#Cal: Living On The Streets Bode

[fantasticgothicpeachsludge]

Cal hiding something behind him:

Bode: No.

Cal: But this time it actually is a kid!

*Reveals a tiny Ezra Bridger*

Cal: *hiding something in his coat* I think we should adopt another kid.

Bode: No.

Cal: Why not?

Bode: Because when you say “kid”, you mean “a pathetic life form”, and we already have fifteen of those.

Cal: *unzips coat revealing a lothcat* Sixteen.

[grievedeeply]

Can I request a Cal x reader, where they were both working for Saw but got split up during the job on Coruscant. So we know that in rogue one Saw was hanging out on Jedha, so what if reader is out in the descent hearing to Saw’s place but runs into Cal instead? Idk I just need some Cal in my life. Thank you so much 💜

i'm loving all of these cal requests!!! this is such a cute idea :") hope you enjoy!

gn!reader | tws: death, SPOILERS FOR THE BEGINNING OF JEDI SURVIVOR + JOIN MY NEW TAGLIST!!!

you're here, we're here — cal kestis

you wondered if working for saw gererra was the right thing to do. of course, he fought for something bigger than himself, but you knew of the consequences of this sort of thing. if you were to be captured by the empire, you'd be killed. they'd keep it quiet, but you knew your death would come swift if the imperials were to get their hands on you.

you were scared of death. wasn't everyone, to some extent? you wondered what the afterlife would hold for you. was there even an afterlife at all? the act of dying wasn't what scared you, not really. it was mostly leaving those you loved behind. gabs, the twins, bravo. you met them all through saw gererra, and that was your favorite part about working for him. the people. their kindness and generosity, their determination to make the galaxy a better place. not just for themselves but for everyone around them. it was good to see something other than hate and cruelty remained.

they were your family.

until they weren't.

the job on coruscant had gone horribly wrong, in the end. what was supposed to be a simple extraction of information turned into a firefight.. and before you knew it, more than half of your squad was gone. in the confusion, you'd gotten split up from cal, bode and bravo, and you could only assume they were all dead, too.

lately, saw had been hanging out on jedha. even before your mission, he had started setting up some operations there despite the ever growing imperial presence.

so.. you returned to jedha completely empty handed, and down an entire team. your family. gabs, the twins.. you watched them die, struck down like they were nothing. they had names, they had lives and friends and they were loved. but no one understood that. all the empire saw was insurgency. all that inquisitor saw was cal, the one who had gotten away from her all those years ago.

you remembered the look on saw's face once you stepped inside. his grin immediately dropped and without a moment's hesitation, he took you by your shoulders and pulled you into his arms. you couldn't cry, not anymore. the entire time you were maneuvering through the streets of coruscant your eyes were welling with tears. the tie fighters shot at you as you escaped the planet and went into the stars.. and by the time you were in hyperspace, your face was soaked in tears. you sobbed the entire time, all the way up until your arrival at jedha, days later. you couldn't risk leading the empire back to saw, so you took a few rotations on some backwater planet to collect your thoughts— but what was left to think about?

you thought of gabs. her smile, her strange sense of humor that somehow always made you laugh. the twins and their insatiable appetite.. and the warm hugs they provided you when you were feeling down. bravo, who gave the best advice out of anyone on the crew. bode, your sparring partner. cal.. your best friend.

cal.. he was smart. 'he could've gotten out,' you told yourself. if he was captured he could've escaped. he was talented, he was brave. he was kind.. so kind. you remembered his hands on your arms, running them up and down your skin as a way to calm you, to ground you into the moment. it was a routine before you went out together. he would smile that same, big dumb grin, and reassure you that everything would be okay.

but that wasn't the case. not this time.

cal was gone. his beautiful.. gentle smile was gone. you would never see him again. he was dead or captured and you were the only one that made it out. he deserved to see the galaxy at a better state. he deserved to live. he deserved to grow old. thoughts of him and the rest plagued your mind like a curse, and no matter how many times you tried to push them and what happened away, they would come crawling back.

your work on jedha was light. saw was giving you time to recover, letting you decide if you even wanted to go back into the field in the first place. not only had his operation suffered a major loss.. but so had you. you had to watch it happen. until you made your choice, he had you doing whatever you needed or wanted. you could choose to sit around if you needed to. he had plenty of people to cover for everything. he knew you needed your space, so.. sit around you did.

you'd take walks occasionally, go to nearby cliffsides and listen to the stormtroopers beneath you chatter about whatever was going on in their lives. the familiar hum of their electro riot batons went in and out of your mind. they spoke of promotions, of their coworkers and their bosses, their plans, how much they hated jedha and wished they were stationed somewhere else.. but as they talked.. you envied them.

they were blinded to the empire's cruelty and injustices, but you? you had lost to them. these people knew nothing about the kindness your friends, your family, had shown. they would get what was coming to them.. but for now, you took solace in their stupidity.

this was one of those trips. you stood from your spot on the cliff, brushing off your pants with your hands, watching as dust fell from them back onto the sandy rocks underneath you. the stormtroopers were so oblivious to their surroundings, it almost made you laugh. you turned your back to them, ready to begin up the path you had come down before.

the trek was a decently long one. it was enough time away from base to clear your head and let your thoughts sit for awhile, and that was okay with you. you let yourself mourn through this walk.. and that was okay.

you groaned as you pushed yourself up onto the ledge, making steady progress towards base. you wondered if there was an easier way to get back.. but this distance was something you enjoyed. the silence was nice. it was good to be on your own sometimes, even if plenty of people had offered to come with you, you always turned them down. you knew they were concerned, but you needed time to be by yourself.

you brought yourself to your feet after climbing up, kicking a few of the rocks underneath your feet over the edge of the cliff. you looked down at the ground below you, wondering how far the drop was. you were surprised you hadn't slipped off, yet. you chuckled to yourself at the thought. you knew that, if cal were by your side, he would save you with his force magic. no matter how much strain it might put on him.. he would do it. there was no doubt in your mind.

