#2574

[questintheskies]

9/14/24 Nogizaka46 'Cheat Day' @ Venue 101

[albertxylin]

Satisfying Tidying

There's something meditative about the act of tidying up. There's something satisfying about putting things where they should be, Clearing out space and finding new homes And reducing the mental load of ignoring and navigating the mess.

It is asserting agency and control, Proof that you can change things, That you can push back against entropy and all the things in the world For just a moment. But a moment is enough. There is always something else to tidy.

[harveyphotography]

Street Photography - Laurino (SA)

[my-chaos-radio]

Release: July 27, 1992

Lyrics:

You were workin' as a waitress in a cocktail bar

When I met you

I picked you out, I shook you up and turned you around

Turned you into someone new

Now five years later on you've got the world at your feet

Success has been so easy for you

But don't forget, it's me who put you where you are now

And I can put you back down too

Don't, don't you want me?

You know I can't believe it when I hear that you won't see me

Don't, don't you want me?

You know I don't believe you when you say that you don't need me

It's much too late to find

You think you've changed your mind

You'd better change it back or we will both be sorry

Don't you want me, baby?

Don't you want me, ohh?

Songwriter:

Don't you want me, baby?

Don't you want me, ohh?

I was working as a waitress in a cocktail bar

That much is true

But even then I knew I'd find a much better place

Either with or without you

The five years we have had have been such good times

I still love you

But now I think it's time I live my life on my own

I guess it's just what I must do

Don't, don't you want me?

You know I can't believe it when I hear that you won't see me

Don't, don't you want me?

You know I don't believe you when you say that you don't need me

It's much too late to find

You think you've changed your mind

You'd better change it back or we will both be sorry

Don't you want me, baby?

Don't you want me, ohh?

Don't you want me, baby?

Don't you want me, ohh?

Don't you want me, baby?

Dwayne Richardson / Derek Jenkins / Cheri Renee Williams / Cassio James Vincent Ii Ware / Francis Reuben Wright

SongFacts:

👉📖

[amarantine-amirite]

Riding Assessment, a Clique Fanfiction

Summary: Somebody’s riding assessment for the lesson program at Galwaugh Farms

Today is my assessment at Galwaugh Farms. The place I used to ride, Tansley Woods Equestrian, kicked me out for weighing well over 135 pounds. 

Truthfully, it has nothing to do with my body. Last year, a private equity firm based in Mexico bought out Tansley Woods. On paper, Tansley Woods continues to be a hunter/jumper barn, but in practice, it's a jockey training program.

Think about it. They insist on riding in skull caps and vests, just like jockeys wear. They insist on riding with short stirrups, just like jockeys do. They have a lot of retired racehorses in their school program, and some of the over-16s work with new racehorses. They have a very low weight limit of 121 pounds for the show team and 135 for the lesson programs in general. I don’t know how people haven’t put the pieces together yet.

I walk into the barn. The main office looked like the inside of a log cabin. 

“Hi, are you Judy?” the receptionist asked. 

“Hello,” I nodded, “ I am here to do my assessment lesson.”

The receptionist checked her smartphone. “OK, I see that you’ve sent in the payment and signed the waiver, you’re good to go,” she said. She looked at me. “You’ll be riding Pebbles, she’s in the last stall on the right and her tack is in locker number 11 in the tack room,” she pointed to the corridor leading to the stalls.

“OK, thanks”

I headed over to the stalls. The place looks nice. It’s a bigger piece of property than I expected. The exterior of the building looks like something out of a movie. Inside, however, leaves much to be desired. The tack room was way smaller than it looked in the pictures. Contrary to what the pictures of their social media feed would have you believe, they don’t have grooming stations, just hallway cross-ties. More disturbingly, the bathroom doesn’t have a door. It appears the last person who used the bathroom had to use a horse blanket as a privacy curtain.

I now understand why the few photos of the interior they had on their website or their socials were so staged. It looks way more impressive in the pictures than in real life. 

I found the last stall on the right-hand side and saw a chunky Appaloosa-quarter horse cross mare snacking on her hay. “Hello, Pebbles,” I said as I set my tool bag full of brushes down. Pebbles looked at me and then resumed eating.

I got Pebbles groomed, tacked up, and ready to go. Before we got into the arena, she thought it would be funny to hang her tongue out. I looked at her and smiled. “Oh, goofy horse with your tongue stuck out,” I chuckled. 

I got to the arena and discovered my assessment would take place in a group, not privately. I shared the arena with three other people: a fourth grader on a little dun pony, another kid about my age on a big, tall chestnut thoroughbred, and a college student on a fluffy, gray cob. The horses looked like they were in good shape. 

I brought the horse to the arena. The coach walked up to me. She had wavy blonde hair, an apple-shaped torso, and half-open eyes. “Hi there,” she said softly.  

“Hi,” I said right back, “I’m Judy”

“I’m Jacqui Dyer, nice to meet you,” she said. We shook hands and she led me to the middle of the arena to check my girth. 

I passed the tack check. I went over to the mounting block and got on Pebbles. Nothing about Jacqui struck me as being hard to get along with. 

After warming up at the walk, Jacqui said, “All right, everybody bring your ponies to a trot.”

The other kids pony-kicked their horses into a trot, and I squeezed Pebbles and clicked my tongue. 

Jacqui disapproved. “Judy, stop what you’re doing immediately,” she said

I had no idea where the hell that came from. “what did I do wrong?” I asked.

Jacqui waved me to come into the center of the ring. She then said, “Judy, horses spook easily, so we need to keep our voices down when we’re around them, and that includes clucking or kissing when we’re riding”. I couldn't tell whether she was trying to help or talk down.

Initially, I shrugged it off. She wasn't wrong, and it appeared to make sense, nothing about it screamed “bullshit” to me. A few minutes later, I realized that I had a problem. I tend to yelp when startled. I've been told this is a safety issue numerous times, but I don't know how to fix it.

We finished trotting and brought our horses down to a walk. Jacqui then announced it was time to start cantering. “Judy, would you like to start us off at the canter?” she asked. 

I nodded. I pulled out of the center, rode Pebbles to the rail, and moved her up to a fast walk. As we entered the corner, I moved my outside leg back, my reins up, and kissed. 

Jacqui told me off again. “What did I just say about the vocal cues?” 

“Fine,” I rolled my eyes, “I’ll bring her back down to walk and then pick up the canter quietly.”

Jacqui shook her head. “No, bring her into the canter from a trot,” she insisted, “We don’t canter horses from the walk, it teaches them they can bolt.” I had to fight not to laugh at how stupid this was.

I asked Pebbles to trot, and I thought I clucked quietly enough that Jacqui couldn’t hear me. 

“I heard that,” Jacqui said, “Consider this your last chance. If I hear one more peep out of you, you’re out of here, understood?”

