm), and Andrew WK (6pm).

AdHoc Unofficial SXSW Showcase Noon–6pm • Cheer Up Charlie’s, 900 Red River St. • RSVP requested Music by Snail Mail, Sudan Archives, U.S. Girls, Bad Gyal, Palm, Combo Chimbita, Hatchie, Crumb, Shame, Hovvdy, Flasher, Stella Donnelly, Ought, Cut Worms, Suburban Living, and Sun Seeker.

Nochebuena IN SPACE 2018 1pm–1am • Stay Gold, 1910 E. Cesar Chavez • RSVP requested Music by Tall Juan, Kino Kimino, Fruit & Flowers, Ex-Girlfriends, and others.

Brooklyn Bowl Family Reunion 1–6pm • Scoot Inn, 1308 East 4th St. • RSVP required Wednesday’s Brooklyn Bowl Party features music by Hop Along, Son Little, The Shacks, and Lawrence. There are also badge-only night shows. RSVP separately for each of the day shows: Thursday / Friday

Day Drinking with DistroKid at SXSW 2018 1–3pm • The Jackalope, 404 E 6th St. • RSVP requested (but probably not required) Possibly some free drinks at this music industry meetup

Pandora at SXSW 1–6pm • Gatsby, 708 E. 6th St. • RSVP required Three days of good up-and-coming bands. Today’s lineup features Jade Bird, SYML, Cuco, Devin Dawson, and Walker Hayes. Get there early and make sure to pick up your Pandora wristband in advance to avoid having to stand in line twice. Night shows are badge-only.

Four Daze of Clash: Day 1 1pm–2am • Hard Luck Lounge, 3526 East 7th St. • RSVP requested 12 bands and DJs at a very cool deeper-eastside dive bar.

StubHub at SXSW 2018 1–7pm + badge-only night shows • Banger’s, 79 Rainey St. • RSVP required Wednesday afternoon lineup includes lovelytheband (2pm), Morgxn (3pm), Lola Marsh (4pm), Lawrence (5pm), and Joey Dosik (6pm).

TWIX House of Duos at Lustre Pearl 1–7pm / 8pm–midnight • Lustre Pearl, 94 Rainey St. • RSVP required Nice lineup of duo music acts. Night shows are very likely badge-only.

Ovrld & Melted Magazine Present This Must Be The Place 1–10pm • 3712 Clarkson Ave. • $5 suggested donation Complimentary drinks provided by Tito’s Handmade Vodka and Big Swig sparkling water, plus “one pretty stacked line-up with lots of Austin locals mixed-in with talented babes from all over the country.”

PMA Global Street Farm 1pm–midnight • L’Estelle, 88 ½ Rainey St. • RSVP required; badges get priority Food samples, cocktails, live bands. Global street food tastings both nights from 9pm–midnight — these are sure to be in high demand, so it might be difficult to get in without a badge. Continues Thursday from 3pm–midnight.

FLOODfest Noon–6pm • Cedar Street Courtyard, 208 W. 4th St. • RSVP required Live tunes in a nice little courtyard in one of the slightly less crowded areas of downtown. Wednesday’s performers include Yayhel, Sunflower Bean, In the Valley Below, Cut Chemist, Hinds, and Dr. Octagon.

British Music Embassy 2–6pm • Latitude 30, 512 San Jacinto Blvd. • RSVP required Brit rock, fun vibes, and occasional free drinks make this four-day event one of our favorites each year. RSVP separately for each day: Wednesday / Thursday / Friday / Saturday

CxBB — Celebration by Beardbrand 6–11pm • The Rattle Inn, 610 Nueces St. • RSVP requested Live music and free drinks while they last.

Party in my Pants Showcase Presented by LiveVibe 7pm–1am • Little Woodrow’s on 6th, 520 W 6th St. • RSVP requested Six bands each day, plus nightly afterparties with DJ Richard Gear. Wednesday night kick-off party features Saints of Valory. Continues Thursday and Friday from noon–7pm / 9pm–1am.

The Sound Release SXSW 8:30pm–2am • Peckerheads, 402 East 6th Street • RSVP requested Emerging hip-hop acts.

#sxsw #2018 #free parties #free drinks #free food #music

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looselucy · 7 years

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A Symbol of Strength

101 I forced myself to walk back into that office with my head held high, ignoring the fact that it was genuinely, utterly humiliating to be back there. Molly and Sasha were shooting me encouraging smiles as I scurried past our desk, but Niall was literally cringing on my behalf, teeth clenched and shoulders tight. Niall wasn’t exactly the best person when it came to hiding his true emotions. His bloody face would just give away the whole thing. I smiled back at them as much as I could, ignoring the looks on everyone else’s faces because I knew they’d just be wondering what the hell I was doing back there. It was better not to look their way, because I already had a million reasons to run back out of there, and I was trying my absolute best to fight that instinct that always kicked in, the one the made me run and not face up to things that I needed to. It was something I really needed to change.

