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swordshapedleaves · 25 days ago

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Once Again! It's Time for Sword's Pre-Season Anime Opinions No One Asked For!

I have read the synopsis, watched at least one trailer, and looked at the studio and director for all 33 new anime coming out in January 2025, as listed on MAL. Under a cut because I love my followers who don't give a shit about anime and anyone browsing the tags.

The only grading system I use is my personal enthusiasm. I have both good and trash taste, as do we all. My nope is someone else's hell yeah! and that's great. I sort by premiere date.

Jan 2 Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective Looks like if House MD were a cute anime girl. Project No. 9 did Sempai wa Otokonoko and My Tiny Sempai. Director Iwata Kazuya aslo directed 7th Time Loop. Sure Momentary Lily Combination moe cooking show/post apocalyptic mechanical kaiju battle anime? The Itano Circus is in town. Studio GoHands seems to have gotten their camerawork under control. This is just a little unsettling instead of unwatchable. Three directors listed. Sure

Jan 3 I'm Getting Married to a Girl I Hate in My Class Bold of you to start your harem anime with the protag already married to the tsundere. Studio Gokumi has made many a moe blob, and also Vending Machine Isekai. Looks like this is Ooshima Hiroyuki's directorial debut at a full series level. nope

Jan 4 Sorairo Utility More moe slice of life than a sports anime, but I now have three nickels. Why girl golf specifically, Japan? Director Saitou Kengo has mostly done key animations and art direction for individual episodes but directed the single episode special this anime is based on. Yostar Pictures is best know for Azur Lane and Arknights but I haven't seen either. nope Beheneko: The Elf-Girl's Cat is Secretly an S-Ranked Monster! It seems 'girl with big tits has a special relationship with a guy who has been turned into an animal' is becoming its own genre. Zero-G did Mysterious Disappearances but mostly does bland-looking titty shows. Saber Works is the new name for Digital Networks Animation, which made that bland ass show about teaching the disgraced noble naughtiness. Given how bad it looks, if it's actually raunchy enough to be entertaining I'd be too embarrassed to ask my anime fixer to get it for us. nope

Jan 5 I Want to Escape from Princess Lessons Damn just let her go if she wants out that bad. The love interest looks like the poor man's Howl Jenkins. EMT Squared has never made anything I saw as worth watching. Director and character designer Tagashira Shinobu also directed Diabolik Lovers and some Junji Itou ONAs. nope I'm Living with an Otaku NEET Kunoichi!? Looks to be a harem anime where the main girl is a NEET and also a magical girl? It looks bad. Could be cute if it was cuter. Studio Quad also made that ecchi anime about the boy who gets turned into his classmate's pet dog. Director Saitou Hisashi has director and storyboard credits going back almost 20 years but not on anything I've seen. nope ZENSHU An anime about a struggling animator sounds a lot like a novel about a struggling novelist… But this is an isekai that looks like it might actually be good? She falls into the world of the tragic movie that made her fall in love with animation. And maybe she can save the prince destined to die in the original version? It's MAPPA so you knoe those animators are sweating blood to make this look good. Director and original creator Yamazaki Mitsue also directed Monthly Girls Nozaki-kun and has directed/storyboarded a lot of EDs and OPs. Hell yeah Medalist This figure skating anime could potentially be very heartwarming. I was suspicious of a Bunny Drop but I've been assured by a trusted friend the manga stays wholesome and is worth reading. ENGI is the same studio that ruined Unnamed Memory with pacing so rushed it made the story incoherent. Director Yamamoto Yasutaka has directed several shows already but nothing I've seen. nope Okitsura I think this might be racist against Okinawans? The voice actress Kitou Akari is noticeably stilted in the dialect. I've heard her in other roles where she is not. Millepensee did Spider So What?, Berserk 2016, and a bunch of moe blob shows I've never heard of. Has two directors listed. Itagaki, Shin has directed a bunch of stuff from Lillepensee, and Tanabe Shingo is listed as Director or Assistant Director on a bunch of those same shows so it seems they like working together. I ship it. nope

Jan 6 Can You Keep a Secret? Barely looks animated but the premise of two coworkers keeping their relationship secret is very appealing. Adults who aren't stuck in will they/won't they until the last episode? It might be worth the low quality animation! Blade made Hokkaido Gals and a bunch of other bland looking titty anime. Director Takeichi Naoko has directed single episodes of Re:Zero and JoJo Part Six, along with another titty anime by Blade. sure Headhunted to Another World: From Salaryman to Big Four! Another cheap isekai. Made by two studios, which is rarely a good sign. Geek Toys did MigiDali and Dead Mount Death Play. CompTown also worked on MigiDali, and that's it. This is its second anime. Director Fukuda Michio has a few director credits already but nothing I've seen. nope Promise of Wizard This is some sort of reverse harem gacha game sourced thing. The premise is so fun! Help wizards fight the moon! And it's being used to sell you gambling for the most regurgitated boybots you can find. LIDENFILMS has made some charming favorites of mine like Call of the Night and Tonari no Youkai-San. MAL says director Tatsuwa Naoyuki also directed Nisekoi??? nope Jan 7 Bogus Skill <> ~About that time I became able to eat unlimited numbers of Skill Fruits (that kill you)~ With a title like that who needs to watch the anime? Never seen anything by Asahi Production, only recognize a b-tier slice of life my anime fixer liked. Director Kimura Ryuuichi has several directing credits but nothing that looks particularly good. nope Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms The premise is fine and the art seems cute, but I couldn't maintain interest through the trailer. The other two anime I've seen by SynergySP also failed to keep my interest through their short twelve episode runtimes. Director Okumura, Yoshiaki seems to have directed several unremarkable projects before this. maybe I'm a Noble on the Brink of Ruin, So I Might as Well Try Mastering Magic I hate titles like this. The animation is trash. Studio DEEN should stick to boys love and whatever genre Yakuza Fiance is. Marvy Jack can carry on though I guess. Director Ishikura, Kenichi seems to have worked on a bunch of bland moe and isekai projects. nope Jan 8 Flower and Asura Ooh. Maybe it's all the trash I just slogged through, but the animation is very charming and actual animation! The premise is fine, small town girl joins a new school club and makes friends, but do I detect a hint of yuri? Wait. Studio Bind also did Mushoku Tensei and Onimai! Director Uwano, Ayumu did storyboards for both but this looks to be their series directorial debut. hell yeah! Possibly the Greatest Alchemist of All Time Another garbage isekai. Never seen anything by Studio Comet. Director Kuzuya Naoyuki also directed Okashi na Tensei, which I dropped because it wasn't good. nope Twilight Hotel A little girl in a ghost hotel solving mysteries of how she and the other guests died? What a delightful premise! Animation is minimal but the story is charming. PRA also did Yuru Yuri and Highschool DxD. Director Kuremizu Kousuke has worked on episodes of Skip and Loafer and Odd Taxi but their only series directorial credit, Irodorimidori, does not look good. hell yeah!

Jan 9 Magic Maker: How to Make Magic in Another World Another Kusokai, but you might be able to pretend the protag is a girl and therefore trans. Studio Deen please make some garbage I actually like! Koga Kazuomi is an experienced series director. He did currently airring All-Guys Mixer and Kubo… Invisible. nope The Daily Life of a Middle-Aged Online Shopper in Another World I genuinely appreciate how unattractive they made their protagonist in this one. He has an interesting face! Still not gonna watch it though. I haven't seen any of the half dozen shows East Fish Studio has made but I appreciate their logo. Director Yuuzumi Keiei has some series directorial credits from about a decade ago, but lately seems to have mostly done storyboarding for shows I don't watch. nope Even Given the Worthless “Appraiser” Class, I’m Actually the Strongest Trash Isekai. Okuruto Noboru also made that gross looking Angel Apartment anime a couple seasons back. Oh and the had the same director, Oonishi Kenta. nope Honey Lemon Soda An opposites attract high school romance with a plain shy girl and a flashy guy. The animation looks good in the trailer but with JC Staff it will never go above A-tier. Director Nishikiori Hiroshi also directed Delico's Nursery, which I dropped due to misophonia. I really wanted to like it but those crying babies got me. Did storyboards for a bunch of good anime too, including Dan Da Dan and Dungeon Meshi. sure

Jan 10 Farmagia Based on a game, this looks both boring and exclusively for young children. Bridge hasn't made anything I've even heard of, let alone seen. Director Ishihira Shinji also directed a couple of BL I liked among other things. nope From Bureaucrat to Villainess: Dad's Been Reincarnated! Title says it all! This looks so up my alley! Ajia-do is the studio behind A Sign of Affection and Ascendance of a Bookworm. Director Takeuchi Tetsuya did a lot of key animation and episode direction on Tengoku Daimakyo (not ep 12) and did key animation on single episodes of Dungeon Meshi and JJK. hell yeah Welcome to Japan, Ms. Elf! This reverse isekai looks cute. I'm surprised Zero-G is putting out two anime in the same season. Director Kitahata Tooru has a lot of directorial credits under their name but nothing I've watched. maybe Anyway, I'm Falling in Love with You. This high school romance looks like someone left it out to fade in the sun, but I don't hate it. My partner is a sucker for friends to lovers so I don't think we'll skip this one. Typhoon Graphics is also behind the disappointing Raeliana and the alledgedly quite good Dahlia in Bloom. Director Yamamoto Junichi also directed Raeliana among other series and a bunch of OPs and EDs. Maybe he'll stick the landing this time. sure

