ofwishfulthinking

[ofwishfulthinking]

SHADOW MOON in AMERICAN GODS | 3x06 - Conscience of the King

[ofwishfulthinking]

PEDRO PASCAL looking cute with his green sweater | via katesantos327

[ofwishfulthinking]

Malachi's days usually followed a predictable pattern starting with a run with Athena before heading over to Swolemates. Some days, she accompanied him to work -- those were the days when the memories seemed to hover on the peripheral of his waking reality -- but today was not that day. He'd taken her home and gotten to the gym before the sun had even begun to rise. It was early, but there was a peace in the hours before the sun rose and the majority of the city with it. "Morning." He cleared his throat as he greeted Ashok, one of the patrons who seemed to start the day as early as Mal did. "I was worried that I'd be late and you'd be waiting this morning." Malachi hated to have anyone wait on him. "So, I haven't had time to pull out any of the equipment if you felt like sparring, but we could just hit the weights."

Who: @ofwishfulthinking (Mal)

Where: Swolemates Gym - 4:15am

It was very early but If Ash didn't get up and get himself to the gym there was no guarantee that he would be able to make it there at all. He had never been much good at being accountable to just himself which was why he'd joined a gym. Ash needed routines and having a place with other people that would notice if he didn't show up helped him stay accountable. It would be simple to just pull the covers over his head and go back to sleep. But he was there at Swolemates drinking his prework out shake and blinking the last of the sleep from his eyes, fifteen minutes early because the idea of being late was unacceptable. "Good Morning, Mal. I know I'm early but what's on the agenda for today?"

[ofwishfulthinking]

"Hey," Mal greeted as he settled into the booth across from Javier. The military had taken a lot from him, but in so many ways, it had given him so much in return, namely friendships with other servicemen. When he'd first returned to civilian life, Malachi had felt isolated and alone, but meeting the others, and connecting with them on a frequent basis had helped him to remember himself. "I'm good, but I hear you on life being a lot. Anything you want to chat about?"

closed starter for @ofwishfulthinking (mal) location: the 365 diner

it had been a while since javier had made it to one of the support group meetings. not because he didn't want to, but between work and other general life things, it seemed to have slipped to a lower priority on his calendar. after realizing he had missed yet another meeting jr decides to text mal to see if he'd like to meet up one on one instead. hands wrapped around a mug of coffee, he gives mal a little smile and wave when he sees the other man walk towards him, leaning back against the booth. "hey, thanks for meeting me. sorry I haven't been around much lately. life has just been...a lot lately. how have you been?"

[ofwishfulthinking]

Julien, himself, had never much given thought to being a parent, but then he'd met and fallen in love with Claudia, and it had seemed like the most natural progression in their relationship. Sadly, parenthood had not come easily for them. Joy, though, was the culmination of that journey. She may not have been biologically theirs, but she was their child in all the ways that mattered. It was the greatest pleasure of Julien's life to watch her grow and become her own woman. He just wished that he'd been able to do that with Claudia.

"No, no. I have to set this aside," he replied. If given the chance, Julien would work late into the night. "I'd much rather spend time with you." He closed his laptop and set his aside. Anything else would have to wait until tomorrow. His time with his daughter was limited as is and Jules was not willing to sacrifice even a moment of it working. "So, what are we feeling like today? Want to go to a restaurant or get take out and head home?"

             there's a skip in her step as she ventures through the familiar building, ensuring she greets everyone she comes in contact with on her way to her favorite person's office. it's been much too long since the pair have had any father-daughter time―getting her own business off the ground is hard work, especially with her habit of wanting to give the world to anyone who asks... as is being, you know, the mayor, but she's ecstatic that they've been able to make time for each other now. when she finally pokes her head into his space, a familiar warmth spreads through her chest, a grin of her own blooming wide at his greeting.    ❝  hey yourself, stranger!  ❞    her naturally long gait eats away at the space between them quickly and she places a kiss to his cheek before showing off her gift:  a small bouquet of gerbera daisies, tucked safely in a mason jar.    ❝  i chose orange for encouragement, purple for elegance and affection, and white for good health and inspiration.  ❞    though joy has never had an issue voicing her affection to others, she's always found that using the language of flowers is much more effective. after all, they can be left in easy to view places, serving as a reminder for when she can't be around to do so herself. after she deposits them on his desk, she continues,    ❝  anyway. not that i want you overworking yourself because i'll have your head and everyone else's in this town, but are you sure you can cut out for dinner? i can go pick something up and bring it back? i don't mind helping, even! if i'm able to, of course.  ❞

[ofwishfulthinking]

"It's just so I can water your plants the next time you rush off on some grand adventure, isn't it?" Julien quirked a brow, and expelled a stream of air. "But fine," he huffed. "You're forgiven." At that, he flashed a smile. Santi was one of his oldest and dearest friends, and he honestly wasn't sure what he'd do without the other man in his life. Probably drown in his grief, for one thing, or work himself to death to avoid said grief. Most days, life felt normal -- Julien could almost forget that he'd lost the love of his life much too early -- but there were days when the grief, even two decades later, felt crippling. It was on those days that he was most grateful to have Santiago in his life.

