#{Miles: Stella think of the baby}

[witchygagirlwrites]

Broken Bonds- Part 7

Former (ish) Greg "Mouse" Gerwitz x Reader, BabyDaddy! Jay Halstead x Reader

You and Jay finally tell Mouse the truth about your pregnancy

Warnings: the usual

Jay was right, you knew he was. If Rev could randomly walk into Mollys on a friday night anything could happen that could lead to Mouse finding out from someone else. He knew quite a few guys and with him being back at base for the time being it would be fairly easy to get in contact for those that knew which channels to take.

That didn’t stop the gnawing pit in your heart or the way your body was reacting which was in turn causing lil bit to squirm painfully against your internal organs as you sat down at your desk in an attempt to email him to schedule a zoom call. You hadn’t seen him face to face in seven months because of how often his unit was called out. It didn’t give a lot of down time, now you were finally getting to see him again and you should have been able to be excited but you were about to rip the heart out of the chest of the man you loved while it was still beating.

You twisted the ring that you wore on your right hand nervously. Stella had one that matched it on her right hand. Double crescent moons, it had just so happened to have been on the same phase the day you both were born. She’d brought them as a present when you graduated from the academy. You remembered the day you’d explained it to Mouse he’d grinned “Does this mean one day me and Kelly are gonna have to make sure your engagement rings look alike?”

Now she wore an engagement ring and wedding band and you sat here with just your ring from her. “Hey, you ok?” you jolted when Hailey touched your shoulder and you smiled slightly “Yeah Hails. Sorry” 

She shook her head, a small smile on her lips “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to spook you, you just looked like you were a thousand miles away. I know we’re not quite as close as you are with Kim but if you need to talk about anything you’re dealing with or even need me to kick the shit out of someone I’m here” 

You laughed lightly “Thank you Hailey. I think what happened with Rev is still under my skin a bit” she nodded “That’s understandable. He was a drunken asshole who deserved what Jay gave him and worse” you nodded slowly, your gaze dropping to your hands. Something must have shown on your face because she looked around where Kevin was working at his desk, Kim and Adam were going through a box of files and Jay was in Hank’s office with him before she sat down on the edge of your desk “Can I say something?”

You raised your eyes to her and nodded “Of course” she reached out and put a hand on your shoulder “You and Jay have been putting yourselves through hell and while I get this situation is complicated you think you’re this horrible person because of it right?” you swallowed before nodding and she smiled again “You’re not because someone horrible wouldn’t care. They wouldn’t be swallowing the mouth running to protect Jay, they wouldn’t be worrying about telling Mouse to protect him. They wouldn’t specifically say every time that the action was a mistake not the product so you’re never saying your baby was a mistake. Don’t carry more weight than you need to, this job and life is hard enough”

You blinked hard a few times to fight back tears and she leaned down to hug you “Hey, it’s ok. You’re pregnant, hormones happen. You’re still more badass than Adam ever thought about being” she raised her voice on the last part causing Kim and Kevin to laugh and Adam to let out an offended “HEY!”

After Hailey talked to you some of the tension actually did leave your body, enough that lil bit calmed down so you turned back to your desk and opened your email. Greg, is there any way we can get on the schedule for a zoom? I know the guys with families go to the top of the list but I want to talk to you. Just let me know. Any day and time is good, I’ll move things around on my end to make it work.

You hit send as Hank and Jay walked out of Hank’s office. “Kidd!” Hank called so you looked up “Yeah Sarge?” he jerked his head towards the back hallway that led down to roll up “You’re with me. Gotta talk to a suspect’s wife” your eyes widened “Why me?” he shrugged “You don’t wanna go?” you were on your feet and grabbing a jacket before he could say anything else and heard him laugh lightly.

When you walked past Jay you heard the two exchange a quick “Watch her back” “She can watch her own back just fine but I protect my own Halstead” you bit your lip to not smirk at Jay, yeah he was protective in his way but Hank was protective in his own as well and he knew you needed to stretch your legs while you still could before desk duty would be your only option.

You stood next to Hank while he knocked. The new vest he’d gotten you fit over your bump even if it had taken some adjusting. He cut his eyes at you “Good?” you nodded “Good”

When the door opened you saw a woman’s face peek around and the first thing you spotted was the shiner she had attempted to cover up. “Mrs Sara Kinsley?  I’m Sergeant Voight, this is Detective Kidd. We’re with CPD and here to talk about your husband” the fear that was in her eyes made your stomach roll. What the hell kind of man was he? You met a lot of violent perps but most of them their spouses were blind sided by that side because they never showed it at home.

She opened the door slowly and your eyes widened when you saw she was probably seven or eight months pregnant. Now you knew why Hank had brought you. Best way to get someone to talk was to relate to them, pregnant wife not wanting to talk? Bring a pregnant detective to interview her.

—-----------

Hank had tried at every angle so when he nodded at you, that was your cue. You stood up from where you were sitting and rubbed a hand across your lower back. He looked up at you “She moving around again?”  Sara looked from you to Hank, the confusion in her eyes. You smiled “About five and a half months” a small smile slipped onto her face “Can’t hardly tell under your vest” you laughed lightly “Let her hear her father and you’d probably see my vest moving”

Her eyes teared up “He stops moving when he hears Jerry. It’s like he knows” you cut your eyes at Hank, had her. You sat down next to her, putting a hand on her knee “Sarah, did Jerry hit you?” when she started blinking fast you knew she was trying to keep from crying “He didn’t mean to. He just got mad because I went to my sister’s without telling him”

“Oh honey, that’s not ok” you put a hand on your stomach “Her father and I aren’t even together and he would kill someone for trying to lay a hand on me or my sister for that matter” she looked up at you “Really?” you nodded “About a week ago he busted the nose and cheek bone of a man he served two tours overseas with because the guy was drunk and said some things about me he shouldn’t have. He lets my sister bully him just because she’s his daughter’s aunt. Men, real men don’t hurt the women carrying their child. They protect them with everything they have”

She started sobbing so you pulled her over onto your shoulder “It’s ok Sara. It’s ok. Just tell us where he is and I promise he will never lay a hand on you. My unit will make sure of it”  she nodded “I’ll tell you everything I know just please make sure he can never come after me or my baby” “I can promise you that” Hank spoke up and she looked up at you with a small smile “Thank you”

You ended up arguing with Jay for ten minutes that you were going on this take down until Hank walked into the breakroom. “She got the wife to talk, she deserves to be there” Jay turned to face him “He hits his pregnant wife! You wanna put her in his crosshairs?”

You scoffed “Jay, I can take care of myself unless you forget I carry a fucking gun and I’ve been boxing since I was sixteen years old” Hank tilted his head towards you “End of it Halstead. Kidd is on this takedown. You can come or you can sit out but we’re rolling on this”

Jay didn’t look happy about it but nodded “Fine” you nodded “Fine” and walked out of the breakroom.

You spotted Kevin and whistled to get his attention and his head shot up “Yeah?” you motioned towards the back hall “I’m with you on this” he looked towards Hank who’d walked out behind you for confirmation so Hank nodded “Atwater with Kidd, Halstead and Upton with me” 

—---------

You and Kevin were covering the back entrance when the coms crackled to life “Headed your way Kev” you rolled your eyes at Jay specifically leaving you out. The door burst open and you and Kevin already had your guns out and aimed level at Jeremy “Hands up asshole” you smiled.

He looked like he wanted to run but Kevin shook his head “C’mon man you don’t wanna do that” Hank and Hailey walked out the door behind him so he knew he didn’t have a chance. He slowly went down to his knees and put his hands behind his head. His eyes were glued to you the entire time  “You’re the bitch that got Sarah to roll on me” 

You stepped closer to him “Yeah and you’re the bitch that likes to hit pregnant women” he shrugged “Not as long as they know to be obedient” you cut your eyes towards Hank who gave the smallest shrug so you laughed “That right?” before catching Jeremy square on the chin with a right hook. He toppled to the ground and Kevin let out a low whistle “Damn”

“Might as well cuff him” Hank shrugged so Hailey was slapping cuffs on him as he was waking up “The fuck was that?” Hank snatched him to his feet and turned him so he could see you rubbing your right hand with your left “That was my pregnant detective knocking your sorry ass out” about the time a patrol car rolled on scene.

Jay walked up with Adam and Kim in enough time to catch the end of Hank’s sentence and see your red knuckles. After Jeremy was loaded in the patrol car Jay gently grabbed your hand and turned it to look at your knuckles “Feel better getting to hit somebody?” you nodded “Yeah, actually. That helped” which caused everyone to laugh “That kid's gonna have one helluva temper” Adam added with a shake of his head. Voight shrugged “No one will mess with her though”

When you got back to the precinct you headed to your desk to finish writing up Sara’s statement and saw you had an email alert up on your computer. You sat down then looked across the room at Jay who’d just walked in from holding. The moment your eyes met his he walked straight to your desk “What’s wrong?” he asked.

You motioned to your computer “I think he emailed me back and I’m too much of a chicken to open it alone” he sat on the edge of your desk and nodded at the computer “There. Not alone”

You took a deep breath and clicked the email Hey sweetheart, I hope everything’s ok. Fastest I can get on the schedule is the day after tomorrow at what would be 9:30 your time. Drag Jay’s ass over so I can holler at him too. Looking forward to seeing that face. 

You took another deep breath and felt Jay’s hand cover yours. It was only then you realized your hand was shaking. “It’s gonna be ok” you shook your head “No it’s not Jay and you know it” you pulled your hand from under his and wiped your face “I’ve got to finish Sara’s statement. I’m sure you’ve got work to do” 

“So you’re just gonna freeze me out for the next two days?” he asked as you turned your attention to the notes you’d taken while talking to Sara “I’m not freezing no one Jay. We have work. I can’t keep getting emotional at work. I’ll get through shift then go to the gym and hit something again and maybe feel better” 

He nodded “Can I come with you?” you shrugged “If you want” “Ok” he replied then stood off your desk and walked over to his. You touched the ring on your right hand and reached for your phone to send Stella a text Zoom call is scheduled for day after tomorrow it didn’t take but a few heartbeats before she texted back I know it doesn’t seem like it but you’ll feel better after telling him You knew she was right. 

Dr Charles had been pushing for this for weeks. You didn’t want to do this but you also didn’t want anyone else telling him. He deserved to hear it straight from the woman he loved and his best friend that they were having a baby together. That’s the least you two owed him.

Would that help you if you were ripping Kelly’s heart out? You texted and she sent back I know babygirl. Just know no matter what happens with Jay or Mouse or whoever you have me always and forever you laughed at the show reference before sending back Always and forever...wait you’re the calmer,older sibling so does that make me Klaus?

She sent back a wolf emoji which made you laugh and you knew that was her intended goal. She knew the way your head worked and knew how to get you out of the dark corners, the same way you knew how to get her out of the dark corners. 

You wiped a hand down your face and laid your phone back down. Just get through today. Lil bit shifted and you smiled, putting a hand over where she was moving. You needed to start thinking about names too, maybe that would give you something to focus on for the next two days.

“I can’t look at Jay” you admitted to Stella. She’d come over because Kelly was at Matt’s for poker and the two of you hadn’t really had a night just to yourselves in a while. You were laying sideways across your bed, watching her as she fiddled with her crescent ring where she laid across the foot of your bed. 

She shrugged “I mean if he can’t go one day without you talking to him, that’s kind of pathetic” you couldn’t help but laugh at the way she scrunched up her face along with the comment. She had a way with her expressions, always had. “I was mean to him when he went to the gym with me” you admitted, slowly pushing yourself to a sitting position against the headboard instead.

She raised an eyebrow before sitting up and moving to be shoulder to shoulder with you “What happened?” you shrugged “He kept trying to convince me it was all going to be fine” “And?” she pushed. You covered your face with your hands, trying to block out the mixture of embarrassment and shame you felt for the look that had been in Jay’s eyes “I yelled at him that he can’t fix everything for me and he should quit trying. I told him to just back off and only be there for doctor’s appointments or if something came up with the baby”

You felt her move before her hands were covering yours, gently pulling them away from your face. Once you saw her you saw she had a gentle smile on her face “Oh honey. That’s not that bad” you raised an eyebrow and her smile fell “Ok, that’s pretty mean but you are dealing with a lot. I’m sure he gets it” you shook your head “And if I manage to push him away and lose them both?”

You felt tears sting your eyes at the thought and she wrapped her arms around you “You won’t” she put a hand on your stomach and the baby wiggled up under it “Nothing could push Jay away from his little girl and he knows that means helping her mom too. As for Mouse, I’m not going to sit here and sugarcoat anything because you don’t need that. He’s gonna fall apart. I can’t blame the man. The thought of Kelly having a child with someone else, even if I had broken up with him is enough to break me but the entire reason it’s gonna hurt is because of how much he loves you. Let it hurt, feel it and face it but don’t let it drown you. You don’t need that on your shoulders and my niece doesn’t need the stress on her because if anything happens to you because of any of this? I don’t care if you were in the right or the wrong I will end both Jay Halstead and Greg Gerwitz” 

You laughed despite the tears falling “I’m so fucking glad you’re my sister” she smiled “Right back at ya” 

—--------------------

“So Stella is going to keep her phone on hand too?” Will asked Jay as the two watched the Blackhawks game. After you not so subtly telling him you needed space at the gym the day before Jay had called his brother to see if he wanted to hang out and to catch him up to speed because both older siblings with medical training needed to be ready should the stress cause anything to go wrong while you were talking to Mouse.