Jan 11 I May Be a Guild Receptionist, but I'll Solo Any Boss to Clock Out on Time A workplace comedy set in a generic MMO inspired fantasy sounds fun. Plus it's being made by Cloverworks, who made too many gems to list but Elusive Samurai and Spy x Family seem relevant here. Director Nagasawa Tsuyoshi has directed several series before this one, but nothing I've seen. sure Sakamoto Days Action comedy with a fat old man protagonist that looks great? Sign me up! I've heard the manga for this one is excellent as well, and the sequel is already set to air in summer or fall of 2025. TMS Entertainment produced Undead Unluck and is the studio behind the Fruits Basket remake. Director Watanabe Masaki has directed a bunch of action series I haven't seen but he has an honest face so i trust him. hell yeah Ubel Blatt It's listed as ecchi but all three trailers are way more focused on combat and blood than sex. Could have been a good revenge fantasy if it actually looked good instead of just servicable. Satelight is the studio behind Helck and Cherry Magic. Staple Entertainment is a relatively new studio with just half a dozen titles that all seem to be fantasy and/or ecchi titles. Director Naoya Takashi seems to have a bunch of experience directing shows of this nature. maybe Babanbabanban Vampire It's trash, but it's BL Vampire trash and therefore made specifically for me. I personally haven't seen anything by Gaina before but I vaguely recall hearing good things about Forest Piano. Director Kawasaki Itsurou has a bunch of direction credits to his name but nothing I've seen. hell yeah

Jan 12 The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World The premise of a sentai in a fantasy setting is fun but the show looks a little too kids stuff and mid for me personally to watch it. nope I Left My A-Rank Party to Help My Former Students Reach the Dungeon Depths! If Akashic Records left you feeling like it was too well animated and didn't have enough wish-fulfillment, this anime looks to be for you. Bandai Namco Pictures also did Wistoria. Director Ono Katsumi also directed that youkai school anime from fall 24 and several other shows I haven't heard of. nope

#seasonal anime #winter 2025 anime

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samkat10423 · 11 months ago

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Community Lots

Back in Sunset Valley today. Gave Agnes an older half-sister with an out-of-wedlock kid, and a much younger boy-toy. The only reason I did it was because I wanted to establish family ties between Agnes and the rebellious teen, who will be living with her. So, after making the new family, I killed 2 of them. Because as an all-powerful simgoddess I CAN!!!!! As for Agnes and the teen, they pretty much hate one another. But they've got 2 cats to like, so, that's good.

Anyway, in between killing sims, I did a couple of community lots. I moved a remake of Hogan's diner out to that stretch of lots that's on the road that comes into town - close to Agnes' house, actually. Which left me that big lot in town. So, I gave my sims a bowling alley. Because bowling alleys are sort of a staple of small, American towns. Well, they used to be. Now, not so much.

Anyway, I found a 30x20 lot over on My Sims Realty called Disco Fan Arcade. This was a much bigger space, so I decided to add on to their build and add an ice-skating arena. The original lot ended right where that section with the 3 windows begins - if that makes sense. Anyway, I expanded that outdoor patio eating area, added that area with the benches and bike rental stuff, and bumped out the back of the build a bit. Then added the town deco stuff.

Inside, their build ended where the 3 bowling lanes are. I added the ice-skating rink and a small observation area with tables and chairs and a counter where sims can rent skates. Upstairs I made into a place for serious sims to play some poker. I added some neon signage inside and out, and now need to find some skates to put behind that counter on the ground floor. But other than that, this lot is done!

Then, next to Chris Steele's house, I decided to place a church. This is another lot made by Lili. I've never used it before, but decided to give it a whirl. It also came on a much smaller lot, so I added the parking to the front and got rid of a lot of excess trees and assorted plants. Then I switched out all the windows.

Inside, I switched out the basegame furniture and used stuff from Sandy's church set. I also added some junk from one of the bridal sets. Now my sims have no excuse for always getting married in the bathroom by the toilet. They can do it up right in a church! BTW, there's a small reception room in the basement. But it's basically just some tables, chairs and a buffet table. And a tiny dance floor.

I'm still on the fence as to whether I'll be keeping it, but for now it's done. Or maybe not. I may change that tower where she placed a bell. Or just use a different lot entirely.

Then right across the road is this building. It's a new yoga studio. The original was built a gazillion years ago and came from Mod the Sims. Since there was no yoga back then, the rugs inside were purely decorative. I did make some changes to the outside. I added the fake solar panels to the roof and relandscaped it a bit.

This is how it comes when you download it. I did switch out the rugs for twinsimming's set. Plus, I got rid of all the gaudy wallpaper and used the set from @enable--llamas. Thank you! Then I added those vending machines that olomaya gave us. (Thank you!) As you can see, sims are already using the mats. That's that Bunch sim on the one mat. (He was pretty awful).

Upstairs I got rid of everything that was there. I made a small yoga room - complete with an instructor's mat - added those tables and chairs so sims can relax after class, and then gave them a place to meditate if they're so inclined. Outside, they also have a pool.

Which got me to thinking. The pool, that is. This frackin town now has 4 community pools. FOUR!!!!!!! So, now that we have that tennis mod - thank you to @riverianepondsims - I plan on bulldozing that pool behind my salon - it's the one for the apartments - and making some tennis courts. To me it makes more sense. Especially since the town pool is only a block away. So that will be my next project for this ratty town.

And that's all I managed to get done today. Because I'm old. And lazy.

#sims 3 #Sunset Valley #Lilimayrose #thanks to @twinsimming and @olomaya for their lovely mods #and @enable-llams for the lovely wallpaper

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grecoisms · 5 months ago

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title: a heap of broken images (3/4)

pairing: kim wexler x lalo salamanca

rating: M

summary:

"If she wasn´t driving, she´d close her eyes. Let her imagination run amok. Then she could see the outlines of him, a haunting: dead and dark, like the path she used to take home when her mother was drunk and she would not sit next to her in the car, the act more out of defiance than fear."

"—Yet when we came back, late, from the Hyacinth garden, Your arms full, and your hair wet, I could not Speak, and my eyes failed" t.s.eliot - the waste land

Four in the afternoon finds Kim at her desk, paperwork done, eyes burning, brain foggy. Adrenaline from the aftermath got her so far, but eventually she bought herself a sandwich and a coke from the vending machine downstairs to give some energy, lest she lose the rest of her bravado. And she has to work, because when there is nothing for her brain to do, the darkest of thoughts comes a-visiting.

The fact that Jimmy still hasn't called does not help.

She eats her cold turkey sandwich more as a duty than hunger, but takes her time to savor the coke which calms her squeamish stomach. Objectively, she is done for the day. De Guzman has his new cell, she put in a good word for him in the report and plenty of written requests on his behalf - mostly asking for extensions regarding the trial. Her and her client's ways are now seemingly separate, until, of course the prosecution decides to sink their teeth into this particular narrative. And that moment will come for certain. What's more: Lalo threw in the family card, so when (if-if-if) trial comes, she would need to be ready and play onto his hands.

Son of a bitch of a case, she thinks around the billionth time she got that call in the morning.

As she finishes the last of her drink, she opens the case file Jimmy has put together, and searches for the family he has created out of nothing. Flotsam, jetsam. He spurred a solid story. A wife, two children, a mother-in-law. A house with a lawn. Dream come true.

The number she finds goes straight to voicemail; the email bounces back. Her only hope now remains an address, near Bellehaven. Deep in thought, she plays a rhythm with her pen, and weighs her options, but in her mind's eyes, she is already planning the journey. The whole thing could be over in two hours.

No harm in trying, is there?

According to the file, Beth McKinnon lives with her two children and her mother - the children's maternal grandmother - near Bellehaven Elementary school which the older boy, Christopher, and the younger girl, Ella, has been attending since 2001.

Looking around at the neighbourhood while driving, Kim has once again has to grudgingly congratulate Jimmy's taste: it's a better part of town, with freshly painted playgrounds and newly renovated, stocky little houses in a neat line, tinting both the faces and the sun a bit brighter. Even the grass seem greener in the yards, pun intended. One could hardly imagine a murderer living here, no siree.

The McKinnons live at the far end of Princess Jane's lane, in a yellow house radiating joy even from afar, with windowpanes and the doors white as baptism day. It's a house which Kim has only seen in magazines, and she understands not why her heart grows so heavy as she gets out of her car, May sun unrelenting on her bare neck.

It takes her two knocks and the bell to get an answer.

Then a woman opens the door, probably Beth: harsh expression on an otherwise kind face. Behind her, a small hall, with a small mountain of shoes leaning on each other, alongside the height chart on the wall, with Tom and Jerry stickers on it, and from the slight smell of popcorn Kim knows at once that this family is, at least, a real one.

"Yes?" Beth sounds suspicious, and Kim cannot blame her. If a sharp-looking woman in black and white would turn up uninvited at her door after work, she might have difficulty opening her doors.

"Mrs. McKinnon" she says. "I´m here to talk about Jorge de Guzmán."

It´s the flash of a second, but her eyes widen, just so. Deer in the headlights, caught at a crossroads. She can sympathize, she can wait, while Beth bites on her lower lip. It takes a bit of scrutiny, but then something must speak for her, because despite her hesitation, Beth opens the door wider.

"You better step in."

Inside, there are more shoes, just at the corner of the entrance.

Two of them, Kim notes, are brand new.

Beth leads her to a room just adjacent to the hall. A kitchen, which is so far from Kim's childhood experiences that for a second, she feels lost. Almost forgets to take off her shoes.

It is a cramped up little thing, with yellow walls and warm lights, with handwritten notes and childish drawings on the fridge, jam-smeared and juice-spilled with fingerprints. Cups and plates in the sink and the smell of stew with vegetables - holy halo. The clock above the door has the shape of a cat, its whiskers serving as its hands.

"Want a glass?" Beth asks but is already pouring her some water from the faucet.

"Sure." Kim answers, glass already in her hand, watching the mother's hands pale from squeezing another glass.

Neither of them drink. They just stare at each other across the room.

"So, what about him?" Beth's voice is defiant. She is trying to guess who Kim is and what she wants.

"Saul Goodman sent me." lies Kim, handing Jimmy´s card to her. "Everything is fine, but we might need your help again."

"If everything was fine" the woman points out. "You wouldn't be here."

A clever woman. Kim decides to play it straight.

"We may have to continue with the trials. You won´t need to undergo any unnecessary hearing, just show up, like you did before. No speaking, just your presence."

