#Denver Food Trucks

[ingoodtastedenver]

Get to Know the 2024 Denver Food + Wine Festival

The Denver Food + Wine Festival is more than just a chance to partake of great food and drink, although that would be reason enough to go. It’s also a way to get to know, revisit, support and celebrate some of Denver’s best restaurants, food trucks, chef, and bartenders. And there’s a charitable element to the event too, rounding out how awesome it is. The In Good Taste Denver blog was founded by…

[hotmess-exe]

I hate Denver PD so fucking much

[estefa2190]

Small taste of Denver, Colorado and we knew we wanted to come back one day 🥰

We rented a car and they gave us a red pick up truck we lounged in the back of 🚘

[the-soliloquies-of-sadists]

#366

“Hey Boyd.  You look ragged.  Long day?  Say I heard you earlier today on the phone with Tina.  I take it she’s not coming back.  Figured.  You’ve been in a shitty mood since.  And you are starting to fuck up around here.  Actually, for the past few weeks I have been noticing it.  She’s gone.  She ain’t coming back.  And you know it.  Don’t you?... 

“We’ve known each other for what, twenty five,… no closer to thirty years.  You have worked for me almost twenty years.  I’ve seen you go through countless women.  I’ve stayed out of your relationships, and I haven’t flaunted my thing I have with Robby or the other boys in front of you.  That’s been our understanding.  But now it’s once again that shit creeping into your job here.  I saw what you did today.  If Rawlins hadn’t caught it,…

“Look I don’t want to go over the details.  I’m already past it.  I’m more focused on you.  This is a vicious cycle for you.  None of your relationships last more than a year.  You meet a pretty woman in town.  You fuck her.  If she can’t handle your big dick you dump her and look for another.  If she can, you treat her wonderfully.  That is until you have a few drinks.  Then you start slapping and demanding, and the downward trend starts.  Am I right?... 

“Yeah.  You need some advice.  Your dad’s gone.  You have no brothers.  I’m the guy you have known the longest.  So I am just going to say this.  We are a lot alike.  A lot.  Not the part about me liking boys and you liking girls.  No.  We are two ornery old men.  We demand a lot.  And you know what?  We are entitled to it. 

“When I get home from a hard day’s work, Robby is waiting with food on the table and a blowjob.  That’s what you need….  I ain’t talking about you getting a fag.  Although that would not be a bad idea.  No, you need someone with the kind of mindset he has.  You ain’t going to find that at Gordy’s Tavern.  Those skanks don’t know how to treat a real man and his needs. 

“You know you have a reputation of being a big selfish prick with a selfish big prick?�� Most everyone knows you are abusive.  How the hell are you going to find a woman?  You are going to have to go to Denver.  And you are going to have to look for a woman who will take your demands. 

“…Of course, they exist.  That mindset is more prevalent on the fag side though.  Fags will come begging to worship a real man and do whatever he says.  The shit I do to Robby….

“Hold on, let me get him down here….  I just text him to bring the truck around….  No, I just want to show you something…. 

––––

“…Get over here.  Robby, stand in front of Boyd.

“Boyd, smack Bobby across the face like you would if he was a woman and you were drunk….  I’m serious.  Smack him.  Boyd, you fucked up royally today.  I want you to smack him…. Or do you want me to get Rawlins over here to pick up your slack?

“…Heh heh heh.  Thought that would do it.  Damn, you knocked him to the ground.  No wonder you can’t keep a woman. 

“What do you say, boy?

“You hear that?  He’s thanking you for hitting him.  That’s what I am talking about.  You need to find that mindset, then worry about the looks.  Cunt here—that’s his name when we are at home—knows that he’s here for my needs, wants, desires, impulses, and so on.  If I want to smack him, I’m gonna.  He knows he’s an instrument to use.

“No, stay down there boy.  I got to take a piss. 

“Boyd watch this.  The cunt will drink my piss.  Why? Because I want him to.  …Ahhh.  Feels so good.  Look at him trying to catch it in his mouth. 

“This is what you need.  We can work on you getting a bitch to treat this way.  Seriously, I want to help you with that.  I have some connections in Denver.  Or I can easily get you a fag to use.  If you want to use Cunt here for the weekend, I’m fine with it.  He does what he’s told, so he will be OK with it….

“Why don’t you take your dick out and take a piss?  I noticed your curiosity enjoying what you were seeing.  Aim for his mouth.  Hell, aim anywhere you want.  When we get back to the house, he’s going to be naked anyways.  Drench him.  Go on do it.  Or, are you pee shy?

“Thought so.  You know, when I suggest something for you to do, just do it.  I shouldn’t have to tease you into doing it.

“That looks so good.  So natural. 

“Drink it down, boy.  That piss is pure gold that filling your mouth.

“Damn, that is one large piece of meat.  I know I saw it many years ago, but I didn’t stop and stare back then.  You got a lot of overhang skin there….  Oh my.  Oh my my my my my.  Don’t shake it.  Pull your foreskin back, all the way back.  Oh my.

“Oh boy!  Faggot!  Get on your knees and look at his dick.  He’s got something for you.

“Keep your skin pulled back.  Cunt here needs to see what’s there.  More importantly he needs to smell it….  Look at him.  He’s actually grossed out at your dick cheese….  Fuck do not apologize.  Fag boy here told me that smegma is the one thing that grosses him out more than anything else.  Look him gagging. 

“I have been looking for dick cheese for him to clean.  I wish I wasn’t cut, just so I can feed him. 

“Cunt Toilet, clean him off.

“Boyd, I’m not going to even ask you.  Your cock is getting hard by just me talking about.  Let me hold his head in place.  Step closer.  Let him smell it. 

“That smell nasty boy?  Nasty.  Look at that.  It’s caked on there.

“Feed it to him.  Don’t hesitate.  Don’t worry that he’s a fag.  He’s a knob cleaner.  Look, the other workers have already gone.  We are two miles from the nearest person.  It’s just us three.  No one will ever know we are doing here.  Stick it in his mouth.

“Fuck yeah!  Listen to him gag.

“Faggot! Don’t you dare throw that up.  I will make you eat the vomit off the mud on the ground.

“When was the last time you took a shower?...

“Hear that Cunt boy?  Wednesday morning.  That’s three days of hard work sweating in the sun.  That’s three-day fermented cheese you are cleaning.  He also has three days of ass sweat too.  Three days of saddle stink.  You’ll clean that too.

“Yeah eats ass too.  But that would need to be done inside.  I have a chair for you to sit on where he climbs under your ass and slurp away.  A three-day saddle stink.  Fuck yeah.

“Oh shit.  You are enjoying his tongue on your cock hunh?  I can see the ecstasy on your face. 

“Cunt boy! Show him how deep your throat is.  Take him to the root.

“I told ya, faggot cunts are capable and willing to do the nasty shit that bitches won’t.  Once you get over the fact that they don’t have a real pussy, but one in back will make do, it’s easy to make the switch.

“Say, I was going to take the cunt with to Denver to see what kind of trouble I could get us into over this three-day weekend.  Instead, how would you like to spend the weekend here with us.  You can watch me do all the shit I can to him.  You can even join in.  You have full access to his holes to use as you want….  Or not.  You could have him wait on you without doing anything along those lines.  He’ll cook for you, give you a massage—he’s certified to give them.  He will take your beatings, drink your piss, clean your ass, clean your dick, whatever you want.  He has a deep cunt.  He can take that baseball bat of yours.  The more brutal, nasty, and demeaning, the better.

“You want to give it a try?  If you need, I have cases of ice cold beer and bottles of Jack, for you to unleash the man you really are.  You wanna do it?...

“Then let’s do it.”

[ejzah]

In Miss Blye’s Class, Part 34

***

A full week and a half had passed since Deeks last spoke with Monica. In that time, Deeks and Caleb were too busy to really dwell on whether or not she’d appear. There were multiple end of year events a week to prepare for, and which Deeks did his best to attend. He and Kensi also tried to sneak in a few lunches or dinners together as time would allow.

On Saturday, they were miraculously caught up on all Caleb’s extra projects and he had his work inbox mostly cleared out—what was left could wait a couple days. It was also the perfect weather for surfing.

Before Caleb woke up, Deeks packed a couple of bags with towels, their wetsuits, sunscreen, and snacks. It was certainly a lot more than he’d ever brought with when he was a kid and would walk out the door with little more than his board. He also texted Kensi, inviting her to join them. She responded a few minutes later with a “yes” and offers to bring sandwiches.

Then he started making a simple breakfast of eggs—scrambled with cheese for Caleb—and toast.

Caleb wandered in a little after 9, still in his pajamas, his hair puffed out in frizzy curls, rubbing one eye. He sat down at the kitchen table without speaking, and started eating his eggs.

“You still a little tired, kiddo?”

Caleb grumbled unintelligibly, shoveling a forkful of eggs into his mouth.

“Huh, well maybe this will perk you up. I was thinking we could go to the beach today,” Deeks said.

Caleb immediately straightened up with wide eyes.

“Really? When can we leave?”

“As soon as you finish breakfast and change.”

Caleb scarfed down the rest of his food, his cheeks full as he struggled to swallow. “Done,” he announced.