I nodded. I quietly kissed at Pebbles to get her to canter. We made it halfway around the arena before somebody’s dumb dog entered the ring and gave her a startle. Pebbles sped up, dropped low, and spun around. Something about the dog must’ve triggered an embedded memory of cutting cows.

I sank my weight into my heels, grabbed her mane, and chuckled at the situation. Together, we ran the dog out of the ring. 

Jacqui shook her head, scoffed, and pointed at the ground. “That's it Judy, get off!” she barked. 

As far as I was concerned, her reaction came out of nowhere. “Why are you mad at me?” I asked, “Staying on a cutter in an English saddle is a feat in its own right.” I’m not kidding, even Western riders have to hold onto the horn when the horse goes into cutting mode. If anything, Jacqui should be impressed.

“Judy, Pebbles bolted because you made too much noise” she reprimanded, “You need to get off, now.” 

“She didn’t bolt, I told her to get those dogs out of the arena,” I said. It’ll probably be the last time the dog makes that mistake.

"This was your last chance, you blew it"

"Wait, you weren’t kidding?” I asked, utterly surprised, “How was I supposed to know you meant it?" 

Jacqui grabbed Pebbles and led me away from everyone so I could get off.

Pebbles didn’t care about the noise. Nobody else did, either. The only one who made such a big fuss was Jacqui. That was enough to make me suspect it may not be as big a problem as I think. 

People can get weird about certain unpleasant but ultimately harmless stimuli, like second-hand fish funk, and have an outsized reaction. The horse doesn't know the difference between the rider making a mountain out of an ant hill and the rider sensing a genuine threat, so he spooks. The horse spooks at the rider having an outsized reaction to the noise, not the noise itself.

I brought Pebbles back to her stall to untack. Her neighbour is a dark Palomino gelding named Tricky. The guy with the ponytail and scraggly beard in Tricky’s stall looked at me and said, “You’re back early”

“Yeah,” I nodded, “I don’t think they’re letting me in.”

Tricky’s rider raised an eyebrow and tipped his head to one side. “Oh, you had an assessment today?”

“I don’t understand why we can’t use vocal cues?”

Tricky’s rider damn near dropped the brush in his hand. “I've been at Galwaugh since 2004, and we were allowed to use vocal cues back then.”

“So, it's new?” I asked.

Tricky’s rider shook his head. “It’s not,” he replied, “it’s a holdover from 2008”

I figured this would be related to the financial crisis. “2008? So it's due to the financial crisis, then,” I said inquisitively. 

Tricky’s rider nodded. “They didn't take into account that the financial crisis artificially lowered their no-show rate, so they sold way more seats for the lesson program than were available,” he said matter-of-factly.

I knew immediately he was talking about overbooking. “Like the airplane?”

“Exactly, but worse. They have to give you your money back if they turn you away because they don’t have enough space, but they didn’t want to do that. Instead, they came up with stupid rules that they only enforced on people who were overweight. That way, they can continue to post revenues from selling seats that didn’t exist.”

Hearing him say that vindicated me. “I knew that rule didn’t make any sense!” I trumpeted triumphantly.

If you make noise because you got startled by the horse spooking at something, whatever noise you made didn't spook it, it's too late at that point. If any other horses spooked after yours, it spooked because the first one spooked, not because of you.

A few weeks after my assessment, I found out that Galwaugh Farms would no longer take new students. Roughly a year later, they shut down the lesson program altogether to focus on breeding. 

@promptsforthestrugglingauthor

[tmt-sketch-a-day]

Sketch a Day 2574- Gruff Cat- 1/17/23

[silverfoxlink]

UNHINGED SPICY RHINK 🌶️🌶️🌶️

This More’s really made for all of us who enjoy Rhink 😭

- Rhett GUIDING Link’s waist, I swear I could’ve fainted 😩

- “Hey, he ain’t gonna go pregnant!”

- WHOEVER SHOUTED “YEAH, GO HARDER!” IS MY HERO!!!!

- They’re both so fucking HORNY on main and I’m here for it. Pent up energy from celibacy week lmao

[quiltofstars]

"Galactic Harmony" // Tim Schaeffer, Bray Falls, Tarun Kottary, curtismorgan, Steeve Body, and psparkman

Right of center is the interacting trio of galaxies, Bode's Galaxy (M81), the Cigar Galaxy (M82), and NGC 3077. To the far right is galaxy IC 2574.

To the left is the Vulcan Nebula (WPS 64), a recently discovered nebula!

[lostdrarryfics]

Hii i am searching for a fic where Draco has dissapeared from the wizarding society (or more simply great britain but he's basically living as a recluse idk) for years and has become a writer. The fic starts with Harry going to a masked ball with Hermione (i cant remember if ron was there too) and he finds this super charismatic masked writer with whom he falls in love with (of course its Draco). They talk the whole night and Draco has a pen name i cannot remember that he uses. After the night Harry asks Hermione if she knows that author and she says that she does and gives him a copy of one of his book. The book was about a woman leaving germany or going to Germany after she has done some bad things and basically the book is supposed to say that Draco doesnt deserve redemption even if he had a shitty life before that kind of explain his later decisions in life yk. I cant remember how they meet again after that. I think there was Draco's manager who was a character that was quite heavily involved. I also believe that it was around 14 chapters, maybe more maybe less but i do remember that number somehow and i also believe that the last chapter was purely smutt and there wasnt much more plot there.

We believe you are looking for The Unbearable Burden of Caring by Tessa Crowley (orphan_account) (22k, E)

Don’t forget to bookmark, leave kudos and comments!

[pesterloglog]

Karkat Vantas, Terezi Pyrope

Act 5, page 2574-2576

CG: OK I GOT YOUR MESSAGE

CG: THANKS FOR NOT HASSLING ME ABOUT IT IN ONE OF THE MEMOS TO GET MY ATTENTION, I APPRECIATE THAT.

CG: UNLESS YOU DID, BUT IT WAS IN A FUTURE MEMO I HAVEN'T WRITTEN YET, IN WHICH CASE HAVE A BIGTIME FUCK YOU ABOUT THAT IN ADVANCE.

GC: NO 1 D1DNT BUG YOU 4BOUT 1T 1N YOUR STUP1D M3MOS!

GC: TH3Y 4R3 4NNOY1NG 4ND 1M T1R3D OF G3TT1NG B4NN3D FOR NO R34SON

CG: POSTING IN THEM AT ALL IS THE REASON. YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO REPLY MEMOS PERIOD, THAT'S THE REASON.

GC: M4YB3 1 W1LL ST4RT MY OWN BULL3T1N BO4RD

GC: 4ND 3V3RYON3 W1LL B3 4LLOW3D TO R3PLY 4NY T1M3 TH3Y W4NT

GC: 3XC3PT FOR GUYS W1TH NUBBY HORNS, OH NO, TH3Y W1LL NOT B3 4BL3 TO R3PLY 4T 4LL

GC: GRUMPY K4RK4TS W1LL B3 3XPR3SSLY FORB1DD3N FROM R41NBOW RUMPUS P4RTYTOWN!