Beth does not move. Does not blink.

"I do not know what you uhm, arrangement entailed with Mr. Goodman, but I can assure you the same compensations. Or more, regarding the urgency of this matter."

Still no blinking, but a lot of brightness and wetness in her eyes.

Tears.

Kim looks away, tactful.

The cat whiskers ticks twice as loud in the silence as it usually would. She wonders if it ever kept Beth McKinnon wide awake at night.

Then something touches Kim's elbows and she winces despite herself.

"Mom" says Ella, fair-haired and yawning. "Can I have a ginger ale?"

Her fingers have a layer of salt on them, which she wipes on her white cotton pants. She has no socks on. Beth, who must have turned her head away for tactical reasons, does not notice any of this.

"You already had one, so no." she says, strictly to the cabinet.

"I'm thirsty."

"Here, have my water" says Kim. "I haven't touched it."

The girl looks up at her, eyebrows knitted in a very adultlike manner.

"But you are holding it." she says.

Kim smiles, again, despite herself.

"It means I didn't drink from it" she explains, then hands her glass to Ella carefully.

"What do we say?"

"Thank you" repeats the girl dutifully, after having had her sip. "Why are you dressed like a penguin?"

"Ella!" Beth exclaims. "That is not a nice thing to say!"

"I'm a lawyer. This is how we dress sometimes."

"Do you get points if judges laugh at you?"

"I wish that was the case" laughs Kim. "Would make my job much easier!"

"Here" Ella hands the glass back. "We will have to dress in black and white soon."

"We?" asks Kim.

"Me and Chris. The end of school is here, silly." she beams up at the lawyer twice her size. "Are you going on a vacation too?"

"Ella - " starts Beth in a tired voice. "Give the lady some rest, please."

"It's okay, it's a good question actually." Kim crouches down. "I have a lot of work to do, but I have always wanted to visit the Grand Canyon."

"That's a good one" Ella agrees with a serious nod. "I will add it to my travel list. Do you want to know where we are going?"

But before she can whisper the secret to Kim, her mother intervenes.

"Ella" her voice is sharp, bearing no disagreement.

The little girl falls silent, and Kim stands up, her linen shirt rustling, crumpling in the movement.

"I need some time alone with the lady now" says her mother evenly. "You remember what I told you about adults talking?"

"That I can join in when I´m older" It would be comical, the disappointment of the girl, but she is so serious in her curiosity, with clever, round eyes. "But Mom...."

"No, no. Put up some socks and clean Chris´desk. He will be home soon."

"Can I turn on the radio?"

"Yes, but only till the fifth volume, okay?"

"Okay."

Ella leaves, but not before tiptoeing towards her mother to hug her clumsily, lovingly, careful not to touch her mother´s shirt with her salty fingers. Then suddenly, it´s the two of them again: Beth and Kim, heaviness like a rope around them. In what must be their shared bedroom, Ella turns on the radio, the song playing but a murmur: slow and thick like honey, and hazy like a dream.

It is Beth who breaks the silence first.

"Mr. Goodman assured me it was a one-time thing" her voice is softer this time, if Kim seeing her daughter broke some of the ice. "Assured me that the man who we will be helping is an innocent man, wrongfully put to trial. He called me, that lawyer of yours. Said we would get a nice sum of money which he then paid us in advance. No questions asked, just smiling in court." She waves her hand around the kitchen, with an open, beckoning expression. Hopeful, despite hope being a hemorrhage - once it starts, you just bleed and bleed.

"You would think once you buy a house, it´s all easy. You made it, you think foolishly. Have a family, a house with a backyard, a job nearby, no worries. But reality is harsher, no? You have a mortgage on the house, and the two incomes become one when your husband dies. Strange, how nothing is how you planned it."

Her hands tremble as she touches her forehead with them.

"You are not going on a vacation, are you?" it isn´t a question.

It all makes sense now: the shoes decked in the hall, ready for inventory. The cleaning and packing. The sudden shush, the mood swings. Big changes.

"If I didn´t have children, I would accept" whispers Beth, lowering her hands from her face. One of her nails is chipped, and is painted a different color than the rest. Ella must have done it. "But then again, they are the reason I accepted this farce in the first place."

"We can meet each other halfway, still." Kim suggests. "It doesn´t have to be like this."

"Like what?"

"Black and white. You are obviously under great stress, and we tend to make hasty decisions when we feel there are no other options." Kim steps a bit closer. "We can arrange so that your children wouldn´t have to go to court next time."

Beth narrows her eyes.

"And the next? Or the one that comes after? Can you give me a guarantee that it will be over the next time?"

"I can only guarantee you will be well compensated each time. Might be one more time, might be two. But we can promise you immunity, just like at the beginning."

This makes the mother laugh. It is a joyless sound.

"You cannot promise anything like that."

No, she cannot. Jimmy promised this woman something that he could not fulfill. A familiarity.

"Are you afraid of the police - is that it?"

"Police is one thing" Beth complies, fidgeting with the hem of her navy-blue shirt. "It´s the man I would be defending I'm mostly worried about."

Kim feels her throat and mouth dry. Yes, she can see how Jimmy sweetening the deal with reassuring this widow would make sense then, when he only had to worry about one trial, and not several. Strange, how nothing is how you planned it.

"You have..." she starts, but she finds that she cannot finish the sentence. Hears how empty she sounds all of a sudden.

"Nothing to fear?" Beth's spine goes rigid. "I might believe you - have I not seen that man in the courtroom. My god, you can make him act as polite as he needs to be, but I knew him by a single stare. He is a vile one. "

The blame in her look is blatant: perhaps blaming herself for believing, and blaming Kim for trying, for her mere presence here.

"Would you deny it?"

She would not.

Or worse, she cannot.

Then the entrance door opens, and before she can register, a lanky boy around twelve dashes across the kitchen, jumping up and down, fists closed before him.

"For God´s sake, Christopher!" Beth snaps. "How many times do I ha... what is that?"

Kim, who was born and bred near the tough sandhills of Nebraska countryside, already knows what that is.

A scream proves her hypothesis.

"I found it just next to the door" Chris holds up the lizard like a prize. "His name is Nepomuk."

"Bethany" the grandmother turns into the kitchen, panting, grey hair in disarray. "I´m sorry, I tried to stop him, but he wouldn´t listen."

Feeling more and more like an outsider, Kim decides to make her exit the exact moment the lizard lurches forward the open sink, just inside the pile of dirty plates and cutlery, followed by even more screaming.

When she looks back, she sees Ella, with her crown of hay, peering out from her window, the sun blazing her face so that she resembles more like an angel than a child.

As for Kim, she waits for self-hatred to reach her around the same time she gets to the car.

Gets in, lets her head fall on the wheel, and tastes shame like a medicine.

It doesn´t come as a surprise that her phone is dead.

Time to go home and hope.

Driving home is a rare challenge today. Kim has always commended herself on her work-ethic, but what she feels now is a bone-deep fatigue, licking at her innards. Full, that is how she feels, spilling over the edges. Meanwhile, the sky stares at her sordidly in a solid, sturdy sort of blood red as if it was running a fever all along its spine that separates earth from the heavens.

Horizontally consistent, vertically vast.

She wants to lie down so badly and let go. Just for an hour. Half an hour. Around her wish and her figure, the terrain changes, but she does not heed it - has started driving unaware: white line fever taking over her, and underneath it all, perhaps a real fever is on its way. Her skin feels hot all over, wants to crawl out of her own skin because staying in it has become quite burdensome as of late. Crossing that infamous bridge will soon become relevant, and is already on fire, however she tries to look at it.

If only Jimmy was here. It´s not a need, but a wish, a want. He could make this problem light, or at least lighter - would be experienced where she is not - would know the words that she lacks.

Worse still, there is also the question of him, and how much viler he will become if he knows the plan won´t hold up perfectly. Yes, it is obvious he is dangerous - obvious not just to lawmen, but to an outsider as well. Beth McKinnon got so afraid, she decided to run in the opposite direction. A question begs itself: why doesn´t Kim feel the need to do the same? There was a choice to be made a day, no, two days ago: to be seen or not, by Lalo Salamanca. She chose the former path and, in turn, could have a glimpse at him - the mercury face, the shrewd smile, the tense intent behind his masquerade. Nonchalant at first glance, but Kim is experienced in facades. Knows a well-crafted disguise when she sees one and beholds Lalo as he is: ambitious and passionate, calculating and cunning - a man with a sea of fire for a mind.

Still. Beth was right: right to reject her, right to run. No use of denying: he is a violent man, Kim could see it from his stance, the slope of his wide shoulders and the column of his thick neck that he cradled ferocity from a young age; below the blood, bordering on the soul.

If she wasn´t driving, she´d close her eyes. Let her imagination run amok. Then she could see the outlines of him, a haunting: dead and dark, like the path she used to take home when her mother was drunk and she would not sit next to her in the car, the act more out of defiance than fear.

Is this defiance then? she wonders, reaching the outskirts of Sawmill Village Apartments. During the journey home, the scarlet of the sky turned black, day turned to night. Against whom exactly? Or what?

Defying her limits, her expectations? True, she wouldn´t have done anything close to this six months ago. Not even three. Now here she is, jumping right into danger, consequences be damned - all thrill, no thought, no care. Some stubborn part of her always wanted to stand out, stand apart from the crowd, ever since she was a girl with gangly legs. After, around the time her eighteen-year-old self realized she did not merely want to survive but succeed, she learnt to fight differently. Because you need to adapt then and overcome your nature, which Kim found the hardest for people to do.

Or maybe, says her bolder voice growing stronger each day, you´re revolting against banality itself. Isn´t that why you hooked up with Jimmy in the first place?

Started as a hookup. Became something more.

Unnameable.

Until, well, until Lalo named it, smiling as he said so, a smile that did not reach his eyes, not really. She wondered if anything reached those eyes, really. Anything of substance. Even as a prisoner, even in chains, he was putting together pieces in a game only he saw and understood, a game which Jimmy and her got caught in accidentally.

