#I had duty yesterday and it was trash

[unsat-and-strange]

damn girlies will actually just skip a few meals and turn into an angry anxious miserable mess

[libraford]

I was explaining to my friends yesterday that one of my pet peeves is that not very many people know how to use the modesty bags (wax paper bags in the women's room) and this leads to them being stocked incorrectly and also used incorrectly- resulting in potential biohazards.

I don't blame people for not knowing. The circumstance that of the four people at the table who menstruate, only one person knew what I was talking about... is what makes me mad. Because no one told them. And no one told the people who were supposed to tell them. And everyone somewhat assumed you already knew how to use them so no one reinforced the process. And the culture of shame surrounding menstruation means no one talks about it. And the people stocking the bathrooms typically don't know it- so they get stocked incorrectly. And so the cycle continues and I'm scraping the biohazard up off the bottom.

There's supposed to be a stock of them in the box. A nice, generous handful of them. 20 or so.

You're supposed to take one, put your pads or tampons in the bag.

Then take the bag and throw it in the trash can outside.

This process is meant to reduce the amount of people touching bodily fluids.

Every place that I've worked where I've had the duty of cleaning bathrooms, the people who stock it only put one in the box as a single liner. This causes that bag to become overflowing. It becomes smelly, unsanitary, and in the case of outdoor place like park shelters- attracts bugs or animals.

When I told the guys that work the opposite shift as me that this is the proper process, they said 'I thought it was just like a little trash can' which is a logical conclusion to make when everyone else before you only put a single liner in.

But I noticed that when I stock them correctly, people are more likely to use them correctly- I see less beer cans or gum wads or diapers in the receptacles.

Anyways- if you work in maintenance and see this problem, its real easy to explain that this is how its meant to be used and most people will believe you because no one told them how to do it properly.

This has been a psa.

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

Rabid Logan is my new favorite logan

"Butterbean, please?" Wade begged.

"Fuck off," you groan, curling on the sofa and holding a pillow closer to your head. "It's just a migraine. I'm fine-"

"Totally fine, yeah." Wade frowned and mimed strangling you for a second. It had been 2 days. Yesterday you were having trouble with your vision and puking. Today you were hiding from the sun like a fucking vampire. And he had to go. He had work to do.

But in his head all he could see was your tiny 7-year-old self crying from the pain that no one else was taking seriously. But at least- at least Trigger was taking it seriously. Laying curled behind your legs with his head on your hip, he looked up at Wade like he wanted to know what to do.

"Fine," Wade said, "You won't go to the hospital? I'm gonna get you a baby sitter."

"I don't need-" But when you try to sit up and the movement makes your vision blur, you can't protest. All you can do is groan.

"Sure, shut up," Wade said pulling out his phone and taking a deep breath as he went through his contacts.

Vanessa- working Peter- pushover and working Al- just no. No. Love her but no Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. And Colossus would just fall through your fucking floor IF he could fit through the door way.

"Damn it," he hissed, dialing the last number he had. The last person he'd willingly hand you over to.

"What?" Logan growled.

"Hey, Peanut," Wade said, kicking a wastebasket closer to you as you lean over the couch to puke again. "Need a favor."

"No."

"Listen," Wade said, "I gotta go. Now. And my sweet angel baby sister has a migraine from hell and refuses to go to the hospital to get checked out. So I need somebody who can babysit and force her to go if the meds don't do what they're supposed to in... oh, 12 hours?"

Over the phone he can hear boots hit the floor and he exhales slowly. "Fine," Logan said.

"Thanks, Peanut. Hands to yourself. I gotta go. Duty calls." He hung up the phone and stroked your hair, moving the pillow just enough to kiss your cheek. "I gotta go, sweetie. Logan will be here pretty quick."

"I'm fine-"

"Totally fine," he agreed. "You just look like you're dying and threw up water for dramatic effect." He tutted and tucked the blanket around you before stopping to pet Trigger and slip out the door.

_________________

Logan slipped into the apartment and regarded the dog, who was watching him. The growls were low warning growls. His mistress was ill, but he wasn't. And he could smell vomit that was mostly bile and water. Old clothes and sweat. He shook his head.

This didn't look or feel like your apartment. Too dark and quiet. No warmth. And seeing you so still and clutching a pillow to your head made him wince. "Hey, kid," he said softly, walking slowly towards you. "You alseep?"

"No," you answer, your voice muffled. "Beer's in the fridge if-"

"Thanks," he answered. "You thirsty? Need food?"

"My head's not really happy with moving."

Logan moved the trash can and knelt next to the sofa, "Cold water on an empty stomach is a bad idea," he said. "Got anything else?"

"Lo, you don't have to do this," you murmur. "I'll be okay. It happens. Just not this long."

"What else have I got to do?" Logan said shrugging. "I'm 200 years old and I know a few things. Pretty sure we can get you through it."

"There's some electrolyte drink mixes in the cupboard above the coffee pot," you answer, breaking off with a groan when your head throbs.

Logan nods and squeezes your shoulder gently, "I'll figure it out, as long as you don't mind me going through your kitchen."

"Help yourself," you answer. "If you find jerky in the fridge don't eat it. It's Trigger's and he holds grudges."

[zephyrchama]

Hey! Uhhh, my birthday is in two days and most my friends don’t want to celebrate with me. So could I get some comfort for an MC who is sad their human world friends don’t wanna celebrate but has the brothers by their side? I’ve been reading your fics and headcanons the whole night yesterday and they’re really good!

(Thank you!! Hope I made it in time, and I hope it's okay if I changed things up a bit to be an MC who wasn't expecting any sort of celebration. Please have a lovely day! Happy Birthday!) (Anyone who reads this, please be sure to wish seerachii a happy birthday!)

Your alarm was beeping. Just like every other day, you raised an arm and fumbled around in the sheets until your hand made contact with the alarm, turned off the noise, and sighed into the pillow. Waking up in a realm where the day-night cycle doesn’t exist was tough. Your body had a hard time keeping track of its natural rhythm.

It was a normal day. You had homework to do and errands to run. You decided ten more minutes in bed couldn’t hurt, as a treat, and felt around one more for your D.D.D.

New messages from all of the stores you frequented appeared in your inbox overnight. Fifty percent off today only! Buy 5000 grim worth of product and get a free present! Stop by in person and show this message to get a free sample! That last one vaguely intrigued you. Maybe you would stop by after the errands were complete. The kitchen was running low on trash bags, you needed a new notebook after spilling some caustic potion on your old one during class, and Satan asked you to pick up a pack of dental floss when the opportunity arose.

You slowly dragged yourself out of bed and over to the wardrobe. You wondered if it would be weird to dress a little fancier than normal, or if anyone would even notice.

Now that you were closer to the door, an odd sound caught your attention. Some kind of scuffling and movement on the other side of your bedroom door. Muffled voices. Your heart froze. Were you supposed to be on breakfast duty? Some of your housemates liked to be up early, and some of them got real cranky when their breakfast wasn’t prepared on time.

You hurried to put on whatever outfit was front and center before opening your door, expecting to see one or two grumpy demons waiting for their food. You were met with everybody, dressed in suits, in the midst of another sibling squabble. Things seemed tense and as soon as you opened the door, all of their attention turned towards you.

“You’re awake?” Beelzebub asked. “Good morning.”

This was a rare sight. Maybe your alarm clock was set to the wrong time and you woke up far later than usual. You rubbed an eye and opened your mouth to apologize for oversleeping but got cut off.

“Hold it! What in the three realms are you wearin’? You wore that same thing last week,” Mammon exclaimed, holding an arm out in front of the others as though holding them back.

Asmodeus shoved a decorative box overflowing with tissue paper into your hands. “Put this on! Go, go!” He nudged your back into your room, and they shut the door behind you.

What?

The muffled squabbling started back up. You heard Belphegor in particular complain, "I didn't get to say good morning."

"We'll do it properly the next time," Lucifer said, right before your attention was directed elsewhere.

Inside the box was a a stunning outfit. Far fancier than anything you thought of wearing that morning and custom-tailored exactly to your size. You admired it in the mirror, conflicted. This definitely seemed like a gift, but was it really? The material felt expensive. You didn't want to get your hopes up. It could be a coincidence, some new idea that Diavolo cooked up or an event you forgot to write on the calendar. But even if that were true, what a nice coincidence it was.

A hush fell over the brothers as you gripped the door handle. This was definitely weird. You swung the door open again and asked, "What's going on?"

"Happy Birthday!" a chorus of voices rang out. Some of them followed it up with "good morning!" Someone temporarily blinded you with a confetti popper.

"Sorry we forgot to say it before," Leviathan said, clapping.

Satan and Lucifer came forward to pick confetti and glitter out of your hair, congratulating you while Asmodeus fussed over your new outfit. "As I thought, it suits you! Hehe."

A mix of emotions welled up. Mostly shock. "You remembered? Or rather... you guys knew? I don't think I told you..."

"'course we knew!" Mammon boasted.

"Who do you take us for?" Belphegor took one of your hands while Beelzebub grabbed the other. They went ahead and intertwined their fingers with yours before anyone else could object.

"We have a lot planned for today, but first, was there anything on your schedule?" Satan asked. "I hope you didn't make too many plans."

"Yeah," you said truthfully, "if there's time I was going to pick up that floss and maybe some new stationary."

Asmodeus laughed and slid an arm around your shoulder. "Oh, you're so funny!"

"You can do that another day," Lucifer chuckled. "We have better things in store for you."

"I especially can't wait for dinner." "Beel, that's a surprise," Leviathan chided, poking the glutton in his side. "Oh, right. You didn't hear that."

They had a whole day of activities planned, just for you? You teared up a little. It was impossible to cover up with your hands being held, so you looked at the floor to try and collect yourself. Just for a moment.

Of course they noticed. Leviathan was alarmed and rushed to ask, "What's wrong?"

Lucifer's confidence wavered ever so slightly, a rare happenstance. He stepped forward with a worried expression and a handkerchief if you needed it.

"Mammon, what did you do?" Belphegor eyed his brother suspiciously.

"Why me? Nothin'!" he stammered, kneeling to get a better look at your face. "What's wrong, huh?"

These guys belonged to a big family. They might fight, but they always had each others backs and supported one another when the time came. You belonged to their big family. They might be overwhelming and needy, but they always had your back and supported you when the time came. You were an inseparable part of them. It was an inscrutable realization.

What was there to say? Thank you? That sounded far too simple to express the complex emotion pooling in your gut. You squeezed the hands that had reached out to you first. They squeezed back. Maybe it was okay to be a little selfish on your birthday in the Devildom.

A wavering smile spread across your face. "I can't wait. What are we going to do?"