but cal wasn't around.

a chirp in the distance, coming from the direction you were heading. you furrowed your brow. this path was supposed to be clear. who would saw send out at this time anyways? the sun was setting in the distance, the hues of pink and orange blending into the desert out beneath the cliffs. had he planned some sort of covert operation—

you stopped in your tracks. a droid..

cal's droid.

you'd recognize those colors anywhere. he stared up at you for a few moments before rushing towards you, climbing up your legs to rest on your shoulders. bd-1's head rubbed against your cheek almost as though he were some sort of animal. you grinned, leaning towards him as your hands reached for him. you took him off of your shoulder, holding him in front of you.

you frowned. how had he gotten here? did cal make it out? that wasn't possible. you would've heard something from him by now, anything—

"buddy, wait up!" you heard a voice call from down the canyon, and you froze, eyes wide. cal's voice. were you hallucinating? was this a dream or a nightmare? were you dead? why would bd-1 be here if you were dead?

before you could think on it any further, cal slid around the corner and turned to face you. his expression immediately softened as soon as he laid his eyes on you, and bd-1 slowly slinked out of your hands and back onto the ground, ready to watch your reunion.

he let out a shaky breath, one that even he could barely hear. his head felt so loud. after you'd gotten separated from the rest, he thought you were dead. he normally tried to stay as positive as possible.. you were clever, intelligent and knew just how to survive.. but it was a feeling in his gut that he couldn't shake that you didn't make it out.

he blinked a few times before he took a few hesitant steps towards you. your eyes filled with tears as you stared at him. he was real, he was in front of you. he was alive. before you knew it, cal's arms were wrapped around your waist, pulling you into his chest for a tight hug.

a soft sob escaped his lips, but he nuzzled his face into your neck, and all you could do was return the gesture. his crying pulled you back into reality. he was alive. he was okay.

it felt like an eternity, trapped in each others arms, soaking in the warmth that filled your chest as you reveled in his presence. you never wanted him to pull away, afraid that if he did he would disappear into the sunset behind him. but he pulled away, his hands resting on your shoulders as they always did.. and he stared deep into your eyes.

he pressed his forehead to yours, his fingers ran circles over your skin. what he always did to keep you calm.. and you couldn't help but cry. you let your eyes close, your hands reaching out for the fabric of his shirt. he was alive, and that was all you cared about. despite the insurmountable loss you'd faced that day, cal was alive and in front of you.

"i'm so happy to see you." you heard him say, and you nodded. his voice was coarse, rough against his throat. had he cried as much as you had? had he struggled with adapting to a life without you? without everyone? he'd mourned for you. you took his hands off of your shoulders, taking them in your own. this time, your thumbs ran over the back of his palms, caressing him as though he was about to break.

"cal.." you whispered out his name, your lips pressed into a thin line to prevent yourself from crying. his hands found your face, pulling you closer.

your heart ached in your chest, your breathing heavy. you let him touch you, both of you falling completely silent. finally, you opened your eyes, only to be met with his staring back at you.

he'd been looking at you all this time. desperation filled his vision, and his lips pressed to yours in a gentle, warm kiss. it didn't last for very long, and you resisted the urge to pull him back in as soon as his lips left yours. "i'm sorry," cal muttered, averting his gaze from you to look at the floor. "i don't know what came over me." he chuckled, breathless, feeling incredibly awkward as he sunk into himself. his cheeks were a bright red. he could feel the heat against his skin.

though, when he returned his eyes to you, you wore a smile. your face, still covered in tear stains, had a genuinely happy expression written on it for the first time in a long time.

you never thought you'd think of him in this way, but as you thought on it, you supposed you already had. you yearned for him in a way you did for no one else. you wanted him by your side. you swallowed, embarrassed.

"it's okay," you reassured him verbally before taking his hands in your own once more. they were rough, but surprisingly gentle. "i.. didn't exactly mind." you told him, glancing away from him as you spoke. it was strange to be this vulnerable, but you were glad it was with cal and no one else. he was so special.

he cared so much for people.. for you.

"really?" he asked without missing a beat, a youthfulness in his voice you had never heard before. you nodded, and he kissed your forehead, a sign of relief escaping his lips. he thought he had ruined everything between the two of you before even getting to talk to you.

"why.. why didn't you tell me?" you asked after a brief moments hesitation. of course, you were glad he was alive and in front of you, but you couldn't help but to ask. cal sighed, "i tried. comms were out. i tried to track you. i didn't find anything and i thought-" he paused, licking his lips. his throat suddenly felt dry. "i thought you were dead."

you couldn't even say anything, your mind focused only on the fact that he tried. he tried to reach out to you and that was all that mattered. you knew he would never leave you behind. "i had to.. find an old friend of mine. we had to fix up the ship." he swallowed, scratching at the back of his neck. "i'm sorry, i should've tried harder-"

"cal," you cut him off before he could say anything else, "all that matters now is that you're alive. you're here. we're here. you tried.. and that means more to me than you could ever know. believe me.. i tried to find you, too." you told him, eyes searching his face. "it's okay." you spoke up again, and his gaze finally met yours.

your breath hitched in your throat. he was beautiful. inside and out. he had a heart of pure gold. one that you hoped would never fade, that you knew would never fade.

bd-1 nudged at your foot before you could sink further into your daydream, and he climbed up onto his shoulders. you grinned at him, and then shifted your eyes to cal.

"come on," you murmured, taking his hand in yours. "i want to show you something."

the place you had mourned for him. yes.. but now, it was the place with a view you would share.

tags: @starwalkerwriting

[pod-together]

Pod-Together Day 2 Reveals 2024

coal-fire heart (The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry - Anonymous (Song)) written by Aether, performed by Beryllinthranox Summary: The sea was the perfect wind-roughened blue, the kind that made her want to take a deep breath and step over the rail and into the deep.