“Yeah, Kelly too so if something was to go wrong I can just hit the group text and whoever gets there first” he answered, eyes never leaving the screen. The group text had been your idea. That way he didn’t have to pick who to try to call if you needed someone. He just had to put a 911 in it and they would all come running.

He could feel Will looking at him without even turning his head to face him but did so anyway “You know that’s creepy as hell, right?” he shrugged “Just concerned about you”  Jay shook his head “Don’t be worried about me, I’m fine man” 

Will nodded towards the table where four empty beer bottles sat in front of Jay compared to his one. “Really?” Jay rolled his eyes “So I drank a few beers. Not a big deal” Will nodded “It wouldn’t be if you were sleeping regularly, if you weren’t about to lose the very best friend you’ve ever had and if you weren’t developing feelings for said best friend’s love of his life who just so happens to be carrying your child..did I miss anything?” Jay nearly dropped the beer bottle when Will said he was developing feelings for you. Anything he felt for you was as his friend or the mother of his child. “I am not getting feelings for her” he defended a little too fast because both of Will’s eyebrows shot up.

“C’mon man. I’m not exactly gonna tell her” Will offered but Jay shook his head, he knew where he stood with you. “Anything I feel for her is because she’s my friend and the mother of my child” Will stared at him for long enough he felt the urge to squirm “Can I ask something and you don’t bullshit me?” 

Jay nodded “If you’ll quit looking at me like that, sure” Will laughed lightly before turning his eyes back to the screen. Jay thought he was going to let whatever it was go at first until he said “If her ex was anyone else but Mouse, would you feel something for her?” and he honestly had no idea how to answer that.

—-------------

Mouse couldn’t shake the feeling that something was up. Something fairly fucking big. Something was off when he’d spoke to you on the phone, he couldn’t put his finger on it but something in your voice told him you were struggling. He’d asked Jay if he could call him but every time he tried he got side tracked with someone needing him to do something else. Sometimes it sucked being the one person on base that knew the most about tech.

He just needed to know you were ok. That’s all he needed to know. Why he felt like he had that right? He wasn’t sure. He’d honestly had good intentions by not wanting to drag you down to a significant other that was active duty,it was hell. At the time he hadn’t even known when this contract would come to an end and how was he supposed to leave you with a “See you when I see you?”

He’d wanted you to have a chance to be happy. Now something was going on with you and he was no longer privy to it because you weren’t actually his anymore. Yeah, you still wrote or emailed and even talked when possible but it was closer to back when the two of you were tip-toeing around each other. You would tease but not flirt and make sure to never use the word love.

He’d crushed your heart and left you to pick up the pieces, what did he expect? He sighed and rolled over. Tomorrow he’d know one way or another. You’d asked to see him. That meant something you didn’t feel comfortable saying without seeing each other’s faces. That meant something big, something important. Something that could rip what was left of his heart, what he hadn’t left behind in Chicago, out of his chest.

You hadn’t spoken over three words to Jay at work. Luckily if any of the unit had noticed they hadn’t asked.  You just wanted to get the work day done, go home and shower then  go to sleep for an hour or two before all hell broke loose in your personal life. That was all you wanted.

—--------

You were curled up in the middle of your bed asleep. Kelly had ordered you a bigger CFD hoodie and even with your growing belly this one still hung mid thigh. Perks of your brother in law being high ranking. You’d thrown on a pair of the leggings Stella had made you buy and it was comfortable enough.

You could’ve laid there forever if your phone hadn’t started ringing. You reached a hand out to find it and pulled it to your ear without looking “Kidd” there was a hesitation then Jay said “Look I know you’re still pissed at me but you picked at your lunch and need to have some food in you before the zoom call. I’m at your door, I’ll just drop it off and come back in an hour”

“Hour?” you asked and looked at the time. Shit, you’d been asleep for three hours. “Are you ok?” he asked and you huffed out a breath of air “Yeah, I’ll come let you in”

—--------

You crawled out of the bed and smoothed a hand over your hair before walking out of your room and through the apartment. When you opened the door Jay was standing there with a takeout bag and bit his lip to stop a smile “What?” you asked and he gestured towards you “Isn’t there a spot in the baby book Stel gave you for a photo like this? Cause you’re adorable partner”

“Fuck you Halstead” you replied and his eyes dropped to your stomach so you added “Go to hell!” with a laugh before moving to let him in. 

He walked past you and cut his eyes at you “I’ll just leave it on the counter” you shook your head “Just stay Jay. it’s insane to leave and come back” he turned to look at you over his shoulder “Are you sure? Because I don’t want to smother you, hell I didn’t realize I’d been doing it”

Your shoulders sagged “Jay about what I said, I’m just scared about telling him. I know you’re just trying to take care of me and the baby as best as you can and I love that you are. It means so much to me. I would lose my mind if you hadn’t been as good as you’ve been so far” he smiled slightly “It’s ok sweetheart, I get it”

You nodded “Good. Now let’s eat and try not to think for the next hour” He smiled “Good plan, nice and solid. Did ya borrow it from Ruzek?”

At nine fifteen you were sitting your laptop up on the small breakfast nook table in your kitchen. You hadn’t managed to get a lot of food down but Jay hadn’t pushed you to eat or talk thankfully. He was also giving you distance in the apartment. While you set up he was pacing the living room. Did it help your nerves? Not really but at least he wasn’t hovering.

You sat down once it was done and ran your hand through your hair, staring at your computer “I don’t know how I’m gonna do this” you hadn’t meant to say it outloud but you had nonetheless because Jay looked up at your words “I’ll be right here with you and if it gets bad I’ll make him focus on me”

You felt tears already threatening “Jay he’s been your best friend longer than he was mine” he shrugged “I can handle it. I’m not pregnant. Your body can only handle so much stress” you nodded slowly “Thank you Jay for meaning it when you told me I wouldn’t be alone” 

He walked over to you, one hand coming to rest on your stomach “I meant it then and I mean it now. Whatever you need I’m here” you swallowed and looked at the time. “He’ll be on soon”

—-----------

You’d purposely picked the table because he wouldn’t be able to see your stomach and you hadn’t really gained weight in your face too much. Jay squeezed your shoulder gently as the computer warned you that Mouse was joining the call and your heart sped up.

The screen faded a bit then it shifted and an office looking area came into view and there sat one Greg Gerwitz. Just seeing him felt like the wind had gotten knocked completely out of your lungs. His hair was longer, a beard covering his jaw and christ his arms in those ACUs. A sound between a sigh and whimper escaped you causing Jay’s head to whip towards you at the same time Mouse’s laughter hit your ears “Hello to you too sweetheart”

Your heart ached hearing how happy he sounded knowing what was to come. “Hey Greg” you smiled at him, hoping you didn’t look like you were on the verge of tears.  “Hey Jay” he greeted and Jay nodded “Hey Man”

He turned back to you “I don’t know how long we have because you know how this shit goes Y/N but it’s so damn good to see you. It’s been what? Seven months?” you nodded, not trusting your voice. He smiled again “Your hair’s longer” you laughed “So is yours, I like the beard too” he scratched across it “Yeah? Think it suits me?” you nodded “Definitely”

He cut his eyes at Jay “How about you man? How’s it been going?” Jay nodded “Can’t complain” you swallowed hard and both men looked at you, Jay turning in his seat to face you and Mouse giving you his full attention through the screen “I..well we need to talk to you about something Greg”

He looked from you to Jay and back, a look passing through his eyes that told you he was slamming that wall down. That wall he’d had in place years ago. You could see his hands clenching and unclenching and knew if there was anything on that desk he would be fidgeting with it in some way. 

“Ok” he said after a moment, eyes settling on you. You looked at Jay, tears beginning to flow already “I can’t do this” “Do what? Wait, are you crying? What’s going on you two?” your heart twisted even more hearing how concerned Mouse was for you. 

Jay gave you a small nod so you took a deep breath “You know Erin left four months after you already” Mouse nodded “Yeah” he was barely fucking blinking and still enough you would’ve thought the screen froze had he not responded.

“About two months after that we have an uncover assignment. Me and Jay went under as Trevor and Ronnie, was supposed to be an easy thing but it went sideways and quick” “We lost two kids and a woman” Jay added and Mouse nodded again so you continued “We both also got pretty hurt and ended up in med”

“Why the fuck are you two telling me all this? You’re beating around the bush, I know you both too well. Get to the point” you flinched slightly at the change in his tone, knowing this was you probably losing him for good. 

“Greg, we slept together” Jay confessed and you saw the anger flash across Mouse’s face “What?” you swallowed hard “We were drinking and heartbroken. One thing led to another” when he turned his head to look at you even through the screen you could see how the usual light blue haze of his eyes had darkened to a stormy blue “What? Are you with my best friend now?”

You shook your head and he laughed humorlessly “Then what the fuck was the point of this Y/N? To break my fucking heart for no damn reason? To rub it in? What?” “She’s pregnant” Jay blurted out, doing just what he promised and turning Mouse’s attention to himself when it got too much on you. 

Mouse fell back in the seat, eyes glued to you. “You’re pregnant?” his voice was so low you barely heard him. “Yeah” you managed in a whisper, not able to turn your eyes from him. “You’re having Jay’s baby. The love of my life is having my best friend’s baby” he spoke the words as he stared at you through the screen.  

“I’m sorry Greg” you whispered, tears flowing down your face. “Jay, how many times have we spoke after you fucked the love of my life?” he asked, not taking his eyes off of you to look at Jay. “Three” Jay answered truthfully. “And how many of those did you know?” Mouse asked so Jay once again answered truthfully “Twice”

Mouse nodded slowly “So Y/N when we spoke..guessing that pain was your..” he paused as if the word pained him “Baby” you nodded “She was in my ribcage” when you said she it was like it snapped him out of whatever trance he’d been in. His eyes started tearing up “She?”

You nodded “It’s a girl” he looked at Jay finally and shook his head “Out of every woman in Chicago, it had to be her?” “Greg” you tried and he held up a hand towards you “Hold on, I wanna hear his defense” 

Jay cut his eyes at you before saying “I’m sorry Greg. I never meant for this to happen but it did, what would you have me do, abandon her?” “I asked you to take care of her NOT FUCK HER JAY” you felt tears start to flow harder down your face. 

You wiped at your eyes and Mouse looked at you, chest heaving “Y/N…sweetheart..I love you and I probably will until the day they put me into the ground. I’m gonna get off because I don’t want to say anything to hurt you or upset you. I’m not risking your health for my hurt,ok?”  you nodded “I still love you Greg and I’m sorry for hurting you and for lying” he nodded, jaw tense “I know” then looked at Jay “You’ll still be my point of contact so she doesn’t stress from not knowing but if I was close enough I might fucking kill you” then he hit a button and the screen went black.

Jay silently slipped an arm around you and pulled you over on his shoulder. You were trying to concentrate on calming down, but you couldn’t think of anything but the tears in Mouse’s eyes. “He’s never going to forgive us” you whispered, and Jay shook his head “No, he’ll never forgive me. He doesn’t hate you, I knew he wouldn’t hate you” “Did you see how he looked at me?” you asked, tears not slowing  “At least he knows, and he heard it from us” Jay offered, and you nodded “That’s the least we owed him” 

@desimarie12

Part 8

[smolvenger]

Poll Idea: WIP Potentials!

Okay guys, I have all these ideas in the WIP stew. I have the next part of Boat in the Water loading up and about to start a rough draft. But...which of these sounds good to you of these stories and requests crazy ideas I got.

Court of Mischief Chapter 21: Reader is back with her hubby, and after some reunion hanky panky, they realize the key to Grendel's defeat can be found in the Trove, which they must obtain by visiting the worlds of the other variants, Kingdom Hearts Style. There are also plans for Reader and Sif to find something in the Asgardian library that could threaten them...or help them.

The Little Princess: based off of a request. Reader and Henry V have their first baby...and it's a girl. While the court may be disappointed, he still loves his daughter.

Birthday Blurb Request Title TD: "Who Did This To You?" with President Loki with spice. He will be protective over her bb and want to give her a mango ride, ehhehehehe.

Birthday Blurb Request Title TBD: "And there was one bed!" with Prof! Tom. I plan on Reader being a student, and somehow on a school trip or something, landing in one room with one bed with prof! Tom. Tension ensues, and there will be smut.

And now, for the random oneshots in my head...

The Maid of Harlefluer, Henry V x fem! Reader: This is the darkest idea I have since there is dubcon in it. But Henry V and his army enter Harlefleur for the French invasion, BUT in order to peacefully pass through, he requires a lady for his bed that night...and you are the one offered! Smut and angst and some fluff happens.

A Private Audience, Will Ransome x fem! Reader: Hold up, hold up, hear me out, this isn't a signal I've been kidnapped- I know, I'm shocked too. But I had an idea kind of based on "My Boy Breaks his Favorite Toys" from TTPD and a couple lines from chapter 19 in Pride and Prejudice concerning another suitor who is a clergyman named William, as well as headcanons I've read. Reader is new in town after the canon events and Will is a widower with the kiddos and he is showing interest in her, and Reader goes "oh, okay! He's a great guy! I won't mind his courtship!" But then...she somehow finds out about Cora and Stella and his past infidelity *record scratch* and that he is still talking with Cora via the letters(!!!!) and it changes everything internally. But despite this, one day he knocks on the door intending to propose marriage to Reader. Angst and drama ensues.

Which one sounds like something you wanna read about first?

Tell me what y'all think!