Briefly, she hopes.

Lalo named it, what she dared not.

You love him. You love him. You love him.

A fact.

A weapon.

There was a thrill in it, this chess game, this haunted hunting. The knowing and yet not. Boredom was revolting to Kim - but was it always? She tries to remember if her wish to stand out as a teenager was her way of getting some excitement , but as she contemplates this while parking her car, she has a dawning sort of realization, and suddenly, she comes back into her body, alert and awake, as if though shaken from slumber.

Stops the engine and looks into the rearview mirror, as if it was a wishing well.

A woman nearing forty looks back at her.

How she resembles her mother!

And just how alone she was as a child.

There was no other way, she realizes, tired hand over tired face: she has always stood out, having been a pilgrim between schools, dreading the summertime without friends, a father who was a ghost, and a mother who should neve have given birth.

And given what she inherited from her parent; she had never managed to revolt against shit. If anything, she followed in her steps obediently, doing exactly what she had done.

Running, always running.

And now what?

Now Jimmy is in the desert, and she can transform Jorge de Guzman into Lalo Salamanca.

A fact.

A weapon.

The lights are turned on in the apartment.

Now this is a surprise.

She can see it from below, the warm glow of the living room licking at the terrace, and an almost irrational fear floods her.

Maybe the police found out their ruse. Or it´s already the cartel, sniffing around. Or another group, the people who tried to kill Lalo, perhaps waiting for her in the dark, with a shiv or a gun. And her phone is dead.

A shudder touches her, top to bottom, head to toe.

Her fickle and frequent visitor: Adrenaline.

Eyeing her car keys and thinking of the spare mirror and nail clippers she usually keeps in her compartment box; she shuffles through her chances. The power of surprise is with her, but nothing much. Cannot call the police, for various reasons - and who else is there to call now?

Kim takes a deep breath and with it, the risk as well.

Upstairs, just before the apartment, there is a static sort of silence.

When trying to push the keys in, she finds the door open.

The car keys - Kim holds those in her right hand, fist closed, so that two of the keys can peek out from in-between the triad of her fingers.

Index, middle, ring.

Very slowly, almost softly, she yawns the door open, heart hammering in her chest, proof of life. The hammering is so loud in her ears, she fears it will betray her.

And then just as softly, if not more slowly, she tiptoes to the living room, holding her breath, peeking to the left, towards the sofa.

"Kim" says a raspy voice from her right, from the kitchen.

Kim would recognize this voice, his voice, anywhere - and turns to see, dropping the keys on the ground, forgotten.

Yet Jimmy´s voice does not match Jimmy´s face: he looks like Kim feels, there is a haunted look on his sunburnt face and dry eyes, eyes that have a thousand-mile stare.

She opens her mouth to speak, but her words turn into tears, she is crying in earnest now - hot, honest tears.

Holds her shaking shoulders while she holds his - is it possible that he got thinner in these two days?

"Hey" her husband says; her other half. "I' m okay. We're okay."

Whispers it with such conviction that Kim almost believes him.

Although it is not exactly a lie he tells her, it is a quite colored and censored version of the truth.

He went out to the desert, the plan went amiss, crashed his car, got lost, spent one night under the stars and another at a motel near Claunch. But he isn't sure where he was exactly, not until he reached Camino Cerrito.

And though Kim has an argument to each of his stories, and twice as many questions to ask, she doesn´t. Not tonight. Not when Jimmy looks so pitiful, so pitiable: apart from his legs hurting, the burns and tidbit cuts, Jimmy also has a big bruise on his forehead, just below his hairline - blooming already into an angry, purplish color.

When her eyes carve a question mark there, he tries to rebuff her in advance:

"I fell" and looks down, like a child caught in the pantry.

Smiles, but even his smile seems to be in pain.

Only when he is naked in the bath, all bare and vulnerable, does Kim dare to ask her first question, the first in her mind after ordering her heart back in its place.

"Did you bail Lalo out?"

Is he out? is what she wanted to ask, but thought it too crude, like she was asking whether an animal escaped its cage.

"Funny story" says Jimmy, nodding, and looking anything but entertained. "Mentioned you have met. Knew your name and everything."

Kim rolls her eyes. She doesn't know it yet, but in a month, she will miss this lightness with every atom of her being.

"Did he call me Mrs. Goodman?"

"Yeah, he did" Jimmy´s mouth is a thin line. "But he is out and will be gone soon. Probably fleeing to Mexico after the stunt he pulled. Hopefully for good."

Silence follows, the comforting kind, the one you can sink into. Domesticity has many blissful corners like this, bus stops, as she calls in her head, where you can put down your baggage for a bit. She had never known a silence like this, not before Jimmy.

She washes his back with care, but as she tries to wash the back of neck with the wet sponge, Jimmy´s hand grasps hers, cutting the motion.

"Kim, I´m sorry." His voice is small - but his eyes are big. "You never should have had to go there, to him."

"Does it matter now?" she replies, sensible, reaching to cup Jimmy's face. "Went to the Detention Center on my own accord, it's not as if someone put a gun to my head."

Though the sentence comes without a thought, she regrets the words almost instantly. It's almost as if someone closed the blinds on Jimmy´s face, painting it dark, shallow.

"It was like he was gloating" he shudders, refusing to look at Kim, staring at the wall, eyes glossing over. "Like he knew. Knew that he has in his pocket now that he has met you, now that he knows you."

"He better remember me," Kim replies. "I saved his ass today."

"What?!"

"They tried to murder him in his cell this morning. With a home-made shiv."

"Jesus" this makes Jimmy look at her, sudden-pale under the sunburn.

"Oh, I guess he omitted this part when you talked?"

"Well, it wasn't a long chat. Kept staring at his neck, though. I thought he had had an accident, or I don´t know, some... nasty action."

Kim laughs despite herself.

She missed Jimmy so much.

"Nasty action?"

"He strikes me as a man who has a taste for deviance."

A muscle jumps in the inside of her thigh. She ignores it.

"Well, I am not sure whether he liked being choked or not, but pleasure wasn´t exactly the aim of the assailants."

"Who knows these days?" Jimmy mutters, repressing a yawn. "Wait, so did you..."

"Represent him against prosecution? No, but I was about to. They sent Khalil, from the DA's, another lawyer from the center, and a detective, too."

The water cools while she recounts today´s events, some part of her soul hoping that it will encourage Jimmy to open up as well.

"... and then I wrote to NMC, asking for extension. By the way, Khalil is furious with us, so there's that."

"Well, hopefully it won't matter anymore, I guess - with Lalo being gone."

Strange thing, the double entendre: gone as in distance, gone as to death. Kim feels the hair on her arms stand, trying to imagine Lalo Salamanca´s body in blood, but finds she cannot.

"You think they will try again?" she asks in a low voice.

"Dunno" says Jimmy slowly, as if tasting the words with care. "But that's not our problem anymore."

Ache in his eyes, but not his heart, surely.

This man of hers, he survived, he always did.

"Was it worth it?" she whispers, passing her hand through his dry hair, lighter by a shade.

"See for yourself" grins Jimmy, and lets some more water into the tub, while Kim goes through the duffel bag on the couch.

Inside, there lies an unseen amount of cash and a coffee mug, with a hole in its middle.

In her dream, Kim is balancing a duffel bag with innumerable shoes stuffed in it and a shiv that is made out of keys. In this world of dreams - as it goes - there exist dream laws, according to which the duffel bag and the shiv have the same and equal amount of weight.

No questions asked, especially because Kim has only one leg in her dream, so this balancing act is close to a well-versed miracle. She doesn´t question this, obviously. She is too busy balancing and making sure none of the items fall, because in this world, in this state, that is the worst thing that could happen, surely.

She can´t let it go.

Can´t let go.

Can´t.

Then - because this is a dreamworld, and not the real one - Jimmy comes to help her quite quickly, no questions asked, and she feels so relieved, that she might just fall on her knees herself.

Oh, but wait: that would defeat the purpose itself.

"Jimmy!" she says, loud in the syrupy texture of the dream space. "Quick, take the bag!"

But as he steps closer, it becomes apparent that he has no hands and thus cannot help her.

She says his name again, and in turn, Jimmy opens his mouth to speak.

Surely, to console her.

It's not consolation, however, that comes out of his mouth. No calming words. Kim is not sure it's a human voice, a human noise - it's something subhuman, a shriek, a shrill noise that´s like a...

"Someone's ringing the bell" she groans, reaching for Jimmy in the dark, shaking him up.

Jimmy whines into the pillow, frustrated.

"What time is it?" he moans, words muffled by linen.

"Four forty-two."

They hadn't eaten dinner - just went straight to bed, clothes discarded on the floor, worries forgotten. Now, in the early hours of the morning, half their soul still in sleep, stiffness in their joints, it's hard to stand up straight.

A phone starts to ring - Jimmy´s, in the kitchen, thrown just next to the aquarium. Kim doesn´t have it in her to ask.

"I'll get it" he mutters.

Half-awake, Kim staggers to the front door, barely aware of her surroundings - and therefore forgets to ask who is standing outside their door.

Opens the door, trusting and blind.

"Hey" says Lalo Salamanca, smiling his wolfish smile, eyes alight. "Can I come in?"

#lalo salamanca #kim wexler #lalo x kim #my writing #better call saul #bcs #bcs fic

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kinesthetic-aesthetics · 1 month ago

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chapter 3

Stevie parked her car in front of the outdoor swim center, then clambered out into the already hot morning. As she locked her car and walked towards the door, she saw Blake exiting the swim center and walking towards her.

She walked slow and relaxed like Ella did after a long swim workout. This time, she was wearing a sports bikini. Its bright peach color glowed against her sun-kissed stomach, chest, and shoulders. She noticed the V cut on her stomach and a small freckle on the right side of her navel. She wondered if anyone had kissed her freckle before.