Feeling ever reluctant, I marched past them all like I wasn’t at all fazed, and straight into Dave’s office. He looked as smug as ever. I was reminded very quickly how little I liked the man. “Florence Valentine.” He grinned, getting up to his feet. “What a pleasant surprise.” “Pleasant isn’t exactly the word I was thinking of, to be honest.” “Sit yourself down, let’s have a chat.” He instructed, and collapsed back into his seat. I’d applied for a job there. At first, it felt like a huge low for me, to be applying for a job I used to have, one I’d chosen to walk away from, but I’d been to see Dr Jackson the day before, and she’d helped me to see things a little differently. I’d been for what felt like hundreds of interviews since I’d left that job, and nothing had ever come of any of them. Most places wanted more experience than I had to offer, for jobs that didn’t even require as much knowledge as they demanded. To say I lived in a city that felt as though it should offer thousands of job opportunities, it really wasn’t as thriving as I hoped it would be. Even so, every dead-end job I’d applied for eagerly, most of them didn’t even bless me with a rejection email. I had applied for the job back at my old place without a second thought, and then hated myself for it immediately. But Dr Jackson had told me with confidence that it wasn’t something I should feel badly about. Having a bad job was better than having no job at all. I had to reclaim some of that independence I loved so much. Sometimes you have to take a step back to see things from a previous perspective, because maybe things weren’t as bad as you’d convinced yourself they were. And at the end of the day, applying was the easy part. It was this interview, or, really, worming myself back into the woodworks, that would be difficult. “So what happened?” He asked, face lowering a little, but he still looked smug. “And don’t… think of this as an interview, right now. Just talk to me.” “I can’t get a job.” I complied, because I think I was already well aware he wasn’t going to hire me again. “And… I think I had this kind of… realisation that things weren’t even that bad here, as far as jobs go.” “There are worse jobs.” He nodded. “This was a wonderful place to work, and I’d be honoured to come back here.” “Florence, stop bullshitting me.” He sighed. “Just talk to me… Honestly.” I swallowed thickly, knowing that the more I treat my scenario like an interview, like we didn’t already know one another and like I even stood a chance, the more likely it was he’d send me back out of the door with nothing but a bruised ego. I diminished the working girl I’d walked into that room as, and instead offered myself. “I think… I just expected to grow up and get my dream job. I don’t even know what my dream job is! Like, I don’t know what I want to do for a living but… I just think I expected to have more than this. Wanted more than this. I wanted a career and I wanted to love every single day at work. Because that’s everyone’s dream, isn’t it? To enjoy the thing that earns you money. I think… I was deluded enough to think I’d get that. But not everyone can do that, can they? That’s not how the world works. Someone’s gotta take the damn complaints, at the end of the day. And I guess, it’s not a bad thing… but it’s not the dream. Well, it’s not mine.” “And that’s why you left?” “The reasons for me leaving feel… hazy, at the minute, but… I just remember thinking that it would give me this drive, to go out and do something for myself, and maybe stumble across a career that I love. It just seems so bloody naive now, thinking about it. But… I am naive, so…” He sat back in his chair, folding his arms and lowering his brows, and I had no idea what he was doing, whether he was just trying to figure me, thinking of hiring me or thinking of the politest way to tell me I didn’t stand a chance. I took a deep breath in before speaking on his behalf. “I know you’re probably not going to let me back here, and that’s okay!” “It is?” “Yeah, because… I dunno. I think more than anything else I just wanted to… prove to myself that I could come back here. And I… I did. I’ve surprised myself today. Which… I dunno. At the minute, that’s good enough for me.” “I’ll never understand you, Florence.” “Well, that makes two of us.” He sat forward again, opening the drawer to his right and rustling through a few things as I found myself smiling. I’d done something I really didn’t want to do. I’d ran into a situation I’d really wanted to run from. I’d done something that fought back against my usual instincts, and I think it was only when I was sitting there in that office again that I realised that had been my main aim. “I’m not going to give you a job here.” He sighed eventually. “Which is a shame, because you were a good member of the team. However, we don’t just give and take jobs here like it’s nothing.” “I get that, and I don’t blame you.” “But take these.” He began handing over numerous pieces of paper. “There are some great volunteer schemes around that often lead to jobs. I know the guy who runs this one, and I can put in a good word for you. You’re a good employee, he’d be lucky to have you.” I thanked him quietly as I took the papers from him, wondering if it would be best to do some volunteer work, even if it was just for a short while, and then I raised my suspicious eyes back upwards, smiling a little. “Why are you being so nice?” I chuckled. “Because I’m not your boss anymore.” He replied simply, and made me laugh a little more. I suddenly had this moment of realisation that maybe I’d been looking at things in the wrong way my entire life. I think I’d had this idea in my mind where I had to stay true to myself and be myself at all times, unapologetically, but that didn’t mean that I was just one person. There wasn’t just one single version of myself. There were a thousand different varieties of me, who I was. There was me at home. There was me at work. There was me around my friends, and a different me around my family. There was me first thing in the morning, and a different me in the middle of the night. I’d always been so cynical during my therapy sessions, when really it would have been okay the whole time, to just open up and be vulnerable and not fight everything and pretend I was fine. Just because certain aspects of my life were great, didn’t mean that everything else was. It had taken me all of a minute to drop my interview persona and be my miserable self instead, and I hadn’t felt badly about it because it felt like honesty. It was only when he said that, that I came to terms with the fact that everyone had different versions of themselves, and it wasn’t dishonesty, it was just life, the core of every human being and every single aspect of their lives and their surroundings that allowed them to be the many different styles of themselves. And then I had another moment of realisation. The most I’d ever felt like myself, my true self, completely comfortable with no pretences, was when I was with Harry. And that’s what love should be, isn’t it? Love should be you and that one person who you’re entirely yourself in every single way, and they adore you because of and in spite of all the things you may dislike about yourself. They see those faults, and they embrace them. I guess my main issue was that I didn’t want to embrace my faults, I wanted to fix them. I felt I had faults so great that they weren’t worthy of love. “Are you alright?” Dave speaking again snapped me from my mad haze of hectic thoughts, blinking rapidly to pull myself back into the room and away from my overbearing thoughts. “I’m fine. Sorry. I… I spaced out.” “Alright.” He brushed over it. “Well thanks for coming in anyway. Good luck with everything.” “Thanks.” “Get ready for the walk back out, because it’s going to be worse than the walk in.” “Thanks for that, Dave.” I rolled my eyes, getting to my feet and grabbing the papers he had handed to me. “And thanks for… being sound.” He was absolutely right. The walk back out of there had been much worse than the walk in, because it was clear to all that I hadn’t managed to get my job back. It was embarrassing and degrading and mortifying, and to be honest, it was exactly what I needed. 102 I’d been stood outside his front door for a good ten minutes before I finally summoned the courage to knock, as many curse words as I knew tumbling from my trembling lips as I waited for him to answer, which he did so quickly. “Hey.” Harry greeted, seemingly a little out of breath. “Hi.” I could barely hear myself, nerves forcing my vocal chords to perform the bare minimum. “Come in.” He ushered. It had rained consistently since I’d found him down on the docks on Wednesday morning. We’d reached the following Monday and I wasn’t sure I could remember what the sun even looked like. It was June, and the weather was mimicking that of January with a smug smile decorated within its dark clouds. Rain crashed furiously against his windows as I walked in slowly, shutting the door behind myself. My eyes went to Moggy, who was glaring at me from the foot of Harry’s bed. She’d never hated me more. “Uh, I think I got most of your stuff packed already, but you might wanna search a bit more. I might be missing a few bits.” There was a substantial bag packed and sitting by the side of the door containing the numerous mundane items that hadn’t made my first journey out of his home. When he’d text me asking if I wanted to come and pick my things up, a part of me had wanted to text back telling him to just throw everything away, burn it all, release some anger upon symbolisms of my time with him, but I knew he wouldn’t bloody do it no matter how much I egged him to. I figured it was probably just better to go and retrieve everything. Besides, I really wanted to see him. “You wanna brew?” He offered, looking over his shoulder as he marched despondently towards his kitchen. “I’m fine, thanks.” I’d always been amazed previously, that Harry kept his place pretty much immaculate, so it was strange to walk in there and see it in such a poor state. I stared at his unmade bed, the mountain of unwashed cutlery and dishes that sat abandoned in his sink, a painting that had once been hung over his bed now propped up against the wall. It wasn’t really the place I remembered. It felt different, somehow. “How’ve you been?” I asked hesitantly. I wasn’t searching for my things like he’d instructed, I barely dared to move, taking gradual steps so I wasn’t just lingering by the front door but feeling worse with each movement I made. “Uh… I’ve been alright. Louis’ put me on sick leave.” “Shit.” “I mean, I get it.” He shrugged, leaning against the counter but not looking at me. “I’ve been a bit… I dunno. But, I’m bored out of my mind. I hate not working. I think it’s making me feel even worse so, I’m gunna ask to go back.” “As long as you’re feeling up to it.” “I’m just letting myself dwell on stuff, and that’s not healthy. I just need to… get back to normal.” I think Harry was trying to convince himself that there was some form of normality to return to, but really, we both knew that something had changed, and it wasn’t something that would fade or fizzle into a foggy memory. It was permanent. “How’ve you been sleeping?” I asked, stepping a little closer until Moggy started hissing at me, and I was forced to take a few more steps back. “Look, Ren, I appreciate you asking and I know it’s just because you care, but, I just… really don’t wanna fucking talk about it.” He cursed loudly to himself as the kettle clicked beside him, fully boiled, perfectly timed, because he was getting worked up. “I’m sorry.” I mumbled. “No, I’m sorry.” He sighed, finally looking up to me. “I don’t wanna snap at you. I don’t wanna snap at anyone! I’m just… having a rough time and I’m letting it… get on top of me. And I hate that. It just makes it worse, because, it’s not me!” He was trying to explain himself to the wrong person, because I already knew that. He didn’t need to try and word what was happening, because I was well aware of it all already. He must have known that, really, but I think he just wanted to reinforce that this was more to do with the news his father had broken rather than anything aimed specifically at me. “You don’t need to apologise, trust me. You can… snap at me all you want, if it helps you to feel a bit better.” I’d managed to make him smile, which in turn sent my stomach spiralling down into my damn knees and nearly making the things buckle. I’d never been so grateful to see those dimples digging their way through his rosy cheeks. I eased a little after that, finally plucking up the courage to make my way around his flat and routing for things he may have forgotten. “You sure you don’t want a brew?” He offered again. “Honestly, I’m fine.” “I’m gunna make you a brew.” “Harry-” He was already grabbing two mugs by the time we turned to look at each other, and he gave me a disgruntled