GC: >:P

CG: SOUNDS LAME.

GC: BY TH3 W4Y TH4T W1LL B3 TH3 N4M3 OF TH3 BO4RD 1N C4S3 1T W4SNT CL34R

CG: YEAH I GOT THAT.

CG: THIS IS AN EMPTY THREAT, BECAUSE IF YOU MADE A BOARD AT ANY POINT ON THE TIMELINE I WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE IT RIGHT HERE AND READ THE WHOLE THING ALREADY.

CG: WAIT...

CG: OH GOD, YOU ACTUALLY DID.

GC: Y3SSSSS!

GC: FUTUR3 T3R3Z1 1S LOOK1NG PR3TTY COOL R1GHT 4BOUT NOW >8]

CG: LOOK I DON'T CARE ABOUT THE FRUITY RUMPUS ASSHOLE FACTORY.

CG: WHAT'S ALL THIS ABOUT GOING AFTER THE QUEEN'S RING.

GC: W3LL

GC: TH3 TH1NG TH4T 1S 4LL 4BOUT 1T 1S

GC: W3 H4V3 TO GO 4FT3R TH3 QU33NS R1NG

GC: 1T 1S 4 N3W M1SS1ON

CG: BUT WE'RE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF TRYING TO PULL OFF REGISURP WITH JACK.

CG: WHY DON'T WE TAKE IT ONE MISSION AT A TIME.

GC: Y34H 4BOUT TH4T

GC: TH3 WHOL3 PO1NT 1S TO D3STROY TH3 R1NG SO J4CK DO3SNT G3T 1T

CG: WHY WOULD WE WANT TO DO THAT, JACK'S AN ALLY.

GC: 4LSO

GC: TH3 M1SS1ON SORT OF 1NVOLV3S 3X1L1NG J4CK TOO

GC: >:|

CG: THIS IS BULLSHIT.

CG: WE'RE NOT EXILING JACK, HE'S COOL.

GC: K4RK4T, H3 1S NOT TH4T COOL!

CG: YES HE IS, HE'S A TOTAL BADASS WITH A FUCK TON OF BLADES AND SHIT, AND HE'S HELPING US OUT.

GC: OK, 1 TH1NK 1TS PR3TTY CUT3 TH4T YOU SORT OF LOOK UP TO H1M L1K3 TH4T

GC: BUT S3R1OUSLY, 1 DO NOT G3T 4 GOOD F33L1NG FROM H1M!

GC: H3 K1ND OF

CG: STINKS?

CG: LET ME ACTED SHOCKED LIKE I DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING.

CG: O:

CG: FUCK I FORGOT MY HORNS, I ALWAYS FORGET THEM

CG: O:B

GC: NO!

GC: W3LL

GC: SORT OF

GC: H3 DO3SNT SM3LL B4D 4CTU4LLY

GC: H3 SM3LLS R34LLY CL34N 4ND SH1NY 4ND D4RK D4RK D444RK L1K3 4N O1L SL1CK 4ND TH3R3 1S 4 T1NY H1NT OF L1COR1C3 TH3R3 TOO

GC: 1TS MOR3 L1K3

GC: TH3 W4Y H3 MOV3S

GC: 1 SM3LL H1S SMOOTH MOT1ONS 4ND TH3 W4Y H3 SQU1NTS H1S 3Y3S 4ND 1T G1V3S M3 TH1S R34LLY N3RVOUS F33L1NG

CG: WHAT A SURPRISE, YOU ARE DRAGGING YOUR SCHIZOPHRENIC NOSE INTO THIS, WHAT AN OUTSTANDING CHARACTER WITNESS.

CG: OBJECTION YOUR TYRANNY! HAHAHA

GC: >:D

CG: THE BOTTOM LINE IS I AM NOT GOING TO EXILE JACK BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN SMELL MALICE OFF AN INTERPRETIVE DANCE.

GC: K4RK4T, H3S 4 J3RK!

GC: H3 H4S ST4BB3D YOU ON MOR3 TH4N ON3 OCC4S1ON!

CG: SOME OF THOSE STABBINGS WERE ACCIDENTAL!

GC: >8|

CG: OK, WELL I KNOW FOR A FACT THE THIRD TIME WAS ACCIDENTAL.

CG: ANYWAY YOU'VE BEATEN THE SHIT OUT OF ME A FEW TIMES YOURSELF.

GC: BUT 1 D1DN'T DR4W BLOOD!

GC: 1 M34N 1 COULD H4V3 TO S4T1SFY MY CUR1OS1TY >:]

GC: BUT 1 D1DNT 4S 4 COURT3SY TO YOU

GC: S1NC3 YOU ST1LL W4NT TO K33P 1T 4 S3CR3T FROM M3 L1K3 4 P3TUL4NT L1TTL3 W1GGL3R >:P

CG: HEY I PROMISED I'D TELL YOU.

CG: I JUST

CG: WASN'T READY OK

GC: W3LL

GC: 1TS OK

GC: 1 KNOW WH4T COLOR YOUR BLOOD 1S 4NYW4Y >:]

CG: NO YOU DON'T

GC: YUP, 1 TOT4LLY DO

CG: LIES, I'VE BEEN VERY CAREFUL.

CG: NOT LIKE ALL YOU CLASSLESS SHITBAGS WHO SLOP YOUR BLOOD ALL OVER THE PLACE EVERY GODDAMN MINUTE LIKE IT'S SOME WEIRD FETISH.

GC: 3RR

GC: HM >:\

CG: WHAT

GC: BL4R

GC: HOLD ON

CG: WHAT IS IT?

GC: 1 S41D HOLD ON! SOM3T1M3S 1TS H4RD TO P1CK OUT TH3 L3TT3RS FROM TH3 HOLO PROJ3CT1ON

GC: 1 N33D TO G3T 4 CLOS3R LOOK!

CG: ARE YOU LICKING YOUR GLASSES AGAIN?

CG: I HATE IT WHEN YOU DO THAT, IT'S FUCKING DISGUSTING.

GC: NOMP, WH4TH WOULB EBER G1TH YOU TH4TH 1BE4???

GC: H3H3H3H3H3H3H3

GC: TH4T 1S B3TT3R

GC: 1TS MUCH 34S13R TO R34D YOUR COLOR TH1S W4Y

GC: YOUR DR4B D1RTY P4V3M3NT GR4Y

GC: ON TOP OF BR1GHT C4NDY R3D, L1K3 4 SH1NY LOLL1POP

GC: DO3S TH4T SOUND F4M1L14R K4RK4T??

CG: YES, I'M EXTREMELY FAMILIAR WITH THIS SORT OF NONSENSE BY NOW, SURE.