[tonyspank]

STARGAZING

Warnings: fluff, a bit of smut, reader has leg & back tattoos, and reader calls donuts overrated LOL

Reader also has a pp 😱

Summary: You finally hang out with Jenna off duty.

Every weekday morning was the same. You'd wake up, go to the station, talk to some of your fellow officers, maybe even your captain, then stop at the same café. You'd order the same coffee and pastry, and sit down at the same table, with the same company.

Jenna was wonderful company too. Her eyes would light up whenever you walked through the door, uniform on and everything. It was your own little ritual, one that you looked forward to every day. You'd talk about your days, your hopes, and your ambitions.

It was a sense of comfort, one that you could always count on. You could tell that Jenna was always genuinely happy to see you. That smile that you grew to love over the past year would never leave her face when you were near.

You shared a special bond with Jenna that was unlike any other, regardless if you only hung out at the café. It was like home. You'd come in the morning, or afternoon for lunch, maybe even stop by before clocking out.

"Here's your breakfast bagel and coffee, just how you like it." You look away from the window, Jenna grins, placing down your food. "Thank you." You both exchange a look, and you can't help but smile at the girl in front of you.

Jenna sits down across from you, resting her hand on her hands as you take a bite of the bagel, savoring the taste and everything that it represents. "Aren't cops supposed to eat donuts? Not bagels?" You smirk and take a sip of coffee. "Donuts are overrated," you reply, then take another bite of the bagel.

Jenna laughs. "I guess you have a point," she says. "So, how's Chris?" You snort at the question. You had told Jenna about how another officer had to go on a two-week break due to the fact that Chris had broken his butt bone. Jenna laughs at you, her smile widening even more.

"He was in a lot of pain but he's doing better now." Jenna shakes her head, still laughing. "Have you ever seen anyone break their butt bone before?" You ask, still chuckling. Jenna shakes her head. "Nope, can't say I have."

You both laugh, still, in disbelief at the situation Chris had gotten himself into.

Chris had a good sense of humor about it, though, and it was relieving to have a good laugh about it. You both shared a moment of understanding, knowing that accidents happen and it could have been any of you.

You take a sip of your coffee, nearly moaning at the taste. "Your coffee completely beats the Starbucks I had yesterday." Jenna smiles but lets out a dramatic gasp, "You went to Starbucks and not here? I'm honestly hurt!" You laugh and take another sip, "Your coffee's better, I promise. I'll never make that mistake again."

"Good, you know I take good care of you." You smile, feeling the warmth of the coffee and the warmth of her words. "I know you do," you reply. She smiles back and the two of you sit in comfortable silence. After a few minutes, you finish up your bagel, crumbling the trash up.

"What do you do when you're not saving the city?" Jenna asks randomly. You pause for a moment, taken aback by her question. You take a sip of your coffee before responding, "I uh, just walk around...maybe hang out at home, why?"

Jenna shrugs. "Just curious. It seems like you're always in your uniform. It's nice to hear you take some time to relax." You smile, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Yeah...I guess I just like the feeling of doing something meaningful."

You then pause, thinking about how to word your next sentence. "It makes me feel like I'm doing something with my life."

Jenna nods in understanding. "I get it. Everyone needs a purpose to feel fulfilled." You take a deep breath. "I don't feel like I'm drifting anymore." Jenna smiles. "That's great. You've found something that makes you feel alive, and that's all that matters." You smile, subconsciously grabbing Jenna's hand that rests on the table.

"Maybe tomorrow we could hang out and relax together." Jenna nods, squeezing your hand. "I'd like that. Now I can finally see you outside of your uniform." You nod in agreement, the two of you still smiling.

You both laugh, and you feel your heart swell. Your shared laughter is infectious, and you can't help but feel a sense of joy and warmth spread through your chest.

You look into each other's eyes, your smiles still lingering on your faces. You feel an unspoken understanding between the two of you, a connection that you can't explain.

You clear your throat, letting go of the girl's hand and start gathering your stuff. "Well, I gotta go save the city now. I'll um...I'll pick you up tomorrow from work. What time do you get off?"

She smiles and says, "I get off at three. I'll be waiting for you." You nod at her words, sending a small smile. With one last glance, you turn and walk away, leaving her standing there, still smiling.

You were right on time, three o'clock on the dot, waiting for Jenna outside of the café. Jenna emerged from the café, a smile still lighting up her face. You got off your motorcycle, taking off your helmet. You waved to Jenna, who waved back. "No! I wanted to ride in the police cruiser!" Jenna teased you as she brought you into a hug.

You laughed and hugged her back. "Maybe next time," you said as you mounted your motorcycle. You pulled Jenna onto the back of your bike and handed her your helmet. She gave you a tight squeeze, then put the helmet on.

You felt her arms wrap around your waist as you started the engine and drove off the wind buffeted you as you travelled, and you felt Jenna's embrace tighten with each passing mile.

You pulled up to your destination, and Jenna hopped off the back of the bike. "Where are we?" She questioned, looking around at the greeny area.

You smiled at her and said, "This is my secret spot. I wanted to share it with you." Jenna's face lit up with joy as she looked around, taking in the beauty of the place. You held out your hand, and she took it before looking up at you with a smile. "C'mon, I set up a picnic."

You led Jenna down the path, and soon you arrived at the clearing with the picnic set up. Jenna was amazed, and you smiled as you watched her in admiration. "This is insane." Jenna turned to you with a look of awe. "How did you do this?" she asked.

You simply smiled and replied, "It's my pleasure. A return for your wonderful company and coffee this past year."

Jenna smiled and hugged you tightly. You enjoyed the moment, feeling content and grateful for the friendship you had built. When she pulled away you gestured her to sit, joining her shortly after and reaching inside the basket.

You pulled out a container of fruit, sandwiches, and a bottle of sparkling cider. She laughed, delighted by the surprise. "I am... astonished... honestly."

You laugh before raising your glass. "To Jenna's amazing coffee and bagels!" She smiled and raised her glass to yours, clinking them together. "To my coffee and bagels," she said, and you both took a sip.

You both shared a laugh and put your glasses down. Jenna looked at you and said, "I didn't know you had tattoos." You chuckled glancing at your legs, "Yeah, I usually have to cover them for work. I also have one on my back."

Jenna smiled and said, "Really? Can I see?" You nod in response. Jenna quickly gets up, kneeling behind you. She gently moved your shirt and her eyes widened. "That's a really awesome design."

You smile and reply, "Thanks." Her hands begin tracing the tattoo and you can't help but shiver from her touch. You turn your head slightly, meeting Jenna's face as she places her hands on your shoulder, her face only inches away from yours.

"It looks so good on you." You blush and thank her again. She gets up, moving back to her original spot. She smiles. "I'm really glad you decided to get it. It suits you."

You nod in agreement, feeling a warmth inside that you hadn't felt in a long time. "Could you pass me a grape?" Jenna reaches into the fruit container, a grab in her hand. "Catch it."

You open your mouth, trying to fight back a smile. "You think I won't catch it? I was pro at this in high school."

The grape flew in the air, and you caught it, your reflexes still sharp. You grinned in satisfaction, and Jenna clapped her hands in surprise. "That was impressive!" she exclaimed.

"Here you try." Jenna hands you the container before preparing herself to catch the grape. You took a grape from the container and threw it up in the air. Jenna's reflexes were still a bit rusty, but she managed to catch it with her hands.

"Cheater! You gotta catch it with your mouth." You quickly grabbed another grape, throwing it at Jenna, unfortunately, it fell short. Jenna tried her best to catch it, but it was too late. "Damnit!" She laughs, her hands resting on your thighs.

She pouted playfully. "I feel like a loser." You shake your head, keeping your eyes on her as you reach into the container for a strawberry.

"Here's a reward for trying." You hold out the strawberry to hand it to her, but instead, she bites it from your hand, her eyes on you the entire time.

She lets out a small moan at the sweet taste of the berry, dramatically rolling her eyes. "So good." Her own hands reach into the container, picking out a strawberry. "Try one."

You couldn't even protest before she holds the strawberry to your lips, her left hand still resting on your thigh. You take a bite, the juice of the strawberry running down the corner of your mouth.

She gently wipes it away with her thumb, her eyes never leaving yours. You can't help but blush at her closeness. "Mmm..." You hum, nodding your head, approving of the taste. She smiles at your reaction, her hand still lingering on your thigh.

Her eyes leave yours, moving to your thigh. "Did this one hurt?" She asks, her finger tracing over the tattoo on your upper thigh. You take a deep breath, feeling her gentle touch. "A bit," you reply, your voice barely audible. She nods, giving you a reassuring smile.

She pauses for a moment, her eyes locked on yours. "Jenna..." you whisper out, swallowing the lump in your throat. She nods, telling you to go on. "Can I kiss you?" Again, she nods, causing you to smile. You lift your hand to caress her cheek before closing the distance and pressing your lips to hers.

You feel her arms wrap around your neck, her breathing becoming more shallow. She parted her lips slightly, deepening the kiss. You felt like you could stay there forever, lost in the moment. You eventually pull away, both of you breathless. You smile at her, and she smiles back, her cheeks blushing.

You both laugh nervously, and she leans her forehead against yours. You stare into each other's eyes for a few moments, feeling a connection that was unexpected yet undeniable. You stay like that for a while, just enjoying the moment and savoring the feeling.

"Fuck the police?" She mumbles, biting down on her lip. You can't help but chuckle. "Fuck the police."

And fuck the police was she doing. "Shit, Jenna..." You whine out, grabbing her hips. She grins, pushing you back onto the bed. "You know you love it," She says, her lips curving into a smirk.

She moves her hips, and you gasp, lost in the moment. You grip her hips and pull her closer, letting out a moan as she continues her movements. "Fuck me."

"I am, baby." She laughs before letting out a loud moan. "You're so big, fuck." Her hand moves from your core to your thigh, and her movements become faster and more intense, pushing you closer to the edge.

She's clearly enjoying the experience, her movements are becoming more passionate as your pleasure intensifies. You can feel her desire to bring you to the peak of pleasure and you give in to it, letting her take you there.

"I'm cumming!" She yells out, her grip on your thigh tightening. Her back arches as she rides you, her muscles tense as her orgasm takes over her body. You can feel her body shudder against yours as she comes down from her high and collapses against your chest. You wrap your arms around her, before flipping her over on her back.

You start to move inside of her again, your movements slow and gentle. She moans softly, her eyes half open, her breathing heavy. You kiss her gently, your lips lingering at the moment as you both enjoy the sensations of being together. She wraps her arms around you and pulls you closer, her fingers tracing circles on your back, over your tattoo.

She looks up at you, her eyes full of love and desire, and you know she'll remember this moment forever. You kiss her again, this time more passionately and with more urgency. You both know there's no need to rush; the night is still young and you both have all the time in the world.