look. “Just make it a coffee.” He nodded, preparing our drinks as I searched through the drawer on what used to be my side of the bed, Moggy still glaring and keeping her distance. I imagined Harry had used her to vent to about me on a few occasions. We were no longer friends, even after my months of working on our bond. I shot her a sad little look. Not long later, Harry approached with my steaming coffee, and I noticed he did seem to be easing quite a lot. Maybe because he’d just made himself a cup of tea, or maybe it was because me being there reminded him of that reality he had been craving so deeply. “Are you seeing Dr Jackson today?” I asked him, aware that it would have been his first scheduled appointment with her since learning about his brother. “Yeah,” He replied, sitting himself next to me as I routed. “I’m nervous.” “That’s understandable, but I think you’ll be okay.” I turned and smiled at him briefly, wanting to be as kind and casual as possible. “I need to try and figure out a few more things, like… why they started when I was at uni and stuff. There’s still so much that I feel needs answering.” He sighed. “And… I really wanna know why he told me now, and not earlier.” “Well, you’d probably have to ask him that.” I stopped what I was doing, turning to him fully. “But I don’t want to speak to him! I don’t even want to see either of them again.” “How the hell do you think that’s going to work?” “You tell me, Ren!” He huffed. “You have the exact same plan with your family, so you tell me how it’s going to work.” I dropped my head, because he already knew I didn’t have a clue how that would ever work, but it wasn’t changing my mind. Whenever I started thinking about how I’d cut my family out, I’d think of Christmas. I had to question how I would spend those vital days of December if it wasn’t with them. As things stood, I didn’t even have my own place, nowhere to spend that time and not a single person to spend it with. I didn’t have a damn clue how it was going to work. They may have been utterly infuriating, but they were still my family, and the effect of not speaking to them or even acknowledging their existence was already something I could feel within my soul, even though, really, not much had changed. I ran my hand through my hair, wishing I could give him some kind of explanation, or maybe voice why our situations felt different in my head, but it was useless. Harry’s situation was genuinely much worse than my own. “Point taken.” “I’ll figure it out.” He shrugged, trying to force himself to believe it meant nothing to him. “But, don’t you want to… talk to them?” I urged. “I know talking to Dr Jackson will work wonders but… you can get some definite answers from them!” “No.” “I feel like you need to hear them out and-” “I never told you that you needed to hear your parents out!” He once again used my own situation against me. “I didn’t bullshit you like that, because we know how your parents treated you was fucked up, and there’s nothing else to it!” “Fine! But you did tell me that I needed to voice my feelings to them. You told me that I needed to talk to them and tell them what they’d done to me. That was your advice, Harry. Please take it!” He got up to his feet, rolling his shoulders and trying to shake what I’d just said, but it made sense. His advice, though I hadn’t taken it, had been good nonetheless. Just because I was weak enough to ignore it, didn’t mean he had to be. “Would you talk to them? If you were me?” It was a thought that had crawled through my conscious more than once, its claws sharp as they searched menacingly through my mind. I wanted to lie to him and tell him I would, just in the hope that it would in turn make him reconsider. But I’d never been much good at lying. “I don’t know.” I answered. “It’s just… not something I’m even considering right now.” He continued. “And it’s shit… and I hate it… and I never thought it would be like this but… it is. If I can accept that, I’m pretty sure you can.” “I wasn’t trying to force you to do anything, Harry.” I tried. “I just… I dunno. I’m sure you don’t give a shit about my opinion. I’m just gunna… I’ll go.” “Ren-” “Honestly, I’m just getting in your way.” I placed my brew down before I’d even managed a sip. “I’m sure you managed to gather all my shit together anyway, so-” “Will you just sit the fuck down!” He demanded. “At least finish your brew! I’m not trying to get rid of you!” “I know you’re not, but-” “Just stay! Stay… please.” I looked to him, practically begging for my company, even if it was just while I finished the drink he’d made me. That was all he was asking of me. Just a short while longer. I nodded, retrieving my drink once again and taking it over to the dining table, sitting myself down and trying to breathe in an atmosphere nicer than the one we’d just created with our pointless bickering. Harry moved, occupying the seat across from me, beginning to pull his long hair into a bobble with perfect expertise, cracking his neck in the process. “How’re you doing with…” “With what?” He asked, dropping his hands again once he was done. “Drinking.” I swallowed my nerves, glancing to him through my lashes. “I’m not.” He answered with confidence. “I’ve not even touched anything, since I last saw you.” I felt such a strong sense of relief just hearing that. It was nice knowing I could trust him, that he wasn’t lying to avoid a lecture and the wrath of my worry. I was once again reminded of Harry’s commendable strength. In his situation, most people would break, turn to the bottle as their one remedy, but he was somehow, still, not letting himself do that. “I’m proud of you.” I told him. “What about the dreams? Have they… calmed down?” He rolled up one of the sleeves of his shirt, revealing his arm to me. There were light bruises there, as though he’d been gripping onto his own arm as he slept, so tightly that it had burst veins. The marks had faded somewhat, leading me to believe that it had happened a few nights earlier, and maybe it wasn’t something he was doing to himself every single night, but even so. I slapped my hand against my mouth, trying to force back sobs once again, and Harry just stared at me, completely unsurprised by my reaction. I choked down my sadness, trying to find the right words to say but it was impossible. I’d seen his dreams at what I thought were their worst. The thought of him being in any more pain than he had been when I had witnessed them was a thought that burned against my skull. “I think… I have to learn how to control it myself.” He swallowed, rolling his sleeve back down. “I think it's something that I need to do. Make a really conscious effort rather than just… hoping they stop. The last few nights haven’t been as bad.” I gave a timid nod, swallowing the information he’d given me with great difficulty. I always felt as though I was desperately searching for the right thing to say, and yet I could never find it. Thoughts would swell and become alight in my mind, but as soon as they even attempted to find their way to my throat in the hope of being heard, it was like I had nothing. I took a sad sip of my coffee instead, Harry mirroring my movements, and I wished there was just one thing I could say, even just to make him smile or laugh. Anything. But once again, my efforts fell flat, and I rendered myself utterly useless. “I wish there was something I could do.” “This is something I’ve gotta do by myself.” He shrugged. “I’ll be fine. Please don’t waste any time worrying about me.” “Harry, I always fucking worry about you.” “I always worry about you, too!” And there it was, a slight smile. “That’s probably not gunna change, is it?” I found it hard to look at him, wondering if what had happened between us would ever just be water under the bridge, or if there would always be something, this tight connection that the two of us couldn’t seem to shake. We then finished our drinks in silence, and as soon as I was done, I knew I needed to leave. There were probably still some things of mine littered around his flat, but I didn’t really have the energy to search for them. I felt like I’d already outstayed my welcome, even though it was Harry himself who had made me stay. “I should get back. Mo’s a bloody worrier too, so… I should go.” We both got to our feet, wandering over to my bags he’d placed beside the door, and I readied myself for the journey, a bag on each shoulder and forced smile on my face as I looked up to him. He had this strange look that wove its way wonderfully between his features, maybe sad, and although he was painting on a smile, I could tell it was just as fake as mine was. “Thanks for the brew.” I mumbled. “It’s fine. I hope it was alright, I don’t… I’m not really good at making coffees.” “It was good.” I giggled. “You’re getting better.” He tilted his head and shrugged, his fake smile being replaced with a real one, but it didn’t last. There was something going on in his head, something not so sweet. I wondered if he was taking this as his opportunity to say goodbye to me, to us, properly. When I’d left, it was so sudden, such a shock to his system that he’d barely been able to comprehend what was happening. I couldn’t help but feel like he was taking this as a second chance. “Harry, I need you to know that… I’m still here for you. Whenever you need me, just call, okay? Just because we’re not together anymore, doesn’t mean-” “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Ren.” He sighed, a soft smile presenting itself upon his lips. “I think we both know I need to fall out of love with you. And I need the space to do that or… I never will.” Suddenly, how much I wanted to be there for him felt entirely selfish. He needed time away from me. He needed this distance that I was scared to allow him. There was more going on in Harry’s life than those dreams, because the reality of his waking was hurting him too. I was a part of that, and no matter how great my need was to take care of him and be there for him, it wouldn’t be good for him. Not really. I think my heart stopped beating and my mind stopped working as I reached upwards, throwing my hair to one side and meddling with the chain around my neck. Harry’s brows dropped as I took the necklace from around my neck, the dagger pendant he’d bought me for Christmas, and I think I’d just shattered his heart a little more without meaning to. “Don’t.” He mumbled. “I want you to have it.” I held it out to him, and it was practically flowing from side to side thanks to my trembling. “Don’t give it back to me.” He took a step away. “I-I… I bought it for you.” “I’m not giving it to you like that, Harry.” I sighed. “I’m giving it to you… because it means something to both of us. I’m giving it to you for the exact reason you gave it to me.” “What?” The hurt look on his face faded as I closed the gap between us, reaching up and attaching the miniature silver chain around his neck. He sucked in his torn breath when my skin met his, the hair at the back of his neck brushing sweetly against my touch as I attached the item to its new shelter. It had served me well for six months. It was time it served its purpose elsewhere. “A symbol of strength.” I whispered, looking up into his evergreen eyes. That green I adored so deeply soon became misty, tears symbolising emotions that he didn’t dare to voice rising over his vision, pink blossoms blooming all over his skin, and he finally understood why it was that I was passing the pendant onto him. He gripped his hand around the dagger, and there was nothing within his lexicon that he could reach in a weak attempt to word the sensation he had succumb to in that moment. Delayed, I finally moved my hand from the back of his neck, distancing from him until I practically crashed into the door behind me, reaching back for the handle without even looking. “Look after it.” I cooed. “I will. I promise.” “And good luck with Dr Jackson.” “Thanks.” I didn’t feel it necessary to tell Harry that I was going back for more sessions myself. I was trying my best not to compare our two issues, because there were no similarities, and I’d only end up judging myself and belittling my problems for the millionth time. I also didn’t think it was appropriate to make Harry worry about me any more than he already did. He’d only end up asking questions I couldn’t answer and predicting that things were actually much worse than they were. I knew I’d been in harsher places before in terms of my mentality. I was just having a hard time, and Dr Jackson was kind enough to listen to me drone on, free of charge. It wasn’t an opportunity I could pass up, but Harry certainly didn’t need to know about it. I took a deep breath in, not sure how to say goodbye to him. Because this one felt real, and it was calm, and he didn’t want to see me again. So we bid our farewells, and I hadn’t really been expecting it to knock me sick in the way that it did. “Goodbye, Harry.” “Goodbye, Florence Daisy Valentine.”