GC: NO 1 M34N

GC: GR4Y ON R3D

GC: L1K3 TH3 W4Y YOUR SK1N

GC: CONC34LS YOUR BLOOD

CG: WHAT

GC: C4NDY C4NDY R3D!

GC: L1K3 YOUR PL4N3T

GC: YOU H4V3 STRONG CH3RRY COUGH SYRUP 1N YOUR V31NS! 1T 1S COMPL3T3LY D3L1C1OUS.

CG: WHO TOLD YOU

CG: DID JACK TELL YOU

GC: NO H3 DO3SNT T4LK MUCH

GC: 1 F1GUR3D 1T OUT MYS3LF

CG: HOW

GC: 1 GOT 4 CLOS3R LOOK

GC: R3M3MB3R >:]

CG: NO

GC: PFFF YOU 4R3 PL4Y1NG SO DUMB, YOU KNOW 3X4CTLY WH4T 1 4M T4LK1NG 4BOUT

CG: I CLEANED UP MY WOUND AND CHANGED MY SHIRT BEFORE I EVEN MET YOU, I'VE BEEN EXTREMELY CAREFUL.

CG: SO YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FILL ME IN.

GC: 1T W4S WH3N 1 GOT CLOS3 3NOUGH

GC: TO SM3LL 1T UND3R YOUR SK1N

GC: PL34S3 K4RK4T, DO NOT PR3T3ND TH4T YOU FORGOT 4BOUT OUR L1TTL3 MOM3NT

CG: WHOA

CG: YOU MEAN

CG: DURING

CG: FUCK.

CG: OK SHHHHHHHHHH SHH SHH SHH...

CG: LET'S NOT TALK ABOUT THIS, NOT HERE.

GC: TH1S 1SNT 4 M3MO!

GC: 1TS 4 PR1V4T3 CORR3SPOND3NC3 JUST B3TW33N US, R3M3MB3R?

CG: I KNOW BUT

CG: DAMMIT

CG: WRITING ALL THESE MEMOS HAS MADE ME PARANOID.

CG: IT JUST DOESN'T FEEL SECURE CHATTING ABOUT IT OVER THE CLIENT, I DUNNO.

CG: WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT IN PERSON.

GC: HOW "1N P3RSON" DO YOU M34N?

GC: UH OH LOOK 4T MY 3Y3BROWS G3TT1NG C4RR13D 4W4Y H3R3

GC: >;]

GC: > ;]

GC: >;]

GC: > ;]

GC: >;]

GC: > ;]

GC: K4RK4T H3LP, TH3Y 4R3 OUT OF CONTROL!!!

CG: THOSE ARE EYEBROWS?

CG: I THOUGHT THEY WERE HORNS.

GC: TH3Y 4R3 HORNS TOO

GC: TH3Y 4R3 4R3 WH4T3V3R 1 W4NT TH3M TO B3

CG: ?:B

GC: DONT CH4NG3 TH3 SUBJ3CT BY B31NG CUT3!

CG: WELL APPARENTLY I JUST CAN'T FUCKING HELP MYSELF CAN I.

GC: NOP3

CG: HOW CAN YOU EVEN SMELL SO DAMN WELL, ANYWAY.

CG: YOU GIVE ME A HARD TIME ABOUT BEING COY ABOUT SHIT

CG: BUT WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR CRAZY SENSES YOU'RE SO VAGUE, IT'S LIKE TRYING TO DECIPHER THE DAILY HOROSCOPE RIDDLE.

CG: OR THE RIDDLES FOR ALL 48 SIGNS COMBINED.

GC: 444RGH

GC: YOU 4R3 4 R3L3NTL3SS SUBJ3CT CH4NG3R! >XO

GC: F1N3, 1TS OK 1F YOU DONT W4NT TO T4LK 4BOUT 1T

GC: GOD YOU 4R3 SOOOOO SHY FOR 4N 4NGRY GUY WHO W4NTS TO B3 4 B1GSHOT L34D3R, 1TS R1D1CULOUS

CG: LOOK

CG: WE'LL TALK

CG: I PROMISE

CG: WHY DON'T YOU JUST SAY SOME STUFF ABOUT YOURSELF FOR A CHANGE

CG: AND CUT ME SOME SLACK.

GC: OK >:]

GC: 1M SUR3 1 M3NT1ON3D 4FT3R YOU M3T MY SPR1T3

GC: 1 L34RN3D FROM H3R THROUGH MY DR34MS

GC: B3FOR3 SH3 H4TCH3D!

CG: YEAH, BUT IT'S STILL SO VAGUE.

CG: THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT.

CG: HOW ABOUT A STRAIGHT ANSWER?

GC: OK, 1LL TRY

GC: WH3N 1 W3NT BL1ND, TH4TS WH3N 1 F1RST WOK3 UP

GC: 4ND MY LUSUS H3LP3D M3 W4K3 UP!

GC: SORT OF

CG: YOU MEAN ON PROSPIT'S MOON.

GC: Y3S

GC: BUT

GC: 3XC3PT FOR 4 V3RY BR13F MOM3NT...

GC: 1 W4S BL1ND 1N MY DR34MS TOO

GC: TH3 DR34M S3LF 1M4G3 1 PROJ3CT C4N'T S33, B3C4US3 1 GU3SS D33P DOWN 1 DONT R34LLY W4NT TO

CG: WHY IS THAT.

CG: IS IT OUT OF SPITE TO VRISKA?

CG: I KNOW I'D PROBABLY BE COOL WITH IT OUT OF SPITE MORE THAN ANYTHING.

GC: NO

GC: NOT TH4T TH3R3 W4SNT SOM3 S4T1SF4CT1ON 1N B31NG OK4Y W1TH 1T

GC: GR4T3FUL 4BOUT 1T 3V3N!

GC: 4ND M4K1NG SUR3 SH3 KN3W TH4T

GC: BUT TH4TS NOT 1T

GC: TH3 D4Y 1T H4PP3N3D W4S TH3 F1RST T1M3 1 3V3R H34RD FROM MY LUSUS

GC: SH3 WOK3 M3 UP, 4ND 3V3R S1NC3 H4S B33N T34CH1NG M3 4 D1FF3R3NT W4Y TO S33

GC: 4 D1FF3R3NT W4Y TO P3RC31V3 3V3RYTH1NG 1 GU3SS, NOT JUST 1N 4 S3NSORY W4Y

CG: OK, SO WHY DID YOU NEVER TELL ME ANY OF THIS?

GC: YOU WOULDNT H4V3 GOTT3N 1T!

GC: 3V3N NOW YOU ST1LL DONT R34LLY

GC: YOU H4V3 NOT 3V3N S33N SK414 Y3T

CG: HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO WAKE UP.

GC: 1 DONT KNOW!

GC: SOM3TH1NG D1FF3R3NT DO3S 1T FOR 3V3RYBODY

CG: HOW MANY OF US ARE AWAKE NOW?