Taglist: @anukulee@asgards-princess-of-mischief@jennyggggrrr@five-miles-over@fictive-sl0th@ladycamillewrites@villainousshakespeare@holdmytesseract@eleniblue@twhxhck@lokisgoodgirl@lovelysizzlingbluebird@raqnarokr@holymultiplefandomsbatman@michelleleewise@wolfsmom1@cheekyscamp@mochie85@fandxmslxt69@skittslackoffilter@mischief2sarawr@jijilaufeyson

[showtoonzfan]

I’m about to share a very hot take regarding the writing of Stolas’s character, mainly Vivziepop’s gay characters so I hope people bear with me on this. I thing the biggest issue regarding characters like Stolas and Blitz is just how sensitive the writers and fandom are, and this has to do with the fact that most of them are part of the LGBTQ+ community. Representation is especially important to the people of that community, so when they see a character in media that is part of said community but is portrayed as “bad”, that’s not a good thing to them, because nobody wants to see a gay character being painted in a negative light right?

Remember when some fans immediately thought Angel Dust was offensive because they assumed he was in hell for being gay, therefore thinking Vivzie was problematic because of that? It’s like that. The writers of Helluva Boss and the fandom are exactly like that, they’re sensitive. They can’t fathom the fact or EMBRACE the fact that you make gay characters problematic. You can make gay characters awful people. You can make gay characters unapologetic and you shouldn’t be afraid to or scared of ruffling some feathers or getting cancelled. That’s why Viv and the Helluva writers insist on making Blitz and Stolas good deep down because we can’t have gay characters be bad! God forbid or someone might get the wrong message! That’s why Blitz and Stolas always feel like they’re never in the wrong, and the fandom applauds them every time, because they’re gay icons to this community. That’s why Striker to Viv is a masculine bigot apparently because he’s straight, that’s why Stella is evil because she’s discriminative, and we need to have our powerful “go girl” LGBTQ+ themes!

And this is why I never act like I have respect for the Helluva writers because they’re just…….cowards. They play it safe. They’re SO scared of going all the way, going that extra mile and actually making these characters the BAD FLAWED PEOPLE they’re claimed to be, and the fandom never helps because god forbid you call these “flawed” characters actually flawed and then you’re suddenly homophobic. Got it. Some of y’all need to grow a pair, Viv needs to grow a pair, her writing team needs to grow a pair, and some of y’all in the LGBTQ+ community need to grow a pair, because I want the representation too, but that doesn’t mean we need to portray all gay characters as uwu babies. In the words of this twitter user:

[birlwrites]

It may be beyond what you've currently decided, but for your atfhv and general casts what's the pet line up? Alternatively, I'd be interested in your thoughts on the Blacks in this regard but essentially the idea is to ascertain for your hogwarts-based cast who has a familiar/postal owl as animals are fun.

I remain already aware Regulus tragically lacks an owl or other pet (not-so-tragically in Lachrimae, no pets dying there phew). I think Barty just uses the Crouch family owl to write to his mother and for the life of me don't actually remember about Evan (shockingly, Regulus notes everything about him). But given there's no doubt a not inconsiderable list of people who interact exclusively through school owls (I think those are a thing?) there are lots of boring characters in this regard I'm sure.

I know of Priam's (+Heather's eventually?) cat Priscilla and that you have a post noting one of his younger siblings can have an aggressive owl as a treat but recall little else that stands out about any character.

So, if you have the time and the interest a list of individual pets/animal access for key characters could be fun and hopefully low effort (I'm happy to offer types of British owls and birds of prey as inspiration with information on them if you but ask to make it easier).

"Key characters" is ultimately yours to define as the muse takes you.

oh i have a LIST

teenage regulus never has pets. i think he deserves a cat. baby regulus also thought he deserved a cat. sadly his parents did not agree #justiceforbabyregulus

barty uses the crouch family owl yes, evan has a snowy owl named caspian, heather has a barn owl named thistle, priam has priscilla as we know (it's his sister pep with the bitey owl), charlotte has an owl (possibly an eagle owl) named acorn, lily no pets, the marauders all take turns borrowing james's owl robert, likewise the mckinnons have a Family Owl at hogwarts who is ostensibly marlene's but who will pass to miranda and/or miles when marlene graduates. lily borrows this owl sometimes to continue gaslighting marlene's younger cousins about lily being a mckinnon

also bellatrix has a screech owl! she also had a pet snake when she was little and was sufficiently brokenhearted when it died that she never got another snake. mother how DARE you think i could ever replace stella

orion and walburga have an owl (mercury) who regulus technically has access to, but a) mercury is pretty much always out and about between both orion and walburga's sheer volume of correspondence, and b) regulus would much rather get evan to handle the Owl Interaction for him

[pll-reimagined]

Pretty Little Liars: reimAgined

1x01 – Chapter One: How It All Started [Part 1]

[CAST] THE LIARS: Alison DiLaurentis, Aria Montgomery, Emily Fields, Hanna Marin, Spencer Hastings SUPPORTING CHARACTERS: Ian Thomas, Melissa Hastings, Mona Vanderwaal RECURRING CHARACTERS: Chassey Bledsoe, Phi Templeton

[SCENE I]

Imagine it’s a few years ago, the summer between your freshman and sophomore year.

You’re bronzed from lying beside your rock-lined pool, lounging in your new Juicy sweats, iPod blasting “Yeah!” by Usher – life is good.  You’re eating your Cocoa Krispies, doused in skim milk, and you notice a girl’s face on the side of the carton.

MISSING.

You see the mischievous glint in her eyes and think to yourself, she’s cute – probably cuter than me.  You wonder how someone so… well, so much like yourself went missing.  How tragic.  You’d thought only runaway losers ended up on the sides of milk cartons.

Well, think again.

-  -  -  MAY 2004  -  -  -

That missing girl?  That was me, or rather, Alison DiLaurentis. 

Flawless.  Perfect.  Unbelievable – all words people used to describe me.  I could even make dorky mom jeans look like a perfect-fitting pair of Stella McCartneys that nobody could afford.  Boys wanted to have me, girls wanted to be me.  Nobody could help but fall victim to my charm.

Our story begins on a picturesque cul-de-sac in Rosewood, Pennsylvania, a small, too-perfect town about twenty miles outside of Philadelphia.  The skies were blue, the lawns were manicured, and the symmetrical picket fences were perfectly white – a model image of suburbia, right down to the dirty little secrets simmering just beneath the surface. 

“You guys!” I called, twirling across my front lawn as my honey-blonde mane flowed in the summer breeze like a shampoo ad.

Aria Montgomery, our resident free spirit, grabbed a stuffed pig from her sweater-knit tote bag and flopped facedown onto the lush grass, mumbling, “Delicious.”  Aria was always carrying around weird things – stuffed animals, random pages torn out of old novels, and postcards of places she’d never visited. 

Emily Fields climbed out of her mother’s Volvo wagon, pushing the door closed gently as she waved goodbye with a freckled hand.  “Are you smelling the grass?”  she asked. 

Emily had been a competitive swimmer since Tadpole League, and although she looked great in a Speedo, she never wore anything even remotely cute.  Her parents insisted that one should build character from the inside out; if you ask me, forcing Emily to hide her ‘IRISH GIRLS DO IT BETTER’ baby tee at the back of her underwear drawer is hardly character-enhancing.

Aria flipped onto her back, blowing her pink-striped hair out of her almond-shaped eyes.  “It smells good!  Like summer.”

Spencer Hastings slipped through a gap in the hedge separating our properties clutching a field hockey stick, dirty blonde hair slicked back into an athletic ponytail.  “What’d I miss?”

Spencer, Spencer, Spencer.  She’d been training relentlessly after missing the JV cut last fall – a spot that I’d snagged effortlessly – and we all knew that she’d been running solitary drills before we’d arrived.  Spencer hated it when anyone was better at anything than she was. 

Especially me.

A shout rang out.  Hanna Marin was scrambling out of her mom’s Mercedes, pudgy arms flailing wildly as she shouted, “Wait for me!”  As she stumbled over her tote bag, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.  Ever since Hanna’s parents’ divorce, she’d been steadily putting on weight, outgrowing most of her clothes.  We pretended not to notice; that’s just what best friends do.

Our group had bonded during the eighth grade, when our parents “voluntold” us to work Saturday afternoons at the Rosewood Day charity drive, except for Spencer, who’d volunteered herself.  By now, on the last day of the ninth grade, we were more than just best friends; we were the girls of Rosewood Day, and we’d worked hard to earn that.  Every sleepover, every field trip, every steamy note read over the PA system during homeroom – now a Rosewood Day legend – was meticulously planned.  We’d made ourselves unforgettable.

But everyone has things they’d rather forget.  For us, secrets were like blood oaths.  I always told my pretty little liars that sharing secrets would bond our best-friendship for eternity – “That’s what keeps us close.”

“I’m so glad this day is over.” I groaned, gently nudging Spencer back through the hedges. “Your barn.  Pronto.”

“I'm so glad the ninth grade is over,” Aria added as Emily and Hanna trailed behind us toward the renovated Hastings barn-turned-guesthouse.  Melissa Hastings, Spencer's older, prim and proper, excellent-at-everything older sister, had commandeered the space at the back of the property during her junior and senior years of high school; fortunately for us, she had just graduated and was headed to Prague for the summer, so it was all ours for the night.

From behind us, we heard a voice squeak, “Alison! Hey, Alison! Hey, Spencer!”  I glanced over my shoulder, smirked, and muttered “Not It.”

“Not It,” echoed Spencer, Emily and Aria.

Hanna frowned. “Shit.”

‘Not It’ was a game I’d lifted from my brother Jason’s playbook.  Jason and his friends would play it at parties when scoping out girls, and the punishment for being the last to call out ‘Not It’ was severe: you had to entertain the ugly girl for the night.  It essentially meant that, while everyone else got to hook up with her hot friends, you were just as lame and unattractive as she was. 

In my version, we said ‘Not It’ whenever there was anyone uncool, unfortunate, or undesirable in close proximity.

Today’s ‘Not It’ was reserved for ‘Loser Mona’ Vanderwaal – the bespectacled dork from down the street whose favorite pastime was trying to befriend myself and Spencer.  She was so lame that she’d hacked into the school’s computer system and then told the principal how to better secure it. 

Her two freaky friends, Chassey ‘Pigskin’ Bledsoe and Phi ‘Fo-Fum’ Templeton, weren’t much better, as Chassey was a religious nut that aspired to be a nun, and Phi couldn’t go anywhere without her yo-yo.  Need I say more?  The unholy trinity stood in the street, staring at us.  Mona was perched on her Razor scooter, Chassey was on a black mountain bike, and Phi was on foot – with her yo-yo, naturally.

“Do you guys want to come over and watch Fear Factor?” Mona called, smiling way too brightly.  “Ooh, sorry,” I simpered, “we’re kind of busy.”

Phi’s brows furrowed.  “Don’t you want to see when they eat the bugs?” 

“Gross!” Spencer whispered to Aria, who then started to eat invisible lice off of Hanna’s scalp like a monkey.  I tilted my head in faux disappointment.  “Yeah, I wish we could, but we’ve had this sleepover planned for a while now.  Maybe next time!” 

Mona gazed down at the sidewalk.  “Yeah, okay.”

“See ya!” I chirped as I opened Spencer’s back gate, rolling my eyes once we were out of view.  To our left was my neighboring backyard, where my parents were building a twenty-seat gazebo for their lavish outdoor picnics.  “Thank God the workers aren’t here,” I said, eyeing the construction site as we passed.  Emily shot me a concerned look.  “Have they been saying stuff to you?”

“Easy there, Killer,” I laughed.  Sometimes, we’d playfully call Emily ‘Killer,’ because she acted as my own personal pit bull.  Emily used to find it funny too, but lately, she hadn’t been laughing along.  “They’re just smelly, sweaty, and gross is all.”

The barn was just up ahead – a small, cozy guesthouse with a big window overlooking the Hastings’ lawn.  In Rosewood, you were more likely to live in a ten-room farmhouse with a mosaic-tiled pool and hot tub, like Spencer’s house, than in a prefab McMansion.  We had acres of lush pines, Colonial estates, and secrets as old as the Main Line itself.

As we neared the barn, the sound of giggles floated from within, followed by a muffled voice squealing, “I said stop it!”  Spencer rolled her eyes, groaning, “Oh God, what is she doing here?”  She kicked the door with the heel of her shoe to force it open, revealing Melissa and her tasty boyfriend, Ian Thomas, wrestling on the couch. The barn smelled faintly of moss and slightly burned popcorn. 

Melissa’s head snapped up.  “Spencer, what the fu–”  She stopped when she saw us and forced a smile.  “Oh, hey guys.”  We eyed Spencer.  Melissa had a friendly veneer, but Spencer had told us plenty about the venomous super-bitch that hid behind the perfect exterior.

Ian stretched as he stood up, flashing Spencer a lazy grin as he mussed his blonde curls.  “Hey.” 

Spencer perked up, trying to sound casual.  “Hi, Ian! I didn’t know you were here.”  Ian smiled flirtatiously.  “Sure, you did.  You were spying on us.”  A patch of red crept up Spencer’s neck.  Melissa cleared her throat, eyeing her sister with suspicion as she readjusted her long blonde hair and black silk headband.  “So, what’s up?”

“I didn’t mean to interrupt… It’s just…” Spencer stammered, “Well, we were supposed to have this place tonight.”  Ian playfully hit Spencer on the arm.  “I was just messing with you,” he teased.  Spencer beamed in spite of herself.  