#I shall remain calm and share this instead of stressing #1dff #Harry Styles #TFA38 #tfa #As always #would love to hear your thoughts

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choco-chip-cookie · 7 years

Text

SugarDaddy!Cal Pt. 5

A/N: I was gonna update yesterday, but yanno school is stressful yet a top priority. I don't have much to say, but I'm glad you all like the last part and I'm thankful for all of the nice feedback in my dms. (You get to learn a small ounce about my childhood you guys lmao) I hope you guys enjoy part 5 and remember as always I need 100 notes to release part 6💕

I coulda ended it better too, sorry bout that. It’s past two in the morning on a school night and I ran out of ideas...

**WARNING**: Slight smut, not much though

One/ Two/ Three/ Four/Five/Six/Seven/Eight/ Nine/Ten/Eleven/Twelve/Thirteen/Fourteen/Fifteen Sixteen/ Seventeen/ Eighteen/ Nineteen/Twenty{END}

"Y/N..." Calum grumbled, flipping onto his side to see you better and rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"Hmm?"

"Do you think fish go to heaven?"

You couldn't help but to snort as the sleepy boy asked the question. You were currently in his bed and watching Law&Order SVU on Netflix as he struggled to stay awake. He had called you over an hour or two ago because he was bored out of his mind and now it was just a little past two in the morning. You were hesitant at coming over at first, not wanting to be seen by his roommate, but he convinced you his friend was heavily sleeping since it was so late at night. You also gave into coming over because you hadn't seen him in almost a week and missed his scent and cheeky smile.

"Seriously."

"I'm pretty sure they do, Calum, why?"

"Because me and Ashton got a fish like three weeks ago but it died yesterday and we don't know why."

You almost laughed at him, but he sounded genuinely disappointed that his fish had died.

"Did you feed it and clean the tank?"

"Yeah and she had a really nice tank that was all decorated and stuff. We were gonna buy more fish to put in there with here, but she died."

"Aww, I'm sorry, Cal."

"It's okay, we're gonna get a dog."

"Oh my god, I love dogs." You squealed lightly and he grinned,rolling over and placing his head onto your chest.

"What your favorite kind?"

"It's a tie between a husky, corgi, and pitbull. They're just so frigging cute I can't decide between the four."you gushed and he let out a low chuckle.

"I don't think I have a favorite, any dog is okay with me."

Calum yawned again and you sighed, running your fingers through his raven curls and scratching his scalp lightly with your manicured, coffin shaped nails.

"You should go to sleep, Calum. You've had a long day."

"I wanted to spend time with you, though."

"I'll see you later, boo. You need rest. " You began to to sit up in an attempt to shimmy from underneath him, but he whined loudly and secured you tightly in his arms." Calum."

"Stay."

"But your friend is goi-"

"Shhh, just lay down with me and scratch my head." He whispered and you let out a defeated sigh, knowing you weren't going to get out of his bear hug any time soon.

The two of you shuffled under the covers to get in a more comfortable position and you continued to scratch the Maori boy's head until he fell into a deep slumber, you doing the same not too long after.

You felt kisses being pressed onto your neck as you awoke from your sleep, squinting your eyes until they were used to the sunlight pouring into the room.

"Good morning, princess."

You nearly fainted at how deep and raspy Calum's morning voice was. You only stared at him for a couple of moments, trying to recollect your thoughts and get your mind in gear for the day before you finally replied, causing him to laugh at your unawareness.

"I think I want to take you somewhere today."

"You just took me shopping." You cleared your throat after your voice cracked near the end, your mouth drier than the Sahara desert.

"That was last week."

"And you spent a lot of money last week."

"So?" He shrugged as if it were no big deal."My job is to spoil you, so we're going to do something today. Any ideas?"

"Umm..."you trailed as you thought about what you could possibly do on a Wednesday." I have no idea."

"I'll think of something. I think Ashton cooked breakfast before he left, so we can eat and then leave."

You stared at Calum as if he had two heads, looking down at your attire and back up to him, just waiting on him to catch on.

"What?"he asked, completely clueless.

"I have on a tank top and Nike shorts Calum. I'm not leaving the house like this."

"Fine, I'll give you some clothes." He walked over to his dresser and began to dig through his drawer for something you could wear. The boy just refused to let you leave his side and he decided he had to make up for the lost time from the last couple of days. He could barely even send you a text from being so busy the past week/

"I can't fi-"

"This would probably fit you like a dress." He interrupted and held up a shirt."You're a bit small."

"I don't even have a bra, Cal."

You had came over in your pajamas which never consisted of bra. You got the idea that you had to return home before dawn, so not wearing one to his house didn't feel like a priority at the time.

"That's perfectly fine." He have you a boyish grin, reaching out to squeeze your left breast a couple of times before you smacked his hand away with a light laugh.

You decided to tease him a bit, pulling your shorts off and kicking them to the side. You kept eye contact as you pulled the cami top over your head, allowing your boobs to fall and jiggle a bit before sitting motionless. Calum stood there entranced and licked his lips, just imagining wrapping them around the brown bud. You couldn't help but to laugh at him since he was nearly drooling as you tugged the large shirt over your head, going to look in the mirror to see yourself. The black tee said "destroy everything, regret nothing" with a skull and stopped a little past mid thigh on you. You nodded your head in approval, knowing his shirt could go for an oversized tee dress and would look exceptionally cute with the black pumas you knew you had lying in the backseat of your car.

"Your boobs are fucking perfect." He moaned and you turned to see him in the same spot, his lip tucked between his teeth.

"Are they?"

"Yes...Would you let me fuck them?" He questioned bluntly, a smirk making his way on his face when your eyes widened slightly.

"You can do whatever you'd like." You shrugged."Get dressed, rockstar."

You laughed as Calum cursed, closing the door behind you. You were careful not to jog too quickly down the stairs and entered the kitchen to see a small breakfast left on the stove.Whoever this Ashton guy is he sure seems pretty nice. You thought and you began to look around for the plates. After opening at least three different cabinets you finally found them and had to stand on your tip toes just to reach the ones on the bottoms shelf. As you were placing food on yours and Calum's plate, his having a bit more food than yours, you were startled when you heard someone else's voice.

"Uh, who are you?"

You spun around to be met with a tall, curly blonde. He looked mature, but you could easily tell he was around your age and he had pretty hazel green eyes. His eyes held nothing but curiosity as he stared at you, trying to make sense of why you were there.

"Who are you?" You questioned him and he look as if he was offended that you’d ask.

"What do you mean who am I? I asked you first." The boy furrowed his eyebrows and you shrugged.

"I asked you second."

"But you're the one in my kitchen."

Oh! You idiot, this must be Calum's roommate. You mentality scolded yourself for being purposely annoying.

"Oh, you're Ashton?" You questioned and he nodded his head slowly.

"Yeah, and you are..?" He trailed as he waited for you to answer.

"I'm-"

"Y/N, do you like power rangers? 'Cause we can go to the movies and..."Calum entered the kitchen, stopping in his tracks as he noticed Ashton standing there with the most confused expression.

"Calum, who's this?"

"Uh this is Y/N...the girl I was telling you about."

At the sound of this, Ashton instantly perked up and gave you a warm smile. "Nice to meet you, Y/N."

"Nice to meet you too." You giggled slightly.

"You tell me so much about her but forgot to say that she was this pretty, Cal." He elbowed his friend and Calum's face flushed red.

"So, you talk about me, eh?"

"More than you'll ever know." Ashton continued to purposely embarrass him and laughed at the glare Calum sent him." Don't worry, I'm leaving. I just came to pick up my wallet."

Ashton grabbed his wallet off of the counter and clapped Calum on his back as he walked past him."Nice meeting you, Y/N."

"Same to you." You called before you heard the sound of the door close." He's nice."

"He's going to give me so much shit later." Calum groaned and you let out a laugh." They don't know about what we have going on by the way."

"I figured. I'm gonna run to my car real quick, I keep a spare toiletry bag."

"Okay, don't take long." He gave you a quick kiss before seating himself at the table to eat breakfast.

"This is going to be fucking awesome!" You cheered as found your seats in the nearly empty movie theater.

"I didn't think you'd be this excited to see Power Rangers, Y/N." Calum found this side of you oddly cute. You had been grinning from ear to ear since Calum first purchased the tickets, going on and on about how good the movie would be.

"You have no idea how many times in a row I was the pink or yellow power ranger for Halloween." You laughed, but it was true.

Growing up, you were always the strange mixture of a tomboy and girly girl. You loved going outside, pretending you were living in a foreign jungle and had to fight off animals daily to protect your hut - even though it was usually just your dog and your small playground house - and didn't mind getting dirty from searching for worms or roly-polys. Then again, you were just as girly as you could be, wanting to be a princess who feared getting your pretty skirt dirty and wore a ton of lip gloss while performing by yourself to Destiny's Child. So, your strange obsession with power rangers up until the age of seven came to no surprise to your mom.

