#Cap the Cannonball

[sketchie-escape]

Station Introductions

Next are the Station Sketchies!!!

These are the Sketchies who stick to specific stations around the park, and while they are always seen, they are rarely seen outside of their station

There are 5 Station Sketchies. The 5th is currently out of commission, due to an incident. He will be back eventually.

Sugar the Cotton Candy

“Sugar.. as you’d expect, he’s a sweetheart. He befriends practically everyone he meets. He could never hate anyone, and has a hard time correcting people whenever they mistake him for a girl. I honestly thought he was a girl too.” - ???

Sanity:▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️ Stealth:▫️▫️▫️▫️ Intelligence:▫️▫️▫️ Speed:▫️▫️▫️ Energy:▫️▫️▫️

Station: Candy Stand #1

Zilch the Candy Corn

“Zilch. He was hated when he was made. The other Artists called him ‘Zilch’ to show that, and it stuck. There are only 2 that liked him: Sugar, and the Artist that made him, [PRIVATE INFORMATION]. It’s a shame, too. He didn’t even do anything wrong, and now his trust is gone.” - ???

Sanity:▫️▫️▫️ Stealth:▫️▫️▫️▫️ Intelligence:▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️ Speed:▫️▫️▫️▫️ Energy:▫️▫️

Station: Candy Stand #2

Puffs the Marshmallow

“Puffs… she’s quite the… “princess”, she’d call herself. She thinks everyone should like her, and everyone does. I don’t. She’s stuck up, and quite a brat. I’m surprised nobody else sees this.” - ???

Sanity:▫️▫️▫️▫️ Stealth:▫️▫️ Intelligence:▫️▫️▫️ Speed:▫️▫️▫️▫️ Energy:▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️

Station: Candy Stand #3

Squeaks the Water Balloon

“I guess I see why his name is Squeaks… but he barely even does that. He got along well with the guests, though. The kids really found it funny when he’d spit out water. If you think about it, it’s quite gross, but if it works, it works.” - ???

Sanity:▫️▫️▫️▫️ Stealth:▫️ Intelligence:▫️▫️▫️ Speed:▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️ Energy:▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️

Station: Amusement - Water Dunk

Cap the Cannonball

“Cap the Cannonball is currently out of commission. Due to a child sneaking in a home-brought watergun, full of real water, he has been damaged. He will remain in his room until he is fully healed. He seems shaken up still, even with the new patch for his eye. I hope he’ll still be friends with Squeaks, at least, and that he won’t have a fear of any type of water.” - Documentations

“…Cap… he’ll never be the same again.” - ???

Sanity:▫️ Stealth:▫️▫️▫️▫️ Intelligence:▫️▫️▫️▫️ Speed:▫️▫️▫️▫️▫️ Energy:▫️▫️▫️▫️

Station: Amusement - Pirate Ship (closed)

[kalims]

scribbles

"( – ⌓ – ) ⎯⎯ he lets you draw on his skin, yeah thats pretty much it.

ft. malleus, vil

malleus

it was... a breach of your patience.

the lesson, was awfully boring. the more you listened to the apparent 'heroic' doings of certain individuals. the more it strips away your attentiveness to the words spilling out of professor trein's mouth. no matter how many times you will your ears to make out the incoherent lecturing of the man... it remains deaf.

so you decide to sate said boredom.

how? of course you need to bother your seatmate!

your intentions remained within the circle of yourself of course. your eyes stuck to the stray marker over your paper so you silently twisted the cap off and scribbled on your paper—then it was your palm—and now, malleus' arm.

"child of...?" man. malleus finishes in his mind, his attention suddenly snapped away at the sudden tug of his arm. definitely not his own decision to even make it move in the first place. usually it would remain stiffly beside his body like usual and even if someone tried to pry it to them it would remain still. but without his attention, his body lets you.

without another word. you peel open his fingers, palm open to you and it's a notion he allows. and he stays silent when you tug his gloves off. perhaps with a curious huff, malleus drifts closer to you. to accommodate your actions that he's yet to get an explanation for.

... and suddenly there's very bright flowers drawn on his palm.

said owner of the palm might just be toe darkest person in the room so it's quite out of place.

but it's from you so he likes it.

he peeks at it, with a fond smile on his face. I should enchant it to remain there forever. he thinks to himself, the curve of his lips growing wider at his thoughts, like he'd proud of the idea. the idea of being able to carry around something made exclusively by you might as well shove him into a cannonball and send him to cloud nine.

it's adorable. you're adorable.

his world grows a little more blue the more he stares at you. and if it weren't for the searing glances the professor sends your way malleus would just let his eyes engrave you into his memory forever, so he laments over it and reluctantly peels his gaze off you. mind speaking a thousand memories, the very same reason he somehow can't hear anything trein says.

you draw a strange looking lizard beneath his ring finger, one that looks a little like him and he thinks that you're asking him for marriage.

that can be arranged... he ponders, oblivious.

vil

drawings, doodles, painting— art. a reflection of the soul.

vil is great at makeup.

every brush on your face, a step to beauty. that is his reflection. you are his soul. he wants to make you look—no, make you feel like you're beautiful cause the canvas he's standing in front of is his greatest piece of art, he'd want to put you on the tallest pedestal there is. the grandest one just so the rest knows your beauty is parallel to none, something they can see and admire but not reach.

but he also wants to keep you in his own room, because only he knows what he felt when he painted you. only he should be the one given the grace.

this... he doesn't know what to consider.

perhaps vil should be bothered, if not then a little peeved at the several colors across his skin. a myriad of doodles, some words, and some simple drawings. a poor portrait of him is drawn next to one he assumes yours, the 'fairest' word on the right side of his hand, and flowers.

he's sure though. you're definitely no artist.

the thought cracks a smile at him, and you steal a glance midst the cool tip of the pen dancing along his skin. "I'd thought you wouldn't even let me do this," you admit, chair having been moved over closer to him so you wouldn't have any leaning problems. a suggestion by vil you gratefully took up, though you doubt it was just another excuse to have you closer.

"why?"

"dunno," you shrug. "it looks unseemly compared to you."

he huffs, flashing you a light smirk. "so my face is, hmmm..." vil ponders for a moment, and your face twists to the realization that you possibly just exposed what you think. but you suppose it isn't really a problem since it was basically common sense that vil is...

"gorgeous." you finish for him.

his aura brightens. (probably will be for the rest of the week.)

your hand retracts from him, the marker gripped between your fingers. and he takes a look at your 'art.' he doesn't know if he should consider it as one since there are a heap of sloppy lines, and the color bleeds into his skin. some smudges that you accidentally brushed against that makes it seem like a messy picture of chaos.

vil strives for perfection, but it's only natural there are flaws. to love oneself, you must love all parts. and to love you, he loves whatever the ink on his skin is.

well, what the heck.

"pass it to me," he stretches his hand, and you quirk a brow. questioning but curious so he indulges you. "I'll show you how it's done."

note. ngl idk what I wrote for vil it's currently 12 AM rn ☠ <- newer note, this has been rotting in my drafts for weeks and I couldn't decide whether to post it cause I wasn't sure about vil's but here hehehe

[awritesthings1]

Gone with the Leaves

Pairing: Tommy Shelby / Wife Reader

Summary: Despite your happy marriage to Tommy, you feel an undeniable jealousy towards Lizzie. Perhaps a day in the forest will do you some good.

ao3 link

A/N: I'm starting a tag list, comment if you want to be added :)

-

“You write like you’re running out of time,” mused Lizzie Stark, former prostitute, now Tommy’s secretary. “They have typewriters for those types of things, y’know?”

You saw the volley of cannonballs that launched and subsequently landed on Tommy’s desk as the words left her mouth. It wasn’t that you expected more of poor old plain Lizzie, but you thought that the time she had spent lying on her back staring past the shoulder of a customer at the ceiling would have taught her to read a room. Nevertheless, she stood there, quite amused with herself, smiling stupidly at your husband.

Tommy, who had been sitting at his desk all afternoon attending to letters, the ledger, and god knows what else, peered up from the paper. “What did you say?”

This time, it was your turn to be amused. He pointed accusingly at Lizzie, who by then had realised her impetuous mistake. Her wide eyes fluttered to you desperately, like a bee that had indulged itself in so much pollen that it became stuck in its own honey. No, that was putting it lightly. She looked to you like a frightened child who knew exactly what kind of trouble they were in.

You made sure you looked the other way.

“It was only a silly joke,” came her spluttering apology.