You begin trailing kissing down her neck as your hips move slowly against hers, her breathing becoming heavier as her hands grip your shoulders. You whisper in her ear softly, "You feel so good, Jen."

She moans in response, her fingers running through your hair as you press your lips against her collarbone. You feel her body quiver beneath you as your hands travel down her curves. Finally, you meet her gaze, and she smiles.

"Faster, Y/N..." she whines, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth. You comply, increasing your movements, and soon she's clinging onto you, her breath coming out in short gasps. "Yes, fuck." You can feel her body quivering beneath you, her grip on your shoulders tightening with each thrust. She screams out your name, her head thrown back in pleasure as you hit the right spot.

"Right there, shit. I'm about to cum again." You continue to move inside her, your body responding to her every whim. You lean down, your lips seeking hers as you both reach the peak of pleasure together.

She cries out your name, her voice low and husky as she comes down again, her eyes closed and a satisfied smile playing on her lips. You collapse onto her, both of you panting and sweaty as you bask in the afterglow.

You stay like that for a few moments before you reluctantly pull away, looking into her eyes with love and admiration. You give her a gentle kiss on the forehead, a silent promise of more to come before you both drift off into a peaceful sleep.

It was now morning time and you leaned against Jenna's kitchen counter, sipping on a mug of coffee she made for you as she took in your features.

She smiled lovingly at you before speaking up. "I could get used to this. You just walk around my place in your underwear, showing off your body and tattoos."

You chuckled, feeling a warmth inside your chest that made you feel like you were home. You grabbed her hand and pulled her close, pressing your lips against hers. "Me too." You placed another kiss on her lips before pulling away.

"Hungry?" She smiled and nodded. You stood up and began walking to the fridge, but Jenna stopped you. "No, baby. I'm hungry for you." Your eyebrows raise in surprise, "Oh."

[andypantsx3]

SOMETHING IN THE WATER | 5 | SHOUTO x READER

SUMMARY: As a future marine biologist, you’ve scored big on your final internship: a summer in the tropics, researching the waters off the coast of a lush, sunny island. But what you thought would be all beach days and piña coladas turns out to be the revelation of a lifetime when you haul in a handsome merprince, and discover not everything in these waters is quite as it seems. TAGS/WARNINGS: mermaid au, interspecies relationships, mating rituals/courting behavior, (sort of) case fic, aged up characters, eventual smut, fem pronouns/afab reader LENGTH: 3.5k of est. 21k, 5th of 8 chapters

It was pollution. No doubt about it.

Under the lens of one of Kamui’s microscopes, the evidence was incontrovertible. The piece of white coral Shouto had brought you sported distinct traces of industrial processing chemicals that had almost certainly contributed to its bleaching, the concentration high enough that it had also probably choked the life out of the nearby environment.

It was high enough, in fact, that you were absolutely floored your team hadn’t come across even a hint of anything similar before. Based on the levels, you should have been finding at least smaller traces close to the area it came from, but nothing you’d found so far had even hinted at anything like this.

Which begged the question, just where in the hell had Shouto gotten it from?

When you legged it back down to the beach, however, both the merman and your sandwich were missing. The only evidence of his presence were the slices of mozzarella that had clearly been picked out of the sandwich, laid out cleanly on the wrapper you’d left behind.

You’d sighed and cleaned your trash up, then slogged back to your room for a shower and a few hours of sleep, stowing the coral away safely to show to your team in the morning.

When you awoke, however, you realized you would have no way of explaining to them where you’d obtained it, and no way to point them any closer to the source of the issue. You resolved to find Shouto as soon as possible to figure out what was going on, hopefully before the scheduled tour of Sunfish.

You rocketed through your morning tasks, and hurriedly volunteered to take over trap checking duty, disappearing out the door before Yu could so much as get out a reply.

You boated north to the reef where you’d first met Shouto, and jumped into the water before you’d even gotten your snorkeling gear on properly, certain the merman would somehow find you. You’d nearly finished checking the trap, kicking off the seafloor to rise back to the surface when a hand seized your elbow, guiding you back up.

Shouto’s handsome face was staring back at you when you yanked off your goggles, his distinctive hair slicked back with ocean water, the scar around his eye a deep pink in the sunlight. Sunlight glittered off the droplets on his skin, making him look even more ethereal than he usually did, and your breath momentarily seized in your chest.

“Hi Shouto,” you said, your face going hot when it came out weirdly breathy. Embarrassing.

A tiny little smile pulled at the corner of his mouth, and his fingers flexed on your elbow. “Hello,” he said in his deep, even tone.

Even that simple greeting somehow made you flush. You quickly marshaled yourself, trying to remember you had come here with an agenda, not to float here stupidly in the water, staring at him.

“Shouto—that coral you gave me yesterday? One of them has the signs of the pollution I was looking for!”

Shouto blinked, a droplet of water sliding down the side of his straight, handsome nose. Your eyes seemed weirdly glued to it as it reached the edge of his mouth.

“Then you liked it? It had…microbes?” he asked.

You nodded distractedly. “Sort of. Signs of microbial unhealth and chemically-induced bleaching. And I did like it. I think you might have actually solved the whole case for me!”

Shouto’s mouth pulled into a fuller, happier smile, just enough to bare the tops of those sharp teeth. You blinked, momentarily stunned, looking back up into his eyes to find him watching you intently.

“You liked it. My gift,” he said, something strangely smug in his tone. A little thrill raced through you, a frission of pleasure, at having put that expression on his face, that tone in his voice. Your ears went hot, and you pointedly did not think about why his pleasure made you so pleased as well.

“Yeah, I loved it,” you nodded, startled when Shouto’s fingers slid from your elbow to your wrist, lifting it up to his face.

But then in the next instant his expression shifted, his brows furrowing and the edges of his smile dipping. Instantly, you mourned the loss of it.

“But…you are not wearing it,” he said. “Either of them.”

Your eyelashes fluttered themselves in another disconcerted blink. Had…that been a requirement? Had he said that to you, yesterday?

You didn’t think you’d had much conversation between him handing over the bits of coral and you rushing off to the lab with them, but maybe that had been his expectation of what you would do with them. Maybe that was a common merperson thing, and you were too ignorant to think of it.

In fact, you hadn’t even taken the time to ask him why he’d given the coral bits to you, too focused on getting them under Kamui’s microscope like a huge disrespectful idiot.

You flushed, suddenly feeling incredibly rude. Was this a merperson custom you had just flagrantly ignored?

“Am I—? Is that something your people, um, do?” you asked. “Wear coral?”

Shouto nodded, those mismatched eyes still glued to your bare wrist. His fingers carefully shifted to encircle it, like he was replacing the expected bits of coral with his own hold on you. Your face burned and you paddled a little bit harder in the water, expelling nervous energy.

“I am so sorry, I didn’t know. Of course I will wear them, I just need to find some kind of string—” A sudden thought seized you. “Except—-well, Shouto, I need that white coral to prove pollution. I need to show it to my team, and be able to explain where I got it from. They might need to send it off as evidence.”

Shouto’s fingers tightened on you, though you noted he was still mindful of his claws. A hissing noise exploded out of him, and that scraping feeling burned at the back of your throat again, the bioelectric signal of his distaste clear enough.

“It is yours, not theirs,” he hissed, his handsome face suddenly all twisted up.

You could quite literally feel how distressed he was, and your heart throbbed with the realization that you were the cause.

You immediately backtracked, horrified. You shifted in the merman’s grip, twisting your hand to grab his wrist too, and put your other hand to his shoulder, holding him firmly.

“I’m sorry—Shouto, yes of course it’s mine. Of course I won’t give it to them,” you said, trying to angle your face to look into his eyes. “I didn’t realize—of course I will keep it with me.”

To your surprise, Shouto calmed immediately. The snarl faded from his mouth, his lips resuming their normal soft, sweet shape, and his other hand came to rest at your waist, pulling you a fraction closer to him.

“You promise,” he asked, though it was phrased more like a statement than a question.

You had to fight back a shocked laugh at how easily he’d been rerouted, and how unbelievably fleeting and childish that little tantrum had been. A prince of his people and here he was, getting fussy with you!

There was nothing for your exasperated snort, your helpless smile. “Yes, yes, I promise. But you have to help me collect another piece of white coral from where you got it originally. I promise it’s important.”

Shouto’s hands tightened on you, and you found yourself being dragged closer, so that he was holding you up in the water, only inches from the hard planes of his chest. His tail brushed against the inside of your thigh, the scales rasping lightly over the skin there. You went still, a little thrill racing up your spine at his sudden, more immediate proximity.

“You want me to take you there,” he said, his voice suddenly a little deeper.

You blinked. “I—yes? Is that…okay?”

Shouto’s eyes narrowed in on you, and you shifted nervously in his hold as his pupils went a little more slitted, a little more inhumanly focused. “It is an area of some significance to my people, though it is now difficult to get to. Your kind has begun to touch it.”

Your interest piqued. Humans had begun to touch it, alright. Judging by the chemical processing agents left behind on the piece of coral Shouto had given you, you could guess exactly which humans had touched it, too.

“Is it Sunfish?” you couldn’t help but ask, perking up in his hold.

Shouto inclined his head, a movement that brought his mouth almost dangerously close to yours. Your breath choked off in your lungs.

“Yes,” Shouto replied. “The…microbes you are interested in, then…? They are to do with Sunfish?”

You nodded excitedly, eagerly sucking in another breath. “Yes, yes! God, I’m so stupid, I should have told you earlier—anything to do with where Sunfish is operating is of interest to me. We’ve been testing the—um, the microbes to put it simply—around the area but if Sunfish has somewhere we haven’t been yet, that’s what I’m looking to know.”

Shouto looked thoughtful, and a claw trailed absently down the skin of your arm. You jumped, startled.

“Then I will take you,” he said, eyes cutting back to yours. “On one condition.”

You felt your eyebrows raise. Well that was unexpected of him. Who knew mermen knew how to bargain?

“Name your price,” you told him.

Shouto’s mouth quirked then, a hint of a sharp incisor showing, but the rest of his expression was strangely sincere. “I want dinner and a movie,” he said, a claw trailing sweetly, absently down the skin of your arm again. “Like you said humans do.”

You could feel your eyebrows escaping towards your hairline, your mouth going slack. “You want to watch a movie and have dinner,” you repeated, floored.

Shouto inclined his head, the damp strands of red and white mingling with the movement. “You said I would like a movie.”

Damn. You had said that, hadn’t you? But you couldn’t think how in the hell you were going to get Shouto to a movie. It wasn’t like there was a movie theater on this island, and besides that it wasn’t like you could just piggyback a real life merman into one.