Chuckling, Deeks ruffled Caleb’s hair, and nodded to the sink. “Ok. Clear your plate and then go brush your teeth and change into your trunks,” Deeks instructed him, and Deeks hopped up, whooping on his way out of the kitchen. “And don’t forget to brush your teeth.

They’d just carted out a few boards in and totes with their supplies when Kensi pulled up.

“Kensi?!” Caleb shouted, dropping his tote back on the ground, and raced to meet her. “I didn’t know you were coming!”

“Hi, sweetheart. I hope it’s a good surprise,” Kensi said, bending to hug him.

“Of course it is!” Taking her hand, Caleb walked with her back to Deeks.

Kensi greeted him with a quick kiss behind the cover of he truck, which made Caleb giggle.

When the boards and bags were all packed up, the piled in and headed for the beach. Deeks turned the radio to an oldies station, rolled down the windows, and sang along to John Denver and Bread. Caleb even got Kensi to join in, though she resisted at first until they both sang at the top of their lungs.

***

As soon as they parked, Caleb unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out, barely waiting long enough to grab their boards and totes before he was running off.

“A kid after my own heart,” Deeks commented proudly. They watched him slow to a stop about 20 yards ahead, balancing his board on his head while he waited for them to catch up.

“He’s been talking about going all week,” Kensi told him with a fond smile. “I’m surprised you don’t go more often. Caleb informed me you’re very good.”

Deeks shrugged off her compliment, even as he threw his shoulders back a little. “Eh, I won a couple competitions when I was younger and stayed her during the summers. Now I just do it for fun. Nothing like being out on the water on a sunny day. What about you? I bet you’ve got some special moves.”

“I’ve been out a couple times, but swimming has always been more my speed. I may or may not have gone to nationals my senior year of high school.”

Deeks stopped holding up a hand. “Woah, you can’t just drop that kind of information in so casually. Why am I only hearing about this now?” he demanded.

“I like to keep you guessing.”

“Oh, well I definitely will need a demonstration today.”

“Only if you show me your fancy surf moves Caleb keeps bragging about,” Kensi said, turning to walk backwards, a playful smile creeping at her lips. “We’ll make it a competition.”

They walked the rest of the way down hand-in-hand; Caleb waited impatiently at the end of the path, hanging off of anything that would hold him. As soon as they reached the beach, he took off again, stripping off his shirt and racing for the water with his board under one arm.

Kensi and Deeks stopped about three yards from the water to set everything up.

“He really is a little water bug, isn’t he?” Kensi mused, eyes on Caleb, who had just toppled into the water, immediately getting back up to try again.

“He’s still getting the hang of staying on his board, but he just keeps trying. I’m just glad he loves it.” Deeks turned around to face Kensi, who was in the process of stripping off her coverup, hair momentarily obscuring her face, and he was suddenly breathless. She wore a royal blue one piece, the color accentuating her tanned skin. His eyes drifted across her legs, and then back up again.

Kensi shook out her hair, smirking when she noticed him staring.

“Something catch your attention? Sorry, I didn’t think a bikini would be appropriate,” she said wryly. He cleared his throat a couple times. He blamed the sun for his suddenly overheated skin.

“I’m pretty sure that would kill me,” he replied hoarsely. Kensi lowered her eyes, stalking closer to him, and he swallowed heavily, watching her every move. She didn’t stop until they were nearly pressed against one another, probably a little too intimate for a public setting. Looping her arms around his neck, she slid her hands down his back, briefly pausing at the small of his back before dropping lower.

He chuckled breathily. “Something I can help you with, Miss Blye?”

“No, I think I found what I want.” She winked, giving him a firm squeeze before she tipped her face up towards his. Deeks’ lips parted in anticipation, and he shifted ever so slightly closer. Just before their lips touched, Kensi whispered,

“Race you.” She released him, laughing as she turned and ran in the opposite direction. It took a few seconds for his brain to catch up.

“Cheater!” he yelled, racing to catch up.

They spent the rest of the day playing in the water, building sandcastles, and investing various contests for each other. Caleb appointed himself judge of the swimming and surfing completion between Kensi and Deeks.

It might have been years since Kensi had swum competitively, but she hadn’t lost any of her skills, and beat him by a few seconds. She managed to ride approximately half a wave, which Deeks found pretty impressive give her lack of experience, and then she happily watched him show off for a few minutes.

The next time they came back to the shore, Caleb awarded them each circular rocks he found in the place of medals.

***

By six in the evening, they’d consumed all of the food they’d brought with and were exhausted and covered in sand. Deeks didn’t feel like cooking anything, so they took everything back to the truck, and stopped for fish tacos from a little stand.

“I think we successfully wiped him out,” Kensi commented when Caleb’s eyes drifted closed mid-taco, and he fell into Deeks’ shoulder.

“Yeah, he’ll sleep good tonight. So what do you have going on tomorrow?”

Kensi finished the last bite of her taco and leaned back to stretch before responding. “Mm. I need to finish some lesson plans. I also should call my mom, but otherwise I don’t have anything else.” She shrugged. “

“Then can I tempt you with a pot roast dinner?” Deeks asked.

“You can make me pot roast dinner every night,” Kensi said eagerly. “With an occasional lasagna night.”

“I knew it. You’re with me for my cooking skills.”

Winking, Kensi snuck a few shreds of cheese from the top of his last taco.

“You figured me out. Next I’m going to get you to clean the mountain of dishes in my sink.”

Deeks tipped his head back with a grin. She grinned back, stealing more toppings from his plate. They continued chatting while they finished off the last bit of food.

He was halfway through a new story involving Talia and their latest hire when his phone buzzed. He fished it out of his pocket, and frowned at the family number, his mood taking a nosedive as he read the accompanying text.

“It’s from Monica. She wants me to call her lawyer tomorrow,” Deeks relayed grimly. “Unfortunately, I think we’ll have to cut tonight short.”

“I understand. Let me know what you find out,” Kensi requested, gently grasping his chin between her thumb and forefinger. She kissed him softly, rubbing the pad of her thumb over his bottom lip. “Love you.”

“I will.”

He told himself that this was a good thing. Monica had listened for once, which hopefully meant that she wouldn’t be pulling her usual games. Still, he couldn’t quell the uneasy feeling in his stomach even as he tried let Kensi pull him back into conversation.

[dykehayleywilliams]

may I ask about the mitski curse or is it secret knowledge

*LONG POST INCOMING* It all started in 2016.

I've been a Mitski fan since 2014 when First Love/Late Spring premiered on Stereogum and desperately wanted to see her live. The chance finally came after I moved to New York; I had tickets for her show in February 2016 at The Knitting Factory. But then. A freeze hit the city that weekend, resulting in a pipe in the shitty apartment bursting so I missed the show because I had to wait for the emergency repair guy to come by. Okay, well that's a bummer, I though. I've been waiting for almost two years to see Mitski but surely I'll get another chance. July 2016. I was living in Texas for the summer, a few hours away from Austin, where Mitski had a show scheduled. Perfect! I can drive up to the show! My old, barely functioning truck can handle the drive! It did not. My car broke down two hours outside Austin.

November 2016. Third try to see Mitski in a year is the charm, right? Oh wait, I waited too long to buy a flight to my grandma's for thanksgiving and I had to fly out the day of the Mitski show because every other flight was $500 more expensive.

By 2017 I was starting to get worried. I had tickets to see her April 2017, but I got horrific food poisoning and couldn't get out of bed for three days.

I didn't get another try until late 2018 on the Be The Cowboy tour during her 4 night residency at Brooklyn Steel. Except Mitski's popularity had blown up significantly and I couldn't get tickets when they went on sale the first three shows. BUT THEN a fourth show was added, on a Monday night, and I finally got tickets! Perfect! Until I had a final project for one of my classes scheduled the same night that I could not miss without failing the class, and I desperately tried to find tickets for another night but none were available for under $300.

At that point I was convinced: I was cursed. There were no tour dates I was even able to TRY to make, and then in September 2019 Mitski played Summer Stage (two weeks after I moved from New York) and announced it would indefinitely be her last live show.

October 2021: Mitski releases Working for the Knife and announces a tour. The closest tour date to where I was living was 8 hours away, but I fought for my life for tickets and was determined I would finally break the curse.

I got COVID two days before Mitski's Denver show in March 2022.

BUT WAIT! Mitski was announced as one of the openers for HSLOT's European stadium leg! And my friends and I planned a bar trip to Scotland that lined up with the weekend of Harry's show in Glasgow! Okay, maybe seeing Mitski as an opener at a stadium show isn't ideal, but I was desperate. Except, of course, the stadium entry was a complete mess, and we didn't get into the show until the very end of Mitski's set. I had finally seen her live, but for 8 minutes and at what cost.

I wasn't happy, but I told myself it wasn't the end of the world because I already had plans to see Mitski at the All Things Go festival in October, so redemption would come soon enough. Then Hurricane Ian hit and my flight to DC that had a layover in Orlando was cancelled the day before I was supposed to leave. At that point, there was nothing I could do but laugh. Why did I think it would go any differently this time? No. I couldn't take it anymore. I dropped wayyyyy too much money on a different flight to DC with no layover. That flight was delayed by 5 hours, but I made it. Nothing was going to stop me.