“You know, Melissa,” I said, eyes twinkling mischievously, as I twisted my signature “A” ring around my pinky.  “I’ve never told you this, but I’ve always thought that you and Ian make the cutest couple.  Don’t you agree, Spence?”

Spencer’s face paled.  “Um…”

Melissa’s eyes narrowed, her scrutinizing gaze meeting mine before finally turning back to Ian.  “Can I talk to you outside?” she quipped.  Ian shrugged, downed the rest of his Corona, and offered a parting grin.  “Adieu, ladies.”  He winked and followed Melissa out, shutting the door behind him.

“Another problem solved by Ali D,” I said with a smirk as I crossed to the mini-fridge and grabbed a beer.  Ian would never know it was missing.  “Aren’t you going to thank me, Spence?”  Spencer didn’t answer, for she was too busy looking out the front window.  Lightning bugs had begun to light up the sky, and purplish clouds rolled ominously in the distance.

Hanna walked over to the abandoned popcorn bowl and absent-mindedly took a big handful.  “Ian is so hot.  He’s like, hotter than Sean.”  Sean Ackard was one of the cutest guys in our grade, and the subject of Hanna’s constant fantasies.

“You know what I heard?” I asked, nonchalantly sitting down on the couch.  “Sean really likes girls who have good appetites.”  Hanna brightened.  “Really?”

“No.” I snorted.

Hanna dejectedly dropped the handful of popcorn back into the bowl.

“So, girls,” I said.  “I know the perfect thing to do tonight to kick off the summer.”

“I hope we’re not streaking again.”  Emily giggled.  A month prior, the five of us had run through a nearby barren cornfield without a lick on – except for Hanna, who’d refused to strip down to less than her undershirt and day-of-the-week panties.

“I think you liked that a little too much, Em,” I murmured.  The smile faded from Emily’s lips.  “But no, I have something even better planned.  I’ve been saving this for the last day of school: I learned how to hypnotize people.”

“Hypnotize,” Spencer repeated, skeptically.

“Mhm!  Iris taught me,” I answered.  Iris Taylor was one of the older field hockey girls that I’d been hanging out with, and Jason’s current girlfriend.

The energy in the room wilted, as the other four girls secretly shared the fear that I might replace them with my newer, cooler friend.  Hanna, fearing her position the most, piped up, “How do you do it?”

I shrugged.  “Sorry, she swore me to secrecy.  Wanna see if it works?”

Aria frowned, taking a seat on a lavender floor pillow.  “I don’t know…”

I felt a quick surge of rage.  “Why not?  Scared that you might tell us all your secrets?”  My eyes flickered to the stuffed pig resting on her lap.  “And why do you still bring that thing everywhere?”  I said, pointing at it.

Aria crossed her arms defensively around the pig.  “My dad got me Pigtunia in Germany.  She advises me on my love life.”  The girls giggled.

“Why do you want to carry around something your dad gave you?” I snickered, meanly.

“It’s not funny,” Aria snapped, whipping her head around.

The room went silent, and the girls looked at one another awkwardly.  You could cut the tension with a knife, but nobody dared move a muscle.  This had been happening a lot lately – I would mention something, someone else got upset, and the rest were too shy to ask what was going on.

Spencer broke the silence.  “I think being hypnotized sounds kind of sketch.”

“You don’t know anything about it,” I said quickly.  “C’mon.  I can do you all at once,” clapping my hands.

The girls exchanged nervous looks.  I was always coming up with stuff for us to try, like smoking dandelion seeds to see if we’d hallucinate or swimming in Pecks Pond, even though a dead body had once been found there.  The thing was… they often didn’t want to do the things that I made them do.  They loved being my friend and the status that came with being included, but that label came at a high cost.  Sometimes in my presence, they didn’t feel real, exactly.  They felt like… plastic dolls, with me carefully arranging their every pose.

“Please?”  I bat my eyelashes.  “Emily, you want to do it, right?”

“I’ll do it!” Hanna butted in.

“Me too,” Emily said quickly after.

Spencer and Aria reluctantly nodded.  Satisfied, I shut off all the lights and lit several vanilla-scented votive candles that were on the coffee table.  I stood back, and softly said, “Okay everyone, arrange yourselves around me, think calm thoughts, and relax.  I’m going to count down from ten, and as soon as I touch your forehead, you’ll be in my power.”

“Spooky.” Emily laughed shakily.  The flickering candlelight cast shadows along the walls of the barn as the girls followed my direction, while I hummed ambiently.

“Ten…” I began, “Nine…”

Eight…

Emily’s heartbeat slowed.

Seven…

Hanna’s breathing evened.

Six…

Aria shifted uncomfortably, twitching her foot.

Five…

Spencer uncrossed her legs.

Four…

I pressed my thumb to Emily’s forehead.

Three…

I touched Hanna’s forehead. 

Two…

I touched Aria’s forehead and turned to Spencer.

“One.”

When Aria opened her eyes, she saw Hanna and Emily sitting stoically on the carpet.  The barn was quiet and dark; the door was wide open, a wind howled through the outside trees, and the vanilla-scented candles had gone out.  Spencer and Alison were nowhere to be seen.  “Guys?” she whispered.

No answer.

Aria moved out to the porch, pulling her arms around herself to brace against the wind that carried a scent of rain and something faintly metallic.  “Ali?  Spencer?” she called.  Inside, Hanna and Emily rubbed their eyes.  “I just had the weirdest dream,” Emily said.  “Ali fell down this really deep well.  She was stuck at the bottom with no way up, and I couldn’t reach her.”

Hanna gasped.  “That was my dream too!  Well, sorta.  There was this big plant in mine, like a Venus Flytrap, that grabbed hold of her and wouldn’t let her go.”

“Woah,” Emily whispered.  They stared at each other, eyes wide.

At that point, Aria spotted Spencer approaching from the nearby brick path that trailed into the woods, looking very pale.  “Spencer!  Where’s Ali?” she rang out.  Hanna and Emily scrambled up to join her.

“I don’t know,” Spencer whispered, “I thought… I don’t know.”

The girls were silent; the only sounds were the tree branches smacking against the glass windowpanes and the roof creaking in the wind.

Just like that, the summer that the girls had planned to spend flirting with boys at pool parties and shopping all day at the King James Mall had been shattered.  It was instead spent in a police station answering questions or sitting alone and bleary-eyed in a canopied bed, staring blankly at photo-covered walls.

The same thoughts haunted all four of them, but there wasn’t anything left to say to one another.

The summer faded into winter, which then melted into summer again.  Still no Alison.  I was gone, not a single golden hair to be found.

Eventually, the girls found a twisted sense of relief in my absence – sure, they missed me, but they were also afraid of me.  You see, I knew more about them than anyone else did, maybe even more than they knew themselves.  The good, the bad, and especially the ugly.  They each felt horrible for thinking so, but… if I was gone, their secrets were safe.

Because two can keep a secret if one of them is dead.

Right?

[brettsey-two-tts]

Sylvie Brett was no stranger to surprises. The last twelve years of her life were all about surprises: her sudden move to Chicago, meeting her birth mom and Scott, meeting her half-sister, Amelia, falling in love with Matt Casey, watching him move two thousand miles away, and then breaking up with potentially the love of her life.

She would’ve never guessed she would be adopting a blue-eyed blonde baby from Amber, a woman who was in a similar situation to her birth mom.

She also would’ve never guessed that Matt Casey would stop by, drop down on one knee, and ask her to marry him with a ring he bought a year and a half ago.

She froze in place from the suddenness but her heart kicked into overdrive the moment he bent his knee and revealed the most beautiful diamond ring. Matt’s softened blue eyes, glistening with love, adoration, and hope, never faltered and never left hers.

She wondered how she looked because a second ago she was practically crossing things off her list as she fought the dust bunnies in her apartment and then marked all of the spots that needed more baby-proofing. Her hair must’ve been a mess and there might’ve even been a little dust on her cheek.

She mentally grimaced when she remembered that she quickly threw on a plain white t-shirt and a pair of overalls when she got up. She was definitely not dressed for the occasion.

While her self-conscious and overly panicking thoughts clashed in her head, she saw Matt’s hopeful smile start to fade. Oh crap - she didn’t even answer him yet.

The small frown that formed on his face made her panic more.

“No– Matt–”

Oh for the love of – that wasn’t the right thing to say either. He definitely took it the wrong way because he immediately lowered his hands that encased the velvety box.

“No, not that. I mean, this is– Matt, you’re–”

She began to laugh at how nervous she sounded and how every word that came out of her mouth was another disaster after another.

The beaming grin on her face must’ve given him some resemblance of good news because his lips soon half curled into a smile.

He shook his head slightly and replied, “I’m sorry, Sylvie. I know this is really sudden–” He stopped when she began to kneel in front of him.

His heart felt full and so incredibly warm as he saw her lips form a small endearing smile. While she was glancing over the diamond ring in his hands, he was watching her, entranced by her effortless beauty, her overall goodness, and her obvious adoring excitement for the baby girl she was about to adopt. He couldn’t get the image out of his head when she told them that Amber was taking custody: her overly beaming grin and tear-filled eyes.

“You bought this a year and a half ago?” she asked, her gaze meeting his.

He blushed a little when he remembered he confessed as much. “Yes,” he replied shyly. “Ever since you visited me in Portland. I wanted to do it sooner but with Severide and Stella’s wedding, I… I could never find the right time.”

She frowned a little when she remembered their foreboding conversation as they slow-danced. 

“But, right now - right this second.” He dipped forward to emphasize how he was always able to read her thoughts and feelings. “This is the perfect time.” Her lips parted as he continued, “My time in Portland is coming to an end. Griffin is off doing his own thing and Ben is only a couple of months away from that.” He paused to take a moment to think about his next words. He’s recited it in his head before but he never thought he’d say it to her in person. “I never stopped loving you, Sylvie Brett. Even when we broke up and had to put some distance between us, I never stopped thinking about you. You were always on my mind and always will be. I was always positive that we’d get married, have a couple of kids, and buy an old and worn-out house so we could fix it up together. Maybe get a dog or a cat. Or both.” She let out a small laugh at the last part. He could see the tears welling at the corners of her eyes and it made him start to tear up as well. “I want to be there for you and Julia, just like you were there for me, Ben, and Griffin.”

A tear fell down her cheek as her lips curled into the widest and brightest smile. With her hands in her lap and her gaze lovingly holding onto his, she began, “Matt–”

Before she could give him her answer, she was cut off by the unmistakable sound of her phone vibrating in her pocket.

She almost looked embarrassed but then she realized Matt’s phone was vibrating in his pocket as well. Both of them looked concerned as such a coincidence was almost never a good thing. Matt must’ve had the same thought as her because he soon pulled out his phone to check who it was.

“Who is it?” Sylvie asked as she started to pull out her own.

“Herrmann,” Matt replied. His brows knitted together with concern. “You?”

She felt her stomach drop as she replied, “Violet.”

.

.

.

Matt quickly drove them to the hospital after a short call with both Herrmann and Violet. All of Firehouse 51 was in the waiting room when they arrived and only a few of them were sitting.

Sylvie quickly hugged Violet and then Herrmann. “Is Mouch okay? Have you guys heard anything yet?”

Violet solemnly shook her head. “No, not yet.”

Herrmann looked on anxiously as he grounded out, “I haven’t heard anything since they rushed Mouch into surgery.”

Sylvie frowned as she watched Herrmann cross his arms and start to pace. She felt Matt bump her shoulder.

“I’ll check with a nurse to see if I can a hold of Maggie.”

Sylvie nodded and watched Matt walk off toward the receptionist’s desk.

Waiting was the hardest and most grueling part. It felt like no time was passing.

Maggie eventually came out to greet them but even she said that she would have to check in with the surgeons since Mouch was still in there.

Matt sat down next to Sylvie after Maggie left. Ever since they heard about Mouch at her apartment, he could tell she was trying to keep it together and not think about the worst-case scenario. “How are you holding up?” he asked.

She shook her head and let out a long sigh. “This is the worst part. Not knowing if he’s okay and just waiting for an answer.”

“Hey. Mouch is tough. He’s been through hell and back multiple times. He’ll pull through.” He nudged her shoulder with his. “I know he will.”

His positivity and optimism, and the fact that he always had the ability to cheer her up - it was like no time had passed at all. She truly missed him - every single part of him.

She checked the clock on the wall and worriedly asked, “Aren’t you supposed to be on an airplane in an hour?”

“Yeah, but I can’t just leave while Mouch is in there. It wouldn’t feel right.” He and Sylvie shared a sweet smile but it only reminded him of what happened between them earlier. Did he jump the gun too soon? Should he have waited until he moved back to Chicago? No. No, no, no. His gut told him it was the perfect time. And it was. He was certain of it. “About before… I… I want you to know, Sylvie… You don’t have to give me an answer right away. I just want you to know that whatever happens, I’m here. If you need help taking care of her or feeding her or… anything - anything at all - I’m here. Always.”

Sylvie couldn’t contain her grin, both at Matt’s kind and encouraging words, and at the remembrance of his proposal.

“I know what my answer is, Matt, and I think I’ve known for a long time now.”

His eyebrows raised a little at her admittance but she didn’t say anything further. Her wide, toothy, and joyful grin was all he saw thereafter. His confusion started to dissolve as a pinkish hue dusted across her cheeks. But, as soon as she nodded ever so slightly, Maggie came back out through the double doors.