CG: HOW MUCH OF THE FUTURE DID YOU "SEE" BEFORE WE STARTED

CG: IN THE CLOUDS, LIKE KANAYA

CG: ALSO HOW DID YOU GO BLIND ANYWAY???

CG: WHAT DID SHE DO TO YOU, I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU'RE SO CAGEY ABOUT THAT.

CG: I STILL DON'T SEE HOW SHE COULD BLIND YOU WITHOUT BEING ANYWHERE NEAR YOU.

CG: OBVIOUSLY SHE CAN'T CONTROL YOU, SO WHAT GIVES?

GC: K4RK4T SHUT UP!

GC: GOD

GC: HOW 4BOUT 1F

GC: 1 T3LL YOU 4LL 4BOUT TH4T STUFF N3XT T1M3 W3 4R3 "1N P3RSON" >;]

GC: 1N F4CT, 1 W1LL T3LL YOU WH3N YOU W4K3 UP!

GC: UNT1L TH3N 1 W1LL K33P T4BS ON YOU 1N YOUR TOW3R WH1L3 YOU SL33P L1K3 4 L1TTL3 HON3Y P4J4M4'D PUP4 N3STL3D 1N H1S COCOON

CG: WAIT LET ME GUESS.

CG: DO I LOOK ADORABLE?????????

GC: 4CTU4LLY

GC: YOU LOOK K1ND OF L1K3 4 B1G P1L3 OF SM3LLY B4RF

CG: WOW, WHAT THE FUCK.

GC: OF COOOOUUUUURS3 YOU DO, DUMB4SS >:]

CG: OH

CG: THEN

CG: GOOD I GUESS

GC: OK 1V3 GOT TO FLY

GC: DONT WORRY 4BOUT TH3 R1NG M1SS1ON

GC: YOU C4N ST4Y BUSY W1TH R3G1SURP

GC: 1 W1LL ORG4N1Z3 TH3 N3W M1SS1ON MYS3LF

GC: L4T3R!

CG: WAIT

CG: TEREZI

CG: PLEASE DON'T TELL THEM ABOUT MY BLOOD.

CG: I WANT TO TELL THEM, I MEAN I WILL TELL THEM.

CG: LATER

CG: ONCE THEY RESPECT ME AS A LEADER.

GC: OK

GC: 1 W1LL K33P TH4T S3CR3T 1F YOU K33P TH1S ON3 1 T3LL YOU

GC: WH1CH 1S TH4T

GC: B3TW33N YOU 4ND M3 K4RK4T

GC: 1 TH1NK TH3Y 4LR34DY DO

GC: BY3!

GC: <3

CG: BYE

gallowsCalibrator [GC] ceased trolling carcinoGeneticist [CG]

carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased trolling gallowsCalibrator [GC]

carcinoGeneticist [CG] began trolling gallowsCalibrator [GC]

CG: <3

carcinoGeneticist [CG] ceased trolling gallowsCalibrator [GC]

[inzaynety]

investigation: start! ⤫

➢ summary: when visiting the third division, there’s never a shortage of questions and confusion about you. a few take it upon themselves to get to the bottom of it.

➢ content: hoshina x fem!reader, 2574 words, nosy officers, jealous hoshina, suggestive at the end, iharu has a crush on you, slight spoilers for the manga for certain instances to make the plans make sense but it’s vague

➢ notes: i was reading thru character profiles and it made writing this a little easier w the interactions 🫡 hope u enjoy

prequel - pt. 1 of slice & dice - pt. 2

The lives of the higher-ups were always a topic of discussion for the members of the defense force. If anything, it seemed to be entertainment and gossip to exchange and bond over between divisions. One of the hot topics includes Commander Ashiro’s childhood, courtesy of Kafka. 

The only person they couldn’t get anything on was their own Vice-Commander. He was already an enigma himself with that cheerful yet unsettling grin, and they were all witnesses to the receiving end of his narrowed stares during training. The most they could get out of him was a boisterous laugh that shared nothing. They were getting bored. 

But with boredom comes the urge to seek new things. And in this case, dirt on Vice-Commander Hoshina.

There wasn’t much they could see initially–until you came along. 

Now, you weren’t an uncommon sight for the Third Division officers. They would see you hanging around Okonogi or eyeing a few of the new officers during training with an intense gaze that they didn’t know if they should feel flattered or intimidated. Most of the time, however, you were in close proximity to Hoshina. During division meetings, the officers never saw a day without the two of you conversing in some way whether it be through words or standing right next to each other. There was no blatant physical contact but the distance between you two was a little odd to say the least. 

So some took it upon themselves to start a mission.

Kikoru would never voice her true intentions out loud but it was clear that she was as invested as her companions were if her constant questions about the matter said anything about it. She was influenced by her close peers and their enthusiasm definitely fed that.

Reno didn’t want anything to do with it… at first. He changed his mind after only an hour and he thinks it’s due to spending too much time with a certain someone who loved entertainment. Iharu sneezes in the distance. 

Kafka was simultaneously wanting to join the younger members in their antics, though he wasn’t sure he wanted to risk another week of pushups. While he would admit that his arms were tougher, those exercises reminded him of the embarrassment every time he miscalled his commander. But the thought of having some knowledge about Hoshina was interesting, to say the least. 

It seemed they were all bored overall. 

Ultimately, they all decided to make a plan and figure it out separately. Your division was visiting for a week and reconvening would wait until the weekend. It was time to investigate. 

Minase was the one to kick it off, prompting her fellow members to gain more confidence. It all started with an innocent encounter in the operations room when she, Kikoru, and Hakua passed by. 

There were voices inside but the most prominent ones were yours and Hoshina’s. The Vice-Commander was a little surprised to see them when they intercepted at the door but it is quickly masked when you step out, a hint of a smile on your face possibly due to the joke he told you only moments before.

“Now, what’re you three doin’ here?” The Vice-Commander asks, hands in his pockets while you stand slightly behind him with your head tilted. 

Minase always had a good ear being a great listener for her peers and was able to hear what he had said to you. It was a flirty quip, but not enough to not be told to a close friend. Upon seeing that she had caught both of your attention, she smiles.

“Good afternoon!” You greet her as well but a silence falls over you five. It’s a bit awkward–Kikoru side-eyes her friend to see what the whole stopping and rushing over here was for, but Minase had a plan already set. “We were actually looking for you, Commander,” she looks directly at you and you raise a brow at the implication of her tone.

“Oh?” You take a step forward. “What for?”

“Some training tips, is all. After the last session you gave us, it motivated us to work on our blade work even more!” Like Hoshina, your preferred way of fighting had nothing to do with the guns everyone else used. You hum in acknowledgement. 

The Third was full of promising new officers and it would be a waste to not help them hone their skills even more. But you were sure Hoshina was pushing them enough with his own swordsmanship. You even learned a lot from him yourself. 