Mitski's set starts. We're in the pit, I'm 5'2" so I'm on my tip toes, straining my neck to keep my eyes on Mitski. And then. Everyone's BeReals went off during Francis Forever and the crowd became a sea of phones. I was crushed. I had broken the curse, but 9 years too late.

[knivesovt]

I'm going to do a quick summary of each of my characters, for the sake of perhaps sparking someone's interest in writing with one of my sweet girls. If anyone is interested, please feel free to like or comment here and I will come to you !!

S o p h i a P e l e t i e r. We all know Sophia from season one of The Walking Dead. I do have my own spin on her, given that I've aged her up a bit ( as I'm not comfortable writing a child character -- to each their own, it's just not for me ). So, in my version, she was around 17 years old during the time of the initial outbreak. That said, when she was separated from the group, Sophia was chased away from the road by more walkers and unable to find her way back. She is very fearful of the dead, but not so much toward other survivors. Dangerous optimism or perhaps just naivety -- either way, it is very easy to establish a connection with her, given that she is a very sweet girl . . . but she's not going to be much help in a fight.

E l e a n o r B r o o k s. Before the outbreak, Eleanor was just a normal girl with a bit of a co-dependency on her older brother. She was an elementary school teacher ; she loved her job and the children, and often took it upon herself to care for them as if they were her own -- given that she had never had the time to settle down and start a family of her own. When things started to go downhill, Eleanor's brother ( Denver ) was quick to get the two of them out of the city. The pair lived out of his truck for months, never really finding a place to call home, but it did feel safe . . . enough. After an uncertain amount of time, the two found themselves scavenging abandoned homes for food or supplies -- just as everyone else. But they found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time, when the Claimers stumbled upon the home that the two had been shacked up in. Denver put himself in between the strange men and his sister, allowing her time to hide . . . but his death wound up being in vain. She was found and taken by one of the Claimers, a man named Jericho. Later, after discovering an unplanned ( and very much unwanted ) pregnancy, Eleanor made her escape after attacking Jericho in his sleep. She's been on the road, trying to put enough distance between herself and the men, knowing that they would likely track her down again.

M u r p h y C r a n e.

Very loosely based on Murphy from Z Nation ( the name was just kind of a coincidence, because I love the name Murphy for a girl ). Murphy's life was very normal growing up ; she was an only child and her home life was really good. When she was in high school, her father was diagnosed with cancer, and the family was always in and out of hospitals. It was never something that she complained about, and often found herself being the one to accompany her father on his trips. Though, during one of his hospital stays, things took a turn. Military were crawling all of the place, panic spread about while patients were forced to keep to their rooms. When gunfire started, that's when her parents took initiative to get her out of there as quickly and safely as possible. Her father stayed as a distraction, while Murphy and her mother ran. It as a decision that would always haunt her -- leaving him to die like that. Her mother, however, wound up doing something similar months down the road. During a supply run with her mom, Murphy was bitten by a walker ( along the top of her shoulder ). She was brought back home, where she was made comfortable and bandaged up. But the symptoms began soon after : fever, cold sweats, nausea, the indescribable pain in her bones, the whole nine yards. It was something that her mother couldn't handle, it seemed. Murphy was told that she was just going out to get some medicine -- anything to try and help her . . . but her mother never returned. Murphy's wound healed over and she's now known to be immune from the infection. The dead don't seem very interested in her anymore, finding that she can simply walk right past them without batting an eye ( she won't, because she's very fearful of them given her trauma ). This is a very well kept secret -- she is terrified of what might happen to her if anyone were to find out about her immunity. She doesn't want to be a lab rat.

[farmerlarrry]

Orange Slices (Joel Miller x f!reader)

masterlist | chapter two | chapter one | read on ao3 | playlist

story summary: A story about finding companionship and love in the midst of chaos.

a/n: **updated for mistakes**

word count: 4298

if you want to be notified when I post new chapters, follow @farmerlarrrylibrary and put on notifications! If you'd rather be tagged, just let me know.

Chapter Three

Tommy had been right, the following days were long and grueling. There was little luck finding any supplies as most of the rest stops along the highway had been picked over pretty well; just the occasional can of food was found underneath a pile of broken pieces of wood and trash, or a collapsed shelf. Every time you and Tommy left a building, usually without finding anything, he’d tell you the one thing he was happy about was that this run wasn’t about food. They were pretty well stocked in Jackson, growing what they could according to the season. They have goats, cows, chickens; multipurpose livestock is what he referred to them as. Canned food was mainly kept for the winter and emergencies, as a backup if the crops failed or something happened to the animals. Thankfully, we haven’t run into any issues so far, and Joel and I are usually pretty lucky, scoring a few more each run to add to the stash. The whole point of this supply run was to find things to enrich the community—clothes and books. More importantly, medical supplies such as medicine and bandages. You found out Tommy set up a trade in Denver, it was a lot further out than he wanted to go, but he decided to take a chance on it. These people needed food, and Jackson needed pills and other medical supplies, which they supposedly had. Unfortunately, when he entered the city, he was ambushed, resulting in him having to ditch the truck to escape safely. He confided in you that he had the feeling that the attack was actually the group just trying to get free shit. He was upset that they succeeded. If Joel had been there, Tommy shook his head, they wouldn’t have known what was comin’ at ‘em. 

The thing that has sucked the most during this journey is the lack of coverage, Tommy often expressed his anxiety over this fact. Sleeping in the shallow ditches was about as much coverage as there was at night, only to be walking out in the open by day. The side of the road had been flattened, offering nowhere to run or hide unnoticed if something were to happen. The main worry wasn’t infected, they don’t stay in low-populated areas, the main worry was other people, especially since you were following a main road between states. Tommy said he would feel better walking through the woods or at least sleeping there at night, however, he didn’t feel confident enough to do so, Joel had always been the one leading them through heavily forested areas. The last thing we need is to get lost, Tommy told you, always with a nervous twinge in his voice. The only thing keeping you going is the car that’s supposed to get the three of you the rest of the way back to Jackson. Your feet are pretty beat up from your shoes not being broken in before going on such a long trek; blood has seeped through your socks, now leaving behind dry, hard brown splotches. 

The trip from Fort Collins to where Joel is waiting for Tommy was only supposed to be a day and a half at most by foot, at least according to Tommy, however, you guys are now on your fourth day due to some unfortunate happenings. The second day was honestly the roughest, Tommy fell asleep the previous night while on watch, he didn’t sleep the night before but insisted he was fine and urged you to get some rest. With your luck, there had been a group of people traveling through; something must have alerted them of your presence, even though Tommy was careful to camouflage yours and his things in the thick brush on the side of the road. You instantly awoke to the clicking of one of the gun’s hammer and twigs snapping beneath their feet. The two of you booked it into the forested area a few yards from the side of the road, and the group of men tried chasing you guys down, firing shots in your direction. Luckily, because of how dark it was, they quickly gave up. You overheard one of these guys yell in the distance to the others that it wasn’t worth getting lost over. Unluckily, though, due to the darkness, Tommy tripped over a large tree that fell, banging his shin up pretty badly. It took you a while to find him, only having the sound of his whispered voice guide you to him. When you found him, unsure if the men were still following you, you pulled him into a bush at the base of a tree. For the rest of the night, the bush was where you both stayed, only sharing hushed whispers when you were sure the group had finally taken off. 

When the morning came, you got a better look at the damage Tommy had received. His shin had a deep gauge, and dried blood stuck to the hair on his legs, clumping it together. His knee looked all sorts of fucked up, and he couldn’t straighten it out completely. You were no doctor, but you could tell that his kneecap was definitely not where it was supposed to be. You helped Tommy wrap up the gouge with a bandage as best you could with what he had. 

“Thank God I have my emergency oxys” He shook a small zip-lock bag before downing the pills, taking a larger dose than he honestly should’ve taken. You let out a nervous laugh, worried about what the rest of the trip might bring. 

Although he swore he couldn’t feel a thing after a while, he still walked with a severe limp. Not long after trying to find a way out of the forest, Tommy found a long stick that he used as a crutch. That seemed to help him quite a bit. The rest of the day had been spent trying to find a way out, thankfully, you had been walking straight towards the road, so it didn’t set you back too much. It could’ve been a lot worse, like walking in the wrong direction; neither of you wanted to say it out loud, but that was the truth. Now, all you can think about is how you can’t wait to reach the cabin, you keep picturing a small wooden house in your mind, getting closer, and closer with each step. 

Apart from yours and Tommy’s misfortune, you do have to admit you were happy to be out of the city. Not only was there less of a chance of running into infected, but there were also a lot fewer areas that required your gas mask; every time you had to put it on, you felt like you were on the verge of passing out due to the lack of pure oxygen. Out in the open, the cordycep spores couldn’t linger like they could in the basements of buildings and other dark, secluded areas. It had always haunted you that you could turn a corner and unknowingly walk right into the spores, only realizing it after it was too late.

“I have to be honest with ya’,” Tommy says, breaking the silence that had ensued for the majority of the day, not hiding the concern in his voice. “I’m worried Joel won’t be there when we get there.”