Today’s Top Story: An End to the Plagues? [text, audio] (Good Omens (TV)) written by BookGirlFan, performed by 1happydaiz Summary: “Good morning, and welcome to Ancient Egypt News. Our top story this morning, the Israelites, and the plagues they have brought on our nation. This morning, families all across the capital have woken to the news their eldest son has died during the night. Abubakar, our man on the ground, coming to us live from the streets with more.”

Convergence (Stray Kids (Band)) written by Chanlixbolt, performed by InterstellarBlue Summary: con·ver·gence /kənˈvərj(ə)ns/ noun noun: convergence; noun: convergency Convergence is when two or more things come together to form a new whole, Chan finally gets out of his head about his feelings, and Hyunjin and Jeongin start wooing him with utter enthusiasm.

Gritty Thoughts (Men's Hockey RPF) written by FandomisOhana, performed by eafay70 Summary: Thoughts on Gritty!

That's not how it happened! (Shadowhunters (TV)) written by Hagar, performed by kittona Summary: In which Magnus tells a story to Jace and Clary's kids - and everyone has opinions.

That Clear and Simple Path (Merrily We Roll Along - Sondheim/Furth) written by klb, ShakespeareStoleMyURL, and rockinhamburger, performed by horchatapods, elledubs, klb, and ShakespeareStoleMyURL Summary: Three phone calls, the night (and then the day) after Frank's party. A podfic musical.

Dirt Cake. Because Why Not? (One Piece (Anime & Manga)) written by ScarletSorceress, performed by stereden Summary: Thatch really thought he'd learned his lesson about Ace and 'cakes'. Mainly that, if Ace wanted him to bake a cake, it would never be a normal cake. The first one had pork in it. The second was an actual war crime. Now the third one...had dirt in it? What occasion could Ace possibly plan for that required a dirt cake??? Well, Thatch was just going to have to make it to find out. Yay...

Dare Me to Tell You the Truth (Hacks (TV 2021)) written by schwanenkoenigin, performed by wilfriede0815 Summary: Ava desperately wants to get Deborah to play Truth or Dare with her. Deborah tries to resist.

just the rules of the game and the rules are the first to go [text, audio] (魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù) written by unitaryexectheory, performed by Gavilan Summary: "A'Yu, A'Yu..." Nie Huaisang sighed."Not even my own sect brothers call me Nie-zongzhu." He pouted, but Mo Xuanyu didn't speak, looking guarded. "The only Nie-zongzhu was my brother and Nie Mingjue's dead." "That must have been very hard for you." Mo Xuanyu said blandly. Nie Huaisang gave a little acknowledging giggle, feeling disgust and pleasure at how Mo Xuanyu glazed past Da-ge's name. It's good. This is good, he reminded himself. So, Nie Huaisang smiled, gently placing the cup onto Mo Xuanyu's hands. The skin of his wrists and hands was a shade lighter than Nie Huaisang's own, clutching the cup lightly.

When We Meet Again (Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order Series (Video Games), Star Wars - All Media Types) written by xazz, performed by Ceewelsh Summary: Bode made good plans but there was a saying that even the best plans didn’t survive first contact. He’d expected he would have more time. He didn’t expect the plan to start to fall apart at his first meeting with Cal Kestis.

The Hospital [text, audio] (The Hotel (Podcast)) written by zombified_queer, performed by tipsy_kitty Summary: The Manager, Owner, and Lobby Boy have to deal with the repetition of Madam Hotel’s very tragic accident.

[diazsdimples]

Fuck it Friday/ Inspiration Saturday!

It's a very late FIF and almost late Inspiration Saturday, but I am here with a snippet/ moodboard combo for a bit more of Frostpunk AU. I'm not super happy with this section but I've been working on writing - uh - something else today (don't judge me it was very spur of the moment) so this is as much as I could scrounge up. Tomorrow's another (and better) day!!

Tagged for FIF by @pirrusstuff @tizniz @daffi-990 @cal-daisies-and-briars @hippolotamus @kitteneddiediaz @spotsandsocks @wikiangela @smilingbuckley @theotherbuckley @watchyourbuck and @wildlife4life (please consider this as your Inspiration Saturday tag too)

Tommy and Sal also look a little worse for wear as they pull on their scouting gear and check each other over. The usual pep in their step is missing, along with the jokes that Buck’s grown to love. A tired team doesn’t bode well for a mission, especially not one like this where there are other people’s lives at stake, but as Bobby had said, it’s an urgent one and there’s no other option. A rough hand brushes over his neck, pulling the collar of his undershirt up so he’s properly covered and Buck turns to see Bobby, his face pulled in a tight smile. “You okay, kid?” Buck shrugs as he chains his crampons to the bottom of his boots. “Yeah, tired is all. That last mission took it out of me.” Bobby nods in acknowledgement, giving Buck’s shoulder a quick squeeze. “Maddie’s promised to take us off missions for the next week as an apology.” “Assuming we make it back from this one,” Buck replies stiffly, tightening the chains so the crampons won’t slip off. He’s lost too many pairs in the snow before and it’s only in the last couple of missions that Bobby hasn’t knelt at his feet and checked them himself, a faint echo of how he used to help Buck with his shoelaces when he was a young boy. Bobby chuckles and ruffles Buck’s hair. “Stop being so dramatic, we’ve survived longer missions and on much less sleep. It’ll be fine.” Tommy makes his way over to the pair, his crampons clicking against the wooden slats of the street as he walks. “What’s the plan, Cap?” he asks, leaning against the wooden crate Buck’s currently perched on. Bobby gestures to Sal and Eli, who slouch on over, and he huddles them in close, like a coach prepping his team before a match.

tagging (for either FIF or inspiration saturday, you choose) @thewolvesof1998 @disasterbuckdiaz @puppyboybuckley @bucksbackwardcap @fortheloveofbuddie @aroeddiediaz @housewifebuck @jesuisici33 @steadfastsaturnsrings @buckbuckgoose @exhuastedpigeon @slightlyobsessedwitheverything @evanbegins @nmcggg @alliaskisthepossibilityoflove @rainbow-nerdss @babytrapperdiaz @ci5mates @hermscat

[scrapratsoldier]

IT'S THE FIRST DRINK they have together.