You supposed if pressed, you could preload something on the shitty island wifi and then bring your laptop down to the beach and watch things that way. But what if someone spotted the light and came looking? Shouto could disappear quick enough, you had no doubt, but how to explain the laptop?

And then it occurred to you: the inn had a maintenance shed, just off the main office. A sudden image came to you of wheeling Shouto uphill in a wheelbarrow, getting him into the tub in your room, and setting up a few pillows for yourself, and some kind of dinner spread on the floor.

It was unconventional. But then—so was the idea of dinner and a movie with a merman at all.

You stuck out your hand, making a mental note to swing by the maintenance shed on your way back in tonight. “It’s a deal.”

Shouto stared at your fingers, seeming not to know what to do with the gesture, until you took one of his hands in your own, pumping it up and down. He held on for too long after that, those crimson-tipped fingers closing in over your own, warm and wet and strong.

“Then I will take you now, if you like,” Shouto said. “If you are ready.”

You nodded, paddling your feet a little uselessly in his hold, in eager anticipation. Confirmation of Sunfish’s activity, and the chance to see a place meaningful to Shouto and his people. It was a dream come true for any marine biologist.

Shouto let you go, following you slowly as you paddled back to the boat, swimming leisurely, looping circles around you. He helped boost you back into the boat, and then hauled himself up after you on the strength of his arms alone. The back of your neck went very warm, as you watched his muscle coil and flex as he pulled himself in, then looked at you imploringly.

“I will point the way and you will take us,” he said, slithering across the floor of the boat to slide in next to you behind the wheel. He peered at all the meters and dials interestedly, pressing a crimson claw to one.

You had to laugh at the ridiculousness of a merman sitting behind the wheel of a boat, and another wild idea occurred to you.

“Wanna learn how to drive?” you asked.

Shouto’s eyes slid over to you, turquoise and grey pinning you to your seat. “To operate the boat?”

You nodded. Another hot flush crept across your cheeks as a slow smile spread over Shouto’s mouth, those mismatched eyes glittering.

“Yes,” he said. “I should like that very much.”

You gestured him over to your seat, rising out of it as Shouto slid all that heavy muscle your way, the scales of his tail bright and fiery in the sun. He was warm and smelled like salt up close, and you tried not to take note of the way his bicep flexed as he moved to grip the wheel in taloned fingers.

You gave him a brief run through of all the meters and gauges, the fuel level meter, speedometer, the ammeter and engine hours. He seemed disinterested in all but the speed—a typical man, even if only his upper half looked it.

Then you showed him the throttle and how to turn the key to start and what degrees of movement of the wheel at a higher speed wouldn’t send both of you flying out of the boat. And then you sank down next to him, gripping the seat for safety as he started the boat, looking thrilled.

He guided the boat off the reef more carefully than you would have expected, but he grew bolder as you made it out into deeper waters, applying a ton of throttle instantly and sending you falling backwards in your seat. You zoomed across the gentle waves, horrifyingly fast, but unexpectedly smoothly for someone who had just learned. Shouto seemed intimately familiar with the island’s layout, navigating smoothly through some of the shallow channels that gave you an almost-regular heart attack, gliding easily across the waves and not seeming to catch a single one the wrong way.

A thrilled laugh bit out of you, getting lost in the wind as you sped across the sea. Shouto’s mouth pulled into a wider smile, looking pleased with himself, those sharp teeth white in the sun. You found yourself smiling, at the ludicrousness of being driven around by a merprince, and at how much Shouto looked like he was enjoying himself.

In almost no time Shouto was steering you into a shallow cove on the eastern side of the island a couple hundred meters away from where you’d laid out an observation station. As you slowed to a stop you helped anchor the boat, feeling your brows furrowing back down in confusion, the smile slipping off your face.

If there was any level of pollution in this cove then you would have known about it from the nearby observation station. You weren’t sure if Shouto had the right spot.

But as you turned back to him he pointed a claw towards the jut of the land, aiming with certainty. “There used to be a cave through which we could access the lagoon,” he said. “But it is blocked off to us now.”

You stared at him, befuddled. “Blocked off? By what?”

Shouto’s mouth thinned into an irritated line. “By some human invention—I do not know what it is.”

Your eyebrows raised. “Then—how did you get the coral out of this, uh, lagoon if you can’t access it?”

Shouto’s eyes dipped, following your words as your mouth shaped them, looking strangely intent. Your ears went hot.

“I climbed,” he said simply.

You whipped around to stare back at the strip of land rising into the jungle. You could just make out a clearing in the trees where you thought a lagoon might lay. And it was no small distance. Your jaw dropped, imagining Shouto having to drag himself over meters and meters of land to get there.

Your stomach fluttered, the white coral suddenly taking on a new significance if Shouto had gone to such trouble for it. It had to be more than just an area of interest to his people—-it more likely had to be extremely significant if this was the length merpeople had to go for this coral. No wonder he hadn’t liked the idea of you testing it, of you surrendering it and mailing it out and away, if he’d had to pull himself over land like that to get it.

And with this realization, a new, wildly disconcerting thought crept over you, an insane flight of fancy.

Was it possible that Shouto had given you… not just a friendly gift, but something even more meaningful than you had initially realized? If this was a site of cultural significance, and he’d suffered to get the coral for you—did it mean something a little bit more intimate than an exchange between new friends?

Your gaze darted back over to Shouto, sitting pertly in his seat. He struck such a handsome profile, all sleek muscle and delicately carved features, his face carefully-noted and almost supernaturally angelic. His coloring, too, was magnificent, the rose of his scar, the deep scarlet of his scales and his claws. And he was so sweet, and funny, and so very interesting. He was unlike anything—anyone—you had ever seen, and the thought of him fetching you a gift of special significance made an even more blistering wave of heat flare up in your belly.

You rose from your seat, determined to see this lagoon for yourself.

“Alright, you wait here,” you told Shouto, “I’m going to go check it out.”

He nodded, watching you closely as you went to the bag of supplies, fishing out a camera, the log book, your shoes, and a couple pieces of sampling equipment. You stuffed them all in a dry bag, rolling the top down tight and buckling securely.

“You will be careful,” Shouto intone in his deep voice, more an order than a question.

You smiled up at him, nodding your head. “Yes. I’ll be back in just a couple of minutes.”

He looked satisfied with that, and helped lower you down into the water to swim for land. He slithered off the edge beside you, sinking smoothly into the water like a dropped stone, and swam along underneath you, following you all the way until you clambered onto the sand. You hurriedly dug around in your bag for your shoes, stuffing your feet into them still sandy and damp as Shouto looked on.

Once properly outfitted, you followed the beach as it trailed off into scrub and bushes, and then into towering palms, making your way into the jungle. The sun shone brightly through the leaves, painting everything around you in shades of sunlit green, the air under the canopy thicker than on the beach. Your feet slid over the damp sand in your sneakers, a sensation you did not particularly enjoy, but you walked briskly, your curiosity leading you onwards.

In only a few minutes, the trees once again gave way to a small strip of sand, and you spilled out onto the beach of the lagoon.

It was instantly clear to you exactly what Shouto had meant. A large metallic wall dammed off one side of the lagoon, most probably blocking off the underwater channel Shouto had told you about. It had been bolted into the jutting coral and rock around it, sealing off any water flow. Around it, the ancient coral walls of the lagoon were bone white wherever the water lapped at them, disturbingly bleached of color, and you thought the scrub and the trees that had built up over the surface overtime looked a little bit unhealthy too.

Shouto had most definitely gotten his coral from here.

As you looked around your certainty grew, until you spotted the most damning evidence. Only a scant few meters away from where you had come out of the forest, there was a pipe dug into the earth, sitting about a meter above the water level of the lagoon. It was still shiny, clearly new, and it was also dribbling the occasional bit of liquid into the lagoon, as if someone were piping certain substances out and away from the rest of their facilities.

Your heart rate doubled at the sight, and you knew even as you unloaded your equipment to take samples that you had found exactly what you had been looking for.

There was no doubt in your mind that this pipe led back to Sunfish. And Shouto had indeed just solved this entire case.

[rileyslibrary]

This is a short Simon “Ghost” Riley x F!Reader fic for @lauraliisa and @pasta-m1lk who requested a part 2 of the Hot Seat fic. I won’t be making a part 3 for this; I prefer to leave the rest to your imagination (sometimes I, too, like to torment the ones I love 😈) The fic is SFW, I promise.

Yesterday at the morning debrief, he was back to his usual self, dressed in his military uniform, with his signature skull balaclava, tactical boots and gloves. He eyed each of you independently and gave orders for the day’s duties.

Toilets. That was your day’s duty. Cleaning the fucking toilets.

And as if that wasn’t enough to torment you, he turned in front of everyone and yelled your name.

“Y/N,” he said, “will be quite tired after cleaning duty, don’t you all think?” to which everyone replied with the “sir, yes, sir,” including yourself.

“To thank her for her service,” he continued, “she’ll receive an exceptional deep tissue massage treatment after she fulfils her duties,” and added a “lucky her.”

Soap was standing behind you. “What the fuck did you do this time,” he whispered, and you discreetly asked him what a deep tissue massage meant. He smirked and said, “you’re about to find out.”

Under normal circumstances, a deep tissue massage would have been revitalising with the occasional “good hurt”.

This “deep tissue” massage was like a compact hell week; there was no relief from pained muscles, and full of “bad hurts.”

He made you run 8km with your bergen, do a fuckton of reps consisting of press-ups, burpees and sit-ups, then wash, rinse and repeat.

“Again.” He ordered, and you obeyed.

“Again.” He commanded, and you did as you were told.

“Again.” He said one last time, and you warned him that you were about to throw up, to which he replied with a simple “good.”

He might have thought you were over-exaggerating, but you couldn’t hold it anymore. You stood up with all the power you had left, ran to the nearest trash bin, dipped yourself halfway in, and began to gag. The smell of rotten food didn’t help.

You didn’t hear him approaching, but you felt his glove brushing the stray hairs off your forehead, his other hand gently patting your back.

He didn’t speak until you wiped your mouth with your hand.

“Better?” He asked.

“I didn’t mean to make a fool out of you, sir,” you explained in between gasps, “on the contrary, I was trying to be,” you got another gasp, “discreet, sir.”

He kept stroking your hair and back until you were finished talking. He then helped you up and held you by the shoulders.

“Seems like you’re not well, soldier,” he said in a low voice, “I would suggest requesting a sick leave.”

You were covered in sweat, your hair all messed up, you smelled like a trashcan, and your body ached in places you never knew existed. But you stared at Ghost, dumbfounded. This could have easily been a trap.

“I’m not si-“

“I’ll give you tomorrow off,” he stopped you, “how’s that?”