"Have I mentioned that you're too good to me? I'm sure anything you've made is going to be good." Far better than whatever Julien would have come up with had it not been a Santiago night. Cooking was the one sort of art form that Julien couldn't quite conquer. Julien followed suit in settling into the couch and reached for his plate. He took a bite without much thought, a smile tugging at his lips when the opening credits loaded. "A classic," he mumbled around bites. There was nothing more relaxing than homemade food (points for cheesy fries and burgers) and a classic movie. "Ten out of ten. No notes. Another home run from you."

"I beg your finest pardon, Julien, but I was not insulting romance movies. I am offended you'd even think such a thing," he replied, playfully. "Would you forgive my rude manners if I told you that tomorrow I was thinking of going to get you a set of keys to the house? I'd say it's about time you had your own pair, honey." Santiago tried quite often to help Julien separate himself from Mayor Julien to just Julien. He worried that his friend was sometimes overworking himself, not that he could blame him for doing such a thing, these things did tend to happen when you were mayor. But still, Santi tried. When they were like this it didn’t have to be much more than the two goofy guys they could be, unless Julien had something he truly felt was weighing his soul a bit too heavily.

He lazily stretches as he walks towards the living room area where everything was set up for them. “Look, darling, dinner is ready. You see how good I treat you? Also, it’s my first time making smash burgers…so if you don’t like them….please like them.” Santiago joked, of course Julien could tell him he hated them. He flopped down on the couch, reaching for one of the pre-set up plates. “I even made cheese fries. Oh, you know what? I know what to put on.” Obviously he now had to prove a point by forcing his friend to watch a romcom. 10 Things I Hate About You.

He hits play then settles back to much on some fries. Every so often he looked over to his friend, until he could no longer hold it in, “Okay. So? What do you think? Do they pass or should I start ordering us take out?”

[ofwishfulthinking]

In Remembrance of Me by Ishmael Abbasi

In Remembrance of Me was Ishmael’s first published novel. It serves as a stand alone novel. He is currently working on his sophomore novel, an anthology of “monster” stories. publication date: October 17, 2018 pages: 371  genre: horror  blurb: When the Khan family moved to the United States of America, they thought they’d left the memories of their homeland behind. They soon come to find that memories are not so easy to escape. Fifteen year old Emanuel Khan is like any other teen; they play sports, struggle romantically, and desperately ache to be away from their parents. But Emanuel Khan has a secret – they’re the sole witness of a violent murder, a game gone wrong. It’s been years (three, in fact) since that fateful night and Emanuel, now living an ocean away from the original location of the crime, has almost convinced themself that life has returned to normal. That is until one dark Winter day when Emanuel is visited by the victim’s ghost, who urges them to revisit their memories of that night. What unfolds is a deep dive into ancestral secrets, generational curses, and unremembered memories.

[ofwishfulthinking]

"You're too good to me," Mal replied as he accepted the mug and taking a sip. He was pretty sure he was now covered in whipped cream, but that was half the fun of drinking hot chocolate. "It's good. Can't really complain, you know? I'd like to expand at some point, but I'm trying not to think about that right now or else I'll work myself up with ideas and plans, but that's not really in the budget right now." Mal could technically tap into the money he'd inherited from his grandparents, but he more or less thought of that as blood money and would put off using it as long as possible. "Vince," Mal snorted, "you know I'm always happy to facilitate your exercise journey, but I also don't think you qualify for the dad bod thing. Not that there's anything wrong with that whole aesthetic," Malachi added. He could feel the heat rushing to his cheeks even as he sputtered to justify his thoughts. "There's nothing wrong with soft."

"One hot chocolate, coming up." Well, two, since Vince was going to make himself a mug too. Returning to the living room after a few minutes, he offers Mal a mug, grinning softly. "Extra whipped cream and marshmallows." Settling into an armchair, he keeps his hands wrapped around the mug, taking in its warmth. "How's the gym been lately? I really need to take you up on that offer to train me. I think I've been taking the term dad bod a little too seriously."