You both come to a standstill, mirroring each other’s stance: hand on one hip, mouth agape, eyes squinted due to the brightness of the sun. Tommy stares at you with a defeated look as you bring your hand up to your forehead to further shield your eyes from the sun.

–

While on your journey to Wyoming, Tommy shared a fair amount of information about his brother Joel, however, he didn’t go into too much detail. Just the normal stuff someone would share about their sibling with a new friend, you suppose. Joel is older than Tommy by four years, making Joel 41 years old (earlier, Tommy told you about the celebration the community held for his 37th birthday before he and Joel departed on their outing). He expressed the stubbornness of Joel, most of the time making him out to be an asshole, but Tommy loves him regardless, partly because of the guilt he feels for all the shit he put Joel through both before and after the outbreak. All they had left from before was each other. He's always been kind of like this, life was... hard, for the both of us, more so for him, I realize now, but after outbreak day, the shit that happened...I worry about him, I really do. Tommy expressed, you saw the sadness in his eyes when he told you this. He kept his gaze averted from you. Tommy also told you about himself, although he said he didn’t have anything that interesting to tell you. He told you a little bit about himself before the outbreak, he grew up in Arlington, joined the Army when he was eighteen, and did some time in Operation Desert Storm during the Gulf War. After he was discharged, he joined Joel’s business as a contractor and ran various jobs with him. He also told you about his girlfriend back at the community; he knew of her for quite some time, but they officially met a few years ago at a community gathering. His eyes light up every time he mentions her. Joel isn’t the biggest fan of her, not because of who she is, but because he thinks it’s stupid to get involved with anyone given the state of the world. She’s a fine woman, Tommy, but you can’t protect her from the world, there is no guarantee you or her will be alive tomorrow, Tommy mocked Joel . He seems hurt about not having his brother’s approval, and as much as you feel for him, you kind of agree with Joel. You don’t understand why anyone would be open to that kind of pain and suffering if anything were to happen. 

At this point, Tommy and Joe had been out for about two and a half weeks, separating after the first week because Joel wanted to go one way, the opposite way Tommy had planned. I went over the plan with him before we left, multiple times, and regardless, I’m not surprised the tough-headed son-of-a-bitch decided to go off by himself once we were far enough from Jackson; it completely makes sense now why he insisted on taking two vehicles instead of just one. Tommy told you, making it very apparent that it annoyed him. For Tommy, this has been the longest he’s been gone since joining the community, and his girlfriend was very hesitant about him going. She’s going to freak out when she sees me, Tommy told you with a small laugh and kicking his injured leg out.

Of course, Tommy asked questions about you, too. However, you mainly focused on your life after the outbreak; you weren’t the same person as before, and there was no point in talking about her. She’s a ghost of the past, someone who is now a stranger, even to yourself. The only thing you told him from before was that you were attending an all-girls boarding school in Texas and that you were 16 at the time of the outbreak, which is how you ended up at the Houston QZ. You also told Tommy you originally planned to head east because you had some family out there. Man, Joel and I went to Boston for a bit, stayed at the zone... tough shit it was out there. He changed the subject after, giving the impression he picked up on your cue that it wasn’t something you were willing to expand on. You appreciated that. You continued to share more of your story, including how you went from Houston to Denver with a group of people, leaving alone to head north. You told him more about a small group of survivors at the apartment building and the attack, which is why you were out alone just before the two of you met. He looks at you like you're some sort of miracle, unable to fathom how far you’ve made it, mostly on your own with next to no supplies. As he expressed his amazement, you thought to yourself, If only he knew what you had to do to get to where you are today, and all that you lost. 

“Now you are one that Joel has to meet,” he continued. “You are a badass, missy. You know that?”

You both laugh in unison, you feel somewhat guilty for forcing yours. Tommy is a good companion, he’s a great person to talk to, and he’s kind. You like Tommy. 

–

“Really?” You respond to Tommy’s uncertainty, taking a step towards the edge of the now familiar highway, kicking at the loose rocks and tarmac, your left hand reaching into your front pocket and grabbing a hold of the green stone, rubbing the smooth surface with the pad of your thumb. “What makes you think that?”

Tommy’s face twists up, taking a moment to think before responding. 

“One thing I didn’t tell you earlier,” Now sounding defeated. “Joel is known for leaving, running away from the people around him because he just won’t fucking open up about whatever's going on in his head. Just got him back too long ago.”

He’s looking down at one of his hands, picking at the skin around his nail bed.

Tommy began to tell you how he and Joel stuck together when everything first happened, meeting a woman named Tess along the way and inviting her in. When they got to the Boston QZ, just as he had said, everything was so fucked up, which made him pissed off. He eventually left to join the Fireflies, I just wanted to help liberate what was left of the world from those FEDRA bastards. He heard they had been looking for a cure and decided he wanted to be a part of the search . Joel wasn’t happy with me at all, but I couldn’t sit there every day workin’ my ass off for little to no payout. Tommy didn’t last long with the Fireflies, it turned out they were just as messed up as FEDRA, so he left again, not knowing where to go, and headed west. He ended up meeting Maria and her dad, which is how he found out about Jackson.  

A few years later, Joel and Tommy found each other again. Tommy brought him back to the community, walked him through Jackson, and showed him everything it had to offer. Although it was small at the time and still needed improvement, it was a lot better than what the world was like beyond the gates. The fucker left a few nights after I brought him in, just leaving me a note telling me not to come lookin’ for him. Then the cycle began, he came and went a few times after that, returning to Boston under the guise that he couldn’t just leave Tess there. I know that’s not the reason, I practically begged him over and over again to bring Tess with him, she was family at this point. Tommy gave up on the idea of him and Joel ever truly coming to peace with each other, so he gave up trying to make him stay, started focusing on the future of Jackson, and building a life of his own. He showed up again... five, maybe six months ago, however, something was different about him this time, I still can’t put my finger on it, but he’s different. So far he’s stayed, but… Tommy left it at that. 

“Tommy,” you sympathetically start, but he quickly cuts you off.

“Whatever happens, happens, you know?” He abruptly says after clearing his throat, quickly wiping his eyes, secretly hoping you don't notice. “Gotta get you back to the community to meet everyone.”

Tommy takes a few steps towards you with a smile on his face, the lines around his eyes showing more prominently now. He puts his hand on one of your shoulders and squeezes it for a short moment, before beginning to head down the road again.

Since Tommy showed you the photos of the place in Jackson, you'd been meaning to ask him more about it, he’s told you bits and pieces of information, mainly at night when neither of you could sleep, but you were eager to know more. You wanted to know everything about this place that would soon become your home. Before, you were scared to ask questions about it, you convinced yourself in your mind that there was no way Tommy was being serious about you being welcome to join. Now you felt it was the perfect time to get his mind off of Joel, and he gave you an opening. Gotta get you back to the community to meet everyone.

“Hey Tommy,” Your voice is a little louder than you meant it to be. He must have felt some sort of urgency in your tone, causing him to abruptly stop, turn his body towards you, and furrowed his brows together.

“What’s up?” He asks in a soft, concerned voice, bringing his brows together as he speaks.

“Tell me more about this place, would ya?” That glimmer of hope ignited in the center of your chest once again.

Tommy starts with how friendly the community as a whole was; it is now home to more than twenty families, including Charles and his two kids. It was safe as they had people on watch at all times of day and night, and besides that fact, life was pretty much normal within the wall, almost as it had been before the outbreak. He did tell you about the occasional issue that arises with the bandit group that lives on the other side of the dam, however, they rarely have the upper hand in the fight. Maria and her father had originally founded it; you remember the photo of Tommy shaking a man’s hand and a woman standing off to the side, and you make a mental note that it was Maria. They desperately wanted to find a way to follow how life used to be. The key to Jackson’s success was the North Teton Dam, a hydroelectric dam that generated power for the community. There were greenhouses to grow crops, something that turned out to be very successful, as well as livestock, as he told you about earlier. Children were able to grow up without fear, going to school, playing with their friends, watching movies, and reading books. For the most part, everyone lived in peace. There were people of all ages, and people felt secure enough to create families. Everyone works together, whether it’s helping in the greenhouse, teaching children in the school, or helping out in the kitchen. Wherever help was needed, people were there. There’s a medical center, and while it does need some improvement, it gets the job done, Tommy is usually the one who makes sure it is well stocked with the help of Joel since he’s been back. There’s no such thing as public beatings, very few things are punishable by death, though they have yet to have a situation happen that would result in that. 

“Sounds amazing, ” you say, enamored. 

“Well, we have our issues occasionally,” Tommy runs his hand down the back of his head, “‘bout as normal as things are gonna get. Think of it as one big family, there are issues at times, but we always manage to pull through. There’s a place for everyone, really. I think you’ll find your spot quite quickly.”

Tommy nudges your arms, before pointing off into the distance.

“You see that?” He’s still pointing, as you strain your eyes, squinting them. “Off to the right of the highway.”

You can’t tell what he’s pointing to until you come up the road a bit more.

“Is that,” you trail off, Tommy picking up on what you were going to say.

“Yep,” He starts walking a bit faster, with much more pep in his step than before. “It’s just down that dirt road.” 