Hakua stifles a choked sound when Minase elbows her gently, not expecting to be put on the spot just like that. And despite already being told of their group’s plan beforehand and having her outgoing personality, it was still a nerve-racking request. 

“Y-Yeah! You seem close to Commander Narumi so we thought you guys would have similar fighting styles.” In your head, you think they’re referring to how he’s the strongest and anyone would want to learn from the best of the best. Gen wasn’t the easiest to get a hold of and you felt flattered they would ask you directly, so of course you would help out.

On the side, Kikoru is tasked with watching the Vice-Commander. Not all reactions were verbal and she was the most observant of the three, but she couldn’t maintain her eyes on him the whole time lest he get suspicious. 

But now she thinks her eyes have deceived her. At the mention of Commander Narumi, Hoshina’s eyes peek open. She sees how they darken more as Hakua talks about your fighting styles but just like his initial surprise earlier, that expression left as quickly as it came. 

She tucks that away.

Vice-Commander Hoshina had his “Kaiju killing eyes” at the mention of Commander Narumi. Don’t know what that could mean. - Kikoru

That’s jealousy! - Minase

Now you see what I mean about his eyes?? - Kafka

Iharu was infatuated with you from the get-go, though you would say that his first inspiration was Commander Ashiro. Saving him that day was what began his journey into the Defense Force, but it was you who motivated him to alter his fighting style to keep up with Reno. 

Speaking of the latter, he was sitting beside him in the cafeteria as the two tried to think of a plan for their part. They caught wind that Kikoru’s group got a promising lead and it was up to the rest to solidify it. But they’ve been stuck for the past hour trying to come up with their own thing and asking for training would be a stolen idea.

Reno watches as more and more officers walk into the shared area and grab their meals from the line. They’re a mix of your division and the Third Division members conversing among themselves and he immediately sits up with his idea. Iharu turns his head in surprise to find Reno’s attention already turned to him.

“What? Got an idea?” Reno nods fervently and brings both of their heads down to speak more quietly. Iharu raises his brows at the proposal and his cheeks turn pink. He’s outspoken, yeah, and confident, sure, but this was you. 

His friend pleads with him. He relents.

It’s not too long before you step into the cafeteria with the goal of lunch like everyone else. Spending time with Okonogi was great and all but she fried your brain with data only she and your Operations Leader Sora could keep up with. This was grounds for a well-deserved meal before your joint training session as well. 

Iharu watches as you get in line and as he stands up to line up behind you, and like Reno predicted as you grab your tray, you see the officer. To his and Iharu’s surprise, you greet him first. 

“Officer Furuhashi, right?” You ask after grabbing your tray. There’s a bright look on your face at the excitement of seeing the man who impressed your previous Commander. He shakily nods and you smile in response. “Commander Ogata said a lot of things about you.”

Iharu lets out a polite chuckle. “All good things, I hope?” He gets a laugh out of you and you both fall into a comfortable conversation as you move down the line. Reno watches the door and he hopes the timing works out, or Plan B would have to be used. At least Iharu was having a good time. 

It’s when the two of you reach the end of the line and walk towards Reno’s table does Hoshina appear from the doorway. The red-haired officer doesn’t see him yet and your conversation is at the point when you have a hand on his arm as you’re gushing over his newfound ability with his Kaiju suit. He feels a strong hand clamp down on his shoulder and Iharu freezes, looking to his side to see his Vice-Commander. 

“Vice–”

“Afternoon, Officer Furuhashi. Whatcha two talkin’ about?” By then your hand still hasn’t left his arm and he feels Hoshina’s grip get tighter. Iharu places his tray down onto the nearest table and your hand drops to your side but you didn’t notice. 

“His new ability,” you answer, “we were talking about it earlier with the operations team, remember? I was just looking for you, Officer Furuhashi, I’m so glad I got to talk to you.” Your answer is so sincere and he feels like he could melt right then and there. But to the side of him, there was also a strange sensation in the air. 

It was akin to bloodlust. 

“The same here.” Iharu answers and bows, “Please, enjoy your lunchtime.” Before you can say anything more, he turns on his heel straight towards Reno with his head down. 

The two sit there in silence as you look on in confusion before Hoshina pulls you along with him for his lunch. They aren’t looking at the two of you but Reno already got what he needed.

Vice-Commander Hoshina almost broke Furuhashi’s shoulder. I saw he also had one of his blades behind him while they were all talking. - Reno

WHAT?? - Iharu

By the way, what was plan B? - Kikoru

Iharu asks her directly if she’s dating the Vice-Commander. - Reno

HELLO?? - Iharu

Hi. - Kafka

Kafka knew he was going to be the last of the bunch to get this done. The digital community board on their group chat was a smart idea by Minase and he was able to see what the younger officers were trying to do with this mission. 

Kikoru and her friends got the first response but it needed more. Reno and Iharu got the “more” and all-in-all needed one final piece to set the puzzle. Kafka was proud of them but was currently in a situation with absolutely no idea as to what he was going to do. He thought that was more than enough to assume there was a relationship between the two of you, but Kikoru kicked him for that, too.

Was there any way to get you to confess about it? He thought about asking you directly but even though you were younger than him, you still held a higher title. And he didn’t want to face the potential wrath you could unleash for asking such a question. Were you the type to dish out punishments like the Vice-Commander? Again, he didn’t want to risk it. 

He had to do it soon too, you and your division were leaving in the morning and it would be another month or so before you and Hoshina would be seen in the same vicinity. 

Kafka sighs and runs a hand through his hair. This was troublesome but they were counting on him. 

He looks around the library he’s doing his nightly study session and sees that the time is very close to midnight. He’s shocked and now there’s absolutely no way he’s going to catch you at this hour, not unless you were training anyway. His best bet was to find you early in the morning but even that was a bit of a gamble.

Deciding on his defeat, Kafka puts his books and pens away before heading out into the hallway back to his room. He gets a sense of deja vu when he sees the light of the training room still on and assumes it’s the Vice-Commander again, and it wouldn’t hurt to watch him in action, right?

He walks up to the slightly open door and stops in his tracks at the sight. Both you and Hoshina were holding blades. Your’s were slightly longer and his were the typical ones he used during outside missions. Needless to say, they were the real deal. 

In the blink of an eye, you’re lunging towards each other and Kafka thinks if he blinks even once, he’d miss about five slashes shared between you two. Following Hoshina alone was already too much but watching someone match his speed? It was out of this world. 

The match only lasts for about half a minute, ending with a knife to both of your throats from the other. A moment of heavy breathing follows before you groan and toss your head back in exasperation, both of you simultaneously lowering your weapons. 

“I still can’t get that last one right!” 

“It was close! And hey, ya got the blade to my neck.”

“I always get the blade to your neck.” You roll your eyes. Hoshina was the best swordsman there was and it was incomparable to your personal weapon, so of course he would be better than you at it. ‘Whatever, I’m heading to bed.” Hoshina lets out a laugh. You put away the practice weapons and as you head to the door, Hoshina pulls you back to him by your wrist. 