The entire firehouse turned their heads at the noise and immediately got up out of their seats. Maggie gave them the great news: Mouch was out of surgery and heading to the ICU for observation. There were no complications and he was expected to make a full recovery.

While everyone shared their relief through hugs and smiles, they heard the voice of an older lady behind them trying to get their attention. All heads turned and they saw a sweet old lady holding a light gray velvety box in her hands.

“I’m so sorry to interrupt. I didn’t want someone to leave with it. Did one of you drop this?”

It must’ve fallen out of Matt’s pocket in his jacket when he got up out of his seat to see Maggie. He must’ve been too caught up in the good news because he didn’t hesitate to claim it and then profusely thank her for finding it, nor did he notice the deafening silence as everyone stared at him with wide eyes and shocked expressions.

As soon as he turned around and caught everyone’s gaze, his mouth parted in a panicked realization. He looked to Sylvie for some guidance (and maybe even some help) but when he saw her beam brightly at him, he knew it was inevitable. There was no use keeping secrets from their Firehouse family.

Matt and Sylvie continued to endearingly smile at each other, even as their Firehouse family bombarded them with a hundred and one questions.

They were meant to be.

[billyfazworth]

Crows of a Feather - A Hello Neighbor: Masks of The Ravens Short.

Written by William F. Fazworth

A few notes before I begin: -While being based on the future timeline of the (potentially no longer canon?) Hello Neighbor Book 7: Reset Day, this version of RD is majorly overhauled as I wasn't a big fan of certain elements in the story. -The character of Stella Grayson is an OC but only by technicality, Stella (no last name given) was mentioned in Reset Day twice as an ex-friend of Piper but that's about it. Due to this, I had to take creative liberties. -Piper and Stella have different ages compared to the original, instead of being 13 the two are 17. -Lastly (and hopefully I don't release this late) Happy Pride Month! And I hope you enjoy my sapphic babies.

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Raven Park, 4 PM Autumn leaves continue to fall around Stella, fitting considering how she's feeling. Her eyes were covered in tears, tears that befell her face, all caused by her own mistakes.

The girl was sitting alone, alone in a nearby park here in Raven Brooks, all because she had to act stupidly foolish, why the hell did she think this was going to be easy? To go hundreds of miles away from Anaheim to this desolate town before being drive off road by a some cloaked nutjob cosplaying as a bird, not only did her dad's car got wrecked that night, but she lost most of her stuff considering said cloaked nutjob chased her off out the woods.

Somehow, being hit by a car was the best thing to happen that night, at least Sergeant Finch was nice with her. Sometimes Stella wondered if she was too stupidly optimistic or if she was just desperate, after all her and Ally basically ran Piper off into this place, she shouldn't have followed, maybe it was for the best.

"There you are."

Stella's eyes shot up, her head turned over and there she was, Piper Tillman. Stella noticed she was wearing something familiar, her David Bowie shirt and her father's jacket, the same look she saw her in that fateful night. "Mrs. Esposito's been looking for you, considering your staying at her and her wife's place." Piper told Stella, whose tired eyes questioned her motives "I... I didn't expect to see you here... especially after-"

"After I told you I wished we never met?"

The two girls looked at each other, both of their eyes locked in with a sense of regret, worry, and anxiety. "Yeah... that..." Stella uttered, Piper herself sighed and reached into her pocket, grabbing what appeared to be cans of soda "Want one?" She asked Stella, offering her the drink, who accepted the offer as the two began open the cans.

"Thanks..." Stella said softly, taking a sip of her soda. "You sounded tired." Piper said, causing Stella to turn her head over to her "I thought you needed a drink." Piper continued. It was the same gesture, the same gesture she gave Piper before she moved away from Anaheim. "I don't get it Pip, why are you even here, accompanying someone who frankly doesn't even deserve any friends." Stella said solemnly "Don't say that-"

"But it's true." Stella said, cutting Piper off "It's my fault you left Anaheim, I can't believe I sided with Ally during this whole stupid mess!" Stella exclaimed, chugging down her last sip of soda before throwing the can away in frustration. Piper was quiet, not really sure what to say for a response, it stayed that way for a few minutes before.

"I guess abandoning me was a jerk move."

The two girls sighed, Stella rubbing her forehead and trying to calm herself down. "But none of us were rational." Piper added, Stella turned her head over to her "What?" She asked, her voice cracking off guard. "I... I still believe in my dad's innocence, but I have to admit, I shouldn't have gone on the offense with you and Ally... I guess I'm here to say-"

"Don't be sorry." Stella replied, causing Piper to stop "Don't be sorry for all the things you said to me, it wouldn't have happened if I wasn't such an... well, an asshole." She added on. Piper let out a soft chuckle "I... I suppose so." She said, struggling for a moment to put things into words.

"Hey Pip?"

"Yeah?"

"Remembered when things were normal between us?"

Piper sat there and began to think, taking a sip of her soda "Like, before we both ended up in a town where a giant bird stalks the woods?" She asked, Stella chuckled "Well, that. But... no, I mean back before that dreaded phone call you had." Stella answered, adding "Back when we were just a bunch of gals who's trying to have fun in life." Piper took another sip of her soda before she answered "So... back when life was actually relatively good to us? Yeah, I do." She took another sip of her soda soon after.

"Do you think life will be good again? You know, for us." Stella questioned and Piper doesn't seem to really know the proper answer "I mean, I don't know... can I say something?" Piper suddenly asked, looking as if she's gotten some sort of idea, Stella nodded and Piper continued "I'll be honest with you Stella. I honestly tried to, well, I guess forget everything? My mom said that this town is supposed to be something new, our moving day was our reset day. Who knew that our reset day would mean being chased down by a giant bird?" She told Stella.

"But... I just couldn't."

"What do you mean?"

"Every single night, every single time I try to forget, I either get dragged into this town's latest fucked up phenomena or... or I'm surrounded by the past." Piper said, her voice somewhat cracking as she said that last part. "I... I'm sorry." Stella said but Piper tried to brush it off "It's... it's fine..." Piper struggled to say "It's not all bad I suppose." She added on.

"After all... I might've gotten my answer that day."

"Answer?"

"Well... maybe an answer."

"For what?"

"You finally noticed me that day, noticed what I really felt about you... and I wonder now if you really did feel the same about me."

Stella stopped for a moment as her eyes widened, a rushing sense of adrenaline pumping through her veins, she could feel herself sweating.

"I... I do..."

Piper snapped out of her little trance, now her face was slowly glowing red as she looked over to Stella, her eyes seemingly staring at Piper's as if she saw the shining sparkle of the nightly stars.

"And I... I wished... I wished we could've had that kiss."

The two remembered it all now, a band practice break that was about to change their lives forever, the day felt like a magic moment never able to be casted, as if the two were cursed to be torn apart and condemned to a fate none of them wanted. It was as if the world wanted them to never see each other, to never be able to embrace each other's arms on that very moment or the moment after.

To never have that kiss.

"Maybe we will."

Piper's hands began to reach out over to Stella's shoulders, as if she was sending a lifeline over and Stella grabbed on, the two were growing closer by the minute, like a magnet slowly attracting a metal object, as if the crows were flocking over to the source of the storm. Stella placed her hand on Piper's cheek, the two now in sync with each other and as if, as if fearing for the moment to collapse once more, the two finally shared the kiss that they had desired that day.

And as they slowly let go of each other's embrace, the two looked at each other with abject sparkles in their eyes. "I... Piper I..." Stella was almost speechless, her face a mix of emotions, from shock to joy to anxiety all wrapped in one. Piper on the other hand looked like she was going to cry, cry out of joy, out of how she couldn't contain the bright smile on her face.

"I love you." Stella finally uttered towards Piper.

"I... I know... I love you too." She replied back in a soft and joyous voice.

Piper's vision was becoming blurry, as if something was in her eyes, something wet... tears and before Stella could even reach in, Piper did it first, the two hugging each other in an embrace as Piper began to cry "I did it..." Piper said as she sniffled "I got my Stella back." She said and the two hugged each other even tighter "And I got my Piper back." Stella added, the two now happily embracing themselves.

"You two are sweet."

The two girls stopped as they turned over to see who it was "Sergeant Finch?!" Stella exclaimed in shocked, suddenly another person came up behind the Sergeant "Mrs. Esposito?!" Piper said in shock. "Mr. Roth's been looking for you two lovebirds for the past hour or so." Mrs. Esposito said, "Sorry." The two responded in unison.

"So, I see that what I said about Piper was right huh Stella?" Sergeant Finch said playfully, causing Stella to blush "Alright Mari, told you the two are gonna fall for each other, you owe me twenty bucks." She added, with Mrs. Esposito pulling a 20 dollar bill out of her pocket as she chuckled.

"Right, since it's getting dark and I assume you two haven't had dinner, I'm willing to let you two eat at my house before I send you both back to Mr. Roth." Mrs. Esposito stated, the two nodded in agreement "Alrighty then, Finch start the car, I'll call up Nicky about the fact that his new daughter has a girlfriend now." Mrs. Esposito says, causing both her and Sergeant Finch to chuckle. Piper just awkwardly blushed as Stella held her arm tight "Well look on the bright side, at least meeting the parent won't be hard." Stella said jokingly, "God I love you." Piper said in response, letting out a soft chuckle.

The two would hold each other by the hand as they walked over to the car, happy that they're together again.

The End

[ladylooch]

Oh can we get Nico and Lexi's reactions to finding out about the pregnancies of each of their grandkids??

This got a little long beacause it's basically three blurbs, but I love how different each one of these reactions is!

Stella:

I want to say they are surprised, but that isn’t really the right word. Nico and Lexi are very aware of how hot and heavy Lucie and Connor are. But, they assumed they were being smart and careful about their sessions. Obviously, with this news, not as much as they thought. But when they look at Lucie’s face over the phone, even with the thousands of miles between them, they can both see that Lucie is scared and trying to put on a brave face. 

“Connor, can we have a second with our daughter.” Nico murmurs. 

“Um.” He looks over at Lucie. “Sure.” He nods, then leaves the frame. Lucie looks back at her parents when he is gone.

“Are you okay?” Nico asks. She nods, but big tears are forming in her eyes. “Sweets, it’s okay if you’re not.” Lucie swallows hard.

“I’m fine. I’m just really emotional. It’s been hard for us since we found out.” 

“Is this why you two broke up a few weeks ago? Is he not supportive?” Lexi chimes in.

“No! He is! Um, I just.. think we bit off more than we can chew.”

“Oh.” Lexi asks. “Are you saying this was planned?”

“Kind of. But then it wasn’t. And then it still happened.” Then Lucie begins to cry hard. “I know, I know. I’m stupid. You’re so disappointed in me.”

“LuLu…” Nico sighs reaching out for the phone screen, trying to wipe her tears off there. “We love you so much. Mama and I are right here for you. Do you want us to come?”

“Yes. Both of you. Please. And Soph.”

“Okay, we will look at flights tonight and get out to you soon.” Lucie nods. Then looks away to get herself more together.

“Don’t be mad at Connor. He is being so good to me. To both of us…” She trails off. 

“As long as he keeps doing that, him and us are good.” 

Winnie: 

Excitement! Tons and tons of excitement! Stella being a big sister! Another baby joining the family! Lucie and Connor are literally floating on cloud nine when they tell her parents. The joy is palpable and they spend the rest of Nico and Lexi’s U.S. trip dreaming about the newest addition to the family. They cannot stop talking about how blessed they are to be having another grand-baby to spoil. It is Lexi who reminds Nico that they have to be careful about showing enough attention to Stella. She has a feeling big sis may be excited now, but when that baby comes, so much of her life is going to change…

Baby Carlson: 

SHOCK. SHOOK. THE EARTH IS SHAKING. WHAT DID MACK JUST SAY?! 

“You’re…. Kidding?” Nico asks, looking over at his wife quickly. She shakes her head no like, this is a shock to me too.

“I know this is probably surprising because we said we weren’t having kids. But we changed our minds and I’m pregnant. Completely planned. I did not follow in Lucie’s footsteps.” Mack smirks. 

“Hey! Technically… both were kinda planned.” Lucie points from across the room. Then cringes. She looks over at Connor. “We were so dumb.”

“So stupid.” Connor agrees and chuckles. “Best, dumbest thing we have ever done.” He pulls her into his lap, kissing her hard, not caring about their audience. 

“Oh wow.” Lexi sighs, tears in her eyes. “Wow, wow, wow, wow!!!” She claps her hands together excitedly. “Another baby! We are so happy for you two.” Lexi clutches both David and Mack in her arms. “Nico get over here.”

“You aren’t kidding huh?” He jokes with an incredulous laugh. “Mackenzie Hischier is gonna have a kid.” His electric grin could be seen from space.