[ofwishfulthinking]

"Fair," Archie returned with a laugh. He'd started ordering the shop's recurring supplies in bulk recently and it definitely did help to offset costs. "Well, I mean, there is a return policy." He just hoped none of the cats ever needed it. He took the time to vet applications and truly believed that the people who adopted the cats were the best fit, but Archie knew that life happened and sometimes that meant that the cat got the short end of the stick. He tried not to judge those people -- he'd done worse, he knew, and most people didn't want to give up a beloved pet. So, in those cases, he hoped that the cats would be returned to the cafe rather than simply dumped on the street. Street life wasn't an option he wanted for the cafe cats. Heck, it wasn't an option he wanted for any cat.

He watched as Corey cuddled the tortie and smiled. "You know, we have an adoption event coming up in two weeks. You could just adopt this guy then. All the fees are waived. I'm pretty sure Pirate would appreciate having a sibling. Most cats do better in pairs anyway."

"You think I made it this long as a musician without finding the shit I can buy in bulk to get it cheaper?" Corey answered with a playful scoff. A couple of the nearby cats mewed and rubbed up against Corey's legs, prompting a smile. "You sure about that? There's a no return policy? What about an exchange? This little funky looking one is cute. What color is that? A gray tortoise shell? I could call it Silver." Pirate and Silver actually would make a pretty cute pair. Corey bent down to pet the creature, and it rubbed its soft little head against their hand happily.

"This is my first pet, but the internet fully supports the 'cats are picky little assholes' theory. I've been leaving this shit in his bowl for days. Even mixed in wet food, and one of those toppers, and the little bastards eats the wet food or the top layer and leaves the rest." Corey scooped up the friendly little creature, cradling it with their lanky frame. "Seriously, you should trade me this one for the bag. I think that's more than fair."

[ofwishfulthinking]

"Black coffee," Mal snorted. "Do the baristas end up sending you down the road to the nearest cafe for that or do they actually make it happen?" Working in a customer driven industry, Malachi knew just how difficult people could be, and while he found the idea of ordering something completely off menu amusing because he was on the other side of it all, he couldn't imagine what it was like to be the barista receiving that order. The customer is always right was the first mantra drilled into you went you went into the service industry, but how could the customer be right if they were ordering something you couldn't supply? He was happy it wasn't something he didn't have to think about right now.

"I'm thinking about the one that's supposed to taste like chocolate covered strawberries. Never really met a chocolate covered strawberry I didn't like, you know? It's just a classic combo." It was that or peanut butter and chocolate. Though Mal was pretty sure he could more justify the strawberry choice over the peanut butter choice. "Neither, really," he replied. He didn't believe in cheat meals. "I more or less work out so I can eat whatever the heck I want. Most times that involves chocolate. But I figure I'm closer to fifty now," he rolled his eyes at that, "and sooner or later, the metabolism's going to slow down. So, might as well try to get in the habit of being a tiny bit healthier. It's all baby steps though."

Cassius DeLuna wasn’t much of a smoothie guy. Hell, if it wasn’t coffee, whiskey, or water, he didn’t usually bother. But here he was, standing in line at Main Squeeze, arms crossed over his chest, watching the blender work overtime like it was something out of a damn science experiment.

He glanced over at the guy who had just spoken—Malachi DuBois, the gym owner next door. Cass had seen him around, knew his type. Seemed like a good guy, one of those fitness-minded types who tried to balance out the vices with a little bit of clean living. Cass could respect that, even if it wasn’t exactly his style.

“What’s good here?” Cass repeated, exhaling through his nose, eyeing the menu with mild skepticism before shaking his head. “Wouldn’t know. I’m usually the asshole ordering black coffee at places like this.” But since he was here, might as well play along.

He ran a hand over his jaw, glancing at the list of ingredients like they were a foreign language. Kale? Chia seeds? Christ.

He finally landed on something that at least sounded halfway normal. “Reckon I’ll try that peanut butter banana thing,” he muttered, nodding toward the menu. “Can’t be that bad.”

Then, looking back at Malachi, he smirked just slightly. “You one of those cheat day guys, or you actually drink this shit for fun?”

[ofwishfulthinking]

"I guess we're both going to experience this together then," Mal replied with a shrug. "I wouldn't mind a berry smoothie." It definitely sounded better than some of the things he was imagining. Mostly, he couldn't bear the idea of vegetables in a smoothie even though he knew things like kale were all the rage right now. "Honestly, I'm just a sweet tooth masquerading as someone who wants to be healthy." He laughed at that. "How about I commit to getting whatever you're getting? This way, if I hate it, I have someone to blame," he teased. "And in return, your smoothie's on me since it's your first time too."