You opened your mouth to say something, but he squeezed your shoulders and shot you a meaningful look. He kept nodding, signalling for you to answer in the same manner.

“Yes, sir.” You replied, looking at him hesitantly.

He patted your shoulder. “Good,” he said, “now, what are you up to tomorrow?”

Your mouth dropped to the floor. “I, um, I’ll be home, I guess, sir.”

“So,” he tilted his head, “no plans for tomorrow?”

“N-no.” You replied, still in disbelief.

“Huh, what a coincidence,” he said, putting his hand on his hips, “I’m on leave tomorrow as well.”

“C-cool…” You muttered. What the fuck was he up to.

“Would you like to go for a coffee tomorrow morning?” He asked, “or tea, in your case, because,” he gestured at the miserable state he brought you in, “you know, you’re sick.”

You kept staring at each other. You couldn’t see Simon’s expression, but you looked like someone picked you up with a giant claw and dropped you right in the middle of a David Lynch movie.

“Should I take your silence as a- “

“Yes,” you nodded vigorously, “as a yes, sir; you can take it as a yes.”

He came this morning with his motorcycle and picked you up; he brought an extra helmet for you and secured it on your head.

He drove you to a café close to the pub you first saw and identified him without his mask, the reason behind all that hazing you’ve been through. The reason why you’re both here now.

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” you tell him.

“Why not?” He asks, “you’re sick and on leave.”

“I’m not sick,” you whisper with a smile, “and neither are you.”

He shrugs. “Oh, but I am sick,” he opposes you, “sick and tired of serving and ordering and,” he looks around, “killing.” He whispers.

You nod empathetically. He diverts his gaze from you and looks at the street, almost embarrassed for admitting it. You think of his mask; he doesn’t wear it to cover his good looks as you first thought. Ghost is a persona for the battlefield—for serving and ordering and killing. This, right here, sitting in front of you, is Simon.

“Hey,” you snap your fingers to distract him from his thoughts, “you promised me coffee.”

“Tea,” he corrects you, and you shake your head.

“I hate tea.” You say.

He shoots you a death stare and looks up at the sky.

“Why?” he wonders out loud and smiles, “why didn’t I ask you about that before taking you out on a date?” And gestures at the waiter to come and take your order.

[lesbianreaderidk]

danganronpa thh females x nb reader incorrect quotes (pt 2)

Y/N: Okay, but if your not gay then why are you always holding my hand and kissing me and telling me I’m your partner? Hina: Dude- Its satire! Y/N: THAT'S NOT WHAT SATIRE MEANS!

----------------

Y/N: The stars are so beautiful… Kyoko: They're just giant balls of gas. Y/N: You know what, if you're just going to ruin this, then- Kyoko: And yet none of them are as huge as my love for you. Y/N: Oh…

----------------

Y/N: Having two partners is both amazing and complicated. But all our problems are solved with communication. Celeste: It's my turn to cuddle Kyoko. Y/N: FIVE MORE MINUTES DAMMIT!

----------------

Y/N: I have feelings for you. Toko: Why? What's wrong with you? Are you sure you're okay?

----------------

Sayaka: Being gay is a constant battle between "I wish to sit on a window bench with my lover, our legs tangling as we listen to the birds" and "Hey, let's go throw rocks at fascists" and I think that's very sexy of us. Y/N: If the window's open and you time it right, you can do both.

----------------

Hina: If I fall… Sakura: I’ll be there to catch you. Y/N: watches these two interactions Y/N, to Celeste: And if I fall? Celeste: I’ll be the one who pushed you.

----------------

Hina: Why are your tongues purple? Toko: We had slushies. I had a blue one. Y/N: I had a red one. Hina: oh. Hina: Hina: OH. Sayaka: Sayaka: You drank each others slushies?

-----------------

Y/N: Pfft, you should meet Toko, she's such a tsundere. Kyoko: She… she just stabbed you. Y/N: Oh that's her murderous side

Kyoko:..

Y/N: Isn't she so cute 🥹

-----------------

Toko: I didn't drink that much last night. Hina: You were flirting with Y/N. Toko: So what? They're my partner. Hina: You asked if they were single. Hina: You cried when they said they weren't.

Hina: Then you sneezed and Jill came out

Toko:...did she-

Hina: Yes. You did kill the guy who was flirting with them.

-----------------

Celeste: Relationships should be 50/50. Y/N cooks us dinner while I sit on the kitchen counter looking pretty.

------------------

Hina: So, how long have you and Y/N been together? Toko: No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Y/N and I are not together. No. No. Y/N: Really? Sixteen ‘nos’? Really?

-------------------

Jill: Wait, what's going on? Are we all talking about how hot Y/N is? Because Y/N is a straight up sexual fox riding a red-hot nuclear bombshell right toward the yowza plaza in the heart of Babe City, Assachusetts, U S A. The last A just stands for more ass.

-------------------

Y/N: Crushes are the worst. Whenever I’m near mine, I start acting stupid. Kyoko: You always act stupid. Kyoko: Kyoko: Wait…

-------------------

Celeste: Why is Y/N crying on the floor? Hina: They're drunk. Celeste: And? Hina: They saw a picture of Sayaka's partner. Celeste: But they're Sayaka's partner. Hina: I know.

-------------------

Y/N: Wow, Celeste, you want to hold my hand before marriage? How awfully lewd of you. Celeste: We literally slept together yesterday. Y/N: That's NOTHING compared to the lewdness of holding hands.

--------------------

Hina: I'm trash. Y/N: As someone who's environmentally conscious, it's my duty to pick you up. Does 7 work for you? Hina: Hina: You smooth motherfucker. Hina: And yes it does.

---------------------

Sayaka: Hey, Y/N, are you free on Friday? Like around eight? Y/N: Yeah. Sayaka: And you, Toko? Toko: Umm… yes? Sayaka: Great! Because I'm not. You two go out without me. Enjoy your date! Toko: Did they just-

[aishangotome]

Ellis Twilight: Chapter 3

Chapter 2

♡———♡

Ellis: ...Bodyguards?

During breakfast, Victor informed me of my unexpected first assignment as a "Fairytale Keeper."

Victor: Yes! By having Jude and Ellis protect Kate, our secrets will be kept safe.

Victor: Kate can observe Ellis and Jude up close and record their observations...

Victor: It's a two-birds-with-one-stone plan, fulfilling your duty as a Fairytale Keeper!

Victor: What do you think, Ellis?

Ellis: If Kate is okay with it, I'm fine with it.

Ellis: There's no guarantee that what happened yesterday won't happen again... I want to be by Kate's side.

Victor smiles at Ellis' response and then turns his gaze to Jude.

Victor: Of course, Jude will also take responsibility, right? You hate being indebted to others, don't you?

Jude: Tch...

(I think it would be reassuring to be near Ellis, but...)

Since just being with Ellis led to me being mistaken for "Jude's woman" and targeted... I can't help but be wary of Jude.

Jude: Don't cry like a baby if ya get scared, princess.

(I'm scared... but Victor gave us a good suggestion, so I can't be weak here.)

Kate: It's okay, I'm surprisingly resilient!

Jude: ... Ha.

He scoffed at my best attempt at a smile and looked back down at the newspaper.

Ellis: Well, it's settled then. Nice to meet you, Kate.

Kate: Yes, nice to meet you too.

I smiled at Ellis too, and unlike Jude, he returned a gentle smile.

Ellis: By the way, you can speak more casually.

Kate: Huh...?

Ellis: Just 'Yeah, nice to meet you' is fine.

Kate: Y-yeah... nice to meet you.

Ellis: Yeah, that's good.

I was soothed by the warm atmosphere Ellis exuded...

Victor: Now that we've come to an agreement, it's time for your mission.

Victor's words made me straighten my back.

(This is my first real assignment as a "Fairytale Keeper.")

The first impression is crucial to gaining trust, so I need to be focused.

Victor: –Actually, I'd like you to gather some information.

Victor: About the kidnapping cases happening all over London.

Kate: A kidnapping... case?

The alarming word brought back the tension I felt when I first met the members of "Crown."

Victor: Yes. The victims are of various ages. From toddlers to teenagers, even adults.

Victor: The common thread is that the adults are often prostitutes or street performers.

Victor: A popular singer from the tavern has also disappeared... Many of these people don't have a fixed address.

Jude: The victims are nobodies, and since they're homeless, no one files missin' person reports for them.

Jude: So, as usual, the police don't do anythin' about it.

Sadly, Jude is right. People who work in the red-light district are looked down upon.

Behind the glamorous facade, they're treated like trash.

Victor: That being said...

Victor: There's an art fair happening in London right now, and I know performers are gathering there.

Kate: Yes. It's not as busy as the social season, but it's still quite lively.

Victor: I want Jude and Ellis to go there and gather information.

Victor: As rootless as they are, they have unexpected connections.

Jude: Why do I have ta go? It's such a pointless mission.

Victor: It might be related to the human trafficking ring you took down in your private time the other day.

Victor: You're already on board, aren't you? Besides...I heard today was your first day off in a while.

It seemed that Victor wouldn't have known this information unless someone had told him, and Jude glared at the person next to him.

Jude: ...Ellis.

Ellis: I was asked, so I answered honestly. Sorry.

(Maybe the power balance between these two is more equal than I thought...)

Victor: So, off you go!

Sent off by Victor's overwhelmingly cheerful voice, we headed off to our mission.

-

(It's even more lively than usual...!)

The aroma of appetizing food wafted from the colorful stalls lined up at the art fair.

It wasn't just the food that entertained people. There were people painting on the streets and others performing street performances on a large stage set up on the corner. Walking around, I was almost overwhelmed by the lively and fun atmosphere.

(No, I can't get completely excited... I need to focus on the mission.)

(That's right, I should ask them now.)

Kate: Ellis, Jude. Can you tell me about your curses?

Ellis: Didn't we talk about that already?

Ellis: I have the "Thorn" curse, and Jude has the "13th Wizard" curse.

Ellis: They're curses based on the motif of "Sleeping Beauty."

(The curse of thorns and the curse of the wizard...)

The wizard is a villain who resents not being invited to the princess's birthday and tries to kill her with a curse.

(I can kind of understand the wizard's guilt, but...)

(What is the "Thorn's" guilt?)

As I was thinking, Jude stopped abruptly and turned around languidly.

Jude: There's no need for the three o' us to stick together. Ya two can gatha' information on yer own.

Ellis: But what about protecting Kate?

Jude: Ya alone are enough.

With that, he quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Kate: ...Does he dislike me, by any chance?

Ellis: He's like that with everyone, so I don't think he dislikes you.

Ellis: Maybe it's to prevent Kate from being put in danger if we're seen together again.

(Hmm, I don't think that's it...)