The second they have as friends. By the fourth, Cal isn’t so sure. He hasn’t had a lot of close friends or hard liquor. The way their eyes seem to hold longer with every refill could be as common as sand on Tattooine.

Greez glances at them from time to time as he polishes glasses, countertops, and bottles. He throws one or even two elbows into Monk's side vent to encourage the droid to do what you were made for, huh with a gesture. Cal and Bode are never empty, even with Monk, and Zee, too, steering themselves and their conversation clear of the two men sitting at the end of the bar closest to the back access.

None of that is inherently strange. Neither is the way they lean towards each other to hear over the three songs on replay (gotta get on Greez about that) or how the trust between them, between two survivors, makes it easier to talk about the past— they’ve already saved each other's lives and shared grief in the short time they’ve been acquainted. The first time Bode looks at Cal's mouth when Cal smiles isn’t all that exceptional. It’s by the fourth that Cal isn’t so sure.

Cal is more than a lightsaber, Greez said, but Cal isn't so sure about that either. All he knows is war. He knows how to survive. When you let loose, how loose? He has to be ready for anything. Just not this type of anything. He doesn't know what he's supposed to do with a look or even four. He doesn't know what to do about the hand on his thigh when they laugh so hard he almost chokes on his Slippery Monk (which was part of the joke, what an awful name for a cocktail). He doesn't know what it means when Bode, with something encrypted behind his stare, casually asks, "Show me your workbench?"

Cal almost doesn't want to show him his workbench. He knows how to say no, yes, and maybe, but Cal is a survivor. His instincts are sharp. He knows when he's being backed into a corner, and that's why he almost doesn't lead him down the stairs, past the storage and the kitchen, to the little room Greez had set up for him over five years ago with the hope that, someday, the Jedi would rest in it. He could take the stairs back up to the bar; he could dive down the smuggler's tunnel; or burst out the last door into the street; even with all of these exits, Cal does not have an exit strategy.

Cal is a survivor, and letting Bode back him into the corner of the room feels like it goes against everything he's ever learned.

"I'm not twice shy once bitten, Kestis," Bode's thick arms pen him, his head lulled nonthreateningly, his dark, glossy hair dusting the shoulder pad of his armor; eyes lazily closed; smile rosy from drink and anticipation. "Either way you wanna take that." He does not touch Cal, but his breath does, tickling Cal's crop of violent red hair; and his intent does. "You just let me know."

"I," Cal breathes, his eyes at half mast, the buckles tinking on his vest as his chest quietly heaves, and he fights, he fights the fight in himself. His arms are rigid at his sides, tied up as tightly as they've ever been.

"I don't know. What I'm supposed to say."

"What do you want to say?" Bode prompts. He smells like sweat, oil, and alcohol, and if any of that should be a deterrent, it is not. He smells like hot metal and hard work.

"I don't know," Cal says stiffly.

"The only wrong answer," Bode says, lifting his head and examining Cal's pink, freckled face up close. "Is the one you'll hate yourself for. Or me. I'm your friend, Cal. That can extend past the battlefield."

Cal's jaw knots. He looks down. His Adam's apple bobs when he swallows. "The type of friend you're talking about. I've mixed the two before," Cal says. Merrin. Never again. "It…complicates things."

Bode chuckles. Shakes his head.

Cal looks up at him quizzically.

"It's already complicated," Bode says. His eyes shine bittersweetly. "It's always complicated. I'm just trying to survive. War…"

Bode lifts his hand from the wall, and after a short stall of hesitation, he slides it against the side of Cal's neck. A warm, heavy weight. Encouraged, when Cal's lashes flutter and his mouth parts.

"War," Bode says again, his thumb stroking the deep scar on Cal's cheek. "Hardens you. I want to stay soft. For my daughter. For Tayala's memory of me."

Cal leans in with a shiver like Bode's is the first hand that has ever touched him, his own hands reaching up to cusp the sides of Bode's face. Bode presses their foreheads together and steps closer. He turns his face in and, in a husky whisper, murmurs, "Let me soften you, Cal."

Cal is a survivor.

Bode is too.

Cal knows he's not alone, but when Bode lifts him off the floor, wraps Cal's legs around his slim waist, and carries him. When they both tuck into the tiny bed cubby and laugh because Bode bumps his head. When they shed their armor and clothes. When their hands and mouths cannot still, and Bode moves in him, and, after, they take turns talking about their scars… He really feels it.

Not alone.

And he wants to be soft, too.

[ayrabelle]

Yup, still don't trust Bode.

Fun fact tho, when i first saw his name before cal said it i pronounced it 'boh-dee' in my head. This is because i lived near a bode street in Illinois. Other fun fact - there's a place where you can turn right onto bode, then turn right onto bode, and then turn right onto bode. None of these rights are just following the street as it curves - all are full-blown intersections

[calpalirwin]

Choices

Summary: Ashton Irwin thought he had everything he needed in life in the form of his daughter. Funny the difference a choice can make.

A/N: New series!

Content: Nothing too crazy/out of the norm.

Word Count: Just shy of 3K

And away, and away we go!

Chapter 1

“Is this seat taken?” a woman’s voice drawled, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Huh? Oh, no, go ahead,” I said, motioning to the empty seat next to me at the bar. I held my hand up in a half wave to get the bartender’s attention, “Cal,” I called out to him, “little help?”