Tommy squinted, and his mouth curled into a frown. Smoke chased the deep exhale from the cigarette hanging between his lips. Your husband carried this terrifying look to him that many feared. Without the peaky cap to cover his striking blue eyes, you saw his glare cut away the cords in Lizzie’s throat with just one look. How could poor Lizzie defend herself from eyes that had witnessed nightmarish things?

“I’m not clear. Is it funny that I sign my letters by hand, or are you above using ink now that you have graduated from the bed to the desk?”

Lizzie’s mouth wormed into a thin line, yet she still looked to you for help. Of what help she thought you would possibly spare, you weren’t sure. For once, Lizzie used initiative and showed herself out.

Your heels clacked across the wooden threshold of your husband’s office. Now that no one was there to disturb you both, you sat down on Tommy’s lap. By then, he was leaning back on his chair, work abandoned for the time being until he could wash the sour sight of Lizzie Stark from his eyes.

“You know I don’t like her,” you said plainly.

There was no need for fake smiles or lies with Tommy. You knew him, and he knew you.

Tommy exhaled loudly, stubbing out the last of his cigarette on his ashtray and taking a swig of whiskey before his calloused hand found your waist.

He clears his throat. “It’s only business with her.”

“I know, but that doesn’t mean I like her any less.”

Tommy loved you, not Lizzie Stark, yet you couldn’t stomach the undeniable jealousy that arose with her presence. Perhaps it was a natural inclination women had toward their lovers. Lizzie had never done anything outwardly wrong to you. So, what was it then that turned your plain teeth into hissing fangs?

Everyone knew that Tommy was one of her paying customers before you met him, but so were all of Small Heath. You never felt insecure in your relationship with Tommy; there was no need to feel threatened by a prostitute. Yet that wouldn’t stop the catty feline that emerged from its slumber when Lizzie’s wandering eyes battered at your husband.

No. Lizzie Stark would never know what it felt like to be loved by a man like Tommy. What you held in your hands each night was a transcendental, unconditional type of love—one that surpassed the heart and soul, which drew two beings together in the most unconventional yet fitting way. The way that covers kept you warm at night, Tommy watched over your hearth and kept the fire burning, even if he were on the other side of the country.

You closed your eyes, leaning into the valley between Tommy’s neck and shoulder as you listened for the bah-dum-bah-dum of his heart. They sat together in silence, cherishing each other’s presence, while Tommy rested his cheek on your head. Outside, the world waited, barking at their front door and scratching at the delicately carved wood. Even the rain lashed at the windowpanes, playing together like one elemental orchestra.

The hand not resting on your waist rose to gently stroke up and down your arm. You shivered, but it wasn’t from the cold.

“I think you have some work to attend to in the bedroom,” you mumbled into his neck.

Your nose searched for the spot where he applied his aftershave.

“Eh?” Came his gruff response.

Your hand wandered down his suit in answer.

-

The sheets were bundled around Tommy’s naked waist when you sauntered back over to the bed with his case of cigarettes in hand. Gratefully, he took the case from your hand, wrapping an arm around your shoulder to pull you into the warmth of his chest. Then he began the usual routine. He fished out a cigarette to offer, but you shook your head no, so he slid it once, then twice, across his bottom lip. On the bedside table, he grabbed the half-empty matchbox to light the cigarette.

Tommy was the resident chain smoker in your house. With an appetite for tobacco and whiskey, you often wondered just how he sustained himself throughout the day. Of course, there were the home-cooked meals at Arrow House waiting for his return, although that didn’t stop you from worrying any less. It was pathetic, really, sitting all alone in his study, twiddling your fingers, and sitting beneath his portrait like you were praying to him. Tommy was no god, no matter how much he tried to convince everyone else. Yet whenever headlights passed the window and lit up the office momentarily, you would stand up and peer out, hoping to spot your husband exiting the car.

He cleared his throat, drawing your attention back to the present. You loved watching the way the cigarette shifted between his lips when he spoke, even more when his hooded eyes looked over at you. Tommy was a man of few words, simply because he didn’t need language to communicate. His body spoke for him in tongues for all his enemies to understand. And more importantly, in a way your body understood.

Your hand abandoned his tattoo to stroke a thumb across his full bottom lip. Lust swelled there, eager to chase the rest of the night away into a haze of pleasure until the sun rose. As tempting as it was, you sighed at the thought. You would rather spend this time taking in your husband, remembering the fine details across his face and body, from the scar in the hollow of his cheek to the rough texture beneath his shoulder blade where a bullet was once lodged. You wanted to trace the sockets of his eyes the way a blind person would, treasuring each valley, mountain, and cut of skin as if it were to disappear the second you stopped touching him.

“You’re beautiful,” you decided, bathed in candlelight, tangled up between the sheets and Tommy’s arms.

Tommy’s brows furrowed, and the cigarette hung dangerously loose from where his lips curled into a frown. He grunted, clearly dissatisfied with your words. Tommy wasn’t beautiful. He was hard, ambitious, and unmovable force.

Beautiful was a conventional word savored for the finest women. To you? It meant so much more. Crafted in a way that would cause people to stare, sure, but there was also a poetic sense to the word. The type of beauty you would use to describe a well-written novel or heart-wrenching poem. Thomas Shelby stood for something, and that was beautiful.

“Then what are you, eh?”

A lazy smile floated onto your face, so much so that you had to bite your lip to refrain from looking devastatingly pleased at his answer.

A woman, a dreamer, a friend, a reader, an achiever. “A wife.”

He huffed, raising his eyebrows playfully.

Why was it that most women felt like they could only fit the frame of one? With Tommy, you were never limited to the endless possibilities. You treasured being a wife the same way you treasured your other roles. Marriage wasn’t the end all be all. Perhaps that’s another lie men spun—that perfectly capable women stopped existing as soon as a diamond ring slid onto their finger. How sad, you thought, to waste away all that potential when men were still free to pursue stupid ideas like war and dog fights.

Tommy was unbothered by traditional ideas like that. Change powered his ambition; he had no time for parallel lines. You could be his wife, a writer, a singer, or a mother—whatever you wanted—and he wouldn’t think of you any less.

You hummed, chasing that cigarette from his lips and stubbing it out in the ash tray by his bedside table. Tommy didn’t seem too heartbroken about it. In fact, there was some mirth in his gaze. His hands traced up your naked spine, pulling your body further into his until you could smell the smoke in his breath.

“Yes,” he breathed in loudly through his nose, “my wife.”

-

The following day, you were invited to the Basnett's hunting party. You would’ve been more enthusiastic to write about your excitement to attend if the whole ordeal hadn’t been so troublesome. Because a few days prior, when you were visiting your husband’s office, you had caught sight of the letter on Lizzie’s desk, a letter that was supposed to reach you days earlier.

“What’s this?” You asked.

“Oh, nothing interesting,” Lizzie had said, too occupied with filing her nails while on the clock.

You kept your composure for the sake of keeping the peace. You didn’t wish to disturb Tommy if he were to walk by.

“This is a letter addressed to me,” you pressed.

“Oh.” She stopped for a moment, then leaned over to read the letter you had pulled from the messy pile. “No, it’s addressed to Tommy.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Shelby,” you hissed quietly, with emphasis on the missus.

“Hm, I didn’t notice.”

“You are paid to notice.” You fought the urge to comment that she was paid for other things not long ago. “How long has this been sitting here?”

Lizzie tapped her cigarette ash into the tray. “The post boy dropped that lot off yesterday.”

Even if it was only two days late to reach your hand, by society’s standards, that may have well been taken as you snubbing the invitation. Frustratingly, you had to cancel your plans that day and personally deliver your letter to the Basnett’s door, citing some excuse of it having been lost in the post.

“That woman is up to no good.” You said glumly that night into Tommy’s chest.

“I’ll speak to her,” he promised in that stoic tone of his.

Whether he had been true to his words, you weren’t sure because Lizzie made an effort to avoid you when possible.

“Oh! Mrs. Shelby! How wonderful for you to join us! Come in, come in. The men are readying their rifles for the hunt outside. How exciting!” Gushed Lady Basnett, shooing you into the atrium of her lavish mansion.

Your riding boots clacked across the floor before being muffled by an intricately woven rug. You stared up at the chandelier, childishly wondering if it would hit you if it were to fall at that moment.

“Right this way, Mrs. Shelby!” Lady Basnett ushered excitably.

You debated if all her energy was for show—to please her husband and be the good wife he expected of her. After she showed you through to the veranda and down to the circle of wives who had gathered under the trees while their husbands readied for the hunt, you decided that no, she must truly enjoy planning social occasions like this, as evidenced by the way she kissed Sarah’s cheek in greeting with a wide grin.