I quietly swallow the words that were about to escape my lips.

Kate: ...If that's the case, he's quite a kind person, isn't he?

Ellis: I wouldn't say kind. He loves to torment people he dislikes and hear them scream.

Kate: ..............

(The fact that I can imagine it is scary...)

He's the complete opposite of Ellis, who showers everyone he meets with kindness.

As if to prove this, after parting with Jude, Ellis was greeted from all sides.

Red-Faced Man: Hey, you! Thanks for taking care of me the other day!

Ellis: You're welcome. Don't drink too much today.

Kate: Who was that...?

Ellis: Someone I found passed out drunk on the street. I carried him home on my back. I don't know his name.

Kate: What?!

(He carried a stranger home and even took care of him?)

But that wasn't all that surprised me.

Carpenter: Thanks to Ellis introducing me to people, my business is finally taking off!

Cat: Meow!

Ellis: You're welcome.

(Even a cat is thanking him...?!)

(And to be thanked by so many people just passing by...)

It's clear how many good deeds Ellis must do on a regular basis.

Kate: You're more well-known than me, a mail carrier...!

Ellis: Really? I think it's normal.

He smiles happily at the people smiling back at him.

(I'm sure what he did for me yesterday is just a normal thing for him.)

He can't help but lend a hand to anyone in need.

A person who spreads happiness.

Watching Ellis happily converse with the townspeople, those words come to mind.

(Does such a person have any "sins" that I should record...?)

(And besides that--)

(Why is such a kind person working for an assassination organization, or for someone like Jude?)

Even though I've witnessed his kindness firsthand... The sudden question stirs up unease in my chest.

Ellis: Kate? Kate?

Kate: ...Ah, sorry! I was lost in thought.

I realize that Ellis, with his head tilted, is peering at my face from up close...

Ellis: Were you thinking about me?

Kate: ...Wha-?!

My heart races as our eyes meet, our eyelashes almost touching, like lovers gazing into each other's souls.

(Ellis doesn't seem to realize it... but I feel like he's too close.)

It was the same as the morning after I was brought to the Crown Mansion, when he visited my room.

This is the second time his amber eyes have been this close, and I feel heat rising to my cheeks as I look away.

Ellis: Ah, I was right.

Kate: How did you know?

Ellis: Hmm... I just had a feeling?

Ellis smiles and hands me a steaming mug.

Ellis: Here, I got this milk tea from the shop while you were thinking about me.

Ellis: It's a thank you for helping me with deliveries the other day.

(...Ellis, you're amazing...)

Ellis lowers his long eyelashes and blows on the milk tea before taking a sip.

Ellis: If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Kate: ...Okay.

Ellis: You mean "yes," right?

Kate: ...Why are you with Crown, Ellis?

Ellis: I guess because Victor recruited Jude, and Jude agreed?

(So, Ellis joined because Jude joined...?)

Kate: Why are you with Jude?

Ellis: You have a lot of questions.

Ellis chuckles and wraps his hands around the mug.

Ellis: Before I met Jude, I was living a nomadic life, moving from place to place.

Ellis: I happened to meet Jude when I came to London.

Ellis: We made a promise after a series of events.

Kate: A promise...?

Ellis: I work for Jude, and in return, he'll grant me a wish.

Ellis: That's why... we're together until then.

A premonition that something might happen if I keep asking questions makes my heart race.

Kate: What's your wish, Ellis...?

Ellis: That's--

Flashy Performer: What?!

(Huh...?!)

Startled by the loud voice, I look over to see that we're behind a makeshift stage, where a performer is scratching his head in distress.

Flashy Performer: Both of them can't make it... This is a problem...!

(Both of them can't make it... Performers... Could it be?)

Kate: Ellis.

Ellis: ...Yeah.

-–“The common thread in the kidnapping cases is that the victims are often prostitutes or street performers.”

We exchanged glances and headed towards the troubled-looking performer.

Kate: Excuse me...

Flashy Performer: Hmm? Ah, sorry ladies, but my show starts in 10 minutes!

Ellis: We were just told two of your fellow performers can't make it...

Flashy Performer: Yeah, the guys I was supposed to perform with have gone missing.

Performer with Fancy Hat: Geez, how many is that now...? Things have been weird lately.

(Missing... and more than one person)

(Maybe we can learn something if we talk to him.)

Ellis: If you don't mind, we'd like to hear more about that.

Performer with Fancy Hat: Sorry, but I don't have time for that right now! I need to come up with a performance I can do by myself.

He waved us off dismissively, but then, as if struck by a thought, he stared intently at our faces once more.

Performer with Fancy Hat: Well, if you guys are willing to help me out with my stage performance, that's a different story.

Performer with Fancy Hat: Haha! Just kidding. Even though I'm short on help, I wouldn't involve amateurs.

He shook his head as if to say it was a momentary lapse of judgment, and Ellis approached him cheerfully.

Ellis: Help, you say? What do we need to do?

Performer with Fancy Hat: Haha! What, are you interested? I was just joking.

Ellis: But if we help you, you'll tell us more about it, right?

Performer with Fancy Hat: ... What, you guys have a hidden agenda?

He stared at us, his kind face contorted in confusion.

Performer with Fancy Hat: But you know, selling out my friends is a pretty risky business.

Performer with Fancy Hat: I don't have any guarantee that you guys don't have bad intentions. After all, this is our first time meeting.

Kate: What can we do to earn your trust?

Performer with Fancy Hat: Let me think...

Performer with Fancy Hat: If you're willing to be my target for knife throwing, or be tied up and submerged in a water tank without complaint...

Performer with Fancy Hat: I might just trust you.

(A target for knife throwing...!? )

Ellis: Sure, I'm good at that sort of thing.

Unlike me, who was bewildered, Ellis was not intimidated and continued the negotiation.

(As expected of someone who has been on business trips with Jude, he is used to this kind of situation...)

I thought the negotiation was settled with Ellis cooperating with the show, but reality wasn't that sweet.

Performer with Fancy Hat: Tsk tsk tsk... It's not enough with just you. The lady over there needs to cooperate too.

Kate: Huh...!?

Ellis: ...Why?

Performer with Fancy Hat: For the performance, of course!

Performer with Fancy Hat: A tragic separation of lovers, followed by a moving finale! It's sure to get a big cheer.

(...Knife throwing... Tied up in a water tank...)

Ellis peered at me worriedly as I turned pale.

Ellis: Kate, you don't have to push yourself.

(Victor used to throw knives at him, so Ellis will probably be fine.)

I could never imitate his extraordinary physical abilities, but... whether or not we get information from this man depends on me.

(At this point, I have no choice but to trust Ellis and this performer...)

Kate: Alright, I'll cooperate.

.

.

.

.

.

Chapter 4

If you’d like to support my translations, feel free to buy me a coffee here! :)

[storiesbyjes2g]

3.79 Merry and bright

Soooo... Just as Sophia predicted, we arrived late, but not as late as she thought. When we walked in, the scent of cookies and tomato sauce filled the air. The food and desserts had probably just come out of the oven, and far as I was concerned, we were right on time. The house looked amazing, and so did Mama. I couldn't get over how her new hair color just set off all her outfits. She looked like one of Father Winter's helpers with the red and green clothes, brown boots, and white hair.

"Merry Winterfest, buddy," she shouted, pulling me into a very merry hug. "Can't believe you made it before we ate."

"Heh, that makes two of you."

Dad greeted Sophia, and I wrapped my arms around my dear sister.

"It's sooo good to see you in real life, Less."

"Yeah, you too...even though you didn't call me when you got engaged."

"It literally just happened yesterday! And you know Mama kidnapped us."

"Oh, I know. She called me all frantic talking about, pack my things and come home immediately. I thought somebody died!"

Oh, Mama. She was so extra, and I loved it. Yeah, it could be too much sometimes, but I never had to wonder if she loved me.

I tried to introduce Less to Sophia, but she was really weird. She gave her a quick "nice to meet you" and went right back to speaking to me. Dwayne sat quietly watching all of us, so I introduced Sophia and sat down to give the illusion of including him. Naturally, Sophia and Less followed me. She dominated the conversation, asking me 1000 random questions. Sophia tried to insert herself and asked her about life in Mt. Komorebi, but Less wouldn't let her in. At one point, she got really annoyed and yelled at her.

"Can't you see I'm talking to my brother??"

I was used to her attitudes, but it took a lot not to lash out at her. I wouldn't tolerate anyone treating Sophia like trash. She missed me and wanted to catch up; I got that. And she had always been weird about girls around me, but the way she behaved really surprised me. But this was new for her, too. She never had to share me with anyone before, so I remained calm.

"Less... She just wants to get to know you. Don't you want to know her?"

She contemplated my suggestion, as though it was new information. Throughout our childhood, she always followed me. Whatever I did, she did. As long as I remained in the room, she would never give Sophia a chance, so I left them and looked for Dad. I found him in Mama's office decorating the tree...with Dwayne. Well, they weren't exactly working together. Dad hung the ornaments, and Dwayne was more like the hype man, approving of his placement and doing the whole a little more to the right thing. They worked on the tree with such precision, as if they painted a masterpiece or something.

I had to mess with them. They were so serious about the tree, but I didn't think it took all of that. I guess that's why I wasn't on tree duty.

"I think we need something blue right here. Like, bright, shocking blue right there."

They both glared at me with that "boy, get out" face, tee hee. Mission accomplished!

I sat and watched them finish hanging ornaments. When they completed that task, Dad asked if there were garland or other decorations. If it took them that long just to place ornaments, Father Winter would be there before the tree was ready. Luckily, Dwayne said it looked good. He probably felt how I felt. Mama came and said the food was ready, so Dad turned the tree on, and we placed our presents under it.

[apupp3tw0-strings]

Peace in the Darkness

Date: October 9th, 2131

Pretty much since leaving for the first time, I kept thinking about going back to the Dark World. CK kept texting me about how he's been visiting with Kris and I finally managed to convince Papa to drive me to Hometown again a few days ago and again today. I'm still jealous that CK can come here whenever he wants.

In the three total days I've visited, I've mostly just felt this sense of... peace in Castle Town (which is apparently the official name of this city in a closet). It's so... mysterious and wonderful and magical. And even if Kris hasn't really shown us around outside of the castle, I really like it here. There's just... something about it that I like more than the outside world, that I can't exactly place.

And then there's Spamton. He's... well a little weird and eccentric if I'm being honest, but still nice. It's given (er, well, sold) me at least two more of the weird potions Kris won't let me drink, and some frayed bowties and weird blue eggs? (They remind me of robin eggs and I put them with my collection at home, so I think they're eggs at least.) That and all the offers and deals he keeps giving me I think show a form of friendship, right? I mean, that's the sort of stuff I talk about with my other friends. Except for CK I guess, but he's my cousin so it's a little different.