“Thanks,” she smiled softly, getting comfortable on the seat and rummaging through her purse for her wallet.

“Not a problem,” I half-smiled back, before turning my attention back to my own drink. I took a sip, still not sure what I was doing here, or if I was in the mood for something stronger.

“Can I buy you a drink?” another guy slurred at the woman. “I mean if he doesn’t have the balls to ask, I will,” he further explained, motioning at me. I rolled my eyes and bit my tongue.

“I’m okay, thank you,” she smiled pleasantly at the man before turning to Calum, the bartender. “Jack and coke, please,” she ordered, handing over some money and her ID. From what I could see, it was an out-of-state ID, but I couldn’t see which state. Based on her accent, I assumed some Southern state.

“Wow,” the man whistled, looking at me, “If you’re not gonna hit on her, I am.”

“Or, you could leave her alone,” I suggested firmly. This is why I don’t go out, I told myself.

“Why don’t we let the lady decide?” he slurred again. “What’s your name, darlin’?”

She looked at the man and smiled another polite smile. Then, “I wouldn’t waste your efforts, I’m not interested, but thank you.” She took the drink from Calum and took a long drink, sighing in content.

I scoffed into my drink. Good for you, I thought to myself.

The man scoffed too, “Not interested, you say? Then why are you by yourself at a bar on a Friday night?”

“Trying to enjoy my night,” she said, her pleasantness fading away to a clipped tone. Another long drink from the glass.

“You’d enjoy it a lot more if you accepted some friendly flirting,” he told her.

“I’d appreciate it if you left me alone, now,” she said, trying to keep her voice both firm but polite.

“You know what I’d apprec-”

“Okay!” I said abruptly, turning to face the guy. “The lady said she wasn’t interested. I strongly suggest you listen to her.”

“Or what, tough guy?” he asked, standing up.

I stood up myself, towering over the guy. “Or you’ll have to deal with me.”

He looked me up and down thinking over his choices. He shook his head, grabbed his jacket, and walked out of the bar.

I sighed and sat back down. “Sorry, we’re not all like that, I promise,” I told her.

The anger she had towards the guy turned full force on me, “I didn’t ask, nor did I want your help. I had that handled just fine, thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

She let out a small scream of frustration. “Ugh! You’re impossible!”

“You don’t know the first thing about me,” I told her.

“Oh, so you don’t have a savior complex? I’m not some damsel in distress. I can hold my own.”

“Just trying to help.” It wasn’t worth getting mad that she was mad. I didn’t know her or her story. But you want to, my brain told me. I shook my head to get rid of the thought. I turned my attention to the baseball game on the TV, the only reason I had agreed to go out in the first place.

“Well, next time, don’t,” she retorted, pursing her lips.

“And sit idly by while some douche says derogatory comments towards you? Can’t do that.”

“And why not?”

“Why don’t you ask my savior complex?” I teased.

This got a laugh out of her, “Alright, maybe I overreacted. I’m just trying to prove that I can take care of myself.”

“You moved this far to prove a point?” I asked.

“What?”

“The accent. Southern?”

“Good ear,” she smiled.

I shrugged. It was an easy enough accent to detect. “And what possessed you to move from the warmth of the South to the bitter cold of Seattle?”

“Grad school,” she confessed.

I nodded, slowly, “That’s cool.” She had drive, and while I’d never be able to wrap my head around someone willingly subjecting themselves to grad school, I could appreciate the ambition.

She shrugged, “Just prolonging life.” Her tone was almost bitter, like she wasn’t sure whether or not she believed it.

“I get the feeling someone fed you that bullshit line.”

Another laugh, “Bingo!” Then, “So, what do you do?”

“Oh, I’m a cop.”

Her eyes went wide. “Wow, that’s… incredibly impressive.”

I shrugged, “It’s not as glamorous as you’d think.”

“Rough week, huh?” she asked, nodding at my glass.

I laughed, “It’s just club soda. I try not to drink too often.”

She raised her eyebrows, “Girlfriend doesn’t like you drinking?”

“Oh, I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Oh?”

“Not a lot of time,” was as much as I was willing to fess up to a perfect stranger, no matter how pretty I found her.

She nodded slowly, pursing her lips. “Nice tattoos,” she said, changing the subject.

“Thanks,” I said, my left arm self-consciously covering the tattoo on my right forearm. So, where you from?”

“Atlanta.”

“And you moved here for college?”

She nodded, “Yep.”

“Why? I mean, why Seattle?”

“Change of pace. Trying to broaden my horizons and whatnot.”

“And the boyfriend wasn’t a fan?”

She scoffed, “No he was not. Which is why he got bumped to ex-boyfriend.”

“Ah, so now you come to bars to verbally abuse the good guys, huh?” I teased.

“Keeps ‘em on their toes,” she smiled, her eyes dancing.

“Most would say being defensive is a front,” I told her.

“Most would say being secretive is also a front,” she shot back.

I leaned back. She was quick-witted; I liked that. “How am I secretive?”

“Quiet guy at a bar by himself, defender of innocent girls from the regular creeps? You’re right, open book.”

“Not secretive, just uninteresting.”

“Bullshit. You’re a cop. By definition that makes you interesting.”

“My job is interesting. But me? Not so much. Pretty basic stuff.”

“Oh really?”

“Really,” I assured. I finished my drink and drummed my hands against the bar, contemplating my next move. I wanted to get back home, but a huge part of me wanted to stay right where I was. “Um… you got a safe way to get home?”

She laughed a small, short laugh. “Is that your attempt at asking to see me home?”

I shrugged, “In my own incredibly lame way, I guess so.”

She took the last swallow from her glass. “Every instinct is screaming at me, but I got a gut feeling that says you’re one of the good guys. Even if I don’t even know your name.”