[artqueen17]

Name: Mariah/Captain Mariah

Family: Morgana (abandoned mother), Ursula (raised mother), Uma (sister), Ulianna (aunt)

Nicknames: Mari (everyone), Mimi, Mya, Ria, RiRi

Personality: Stubborn, Headstrong, Ambitious, Determined & Sassy (sometimes)

Occupation: Pirate/Captain, Leader of her crew/gang (currently)

Face-claim: Chandler Kinney

Age: 15 (D1), 16 (D2), 17 (D3) 18 (D4)

Crew members (Vicious 6): Skylar & Stella, Hazel, Whitney, Quincy & Alexander

Crush/Love Interests: Carlos (D1-2, briefly just a crush), Whitney (secretly dated her), Jay (D2, same thing but didn’t date), Hunter (been bffs since they were 6, like Harry & Uma #huma4life)

Appearances: Mariah is a beautiful, average height, brown eyes, dark brown-skinned girl with long, curly, purple, black & teal-ish green hair. She’s independent, loyal, smart, confident, determined, sassy (sometimes), headstrong & she’s always determined to prove herself to her mother she’s like her if not more wicked & don’t get on her bad side or else

Backstory: Mariah is the former daughter of Morgana (TLM2) & the adoptive daughter of Ursula, Morgana gave birth to Mariah but decided to give her up when she was a baby, Ursula found her by her doorstep, she took Mariah in as her own & raised her as own daughter (2nd daughter anyway), Ursula adopted her when she was 8, Mariah’s half girly/half tomboy like most VK’s she’s trying to prove a point to her former mother

Friends: Hunter + Julianna (best friends when they were younger), Hailey & Miles, Skylar & Stella & Hazel & Whitney, Core 4 (Mal, Evie, Carlos De Vil, Jay) Ben, Lonnie, Jane, Celia, Sea 3 (Uma, Harry & Gil) & Willow (met when she was 10)

Enemies: Audrey (formerly), Hades (formerly, slowly got used to him), Morgana, Chad

Likes: Friends & family, Hunter, Auradon, AK's & VK's, writing, baking, reading books, singing, dancing

Dislikes: Being humiliated, being bullied, being called pathetic, people thinking she’s weak but she’s not, people trying to steal her power

Might make more like this soon

[walker-extended-universe]

These are all fics that have not escaped my drafts, not even for a single chapter. I can't provide links like the last poll series but I will provide a general summary below:

Crime Family Walker- Cassie joins

Summary: Cassie stuffs Cordell in a trunk and he's not pleased with it. Cassie is arrested for assaulting an officer, but Cordell also wants to handle her the Walker Way. James manages to talk him down from murder and suggests they help her find Miles as a way to gain a hold over her. Cordell reluctantly agrees.

Cassie/Trey

Summary: Cassie and Trey are dating and they're getting ready to take their relationship to the next level- until Trey learns about the massive antique doll collection Cassie keeps in her bedroom. He makes an excuse to leave but things are awkward after that. Cordell has to fix this because he cannot work in this environment.

Nobody dies but everything still sucks

Summary: Cordell and Cassie both get shot while on a mission. They both make it through surgery but both of their families are extremely worried and taking it out on James and Trey. Also there's recovery time.

The many ways we could've avoided this nonsense

Summary: 3 ways we could've avoided the nonsense around Shannon and the mustang. Includes Stella telling James and the grandparents finding out.

Drunk!August telling on himself in 3x05

Summary: August got more than a little tipsy at the party and tells on himself for throwing it without Stella's help before Cordell can get mad at either of them.

1x18 Hoyt lived AU

Summary: In which Hoyt is around for 1x18 and plays the devil on Cordell's shoulder on how to deal with Stan.

Tom/Kate Heist AU

Summary: Kate Carver is a world-class theif. When she gets called upon to steal from the notorious Tom Davidson for one of his rivals, she initially refuses but the siren song of money and glory eventually win her over. The heist goes well until it doesn't and she finds herself at the mercy of the most dangerous crime boss in Texas. Sparks fly but neither of them can let it show. She talks her way into a deal where the works for him until she "repays" him and they slowly get to know each other better.

Cassie is pregnant with Kevin's kid but he's dead whoops

Summary: Shortly after 3x15, Cassie finds out she's pregnant and there's only one person the father could be. Stressed and confused, she turns to Abby for help to figure out what to do. After a lot of thinking and talking with everyone, she decides on keeping the baby. Trey, being the closest, gets assigned with Helper duty and ends up catching feelings. Baby is born while everyone is stuck on the ranch at Thanksgiving (again). She also opens the door for Cooper to be involved with the baby if he really wants to be but warns him not to make promises he can't keep (again).

Walkernatural Extra- Cassie/Dean

Summary: AU where Kevin is as he is in canon and not Adam Milligan. Cassie has been propositioned by Kevin and Trey and Cordell are eager to push her that way but she has Concerns. Dean listens to her and offers to help investigate. "Do you have any idea how many 'pillars of the community' I've had to kill because they were monsters?" After the truth about Kevin comes out, she calls Dean for comfort and they Get Comfy while watching Hawks Shadow.

Walkernatural Extra- Cordell at Azazel's Battle Royale

Summary: Walkernatural AU (because why not) where Cordell gets pulled into the Special Child battle royale with Sam. He helps Sam get the rest of the special children under control (though he's definitely freaking out) and kills Jake before he can kill Sam. However, Azazel's threats to his family have him worried and it takes a bit for Sam to talk him down and convince him that Dean and Bobby can help. He takes them all back to his family in Texas. Dean and Bobby are both a little weirded out by this "other Sam" but they don't think anything of it until Dean remembers the nursery originally had two cribs.

[the-strange-world]

Rating June Kpop Releases

Masterpiece (10) / Amazing (9) / Good (7-8) / Ok (6) / Meh (5) / Didn’t like (0-4)

Die For Love - B.I feat Jessi - 5/10 (2 title tracks for this album) ➕

Dare To Love - B.I feat. BIG Naughty - 8/10 ~ fav bside - Beautiful Life and Cloud Thought

Mañana (Our Drama) - ZHOUMI feat. EUNHYUK - 9/10

TIME DIFFERENCE - AaRON - 2/10

S-Class - Stray Kids - 8/10 ~ fav bsides - DLC, FNF, and ITEM. I liked Youtiful too (the “iiiii made it mine” and the other parts after that in ITEM really reminds me of another song so if anyone else knows what I’m song in thinking about please tell me)

Crush on you - Kassy - 5/10

SHALALA - TAEYONG (NCT) - ♾/10 - obsessed with this silly song ~ fav bside - Virtual Insanity

#menow - fromis_9 - ♾/10 - they are incapable of having a bad song! This song has been on REPEAT the most!!! The “yeah that’s me yeah that’s me” part and all the parts are EVERYTHING! The choreography is amazing. They never miss. I’m obsessed with this song ~ fav bsides - Attitude. I liked Don’t Care too

Wasteland - KANG DANIEL [Prerelease] - 10/10

Kick It 4 Now - THE NEW SIX (TNX) - ♾/10 - LOVE THIS SONG! The choreography is amazing. I’m obsessed with the “nostalgia deja vu” part so much!!! I’ve noticed a lot of the title tracks recently have felt very 90s or 2000s to me ~ fav bsides - 1000 Miles

Diaryy - YongYong - 5/10 ~ fav bside - Cheetos feat. ZENE THE ZILLA

Jump - P1Harmony - ♾/10 - INCREDIBLE ALBUM! WOW THEY NEVER MISS!!! The choreography is amazing too. Idk how they can do all that without passing out ~ fav bsides - More Than Words, Heartbeat Drum, and Love Me For Me. I liked New Classic too. The only one I wouldn’t listen to again is I Am You

Juliet - AleXa - 6/10

Can’t Go Yet - Amber Liu feat. Scott Hoying - 10/10 - if Scott’s involved, it’ll be good

Blooming Today - CHEEZE - 6/10

Let Me In - EXO - 3/10 - I really didn’t like this

C.C - Q6IX - 7/10

Designer - VAV - 4/10 ~ fav bside - Call U Mine

Ready to Move - REN - 6/10

Blank - OYEON - 7/10 - it’s pretty and of course nas are always good

Delicious - THE BOYZ [JP] - 10/10 - this song was already released last month ~ fav bsides - Lip Sync. I liked EYES ON ME and Take Me Back too

I Need Love - DKB - 8/10 - it was the best song off the album to me

FIREWORK - &Team - 9/10

Contrail - Baek yebin - 7/10

To Me - Jung Seung Hwan - 7/10 - not something I’d listen to often but it’s pretty ~ fav bside - Epilogue

Marshmallow - MISAMO - 3/10 - didn’t like it

BOUNCY (K-HOT CHILI PEPPERS) - ATEEZ - 8/10 - I liked it but it’s no halazia. It grew on me because I didn’t like it that much at first. I think DJANGO should’ve been the title ~ fav bsides - DJANGO and Outlaw. I liked This World too. Wake Up is guerrilas twin

Walk & Shine - QI.X - 6/10

Can’t Leave - Park Jeup - 5/10

LUV LUV LUV - GreatGuys - 8/10 - it’s fun

Broken Melodies - NCT DREAM [Prerelease] - ♾/10 - they popped off with this pop song of the summer. One direction vibes. Peak boy band energy. I love this song!

WE GO HIGH - ROY KIM - 9/10 - it’s a chill summery song

SOS - KANG DANIEL - 8/10 ~ fav bside - Liar

Queen - We;Na - 10/10 - they are soooo underrated! They only have 2 songs but both are so fun!!!

Orange, You’re Not a Joke to Me - Stella Jang - 10/10 - the lyrics are so silly

Lucky! - KIM JAE HWAN feat. BOBBY - 7/10

Pony - JANNABI - 8/10 - I love his voice

Unlock it - BABYS - 5/10

Voyager - LUN8 - ♾/10 - I think they have the same comeback as weki meki. GIVE WEKI MEKI A COMEBACK RN COWARDS!!! Anyway this song and album are really AMAZING! It shocked me how much I liked this album ~ fav bsides - Wild Heart, We Like It, Live In The Moment

BODY SHAKE - Bunny.T - 9/10

OVERDRIVE - I.M - 6/10 - not something I’d listen to a lot ~ fav bside - Not Sorry

The Feeling - SHINee [Prerelease] - 10/10

HARD - SHINee - 8.5/10 - of course shinee never disappoints me! The lyrics are so dumb which is fun. I wish the chorus was catchier tho. I love the choreography. Not really something I’d listen to too too much but a great song!!! ~ fav bsides - Like It (this really reminds me of another song but I can’t think of what it is. I think it’s a kpop song but I’m not sure) and Sweet Misery. I liked most of the bsides

Over the Rainbow - Hi-Fi Un!corn - 10/10

WICKED LOVE - YENA [Prerelease] - 5/10

Hate Rodrigo - YENA feat. YUQI - 10/10 - a yena and yuqi collab? That’s everything

Dive Into - Han Seungwoo - 6/10 - I would’ve picked runnin high as the title track ~ fav bsides - Burn and Runnin’ High

4:ever - 24 o’clock - 9/10

Summer Love - Kim Areum - 5/10

odd eye - YU YEON WOO - 9/10

EXCEL - 8TURN - 6/10 ~ fav bside - ING

2017 - Park So Eun - 10/10 - idk this artist but these songs were so good! I like the vibe of her songs ~ fav bside - 2:13 and I liked all of the songs

Party Tonight - U-KISS - 9/10 ➕

The Wonderful Escape - U-KISS - 8/10

House on a Hill - Eric Nam - 10/10

Small Talk - Kim Sung Kyu - 6/10 ~ fav bside - It Will Be. I liked Sometimes too

Signal - Rocking doll Roa - 5/10

OVERDRIVE - WEi - 9/10

GRL GVNG - XG - 4/10

Hear Me Out - EXO [Prerelease] - 5/10

[therecordchanger62279]

WAYBACK RECORDS

“Where are you?”

“I just left Sidney, and I’m headed up to Wapak, and then I’ll take 33 to Dublin. I should be back there by closing time.”

“Well make sure you are. A.J.’s not about to put up with any more excuses from you about getting lost now that there’s a GPS in your truck.”

“I know, I know. I won’t get lost. I’ll have everything delivered, and be back by closing. I swear.”

“Alright. See that you are.”

******

Meet Ronnie Dawson, a delivery driver for a small roofing co. in a small town in Ohio. Mr. Dawson walks a fine line between the real world and a world of dreams. When this day began, he was living reality. Before the day ends, he’ll be living a dream in a place we like to call…... The Twilight Zone.

******

I can’t get back late again today or my boss will fire me. This job isn’t really suited to me, but I collect records, and it gives me a chance to drive all over the state to different towns where I can check out any record stores that are still in business and maybe a thrift store or garage sales or flea markets now and again. The store I worked for was the last one in my town, and I just have to get my record fix. I don’t like shopping online. I don’t trust people. Anyway, I needed a job, and figured this job might feed me, and my habit. So when I’m in these different towns delivering roofing materials for jobs we’ve got coming up, sometimes I take a few detours just to see what I can find. Just last week I scored a Percy Mayfield record on Ray Charles’ Tangerine label for 50 cents at a thrift store in Hamilton. And last month I found a 45 of my favorite record by The Coasters, Shoppin’ For Clothes on Atco for a quarter at a garage sale up in Lima. You never know what you’ll come across. I’m probably pushing my luck with my boss. But I can’t help it.

Just then the cell phone rang.

“Hi, baby. What’s up?”

“Damn you, Ronnie!”

It was his wife, Rita.

“What’s wrong? What’d I do?”

“You know damn good and well what you did. Did you think I’d never find them?”

“Okay. Calm down. I know what this is about. You found the box of records in the closet in the guest room. I only put them in there until-“

“I don’t care. That’s not a guest room anymore. It’s supposed to be a nursery. Remember? If you think you’re going to keep buying records and storing them where the baby’s going to sleep, you’re daydreaming, buddy. I swear. I’ve had just about enough of this. There are records in every room in this house. I want a family, and the way you’re going we’ll never have the space or the money for either. You think I don’t know you’re buying records when you’re supposed to be working? You’re going to lose that job. Stella from the office called here last week looking for you. She said A.J. was having a fit you were getting back so late, and using too much gasoline to make the deliveries. How long do you think you can get away with it?”