Tommy is practically running, as best as he can, down the road. You quickly join in, just as eager to get there, although for a different reason.

The farther down the dirt road you get, Tommy starts calling out to Joel, you fall behind Tommy as the back of your heel is now stinging with an immense sensation of pain, you are running with a slight limp. The cabin had come into clear view. It was made out of dark wood, parts of the external framing were falling apart, and the front left window had been smashed in, but other than that, it looks like it is in okay condition, enough to offer a safe place to stay for a little while.

“Joel?” Tommy calls out once again. 

The front door swings open, hitting the wooden wall behind it; a man, a little taller than Tommy, appears in the doorway. Joel, Tommy breathily mutters under his breath and smiles. Joel begins jogging toward Tommy, meeting him in the middle before embracing him in a tight hug. Nothin’ like brotherly love, you think to yourself as you watch the two.

“It’s about goddamn time, Tommy.” Joel declares, sounding slightly annoyed, but there was a sense of relief behind his tone. “What the hell happened to you?”

You gaze behind the two, noticing the beat-up station wagon sitting just to the side of the home. The front windows are down about halfway and the back is propped open, you notice the back is full of some sort of fabric, most likely clothes and blankets, canned food, piles of books, and a large tank of water that could probably last the three of you for a week.

“Sorry, brother,” Tommy says, letting go of Joel and taking a step back. “Got caught up in some shit, had to leave the truck...”

As Tommy is explaining what caused his delayed return, you and Joel make eye contact. His demeanor instantly changes; his brows furrowed together, a sinister look resonates in his dark eyes. His body language is practically screaming, who the fuck are you? Tommy had yet to pick up on this shift and continued talking before finally mentioning you. 

“Joel, she’s an absolute badass,” he brags in a playful tone, patting Joel on the back while turning towards you. “This is my brother Joel, who I’ve been telling you about.”

Tommy was right, Joel is an ass. The pure look of disgust on his face when Tommy introduced you to him. You’re not sure what to do, it’s not really accustomed nowadays to shake hands and exchange ‘ nice to meet you’s’, not like Joel seems pleased to meet you anyway. Usually, when people greet each other now, it’s with a gun to the head and a swift kick to the ribs. Although, his expression sort of conveyed that if Tommy weren’t here right now, you'd be getting a good ol’ ass kicking.

“It’s, uh, it’s nice to meet you,” you stammer, breaking eye contact with him, feeling intimidated by his presence. Tommy glances between your faces, finally picking up on Joel’s feelings and rounding his shoulders, dropping the smile he previously had.

"C'mon, man, don’t be like that,” He slightly whines, following Joel, who is now heading in the direction of the vehicle.

Now feeling awkward, you follow behind, keeping a distance, eventually making your way over to the steps that lead up to the porch of the cabin.

“Woah,” Tommy exclaims, causing you to look up from the ground.  “Looks like you hit a gold mine, do I want to know what you did to get all this?”

Tommy’s tone changes to a much more serious one when questioning Joel. Joel is leaning up against the side of the car with his arms crossed, he has a devilish look on his face.

“Don’t worry about it,” He's now looking Tommy directly in the eyes. “What’s done is done.”

A look of anger washes over Tommy, and Joel quickly reacts with a chuckle, pushing himself off from the car.

“I’m joking,” He rolls his eyes, and he walks over to Tommy. “Went through a lot of different places, a lot easier and quicker when you actually have a car... and not injured.” 

Tommy shoots his hands up in protest, Joel’s comment obviously hitting a nerve.

“How was I supposed to know I was going to be ambushed, and then fucking jumped?” He shouts, Joel is now laughing much harder, starting to mock Tommy’s facial expressions. 

“That’s what happens when you decide to live in this magical dreamworld, little brother,” Joel harshly says before looking at you, “You get sloppy and make stupid decisions.” 

Ouch. 

They continue bickering as they make their way up the three steps onto the porch. Joel passes by you as if you didn’t exist,

Tommy softly pats you on the head and gestures for you to come inside and join them as he one-steps his way up the porch steps. He has a few cans of food in his hands, it’s hard to see the faded labels, but it looks like canned green beans and some sort of stew. Your nose crinkles when you see the stew, is that shit still even good after all these years?

You take one look up at the sky, the sun is quickly fading, you no longer feel as optimistic as you did earlier, and a sense of anger washes over you.

Fuck him. Fuck him. Fuck him. You think over and over again.

read chapter four here!

painting divider | credit: @cottage-writings

[punisheye]

1. What they smell like: Due to his job now he tends to have a lingering smell of coffee on him. He uses a sandalwood cologne. However, there will always be traces of the smell of cigarette smoke.

2. How they sleep (sleeping position, schedule, etc): If he's not spooning Vash, then he often sleeps on his back. He typically uses one pillow for himself, and because he runs warm doesn't always need a lot of blankets. He snores a little. Light sleeper, used to keeping odd hours and being able to spring awake at a moment's notice. Frequent nightmares and occasional bouts of insomnia. He tends to wake up early even on his days off, and regardless of when he went to bed the night before can usually function fine.

3. What music they enjoy: Old country, folk, and various types of classic, prog, and psychedelic rock. Think stuff like John Denver, Johnny Cash, Steve Earle, Kansas, Norman Greenbaum, Jim Croce, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, Eagles, Buffalo Springfield, Creedence Clearwater Revival—those kinds of vibes. He's like the weird uncle that smokes too much and is weirdly protective of his car but is super nice in reality and sends you money every holiday and birthday and gives you whatever you want when you visit.

4. How much time they spend getting ready every morning: Not super long. Maybe an hour at most. On a day off he wakes up, brushes his teeth, showers, makes coffee and usually a quick breakfast for him and Vash depending on how he's feeling, then properly gets dressed. When he has work he does all of this but at like twice the speed since he usually has to get to the café at like six in the morning to sign off on the truck order coming in. Still leaves breakfast for Vash.

5. Their favorite thing to collect: He's gotten really into collecting old bottlecaps for no real reason. Something to do. He has a bunch of little wood carvings, but since he made them he doesn't really consider them as things he's collecting.

6. Left or right-handed: Both; favors his right hand, but trained to be proficient with both in the event one of them gets injured and he can't pop a vial immediately.

7. Religion (if any): Disillusioned Roman Catholic.

9. Favorite touristy thing to do when traveling: Go to a bunch of restaurants and eat so much food.

10. Favorite kind of weather: After spending his entire life under the brutal heat of twin suns and then blistering cold when it got dark on a desert planet, he definitely favors more mild weather. Clear and sunny but not too hot, with a nice breeze.

11. A weird / obscure fear they have: Coming from a desert planet, he does get a bit anxious when he's surrounded by trees and can't see the landscape and everything living on it around him. Makes him feel too vulnerable.

12. The carnival / arcade game they always win without fail: Any carnival game that involves having to shoot something. Also he's really good at Galaga.

[tricoufamily]

obscure associations tag 2

tagged by @itsmariejanel <33 thank youuu maria did 2 in 1 so i'm also doing 2 in 1 these are the rules beckett green connor purple YIPPEEEEEE

ANIMAL: DOG / a snake or a cat but like. lucifer from cinderella you know

COLORS: green / purple 🤭

MONTH: july / january

SONGS: rocky mountain high by john denver, piano man by billy joel, mammas don't let your babies grow up to be cowboys by willie nelson and waylon jennings / mama by my chemical romance, you're gonna go far, kid by the offspring, ptolemaea by ethel cain

NUMBER: 12 / 4

PLANTS: dead grass with a prominent desire path going through it / venus fly trap

SMELLS: the winn-dixie from your childhood, cigarettes (he doesn't even smoke), old furniture / conditioner packet from box hair dye, jolly ranchers, jeans

GEMSTONE: agate / jet

TIME OF DAY: sunrise / 3 am

SEASON: summer / winter

PLACES: backroads, appalachia, abandoned house in the woods / gotham in the batman 2022, closed museum at night, cemetery

FOOD: southern biscuits and gravy / fish

DRINKS: MOUNTAIN DEW / black coffee

ELEMENT: air / fire

ASTROLOGICAL SIGNS: i don't think i've ever given blood sports characters birthdays. please don't make figure out the timeline in minute detail oh god there's so many of them

SEASONINGS: fuck ton of black pepper / garlic and he loves the smell mmm num num num fuck garlic smell haters

SKY: blue and cloudless / pitch black

WEATHER: punishingly hot / bad thunderstorm

MAGICAL POWER: speed / necromancy and he's using it for evil purposes he's bringing random people from the dead to do his bidding

WEAPONS: rifle / his black clip point knives

SOCIAL MEDIA: none #amish / myspace

MAKEUP PRODUCT: he'd despise the texture of all of it / black eyeliner

CANDY: grandma candies from purse / warheads

METHOD OF LONG DISTANCE TRAVEL: hours and hours in his truck with his music playing he loves it / plane

ART STYLE: regular show / arkham knight

FEAR: what comes after death / uhh nothing at all (😐)

MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURE: church grim / siren

PIECE OF STATIONARY: chewed on pencil / scissors

THREE EMOJIS: 🚜🦨🥤 / 💀🥀🔪

CELESTIAL BODY: jupiter / black hole

[kintsug1kitsune]

15.2024.06

What a day, what a night!