Should she say hi or let her pass by? It would be so easy to let her slip away today, tomorrow, the next week, the entirety of that year. She thought of the other women she’d almost connected with. A classmate who sat on the other side of the classroom who she only knew from project presentations. The grocery bagger at the community coop in her green overalls and lightning-fast tetras packing. The neighbor who played Chopin in the dim, warm sunroom in the evening. Sometimes, she would remember one of them and mourn the loss of never knowing them.

The space between them closed. Blake looked up from her phone. She smiled wide and waved.

“Hi,” she said, shifting her swim bag higher up on her shoulder.

“Hey,” said Stevie, pushing up her sunglasses onto her head.

“So you swim too,” said Blake.

“Yes, sometimes.”

“Do you ever with Ella?”

“Sometimes. Today I am.”

“Well, I am on the search for new swimming companions. If you ever want to get some laps in let me know.”

“Okay,” said Stevie. She smiled in an attempt to mask to Blake, and herself, her rising sense of nervousness and excitement. She felt like she was tumbling forward. Into what, she did not know. But it felt out of control. She couldn’t help being drawn to her — her flashing smile, her searching gaze, the way she smelled like strawberries and vanilla after she showered, how lovely she looked below a clear blue sky and before the sunlight pool water.

“Well, I should get going to work,” said Blake.

“Okay. Next time I swim I can text you,” said Stevie.

“I’d like that,” said Blake. She gave Stevie a final smile then turned right to walk through the parking lot to her car.

Blake was not sliding away. Blake was entering her orbit. Or she was entering hers.

Stevie walked into the swim center building, cursing at herself that she hadn’t asked what Blake did for work. After their workout, Ella would tell her Blake helped her dad with his landscaping business. They worked on residential property, as well as larger city projects.

The two lap pools were packed full of people. Every one of the 35 lanes was filled with two swimmers. The sound of rhythmic splashing, weekend chatter, birdsong, and water lapping over the pool edge into the filter edge filled chlorine and jasmine-filled air. People lounged on the blue and white rubber banded pool chairs. They waited patiently for a lane to open up or rested and hydrated themselves post-workout. The teenage lifeguards leaned back in the shade of their tall chairs, motionless and watching, thankful they had a shift at one of the two swim centers that didn’t have a kid pool and its screeching agents of chaos.

The supplies of cold bottles of Gatorade and soda, nuts, and chips in the humming vending machines had dwindled, so Stevie settled on selecting C4 for the “cool blue” Gatorade flavor, instead of pressing the familiar C6 for her preferred flavor, “frost glacier.”

She then waited by the pool chairs and scanned the lanes for potential departies. She stripped and sprayed herself with her waterproof sunscreen. She loved how it smelled against her warm skin: sweet floral and coconut. She waited for Ella.

The pool’s clock hand landed at 11:54. Some swimmers scattered about the pool clambered out of the water. Stevie strode as casually as she could towards a lane where two swimmers were departing.

“Do you want us to leave these?” asked one of them, slapping the edge of the pool with her bright blue, foam kickboard.

“Yes. Thanks,” replied Stevie. She stood awkwardly before the lane as the two twin sisters with their matching bright green suits and white swim caps pressed themselves up, then stepped through their arms to an upright position. The sun glimmered on the water droplets scattered about their limbs and back. Their skin was clearly waxed and buffed. Stevie wondered if they were competitive like Ella.

As she stared at their symmetrical forms, an ache bloomed in her chest. How complete they must feel together here in the water: reaching for the same aspirations, falling from on high together, and trying again. And with each swim session, they became more and more beautiful in bodily composition. Their independent, singular beauty was excessive in its doubling. The memory of Blake’s wild, warm smile shimmered about her.

As the twins left, Stevie pulled out her goggles and swim cap from her dry bag and put them on her head. She bent down to sit on the pool edge. She loved to look at the interaction of the white plaster bottom of the pool, the pool water, and the sunlight. Because of the bright white floor, the light easily reflected back up to the surface, enhancing those dancing, rippling aqua-blue patterns. She loved how all the swimmers, old and young, fat and thin, disabled and able-bodied, would break, with equal ease and grace, through these gleaming waters. How could one not want to join the sunlit swimmers?

“Hi. Sorry I am late.”

Stevie tried to look up at Ella, but she was blasted by the sun and it’s light. Ella was a mere dark figure.

Without saying anything more, Ella dropped her bag, secured her swim cap and goggles, and dove into the water. Stevie had made sure to get a lane at the deep end because she knew how Ella liked to dive in at the start of her workouts.

“I’ll take the right side, k?” She said, and then she was off into her blue.

Mermaid-mode activated.

Face down, she stretched out long into the water, her head between her arms, her feet gently fluttering. Ever so slowly, she rotated to her left side, then her right. When she reached a quarter mark of the 50-meter pool, she rolled onto her back, arms still stretched out long and took a long inhale through her nose, then returned to her prone position, leaving a small wake of water behind her. Ella then switched from her prone, slow flutter kick to a slow freestyle with a buoy secured between her thick thighs, to then a fast and powerful freestyle without her buoy.

On the left side of the lane, Stevie tried to maintain a steady pace with her freestyle. But she and the water didn’t feel right.

She felt like she was in a bad dream where the laws of the universe were working against you. No matter how hard she tried to cut through the water, she felt like she wasn’t moving. The swimmers in the other lanes seemed to be going twice her speed. Sure, she wasn’t as good as Ella, but she thought she had worked on her technique enough not to be this inefficient. Most of the time, the water felt like it was holding her close, and in it, she could float and splash about until the sun sank, and it was time for her to walk awkwardly and stiffly back to the car. But sometimes, like today, the water felt like outer space. She was lost and alone in the blue, with only a vague sense of what was up and what was down. After two more laps of frustrated freestyle, she rested on the wall and took off her goggles.

Stevie gave out a loud huff, poorly disguised as a fatigued exhale, and looked around her. The lifeguard sat on her chair above Stevie’s and Ella’s lane. Even with her sunglasses on, Stevie could tell she was looking at her. She blew out a large bubble of bubblegum, then popped it with her thin pink lips. She wore a bright red one-piece with a red windbreaker over it. She had her legs crossed, and when she leaned forward to grab her water bottle, her silver whistle lifted off her chest and dangled in the air.

Stevie suddenly felt the urge to swim over to her side, grab her whistle, and pull her down into the pool alongside her. She’d never kissed a girl chewing bubble gum.

“Hey, you good?” Said Ella. She had come up to take a quick sip from her water bottle.

“Yeah, don’t worry about it. Just not in it today,” said Stevie with a self-dismissive wave of her hand.

“What does it feel like?” Said Ella with a small frown.

“Ella it’s fine. Just feel like I’m slower than normal.”

“Do you feel tired?”

“No, not really. Hey! What are you doing?” Said Stevie as Ella glided over into her lane. “You keep up with your workout. It doesn’t matter,” said Stevie and pushed on Ella’s shoulder.

“Yes, it does matter. Besides, you help me so much with dryland stuff,” said Ella. She gestured for Stevie to put her goggles back on, then pushed out into the lane. “Okay, I want you to take a deep breath in and starfish face down on the water. When you are starfishing, feel the tension on top of the water with your hands and arms, and how the rest of your body can feel the tension but is sinking more. Feel the waves of the pool from other swimmers and how that carries your body. Okay?” finished Ella.

Stevie nodded. She tried her best to relax her limbs and stomach, then took a deep breath in and extended out into the water. As she tried to float, she remembered the water bugs at the river with their long legs and how they skirted across the river’s surface in the quiet oxbow beneath the willow branches. She spread out her fingers and felt the tension on the top of the pool, she felt how her ass and legs wanted to sink, how it was her full lungs helping keep her afloat, how full the pool was with swimmers causing arrhythmic waves. She heard the quiet about her as she held her breath and the gentle trickle of bubbles as she breathed slowly through her mouth.

She remembered one of the first lesson’s Ella had taught her: you can’t fight water.

You can’t strike against it like you can strike the hard track. Besides the initial wall push, there is no hardness to press off to defy gravity. Yes, she must stroke downward in the water to move through the hydrostatic pressure, but how odd the slower gravity sometimes felt!

Stevie came up for air, and Ella, still treading water in front of her, nodded in approval. “Hopefully, you felt the tension. Now, don’t worry too much about all the cues. Just focus on relaxing your body and your tempo. Stretch out long with each stroke. Really reach forward, okay?”

Stevie nodded, and Ella dipped back under the lane rope and popped up again on her side. Stevie took another deep breath, dipped under the water, and gently pushed off the wall. She stretched out long and let a rush of water push her slightly to the left as she dragged her right arm down through the water, tilted her torso slightly to the left, touched her right hip, and then broke up through the water. And as she brought her hand up through the water, she stretched out along with her left hand, arm, and side — she felt her muscles stretching and her ribs expanding. She tilted her head sideways, looking over her right shoulder, and took a breath in, filling her lungs.

She repeated the process on the other side, noticing how her right side felt more tight and uncomfortable extending out into the water. She began to count slowly in her head. One two three breath, one two the breath, one two three breath… It was the familiar rhythm of hurdling, though the tempo was slower and more forgiving to slips in timing. She looked at the bottom line of her lane, then up at the bright sky when she came up for air, ignoring those around her.

And finally, she let the water carry her. She was swimming now, not thrashing about. She was no mermaid like Ella, but she was swimming.

Time came and time passed. She had to trust some clock was ticking, for she lost a sense of it’s seconds and minutes. She knew she would tire before the hour was up, but she had lost track of where she was situated in that duration. Ah well. She wasn’t trying to merge with time like she did when sprinting. In the pool, she was supposed to be in it without noticing. All she had was breath and the weight of the water and the weight of her body and the sunlight dancing about and the air that tasted warm and sweet.

***

The next rest day, Stevie went to the pool alone. Ella had a fever and stayed in bed to play video games and hydrate. She texted Blake to ask if she wanted to join her, but Blake was working that day on a highly involved project in Greenville (the nearby college town). She explained that “a new performing arts center needed shrubs and flowers, a fountain and coy pool,” but she “really did want to hang out soon in the pool or otherwise.”