"The pink one has always been my favorite though, and I'm not even a big fan of the color." You admitted, dipping a tortilla chip in cheese and placing it in your mouth.

"I've always liked the blue ranger."

"Ah, baby blue is your favorite color isn't it?"

"Aw, you remembered." He faked tears and you let out a laugh." But yeah it is, so the blue ranger is my favorite."

"His is royal blue, though. Couldn't imagine him with a baby blue suit on, I wouldn't take him serious."

"Baby blue is a very serious color."

"Whatever."

As the movie started, the two of you immediately stopped talking and paid close attention. You two laughed at most of the parts, the blue ranger, Billy, always saying or doing something to make either of you giggle. You were probably a little more than halfway through the movie when you felt Calum's hand on your bare thigh, but you thought nothing of it at first. His hand slowly crept up underneath the borrowed shirt and you gripped his wrist and shot him a warning look at which he grinned cheekily.

"Stop it." You whispered.

"Stop what?"

"I actually want to pay attention. You're not gonna finger me in this theater."

"I would do no such thing."He faked offense.

You rolled your eyes and placed his hand in his own lap, taking a sip of your coke and sighing in relief when he left you alone. You shouldn't have gotten your hopes up, however, because soon his hand was right back on your bare skin, but higher up this time. His index finger trailed the end of your panties and you squeezed your thighs together tightly, feeling your core throb at him being so close to it. You hated that he could do this to you; he could make you go against any and everything you said with just a touch in the right spot.

You rolled your eyes in annoyance, spreading your legs wider for him and you heard him chuckle lightly. Calum teased you at first, running his finger along your clothed slit and applying pressure when he got to your clit. He slid his hand into your panties and bit his lip when he felt your wetness against his fingers, rubbing slow clockwise circles against your clit. You were able to stay quiet for the most part, but when he sunk a finger inside of you, you let out a small moan.

"You have to be quiet." He whispered, pointing to the people two rows ahead of you.

You bit your lip as he pumped his finger into you. You couldn't get over how long his fingers were and how easily he could reach the special spot inside of you. You could hardly focus on what was going on in the movie, the feeling of him touching you being too much to be able to concentrate on anything other than a orgasm.

"Can you take two?"

"Mhmm."

He sunk his ring finger inside and your hips rolled up, your head leaning back on your seat in pure ecstasy. You had to bite your hand to keep quiet as you felt your high coming closer and closer with the steady pace of his digits inside of you. He cursed as he felt you began to clench around his fingers and he knew that it wouldn't be long before you came completely undone. Calum could only imagine what you would feel like wrapped around him, whimpering underneath his body. You knew you were a goner the minute he started to curl his fingers in the come hither motion, the fire in your lower belly growing and growing until it finally exploded. You felt your legs begin to tingle as you let out a moan, Calum having to cough to cover it up as you came around his fingers. He pulled his two digits out and rubbed your clit slowly as he helped you ride out your orgasm, watching you intently as you rolled your hips against his hand. He swore he hadn't seen anything hotter than that.

"Holy fuck.” You breathed out.

You watched Calum suck his fingers into his mouth, his eyes fluttering closed as if he hadn't tasted anything sweeter.

"You taste fucking amazing." He mumbled loud enough where only you could hear." Remind me to give you head later."

"Will do." You nodded and fixed your clothes as you tried to recollect thoughts.

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lydiaabroad · 5 years

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Blog #7C: Wednesday at CRHP

Wednesday March 27, 2019

Major Events: Walk through slum, preschool pickup, shadow preschool, lecture on factors of health, lecture on communicable and non-communicable diseases

1. Preschool Pickup

Today we did preschool pick-up with Meena, the CRHP preschool teacher! There is a slum right next to CRHP called Indiranagar which CRHP has no presence in. Indiranagar has never been able to organize or mobilize and reach out to CRHP for a partnership. The community has a large migrant population that spends half of the year working at a sugarcane factory. There are some sewage tanks that CRHP installed, but aside from that the NGO has no presence in the slum. Thus, they decided to build a preschool outside of the slum that families could send their children to. The primary reason is to provide food. The preschool provides two meals per day to children ages two and a half to six years old who attend. Students can begin to attend at any point in the school year, the only requirement is that their parents give them a bath in the morning before school.

We walked around the slum to pick up students before school. Every day Meena Ji walks through the slum to collect children whose parents can’t take them or who are too small to come alone, but the deeper purpose behind her daily walks is to raise awareness and encourage families to send their children to school. When walking around, Meena is able to identify new families who have returned from the sugarcane factory. As we walked around she would call out to families and say “Send your kids to school.” Or “Tomorrow when I come by have your children washed and I will take them to school.” She said about 70% of children in the slum come to preschool. When children come to preschool it is more likely that they will continue onto primary school and stay in school for a significant time.

The slum has various levels of development. Some homes are big and nice, some are shacks with open sewage ditches. There is a big problem with alcoholism in the slum. We walked past a few families that were drinking and gambling (it was nine am), and Meena said these families generally will not send their kids to school. We picked up a very cute brother and sister pair first. The little girl was so sweet she had a ponytail on the very top of her head so her hair popped up like a fountain. She immediately held our hands and pulled us on our way to the school. We stopped by another home where a little girl was crying because she couldn’t go to school. Her parents were afraid she had an infection and didn’t want her to leave the home. They had another child who had died from an infection. Meena immediately called the mobile health team and requested them to set up a time to take the little girl to the hospital to be checked. Even though the MHT does not regularly check on Indiranagar, the resources of CRHP are always available. Meena decided that the girl seemed well enough to come to school, so she came skipping and jumping the entire way. We picked up about seven more kids and then headed off to school.

There are around forty kids who attend the preschool. We started the day in a big circle, singing songs and moving a bit, then we did the alphabet, and then was playtime. After play time the kids had a breakfast time. They all went into a separate room to eat. It was very sweet they all line up to wash their hands and then they serve each other! Meena scoops the food onto plates and then these tiny little people serve their classmates before they sit down and eat themselves. It was very sweet. The meal was a porridge, couscous like grain with onions and herbs in it. I really liked it. The kids also have water and can have as many helpings as they like. We only stayed through this meal, but I definitely think this visit was one of my highlights of the week.

2. Communicable and Non-Communicable Disease Lecture

The major communicable diseases that used to afflict the Jamkhed area are leprosy, tuberculosis, and Guinea worm. In the past, when someone began to see symptoms of leprosy they would go to a faith healer. As the person failed to get better, the community would call them a “bloody person” and eject them from the community. The person was completely outcast–no food, no socialization–and they were essentially left to die in a hut. Leprosy was considered a curse justified by reincarnation; if you did something bad in your past life you had leprosy in this life. When CRHP began to treat people with leprosy it was very difficult because of the cultural meanings surrounding the disease. People believed that a goddess had given the curse, so when doctors said, “No, this is a disease that can be treated with medicine,” people wouldn’t trust them. So, doctors had to make the treatment fit into the religious ideas of the goddess and the curse. I am not sure exactly how this was done, but Jayesh Ji said the health teams “sugarcoated” the information about the treatment to be somehow supportive of the religious ideas. Eventually people began to recognize the power and efficacy of medicine. Aside from treating the people who had leprosy, CRHP offered support and counseling. People were taught and encouraged to cover their hands and feet with cloth when they were doing work to protect their limbs, which were more sensitive. As CRHP initiated these missions, people suffering and recovering experienced more support from their communities and were no longer sent to institutions or sent away to die.

Tuberculosis had a similar stigma in communities, and the community rejected people with confirmed TB or signs such as coughing blood. The Village Health Workers used to actively check villagers for TB, going door to door and administering tests. If someone was determined to test positive, they would be treated in secret to prevent the stigma. TB has a very high risk of relapse because the treatment is 18 months and generally people begin to feel better within the first month and stop taking medicine. It is for this reason that VHWs were highly responsible for visiting patients every day and administering medicine. The Village Health Workers we met with, Lullamby and Asha, said they had saved 21 and 18 people from TB, respectively. A few interesting facts––CRHP used to get TB medicine from friends’ connections in other countries because they couldn’t rely on the government. Now of course TB is essentially eradicated in this region and if someone were to be diagnosed the government would be responsible. Another interesting fact is that if someone had TB they would be told to put a cloth over their mouth if they were going to kiss anyone. This was a strange and funny fact. The best part about learning about TB was that the VHWs and Jayesh Ji sang us a tuberculosis song. The song is sung at women’s group meetings and essentially tells the signs and symptoms of TB.