Truck stop showers are amazing, but citylights, so expensive! $18 per shower. At least we can share a shower, this one's sister and itself.

Spent most of the daylight hours charging our laptops and things, got some coffee, ate. If you want this one's recs for cheap food: McDonald's and Walmart. Both have hot, filling food for under $10~

Aurora is chalked up as the "bad" part of Denver by some, but... well, we're the "bad" part, lol. Fine place to sit. And anyway, our poor car, Janet, looks like she's falling apart (even though she really isn't), so who's gonna think we're a good target, exactly~?

Still, it does keep a knife in its door. Opened.

Also, would anyone be interested in the medicines that keep me not only happy, but in an expanded state of mind~?

K-I-T <3 See you all tomorrow~

[New outfit Goshujin-sama put it in today! No panties...~]

[tcthinecwnself-a]

@007bup​​ 

It was supposed to be an easy job. Dean was commissioned to make a new centerpiece for some fancy hotel lobby. It paid good too, so of course he had accepted. He took great care in its creation, and had it done by the beginning of summer deadline. With it carefully placed within the back of his truck, Dean loaded his car up with a cooler of food and drinks and took the semi-long trek to Colorado. It took a good two and a half days, with Dean only really stopping to avoid early summer showers or when he felt he couldn’t stay awake anymore.

By the time he was in Denver, it was around 3 pm. He was tired, but thankfully not exhausted. He pulled into the hotel and, with the help of some of the staff, was able to set up his metallic sculpture within the center of the lobby. Dean collected his paycheck, shook a few hands, and grabbed a mint on the way out.

Of course, now he was hungry. Finding the first diner he could on his way out of the city, Dean assumed he’d be in and out in no more than an hour. Then he could be back on the road.

That was until he spotted Kent Mansley at the diner’s counter. Kent. Mansley. He stared at the back of his head for a while before realizing that yeah, that was definitely him. Stupidly. Dean asked to sit next to him. Well. With at least one stool separating them.

He was quiet for a moment or so after he sat down, watching Kent out of the corner of his eye. Finally, he cleared his throat. “Hey, uh. Kent.” Dean kept his voice down, but hopefully caught his attention. “You uh … remember me?”

He hoped so. The guy nearly blew up his town.

[naturiisms]

if you’re hearing JACKIE BROWN by BRENT FAIYAZ playing, you have to know MARCO ALVARADO (HE/HIM; CISMALE) is near by! the 36 year old FOOD TRUCK OWNER has been in denver for, like, TWELVE YEARS. they’re known to be quite AIRHEADED, but being AMBITIOUS seems to balance that out. or maybe it’s the fact that they resemble DANIEL SHARMAN. personally, i’d love to know more about them seeing as how they’ve got those SPENDING TIME BY THE FIREPLACE, A LONG NAP AFTER A GOOD MEAL, LAUGHING UNTIL YOUR STOMACH HURTS vibes. and maybe i’ll get my chance if i hang out around the MONTBELLO DISTRICT long enough!

STATISTICS

full name: marco matthew alvarado

nicknames: tbd

birthday: july 07, 1987

hometown: pittsburgh, pennsylvania

occupation: owns his own food truck! it's called gimme cheese

hobbies: playing minecraft, working on a recipe book that he swears he's gonna release one day (but probably won't), building model cars

lives: montbello district

HEADCANONS/INFO:

marco is edgars ex husband, they met while in college and moved to colorado together where marco was a stay at home dad most of the time, taking odd jobs at restaurants here and there when he got exceptionally bored and really needed something to do

he majored in culinary arts and impulsively bought a food truck after things started getting rocky with edgar, deciding that it was time to "find his purpose"

his kids are his whole world!!! he has journals for each of them that he has been writing in since the day they were born and he will give them to them when they graduate respectively <3

big softie, is absolutely the type to walk up to you with random food he made like "here try this do you like it"

if someone mentions a food they like he's bringing it next time he sees them 10/10

acts like nothing bothers him but then he goes home and writes it in his diary and says it'll never happen again!! and then it does

he is building an extensive world in minecraft, based off of dreams his kids have and tell him about so they can see it when they're awake too :')

seriously he's perfect and goofy and i love him!!! this was not much but if u have questions... lmk skfjksdjf

WANTED CONNECTIONS:

a best friend!!! someone he can decompress with and have fun with

a babysitter perhaps?

a past fling?

someone to help work the food truck!!!

[annaphoenix1994]

Ch.55 - Across the Pond

Previous Chapter - Masterlist - Next Chapter

Simon, Kiera, and Teeter make their way to Manchester; Teeter and Soap reunite; Soap goes too far with poking at Simon about his past with women; Simon makes Soap regret it with an embarrassing story of his own.

February 9th, 2023 - 6:00 p.m.

"How long is this flight supposed to be again?" Teeter asked Simon from the back seat, her duffel bag doubling as an arm rest in the backseat of the truck. 

Simon huffed, "Nineteen hours with a four-hour layover in Denver, then an hour layover in Munich." 

"I took it upon myself to pack plenty of snacks for us, Teeter," Kiera giggled. "These are ones Simon won't steal from us." 

"What makes you think I won't?" 

"Because you're allergic to red food dye," Kiera arched her brow, watching him raise his in shock as he didn't expect her to remember his minor allergy as it was briefly mentioned months ago. "As for snacks for you, I packed your own bag of those high protein bars that you swear on." She smiled. 

"Thank you, love," He sighed. "I hope I had some of my favorites leftover." 

"You didn't, but I had the courtesy of buying some more for you," She smiled, reaching into the tote purse she kept nestled between her hip and the door, pulling out one of the vanilla protein bars that he loved to enjoy in the morning. "And to think you assumed I wasn't as observant as you." 

He chuckled, shaking his head while he drove, turning to look over his shoulder before merging into the right lane of the highway. 

"How's that baby in there, K?" Teeter asked. 

"Babies," Kiera corrected, smiling from ear to ear as she rubbed her belly. "Found out we have two of them in here." 

"Two of 'em?" Teeter gasped. "Holy shit! Boy and girl?" 

"We don't know yet. We were going to keep it a surprise." Simon answered. 

"You should have a gender reveal party," Teeter mused. "If ya do, I want to help!" 

"Okay," Kiera giggled. "I think that would be a good idea later on. What do you think?" 

"Whatever your little heart desires, love." 

"Awe, shit," Teeter giggled. "I'm so excited. Gah-dawg, you got two of 'em in there - I can't get over it!" 

"That makes two of us." Simon smirked, reaching over to graze his fingers against her belly. 

"So, I got a question for ye, Simon." 

"Yeah?" 

"So isn't the ball in London? But we're flying to Manchester. Where am I going to go? Ain't talked to Soap in a few hours..." 

"All of that's taken care of, lass." He smirked. 

"Really?" 

"Don't worry about it," He assured her. "There's a reason Johnny hasn't contacted you in a few hours. He's been doing some traveling of his own." 

*

The first quarter of the flight was nothing but exhausting. Granted, Simon ensured he flew first class when it came to Kiera's comfort as well as Teeter's, wanting them to be comfortable on a long flight to compliment the growing aches in Kiera's belly. 

He sighed as he put away his phone, growing bored of the show he was watching while Kiera slept, her bare feet resting on his lap while his comforting massaging gestures along her swelling ankles. "How're you feeling, love?" 

"Better than I deserve," She sighed, rubbing her tired eyes. "How long have we been flying?" 

"Few hours now. That layover went by faster than I thought," He sighed. "Just a couple of more hours until we're in Munich for our last layover." 

"Thank God," She sighed. "I think I've felt sicker being this high up in the sky. The last time I threw up was worse than at home." 

"I'm sorry, love," He frowned, gently moving her ankles off of his lap before he slowly removed the pillow from against her belly, replacing that warmth with his own as he squeezed his massive frame into the bed, feeling her nestle up against him as her hand splayed over his chest, her bare left hand rubbing his sternum softly. He covered her hand with his own, his thumb rubbing her bare ring finger as he mentally was counting down the days before he would ask the big question, still contemplating on how he was going to do it and make it as special as he could for her. "We'll be there before you know it." 

"I'm excited. Even though I may not sound like it, but I am." 

"It's because you're tired, love." 

"That I am," She yawned. "I wonder what Teeter is doing."

"A part of me doesn't even want to know. She's quiet and that concerns me."

"Well, considering she hasn't been field tackled by security and this plane is still in the sky, I think we're alright." 

"You have a point." 

Manchester, United Kingdom, February 10th, 2023 - 5:06 a.m.

"Alright, listen here, we're in England, Teeter. You can't let your freak flag fly here." Kiera giggled. 

"Hey, I don't plan to. Can't be gettin' myself into trouble here when I want to see my baby." Teeter nodded, grabbing her duffel bag and slinging it over her shoulder. 

"Thank God," Simon sighed, grasping Kiera's bag along with his to keep any unnecessary weight off of her. "Speaking of your baby, I think that's him over there." He nodded his head towards his friend, seeing him leant up against a car.

"Shit!" Teeter gasped. "My Johnny!" 