“I know. I know. I promise-“

“I don’t want to hear it. Get your ass home in time for dinner tonight or you’ll need a divorce lawyer – and a good one. Because if I divorce you, I swear I’ll take every last one of those records in the settlement, and I'll burn 'em.”

And she hung up.

She knew when she married me that I had a habit. She doesn’t understand it. I settled back for the drive to Wapak, and listened to an oldies station on the truck radio.

_____

The drive to Wapak was uneventful. There’s not much to see or do in a town that small except for the Armstrong Air & Space Museum. But I never had any luck finding records in Wapak, so I made short order of lunch at Wendy’s and got back on the highway to Dublin – my last stop for the day before heading home. At least it was supposed to be my last. About midway between Wapak and Dublin, not long after I passed the exit to Indian Lake, I noticed a road sign that read Exit 6 Phillips 24 miles. Phillips? I’d never heard of Phillips, Ohio. Curious, I decided to talk to my new GPS.

“Reroute to Phillips, Ohio. Confirm, please?”

There was silence from the GPS. So I spoke the instructions again.

“There is no Phillips, Ohio in the database.”

“There must be. I saw a road sign.”

I tried once more, and again got the same response.

Worthless piece of crap. Who needs a GPS anyway? That’s what road signs are for. I’ll just turn off when I reach the exit. I’ve been making good time. I can still have a look around and get to Dublin and then home in plenty of time. I turned the radio up, and sang along with Get Off My Cloud by The Stones, and tapped the wheel to Draggin’ the Line by Tommy James.

     _____

There’s the exit. Phillips, Ohio. Probably named after the great Sam Phillips of Sun Records fame. There’s got to be some great vinyl finds in a town named after Sam Phillips. There was nothing except open roads and empty fields after I took the exit. I must have driven a good dozen miles or so before I saw a sign that read: Welcome to Phillips, Ohio. Population 570.

Wow! This town is really small. No wonder the GPS never heard of it. I wonder how much further the town is? Just then, on the horizon, I saw what looked to be a main street with buildings lining both sides, and a stop light ahead. The place looked pretty clean, and there was parking up and down either side of the street. I pulled into an open space, and put the truck into park and looked at the sign directly in front of me. Wayback Records. Well, I’ll be damned. They’ve got a record shop. And it looks like it’s open, too.

Sure enough, it was open for business. But nothing prepared me for what I saw when I stepped inside. The place was enormous. It seemed to go on for miles in every direction. And there were racks, and racks, and racks filled with records as far back as the eye could see. The walls were covered with posters advertising Rock ‘n’ Roll shows. There was a ticket window to the left that must have sold concert tickets to shows in the area. Next to that was a long counter filled with buttons, and belt buckles, and scarves, and countless other things embossed with band names and logos. To my right was a magazine stand overflowing with Rock magazines. I’d never seen so many in one place in my entire life. Rolling Stone, Creem, Crawdaddy, Circus, Circus Raves, NY Rocker, Hit Parader, Melody Maker, Zig Zag, Sounds, NME, Who Put the Bomp, Kicks, Mojo Navigator, The Record, Goldmine, Billboard, Cashbox, Record Collector, Trouser Press, and too many more to mention. On the floor next to the stand were stacks and stacks of back issues of nearly every title. I couldn’t believe my eyes. On the overhead sound system I heard – no, it couldn’t be. But it was! They were listening to Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band. And it slowly dawned on me that I wasn’t going to make it home on time that night. I wasn’t going to make the delivery to Dublin either. I was going to need an alibi, and fast! I ran back out to my truck, opened the glove box, and found my cell phone, and dialed A.J.’s.

“A.J. Construction. May I help you?”

“Stella. It’s Ronnie. I’ve got a problem.”

“Oh for god’s sake. What now?”

“The truck broke down, and I had to have it towed for service.”

“Where are you?”

“I’m in Phillips, Ohio off 33 about halfway between Wapakoneta and Dublin.”

“Hang on. I’ll get A.J.”

A few moments later I was listening to my boss, and he wasn’t happy.

“Goddammit Ronnie! What the hell happened?”

“The truck broke down A.J. I had to get it towed to a service station. They’re working on it right now.”

I almost had myself convinced.

“I just had that truck serviced a month ago. What happened?”

“I don’t know. Everything was fine, and then out of the blue, the thing just died. I think it’s the electrical system. I couldn’t get it started, and I didn’t have any lights or radio or anything.”

“Well, those supplies need to be in Dublin by tomorrow morning or we’ll lose that contract. I guess I’ll have to send another truck and we’ll have to reload them.”

“No, A.J. That won’t be necessary.”

I was trying not to panic.

“Well, what do you suggest? I don’t want to lose that job.”

“Maybe they can get it started. It’s still early enough. I can probably get them to Dublin by tonight. But I’ll be real late getting back.”

“Did the mechanic think he could fix it today?”

“He hasn’t said anything yet. He’s still doing a diagnostic on it.”

“Well, when you find something out, call me back.”

“Right, A.J. I sure will.”

And with that I hung up. But that wasn’t the worst of it. I still had to call my wife and tell her I wouldn’t make dinner. After giving some thought to it, I decided that call could wait. And I headed back inside the shop.

I began wandering around and I saw several glass booths set up throughout the store, and there were people inside them with headphones on sitting in chairs, listening to records on the turntables. As far as I could see, it was mostly records. But on one of the walls near the cash register there were 8 tracks, and a smaller selection of cassette tapes. There wasn’t a CD anywhere in the place. The aisles were long, and every fixture was jammed with records. I’d never seen anything like it – except in my dreams. As I browsed the aisles looking through the records, I overheard other customers arguing with one another about what they liked and didn’t like. I heard some recommending records to friends or strangers who were nearby. There was a lot of conversation while the music on the overhead sound system now played Dave Edmunds’ Tracks On Wax 4. This was a very strange place indeed.

The selection was also astonishing. The place seemed to stock everything I’d ever heard of. Every artist I could think of seemed to be here, and every record seemed to be stocked. I couldn’t imagine where it had all come from or how they managed to restock it all.

In the middle of the store, dividing two huge sections of LPs were several aisles of tables with wooden boxes on top filled to the brim with 45s. I noticed that the 45s all seemed to be in factory sleeves, and were original label as well. But, how could that be? And how would you ever restock them once you’d sold them? I moved over to a section labeled “R&B/Soul” and began browsing the selection there. What stopped me dead in my tracks was a copy of Frank Wilson’s Do I Love You on the Soul label. That record is highly sought after by Northern Soul collectors, and sells for a fortune online whenever it’s offered for sale. And here it was, just sitting in the rack alongside thousands more original Soul singles – most from England, and all with original sleeves on the original labels.

I picked up the Wilson single and walked to the front counter. There was a big guy working the counter, smoking a cigar. He was wearing a striped shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and when I approached him, he turned and glared at me.

“Got a question, kid?”

“Yeah. Several, I think. Are you the owner?”

“Yeah. Call me Fats. What can I do for you?”

“I was wondering about this record,” and I handed it to Fats across the counter.

“What about it?”

“Well, it’s extremely rare, and you stock it, and….”

“We stock everything kid. That’s what we do.”

“But there’s no price on it, and I –“

��See that sign above the 45s?

 “You mean that one?” I asked pointing at one hanging from the ceiling.

“Yeah. What’s it say?”

“All 45s 99cents.”

“Okay, then.”

“You mean I can buy this record for 99 cents?”

“Jesus! Yes! You got a learning disability?”

“No, but it’s really rare, and – “

“It ain��t rare. We just restocked it from the distributor last week. We sell out, we order more.”

“How late are you open?”

“We’re open ‘til midnight every night. We open at 10 a.m., and we’re closed on Sundays.”

“Why aren’t you open Sundays?”

“Stores should be closed on Sundays. People need to cool out once in awhile, and Sunday used to be the day they did that. Not anymore. But this place closes on Sunday because that’s how I want it. I tell my customers to buy some Sam Cooke and The Soul Stirrers or Sister Rosetta Tharpe to get their Sunday music fix. And we don’t do holidays either. Holidays are for families to gather round the record player, or the upright piano or the radio. When you need that communal music experience, we’re here the rest of the time.”

Looking at my watch, I said, “Man, no wonder I’m hungry. It’s after 5. Is there some place in town to get a bite?”

“Sure thing. Go out the door to your right. About a block up the street you’ll see Roy’s Diner. Best burgers anywhere.”

“Thanks a lot. I’ll be back.”

“We’ll be here, kid. What’d you say your name was?”

“Ronnie. Ronnie Dawson.”

“Your folks name you after Ronnie Hawkins?”

“Nah, I wish.”

Fats chuckled as I headed for the door.

_____

I had a problem. I needed to get that truck full of roofing materials to Dublin by tomorrow morning. I needed to sort out the lie I told my boss. I needed to talk to my wife. And I needed to find a job in Phillips so I could live there the rest of my life. Before I started my walk to Roy’s, I got into my truck and grabbed my cell phone. The first call I made was to A.J.

“A.J.! It’s Ronnie. The truck is fixed, and I’ll have it in Dublin by morning.”

“Well, that’s a relief. What the hell was wrong with it?”

“Uh, there was a wire in the electrical system that sparked, and shorted everything out. Once they fixed that, it started right up.”

“Well, the site will be closed tonight. You won’t be there in time to deliver the materials.”

“I know. I’m gonna drive down tonight, and I’ll sleep in the truck and be there when they open in the morning.”

“Alright, Ronnie. Then get your butt back here because we got two more runs tomorrow.”

“Sure thing, A.J.,” I replied, knowing full well that after tomorrow morning I’d no longer be working for A.J. Construction Co.

I thought it best not to call Rita until I’d had something to eat, so I took the walk to the diner. Roy’s Diner had one of those rusted neon signs on the outside – half-burned out like neon signs always seemed to be. But there was a pair of sunglasses wrapped around the word “diner” and they were lit. The inside of the place had about a dozen small booths along the walls, and a half dozen tables on a red and white tiled floor with tablecloths on each. The booths had those old fashioned jukeboxes on the table. A girl behind the counter called out to me, “Have a seat anywhere, darlin’ I’ll be right with you.”

I took a seat in one of the booths and pulled a menu from between the salt & pepper shakers. It looked as if this restaurant had a theme. And the theme was Roy Orbison. That explained the name and the sunglasses on the sign outside, not to mention the early 60’s décor. And the menu featured a variety of grilled sandwiches with names like The Ooby Dooby, Chicken Hearted, Rock House Chops, Blue Bayou Cajun Fish, and so on. There was even a Candy Man dessert – ice cream with chocolate topping. I ordered The Ooby Dooby burger, a Coke and a side of fries from the waitress whose name tag read “Leah” and who peppered her sentences with the word “Sugar”. You want fries with that, Sugar? Small Coke or large, Sugar? Ketchup and pickle, Sugar? It’d been a while since a woman called me Darlin’ and even longer since one called me Sugar. Leah is in for a generous tip.”

While I waited, I browsed the selection on the jukebox. The titles were familiar: Oh, Pretty Woman, In Dreams, Blue Angel, Runnin’ Scared, Crying, It’s Over, Claudette, and many more – every one of them a Roy Orbison classic. I put a quarter in and chose three of my favorites.

The burger was even tastier than the song it was named after, and when Leah brought the bill, I couldn’t believe it - fifty-seven cents for dinner? That couldn’t be right. I called Leah back over to the table.

“Change your mind about dessert, Sugar?”

“No, but I think you miscalculated the check. Fifty-seven cents sounds a little light, doesn’t it?”

“No, Sugar, that’s right. The burger was 30 cents, the fries were 15, and the Coke was a dime. And two cents for tax.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. But I wasn’t about to argue. I could definitely afford to live in Phillips. I left Leah a generous 2-dollar tip, and made my way back to my truck. For the first time, I began to notice the other businesses on the street. Now that it was getting dark, all the shop signs were lit up like Christmas trees. There was Bo’s Billiards, Buddy’s Market, The Killer’s Bar & Grill, Presley Pharmacy, Everly Cleaners, Penniman’s, which looked like a men’s clothing store, Wanda’s Sweets - a candy store, Brenda’s Nail Salon, a movie theatre called Connie’s Majestic (which happened to be playing a double feature of The Girl Can’t Help It, and Where The Boys Are), Berry Motors on the corner, Vincent’s Texaco, and Cochran’s Body Shop. It was all starting to make some sense to me. But before I could return to Wayback, I needed to call my wife.

“Where the hell are you, you sonuvabitch?”

“I’m in Phillips, Ohio. My truck broke down, and I’ve been here all afternoon waiting for it to be fixed.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Look, Rita. Give me a break, will you? I know I should’ve called earlier, but – “

She hung up. I hoped she wasn’t serious about a lawyer, but I figured I’d find out when I got back home. In the meantime, I had to talk to Fats.

When I walked back inside Wayback, Fats asked me, “How was the burger, kid?”

“Oh, it was great. You were right about that place.”

“Isn’t Leah a doll? I went to school with her mother.”

“Yeah, she was something else. But I have to ask you a few more questions.”

“I figured you might once you’d had a look around town. So, go ahead and ask.”

“What is this place? Where is this place? According to the new GPS in my truck, it doesn’t exist. It’s not on the map. And every business on the main drag – including this one – seems to have a history and a name connected to Rock ‘N’ Roll. Where am I?”