Olivia liked to start her morning with a smoothie. She didn't have the energy to make something of her own at her place this morning so she decided that she was going to head to main squeeze and see what they had to offer. She had a few patrons come through Pure Roots talking about Main Squeeze, so she thought she'd give it a try. She was looking at the menu as she heard someone speaking and then turned towards him. "Oh, I wish I could help you out with that. I've actually never been here before. I'm not sure what is good. I know a few people have talked about what they enjoy but I'm not too sure. They say the berry one is good if that's up your alley, but also strawberry banana is a classic." She shrugged as she looked at him. "Are there any types of flavors that you gravitate towards?" @ofwishfulthinking

[ofwishfulthinking]

APO NATTAWIN DIOR | GQ UNCUT

[ofwishfulthinking]

this just in! ISHMAEL ABBASI has just been spotted in town. Wait. You don’t know who he/they are? the 42 year old WRITER has been in town for, like, HIS ENTIRE LIFE. they’re known to be quite RECLUSIVE, but being ELOQUENT seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble MAHESH JADU. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those sentence fragments scribbled on scraps of papers, that new book smell, painted nails vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around BRIGHTSIDE long enough! 

details (tw murder):

Ishmael led as normal a childhood as one could expect. He was a quiet, introverted child who preferred the worlds found in books to the outside world. Even then, he always knew that he was well loved. His family was small -- just Ishmael, his parents, and his younger sister -- but they were everything he needed.

She was an entire decade younger, but from the moment she arrived, Ishmael adored his sister. He'd never seen something quite so tiny before. Growing up, she was his shadow, his reason for being a good person. So, her death -- no, her murder -- changed his world in a fundamental way.

The person she'd been dating at the time was arrested for the crime, but that never did strike Ish as correct. With the lack of another likely suspect, the family accepted the "justice" they'd been given and attempted to move on. But how does one move on from a loss when it's changed you all the way down to your DNA? Simple answer -- you don't.

His sister's death became something of an obsession. It actually became the inspiration for his first novel, and suddenly, Ish was a bestselling horror novelist. It's not what he'd ever envisioned for himself but it seemed like a natural progression.

His agent and publicist wanted him to go on a book tour, but Ishmael declined. Leaving Clearwater simply wasn't in the books for him. Over the years, he'd become even more reclusive and turning down the book tour and appearances has only solidified that reputation.

Ish is in the process of writing his third novel. As of now, it's not going well. He's found himself in a bit of a rut and is looking for inspiration to strike.

Potential Connections:

childhood friends

best friend

romantic things

someone who really enjoys his work

literally any and everything

[ofwishfulthinking]

who: open (3/5) @clearwaterstarters where: bella's books

Clearwater had always been home, but within the city limits, there were very few selected places where Ishmael truly felt like he belonged. Bella's Books was one of them. For as long as he could remember, the bookshop had been his place of refuge, somewhere he could curl up in a corner and be unbothered for a few hours. As he aged, it seemed as if life allowed for much fewer of that cherished uninterrupted time. Still, Ishmael made a habit of carving out a few hours each week to sit and take in the tranquility of it all. Self care. It was his way of justifying the fact that he took home a new book every week. “How about a deal,” he said, turning to the person seated a few feet away from him, a desperate effort to break out of his own shell – something his publicist insisted could only help the sale of books. “You tell me about the book you’re currently reading and I’ll buy you a coffee.”

[ofwishfulthinking]

@MaheshJadu: I would never tweet “LOL”…

[ofwishfulthinking]

@faiirytaleskies

Stand by Me (1986)

[ofwishfulthinking]

"I've already been looking at youtube videos," Archie announced, proudly. If there was one thing he was good at, it was research. He smiled fondly as he watched Mateo add more things to the tower of things he was already carrying. Sooner or later, he'd run out of arm space. Good thing, then, that Archie had two readily available arms. "I think Gargoyle would look cute in a yellow sweater." The little black kitten had only been at the shop for a few days, but he'd already stolen Archie's heart. He'd go in to be neutered soon and then he'd be ready for adoption. Archie imagined that he'd be swept up in a few days time especially with the adoption fair coming up. "If we want to do the catnip toys, we'll need fabric and thread. And catnip, obviously. But I think those will definitely be easier than sweaters. But I'm definitely looking forward to watching you attempt to crotchet. You got the hands for it." Archie waggled his brows suggestively. Was it weird to flirt with someone you were already dating? He hoped not. Not that he cared either way. "And any extras we can sell at the cafe."

Mateo loved being creative, it was one of his favorite things, it definitely got worse during holidays. Currently he was keeping his partner company, trying to help him pick things out, but somehow, he ended up having an arm full of decor that would go great at work. “I think that’s a great idea,” Mateo easily agreed, casually reaching for a little jar that said ‘TREATS’. “I can help you make some of the sweaters if you’d like. I’m not saying I am an expert at crocheting, but YouTube can guide us through any bumps we have along the way.” Mateo stops to look at a couple of yarns, “Do any of these strike your fancy, sweetheart?” He reached for a red colored yarn ball, "What about little sweaters? Ohh! What if we made them little stuffed plushies with a bit of catnip in them?"