When Stevie arrived at the swim center, the pool was quickly filling up with a triathlon club and those who wanted to get their weekend workout in before their other social obligations. Luckily, there was a row of lanes open at the far end.

Before jumping in she sprayed herself with sunscreen. It was hot today, with the UV rating at 8. She reminded herself to get an SPF top for the pool and one for running. Just sunscreen was not enough.

The water felt luxuriously cool. Just the temperature change alone slowed her state. After her first three strokes, she could tell it would be a good day. Her body was relaxed. The water held her. She was in water-strider-mode. She glided through her first four laps.

And then a sudden bright flash from the bottom of the pool.

A small gold hoop swayed towards the wall of her lane. She dove down and snatched it with her fingertips before it could drift away. As she broke through the surface, she brought her hand up to her own ear lobes and felt for her own tiny gold hoops that matched the ones her mother had put in her ears as a baby. She felt each of their hard bodies and breathed an exhale of relief. They had been fastened to her for years, but she still had sudden urges to check them, especially when seeing someone else had lost their own prized possession.

Stevie thought about placing the hoop on the other side of the pool grate but still worried it might get stepped on or, worse, jostled towards the grate and get sucked down into the filter. She could tell by the weight of it that it was made entirely of gold. She knew she wouldn’t be able to focus on her swimming with it just lying there. Besides, whoever may have lost it might not have noticed, and once they did, she guessed they would go to the front desk to check if someone had found and returned it.

She looked up at the clock. She had been swimming for only ten minutes. Her workout had said twenty to thirty minutes. Yes, she should go to the front desk, return the hoop, and resume her swimming for another twenty minutes.

She set the earring on the other side of the grate, pulled up her goggles, pushed herself up out of the water, grabbed the earring, and walked towards the building entrance, weaving between the crowd of old women who had just arrived for their water aerobics class which historically entailed an excellent playlist of deep house music.

When she returned to her lane, she found it occupied by two women somewhere in their thirties to forties — it is always difficult to guess an athlete's chronological age because of their virel biological age — chatting and drinking from their water bottles. Stevie looked around to find another empty lane, but the pool had entirely filled up with splashing bodies.

“Hi! You want to join our lane?” said one of them. The other smiled and beckoned her to get into the lane.

“I’m pretty slow,” said Stevie, her voice uncertain.

“Nah. Don’t worry about it. Paul is leading a hard one today, which means Tricia and I will be slow with you,” she said with a wide smile. Tricia nodded in agreement.

“Paul?”

“Yeah, the master’s swim coach,” said Tricia.

“Oh,” said Stevie. “I should find another lane. I’m still learning how to swim. I’m actually a runner,” she said, slapping her legs and immediately regretting doing so for swimmers, of course, used their legs just as much as runners.

“You're in the perfect place then,” said Tricia, waving her into the lane. “An athlete is an athlete. Who knows, you might be faster than all of us,” she said with a laugh.

Before Stevie could politely decline the coach walked up to her and held out his hand.

“Hi, I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Paul. We just have these four lanes today, so it would be great if you could circle swim with Tricia and Steph,” he said.

“Oh I actually am just getting okay at swimming. I really shouldn’t be — ”

“No worries. Just follow along. Try to keep up and take a break when you get tired,” he said, walking away to say hi to the other members in the other lanes.

“Come on,” said Tricia with a smile. “You never know until you try.”

Stevie sighed, crouched at the edge of the pool, and lowered herself into the cool water. She was irritated by the universal athletic trait, which is to peer pressure others to try their sport. Everyone thought they could hand someone a piece of the joy they experienced on the trail, on the court, or in the pool. But underneath her exasperation stirred that wild excitement that rises up when one begins something unfamiliar and unpredictable.

“Alright, folks. Every day is a good day for a good workout. Let’s start off with an IM drill. First, we will …”

Stevie tried to follow along but became confused. The vocabulary was new, and she had no idea what relative effort each drill was supposed to be. She had no idea what tempo was fast or steady for herself. She didn’t even know how long it usually took her to freestyle down the lane and back again. She barely knew how to flip turn.

“Stevie, you go last. Just try to copy what Tricia and I are doing,” said Steph with an encouraging smile.

Stevie did not copy Tricia and Steph as they broke into butterfly stroke along the water’s surface. She held onto a board and practiced her dolphin kick, but even with that, she didn’t feel like she was going anywhere. She did keep up through the warm-up. She tried to stay relaxed and keep her chest full of air, but it was difficult. As Paul shouted out, “Okay, second round,” she felt her body sink lower into the water. She was tired. She had a run scheduled with August later that day. But she felt her body already running out of fuel.

As she finished the second set, she emerged from the water to find Tricia and Steph waiting at the edge of the pool. Tricia held out a hand, and Stevie high-fived it.

“Not too bad, not too bad at all,” said Steph while Tricia nodded in agreement. Stevie squinted through her goggles at them. She felt like a fool beside these older women who had been clearly swimming their entire lives, but she was having fun in the challenge, in feeling estranged in a new sphere yet welcomed in without judgment.

Stevie managed to finish the rest of the workout — freestyle with varying tempos and some kicking with kickboards — but not without dramatically gasping for air after her flip turns and occasionally resting on the side of the wall and gulping down her electrolytes. All the while, the sun reached the top of the sky and blasted down with an almost unbearable brightness. The pool water was cold, but she wished it was still colder.

“Some of us are getting juice today if you want to join,” said Steph, grabbing Stevie’s kickboard and sliding it onto the outdoor supply pool shelf.

Stevie accepted the invitation. She toweled and combined her hair, then slid on running shorts over her swim suit. She thanked Paul for letting her join them, then followed Steph and a few others in the team out of the gate fence and into the parking lot which looked blurred from the heatwaves.

The juice bar was two blocks down from the pool. It stood between a gas station and a nursery. The nursery looked empty, but the gas station was full of trucks loaded with bikes and camping gear, or coolers and kayaks. The residents of Fieldridge were heading up to the mountain lakes to cool off for the weekend.

The bar was cool but bright as the group filed in. Stevie noted the lovely pastel blue and purple tile along the floor and along the backsplash of the wall. Philodendron plants hung from the ceiling, their long leafy tendrils guided down along the wall. A light green neon sign spelled let’s get juiced up. The room smelled of freshly cut greens and herbs and crushed citrus. Her stomach grumbled. Steph looked back at her and nodded her head knowingly.

After ordering a muffin, then spinach, apple, lemon, and ginger juice, Stevie sat down at a table with Steph and four other men. They all seemed to be around her father’s age, maybe older, but their shoulders and chests looked just as strong as if they were in their mid-30s. They all had short hair like her (most practical when you douse yourself in chlorine every day for years on end). They all carried themselves with calm confidence as they leaned back in their chairs, smiling and chatting as they sipped on their brightly colored drinks. She felt a familiar sense of desire stirring in her, and she took a sip of her juice, letting the bright, green taste wash away her ridiculous urges.

“Hi, I’m Caleb,” said one of the men. He held out his hand and Stevie shook it. She then met an Elijah, a Jamie, and a Ben. She listened as they shared how long they had been swimming (most since her age) and various races they were competing in later this summer and fall.

How beautiful they all were with strong and supple limbs, their way of moving through space with grace from years and years of embodied awareness. Where someone like her father would see bodily narcissism, she witnessed the necessary care of the self. Their self-practice of excellence radiated out from them in a lovely, electric hum that brushed up against her skin and ignited in her a tender sense of compassion for this moment, for herself, for them.

She suddenly realized the impermanence of her current athletic career was. Training and competing had become the organizing principle of her universe. Yet after her collegiate career, she would walk off the red oval and explore other ways of being. Perhaps she would join a swim team, or train to cycle wide distances. Perhaps she would simply walk and notice the sound of dry autumnal leaves tumbling through the other leaves and onto the forest floor. Even though she felt the consistency of her current, complete self, she would be different.

She felt a shiver run through her spine. The endless possibilities of who and what she could become excited her. Her cheeks glowed rosy in her excitement, and she looked out at the swimmers with a smile of gratitude.

***

Stevie called August on her way home through her car Bluetooth — one hand on the wheel, the other holding her waterbottle, which she continued to drink from. Even after her juice, her mouth still felt parched.

“Hello,” said August, his voice sounding more awkward than usual on the phone. Stevie pressed through his queer tone and her fear of disappointing him.

“Hey, I don’t think I can make it today. I ended up — "

“Getting destroyed at a master’s swim session.”

“What the hell?! How did you — "

“I am having lunch with Sarah and her coworker, Tricia,” he said, drawing out Tricia’s name.

“Hi Stevie!” said Tricia, her voice cheery. She clearly did not realize she had exposed Stevie’s athletic infidelity.

“Hey your supposed to tell me if I’m on speaker,” snapped Stevie.

“Sorry, you’re off it now,” said August, his tone apologetic and no longer cool and off.

“Okay, so I did a swim workout,” said Stevie with a sigh. She pulled to a stop at a red light and looked over at the motorcyclist beside her, who revved his engine and winked. She rolled her eyes and looked back at the red light. “You are the one who put it in the plan.”

“Yes, I put in 30 minutes of slow freestyle, not master’s swim workout,” said August, emphasizing master’s as if it was the ultimate sporting challenge.

“Are you mad at me?” said Stevie, her voice soft now. He had never been mad at her. Disappointed, but not mad.

“No, not at all,” he said with a sigh. “It’s good. I should have seen it coming. You’ve always liked our pool recovery drills.” He paused. It sounded as if he was walking through tall, wet grass. “Do you want to keep getting better at it, or are you just bored?”

“I’m not bored. I just got pulled in.”

“It’s okay if you want to do other sports. You know you are so much more than a sprinter.”

“August,” she said as the light turned green and the motorcycle tore ahead of her. “It was just one workout.”

“I know. Just let me know if you want to change things up. I’d like to know.”