Anyways, the last time I was here, Spamton mentioned not having a good night's rest in a bit because its bed was literal trash (which like, figure of speech right so I know it's not literally garbage and technically should be figurative but also I didn't correct it because I've picked up that people don't like me correcting stuff like that). So today I decided to make him a gift and give it to him! I spent like, all of yesterday making this little red race car bed out of cardboard. I even stole- I mean barrowed, Rexi's doll to get the measurements right. (The fact that Spamton is almost literally the size of my brother's porcelain doll is kinda baffling but that'd also be rude to bring up.) I hope Spamton liked it. I mean, I think he did. Its eyes went dark for a bit and then it sorta started crying? Felt kinda awkward but I'm taking that as he appreciated the gift. After Spamton was done crying it immediately tried to sell me another weird potion before Kris shut it down.

CK also seems to be getting along with Jevil, even though Kris is concerned by how well the two of them are getting along. I think I've heard them mention how they've had to stop those two from getting up to double the mischief and pranks. ...Also how they almost burned something down the other day. (I know CK's magic can get a little out of hand at times but goodness gracious!)

Kris also said they plan on showing us around soon. Even if they won't say how soon "soon" is. Most of the time CK or I have been in Castle Town, they've been doing a lot of checklists and talking to people and stuff. What they say is their duties as "Ambassador and Guardian of the Dark", whatever that means. I'm just excited to eventually get a chance to explore this city a little more. Everything looks so exciting and new, I wanna see what everything is.

[donnerpartyofone]

I once found myself foolishly complaining to my old therapist about some deeply unsatisfying exchange I had on tumblr with somebody who had willfully misconstrued what I said and was going after me about what they decided I meant, just because that was what they would rather talk about. You know, the usual. My therapist threw me off my game by just asking my why I post here to begin with, instead of indulging my desire to passionately bitch and moan. She seemed very skeptical about whatever I said, I had the idea that she wanted me to admit that I was either looking for a fight, or attention, or validation from a bad source where I am destined to encounter a lot of friction. (Man o man, if only she knew about the absolutely bonkers and irrational "you are valid" culture we have here...) And I mean, she's right, you ARE destined to encounter a lot of friction on tumblr if you do anything remotely personal with it, but somehow that annoyance can be outweighed by

a) the internal satisfaction of putting your thoughts in order

b) the catharsis of venting, even into the void

c) the small but unignorable possibility that someone will deeply understand what you said, or have something relevant and provocative to add based on their own unique and valuable experience/expertise.

I think about turning off replies all the time now, quite a lot of the time there's someone being rude either on purpose or inadvertently, because they're too obtuse or thoughtless to consider the implications or real usefulness of what they are saying. Sometimes I think about turning off reblogs on everything too, and I'm trying to develop the habit of stopping before I post to ask myself, every single time, how I'm going to feel when some total cretin reblogs something that is obviously either not universally applicable (e.g. just personal in-the-moment venting) or actually not their business (discussion of personal tragedy that you'd think people would have the good sense to leave alone, like just let strangers who need to talk about something do so in peace?). All of these things have happened more and more lately, and I think what would be really great for me is if I developed a much tougher hide, if I developed a mental baleen that filters out all the shit I don't need to care about and lets in all the tasty, nutritious stuff that I'm actually here for, that I like so much that it makes all the chaff totally worth it.

My problem is that I don't have that natural thing that tells you what incoming stimulus is relevant and what you can completely ignore, I'm curious about EVERYTHING especially how other people think and behave. When I hear something insulting or idiotic directed at me I immediately start processing it like it's a mystery that it is my duty to unravel, instead of casually throwing it in the trash like I should. This morning I posted about how I was reminded of a personal tragedy by some stupid thing a business did to me, and I get this complete stranger unloading his own version of that tragedy, only to then condemn me morally for my interaction with the business. Like does he think I'm going to be so humbled by his "direct action" that it's going to change the world? What was the goal besides picking a fight before the sun is all the way up in the sky? Yesterday I posted links to a bunch of film scholarship I published along with some new blu ray releases, literally calling it my life's work, and somebody reblogged it and put in the tags that they don't like one of the movies and they don't know what the other two are. So...what was the point here? Are you planning on buying two expensive collector's editions of movies you don't know by a director you don't like? I mean thanks for promoting my work, I guess if the price of your sponsorship is that you say rude, pointless things that don't mean anything to anyone, then I'll take it? It might have a positive impact on my mental health if I turned off replies and reblogs universally, but then I wouldn't get to hear from any of the smart and nice guys I've met on here who have opened my eyes to all sorts of things. So yeah my Christmas wish or New Year's resolution or whatever is to give a shit much, much more selectively, for the rest of my life.

PS Regarding disagreements on the internet: There is an important qualitative difference between someone saying something you find disagreeable on their own blog, which you don't even have to be aware of if you don't want to, and someone going out of their away to like cross into your yard to start a fight about what's on your blog ~as if~ you had called them on the phone and said it directly to them personally. Most of what you see on the internet doesn't require your input at all, if you don't really have anything to add except your own emotional content. The difference: Learn it, know it, live it!

[tialinffxiv]

FFXIV Write 2023 #4: Off the hook.

Because the prompt matched, here's a continuation of the yesterday's story: Curiosity Entry below!

Young Miqo’te has heard many times that his mother was agreeing with the pack's leader, saying that people outside of their group are not trustable, hostile and that forest should never belong to them. But was it really like this? Boy was full of doubts and thoughts whenever he could peek at the life of the village and people there. They for sure didn’t like outsiders too much but their life seemed peaceful and full of many amazing things that he never could experience within his family. His very young heart, which beat through barely 8 summers, was already filled with that strange need to get to know it all better. Against the will of the pack and his mother.

And, like many times before, the boy gave in to curiosity. From one of his hideouts in the village, he was quietly observing the early morning life of its residents. Boy was especially interested in the always-smelling-so-nice tavern’s kitchen; the lady working there was always up very early and always singing so cheerfully, while she was baking fresh bread or cooking meals. Often accompanied by 3 young elezens- whom the boy guessed to be her kids. It was a very lively and interesting place; so many people were visiting it, so many stories to be heard, so many things to learn about.

And so many dangers for a little kitten like him, especially when he wasn’t paying enough attention to surroundings.

“Just look how big the rats got this year!”

At first Miqo’te completely froze at the loud, sharp voice behind him. The very next second his instinct to run kicked in but it was too late- the man's hand grasped like an iron trap on his arm and brutally pulled him up, making his heart nearly jump out of his chest.

“Mhmm, what a nice catch…looks like one of the poucher’s brats.” Another man, looking quite young, armed with a spear, stood beside them and gazed at the boy with visible disgust. Miqo’te wiggled his body helplessly in an attempt to free himself but the man was much stronger than him.

Trapped and panicked he couldn’t force a single word to call for help… but it would be no use anyway- he was alone here, away from his pack, away from mom; nobody here to help him. Just the tall, armed, scary men smirking at his attempts to escape. And the deafening pounding of his heart. Miqo’te growled loudly, like a wild cat, showing sharp fangs, ears completely flat on his head, claws ready to scratch opponents eyes out. Man holding him loosened the grip a little bit, surprised for a moment by a boy hissing furiously at them, with blood red eyes locked on the man's face, all ready to attack.

“Maybe better don’t touch that thing, it looks like it may have rabies, hehe.” Man holding him pulled the boy up once again, while other spit “May the spirits of these forests finally get rid of the likes of you and your kind, cussed feral thieves--”

“Have you got no shame, Isheux! To bully a small child like this?”

Sudden appearance of an Elezen woman made them all turn. “One would think that your parents taught you better.” She frowned at the men, hands on her hips. “And you too, Lausent. Release that boy at once!” She had the voice of a mother scolding her misbehaving kids- and one that even an adult man would be scared to ignore.

Miqo’te stared at her, losing the chance to escape while men focused on her- it was the lady from the tavern, the one singing like a bird every morning.

“It’s our duty to get rid of thieves and other trash from this village, lady Eviane.” The man’s voice was filled with irritation but his face was full of doubt when she glared at him, crossing arms on her chest.

“I have seen this boy around here quite often and he never did anything that could be considered harmful.” She smiled a little at Miqo'te, who felt like his heart sank in his chest.

She saw me?…I was sure I could hide well… Boy flattened his ears, still unable to form any words but no longer growling.

“Just look at him- it’s just a child. A harmless child that you scared so much with your behavior. And now you are going to release him and let him go back to his home. Or else I will have a word with your captain about your last ‘incident’ at the tavern.” She raised a brow at the man.

Lausent hesitated for a short moment, then pushed the boy toward her, cursing under his breath. Other man remained silent when they both bowed to her and fastly walked away.

Woman sighed, looking at the boy standing in front of her and still visibly scared. “It’s all right now, they won’t hurt you as long as I am here.” Her voice was now soft and concerned. “What’s your name?”

Boy remained silent, grasping at the edge of his hood and avoiding eye contact, trembling a little bit. Should he just run now, as fast as he can, back home?…

“I won’t hurt you either. I know you keep coming here and just watching everyone, right?” Woman continued “But this is not a place for a lonely child like you. You shouldn’t wander off alone, you know? It’s dangerous.”

Boy nodded slowly, raising his eyes on her. She smiled again. “I bet your mom is worried about you. Run back to her and promise that you will be more careful, okay, little one?” “I.. my name is Rrr…Rhati’a…” Miqo’te stuttered.

“Rhati’a then. Here, take this.” Woman took a small, freshly baked bread roll from a large pocket of her apron and handed it to the boy. “Go on, you will need some energy after all this, right?”

Her warm smile soothed the boy's fear a little. He took the bread from her and a shy smile appeared on his face. “Thank you…”

“Go back home and make sure to avoid such adventures in future. Be a good kid.” Woman still stood there for a moment after the boy finally ran away, back to the forest. She sighed heavily and returned to the tavern.