It pleased you to know that Lady Basnett found joy in something. Ever since her eldest died in the war, she has been known to be a bit of a recluse.

“Oh, what a beautiful ring! May we see it?” Doe-eyed Catherine asked.

She was one of the younger wives, like yourself. Catherine married an older man, twice her senior. Many of the wives here faulted her for it behind her back, but not you. You saw more of yourself in her than you did in any of the other women. Because, despite the age gap, the girl seemed to be utterly head-over-heels in love with a man society deemed old-fashioned for her. And how could you blame her when you swore an oath to a gangster of all people?

You obliged and let the wives twist and turn your hand to better inspect the diamonds on your ring finger.

“It’s perfect!”

“How many carats?”

“My Mary would be so jealous!”

After dutifully showing your wedding ring, you noticed the men beginning to mount their horses.

Catherine hooked her arm around yours. “Come on, we are going to be left behind!”

She jovially pulled you along the stone tiles at a speed that made you grateful for wearing riding boots. The backyard was grand in the sense that the acres they owned stretched vastly into the nearby forest. Although there were impressive features, like the hedge they had grown into a maze and the trees that were shaped into birds.

“Lady Basnett owned an aviary of budgies. Dear little things they were, she was devastated when they all escaped one night after the groundskeeper forgot to close the door,” Catherine commented, having noticed the way your head was turned.

You laughed, because you could precisely picture Lady Basnett as the type to fawn over little budgies.

Catherine led you to the horses, where some of the wives were already perched, waiting for the party to leave. None of them carried rifles, but rather wicker baskets strapped to the saddle for the picnic they planned to have at the top of the hill while they waited for their husbands to finish hunting.

Together, you set off, having mounted the back of Catherine’s mare. Deeper into the forest you went, the black mare trotting over loose dirt and rocks. Both of you remained at the end of the pack, preferring to keep to yourselves in light conversation.

Then it all happened so suddenly. One of the rifles went off up ahead, and a flock of birds rushed at you from the break in the foliage, startling your mare. You gasped in shock and reached for Catherine’s jacket to hold on, but only skimmed her. She went face first into the dirt while you were swept into the air like a leaf and fell with the grace of a rock. The ground thundered as the mare galloped into the distance.

“Fuck!” Catherine spat.

(On her fall she had taken a mouthful of soil and leaves.)

“They’ll come back,” you tried to reassure her.

-

Hours later, the two of you still had not been found.

“I was a prostitute before George found me, y’know.”

No, you didn’t know.

“That’s why I’m so young and he so old,” she smiled fondly, laughing as if it were the most normal thing.

You couldn’t find it in your heart to dislike her because of her circumstances. She was your friend, and a true one at that.

What was it that Tommy said? The past is the past.

-

The sun began to set when one of the men from the hunting party found you both huddled together under a tree. Kindly, he let the two of you ride the rest of the way back despite your hesitance to mount another horse.

When you returned to Lady Basnett’s, with Catherine in arm, the sun had been set for at least two hours. You hadn’t realized what trouble you had gotten yourself into until you noticed Tommy’s Bentley parked in the crowded driveway of the mansion. Men stood at the gate, armed and waiting. Catherine opened her mouth to remark how ridiculous it was, but you kept your lips sealed after recognizing the guards to be Peaky Blinders.

Tommy had to be beside himself.

A young boy who was playing between the cars popped his head out when the gates squealed open. His ears perked up, and he ran inside, clutching his peaky cap, to probably inform the adults inside of your arrival. People pooled out onto the front steps, the women covering their hearts and sighing with relief, and the men holding their hats to their chests. But when your husband, Tommy, came storming out, they parted like the red sea.

He stalked across the gravel like a predator, his eyes trained on you with an unblinking stare.

“Are you hurt?” He ignored Catherine, cupping your face and frantically looking between both your eyes as if you would disappear.

Upon further inspection, his eyes were bloodshot, and the white sleeves of his blouse were bundled into the golden garters. Your hands itched to muse his disheveled hair into place, but with all the curious onlookers, you thought better of it.

“No.”

George, Catherine’s husband, was quick to whisk her away inside. You heard Lady Basnett’s voice trailing after them: “Oh my, what a terrible thing. Come now, let me pour you some tea.”

Unfortunately, tea wouldn’t make up for any lost ground with Tommy.

“We’re going.”

You knew better to open your mouth to disagree. This was Tommy being afraid and carrying on. He retreated into himself. It didn’t look pretty or like he cared, but he cared; you knew he cared. It was only that no one else was allowed to know that the great Thomas Shelby felt any emotion.

At Arrow House, he swallowed two glasses of whiskey before saying a word. You were pulling at the hem of the overcoat that Tommy had shook off his shoulders to give you for the ride home. Your fingers just couldn’t stand the anxious silence that rang throughout the room.

“What the fuck happened?”

He stood in front of you, stoic as a soldier but cracking around the exterior thanks to his hand, which itched for the cigarette case inside his pocket. (A nervous tick of his.) You grab his hand between your own before he can fish out the case.

“The horse got spooked. It bucked Catherine and me off, but we’re fine.”

His thumb rubs across your knuckles as he looks past your shoulder out the window.

“Do you know where I was when I got the call? Eh? I was handling some business when Lizzie came in and told me some posh old woman was on the line, saying you were missing.”

He exhaled sharply, dropping his gaze to you, where you noticed his eyes soften.

“I thought…” He broke off.

His chin dropped, and he went to itch his nose with his other hand.

“What did you think happened? Is there something I should know about?” Concern leaked into your voice.

“No,” he huffed, clearing his throat. “It doesn’t matter. You’re home, and you’re safe.”

You bit your lip to stop yourself from saying anything that might push him over the edge. He was fragile in a state like this in the sense that he pushed the stronger, more vivid feelings to the side because you were his wife, not a Peaky Blinder. No, you would never be, even though you married one.

Often, you would wish you could turn into the leaves that swept off the pavement and into the air. Imagine then how much easier life would be for you both—to forget the animosity of life and rise above it all, breathe in that crystal air, and then finally exclaim the truth because up there no one could hear them or cared enough to try anyway.

Cautiously, you let go of his hand and traced your fingertips up to knead away the tension in his jaw.

“Thomas… Do you remember what you asked of me? To help you with the whole fucking thing—”

“From now on—”

“Thomas—”

“From now on, let me know where you are going. I will organize a guard to watch over you.”

‘You write like you’re running out of time,’ Lizzie’s poorly placed joke from the start of the week reverberated in your skull.

Was he?

“I need you,” he breathed, the smell of whiskey fanning over your senses.

You nodded, pressing up on your toes to kiss him. A soft breath escaped him when you pulled away.

“You have me.”

[clarii]

Off Limits

Summary: JJ Maybank has always had a crush on John B’s sister, and the feeling is mutual. But when JJ finally musters the courage to ask John B for permission to date her, the answer is a firm no. Determined not to ruin his friendship with John B, JJ pulls away completely, leaving her confused and heartbroken.

Pairings: JJ Maybank x Reader, John B & JJ friendship, Pogues & reader friendship, John B & Reader Siblings relationship

Warnings: Angst, drinking, hurt/comfort, protective sibling, pining, unresolved feelings

Author’s note: There might be another part, I’m not sure yet.

The sun hung low in the sky, painting the Outer Banks in shades of orange and pink as the sound of waves echoed through the marsh. You sat cross-legged on the porch of the Chateau, fingers tracing patterns into the worn wood, watching JJ Maybank argue with Pope about some ridiculous bet he’d lost earlier that day.

“Admit it, Maybank, you lost,” Pope taunted, waving a dollar bill in JJ’s face.

JJ snatched it back, flashing his signature grin. “It was a technicality, man. You know I had that cannonball beat if the current wasn’t so strong.”

You laughed softly, barely hearing the conversation because all you could focus on was the way JJ kept stealing glances at you from across the deck. It wasn’t subtle — it never was with him. His blue eyes lingered, his smirk lingering just a little longer each time you caught him staring.

“Hey, you good?” he called out, tilting his head toward you.

You nodded, trying not to blush under his gaze. “Yeah, just enjoying the chaos.”

JJ winked. “We keep it interesting, huh?”

That was how it always was with JJ. Constant teasing, pet names like princess and sweetheart tossed around like they meant nothing. But they meant everything to you.

And he knew it.

It had started small — the hand-holding during bonfires, his arm always finding its way around your waist when he walked you home after late nights at the beach. He’d tuck loose strands of hair behind your ear, fingers lingering on your jaw. It was like he couldn’t help himself.

The feelings were undeniable. And honestly, you thought he’d confess any day now.

But then came that conversation.