“I know,” she said, watching the motorcycle try to pass the car ahead. The car, not seeing the motorcycle, began to merge into the other lane. Stevie quickly turned off the road into a store parking lot. As she did, she heard the car slam into the metal body of the motorcycle and the screech of the motorcycle tires and metal as it got flung across the road.

“Stevie, Stevie,” said August, his voice loud and rough.

“I’m okay. I’m outside it all. I should go,” she said, pulling into a parking spot and turning off the car. More sounds of crashing cars.

“Okay. Just stay in your car,” he commanded, his voice calm again. “Get home safe. I’ll see you later.”

“Okay,” she said, her voice breaking.

She was hungry, upset, and shaking. The chaos of the world glimmered about her periphery. It was tinged electric green, and if you tried to touch it, it would burn your fingertips. Entropy on the road. Entropy in her cells. Entropy increases with each proceeding moment.

As Stevie improved her access and performance of athletic excellence, she became more attuned to how easy it was for her body, for any body, to slide into dysregulation. And it was this increasing awareness that continued to fuel her desire to experience her bodies limits for speed and power.

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meatcodistributor453 · 1 month ago

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Push Back Racking Installation: Step-by-Step Guide

Installing a push-back racking system might sound like a daunting task, but with the right guidance, it can be a breeze. This guide will walk you through every step of the process, ensuring you get the most out of your warehouse or storage facility. Ready? Let’s dive in!

What is Push Back Racking?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of installation, let’s start with the basics. Push-back racking is a type of storage system that allows you to store multiple pallets on a single lane. Instead of accessing pallets through traditional rows, you use a sliding cart system. When you remove the front pallet, the next one automatically moves forward.

It’s like a vending machine for your warehouse! You’re maximizing storage density while keeping everything accessible.

Benefits of Push Back Racking Systems

Why should you consider a push-back racking system? Let’s look at some of the standout perks.

Improved Storage Efficiency

Push-back racking optimizes space usage. Instead of wasting aisle space for access, you can store pallets deep in a single lane. Perfect for warehouses where every inch counts!

Easier Access and Organization

With the "first-in, last-out" system, you only need one aisle for loading and unloading. That means less chaos and more streamlined operations.

Versatility in Application

Push-back systems work across industries—whether you’re storing food, retail products, or heavy equipment. They’re a jack-of-all-trades in the racking world.

Tools and Materials Needed for Installation

Before you roll up your sleeves, make sure you’ve got everything you need.

Essential Tools

Measuring tape

Spirit level

Drill and anchor bolts

Wrenches and screwdrivers

Safety gear (helmets, gloves, and steel-toed boots)

Key Components and Materials

Upright frames

Horizontal beams

Push-back rails

Carts for pallets

Anchoring systems

Pre-Installation Preparation

Jumping straight into installation without preparation is like baking without reading the recipe. Let’s make sure everything is set up right.

Evaluating Your Storage Space

Measure your space carefully. You’ll need to know the dimensions, ceiling height, and any obstacles like columns or sprinklers.

Ensuring Safety Standards

Check local building codes and safety regulations. Overlooking this step could lead to costly mistakes—or worse, accidents.

Step-by-Step Installation Guide

Now for the main event. Follow these steps to ensure a smooth installation.

Step 1: Planning and Layout

Start with a blueprint. Decide where each rack will go and mark the floor accordingly. Double-check your measurements because precision is key.

Step 2: Assembling the Frame

Begin by erecting the upright frames. Secure them to the floor with anchor bolts, ensuring they’re level and stable. Think of this as laying the foundation for a house—everything else depends on this step.

Step 3: Installing the Rails

Next, attach the push-back rails to the frames. These rails will guide the sliding carts, so alignment is critical. Use a spirit level to avoid any tilt.

Step 4: Adding the Carts

Place the sliding carts onto the rails. Test them to ensure they move smoothly. It’s a bit like testing the wheels on a shopping cart—any wobble can cause issues later.

Step 5: Securing and Testing

Finally, secure all components and conduct a thorough test. Load a few pallets to see how the system handles weight and movement.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even seasoned installers can trip up. Here are a few pitfalls to watch out for.

Skipping Pre-Planning

Don’t underestimate the importance of a good plan. Rushing in without one is like building furniture without instructions—frustrating and messy.

Overloading the System

Every rack has a weight limit. Exceeding it isn’t just risky; it’s dangerous. Always adhere to the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Ignoring Maintenance

Once installed, your racking system needs regular check-ups. Neglecting maintenance is like skipping oil changes in your car—it’ll cost you in the long run.

Conclusion

Installing a push-back racking system doesn’t have to be complicated. With careful planning, the right tools, and a methodical approach, you can transform your storage space into a highly efficient operation. So, grab your tools, follow this guide, and take your warehouse organization to the next level. Happy racking!

Meatco Distributor

3265 Gateway Rd, Suite 350, Brookfield, WI

800–558–5104

#push back #milwaukee

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atplblog · 2 months ago

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Price: [price_with_discount] (as of [price_update_date] - Details) [ad_1] Our 2-lane coffee vending machine is a top-notch solution for delivering a variety of beverages around the clock. With its capability to serve up to two different drinks simultaneously, it offers unparalleled convenience. The machine operates with Cafe Desire instant premixes, eliminating the need for brewing or measuring. You can easily select and dispense any two beverages at once with just a single button press, making it perfect for busy environments. Built for durability and long-term performance, this machine ensures consistent quality and reliability, minimizing the need for maintenance and service calls. Ideal for enhancing any office, breakroom, or event space, it combines efficiency with high-quality drink preparation. How to Make Coffee and Tea : The Cafe Desire 2 Lane can brew two different hot beverages at once using its two canisters. Just fill each canister with a 1 kg pack of your chosen Cafe Desire premix powders—each pack makes around 80 cups. Make your hot cup of coffee or tea in seconds. You don’t need milk, sugar, coffee/tea powder.Use the Cafe Desire instant coffee/tea premix, a 3-in-1 product consisting sugar, milk powder and coffee / tea powder. Just cut premix packet and load the powder inside the vending machine and press the button, your coffee or tea will be dispensed instantly. Say goodbye to waste and pilferage! Manual brewing can waste about 15% of your ingredients. This machine’s digital meter helps you track usage and manage your supply efficiently. When you get your machine, just call us using the number on the box, and we’ll handle the quick, easy setup. Perfect for offices, cafes, schools, or anywhere you need fresh, home-made-tasting coffee and tea. Your staff and customers will love it! [ad_2]

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touti21 · 3 months ago

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How to Get Around New York on a Budget

New York City, with its iconic skyline and vibrant neighborhoods, can be an exhilarating destination. However, navigating the city can be overwhelming, especially when trying to stick to a budget. Fortunately, there are several affordable ways to get around the Big Apple without breaking the bank. In this guide, we’ll explore various options to help you travel efficiently and economically through New York City.

1. Utilize the Subway System

The New York City subway is one of the most extensive and affordable public transportation systems in the world. With 472 stations and 27 lines, it can take you almost anywhere in the city.

Tips for using the subway:

Get a MetroCard: Purchase a MetroCard at vending machines in subway stations. A pay-per-ride card allows you to add any amount and costs $2.75 per ride. If you plan to use the subway frequently, consider getting an unlimited monthly pass for $127.

Know the Schedule: The subway runs 24/7, but service can be less frequent during late night hours. Use apps like Citymapper or Google Maps for real-time updates and to plan your route.

Avoid Rush Hours: If possible, travel during off-peak hours (weekdays from 10 AM to 4 PM and after 8 PM) to avoid crowded trains.

For more travel tips and experiences, check out Trip.com for personalized recommendations and deals.

2. Biking Around the City

New York City has made significant investments in bike infrastructure, making it a great option for budget-conscious travelers.

Exploring with bikes:

Citi Bike: This bike-sharing program offers easy access to bikes throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. You can rent a bike for a day pass ($12 for 24 hours) or opt for a monthly subscription if you’re staying longer.

Bike Lanes: The city boasts over 1,000 miles of bike lanes. Use them to navigate safely and enjoy the scenery while cycling through parks like Central Park or along the Hudson River Greenway.

Safety First: Always wear a helmet and follow traffic rules. Be mindful of pedestrians and other cyclists to ensure a safe ride.

If you’re planning to explore other cities, consider booking a bike tour through Trip.com for a unique experience.

3. Walking is Key

New York City is incredibly walkable, especially in densely populated areas like Manhattan. Walking not only saves you money but also allows you to soak in the local atmosphere.

Walking tips:

Plan Your Route: Use apps to map out your walking routes. This can help you discover hidden gems and local eateries along the way.

Explore Neighborhoods: Each neighborhood has its unique character. Stroll through the cobblestone streets of Greenwich Village, the vibrant art scene in Bushwick, or the historic charm of Lower Manhattan.

Wear Comfortable Shoes: Since you’ll likely be doing a lot of walking, wear comfortable footwear to make your experience enjoyable.

For further travel ideas and walking tours, check out Trip.com for booking options.

4. Buses as a Budget-Friendly Option

The city’s bus system complements the subway and offers another budget-friendly transportation option.

Bus travel tips:

Fares and Transfers: Bus fares are the same as subway fares ($2.75). You can transfer between the subway and bus using the same MetroCard within a two-hour window.

Routes: Buses can be slower due to traffic, but they are a great way to see the city from street level. Routes like the M15 along 1st and 2nd Avenues offer great views of the East Side.

MTA Bus Time: Download the MTA Bus Time app to check real-time bus locations and arrival times.

For bus tours or to explore specific attractions, consider booking experiences through Trip.com.

5. Ridesharing and Taxis

While ridesharing services like Uber and Lyft can be more expensive than public transport, they can still be a cost-effective option if you are traveling with a group.

Cost-saving tips:

Pool Options: Use rideshare pool options to share a ride and reduce costs.

Check Fares: Compare prices between rideshare apps and traditional yellow cabs, especially during surge pricing.