“You’re in Phillips, Ohio, Ronnie. This place is the best-kept secret in the state. We don’t want it spoiled by outsiders. We want to keep it as pure as the music it represents. I built Wayback, and the rest of the businesses followed – one by one. But it’s my town. I incorporated it, and I’m the mayor, the city council, the police, the fire dept., and the post office, too. I named the town after Sam Phillips that founded Sun Records. And I only grant citizenship to people who are as devoted and dedicated to the music as I am. Everybody that came to town and wanted to stay and start a business had to agree to name it after one of the founders or leading lights of Rock ‘N’ Roll. This place is named Wayback because it’s the entry portal."

“The portal? What’s that mean?”

“It means to really see the town, ya’ gotta come through the portal – the front door of Wayback.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Trust me. It’s not important. Anyway, I get the feeling you might be staying. Am I right?”

“If I can find a job. Is anybody in town hiring?”

“I could use some help here, but you’d have to work your way up.”

“I’ll take it.”

“I haven’t even told you what you’d be doing or how much I can pay you?”

“Details. I’ll take it.”

“When do you want to start?”

“Well, I have some loose ends to tie up, and I’ll have to find a place to live.”

“You head over to Lymon Avenue. There’s a boarding house there - Perkins Boarding House. There’s a sign out front. Tell them I sent you.”

“Fats, can I ask you one more thing?”

“Sure, kid. What is it?”

“You don’t know me at all. How come you offered me a job and a place to live and we just met? You said you don’t let just anybody live here.”

“You collect records, don’t you?”

“Of course. But how’d you know?”

“I can spot a serious record collector a thousand yards away. They’re all going to come here eventually because it’ll be the only place they can be truly happy in the world we live in now. I figure we’ve all gotta stick together. Kindred spirits. You know what I mean?”

“Yes sir. I sure do. Thanks, Fats.” And I shook his hand, and called back as I turned to leave, “I’ll be back with my things next week. Don’t give my job away.”

“Don’t worry, kid. It’ll be waiting for you.”

******

All of Ronnie Dawson’s dreams were about to come true. He was leaving behind reality for a new job, and a new address in a new town. Phillips, Ohio. Take the exit 6 offramp, and drive 24 miles……to The Twilight Zone.

© 2023

[dower]

More conscientious and less crap in ‘24.

In 2024, 2bn folks in the liberal-democratic world go to the polls and, if the current trajectory is anything to go by, the results will see a huge swing towards the right.

Rampant nationalism, isolationist policies, insular thinking, racism, populism, radicalism and pretty much the full house of bad-isms. It’s likely to be a tumultuous year of change and opportunity. It could also see the unraveling of hard-won climate concessions which could end up being the crime of the century. And the death of retail politics to match the post-truth world we achieved in 2016. Ho hum.

It’s also a year where we slip closer to climate collapse. As we increasingly play an important personal part we have cut our CO2 footprint quite dramatically over the last decade. Are we are finally running out of places to cut?

2024 is going to focus on:

REDUCING MEAT & DAIRY: So that’s cutting down on milk and beef consumption. In reality, we’re moving towards a more plant-based diet so chicken and pork consumption is going to fall, maybe 50-75% versus previous years.

I have a weakness for cheese, otherwise this section might have be called “almost eliminating meat and dairy”. Protein consumption is something watch out for as dairy is cut, especially as we’re getting older and need to keep our strength up. So thats upping the consumption of beans/legumes and eggs, one of my firm favourites.

Officially that makes us flexitarians. Sounds like a cult.

STOP BURNING STUFF: We’re quite close to zero fossil-fuel burning but we keep striving to cut more. Immediate-future plans include replacing the gas hob with induction and air-source electric heating. Neither are expected in ‘24, but planning will be complete and budgets secured for 2025.

We’ve had a full EV for a year now and with a green leccy tariff our fossil fuel transport footprint has shrunk dramatically since COVID and not bounced back very much at all in ‘22 and ‘23. We’re going abroad (Lisbon, Portugal) in February - it will be our first foreign trip together since our grand tour of Italy in 2019. International travel has got progressively more unpleasant since 9/11 and now it’s expensive so should be savoured.

By way of contrast, in 2019 we would have travelled several thousand fossil fuel car miles, several dozen thousand fossil fuel public transport miles. In 2024, we’ll see that drop to less than 3,000 personal transport petrol miles and a few thousand public transport miles, mostly short-haul holiday and some train travel inside the UK.

A life-long petrolhead, I used to drive cars tens of thousands of kilometres every year, spewing out 300gms + of CO2 every kilometre and would fly around the world at the drop of a hat. What a difference a decade makes; when I swapped my six point two litre 500 bhp V8 Mercedes for a tiny 1.5 litre 3 cylinder electric hybrid i8 in 2015 little did I know what a momentous journey I had started out on.

2024 also sees (hopefully) Derrin Water Solar Park come on stream. Invested into back in 2022 as an alternative to roof solar panels, they should see us getting an additional 6mWh per year of super-clean solar power and a handy 10-15p per kWh discount against our current green supplier, Octopus. That should see 15k miles of zero emissions EV driving every year for the next forty years. Carbon negative, baby!

CUT CONSUMPTION: We’ve not done badly here, but still far too often we get home deliveries of crap complete with acres of plastic. That has to be reduced. Stella now buys 2nd clothes, like me, and the aim to cut fast fashion in our house massively. And knock frappery on the head, including pointless presents and other rubbish that no one wants or needs.

We have sufficient bed clothes and cushions to last a lifetime, lets see if we can last a year without resorting to “I fancied a change” - the western world’s way of driving up needless consumption, creating financial dependence, and helping to ruin the planet we live on. This extends to consumer electronics, too. So no new phones, iPads, or other gadgets in ‘24, what we have now is more than enough.

If we live in 1:500 square feet now, then a good target is to aim for is 1,000 in a decade’s time. Let’s see how this one plays out, but I know we don’t need to live in a four bedroom house, nor do we need a 20ft+ long lounge or three toilets - it’s only me and Stella here.

DECLUTTER OUR WORLD: We have far too much stuff in our life and it needs to go. From clothes to motorbikes to shoes it needs to be radically reviewed and removed. If we want a smaller footprint, then we need a smaller house and that means less stuff.

I’ll start with clothes first, that should be easy - when was the last time I wore a business suit? Do I need 60 t-shirts? And there are a couple of large cupboards in my home-office that contain a sea of junk. Did anyone mention the garage? Jeez, it’s gonna be a busy year!

[rambleswhatsthepoint]

10/11/23

Skizz is all better!

I got the original company who installed my roof to come out and their repair quote was the lowest. All fixed and hopefully no more issues!

The marathon is done and dusted! I finished in just about the time I thought I could do! It was an amazing experience and I’m going to do it again next year lol.

Friday we went to the expo in the morning. Soooo many people! Then Friday night we went to peloton game night. It was so amazing to meet Susie and be near the other instructors! Saturday morning I did my shakeout run with Nugget around the neighborhood. Then headed downtown after lunch to the hotel Speedy was at. Got my stuff ready and then we walked down to the pasta dinner for team rmhc.

It was so great to be part of team rmhc. I don’t think running the marathon without the charity perks would have been as fun.

Cancer and speedy cheered me on at several points along the route, it was so great! I thought it might be weird but it really was a pick me up. I also saw one of my old coworkers on charity row.

The night before I got shit sleep because there were so many sirens going off downtown. Every hour basically. My alarm was set for 415 so I had enough time to wake up and let the plumbing work its way through. It all worked out lol. Uber picked us up at 540 to get down towards grant park. Somewhere along the way I lose the bottle I had with pre measured Gatorade powder :(. It was my curved flip belt 12 oz bottle.

The hospitality tent was awesome. Kept us warm, had all sorts of food, 30 portas of our own to use lol. The day itself was perfect for running a marathon! Cool and overcast.

I was amazed at the sheer number of people running. All the sweats thrown to the side in the corrals! All the gel packs and cups on the floor. All the volunteers and spectators! Nuts!

It was super cool to run through all the neighborhoods. I think my favorite are was Pilsen actually. Such energy!

I had some technical issues with my Bluetooth I need to figure out. My phone battery nearly died so I actually turned off my music to conserve power. Running without music is the pits for me. I kept hoping for the next dj station to help provide me with a beat.

After mile 20 my pace kept slowing and slowing as my muscles decided they didn’t exist anymore. Except for my back and the back of my arms which made themselves known when they decided to cramp up like crazy around mile 23 after a porta stop.

I gave up on my 5/1 intervals at about mile 22 because stopping and starting was getting too hard to do. Just pushed it slowly to the end!

Cancer and speedy were right at the final curve before mount roosevelt and it was a great lift! After the hill it was all downhill to the finish.

It was the longest walk from the finish back to the rmhc tent. My right knee and ankle were talking to me. My legs said you should just stop here lol nit you had to keep going.

We ate in the tent and then made our way back to the hotel. Speedy haggled with a rickshaw (is that what they’re called?) bike guy to get us back lol

Iced my feet. They got me a finisher shirt and jacket as presents :) rested at the hotel a bit and then drove home!

I was invited to do a program at my church called alpha. It’s been interesting to attend and meet other parishioners.

I still miss my Stella so much. My brain can’t seem to comprehend the fact that her sweet soul was here with me one minute and the gone the next. All because I turned my back. Her unique personality, playfulness, stubbornness, anxiousness, cuddly, independent self is just gone. My baby girl. How did this happen?

I have spent way too much money. I need to rein it in and find some sort of side gig to get some extra money. Ugh.

[justtoocutebabywear3]

Tips For Determining If Baby Clothing Is Really Organic

We give a lot of thought to fashion brands and our attitude. We always seek stylish clothing options for ourselves. Depending on the season, the design, and the level of comfort, we like to select our preferred Babywear Wholesale items. Cotton items are preferred for all seasons. We like using cotton-based items, yet most of us are unaware how organic cotton looks or feels?

Organic Cotton

However, there is optimism that we have already begun to consider organic food, organic things, and organic apparel. When thinking about organic apparel, "Organic Cotton" is the first phrase that pops up to mind. Since the majority of us believe that cotton and organic cotton are interchangeable, the term "Organic Cotton" might be perplexing. But organic cotton and regular cotton have a lot in common.

Cotton Definition

A pure natural cellulosic fibre is cotton. It develops around cotton plant seeds in a protective casing. It is recognised as a breathable fibre and is soft, cool, and absorbent. It can support 25 times its own weight in water. It is robust, dye-absorbing, and resistant to wear from abrasion and high temperatures.

Definition Of Organic cotton

Cotton and organic cotton are identical; the only distinction is in the manufacturing procedure. Cotton that has been cultivated for at least three years without the use of chemical fertilisers, defoliants, or pesticides is known as organic cotton. Instead, organic fertilisers and fertilising methods such crop rotation, compost, manure, and fertilisers made from naturally occurring minerals and plants are employed.

Cotton and organic cotton have different properties.

The crop that receives the highest pesticide application is conventional cotton. It releases greenhouse gases into the environment and consumes a staggering 16% of the pesticides used worldwide. Organic farming, which doesn't use pesticides, not only keeps the air cleaner but also absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere because of the rich, fertile soil!

Conventional farming uses toxic pesticides that can spread up to 25 miles via the air and water streams, resulting in health issues like poisoning, infertility, and birth deformities.

Organic farming safeguards adjacent populations and keeps hazardous chemicals away from cotton field workers.

Since organic cotton is cultivated without the use of synthetic fertilisers, pesticides, or herbicides, it is said to be more ecologically friendly.

Environmental sustainability is receiving more and more attention from the public, and customers are increasingly favoring organic cotton.

Retailers and producers are adjusting their products to meet the desire for more "natural" goods.

Strength and other physical characteristics are identical to those of conventional cotton.

The WWF estimates that 2,700 gallons of water are required to create only one T- shirt of cotton. A completely different situation arises with organic cotton, which is often cultivated without synthetic agents like pesticides and fertilisers.

In contrast, according to the Soil Association, it needs just 243 liters. As a result, more and more fashion companies, including Stella McCartney and H&M, are promoting natural fibre.

There is a lot of room for improvement in the way we grow cotton because now less than 1% of total production is organic.

The Textiles Exchange reported in 2017 that organic cotton consumes 90% less "blue" water (from groundwater and surface-water bodies, such as freshwater lakes and rivers).

The bulk of organic cotton [is cultivated on] small-scale farms, which are often rain fed rather than irrigated and don't use as much water since they don't use synthetic pesticides and fertilisers. Genetically modified crops, which often demand more water, are not used in the production of organic cotton, and pesticide-free soil also contributes to the process's water efficiency. In reality, natural resources make about 95% of the water utilised to cultivate organic cotton (rainwater and water stored in the soil).

According to a 2011 analysis by the Water Footprint, growing organic cotton instead of conventional cotton decreases levels of water pollution by 98% since synthetic chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers aren't employed. By avoiding nitrous oxide-releasing fertilisers and pesticides and employing less automated farming techniques, organic cotton generates 46% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than conventional cotton, according to the Textile Exchange. The soil also functions as a "carbon sink," collecting CO2 from the atmosphere, because it is devoid of pesticides and fertilizers.

[mr-and-mrs-shortman-blog]

“I swear, someone better give me a good reason not to give Mr. High-and-Mighty Pataki a fresh black eye. Or strangle him.”

“Stella, we’re all angry at him, but you can’t assault someone for something like that, you could go to jail for that.”

“Watch me, Shortman, I’m not afraid to go to court.”