She sprinted, shocking both Kiera and Simon as they could never recall seeing her run that fast, watching her arms open as she closed the gap between her and Johnny, his arms quickly wrapping around her waist as he hoisted her feet off the ground, her legs wrapping around his waist as she peppered his entire face with kisses. "Momma missed you so much, baby. I ain't never wanna be this far from you again." 

He chuckled into the kiss, turning her hat backward on her head to avoid the painful press of its bill against his forehead, "We can arrange that." 

"Never thought I'd see you without that hawk, mate." Simon chuckled as he and Kiera finally caught up to them, both Simon and Johnny embracing in a friendly embrace. 

"Figured I'd let it grow out. Can't be sporting the fin when we're at this ball," Soap chuckled, stepping towards Kiera to embrace her, placing a friendly kiss to her cheek. "You look ravishing. Simon tells me you've got two in there, no?" 

"Yes." She nodded, giggling at the slight ping of Simon's jealousy for how Soap embraced her, remembering how he first talked about her when they all first met. 

"I'm happy for you, L.t. You deserve it." 

"Thank you. You sure I can trust you to drive?" 

"If I can trust you to drive, you won't have to worry about me." 

"I'm only asking for your sake considering she has precious cargo. Can't be reckless." 

"I'm well aware, L.t." 

Soap drove rather carefully along the streets of Manchester. Having only been there less than three times, he was rather surprised how he remembered how the layout of the main streets were. That, and he couldn't avoid Simon's demanding gaze through the rear-view mirror as if he were waiting for him to mess up - waiting on him to give Simon a reason to take over the steering wheel as Kiera slept, her head leaning against his arm as they shared the backseat while Teeter sat up front with Soap. "Where we stayin' at, baby?" Teeter asked him, continuing to look out the window as he drove. 

"Simon didn't tell you? We're staying with him-" Soap began to poke. 

"The hell you are?" Simon scoffed. "I'll be damned if I hear you two going at it in my house." 

"Oh, come on, L.t. It's not like I haven't heard you before in the barracks when we were younger." 

"What?" Kiera mumbled, only hearing the word barracks - instantly wondering who he could've slept with while she was on deployment with him, unaware that Soap was talking about years ago when he and Simon first began working with each other. 

"Shut up, Soap. Fuckin' hell," Simon scoffed. "That was years ago - when I didn't give a shit and was younger." 

Soap snickered, glancing over at Teeter as if he were saying 'watch this'. "Oh, this wasn't years ago, mate - not when you and I first went on a deployment together. Back in 2019 - you had women by the bushel." 

"That was years ago." 

"Still recent." Soap shrugged. 

"Simon - you were a man whore?" Teeter poked, setting her foot on the dashboard of the car.

Simon huffed at the nearly playful glare Kiera was shooting at him. "Old Ghost was definitely a ladies' man. Had all the women in our platoon kicking their feet and wondering when it was their chance next. All of us were quite jealous if I must admit. Didn't think you'd ever change. Now look at you: whipped." 

Soap knew he was pushing his buttons as well as getting Kiera riled up in her already-emotional state of raging hormones, enjoying the glare she was shooting at him, knowing that he had never seen Simon nearly cower at a woman's glare - fearing to make her mad as he would know the outcome. "All it takes is one person to make you want to better yourself. You should try it sometime." Simon retorted. 

"Teet, I'll make a bet right now: I bet there'll be at least one woman at this ball, aside from Kiera, that has been with Simon. When I'm telling you he had women by the bushel, he sure did. When he was home and when he was overseas."

"How much ye willin' to bet?" 

"Might as well not bet money, Johnny. Seems like you've spent it all on this car." He scoffed, avoiding the glare Kiera shot at him before looking out the window, desperately trying to ignore the thoughts of Simon being in bed with another woman haunting her thoughts, wondering how many times he's told other women the things he's told her:

"You're so beautiful, love." 

"I've never felt this way before." 

"Bloody perfect under me like this. I can't get enough."

"I'll bet dinner." Soap snickered. 

"Bet." Teeter chuckled. 

"Can you two shut it? I don't want to talk about this." 

"Oh, come on, L.t. It's in the past. Not like it's happened when you and her met. Unless...." Soap trailed off, unaware at just exactly how far his poking had extended to, crossing the line with not only innocent intentions, but cruel ones as well, his words causing Kiera to nearly lose it within her own emotions, the mental pictures of Simon being happy with another woman replaying over and over in her mind. How many women have you gotten pregnant that you haven't known about? Or what if you did know?

"How much have you been drinking?" 

"Just a bit o' Scotch - nothin' merciful," He waved his hand. "Why? You want some?" 

"Why the fuck are you driving if you've been drinking knowing she's pregnant?" Simon scoffed. 

"That was a few hours ago, Simon. Not recently. Christ." 

"Pull over. I'm driving. You don't know where the fuck you're going anyway." 

"Come on, L.t.-"

"Now." 

Soap did as he was told, finding a safe place to pull over before exiting the vehicle, taking Simon's spot in the backseat while Simon took over the steering wheel, taking every chance he got to check on Kiera, knowing exactly what was gnawing at her, hating that Soap had to even bring anything up in the first place, knowing that she was going to be thinking about it for the entirety of their trip - especially the ball. "How far we got left?" Teeter asked from the passenger seat, her gaze nervously looking over at Simon, knowing he was mad. 

"Twelve klicks." 

"What the fuck is that?"

"Roughly eight miles, Teeter." Kiera spoke up from the backseat, frustration coating her voice. 

Once outside of Simon's apartment complex, he parked the car and made his way to open the back door for Kiera, offering his hand to her as he knew she was sore from traveling, sure her feet were aching her far worse than how they were on the flight, relieved that she still took his hand instead of letting her inner thoughts consume her after what Soap had uncovered about him. She won't believe me when she asks, he huffed to himself. I just hope she knows I'm not like that anymore. 

"Love, I've got our bags-" 

"It's fine. I'm not incapable of carrying my own," She assured him with a sigh and weak smile. "I already know by that look in your eye that you're going to scold Soap for what he said and as much as I'd like to see that, I'm exhausted and ready for bed. I'd rather just go and forget about it." 

"Are you sure?" 

"Positive. I think I can find my own way to your room. Besides, I really have to go to the bathroom..." 

He nodded, removing his wallet from his back pocket and handing her the keycard for his room, frowning as he watched her walk away, contemplating on if he wanted to scold Soap now or wait until later. Not like he'll remember it anyway, he huffed. "Teeter, you should drive." 

"Why? He seems fine?" 

"With that strong shit he drinks and with how early it is, no, he's not fine," Simon scoffed. "I'll get my bags from the back and when I come back around, I'll give you directions." 

"O-Okay." 

Simon clutched his bag over his shoulder, making a quick check to ensure the ring was still in his toiletry bag he and Eva had discussed, knowing - hoping - that Kiera wouldn't find it before making his way to give Teeter directions, seeing that Soap was nearly on the verge of sleep after he relaxed into the passenger seat. "See? Told you." 

"He'll be sleepin' like a baby when I get done with him." Teeter snickered. 

"Yeah, and because of the shit he thought was funny to say, I'm afraid I'll be on lockdown from any type of contact for a while." Simon arched his brow at him. 

"Hey, I thought you always said it wasn't about sex when you'd talk about her?" 

"It's not, but when she's upset about something I did fucking years ago, she won't even let me touch her to comfort her." 

"Nah, she's pregnant - those hormones will have her climbin' you like a tree." Teeter poked. 

"You two just think it's so funny, yeah?" 

Both Teeter and Soap looked at each other before nodding, "Kinda."

"That so? Well, in that case, maybe I should tell you about that nan Soap railed against a toilet in a bar while we were in Mexico," Simon arched his brow, knowing the subject was tender for him as well as bitterly embarrassing. "But wait, you were drunk then too, huh?" 

"You don't have to say it so loud." Soap scoffed. 

"Say that again and I'll shout it to these poor blokes taking their morning stroll," He warned. "Not so funny now, is it?" 

"You screwed a woman against a toilet?" Teeter arched her brow. 

"I'm not sure if it was even a woman, Teeter," Simon hid a smirk. "After all, he was at a bar and "didn't know" about the drag race going on that night. I think he made his way through the backdoor on a man." He poked, finding generous humor out of it. 

"No, I didn't," He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "I know I wasn't in an arse."

"Mate, that "woman" was too tall to be a woman. Her feet were bigger than mine. Did "she" even let you take her clothes off?"

"No." 

Simon winced, "See? Guarantee you railed a man." He chuckled at the thought.

"Shut up, Simon." 

"Why? Make you uncomfortable? Putting second thoughts into your head?" 

"No!" 

"Wait, how did you know there was a drag race going on?" Teeter questioned Simon. 

"Considering he was gloating about it the next day and when our Captain asked where he was, he said he went to a bar and Alejandro asked him which bar and proceeded to tell him that drag races go on every Saturday night. Now I'm starting to put together the puzzle as to why Soap was never seen on Saturdays for a while..." 

"I was on guard duty, bastard. That was only one time." 

"Keep telling yourself that, mate. I think you had the hots for a man. Now I'm worried about dressing up around you at the ball. Afraid you might spike my drink." He continued to tease. 