“Dude, I gotta talk to you.”

JJ stood in the Chateau’s kitchen, nervously rolling a bottle cap between his fingers. John B, completely oblivious, was shoving chips into his mouth like the human garbage disposal he was.

“Yeah? What’s up?”

JJ hesitated. This was harder than he thought it’d be. He rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding his best friend’s eyes.

“It’s about your sister.”

John B froze mid-bite, narrowing his eyes. “What about her?”

JJ’s throat felt dry. “Look, man, I care about her. Like, really care. And I… I wanted to ask if it’s cool, you know? If I took her out sometime. For real.”

John B set the chip bag down with a thud. His face shifted from confusion to something colder.

“No.”

JJ blinked. “Wait, what?”

John B shook his head. “I’m serious, JJ. She’s not some hookup, man. She doesn’t need you messing with her head.”

JJ clenched his fists. “I’m not messing with her, JB. I—”

“I’ve seen the way you are with girls. I know you, JJ. And I’m not letting you screw up our friendship over this. She’s off limits. End of discussion.”

The finality in his tone made JJ’s stomach twist.

“Dude—”

“I said no.”

And just like that, everything changed.

JJ kept his distance. No more flirting, no more lingering touches. No more playful pet names. He acted like you were… just there. A regular person.

It hurt.

And you didn’t understand why.

Days passed. Then weeks. You noticed the way he avoided your gaze, the way his jokes were no longer meant for you but for everyone else. He stopped walking you home. Stopped holding your hand during bonfires.

He was acting like you didn’t exist.

And it was killing you.

A week later.

The party was loud, the music too much, the smell of beer thick in the air. You weren’t even sure why you were there anymore. Probably because you knew he would be.

JJ was sitting on the back deck, red solo cup in hand, head tilted back against the railing. His face was flushed, hair messier than usual, and his smile? Faded.

You hesitated, but then John B appeared, blocking your view.

“Hey,” he said. “What’s wrong?”

You blinked. “You mean besides your best friend acting like I don’t exist?”

John B’s face paled slightly, but he recovered quickly.

“He’s… just being JJ.”

You scoffed. “No, he’s not. He’s avoiding me.”

John B sighed, glancing toward JJ, who was now standing up, swaying slightly as he finished his drink.

“He’s drunk,” John B muttered. “Let me handle this.”

You shook your head. “No. I will.”

You found JJ leaning against the fence outside, eyes closed, lips pressed in a thin line.

“JJ.”

His head snapped up, and for a second, that softness was there again — the way his eyes searched yours like he was trying to memorize your face.

But then his face hardened.

“Hey. Thought you’d be inside with… you know, your actual friends.”

Your heart sank. “Why are you acting like this?”

He exhaled shakily, running a hand through his hair. “I’m just tired, Y/N. Go back inside.”

You stepped closer, ignoring the ache in your chest. “No. Not until you tell me why you’re avoiding me.”

JJ’s jaw tightened. “Ask your brother.”

Before you could respond, John B appeared, tugging JJ away from you. “Dude, you’re wasted. Let’s go.”

But JJ wasn’t done.

He shoved John B’s hand off his shoulder, voice cracking.

“You think this doesn’t hurt? You think it’s easy to just… shut her out?!”

John B stared, stunned.

JJ’s voice rose. “You told me to stay away from her! So I did! But it’s killing me, man! I—” His eyes flicked to you, glassy and vulnerable. “I’m in love with her. And you made me feel like I wasn’t good enough to even try.”

Silence.

You felt like the world had stopped spinning.

John B swallowed hard. “JJ… I didn’t mean—”

JJ’s voice broke. “Yeah, you did.”

And with that, he pushed past both of you, disappearing into the night.

[zorosangell]

⛥ﾟ・。 bmf

synopsis: zoro doesn't take kindly to you being disrespected... at all.

cw: supposed to parallel piña colada, fluffy fluff, comfort, ZORO DOES NOT PLAY ABOUT YOU, protective zoro, decent amount of profanity in this one, zoro is mr. handle it.

a/n: I LOVE LANA SO MUCH I IMMEDIATELY THOUGHT OF ZORO WHEN I HEARD THIS SONG <3 i suggest you listen to it while reading for the full experience.

"This is insane!" a random onlooker exclaimed, hand gripping his hair in disbelief. "Are these guys even human?!"

His shouts of surprise were followed by howls of excitement from the other passerby, everyone packed tightly around your net and towels to get a glimpse of the action.

Originally, the boys had been taking on challengers in four-on-four volleyball matches, but when they kept kicking everyone's ass, they opted for two on two between themselves instead.

The current match was Sanji and Usopp vs. Zoro and Franky.

And the entire crowd was on the edge of their seats.

"C'mon, Sanji! Get your head in the game!" Nami exclaimed, slightly tipsy, as she gripped onto her wad of cash. "If you lose this, I'm out thirty thousand berries!"

"Yes, Nami-Swan! Your wish is my command!" the lovesick cook squealed, completely stopping what he was doing to gawk at her, his eyes turning heart-shaped.

With a smirk, Zoro took the opportunity to launch himself in the air, meeting Franky's set perfectly and spiking the ball into the sand with a deafening slam, the force creating a small crater.

"Yes! Good job, Zo'!" you cheered, pumping your free fist in the air while the other held your swordsman's sake.

"SANJI!" Nami growled, furious.

With a small chuckle, Robin glanced up from her book, eyes carefully examining the navigator's puffed cheeks and childish pout.

'Adorable...'

"Nami, this is supposed to be a vacation..." you snickered, resting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you relax?"

"I would be relaxed if I was making money!" she huffed, crossing her arms over his chest. "I ask him to do one thing, and he can't even do that!"

"This is for the win! One last rally!" Chopper announced, happily jumping atop his lifeguard chair.

"C'mon, Sanji, you gotta help me on this!" Usopp exclaimed as he grabbed the cook by his shoulders, attempting to shake him out of it. "There's no way I'm stopping them if they pull that move again!"

"Nice work, bro!" Franky commended, giving your moss-haired swordsman a high-five as he approached the service line, ball in hand.

"Thanks," he nodded, a cocky smirk settling on his lips as he turned to face the net. "Now, let's finish this... I got a nice bottle of sake waiting for me."

Out the corner of his eye, he glanced at his towel, where you sat, reapplying your sunscreen.

Carefully, you squeezed a glob into your palm, closing the cap before rubbing your hands together and massaging it into the flesh of your legs.

Like a dog with a bone, he watched, mesmerized, as you caressed your skin, the sunscreen giving you an alluring shine and making your legs look ripe and tender for the grabbing.

'Goddamn...'

He grinned, taking in the light (f/c) of your bikini, along with the waist beads hanging lazily over your stomach, and the gold anklets and bracelets that jingled with your every movement.

You looked oh-so sexy, and he was oh-so ready to join you.

"Let's hurry this up!"

Tossing the ball in the air, he served, sending it flying over the net with the force of a cannonball.

"Sanji!" Usopp shrieked, eyes wide with fear as he slapped his hands on his cheeks.

"Diable Mouton Shot!" Sanji spat, jumping into the air and hitting the ball with a flaming kick, sending the it right back.

The damned thing caught on fire with his force, and was headed straight for the sand.

"What a weak serve! I'd expect that from you, moss for brains!"

"HAH?! YOU WANNA SAY THAT AGAIN!"

"I got it, bro!" Franky dove, extending his fist in the nick of time and saving the ball, letting it bounce into the sky. "All you!"

Pissed, Zoro broke into a running start before launching himself into the air once again, the crowd going wild as he wound up his arm for one monster slam.

Suddenly, something called his attention to the sidelines, his eyes instantly landing on the (h/c) head of hair that belonged to his girlfriend.

You were smiling from ear to ear, beaming with pride, hands clasped together as you watched him soar through the air.

Finding his eyes, you gave your swordsman a firm nod, your expression encouraging him to push forward.

That was all the confirmation he needed.

With renewed vigor, Zoro turned to the ball, your support turning his drive into pure, molten fire.

He roared, striking down on the ball, executing a perfect spike.

"Ow!" a random woman winced as she walked past, lifting up her foot. "Stupid seashells..."

"Do you need help, my dear?! I'd be glad to carry you wherever you need to go!" Sanji offered, practically teleporting to her side with a lovesick grin.

"SANJI!" Usopp screamed, terrified, as the ball came careening toward him.

Frantic, he dove out the way, just barely saving his ass as it slammed into the ground with a thunderous crack, a large burst of sand shooting up from the ground.

For a moment, the crowd was silent, before erupting with roars of joy and excitement.