Young Miqo’te stopped in the part of the forest very close to their home. He picked the bread from his pocket and sniffed the amazing aroma before he took a small bite. And purred quietly over the amazing taste of sweet roll. But then his ears caught a high-pitched whistling that he could recognize anywhere, without a doubt. Oh no…mom noticed…

[11lights]

August 21th, 2023

2231L

Temp 83° Kinda windy

Saddlebunch Keys, FL

Another decently late entry. Well honestly as long as I get some words down that's sufficient for me. Let's see. Yesterday I was able to play Call of duty with Danny and I was able to explain to him the predicament and I was in pertaining to my leave. I love that dude so much, he literally was so supportive and understanding which made me feel kind of worse that I threatened our trip because of the stupid navy. It's really good to hear his voice, and just feel like a normal person again. We call it quits near midnight because I had to wake up this morning at like 6:00 in the morning to get my affairs in order. Had a flight today at 8:00 a.m. so I woke up super early pack some clothes for the gym and did a little bit of cleaning and brought out the trash because once I left my house for the day I wouldn't be coming back until now at 10:30 p.m.. I stopped at baby's coffee. Got myself a little cafe con leche, I don't care if that is considered breaking my fast because that would be literally the only thing that I've eaten all day and it's not even food. Was able to talk to my pops for a little bit on the way to the airport so that was cool. To be honest, I can't really remember if there was anything of significance in that conversation besides for me retelling the story of why my leave had to be canceled so I can train. Flying was good. I feel like I can never complain about flying because I love it so much but my landings do suck. I got a new instructor today and she was very by the book and informative which is what I needed and why I didn't want my last instructor. She was very confidence instilling and I think I landed one and a half times by myself. I have the option to fly the Skyhawk but I really do like the Cherokees. There's something about the lobing aircraft and the design that feels good. Maybe it reminds me of some old navy trainers or something. I took a picture of the interior while I was doing my pre-flight checklist and it reminded me of the interior of a 1998 Honda Civic. So I just did my whole PreFlight with Bad Bunny playing. After flying I drove straight to the gym to meet up with my gym partner. We hit chest pretty hard. I got a serious pump and I was able to sit in the sauna for 45 minutes while fasted. That felt like a challenge on its own. Right now I'm sitting here fantasizing about Popeyes because they just opened up the restaurant down here and my buddy is sending me pictures of him buying it and getting it because he knows I'm fasting. I could really go for some good chicken or a chicken sandwich or mac and cheese, Jesus. Work was boring. I started ground, I feel like I can get it within 2 weeks but also I feel like it's a very steep uphill battle. Not to mention, I have to finish all of my coursework for these two classes by August 31st. Fun times. It's really pedal to the metal here. I have such a short period of time left to get these things done before a bunch of timelines end so it's high stress. All right. Well, the dog is waiting for me at the steps. There's really not much to talk about today, I feel like I am really close to the edge offending this fast, but I really want to last a lot longer so I'm kind of disappointed by myself for feeling this week mentally. I'm going inside. Have a good night.

[thessalian]

Thess vs All Manner of Food

Welp. Now both parentals have been able to see a Particularly Bad Pain Day (tm). Welcome to why I hate my mother’s insistence on reserving tables in restaurants.

See, between Sunday’s grocery shenanigans and yesterday’s “I have to take out a lot of trash and recycling because I haven’t been able to get to the bins in over a week because icy conditions”, today was ... not great? I knew it was going to be “not great” going in, but at least I didn’t have to commute. Much. Issue being, Mum had arranged for us to go out to dinner today because we missed out on it before she headed for North America, and she booked a table. It’s one thing to say “Can we skip tonight? I hurt” when there’s not a reservation, but another to say “I know you booked a table but can we skip tonight? I hurt”. One’s just ... easier than the other. But I had to give my mother her birthday gift anyway, so off I went. The fact that she brought me back maple syrup from the Canada leg of her trip, and the fact that I was going to go home with a lot of leftover curry? Bonuses.

At least the conversation went well ... partly because a lot of it was a status update on my intellectually disabled aunt back in Montreal. I mean, it’s a win overall, the whole thing. Just took a lot of work and a lot of annoyance to get there, given moving to new living space with new carer. And at least my aunt’s new carer is a lot nicer than the last one, who thought that heavy medication was the solution to all ‘problems’ (and by ‘problems’, I mean ‘things that actually obliged her to deal with any mood but “placid acceptance” from any of her charges ever’). Just ... honestly, moving from a larger space to a smaller one is difficult at the best of times. Especially when you have to replace furniture. But moving from a smaller space to a larger one when dealing with The Sibling Thing (as much as you love them, sometimes they just dance the Mashed Potato on your last damn nerve) on top of that whole “The Maternal Side Of My Family” Thing, which translates to a piquant blend of stubborn, opinionated, varying degrees of bossy, easily frustrated by distractions during time-sensitive or otherwise vexing tasks, and sentimental when it comes to belongings, at least in this scenario.

(No, I do not exempt myself from this. I just have somewhat better coping mechanisms than most of my family.)

Interesting the bits you pick up in passing, though. While inflation and the like is particularly bad over here, it would appear to be not much better in Canada. My mother picked up the maple sugar I asked for - in the really big tin flask, which is just a nostalgia trip and a half for me, because I’m pretty sure I went to sugaring off parties at the place that makes that brand - and I presume it was at the duty free because her comment to me was “It cost nearly as much as the liquor”. She was very quick to tell me to not feel bad, and I don’t really, because she could have just not got it because I did understand that it might not be possible. Still, it being that expensive where they make the stuff is scary. So yeah, things be getting expensive.

As you can see, it was still a nice dinner, even though I hurt a lot during most of it. We went to the Indian place I always order from when I’m doing takeaway; I introduced my mother to the place last time she invited me out and now apparently she and my stepfather also get takeaway from there. I have a feeling that Mum ordered big and ordered a fairly filling appetiser so that I could take home as much of it as possible home as leftovers, largely because “She’s clearly in pain, that’ll probably take awhile to die down, not having to cook for awhile will help, so ... ALL THE CURRY”. That’s going to be a theme for the rest of the week, as well; Mum really took the fact that I’m not really a fan of turkey to heart and there’ll be turkey for them and duck for me again this year, and I’ll likely be taking a lot of leftovers home from that as well, and on top of that, Mum apparently wants to offload some of the Boxing Day leftovers onto me as well--

Oh. Yeah. I should explain that one. The parentals both have kids from the previous marriage, and that always makes the holidays complicated. So the basic agreement seems to be that Christmas Day is for the kids to spend with the parent who had primary custody. So my stepsibs and I get our respective mothers over Christmas Day, and on Boxing Day, my stepfather gets his kids, my mother gets the closest thing to grandkids she’s ever going to get through my stepsiblings’ kids, and I get some peace and quiet. Seems to work for everybody. Anyway, since there’s going to be a lot of food around Boxing Day, there’ll be more leftovers than the parentals know what to do with. So ... curry leftovers, leftovers from the lamb breast I had planned for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day leftovers, and potentially Boxing Day leftovers. I’m starting to wonder if I’m going to need to grocery shop at all this month.

Honestly, this is no end of good. Maybe if I just eat my curry leftovers and maybe do the tuna lemon broccoli pasta thing over the next few days, the pain flare will have died down and I’ll be able to actually cook the lamb breast. And also the various bits of treats I’m making for the parentals for Christmas. Then again, I have to commute on Thursday, so maybe not. I’ll do my best.

[godesssiri]

My family's rest home in Hawkes Bay got power back on Sunday, 6 days after Cyclone Gabrielle knocked it out. It went out for a few hours yesterday and 1 hour today but we were told to expect that.

It's really shown us where the holes in our disaster preparedness are, even though we have passed a dozen Ministry of Health Audits with the disaster kits we had, what the MoH and their auditors say will be sufficient is not. We're starting to stock up on the things we found we needed and when supply lines are better and things are back in stock we'll buy all the things that would have been reeeeeally useful. I'm also getting stuff for my own home kit. I've bought or will buy:

A portable power supply and solar panel charger for it, you can also charge from a car. It has a built in torch and you can charge any USB chargable devices from it several times, you can run a regular appliance from it but that will drain it very quickly.

A solar camping shower. Not very useful if there's no sun but it would have been perfect post cyclone because the weather was gorgeously sunny afterward.

USB chargable camping lights I can charge from my portable power supply.

Headlamps, way easier than a handheld torch.

I bought a little camp stove that runs on butane canisters after the 2017 earthquake here but I realize I did not have anywhere near enough canisters. The canisters last 10 years so I've given all the 6 year old ones ones from my kit to a cousin who was feeding 4 kids on the camp stove and I will stock up majorly on new ones.

Basically raid the camping section of your local department store, if it looks like it would be useful when you're camping with no power then it will be useful in a disaster.

Cash, the power went out, all the card readers were down, people needed cash and all the ATMs emptied out.

Milk powder, you can mix up only the amount you need and not have to worry about refrigeration.

Shelf stable food that is a whole meal on it's own and is easy to cook or heat through on a camp stove or BBQ. You're too exhausted to make a meal out of ingredients and it's too hard to make anything complicated. Also vitamins because the food I'm describing isn't usually very nutritious.

Cooking oil, that's the thing everyone forgot to put in their kits and ran out of from their kitchens.

TOILET PAPER!!!!!! You need a stockpile. It's the first thing shops sell out of. We're going to hide it in the ceiling of the rest home so that we have an emergency stockpile and no one can take off with a few rolls here and there until it's all gone

Baby-wipes. Deodorant. Dry shampoo. Clean underwear. We usually account for drinking water in our disaster planning but you don't know when you will next be able to have a shower or wash clothes.

Heavy duty rubbish bags. When the power goes out the stuff in your fridge and freezer can end up going very nasty. If you can; bury it in your yard (deep enough that animals can't get to it), if not you're going to need to tie it up tight in heavy duty rubbish bags and put them somewhere that they're not in the sun and not going to contaminate anything. Also if it's a flood you're going to have all sorts of fabric things that will be contaminates by flood water and will start to get very smelly very quickly and you'll want to bag up whatever you can. Rubbish is a major issue in Hawkes Bay right now because the main dump was flood damaged, the power was out and people had to throw out loads of spoiled food, a load of ready to harvest crops washed up in places it would be a hazard to leave them rotting, people were clearing out homes where EVERYTHING would have to be trashed because it was contaminated with floodwater that had who knows what in it (in some areas definitely sewerage). The council got 1 waste facility opened up 6 days after the flood but 5 of those days were blazing sun so you can imagine how nasty some of the rubbish is.

Also this is truely nasty but ziplock bags if you don't have a garden you can dig a latrine in, you may have to poo in a bag and you bet you're gonna want to be able to seal it. I have a garden but I'm going to put ziplocks in my disaster kit in case I need to dispose of any waste like used bandages.

I have meds for myself but I'm going to get hold of some basic pet meds. There's a lot of dogs in Hawkes Bay who are getting gastro bugs right now because their owners have taken them for walks in areas where the flood water's have gone down and it's dried out, but the silt is still there. The dogs have gotten contaminated silt on their paws, licked their paws, and now they're getting sick. I wouldn't take my dogs out where they might come into contact with contaminants but I want a few basic meds just in case it's unavoidable. Plus one of my dogs is on an anti-seizure prescription and it didn't even occur to me that I should put some of her prescription meds in the disaster kit with a spares of our prescriptions.