“It’s Ash,” I told her, offering my hand.

“Ash,” she repeated, taking my hand and smiling. “I’m Nic.”

“Okay, Nic,” I said, liking the way her name sounded on my lips. “Can I walk you home?”

“Really?”

“Call it an apology for my reckless savior-complex.”

She eyed me carefully. “This isn’t a ploy so you can murder me, is it?”

“Oh yeah, I’m the Barkeep Killer. I get rid of douchebag creeps for innocent girls so they think I’m the good guy. Under the ‘good guy’ guise I offer to walk them home, so I can murder them because the one thing I can’t protect them from is my own bloodlust that can only be tamed by killing.” I couldn’t keep a straight face, and we both started cracking up with laughter. We laughed until our eyes teared up and it hurt to breathe.

“So, you really want to walk me home?” she finally asked after we caught our breath.

I shrugged. “Yeah. Not that it’s not safe, or you’re not capable of taking yourself home. It’s just… I dunno… I’m overstepping. Sorry…” I couldn’t think of a good enough reason to walk her home that didn’t sound completely insane. And she was right, I could be a murderer or some other sort of psycho. I wasn’t, but she didn’t know that.

“No, it’s just we’d literally have to walk. I didn’t bring my car. I only live a few blocks away.”

“Oh, that’s fine. I walked, too. I mean, I have a car, I just left it at home.” I reached for my jacket and stood up, “Shall we?” I asked.

She stood up and slung her purse over her shoulder. She smiled at me, “Yeah, let’s go.”

“Lead the way.”

“Fair warning,” she said as we made our way to the street. “Try anything and I will scream.”

I held up my hands defensively. “You can trust me. As stupid and as crazy as that seems, you can, okay? Like, yeah I can be a jackass sometimes, but I’m a pretty good dude.”

“Are you now?”

“Yeah. Okay, so I have a little sister. A brother to, but that’s slightly irrelevant to this particular story. Anyway growing up the one thing that was reinforced just as much as protecting her, was ‘treat girls the way you want guys to treat your sister. If you don’t want someone to treat your sister that way, don’t treat other girls that way.’ So, I try to look out for the female population as best I can. Cuz all the other girls are someone else’s sister or daughter. And I like to think that there are other guys out there who’d look out for my sister if I couldn’t myself.” I left out the daughter bit of the equation. I learned more times than I could count that dropping the “I have a daughter” bomb didn’t bode well for romance.

“Wow… that’s actually really sweet of you.”

“Golden rule right? Treat people the way you want to be treated. Or in this case, treat girls the way I want guys to treat my sister. Either way, it’s really not a big deal. I’m happy to do it.”

“So, do you walk a lot?” she asked after a small lull.

I shrugged, “I like the exercise.”

She took a step back to eye me up and down. “You must like to exercise a lot…”

I laughed. Admittedly, I was a well-built guy. It was the kind of body a guy built after joining the police force and chasing criminals, and keeping up with a five year old. “I just keep busy,” I half-lied.

“Oh, this is all from being a cop? Bullshit.”

I laughed again, “And walking.” She laughed with me, our laughs echoing off the buildings. “So, tell me something about yourself no one else knows,” I said, trying to make conversation as we walked to her place.

“Hmm…” she thought for a minute. “Alright. Despite the fear instilled in me by double-standards and plain old sexism, I love this time of night. When half the world is settling in for the night and the other half is getting ready for a night out, I feel so… alive. Like I’m part of something bigger than myself, y’know?”

I nodded. “It’s part of why I walk. The world seems almost peaceful.”

“And incredibly cold,” she laughed, breathing into her hands and rubbing them together.

Without thinking, I took my jacket and draped it around her shoulders. “Not used to the weather yet?”

“Yeah, I’ve only been here for a few weeks.” She put her arms through the sleeves before zipping up the jacket.

“And how are you liking it so far?” I asked, draping my arm around her shoulders.

She leaned into me as we continued to walk. “It’s nice. A little colder than I’m used to, but it’s still nice. So, what about you, Mr. Cop?”

“What do you mean?”

“I dunno. Tell me about yourself.”

I shrugged. “I’m a 25 year old cop who likes to walk. What’s to tell?”

“You forgot the part about saving girls from creeps in bars.”

“Only the pretty verbally abusive ones.”

“Pretty?” she asked, stopping to look at me.

“Not… like you’re pretty verbally abusive. Not pretty pretty. Well, you are… but…” I sputtered. Why did this girl make me feel like such a dupe? I took my hat off to run my hand through my hair before putting the hat back on. “Yeah, you’re pretty.”

“You're not so bad lookin’ yourself,” she responded before walking a few more steps, stopping again in front of a large apartment complex. “Well, this is me.”

I let out a laugh as my eyes fell on the address.

“What?” she asked.

“I think we’re neighbors.” I laughed again as I recalled a group of girls in sorority shirts hauling up boxes between fits of giggles a few weeks ago.

Her eyes looked at me, searching my face for an ounce of familiarity. “You’re ‘ladies’ guy!” she exclaimed when it finally clicked.

I laughed for a third time. Anytime I had passed one of them I’d always said a small “Ladies,” as I made my way out to work or came home. “That’s me.”

“I didn’t recognize you without the cop uniform,” she laughed at the sheer coincidence of it all.

“I didn’t recognize you either, so I guess we’re even.”

“Who’s the girl you’re always with?” she asked.

I gulped, wondering which girl she was referring to.

“You know, the tall, pretty one,” she pressed, sensing my hesitation.

I sighed in relief, “That’s my sister. She’s over a lot.”

She reached in her purse to pull out her keys and undid the lock. Her roommates were hanging out in the living room and immediately all their eyes went to me. Then, “Who’s this? Who cares, he’s cute!” came rushing out in a whirlwind.