Everyone rushed Zoro as he landed, Franky letting out loud whoops and howls of victory.

"SANJI!" Nami shouted, dropping herself face first in her towel. "My berries!"

"Zoro and Franky win! Way to go, Zoro!" Chopper cheered, jumping off of the lifeguard chair.

"That move was killer, man!" one of the onlookers exclaimed. "I could barely see the ball!"

"You should go pro! You'd make a killing!" another added.

"Great game!"

"Good job!"

"You're the best player I've ever seen!”

"That last spike was insane! A little higher and you could've jumped over the net!"

The women were next to swarm, pushing past the men and surrounding him on all sides.

"Nice game, hot stuff!"

"You're really strong, aren't you?"

"You doin' anything later tonight?"

Zoro rolled his eyes, unamused, as he attempted to maneuver around them, one thing on his mind.

You.

Though, as he managed to peer past the crowd of girls, he caught sight of a man next to his towel.

He was large for an average guy, muscular and decently good-looking with shaggy brown hair.

But that wasn't what bothered Zoro.

What bothered Zoro was the way he was talking to you, forcibly positioning himself to tower over your sitting form and using a sharp tone that sparked a few embers of anger in the swordsman's chest.

Who the fuck did he think he was talking to?

"You got a name, handso—?" "Move."

Pushing past her and the other girls, he power-walked toward your umbrella, getting close enough to actually make out what you were saying.

"Look, whatever your name is, I'm trying to help you out," you sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose. "I can't promise your safety if my boyfriend comes back here and catches you acting like this."

He'd been at this for fifteen minutes...

After Robin left to go get a drink, and Nami ran off to kick Sanji's ass, he swooped in like a vulture on the hunt, attempting to put the moves on you.

He used every line in the book, laying it on thick as he bragged about his weight-lifting stats and obnoxiously flexed his muscles in your face.

"My safety?" he scoffed, letting out a haughty chuckle at your outlandish statement. "Sweetheart, if anything, your boyfriend's the one that should be worryin' about safety. I guarantee you I'm twice the man he is."

You paused a moment, almost disbelieving, lifting up your shades and waiting to see if the man was serious.

He was.

Deadly serious, actually.

'HA!'

You threw your head back in a burst of uproarious laughter, the sound causing the man to jolt with surprise, and slight confusion.

He'd never seen your expressions range anything past disinterest, so seeing you so amused by the idea of him beating up your boyfriend was... jarring, to say the least.

But you couldn't help yourself.

Zoro, the man with a bounty over one billion?

Zoro, the master of the sword belonging to the king of hell?

Zoro, the man who has moved literal mountains with his bare hands?

It was almost too much.

The man's brows furrowed, face burning at the mockery.

"The hell is so fuckin' funny?!" he huffed, growing anger.

Attempting to regain your composure, you wiped a tear from your eye, slightly clutching your stomach as your laughs died down.

"You wish," you snickered into the rim of your fruity drink, taking a sip as you attempted to muffle your chuckles. "He'd kill you... like actually."

Furious, the man took a harsh step forward, completely invading your personal space and smacking your drink out your hand, knocking the cup into the sand.

"You think I'm some kind of joke, bitch?!" he exclaimed, the veins in his neck bulging.

"Pick it up."

Zoro's voice traveled through the air like a wave of ice, quelling the slight pangs of worry in your chest like water to a fire.

Feeling tough, the man snapped his head around, meeting your swordsman with a harsh glare.

That is... until he realized who he was talking to.

Instantly, the wind left his sails, eyes widening and heart sinking like a rock in a river as it all finally clicked.

Your boyfriend was one of the most wanted men in the New World.

"Y-You... Y-You're... Pirate Hunter?!"

"I said... pick it up," Zoro pressed, tone leaving no room for argument, eye sharply trained on the bastard in front of him. "Before I make you do it myself."

"Look! I didn't know she was your girlfriend!" the man blubbered, practically shaking as he scrambled to pick up your glass, frantically handing it to you. "I didn't mean it! I don't want any trouble!"

"Then get lost," Zoro spat, harshly, brows cinching with anger. "You come around here again and I'll show you who's the real bitch."

The man didn't have to hear it twice.

Like that, he was gone, running back to his friends with his tail between his legs.

Finally able to sit, Zoro plopped himself down next to you, muttering and grumbling to himself in annoyance as he watched the man run away.

He let him off easy—only because you chewed him out the last time he "went overboard" and caused an island-wide incident, forcing the crew to evacuate.

He nearly murdered the island's sovereign for calling you out of your name, and doubling down when he told him to watch his mouth.

Tenderly, you grabbed his chin, pulling him in and placing a thankful kiss on his cheek as you handed off his sake.

"My hero," you cooed, teasingly.

With a grumble, he popped the cork with his teeth, taking a large swig with puffed cheeks, before breaking off with a harsh sigh.

As he wiped the excess with the back of his hand, he glanced at the man once again, anger flaring in his chest when the bastard hid behind his umbrella.

Like a goddamn child...

Zoro scoffed, taking another swig of his sake.

"Fuckin' pussy..."

[mrspockify]

YEAH OH MY GOD I’ve had a post in my drafts about wishing they could combine power-ups but I never thought about a separate power-up that would be able to allow it!

I really wanna see the double cherries mixed with the vanish cap, so there’s a bunch of clones but none of them are visible—sneak attack from every angle

And then I imagine certain combinations could be absolutely catastrophic, specifically i’m thinking the giga bell and mega mushroom combo (what happens if you just become TOO big? 👀)

If u could create a new power up for a Mario game what would it be

The Combiner Cap.

I'm undecided on what the lore would be, but it's essentially a cap that– if you stuff almost any two powerups into it– combines them into a single powerup.

Sometimes the results are predictable: elephant fruit + fire flower turns you into an elephant that can shoot fire balls, mega mushroom + cat bell turns you into a giant cat, etc.

But other times, the results are something completely new: ice flower + fire flower gives you the ability to shoot firehose-strength jets of water. Elephant fruit + drill powerup allows you to break open massive chasms and create earthquakes. Tanuki suit + cloud shroom allows you to create cyclones that destroy enemies and powerful updrafts.

There are some combinations the hat rejects, of course. Any 1-up you collect immediately goes into your stash of lives and can't be used in the combiner cap. Superstars are so powerful they immediately negate any other powerups you attempt to combine it with. Mega mushrooms + mini mushrooms just end up neutralizing into your usual super mushroom.

You get the idea.

[lucretiaadventurezone]

TAZ Dashboard Simulator 2 (Part 1)

🔥 lup-da-lup Follow

be back soon 💋 im gonna go fight this guy for my relic

🔥 lup-da-lup Follow

Ubmrella

#girl help #im trapped

(7 notes)

In your orbit!

🪩 avi-the-ball-guy

↻ woe-is-johann

🤼 best-fantasy-prowrestler-tournament Follow

Round 4: Semi-Finals

Jeff Angel Propaganda:

from @.ango-mcdango: I <3 JEFF ANGEL HE’S SO COOL AND HE ALWAYS CALLS HIS DAD

Jess the Beheader Propaganda:

from @.bagnus-murnsides: jess literally has a dope ass axe

#jess sweep

(379 notes)

🚀 cap-n-port

↻ you-know-from-tv Follow

┌───────────────────┐

😎 Anonymous asked:

Your captain looks gnc as fuck

└───────────────────┘

👖 lactosewarrior5000

YOU'RE INSANE

#Thank you very much!

(29,399 notes)

🐱 Sponsored by Fantasy Costco

You Don’t Need All of Your Blood; Here’s Why

The Director doesn’t want you to know this…

🎻 woe-is-johann

↻ avi-the-ball-guy

🪩 avi-the-ball-guy

cannonball system liveblog

🪩 avi-the-ball-guy

ball

🪩 avi-the-ball-guy

ball

🪩 avi-the-ball-guy

other. ball

#babe we gotta get you a fidget toy or something #clearly you're getting bored at work

(23 notes)

📔 sheesh-creesh

↻ lup-da-lup Follow

💋 lesbian-orc-lover Follow

lucretia was 18 when the ipre mission left??!? she should've been at the club!!

✨ you-know-from-tv Follow

oh trust me one of the planes we went to was a giant disco and lucy was freakin it sensitive style day and night

🔥 lup-da-lup Follow

real footage of lucretia at the club ↑↑

#I'm actually going to kill both of you #mutuals #queue never know what you'll find #reblogs

(35,095 notes)

❄️ neverwinter-heritage-posts

↻ magic-brian-with-an-i Follow

┌───────────────────┐

🚂 jerreeeeee asked:

is magnus burnsides gay??