4. Non-Communicable Diseases Lecture

The rates of communicable disease are very low now that proper sanitation, nutrition, and resources are generally available. Instead, India is beginning to face the crisis of non-communicable diseases of diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure (cardio-vascular diseases) that arise as the population ages and changes in nutrition and lifestyle occur.

Diabetes is becoming very common because of lifestyle and heredity. Especially if someone was malnourished as a child, their pancreas might not have developed enough, and thus as an adult they are unable to produce appropriate insulin. In the 1990s, sweets and junk food were introduced to India for the first time (India’s economic liberalization occurred in 1991) and companies actually made smaller packets so that people even in poverty could buy chips, candies, etc. It was during this time that liquor also began to be much more prevalent.

The most common cancers found in the region are oral, skin, uterine, and breast cancer. The oral/mouth cancers are directly correlated to a high use of tobacco. The causes of uterine (and I think they meant cervical) cancer are very interesting because they lie in direct relationship to sanitation. Apparently if a man is not adequately cleaning his foreskin, HPV can develop and then is transmitted to the woman. Another cause for cervical/uterine cancer surrounds sanitary practices during menstruation. Because there is such stigma about menstruation in rural India, many women will wash the cloths they use when menstruating in secret. This often implies a stressed environment so the cloths are not adequately cleaned, nor are they able to hang out to dry. Women end up using dirty or wet cloths, which can prompt infection. In areas with even more stigma around menstruation, women will use ash or even cow dung in the place of a sanitary napkin. We did not talk more about solutions to this aside from educating women and men about sanitation, I wish we had discussed in more detail.

Reflection: I enjoyed the preschool pick up most, the one little girl we picked up was so full of love with the chubbiest cheeks, I definitely needed some of that love. In terms of a more critical reflection, it is incredible the Meena walks through the slum every single morning to pick up kids and to try to get other families to send their kids to school. She said at one point that if she didn’t walk through each morning some families just wouldn’t send their kids, her presence is crucial. I found it surprising that there are still an estimated 30% of families who aren’t sending their kids. It is free childcare and food, six days a week. But still, the value of education is not always recognized. I also found it really cool to discuss communicable and non-communicable diseases in context as opposed to in a classroom. Technically we were in a classroom, drinking chai and discussing how men must be taught to clean their foreskin, which was an interesting moment, but the relevance of what we were learning was so tangibly close. With the closeness of the topics we were discussing too, I found myself slightly bothered that these issues still exist. Cholera has been wiped out, no more TB, no more leprosy, but men are not cleaning themselves and some women are using ash as sanitary napkins! Like I said, I wish we talked more about this and I wish in the moment it occurred to me to inquire more

#blog

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marvelousrealm-memoirs-blog · 7 years

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Amethyst AU: Under the Sea

Location: Crystal Bay Beach Characters Involved: Luna, Mistel, Julius, Charles

Luna Agreste - Last Wednesday at 5:40 PM

It wasn't often that Luna could get away with sneaking out early in the morning, but today was her lucky day since she knew her father's schedule would keep him away from the Clove Villa all day long. Nobody would be expecting her presence either, considering it's a Saturday and the Sonata Tailoring shop was closed on the weekends as per usual. There was only one bump in the road that she had to worry about: Her bodyguards. One would arrive a half hour after she had already left, but it's possible that they may assume she was sleeping in instead of barging into her room when they don't hear an answer to their call... Discovering that she's missing would ruin her fun, which has been keeping her on edge even though the waves rolling ashore would normally keep her calm and content. 'Soon I'll have to go back home,' she thought to herself. A snapping sound caught her attention right away, so Luna turned her body half-way around to set her gaze on the person who stepped on a branch apparently. "...It's impolite to sneak up on a lady, you know." There was a hint of annoyance in her tone, but she tried her best to bury her feelings since she wasn't supposed to be out here anyway.(edited)

Mistel Langley - Last Thursday at 11:46 AM

A nice night for a stroll. That was the first of many thoughts that came to Mistel Langley's head that dawn. He had been awake for hours now, what a terrible display. The young man wasn't certain why he couldn't sleep, just that he could not. What was to be done about that? Lay in bed and try again, or go outside in reckless abandon for a moment of peace? He chose the latter suggestion. Reckless, he certainly knew, but it was better than the alternative. He always felt better when outside anyway. Maybe this would help his insomnia. The man had been walking with no clear direction for half an hour before he stumbled somewhere just a tad familiar. He wasn't one to visit the beach-- too many people. But that was hardly a concern so early in the morning, right? ...Or so he thought. To his apalling surprise, there was in fact someone else present. What terrible luck! Who on Earth would be outside so late? So reckless! Reckless. There was that word again. As the man so clumsily stepped forward and heard the twig snap, he thought back to that word again. Yes, what a truly horrid night for a stroll. He should have stayed in bed. Corners of his mouth lifting into a smile, Mistel accepted his consequence without complaint. After all, it was his fault for not looking where he was going. "Goodness," Mistel laughed, raising his hands playfully in the air. "You caught me red-handed! Please, forgive my intrusion. I merely had the same idea as you had tonight. Quite baffling, isn't it?"

Luna Agreste - Last Thursday at 12:29 PM

Realizing that it wasn't one of her bodyguards to sweep her away from the beach, her gaze softened and she even allowed her shoulders to relax as a sign of lowering her guard for the time being. Mistel wasn't like the commoners-- in fact, he had his own riches so he had no reason to try to use her for her family's wealth-- which made it easier for her to leave her mask at home where it belongs. Although, this didn't necessarily mean that she had given him her full trust just yet. "I don't think it's that odd for us to meet like this," she started, turning her attention back to the waves since she felt a bit awkward about being alone with Mistel like this. Usually she had someone else accompany her whenever she spent time with someone who was unrelated to her, but that obviously wasn't the case this time. "This is a beautiful escape for most people, so I could see why you would end up here. It's much better to come here either late at night or bright and early in the morning because there's hardly anyone else around--" Instincts kicked into high gear by throwing her right hand over her mouth to stop herself from exposing the fact that she sneaks out frequently enough to know such things. It would be dreadful if Mistel decided to inform someone else of this, especially if he went to Charles about it since he would most likely feel obligated to inform her father. Having bars on every window of the Clove Villa just would not do. Ugh..."Anyway, how are you?" That was the only thing she could come up with as her emotions flip-flopped from fear to anxiety all while she tried to play it off as if she was simply preoccupied with staring at her surroundings, no inner turmoil to see here. Everything is fine. Although she had just asked him a question, she decided to take off both of her heels then sat them upon a stump before making her way through the sand without worrying about getting her shoes dirty. It wouldn't hurt to get a little closer to the water, right? It's not like the ocean would swallow her whole without warning... Still, she stopped at the farthest edges of the water so she was only inches away from getting even the slightest bit wet.

Mistel Langley - Last Thursday at 1:04 PM

She wasn't... upset? How surprising. Lowering his hands back to his sides, Mistel regarded her a tad more carefully now. Was she inviting him to join her? It seemed like it, since she hadn't yet shooed him away. Hesitantly, the man approached. Now in the moonlight, it was easier to see what the man was covered in. A long coat and high boots. The boots were understandable if one knew Mistel well-- he was not a fan of sand in his shoes. But why the coat? One didn't usually wear such outfits to a beach. Still, it was early in the morning and would still be rather chilly. Perhaps he was that afraid of catching a cold? "Oh, I'm quite alright," Mistel responded, not at all reacting to her miss up. It seemed unlikely that he hadn't heard, so perhsps he was simply ignoring it to spare her of any anxieties. If she wanted to come out here from time to time, that was her decision. He certainly wasn't going to tell her what to do. Placing his hands in his coat pockets, Mistel gazed at the water almost... serenely. The way the stars reflected on the surface, it truly was as breathtaking as they both thought. Smiling warmly, Mistel eased his posture. This was nice. A shame he couldn't do it more often. Sure, one encounter was fine, but more? That would surely tick a person off, especially when this was their idea originally. "Thank you for letting me join you," Mistel said in sincere gratitude. "You didn't have to, but you did. I really appreciate that, Luna." Then, quieter, the man thought it best to follow up with a question, like she had done. "Do you like... living here?" An odd question to ask, but perhaps it would've seemed less odd if one took the time to remember of Mistel's situation. He had only recently moved in, after all. "I quite like it. So far," he confessed. "...It's different."