“Girls, this is Ash. Ash, this is Kayla, Sasha, and Natalie.”

“Nice to meet you, ladies,” I nodded.

The same sense of familiarity flicked across their faces once the word “ladies” left my lips. “Oh! You’re him!”

“Yes. Ash is our neighbor,” Nic explained. “He was just walking me home.”

I nodded again, rocking on my heels. “Yeah, well, I guess my job here’s done. Night ladies. Nic.” I nodded again and turned towards my own door.

“Wait,” Nic called out, closing the small distance between us. “Thank you, Ash,” she smiled before reaching up to kiss my cheek.

“Anytime,” I said, ducking my head to hide my face turning red. I quickly unlocked my door and let myself in.

My sister looked up from the couch, “Wow, I wasn’t expecting you back so soon.”

I shrugged. “Wasn’t feeling it.”

Lauren shook her head, “You’re never ‘feeling it’, Ash. That’s the problem.”

“How’s that a problem?”

“Because you deserve to have a life, Ash.”

“I have a life, Lauren.”

She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. Where’s your jacket?”

“Must’ve left it at the bar,” I lied.

“You’re a terrible liar.”

“I met a girl. I walked her home. She got cold. I gave her my jacket.”

“You met a girl?! What?!”

I shrugged. “It’s nothing. Turns out she’s my new neighbor. I’ll get my jacket back eventually.”

“You can’t just casually mention that you met a girl, Ash.”

“Yes, I can. It doesn’t mean anything. I got other things more important than some girl.”

“But what if she’s the girl?”

“Then she’s right down the hall. She still up?” I asked, changing the topic.

“She was dozing off when I last checked.”

I nodded. “You staying? You can have my bed. I’ll take the couch.”

She shook her head, “It’s early and a Friday night. I’ll probably see if Adam wants to do anything.”

I raised my eyebrows. I wasn’t sure I liked the thought of my sister being out with a guy by herself, no matter how much I liked the guy.

“I’ll be fine, Ash. I’ll see ya later.” She grabbed her coat and purse before heading for the door.

“Thanks, Lauren. See ya,” I told her as she pulled the door shut behind her. I made my way down the hallway, poking my head in the bedroom on the right. A night light glowed brightly, casting the bed in a soft glow. I slowly made my way across the dolls and various other toys towards the bed. “Night, Cass,” I whispered, pulling the covers over the little body and kissing her forehead.

“Daddy?” Cassidy’s voice asked, heavy with sleep.

“What’s up, love?” I asked, my voice low.

“You missed bedtime.”

“I know. We’ll go to the park tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Alright, get some sleep. I love you.”

“Love you, too.” She rolled over and fell back asleep.