└───────────────────┘

📖 dailycalebcleveland

why would you ask us, a caleb cleveland blog, this

#neverwinter heritage posts

(109,837,936 notes)

🧣 weaver-of-fate

↻ raven-queen-official

🐦‍⬛ raven-queen-official

i loev my beaugifyl wife so muchnohmygod

🐦‍⬛ raven-queen-official

where is smy wife i wanst to see herh

🐦‍⬛ raven-queen-official

hiiiiiiiidjiiii omg shge. is here :D

#apologies guys we hung out with pan and she got FUCKED up #you know how poker nights get #wife tag

(74 notes)

🐦 7-bird-watcher

↻ not-a-shitty-wizard Follow

🪄 mage-guy-19274637 Follow

people who actually like bugs are absolute freaks

🕷️ magic-brian-with-an-i Follow

wrong! spider attack

🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️

#sent to me

(6,074 notes)

🌈 lucretiaadventurezone

hi

[fashion-of-the-past]

TW: Blood, Injury

Blood-splattered doublet of King Christian IV. of Denmark, ca. 1644 On the first of July 1644, King Christian participated in the sea battle of Kolberger Heath. He was badly wounded when a cannonball hit the cannon next to him, which exploded. The King lost one of his eyes, and several metal splinters pierced through his clothing. After the battle, the wounded King decided to keep his garments from this faithfull day as a memento. This includes his shirt, his velvet chest cloth, his cap and this velvet doublet with attached linen collar and cuffs. To this day, small fragments of metal still hide between the layer of fabric inside the doublet - where the exploding cannon had launched them in 1644.

This garment is exhibited at Castle Rosenborg in Denmark.

[mynameis-a]

OK SO IM USED TO PEOPLE SHOOTING GUNS FOR THE 4TH IT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR ITS NORMAL

BUT WHY IN THE NINE CIRCLES OF HELL AM I HEARING

FUCKING

CANNON FIRE?????????

CAN YOU GUYS STOP SETTING OFF FIREWORKS

ITS NOT THE 4TH OF JULY YET

ITS THE FIRST

YOU ARE WASTING YOUR FIREWORKS FOR NOTHING

-me, to literally everyone in town because fireworks have been going off for the past 2 hours

[oricreature]

The pilot with Leader siccing the DPS mechs onto the boss enemy who just reached their heat cap and became exposed

(they have mere moments to live as a cannonball disguised as a mech and a rabid cat approach them at high speeds and a mech the size of a mountain with a railgun to match brings its shoulder mounted howitzer to bear)

[elmatashaw]

Klaus von Klinkerhoffen

≫i used to hate Klaus so much but ive started to love his character a lot actually Klaus headcanons requested by @mimpinightmare !! I hope this gets you in a good mood!!!!

general headcanons:

demi boy, asexual, gay, he/him pronouns

german!!!

the sweetest boy you’ll ever encounter

candies are his comfort food, especially the red ones with sour candy on top

has the prettiest blonde ever, sometimes paparazzi ask him what he does to keep his hair so golden (he just laughs, says that his aunts hair remedies are very good and goes on a rant about how her aunt is the best)

HAS FRECKLES

adores farm animals, animals in general

HUGE green flag

autism and social anxiety

childhood headcanons

grow up in a farm, with the help of his cousins they built a small football field

got injured ALL THE TIME

very sensitive kid, he wasnt born to live in the countryside

wore braces at some point

used to have a beautiful, long hair. Sadly, his parents made him chop it off

got made fun of a lot, crying in his room was a part of his daily routine

when he was bored he did some type of hairstyle, absolutely loved pigtails!

collected bottle caps, still does it

once almost drowned in a lake, developed a fear to swimming since that and didnt grow out of it until he joined the team (North helped him a lot with it)

how I think he’d dress

he gives me a lot of cottage vibes, but also a downtown brownish vibe too! I think he’d love scarfs and handmade sweaters. Such as

anything that reminds him of his grandma really

music taste

likes all kinds of music, doesnt really pay attention to the lyrics

some examples of his music taste are

Walk like an Egyptian (The Bangles), Honey, Honey (ABBA) cannonball (The Breeders) Blitzkrieg Bop (Ramones)

well, first request completed! I’m sorry if I take a long time to make your request, but I’m so excited to see people requesting!! Thanks a lot

[schweizercomics]

(turns out McKay's DIDN'T have Mad Max cars lying in wait on the last leg of the trip to protect their prize money by taking out anyone who made it that far)

The family and I did the Ultimate McKay's Road Trip Challenge and had a great time. McKays had clearly prepared, and probably to the capacity that they could've, but the sheer volume of folks participating far outstripped what they were capable of handling according to their original plan and they were working like crazy to pivot as conditions changed from store to store, lines and parking situations became unsafe or unmanageable, and supplies ran out (ink for the stamps, paper for the forms, etc, in addition to the prizes).

Despite all this, and despite the chaos, almost everyone we encountered (and we encountered a lot of folks) was excited to be there, grateful for the store's generosity, and, for those that made it all the way across, elated to have completed it and received the wildly large grand prize.

The grand prize, BTW, was $800 in credit to be used at any of the stores. I've bought hundreds of books over the years from McKays, mostly priced between 75 cents and four dollars; At their prices, $800 is essentially a lifetime supply of used books.

And they didn't have a cap on the number of winners; if you did it, you got it.

The challenge was to celebrate their 50th anniversary, and I hope that the logistical challenges, which were many & staggering (though far moreso for the stores than the participants, save for the heat for those susceptible to it), don't cast a negative light on a branch of bookstores for whom so many thousands and thousands of people have such enthusiasm and affection as to prompt their participation in a 500+ mile cannonball run in the middle of a july worksweek.

I'm sure that the customers wish some things had been done differently and planned for differently, but not nearly as much as do the McKays folks. But this wasn't a Fyre Festival, this was a Woodstock.

Anyway, it was stressful at times, and we fretted over the possibility of its completion, but McKays bent over backwards to try and make it to where if folks were committed to making the whole trek, they got the whole prize. They made tons of allowances as situations changed.

If you haven't been to a McKays, and are ever passing along I-40, I hope that the mania surrounding this event gives makes clear how beloved this shop is to folks who live in Tennessee and North Carolina, and outsiders (like me) who pass, and stop at, it frequently, and makes you wanna see why.

It's the best used bookstore I've ever been to (no individual McKay's store has the scale and scope that does Powell's or the Strand, but their prices are DRAMATICALLY lower than either). I'm incredibly grateful for their prompting and hosting such a great adventure with my fellow readers, and their generosity in prizes in celebration of fifty years.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

* * * *

TRUMP CRASHES THE CLOWN CAR

TCinLA

Dec 18, 2024

From Punchbowl News:

News: President-elect Donald Trump cannonballed into the government funding battle at the 11th hour, trashing Speaker Mike Johnson’s 1,547-page CR and calling on Congress to raise the debt limit just days before the federal government is slated to shut down.

In a long statement on X, Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance called on Congress to pass a debt-limit bill on “Biden’s watch.” Republican leadership on Capitol Hill hadn’t considered including the debt limit in any recent negotiations, although Trump has been griping about having to deal with the borrowing cap for weeks.

Federal agencies shut down Friday at midnight if Congress doesn’t act. The House announced that there are no more votes this evening.

Trump’s statement was the final blow to a CR package that was already a hugely embarrassing setback for Johnson. The House Freedom Caucus had been bitterly opposed to the bipartisan package, which includes $100 billion in disaster aid, $30 billion in support for farmers, health care and trade provisions and even a pay raise for lawmakers, a controversial move.

It’s an inauspicious start to Trump’s relationship with Johnson who, theoretically, is his governing partner. Trump privately trashed Johnson to senators, saying the speaker “mishandled” the situation, according to GOP sources.

“Republicans want to support our farmers, pay for disaster relief, and set our country up for success in 2025,” Trump and Vance said. “The only way to do that is with a temporary funding bill WITHOUT DEMOCRAT GIVEAWAYS combined with an increase in the debt ceiling. Anything else is a betrayal of our country.”

The stopgap funding bill, which congressional leaders released Tuesday night, was indeed a monstrosity. It was an 84-day spending bill that included dozens of provisions completely unrelated to general government operations. As we noted this morning, the legislation was far too broad and sweeping for a short-term spending bill.

Yet Johnson felt he had to give into Democratic demands on a host of provisions because the speaker insisted on the inclusion of economic aid for farmers. Democrats took advantage of Johnson’s position and scored a number of key wins.