Luna Agreste - Last Thursday at 2:03 PM

A quick glance was given to Mistel after hearing his response, her eyes didn't linger upon his outfit as much as her thoughts may have, but she figured it would be rude to make any comments about how he dressed for a trip to the beach. That, and, it wouldn't do her much good if she opened up the 'Why are you out here?' can of worms anyway, not when she wanted to pretend this was normal for her to to venture out on her own. Despite this probably giving one or both of her bodyguards a scare for their lifetime. Still, it was rather strange to come here in a coat and boots if one wasn't planning on enjoying the beach to its fullest potential. That's why she came along in a short-lengthed dress that fell just above her knees and a pair of heels that could be tossed out if they were ruined by the end of her outing. Her usual fishnets were left at home since she planned on stepping into the water, but this only goes to show that she had different intentions than her companion over here. "That's good to hear." Luna made eye contact this time around before offering a polite smile of her very own, "No need to thank me, Mistel. You've never given me any reason to tell you off, after all, and besides that... I do enjoy your company." His next question was a bit out of the blue, but she chose to come up with a thoughtful response rather than a sarcastic one. "I would say that this place is definitely... interesting, to say the least. I'm glad that you are enjoying the valley though, it would be a shame if you ended up leaving one day since there are so few... People of your caliber around here."Strands of her pink hair found their way to her face, so she brushed them away and turned her head towards the direction of a cool breeze that happened to be passing by. What a nice feeling this was, not being trapped at home or being told that she has more appropriate places to spend her time. Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked back towards Mistel for a second before finally setting her attention on the sky. "...It's so peaceful out here."

Mistel Langley - Last Thursday at 2:34 PM

Luna enjoyed his company? Goodness, she was just full of surprises today, wasn't she? "Of my... caliber?" Mistel echoed quietly. Mouth quivering, the man quickly hid his smile in his wrist. He giggled pleasantly to himself, surprised that he couldn't control his laughter. Why was that so funny to him? He hadn't a clue, and yet here he was! "My! You say the strangest things!" Was it rude of him to laugh at her choice of words? Possibly, but that was to regret at a later time. Still chuckling, the man beamed brightly at the girl. "Hm, hm? What was that? Peaceful? Oh, yes, right... Hehe. Okay, I'm done now. Honest."

Luna Agreste - Last Thursday at 2:50 PM

Honestly, she wasn't expecting to boost his mood through the roof like this-- All she wanted to do was politely assure him that he wasn't a bother, unlike certain peasants-- of the Rock-variety-- who proved to be annoying whenever their brazen stupidity brought them to her doorstep despite the lack of invitation. But, apparently, she's gone too far this time since he was more amused than anything else by her comments. Regret was starting to sink in. The young lady couldn't stop her left eye from twitching due to the twinge of humiliation bubbling inside her rather small form, so she hid her face from him even as he was beaming at her. She felt a bit stupid for causing this turn of events, not that she'd admit it out loud or anything. "Uh huh... I do believe you're not alone in thinking that," she commented about the first thing that came out of his mouth, "Haha...Ha." Boy was she terrible at playing along, giving him a dry laugh like that and not even trying to look him in the eye now. What could she do now? Maybe he thought she was just being silly, but it was possible that he was judging her for not acting as expected. Did he prefer humor or does he like her the way she is? Who knows. Luna wasn't going to wait and find out though-- So off she went for a plunge in the ocean! Or well, she took enough steps to at least hide her ankles below the rather cold ocean waves. "You're really missing out on how nice this feels, Mistel, you should take off your boots and try it out!" She lied, hoping to trick him into the water so he could feel just how cold she felt at this very moment.

Mistel Langley - Last Thursday at 3:16 PM

Oh dear. Now he'd done it. Not returning eye contact, her dry laugh, yes, he had certainly insulted her. Not his intention, yet it still happened. Just when the man was considering whether or not to apologize, Luna moved things along. What was that? She wanted him to step into the water? Sheepishly, Mistel shook his head. "Oh, no, no, no. I'm quite fine where I am," he insisted quickly. "Thank you for the offer, though. Maybe at a later time when the waves aren't so cold." So he knew they were cold? Quite perceptive for someone who had accidently humiliated the person they were speaking to. Perhaps friendships weren't his strong suit.

Luna Agreste - Last Thursday at 3:32 PM

Mistel didn't take the bait, so that was a bit disappointing... But now she had something to use against him for revenge. "Oh, come now. If I can handle this, then surely a man of your caliber can too. Right?" Although she was upset only seconds ago, that seemed to have melted away, only to replace those negative feelings with a playful attitude. "You could cheer me up if you would just humor me this one time..." Luna was practically pleading him with that sparkle in her eyes and the way she pushed her lips forward to possibly guilt-trip him with a pout. Was he used to the way she messed around yet? Probably not, Gill would know better though, but then again he'd still play along to avoid ticking her off. Stepping forward, Luna extended a hand to Mistel after brushing her pigtails away from her shoulders and stood still, waiting for him to play along even though she expected resistance. To which he might find out that resistance is futile.(edited)

Mistel Langley - Last Thursday at 3:52 PM

She wasn't being serious, was she? As if peer pressure would get the better of him... He wasn't nearly so easily swayed. His expression melted into one that seemed to say, 'Are you quite finished?' He had all the patience in the world if she wasn't. But, well...There was one thing that stuck out to him in particular. He didn't like the way he had upset her. Would it really make her feel better if he complied? ...Perhaps just this once. What was the worst she could do? Smile returning, Mistel raised his hand and gently took hers in his own. Something in the back of his mind told him he was probably going to regret this.

Luna Agreste - Last Thursday at 4:09 PM

Luna was actually surprised by him taking her hand, despite rejecting her earlier advances, and worse of all-- He was still wearing his boots. Why was he complying with her now? It would be a crime to ruin perfectly nice boots at this point, she told herself, pretending she cared more about the boots than the fact that someone was willing to go out of their way to cheer her up even when she was playing games... "No, nevermind. I've changed my mind. This won't do at all." Without warning, the blonde was taken away from the water and back towards the stump where she previously left her heels for safe-keeping. A sigh escaped her lips before she released her companion's hand and then she looked down at her feet to see that they were covered in sand. Probably should have thought about this before venturing into the water... C'est la vie. "I could have pushed you into the water, y'know, and yet you trusted me anyway? If you ask me, that's a little strange..." There was a softness in her voice, it was most likely hard to tell that she was appreciative of him to care enough about making amends with her, but she was wearing a smile nonetheless. It would have been fun to push him in the water though... That opportunity is long gone now.

Mistel Langley - Last Thursday at 4:33 PM

Mistel's soft smile left the moment the woman changed her mind. He blinked his eyes quickly and felt her hand tug him along, to which he didn't fuss over. Once they were aways from the water did their hands part. He returned it back to his pocket not a moment sooner. "...So you were considering soaking me?" Mistel spoke in amusement. "How devious... I would hate to be your enemy!" Of course, it was no surprise to him. If he were in her position, he'd have considered it too. Devious minds thought alike, and all. "Is it so strange? It's only water, haha," the man laughed softly. "Shallow water, at that. And... you don't seem like the type who would want to do any real harm to me." Then, remembering, Mistel gestured to his pockets. "Oh, but, you might have done some harm to my phone. So I guess it's good you didn't do that, otherwise you would have had to buy me a new one!"

Luna Agreste - Last Thursday at 4:46 PM

"...I won't deny that the thought crossed my mind, but my point was that you put yourself in that position-- Not that I was certainly going to do it." After shaking her head, she continued on, "I don't think you'd ever have to worry about being my enemy... Besides, I would think of something better than a childish prank for someone I supposedly hated." A grin flashed across her face for a second, but it was quickly replaced with a small smile. "Well, you're still new here... Wouldn't it be best to always be on your guard? I suppose it's silly of me to ask that since I've also been a bit careless around you. Although... It's nice of you to think that I'm not that type of person." Luna placed her hands upon her hips before leaning forward ever-so-slightly, "Maybe I would have, if you would feel have felt comfortable enough to tell someone that a small woman was your downfall." That thought alone was enough to make her giggle at long last. Mistel wasn't the only one to laugh at someone today.

Mistel Langley - Last Thursday at 5:04 PM

"My, my... You aren't worried for me, are you?" Mistel teased, amused that Luna would tell him of all people to be on his guard. He didn't need to be told twice! Before he could get any real glee out of his teasing, Luna went straight back to mocking him. Her being his downfall! He should hope not! "Oh, please," Mistel scoffed. "If anything, I would be my own downfall," he chimed in light play. He'd hope not for that as well, but what type of person didn't recognize their own faults from time to time? He had to be self-aware sometimes.

Luna Agreste - Last Thursday at 5:16 PM

"Worried about you? Ahh-- No, not exactly." Denying it sounded like she didn't care about him, but on the other hand she didn't want it to seem like she was trying to treat him like a baby either. Still, it wouldn't be the best idea to pretend that Sunshine Valley was some safe haven or something when it was definitely the opposite. Blinking twice, Luna straightened out her posture and rolled her eyes after hearing his response. That was a funny way to put it though. "Don't be so quick to judging that I couldn't possibly be your downfall, I could if I tried, but then again I would only do so if I truly disliked you." Her lips were pursed together so tightly that it should have been obvious that she was refraining from laughing any further at what this conversation has turned into. So instead of giving him the chance to tease her further, she decided to bend down to start brushing off the sand from her ankles and feet. "I think you give yourself too much credit, honestly." One last jab from her-- and a quiet snickering noise to boot.