I made my way out of the room and into my own. I sighed as I put my wallet and keys on my dresser and got changed for bed. This is why I don’t go out, I told myself for the second time that night. But Nic’s nice, and you wouldn’t have met her if you stayed home tonight, another part of my brain pointed out. Yeah, but how would she feel when she finds out I have sole custody of my five year old? I asked myself. I crawled into bed, my mind arguing with itself and my cheek still tingling from Nic’s lips.

~~~

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[newstfionline]

Sunday, July 4, 2021

Out-Group Hostility (The Present Age) A new research article published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) doesn’t bode well for efforts to fight political extremism and polarization. The paper’s authors analyzed 2,730,215 Twitter and Facebook posts published by members of the news media and U.S. Congresspeople, and came to the conclusion that the quickest way to social media success is to attack members of the “out-group.” Specifically, each additional word about the opposing party (e.g., “Democrat,” “Leftist,” or “Biden” if the post was coming from a Republican) in a social media post increased the odds of that post being shared by 67%. These results are troubling in an attention economy where the social media business model is based on keeping us engaged in order to sell advertising. Facebook knows that its algorithm rewards extreme rhetoric and anger. Last year, The Wall Street Journal uncovered an internal report Facebook put together in 2018 that found that the company’s “algorithms exploit the human brain’s attraction to divisiveness.” Even worse, the report’s authors found that if left in place, the algorithm would continue to serve “more and more divisive content in an effort to gain user attention and increase time on the platform.”

COVID-19 shots are causing social conflicts (Yahoo News) After 15 months of limiting their social interactions to small outdoor gatherings with masks and social distancing—and two COVID-19 vaccination shots apiece for herself, her husband and their teen son—Suzanne (who preferred to not use her real name for this article) and her family are finally easing up and meeting with friends and family members inside. Sort of. While Suzanne’s side of the family is fully vaccinated, most of her in-laws are not. What’s more, they are lax about wearing masks, and have thus not been included in recent gatherings. And so a pandemic that’s already seen fissures form between those who mask and those who don’t now ushers in its new social divide: the vaccinated versus the unvaccinated. At a time when a return to “normal” is touted at every turn, awkwardness, hurt feelings and a sense of being judged are leaving many relationships feeling anything but.

Ransomware hits hundreds of US companies, security firm says (AP) A ransomware attack paralyzed the networks of at least 200 U.S. companies on Friday, according to a cybersecurity researcher whose company was responding to the incident. The REvil gang, a major Russian-speaking ransomware syndicate, appears to be behind the attack, said John Hammond of the security firm Huntress Labs. He said the criminals targeted a software supplier called Kaseya, using its network-management package as a conduit to spread the ransomware through cloud-service providers. Such cyberattacks typically infiltrate widely used software and spread malware as it updates automatically. Brett Callow, a ransomware expert at the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft, said he was unaware of any previous ransomware supply-chain attack on this scale.

Firefighters are tackling three major wildfires in California in worrying sign as summer begins (Washington Post) Firefighters in California are battling three sizable wildfires in what authorities are characterizing as a worrying sign that this year’s fire season could be even more devastating than the record-breaking destruction seen in 2020. “We’re seeing a large increase in fires on a historical basis compared to where we would be at this time last year,” Cal Fire Battalion Chief Jon Heggie said. “This is a large indicator that we’re looking at another busy fire season—all the same scenarios that set up last year for such a devastating year have the same potential for this year.”

Hurricane Elsa races toward Haiti amid fears of landslides (AP) Hurricane Elsa raced toward Haiti and the Dominican Republic on Saturday, where it threatened to unleash flooding and landslides before taking aim at Cuba and Florida. The Category 1 storm was located about 395 miles (635 kilometers) east-southeast of Isla Beata, Dominican Republic and was moving west-northwest at 29 mph (46 kph). It had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph), with the hurricane expected to become a tropical storm after hitting Cuba, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. In Haiti, authorities used social media to alert people about the hurricane and urged them to evacuate if they lived near water or mountain flanks.

Vatican judge indicts 10, including a cardinal, for alleged financial crimes (Reuters) A Vatican judge on Saturday ordered 10 people, including an Italian cardinal, to stand trial for alleged financial crimes including embezzlement, money laundering, fraud, extortion and abuse of office. Those indicted include Cardinal Angelo Becciu, who was fired by Pope Francis last year, the former heads of the Vatican’s financial intelligence unit, and two Italian brokers involved in the Vatican’s purchase of a building in a luxury area of London.

At least 19 missing as mudslide west of Tokyo hits houses (AP) A powerful mudslide carrying a deluge of black water and debris crashed into rows of houses in a town west of Tokyo following heavy rains on Saturday, leaving at least 19 people missing, officials said. As many as 80 homes in Atami were completely buried, according to an official with the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. The official said more people, possibly 100, could still be missing under the mudslides but warned that details were not immediately clear. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stressed that aggressive rescue operations were underway to find survivors.

Australia: Will the mouse infestation ever end? (The Week) The biblical mouse plague ravaging Australia is showing no signs of letup, said Daniella White at The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia). The millions of mice now scurrying across the southeast have gobbled some $775 million worth of crops and are gnawing through anything in their path—including barns, homes, and even cars. A rural prison in the state of New South Wales was being evacuated this week because mice had chewed through ceiling tiles and wiring and their stinking dead bodies are piling up in wall cavities. Once the rodents start rotting, says state prison commissioner Peter Severin, “the next problem is mites.” The infestation is so severe “that mice are biting people in their beds, sending some residents to the hospital in a critical condition,” said Lucy Thackray at ABC.net.au (Australia). Dozens of people have contracted leptospirosis, a bacterial infection that if left untreated can cause kidney failure and meningitis. Farmers are baiting fields with the poison zinc phosphide, which is expensive and time-consuming, but the worst part is the ick factor. “Farmers and their families are unable to get a decent night’s sleep,” said John Warlters of the charity Rural Aid, “without mice chewing on toes and scampering across beds.” It’s going to be “a long battle,” said Peter Hannam at The Age (Australia). Population growth should slow now that the Australian winter has arrived. But “the mice are expected to return with renewed menace” when spring crops ripen.

Unable to control Tigray, Ethiopia isolates region (Washington Post) The Ethiopian government’s inability to sustain its military offensive in the mountainous northern Tigray region was laid bare this week, as rebel forces chased their adversaries out of key cities and were met, as they triumphantly marched in, with jubilation from locals who see them as liberators. Now reports from the United Nations and aid groups imply a concerted campaign by government-aligned forces to punish and isolate Tigray, destroying key infrastructure in ways that will complicate the delivery of urgent relief, if not make it impossible, in a region where hundreds of thousands are already estimated to be experiencing war-driven famine. Aid groups report that there has been no Internet, phone service or electricity in Tigray since Ethiopian troops retreated and that no food or fuel are being allowed in. Both of the latter are essential—millions are depending on food aid for survival, and hospitals are using fuel-dependent generators to keep the power on. On Thursday, the United Nations’ humanitarian coordination office confirmed the destruction of a key bridge spanning a deep river valley that had been the main route for aid to be driven in.

Africa’s Last Absolute Monarchy Convulsed by Mass Protests (NYT) As Africa’s last absolute monarch, King Mswati III of Eswatini chooses his country’s prime minister and cabinet, and possesses the power to dissolve Parliament. His grip on the nation’s limited economic resources has underwritten a lavish lifestyle of luxury cars and palaces. About six out of 10 of citizens, meanwhile, live in poverty. Many in this tiny landlocked nation, wedged between South Africa and Mozambique, are on the brink of hunger and have to cross into South Africa to find work. Now, it seems, many of the kingdom’s 1.1 million inhabitants have had it with this imbalance: Over the past week, the tiny southern African nation, formerly known as Swaziland, has descended into the most explosive civil unrest in its 53 years of independence. Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in the executive capital, Mbabane, and elsewhere, with many burning and looting businesses in which the king holds a stake. The government has responded aggressively, with witnesses, activists and hospital staff reporting that the military and the police have fired live rounds at protesters and looters.

Facebook tests prompts that ask users if they're worried a friend is 'becoming an extremist' (CNN Business) Some Facebook users in the United States are being served a prompt that asks if they are worried that someone they know might be becoming an extremist. Others are being notified that they may have been exposed to extremist content. It is all part of a test the social media company is running that stems from its Redirect Initiative, which aims to combat violent extremism, Andy Stone, a Facebook spokesperson, told CNN. Screen shots of the alerts surfaced on social media Thursday. “This test is part of our larger work to assess ways to provide resources and support to people on Facebook who may have engaged with or were exposed to extremist content, or may know someone who is at risk,” Stone said. “We are partnering with NGOs and academic experts in this space and hope to have more to share in the future,” Stone added. One of the alerts, a screen grab of which made the rounds on social media Thursday, asks users, “Are you concerned that someone you know is becoming an extremist?”