What’s next? As of right now, there’s no clear path forward on how Congress plans to avoid a shutdown in just two days.

House GOP leaders have been weighing a Plan B – a clean CR – but House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries signaled Democrats aren’t inclined to bail Republicans out after Johnson backed out of their bipartisan funding deal.

“You break the bipartisan agreement, you own the consequences that follow,” Jeffries said on X.

One Democratic lawmaker said if Nancy Pelosi were the party’s leader, she’d make Republicans pass the bill on their own.

Whatever Republicans decide, they need to move quickly – and with Trump’s blessing. The House and Senate both have to pass a bill in two days in order to avoid even a technical shutdown.

And what about Johnson? A face plant of this nature could imperil Johnson’s political future. The anger – and the anger in the ranks is very real right now – could blow over. We get it. But the speaker election is Jan. 3. That’s just 16 days away.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) already said he wouldn’t back Johnson for speaker. Massie had been leaning that way but said this latest CR debacle was a “tipping point.”

And we hear from multiple sources there are more Republicans – at least two – who are in Massie’s camp. Some Johnson critics are already privately floating names behind the scenes of alternatives they’d prefer for speaker, such as House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan or House Majority Whip Tom Emmer. Jordan and Emmer both ran for speaker after the conference ousted Kevin McCarthy. They both lost. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise could also be in the mix.

Arizona GOP Rep. Eli Crane told us he was “undecided” about voting for Johnson and confirmed there’s talk behind the scenes about a potential alternative. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) is leaning “no,” we’re told. Reps. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.), Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) and Cory Mills (R-Fla.) have been non-committal. Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) is always a wild card.

Johnson can only afford to lose three Republicans on the floor, given former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-Fla.) resignation and assuming all Democrats are present.

And how about Musk? Elon Musk, Trump’s buddy and the mega-billionaire, posted early and often on his platform X today about the bill.

Musk said that any “member of the House or Senate who votes for this outrageous spending bill deserves to be voted out in 2 years!” Remember that Musk spent hundreds of millions of dollars electing Trump. He can spend several millions of dollars and have outsized impact in House primaries.

We also heard he’s been in direct contact with several members regarding the CR throughout the last 24 hours.

Johnson and the GOP leadership in D.C. elevated Musk as the leading figure on cutting government waste. And now that is coming back to bite them.

Welcome to Trump’s Washington.

- - - - - -

My analysis: This is an excellent example of the way things are going to be for the next two years. Trump hasn’t got the brains to swat flies, and his acts are all against any form of intelligence. Even when they get back their three votes, The Gang That Can’t Work And Play Well With Others will continue to shoot themselves in the foot.

My prediction: the government will shut down at midnight Friday, and these clowns will be stuck all through Christmas week with nothing to distract the news from watching them careen from fuckup to fuckup. It couldn’t happen to a more deserving collection of scum and villainy.

They can’t find their collective ass with both hands on a clear day with a two hour advance notice. This is going to be the case with all the bullshit and buffoonery they say they want to inflict on us.

My holiday message to the Trumpscum: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, you collection of worthless motherfuckers. May you continue to trip over the shoelaces you don’t know how to tie.

[euphoricfilter]

bts as my favorite jellyfish 🫧

.　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆.

+ cool jellyfish facts

(another list no one asked for. shark list can be found here)

☆ jin: moon jellyfish

probably don’t need an explanation for this one, simply for the fact jin in the moon and pretty like jellyfish

moon jellyfish can survive in both warm and cool waters!! they’re very social and travels in groups, also known as ‘smacks’ (that’s so silly). some members of the moon jellyfish species live without brains, ears, hearts, blood, eyes and pretty much anything we’re used to having as humans: they have 3 main elements to their existence, they’re 95% water, a mouth and a digestive system. they have their own version of a nervous system though, and without any lungs they breathe through their membrane

☆ taehyung: upside-down jellyfish

upside-down jellyfish are hella unique, taehyung is hella unique. basically a perfect match if you ask me

the different colors seem in upside-down jellyfish comes from their intake of algae. aquarists can tell captive jellyfish from wild upside-down jellyfish, the wild jellyfish have more of a muddy brown color where as the ones in the aquarium are usually a blue, black, white, green or purple!!! they’re rarely found alone, and flips upside-down alongside others of its kind. their little oral arms point up to the sun, looking like a little flower!!! :D

☆ yoongi: cannonball jellyfish

cannonball jellyfish are cute and yoongi is just a cutie kinda guy. i don’t make the rules

they’re carnivorous, eating fish eggs, red drum fish larvae and planktonic larvae of mollusks and snails. they use their little oral arms to move!! when the jellyfish is disturbed, they dive deeper into the water and release toxin-containing mucus! they can sense light gravity and touch. though communication between them isn’t understood really well, sometimes the jellyfish will form larger groups :D they can reproduce both sexually and asexually: they sexually reproduce in the medusa state (what we all commonly know as jellyfish) where they lay eggs that develop into planulae (basically swimming jellyfish larvae)

☆ jungkook: mushroom jellyfish

i kinda love the the little mushroom mullet jungkook used to have hence he is the mushroom jellyfish

their common name refers to their shape of them in the medusa stage: mushroom cap!!!!! they’re often confused with the canonball jellyfish as they both lack oral arms. the mushroom jellyfish is much flatter, softer and larger as it can grow up to 51cm. mushroom jellyfish survive off plankton parts which are pushed out of their umbrella by the water and caught between their sort of finger like appendages!! they don’t really pose as a stinging threat to humans because of their lack of tentacles. however their stinging cells reside within their little bell :D

☆ hobi: lion’s mane jellyfish

lion’s mane jellyfish look cool as hell, and hobi is probably one of the coolest people i can think of 🤨

lion’s mama jellyfish use their stinging tentacles to capture and eat fish, zooplankton, sea creatures and other smaller jellyfish. kingfish will hide within the stinging strands and feed on the leftover jellies until they’re big enough to venture out into the ocean. lion’s mane jellyfish can grow up to 120 feet. they don’t actually have a very long lifespan, only living for around a year :( they can have up to 1200 tentacles. they also have neurons, a ring of nerves within their hoods. without an actual brain and eyes they rely on these nerve cells to perceive and respond to threats. they poop out of where they eat, and eat out of where they poop :D

☆ namjoon: portuguese man-of war

okay so for this one, i watched a long ass video on jellyfish one time and the way they described the portuguese man of war was like kinda super cool and the big boy jellyfish. so to go hand in hand with my choice of shark for namjoon, this one felt fitting

kinda a cheat one because they’re not really jellyfish even if they look very alike. however are featured in jellyfish videos and lists alike so they count on this list too. they’re actually siphonophores, which is essentially a cluster of organisms called polyps that depend on each other for survival!! despite being a slightly scary creature they themselves have predators, (which are super smart). the violet sea slug uses a bubble raft to float close to the surface of the water. they have dark purple undersides which help them camouflage in the darker waters. sea slugs also eat the man-of-war, using a similar strategy, however!! they can also repurpose the stinging cells of their meal for their own self defense!!! the float on the portuguese man-of-war is partially filled with carbon monoxide. and was named after its resemblance to ships :D they also kinda just drift, riding the current with no means of propulsion

☆ jimin: flower hat jellyfish

flower hat jellyfish are pretty, and so is jimin. need i say more

(again they’re technically not jellyfish despite the name, they’re classified as hydrozoa). flower hat jellyfish usually live close to the sea floor with kelp and sea grass. they’re native to small areas of the western pacific ocean with smaller groups individually scattered elsewhere. they prefers moderate moderate depths and warmer temperatures :D they mainly feed on varieties of small fish, where most will occasionally consume small marine invertebrates which they’ll scoop from the ocean floor!! they’re actually quite powerful predators who don’t have many predators of their own however, they have been known to consume one another :(

okay that’s all thank you for reading !!!!

[skyward-floored]

consider: Berry meeting Lost's doggo

- hero-of-the-wolf

@hero-of-the-wolf

Considered and accepted. Set in hypothetical meeting land, where if they ever met it would be kinda like this.

...

Link swung himself off Epona’s back, holding out a hand to offer to the kid who’d been riding behind him. He didn’t take it, shimmying down with only slight issue, and Link shrugged as he landed on the path, the kid looking around them in interest.

“Wow, is this your castle?” he said in, and Link nodded, clicking his tongue to get Epona to follow him.

“Yes. I’m hoping Zelda will know why you’re here,” Link replied as the kid bounced around next to him, craning his neck around to get a better look at the wall as they passed over the drawbridge and through the gate. They’d made good time getting here, even with all the initial confusion and weirdness of their meeting. Them both having the name Link was only the beginning of the weirdness apparently.