Avoid Late Night Fares: Try to avoid late-night rides when fares can significantly increase.

If you prefer guided tours, look into ride-based experiences on Trip.com for more economical options.

6. Free Ferry Rides

One of the best-kept secrets of New York City is its free ferry service. The Staten Island Ferry offers breathtaking views of the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline.

Ferry tips:

Staten Island Ferry: This iconic ride runs 24/7 and is completely free. Make sure to take advantage of the views and snap some great photos!

East River Ferry: While this ferry isn’t free, it provides a scenic way to travel between Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens at a reasonable price.

For ferry tours or scenic experiences, book through Trip.com to find the best options.

7. Utilize Tourist Passes

If you’re planning to visit multiple attractions, consider purchasing a tourist pass. These passes can save you money on entry fees and often include transportation discounts.

Popular options include:

New York Pass: Offers access to over 100 attractions and allows you to skip the lines.

CityPASS: Includes tickets to major attractions like the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building, along with discounts on transportation.

Check Trip.com for more information on tourist passes and how they can enhance your travel experience.

Conclusion

Exploring New York City doesn’t have to be expensive. With a combination of public transportation, biking, walking, and strategic use of rideshares, you can navigate the city affordably while experiencing its vibrant culture and diverse neighborhoods.

Make the most of your travel experience by planning ahead and utilizing resources like Trip.com to find the best transportation options, tours, and local experiences. With a little planning, you can enjoy the excitement of New York City without overspending!

So lace up your walking shoes, grab your MetroCard, and get ready to explore the wonders of New York on a budget!

#new york #city #cars #travel #luxury #free palestine

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atlantisplus · 1 year ago

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https://flokii.com/blogs/view/98098/boost-your-office-experience-with-top-quality-atlantis-vending-machine

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meshop · 11 months ago

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Shop online at me shop

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mystlnewsonline · 2 years ago

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21 Missouri Lottery Millionaires in 21 Weeks

(STL.News) The 21st week of 2023 ushered in the Missouri Lottery’s 20th and 21st million-dollar-plus prize winners of the year. Both winning tickets were purchased in southwest Missouri, and both winners acknowledged a little extra luck on the day of their big win. First, a $1 million prize was uncovered on a “Silver & Gold” Scratchers ticket sold at Walmart, 1150 Highway 60 East. in Republic. While claiming her prize on May 22, the winner described how luck played a role in her win and how the outcome could have been entirely different if she had stuck to her original plan. “I was actually focused on one of the other (vending) machines, but there was a gentleman there that was taking a little bit longer,” she explained. “I was in a hurry, and so I turned around and used the other machine. And there you go!” For a $3 million winner who claimed his prize later that same morning, it was a good luck penny that pointed to potential good news. The Scratchers player was getting gas at Eastgate Express, 22993 Professional Lane in Lebanon when he came across a penny facing heads up on the ground. He snatched it up before scratching the “Big Riches” ticket he had just purchased inside. “That’s my lucky penny, and it will get framed!” the winner shared. To date, there have been a total of 655 Missouri Lottery prizes worth $1 million or more. Of those, 210 have been on Scratchers tickets. “Silver & Gold” is a $10 Scratchers game, which currently offers more than $25 million in unclaimed prizes, including another $1 million top prize and three prizes of $50,000. For the $30 “Big Riches” ticket, more than $61.9 million remain in unclaimed prizes. That includes one additional $3 million top prize and three $100,000 prizes. SOURCE: Missouri Lottery Read the full article

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cyborg-franky · 3 years ago

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Ask Game

OH MAN I GOT SO MANY THANK YOU I love you all and these were all super dumb and super fun.

@ivy-spivy [Buggy/Ace/Franky] 6. go clothes shopping with, go to ikea with, go grocery shopping with. Lord, lord.... lord. My wife looks at me with fear on their face as they know I am the most grumpy, angry piece of shit when I have to go grocery shopping and if it was with Buggy or Ace the place would get set the fuck on fire. Franky would have been my first choice for taking me clothes shopping cus we have the same style but for everyone's sake. Franky for grocery shopping. Buggy for clothes shopping, lets make man bad choices together baby. Ace and me go to ikea and pick out really ugly furniture for the house and Marco isn't happy we came back with useless crap and why is our dining room table something from mad max.

@childofblackmaria [Thatch/Kiku/Marco] 8. share a car with, share a bank account with, share a cake with Thatch for a cake, we'd have a nice cup of tea and eat the cake he more then likely made himself and it'll be wonderful. Kiku I think she would be the best to share one with, I'd not be mad if she spent all the money because she deserves everything. Marco with a car because I just live for the mental image of that long legged bastard in a small car.

ANON: [Luffy/Sanji]Zoro] 10. netflix and chill with, go ice-skating with, play dodgeball against I think Sanji would be great to go ice-skating with? like he has grace and would be so fun to watch and probably the one that would catch me before I hit the fucking side of the wall and re arrange my own face.

Luffy for dogeball though every single one of them I would hate, hate, hate to be against. I feel Luffy would at least see it as a FUN GAME BETWEEN FRIENDS and I'd escape with my life. Netflix and chill [I hope to fuck you mean platonic] Zoro. He wouldn't care what I watched and we'd just vibe. Get drunk watching bad horrors.

@lawscorazon [Marco/Ace/Thatch] 3. fight aliens with, fight zombies with, fight capitalism with Aliens with Thatch? they might be scared of his hair and think he was a xenomorph or something? Marco with zombies because he's good at dealing with plague-esc issues I guess? also we can fly. Can't catch us up here fuckers.

Ace for capitalism. BURN IT ALL TO THE FUCKING GROUND.

@secretsnailor [Smoker/Pops/Thatch] 4. write a book with, read a book to, hit with a book Write a book with pops! he would have so many wonderful stories and adventures that would be so interesting and great to note down!

Thatch would be all cuddled up in bed with his hair rollers in, his little fancy silk PJs as I read a book to him, cheesy romance novels with awful sex scenes. Or I read from his favorite recipe book. Throw a book at Smoker and just run like the bitch I am.

@sarcasm-vending-machine [Ace/Kuzan/Shanks] 3. fight aliens with, fight zombies with, fight capitalism with I already picked Ace for the last one before. I feel Shanks could just haki all the aliens out the sky... or scare them away... Kuzan could freeze all the zombies...

@smoleeveewrites [Ace/Marco/Thatch] 5. go on a six hour road trip with (no car radio, you choose who drives), sit next to on a six hour plane flight, sit across from on a six hour train journey Marco for the roadtrip, he would be a delight to drive with. I think we'd keep the convo light, playful, fun, point out dumb shit as we drive. Maybe stop at dumb roadside attractions.

Watch as he has to take many breaks to stretch those long ass legs of his. Thatch for the flight, he'd just read, watch the movies, be pleasant, keep in his lane. Though he would moan for hours about the state of the food on t he flight and I'd be tempted to choke him on his scarf.

Ace for the train. I think he would love the train and be distracted by what was going on outside. There's room for him to like.. fuck off and get snacks too. We'd have a table on the train and we could play card games or watch dumb shit on our phones together.

@howlingartbean [Kid/Sanji/Thatch] loooord

2. fist fight, get drunk with, share a flat with SHARE A FLAT WITH THATCH, He would be so pure, he'd bake and cook for us, he'd be so soft and sweet and always make sure I'm eating and drinking water. I don't care how often his hair is a problem for the drain he still beats Sanji and Kid.

Get drunk with Kid, I feel he'd be at least a fun drunk friend. We'd start fights with tree's and trash cans. Screaming at one another in the middle of a street at 5am and one of us ends up crying and makeup running down out face, spoiler alert that's Kid.

I'm fairly certain if we were only allowed to use fists I'd win against Sanji. He'd more then likely be like 'not worth my hands bitch' and storm off to cry about it to like Zoro or something.

@eustasssimp [Marco/Thatch/Ace]

6.go clothes shopping with, go to ikea with, go grocery shopping with

Thatch would be the best to go grocery shopping with... he'd keep me sane or at least push me around in the trolley like a spoiled child as I sit and eat something before we get to check out and he stacks cereal boxes on me.

Ace and me love out Ikea dates now, we go and eat in the little restaurant place, play hide and seek in all the set up fake rooms the place has. We either come out with thousands of pounds worth of crap again or we get lost and the store has to call Marco to come and pick us up.

Marco and me going clothes shopping. He buys another 20 of the same purple shirt and gets even higher heels to wear, even strappier. He helps me buy the ugliest shirts so you can see me a mile away and think I'm going to rip you off with a used car. Just living out best gay vacation uncle vibes.

@my-muses-in-op [Thatch/Shanks/Rayleigh]

6. go clothes shopping with, go to ikea with, go grocery shopping with

Thatch for the latter 100% as said above.

Me and Shanks go to Ikea and by awful shit that our spouses would hate. We also talk about our spouses aggressively. 100% we by the bed that looks like a pirate ship.

Rayleigh can maybe take me to get some adult clothes instead of me living my best drunk vacation uncle vibes. Makes me dress nice so I'm allowed in places there isn't a 'dollar menu' option.

I go home and Marco and Ace are like 'wtf are those' at my full length pants and appropriate going outside in the cold attire. ---------------------------------------------------------

ANON [Marco/Izou/Ace]

10. netflix and chill with, go ice-skating with, play dodgeball against

Izou would be MAGICAL ice skating but like I really love the idea of Ace falling on his ass and accidentally melting the entire ice rink out of frustration. Plus Ace ice skating means I don't have to be against his ass in the dogeball section.

Izou for dodgeball, I feel like he'd consider the entire thing a waste of getting sweaty and just throw one perfectly aimed ball at my face, beat me and just like... go and get a drink. Not a hair out of place as he murders me and I'd still say thank you.

Marco for netflix and chill. I'd cuddle up to this big bird and we'd watch stuff and just vibe and if it was that kinda chill he'd be good enough to arrange me so I could still see the TV screen.

#ask game #thank you #this was fun #so much sillyness

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