Mistel Langley - Last Thursday at 5:40 PM

Mistel chuckled the more she responded to his teasing. She could get so riled up at times, couldn't she? What a sweet young lady. The man watched the woman brush the sand off her skin, his smile never wavering. If anything, it only brightened the further she mocked him. Luna sure liked having the last laugh, didn't she? What a fun person to talk to. Removing his hand from his pocket, Mistel allowed his fingers to trail up and find their way to a slightly different pocket this time. (Just how many pockets did this coat carry?) Fidgetting with it for a few seconds, Mistel slipped out a thin sheet of fabric. Some sort of napkin of some kind? Reaching forward with his palm facing towards her, Mistel offered the fabric kindly. "Would this help with that?" he questioned, letting his gaze flick to the sand on her ankles as if that was the very thing he was concerned with.

Julius Sheffield - Yesterday at 7:12 PM

Julius was in deep shit. If not currently, then he was certain he would be soon--he had wanted to give Luna the benefit of the doubt when he'd come looking for her, but he had also known her for how many years now? Certainly, most of the time he'd been in this damned valley... so wherever she'd gone off to, he was going to have to find her. Not even breakfast and he'd already lost Luna. Surely, a new record--he'd have to blame it on Charles. For now, however, he'd given up on the Villa, clearly she'd left, and was getting more and more frustrated and stressed as he looked high and low (especially low, very low) for her. Not only had he managed to let her slip off again--which, in any other town, he wouldn't see a big deal with... but Sunshine Valley? He knew better than most it wasn't what you'd call "safe" or "homey"--he couldn't help the spike of anxiety he got that something might happen to her. The beach had, truthfully, been a last resort, but as he came up onto the coast there she was--sat on a stump, barefoot, with... Mistel, he thinks? As much as it was his job to know these things, this tiny speck of a boy was relatively new. Perhaps Julius was genuinely distrustful of the situation, perhaps the building wall of frustration and stress finally crashing down left him needing a release, one cannot truly tell why this encounter would go the way it did, but one second he'd been out of their line of sight and then he'd come rushing in, lifting him up by his coat and shooting his gaze, softer than it was when locked onto the blond, towards Luna. "Care to explain what's going on here, Luna," He, subtly enough that only Luna might catch it--it was becoming clearer that his anger may not be as genuine as he was leading the boy to believe, that he was putting on a show--gave her a small wink, nodding towards the water "Or does or friend need to cool down for a minute?"

Luna Agreste - Yesterday at 8:01 PM

Looking up as Mistel extended his arm towards her, she glanced from the fabric to his eyes then back to the fabric again before finally accepting it. It almost felt unnerving to receive a kind gesture from someone who wasn't looking for something in return, but then again she couldn't forsee the future so this charitable move could be setting her up for something down the road. Maybe she was thinking too much about such a small thing. "Um, thank you for being so kind like this," she responded with a smile, turning her attention back to the sand that clung to her skin. It didn't take long for her to brush away all the wet sand and grime, so she decided to stand up for now to meet Mistel's gaze once more. "I'll return this to you at a later time, I'll make sure it's washed and dried properly too. The perks of running a tailor shop, hehe..." With that said, she placed her arms behind her back and shook her head at him just in case he thought he could reclaim it. Luna took at a seat at the stump in hopes of finally putting her heels back on, but she was interrupted only seconds after the fact by a blur-- Naturally, this spooked her for all of two seconds and even got her to jump from her surprise, but she calmed down almost immediately upon realizing it was Julius. Seems her shoes would have to wait once again, but for a good cause this time. "Ah, Julius, my hero!" she called out to him, playing along in her own right even though it was probably not the best idea for poor Mistel's sake. Luna stood up, placing her left hand upon her hip, and merely nodded in confirmation to carry on with the threat that she assumed was a joke. "Feed my captor to the fishes!" Not knowing that those would probably be the last words Mistel hears before his watery-demise, she let out a few giggles and rolled her eyes at the sight before her. Poor Mistel.

Mistel Langley - Yesterday at 8:25 PM

Mistel hardly reacted to her gratitude. Either he didn't care for it, or hadn't thought what he did was anything special. It was only the right thing to do, after all. He was taught that much. "Oh, no, no," the man dismissed easily. "There's no need. A have a million replace--" Before Mistel could properly finish his sentence he felt strong hands whisk him around. He was so overcome with surprise, the man even let out a soft yelp. This stranger-- just who was this?-- wasted no time in lifting him off the ground by his coat. Oh, no, no. He didn't like this. Not one bit. He should not be this high off the ground. "Wait, wait--" the startled man attempted to explain. (What was there to explain? He thought this exchange was going well!) Clinging to Julius' hands, Mistel let out a nervous laugh. "She's kidding," he insisted quickly. "It's a joke, I assure you... You can put me down now..." Please?

Julius Sheffield - Yesterday at 8:42 PM

Julius hummed softly, as if considering the boys words, before setting him down on his feet, though one hand was still clutching his coat tightly. Then he smiles and for just a minute, it seems like everything is going to be fine, alright, Mistel was getting off scott free. Then Julius pats his cheek teasingly. "Sorry, darling, you heard the woman~" And like that, Julius' hands were off of him for a few beautiful moments. And then he had leaned forward and lifted the blonde up, tossing him over his shoulder like a particularly light sack of potatoes. And off towards the sea he went, kicking his heels off as he walked, splashing into the water up to his ankles before readjusting his hold on the blonde. And then he tossed him into the water, without even a lick of hesitation. Then as if it hadn't even happened, he turned on the ball of his feet, hands on his hips, to face Luna, not moving from his spot as he opened his mouth. "Now, honestly puddin', spill--Kidnapping or torrid affair?" This was jest. Or one would think it was a jest. Point of the matter, Julius wanted to know when he ordered a heart attack for this morning.

Luna Agreste - Yesterday at 10:22 PM

Seeing the expression on Mistel's face was worth the brief laughter that ensued, but that laughter had to be cut short once Julius turned around and took off with Mistel with such ease in his step. There was a long pause in Luna's thought process as she just stood in place and watched with this dumbfounded look on her face, she just wasn't sure if Julius was going to stop in his tracks or not. There's no way that he would actually throw someone into the water without warrant, would he? Which would be an entirely other story-- How much power did she actually have over her dear friend? SPLASH! Luna's eyes grew wide after letting out a rather loud gasp from the sight of Mistel's body being tossed into the ocean as if he was a fish that was too small to take home. "Oh my goddess, Mistel! I'm so sorry--" The words trailed off into silence as Julius began walking in her direction, but he would know soon enough that the games were over with by the frown of disapproval she happened to be wearing at this moment in time. "Julius, it's neither of those things! Mistel isn't like that!" The volume of her voice was rising with each stomp of her foot. "And an affair?! I'm not that kind of woman and you should know that!" It was hard to tell if she was more angry at the suggestion of her having some affair or the fact that Mistel was quite literally swimming with the fishes. With one more stomp of her foot, Luna clenched her fists and dropped her arms to her sides to show how upset she was over this joke-gone-terribly-wrong. "Go make sure he's okay, Juli! What if he can't swim?!" It certainly wouldn't do them any good if they had a death on their hands, right?

Mistel Langley - Yesterday at 10:44 PM

While Mistel was grateful for having been put down, he certainly wasn't grateful for Julius touching him whenever he pleased. Especially his face. Just how did the man see him? As a child? Apparently so. Before Mistel could properly question Julius about his warning, he felt himself being lifted yet again, this instance more degrading than the last. He stared, wide eyed as he was tossed over the tall man's shoulder, his arms dangling in the air. A brief look of embarrassment crept on the man's face, followed by anger, if one could believe it. Narrowing his eyes, Mistel raised his foot, almost as he intended to kick Julius where it hurt. (Or at least attempt to.) And attempt it was. Julius was just too quick. In an instant, Mistel was tossed into the sea, his plans for self-defense all but a memory now as sheer cold pierced his senses. But, no, he wasn't drowning. Julius didn't toss him that far. (Though he very well could've.) Water dripping off of his bangs, Mistel stared in silence as Luna did... what, exactly? Yell? It was hard to hear with water in his ears. Well, water and shame-- though the latter wasn't something quite so physically intrusive to his hearing.

#amethyst au #amethyst: group #amethyst: luna #amethyst: mistel #amethyst: julius #amethyst: charles #(Ongoing; Will update later!)

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