"No!" 

"Oh, that's right, because you know as soon as I walk away, she's going to ask you about it while you two make your way to where you're staying. Meanwhile, I have to explain to Kiera that I didn't screw other women within the time we met. Good luck, yeah?" 

"Let's just go," Soap huffed, ignoring the chuckle leaving Simon's chest. "I'll see you at the ball, L.t." 

"Maybe." 

"Why maybe?" 

Simon shrugged, "I'm not sure - perhaps it's that stark glare in your woman's eye that wants to skin you alive, but I could be wrong." 

"I hate you sometimes." 

"Should be most of the time, Johnny, but we'll get there." He scoffed. 

"It's too early for this shit." Teeter groaned, putting the car into gear. 

Fucking right, he thought, dreading the conversation that would follow if Kiera decided to question his actions long before they even met. I wouldn't think it matters what I did in the past? All that matters is what's happening now?

"Yeah - too early to find out Soap goes both ways, I understand." Simon sighed sarcastically, pleased at how flushed Soap's face flushed, immediately regretting ever attempting to push his buttons. 

"I do not! My street only goes one way: stra-"

"Both." 

"Even if I was, I wouldn't have my eyes on you." 

"That's right, because I'd gouge them out for looking at me that way." 

"Shit," Soap scoffed, shaking his head. "I wouldn't look at you anyway like that because I'm not gay. You keep talking about it - you might be gay for me, L.t." He poked, arching his brow at his pathetic attempt to turn the tables back on him. 

"Nah, not me. I'd have to lower my standards if you thought I was attracted to you, mate," He waved his hand. "Besides, I've got a gorgeous woman waiting on me in my room and I have a big question to ask her in a few days. I have to fix this mess you caused before I do that, so if you excuse me, I'm going to tend to her while you wonder which lane you choose while you're probably thinkin' about that "woman" you screwed in Mexico, yeah?" He snickered, watching Soap pout as he avoided eye contact with Teeter, knowing it was awkward between them. 

"I'll see you at the ball." 

"You might - if she doesn't kill you first." 

Soap huffed, "Just... Don't bring this up to her. She won't let me live it down and especially don't remind Price." 

"I forgot I was supposed to give a shit?"

"Fuck off." 

"Remember what I said a long time ago about an English welcome? I'm about to give you another one." He warned, recalling the night he and Soap were sent to follow Kiera before the raid on Sin Nombre's party - how Ghost had punched him in the ribcage for looking at what was his long before she ever was. 

"My ribs still hurt from that." 

"They're about to hurt again." 

[jupitervega]

fleein the south: part II (update)

🆘️ 2 DAYS LEFT 🆘️

i'm exhausted but i'm so so so close to bein done. gotta go downstairs & pack my movies, rearrange/repack 2 existin boxes, then all that's left for tomorrow is packin up my stuff i use every day & loadin the van

set to leave roughly just after noonish on thursday & truck to a friend's house halfway across arkansas for the night, then a long drivin day across the other half of arkansas & the majority of oklahoma on friday where i have a hotel room waitin for me. from there it's just like 6-7hr north-northwestish to denver on saturday & i can sleep in my new apartment saturday night

i'm so ready to leave the south it ain't even funny. it's almost like it's hotter & more humid than i remember just a few years ago before i left, which, bein autistic with low heat tolerance, is hell. haven't been able to be my authentic self most of the time bc too many ppl around me worry abt losin face in town. i've been misgendered with beard plain as day on my chin so many times in the past week it almost feels like i'm gettin punk'd

- just occurred to me i'm gonna have to make some decisions re: public restrooms in the comin days & that's gonna suck real bad. oh well whatever -

so that's my update, i've made just enough in donations to fund fuel but food is lookin like it's gonna be a bit trickier. been pretty food insecure for abt 8 months now so i'm no stranger to goin to sleep hungry, but if y'all can spare anything to feed me until i can apply for food stamps in denver i'd appreciate it so so so much. i'm jupitervega on vmo/ca/ppl

thanks 4 readin, here's another emergency happy pic

[fleurcareil]

BC: West Kootenay

Once back down Mount Revelstoke, I picked up a delicious poke bowl from a food truck to eat while waiting for the ferry across Upper Arrow lake... which instead of 30-50 minutes turned out into a 1h20 wait due to delays, mechanical problems etc. A bit of a shame, especially as due to the smoke there was not much to see! 😒

I had been recommended that this would be a good place to paddle which I can imagine on a clear day but I wouldn't venture on the water in these conditions... I might not find my way back! 😅 On the ferry we were laughing that the scenery was so extremely pretty, at least in our imagination 😝

After the ferry landed on the east side of the lake, I had one of the best experiences so far in my entire time in Canada; soaking in the hot springs of Halfway River! 😍❤ It's a bit of a trek to get there, first on a rough stoney road & then 100s of stairs down to the valley floor but it's absolutely worth it! There's 3 man-made pools of different temperatures (the hottest was way too warm), a few natural pools a little bit further and then the river to cool you down. I understand why people I spoke to have been returning for years on end, I could stay here forever ☺... there's no better feeling than to get really hot and then plunge head down into the cold water! Most people tend to only sit in the cold water not submerging their head, so I taught a girl & a few ladies the real magic of going all-in with the hot & cold cycle 🤩 (which they loved after the first shock)

Unfortunately I did need to say goodbye to the hot springs as I had another hour to drive to New Denver (next time, I'll stay at the on-site campground!), where I stayed at a hotel run by a friendly Chinese family, so had yummy Chinese food but the room was stuffy and hot 🔥, probably better off camping despite the smoke.

Over dinner, I had a great conversation with an older couple who has travelled the world including Scotland and Colombia so it was fun to exchange notes. It did also make me realize that although I very much enjoy traveling to explore new places, I get my real energy from living in a different country, building a new life there and getting a deeper understanding of the culture (like I did in Canada 😍)... I see my road trip as a farewell to this amazing country that I call home, and although it seems distant at this moment, I'm looking forward to starting a new life in Chile, so together with the worsening fires in BC it felt I was coming to an end to my travels soon. I still had 6 more nights in the Okanagan booked that I was excited about but perhaps after that it would be good to start my return. Fast forward 2 days (as per one of my previous posts); after having had terrible smoke in Nelson and more areas being evacuated I did cancel the bookings and returned east, not even making it to the Okanagan 😔

For now however, the next morning was slightly better and it made me happy to see some snow-covered mountains and semi-blue sky from my window! 😀 I was told that New Denver is a hidden gem so I walked around the old downtown and bought delicious orangy cake from the farmers market. Thereafter, I visited the Nikkei memorial centre at the location of a Japanese Canadian WW2 internment camp which had ofcourse shocking displays and a pretty Japanese garden (I've had my fill now of internment info though; I better hope Canada will never have a war with the Dutch or the French 😅). There was another Japanese meditation garden on the lake but by then the wind had kicked up a frenzy, signalling it was time to leave!

Driving across the mountains to Kootenay Lake, I stopped by in Sandon, which is billed as a ghost town but I didn't get a good idea of its history (I'm guessing mining ?)... currently, it's more of a repository of old trucks, train wagons and a whole collection of electric trolley busses (incl. one from Hamilton!) that are waiting to be restored and put back into use (questionable given their current state). The iced coffee was delicious! 😁

In Kaslo, I visited the SS Moyie Sternwheeler which had functioned as the only local transportation for the villages along the 105km long Kootenay lake until the road was built. The ship is beautifully restored and I can imagine this was pure luxury at the time!

After a well-deserved icecream and a chat with dear Priyanka 😍, I had quick stops at a strangely rounded covered bridge and some falls (of which I've also reached my limit now) and then on to Nelson. My tent site was a bit different on a deck high above the rest of the campground... put in extra stones to make sure I wouldn't roll off in the middle of the night. 😅 Delicious Italian food & local wine on a patio with live music capped off a good day ☺

Next morning though, the smoke was double heavy although it had cooled down 10 degrees overnight, and the bad news of fire evacuations kept rolling in so pulled the plug and canceled my existing reservations (they would have been nulled by the end of the day anyway because of the travel restrictions put in place for tourists), and booked new ones in East Kootenay on the way back to the Rockies. Feeling drab, I spent some time inside at the visitor centre and a restaurant but the smoke was everywhere...it did not only physically feel bad but also mentally it wore me down like a heavy blanket trying to suffocate.😔

I had driven by the Ainsworth hotsprings the previous day so went back and had some good time there... they also have a "cave" in which you can swim which was different... didn't beat the forest hot springs but the warm water was soothing anyway!

In the evening, I went to an Oppenheimer party at the cinema with live music & drinks before the movie, something completely different! 😀 I briefly met an interesting couple who live happily in Nelson & had met many years ago, after she had decided to grow roots in Nelson "because it felt home" after a summer job... gave me hope I'll have the same home feeling when I'll set foot in Chile!

Despite not having been able to truly experience West Kootenay as I had wanted to, I feel that this is an amazing region so will hopefully come back here another time, just not in August.

Wildlife: 2 turkeys, 1 bald eagle, 2 deer, 1 salamander

SUPs: none

Hikes: none

Hot springs: two 🤗