“Wait a second,” he says and leans his head down to yours. 

Kafka, in the meantime, ducked his head to avoid being seen at least a little longer knowing he was not running away to hide in time. There aren't any more words being exchanged and he thinks there’s something else going on in that small bit of silence. 

He pops his head up and makes eye contact with Hoshina’s open eye. 

Got pushups. - Kafka

Damn. Sorry old man. - Iharu

So you got caught? Amateur. - Kikoru

Leave me alone! I tried. - Kafka

So you really didn’t see anything? - Reno

Oh, yeah. They kissed. - Kafka

…

What? - Kikoru

I got caught by the Vice-Commander. Scared me. :(- Kafka

…

HUH?? - Kikoru

Bonus:

After Kafka leaves, his head hung low at the premonition of more punishment, your arms stay on Hoshina’s shoulders. 

“Did you have to do that?” You muse, playing with the shorter hairs near the nape of his neck. He shivers at the feeling but his eyes open slightly and they’re not looking at you so softly.

“Did ya have to talk about him before training?” He counters back. He knows what you’ve been doing. You scoff.

You also know what he’s been doing. The murderous intention at the mention of you and Gen, the physical warning during lunch at Iharu, and even a mark of possession to the poor older man who was just joining in the fun of his peers. 

“Of course,” you bring him down to you, your lips brushing against the shell of his ear. You feel his hands tighten on your waist. 

“What are you gonna do about it?”

©inzaynety 2024

[hybbart]

Day 2574: Revy has been acting erratic and defensive since they've gotten back, and hasn't calmed down. It culminates when Tango gets too close to Jimmy and Revy snaps. Their only luck seems to be that it was Tango's prosthetic arm, as a different problem forgotten in the chaos reveals itself.

[daily-prompts]

Promtp 2574

I missed them more than I would allow myself to say.

[sarahmcmenomy]

"Demeter Enraged"

Digital

11" x 17"

A sharp pain seized Demeter’s heart,

and she tore the headband out of her flowing, divine hair,

And threw a dark cloak over her shoulders.

Like a bird of prey she sped,

Over solid earth and fluid sea,

Searching.

Get prints here >> https://society6.com/art/demeter-enraged?utm_campaign=2574&utm_source=sharedlink&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ddp_from_artist_studio&fbclid=IwAR2Km5bZMiHQulvAXaiPMQavAbrCLi4ceQFNsDk-uAj3ueZm6T852HKNjAA

[finnydraws]

Bowline (B.B/Reader)

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw/Reader (slight jake/reader)

a/n: big shout out to @vivwritesfics who helped me with figuring out the plot in my head and finding a name for Jakes soulmate, I probably wouldn't have gotten back into writing fan fiction with them

Word count; 2574 (!!)

description: Bowline knot: a fixed knot used to tie a square sail to the bow of a ship to keep the sail from being taken by the wind.

Nobody said having a soulmate was easy

genre(s) Soulmate au, angst, slight hurt/comfort, rebound dating

warnings: implied age gap (rooster is canonically 38, reader can be read as anyone 20-25) implied sexual content, rebound dating, cheating, canon character death 

Bradley doesn’t remember when his string finally attached to another person. He remembers being a kid and asking his mom why it was short, hanging limp from his ring finger and so close to him he could see the end, but no soulmate. She would always console him, tell him the universe was just taking its time on his special someone. His mother didn’t like to talk about her own string however, at least not after his father died. If he asked her though, she would regale him with stories of her short time living with her soulmate, how when they first met Nick had attempted to tie the string into a heart but failed so miserably Carole spent the first two hours of knowing him trying to unknot it through her laughs. She would never tell him how when she looked down to see the frayed end of her string her heart almost stopped in the grocery store. All Bradley remembered was looking down some time in his teens, and suddenly having a person on the other end of it, suddenly having a person fated to love him. When he entered the naval academy he hated that string. Hated how he was so scared of leaving whoever was on the other end like his mother, forever staring at that damn torn string and mourning a person they might have ripped from them too soon. Learning to fly only made him hate it more. He was too cautious, too distracted by the tug on that damned tug to fly properly at first. His first deployment was the worst, the string getting pulled so taut that he thought it might cut his finger. His flying got better after that deployment but his thoughts about soulmates were only solidified.

He hated soulmates.

This wasn’t fair. Why is he being forced to love someone he's never met? Why is he fated to think about how every time he gets in an aircraft, he could hurt them as bad as his mother was? Bradley probably spent days of his life trying to untie that cursed string.

You never had that apprehension, from the moment you were born the string stretched into the unknown, moved, was alive. You grew up experimenting with that poor little red string, trying to see how tightly you could pull it, how far you could run before you felt even a smidge of movement. In middle school, when the first boy showed you any interest, you demanded he show you his string before you would date him. And when you saw no red on his finger, you told him you didn't want to waste anyone's’ time when you weren’t destined to be together. Your string only pulled tighter on your finger after that day. To you your soulmate wasn’t the same burden Bradley saw you as. His existence being a gift for you to unwrap when the universe felt you deserving. So, you decided to do whatever you could to make yourself ‘worthy’ of your soulmate. Going to the naval academy straight out of high school and entering the United States navy as an aircrewman mechanical officer and spending any and all time you could doing anything to help those around you. Tutoring, volunteering, anything you could to learn more about people. Anything you could to bring you closer to him.

It was always interesting when you felt the string fluctuate between tightening and going lax on your finger, every deployment forcing you to think of where in the world your soulmate could be. When stationed in a country besides your own you wondered if that string would even loosen. On the deck of the ships you've been on would it tighten as you spent months on the sea?

Some deployments were weirder than others, you would swear up and down that the whole time you were on the ship your string would stay loose enough to slip from your finger if you wanted to. You never tried. On those deployments you tried to pay extra attention to who was on the ship with you, you tried to see if you followed the string if you could find him more than once only to come up empty. This surprised you at first, it's a finite space, surely someone would have the other end, would the vast sea hide the string? Pull it underwater and out of your view, even if it hadn’t on any of your other deployments? But no, every time you would leave the ship alone, not having noticed the string tightening as the pilots took off. Not wanting to think your soulmate was avoiding you.

But he was. The second he discovered you were his soulmate, Bradley informed any friends he could trust to understand his stance on soulmates and created a system. He had a look out at all times, someone there to warn him you were near, or distract you long enough for him to make a quick get-away. His whole system crashed when he arrived back on deck after the uranium mission, everyone was too busy celebrating his and Petes survival for anyone to notice your eyes zeroing in on the red string on his hand. At first, you’re ecstatic to finally have the missing piece to your puzzle, the giant keyring finally producing the key to your lock.