“Ooh yeah, that’s a good idea. My Zelda’s smart, I’m assuming that’s the same? Either way it would really be nice to know how to get home,” the kid said, his smile falling for a moment. Then it bounced back into place. “Is your Zelda like mine? Does she have a brother? I hope not. Is she your age? Are you friends?”

“I don’t know, no, yes, and yes, we’re friends,” Link replied, and the kid paused, then squinted at him, eyes trailing across his face. “...Yes?”

“Just friends?” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.

“How about we stop talking,” Link said flatly, and the kid grinned knowingly at him before looking back up at the castle. Epona nickered in amusement, and Link rolled his eyes. Traitor.

The three of them walked into the courtyard, and Link was relieved there weren’t many people around, only a few waving at him as they walked past. He nodded back at them, but the kid waved, and Link held back a sigh.

The kid— well, Berry he’d said to call him— was one of the most excitable people he’d met, and he’d met some pretty hyper people. He was nearly as excitable as Winter was, which was saying something.

And speaking of—

Excited barking rang across the courtyard, and the kid froze, then gasped.

Winter charged across the courtyard, tail wagging like mad as he zeroed in on Link. His white fur puffed around him as he ran, making him look a bit like a white, fluffy cannonball, and Link quickly got down on a knee and braced himself right before his dog crashed into him, barking madly and licking every inch of his face he could reach.

“Okay okay, good grief Winter,” Link said after a minute, scratching him behind the ears. “Nice to see you’re feeling all better.“

Winter barked again, but pulled back, tail still wagging just as crazily. The kid was still standing a few paces back beside Epona, eyes wide, and Link looked back at him in confusion. Was he afraid of dogs? He didn’t know him all that well, but that really didn’t seem like his style.

“He’s so fluffy,” Berry finally said in an awed voice, and slowly closed the gap, holding out an almost reverent hand for Winter to sniff. Winter’s tail stilled, and he nosed at his fingers, nose sniffing intently. Then he gave them a huge lick, and his tail resumed its crazy wag, an excited bark escaping him.

Link couldn’t help his smile, and the kid laughed as Winter nearly bowled him over, nuzzling at his face and licking at him.

“Is he yours?” Berry asked when he came up for air, hair askew and cap knocked to the ground.

“Yes, he’s mine. Though I wasn’t the one who decided I needed a dog,” he said as he lightly rubbed Winter’s neck, his dog giving himself a happy shake.

“Well he’s amazing,” Berry said, and gave Winter’s ears a rub. “He’s like some of the dogs back home, they help herd cows and stuff, but he’s way fluffier. My sisters would love him.”

“Well he’s never met a person he doesn’t like,” Link said with a faint smile, Winter managing to lick his face again. “Nice ones, anyway. I’m sure they would get along.”

Berry giggled as Winter started to lick him again, and Link pulled back, dusting white hairs off his clothes. It was a good thing he generally wore lighter colors, he didn’t know what he would do if he had to wear black.

Ignoring the fact that he couldn’t wear the color without sending himself into a panic attack, but that was neither here nor there.

“He’s sure excited you’re here. Do you leave him here by himself when you’re gone?” the kid asked, a little suspiciously.

“No, usually I bring him along, but he was a little sick before I left this time. I see you’re perfectly fine now though, huh boy?” he said, and Winter barked, making Berry giggle. “And besides, someone has to keep Zelda company.”

“You share your dog with her?” Berry said, that same grin he’d had earlier stretching across his face, and Link narrowed his eyes.

“She’s the one who found him. And she’s probably heard all his barking, so we should go see her now before she feels like she has to come down here,” Link said, firmly closing the subject, and stood, Epona following him as Winter danced around his feet.

He didn’t miss the giggle Berry let out as he followed, and shook his head, heading for the stables.

Good grief.

[anavilante]

December Drabble Marathon 17/31: Flurry of Payback

AU: Modern Childhood Friends

Word Count: 0.8К

Summary: Gale and John are planning to get back at the kids who previously ambushed Gale with snowballs.

Later, Gale found himself outside again, though this time he wasn’t searching for ways to occupy his time. He was looking for John.

The snow still blanketed the streets, crunching softly beneath his boots as he wandered toward the hill where they had gone sledding. It was quieter today—fewer children, fewer shouts, and fewer sleds careening down the slope. Gale scanned the area but couldn’t spot the familiar tousled hair or the crooked knit cap.

“Looking for me?”

The voice came from behind him, startling Gale. He turned to see John grinning as usual, his cheeks already pink from the cold. Over his shoulder, he carried a lopsided backpack that rustled faintly with every step.

“You’re late,” Gale said, trying to sound indifferent, but the faint smile tugging at his lips betrayed him.

“Had to prepare,” John replied, dropping the backpack with a dramatic thud. He knelt and started unpacking it, pulling out an impressive assortment of snowball ammunition. They were perfectly round, packed tight, and stacked like miniature cannonballs.

Gale raised an eyebrow. “You brought pre-made snowballs?”

“Of course!” John said proudly. “We’re going to war, Gale. You can’t just show up unarmed.”

Before Gale could protest, John shoved a snowball into his hand and nodded toward the hill. A group of neighborhood kids who attacked Gale with snowballs earlier had started building a fort, their laughter carrying through the crisp air.

“We’ll take them down,” John whispered conspiratorially.

Gale hesitated, glancing at the fort and then back at John, whose eyes sparkled with excitement. Despite himself, Gale felt a flicker of anticipation.

“What’s the plan?” Gale asked, tightening his scarf.

John’s grin widened. “Follow my lead.”

The two crept toward the hill, staying low to avoid detection. John’s enthusiasm was contagious, and soon Gale found himself giggling as they dodged behind snowdrifts and plotted their attack.

“Now!” John yelled suddenly, hurling a snowball with perfect aim. It struck one of the fort builders square in the back.

The kids screamed in mock outrage, scrambling to retaliate. Gale froze for a moment, unsure, but John was already launching a second snowball, laughing as he ducked behind a tree.

“Gale, come on!” John called, waving him over.

Gale threw his first snowball, and though it missed wildly, the rush of excitement surged through him. He grabbed another and another, his aim improving as he joined the chaotic battle.

Snow flew in every direction—some hit their marks, others didn’t, but it didn’t matter. The air was filled with laughter and shouts as Gale and John faced off against their old adversaries. Gale felt his chest warm despite the biting cold, and for once, he wasn’t thinking about anything else.

At some point, their fort opponents retreated to regroup, giving John and Gale a moment to catch their breath.

“You’re good at this,” John said, his face flushed and his grin unwavering.

“You think so?” Gale asked, brushing snow from his gloves.

“Definitely. I mean, you missed at first, but now—watch out!” John cut himself off, tackling Gale to the ground just as a snowball whizzed past where his head had been.

They landed in a heap, snow puffing up around them. Gale blinked up at John, whose face was inches from his own. For a split second, neither of them moved, their breath mingling in the frosty air.

John scrambled up quickly, brushing snow off his jacket and avoiding Gale’s gaze. “Close call,” he said, his voice louder than necessary. “We should flank them.”

Gale sat up slowly, his heart pounding for reasons he couldn’t quite name. “Yeah… flank them.”

The battle raged on until the sun dipped low, painting the snow in hues of orange and pink. When they finally called a truce, Gale and John collapsed in the snow, exhausted and laughing.

“You’re not so bad to have on my team,” John said, nudging Gale with his elbow.

“Thanks,” Gale replied, a shy smile creeping across his face.

They stayed there for a while, watching their breath rise in the chilly air, until John stood and extended a hand.

“Same time tomorrow?”

Gale took his hand, the warmth of John’s grip spreading through him. “Yeah,” he said softly. “Same time tomorrow.”

But Gale didn’t leave. He blushed and fidgeted, unsure how to say what he wanted. “What?” John’s grin spread from ear to ear at Gale’s struggle.

Gale exhaled loudly and finally decided to speak. “I… wanted to thank you for helping me back then.”

“Oh, it was nothing.” John looked a little flustered, adjusting his hat and brushing nonexistent snow off his jacket. “I can’t stand it when they gang up on someone like that. It’s not fair. I can’t help but step in.”

“Do you always win?” Gale asked curiously.

John shrugged. “No, not always.” He fell silent, and Gale was surprised—that wasn’t the answer he’d expected. “But that doesn’t stop me.”

John’s eyes sparkled wildly, and for the first time, Gale felt it—that strange sensation, like goosebumps rising on his skin, like every hair on his body stood on end, sending a light shiver through him. But it was a good feeling.