It's only then you notice him actively avoiding you. You count at least five times before the ship docks back in San Diego

The first is immediately after you find out he’s your soulmate. He catches your eye and slinks off in the dispersing crowd, removing his helmet at some point to blend in a little better with the other sailors and pilots.

The second is later that night, you approach him on the way to eat and get cut off by Jake, who insists on standing so Bradley is just out of your line of sight no matter how many times you try to side step him. You don't pay attention to a word he says, you don't respond either, but the heartbroken look you don the second you realize Bradley has slipped from your grasp nearly makes Jake give up on his quest then and there.

You almost catch him the third time, running into him by accident as he leaves the shower talking with a sailor you can’t remember the name of. He pretends not to hear you calling out for his attention. Pretends like you're not calling out for ‘the man with the mustache’ since you don’t know his name. The sailor he's speaking with questions him on it but Bradley excuses it as having not heard you.

By the fourth time you try and get his attention you've nearly given up. You learned his name and callsign from an aviator on deck not aware of his plan on avoiding you his whole life. Bob feels terrible for you when you inform him what’s going on between you and his friend, and readily gives you the information, making a mental note to chew Rooster out for hurting an innocent person, for never explaining himself. You approach Bradley when he’s just barely sat for dinner, expecting him to stay seated at least, but nope! The second you call his name He stands and leaves. What hurt the most was the sad looks his friends give you as you stand at the end of the table, doing your best to keep your bearings and not cry in front of the dining hall.

The last time you count him ignoring you it’s about an hour later, when he catches you crying and trying to pry the string off your finger, begging whatever higher power to give you a soulmate who would love you back. Begging for answers to what you did so wrong to deserve this.

He doesn't comfort you.

After that night you stop counting. You stop trying to speak to him, just stare at the string and hate it, hate who's on the other side. It isn’t until several months after the deployment you see him again, out at the hard deck flirting with a girl in a skirt that hugs all the right places, in a shirt that makes her chest pop. Rooster isn’t looking at her eyes. The brandy in your hand is downed quickly while you ignore the sting of a drink meant to be sipped. You really try to hate her for the way she was able to get so close to your soulmate. Closer than you’ve ever been.

It could have been the alcohol, or the heartbreak that spurred you to find a rebound, you aren’t quite sure. All you could think was finding someone to dull your pain, to be your firsts, to hurt him like he hurt you. Your brain, ever the genius, lands on Jake. Before you can change your mind, you steel your nerves, bee line for the all-American man, and pull him out to the beach by his wrist. He seems to be just as drunk as you feel because as soon as you stop his hands are on your hips, and he's asking, “what can I do for such a pretty girl?” he practically purrs in your ear as his hands start to wonder at your sides.

You aren't expecting your own quiet voice to respond with “take me to bed pretty boy, make me forget.” you lay your own shaking hands against his biceps leaning into his chest and hold on tightly, afraid if you pull away even a little bit you’ll lose him too. Jake is all too happy to agree, pulling you to his truck and taking your firsts, the entire time you try not to think about Bradley, or the red string on your finger shackling you to him forever.

This dance with jake goes on for months, the two of you do on a date that ends at the hard deck, you hang onto him all night while you steadily get more drunk (if this bothers rooster he doesn't show it) and when you feel that the two of you are drunk enough you beg him to take you home and sleep with you. The whole time he does you try not to think about how badly you wish it was your soulmate sleeping with you. After about 4 months of this the pain of Bradley not wanting you starts to fade enough that you can start joking with the pilots at the hard deck, you’re more comfortable staying sober in the presence of Bradley, more comfortable thinking of Jake as your boyfriend. You make some great friends during this time; Bob and you get along so well that you begin Friday night movie nights. With Jake and you beginning to rebuild your opinions on love. You’re happy with him for about a year before he meets Rosie.

There’s nothing off with your relationship with Jakes after he first meets her, he takes a little longer to answer your texts, sure, but then again, he always took forever to answer. He doesn't invite you out to the hard deck as much but then again you don’t always have to be with your boyfriend. You actually don't notice anything is off until Bob calls you from the hard deck and asks you nicely to join him for a drink. It’s when you arrive that you notice something off, hanging off Jakes’ arm is the perfect, glowing woman. The two of them seem so perfect together that you already know why Bob called you over. You appreciate him for uncovering the truth for you, but this appreciation doesn’t fix the sharp pain in your heart at seeing the happy new couple.

You barely even hear the shout of your name as you swiftly walk out the doors of the Hard deck and onto the beach, you barely notice that it's Bradley running after you and not Bob. When you do notice him, you anger starts to simmer in your stomach and you turn on your heel to face him “What, Bradley. What could you possibly want from me now.” you bark at him, not waiting for his response. “YOU’RE the one who didn't want ME, remember? I tried to get to know you, I tried to be it for you. And you didn’t want it. And now I'm trying to be alone just like you wanted and yet, here you are!” By this point the anger in your stomach is boiling over, spilling into your soul and slowly infecting it. You let out a loud, drawn-out groan “It's not FAIR, what have I done! What did I do to you?” The yelling is hurting your head, you thought you ran out of tears to cry over Bradley years ago but here they are, threatening to spill over. “Why don't you love me? I'm supposed to be yours…” your voice breaks, and so does the dam. Tears flow from you freely now and you drop to your knees sobbing.

“It's not you.” he softly promises to you “When-” Bradley takes a deep breath before beginning again “when my dad died, it broke my mom. She couldn't truly be happy without him, no matter what we did.” Bradley begins to silently toy with the red string as he speaks to you softly, like a wounded animal he risks spooking off. “At first, I didn't have to worry about leaving anybody behind, I didn't have a soulmate, so I always planned on flying. But then I looked down one day and there it was, going all the way to you.” The word vomit from Bradley isn’t seeming to stop, he explains everything to you, from how his mom felt after the death of his dad to the fear he felt when he first started flying. How if he flew too far the string would tighten and all he could think about was putting this faceless person through the same thing his mother went through. The entire time he’s tying a knot in the string, untying it, and retying the same knot.

“This is a bowline knot.” he states after being silent for a moment “Mav taught me it. Sailors used to use it to keep the wind from blowing the sail away. I'm not very good at it.” he laughs softly and begins to wipe the drying tears off your face “I'm not good at relationships either. But I'm willing to try. I want to try not to get blown away in the wind.” he inches closer, peering into your eyes. “Will you let me try? Will you let me make it up to you?” you can’t muster up the strength to speak, instead nodding your head. Bradley leans in, just a little further softly kissing you while cupping your cheeks. It's not what you thought kissing your soulmate for the first time would be like, there were no fireworks or life changing revelations. It wasn’t overly Passionate, like you would never get this chance again, you weren't used to the feel of his mustache yet. It was just a kiss, an awkward kiss, but it held so much promise, promise to stick around, to work it out. It was like he was trying to communicate all the emotions he didn't know how to articulate to you. So much that you're inclined to believe him.