#also reminder that tomorrow is the last day to sign up for this month's collector club

[kirby-the-gorb]

[cheetoflavoredcake]

Hate is Such a Strong Word - ReddNook - Chapter 1

It’s finally here! This one is over 1600 words and I’m quite pleased with how it came out. Anyways, enjoy

Tom sighed as he finished filling out another paper, already regretting pulling an all nighter previously. The island representative had been doing a lot more trading as of late, as well as visiting friends and joining in events, causing him to be overloaded with paperwork to fill out. He knew that they had started giving the island a new theme, something to do with magic and horror, and had been pulling all nighters themselves - although he knew that they never looked like it. He enjoyed watching their progress from the window when he drank his morning coffee, it was always a wonder to him how they managed to think of these things. He also noticed that, even with the new changes being made, the huge flower field that had been made not too long ago, wasn’t going to ever move - the island representative cherished that place with her life.

Speaking of the island, it had become quite the feat. To think that all this place had been was a weed filled rock in the middle of the ocean was amazing. When he had first had this idea, he knew it was crazy but he still acted on impulse and bought the island without a second choice. While he was packing up his bags, he thought of all the possibilities and memories he could make with the boys. When he did get on the island and only saw three people who had actually purchased the getaway, he got a bit discouraged but he reminded him this was only the beginning and it would get better, and better it did.

Cheetovillie, the name the island representative had happily suggested, had only gotten better by the day. Of course it had to be expected that at first things were slow, but once the island rep. had gotten enough bells to pay to upgrade all the houses and had gotten access to nook mile tickets, the island grew faster than ever. There was never a moment in that time where they weren’t seen working on the image of the island. It had only been a matter of time before he had called Isabelle and upgraded his lousy tent to a whole residents service building.

Not too long ago, they had managed to get the famous K.K Slider himself to play for the island and its residents, not only that, but he had even offered to play every Saturday! It had taken all his self control to not fanboy right then and there. 

He smiled, looking at the clock to his left. 4:57 a.m, he must’ve gotten lost in his reminiscing, but it was worth it in his mind. Isabelle and the boys would be getting up in a couple hours, meaning he had to finish up these last few papers to make sure he had enough time to cook breakfast - seeing as he wasn’t all that good at making food without burning it beyond no return. Isabelle had made sure to record today's announcement earlier before she went to bed and all Tom had to do was post it so everyone could see it once they awoke. 

Quickly finishing one last paper, he hurriedly posted the recording just as the clock struck five ante meridiem. Sighing as he put the last signed page with the others, he slowly got up and stretched with a groan. Man, he really was getting old. Although many didn’t count forty being truly old, it was still up there in his mind. He had definitely gained some weight - maybe it was that ‘dad bod’ like the island representative had mumbled about a few times. 

He pushed his chair in quietly before opening the door up to the small apartments implemented into the building. It had a nice, dark green and brown scheme,  giving it an old timey feel to it. To the left was the door that led to Isabelle’s apartment, and to the right was his and the boys apartment - which was slightly bigger than Isabelle’s due to them having more people.

Tom quietly opened the door, making sure not to disturb the teens in the other room. They had turned thirteen this year, and he almost couldn’t believe it. It seemed just like yesterday that he was holding their tiny forms in his arms after his sister's death. He was devastated about her passing but he knew he had to take the boys, it was all he had left of her. The worst part is they were only a month or two old, and it had been about two years after Redd had abruptly left and taken all of his belongings. It had been hard for him to rebuild his business all the while raising his two nephews, but he chugged on through.

The brunette grabbed the pancake batter left over from yesterday from the fridge, and proceeded to then grab a pan and set it on the stove, pouring the batter in simultaneously as it heated up. As he waited, he leaned on the islander behind him and thought more on the previous topic. It had been fifteen years since he had last spoken to that scammer, and he’s never felt better. Leaving that swindling fox behind was one of his best decisions - his other was getting the boys and buying this island. He used to dwell on him and wonder if he was coming back but now that he's older, he realizes how foolish that thought was. 

Sniffing the air, he came back down to Earth and looked in front of himself. Sure enough, the pancakes were burnt horrendously. Man, it was going to be a long day.

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

The boys had left to go to the Cranny an hour and a half ago before the island rep came barging in. She was wearing her witch costume that she looked oh-so-dearly, except she had changed out the black pointed shoes for some simple black flats. She adjusted the goggles on her face before giving a wave to Tom and Isabelle and turning to the ABD. With fast hands she typed in her search and bought what she needed, K.K. Love Song. Although she looked like someone who would be into darker songs - which she was, - she was a collector of all the K.K. albums and even traded some for others.

Pulling down her black face mask, she turned around to face her landlord.

“ ‘Ey, Mr. Nook?”

She started as she walked over to the older male’s desk. He turned his head away from the computer he was glued to and walked over to the counter where she was sat. He made a noise of acknowledgement before she continued.

“ I, uh, saw this orange-y guy, he looked like a, um,  sales person? So, aaah, I was wondering if you hired another guy to come here and I just forgot about it?”

The white haired girl said curiously. Everyone knew how she fumbled with her wording all the time, and how she could be extremely forgetful, so a question like this was ordinary. One time she even went around the whole island looking for the Museum for a half an hour before solemnly walking into Residents Services to ask where the Museum was again. 

But Tom knew that he hadn’t gotten another vendor to come here. Although sometimes the rep would claim they saw something but it usually ended up being her imagination, but this, this was different. Maybe there was a camper that went outside of the tent and he had just forgot? But what did she mean by orangey?

“....I don’t remember getting another vendor. Would you mind explaining more?”

The brunette drawled quizzically. The girl in front of him pursed her lips, seemingly thinking of whatever pieces of this mysterious man she could muster.

“He seemed really...uh...ah”

She started slowly, puffing up her cheeks and blubbering like a fish before she jolted upwards and smacked her hands on the desk

“Sketchy! Yeah, that's the word, really sketchy. I think he also mentioned a boat? Said he was ‘jolly’. Can’t remember much, but he did send me this thingy in the mail. I think I bought it from him? Don’t trust my word on that.”

The witchy girl rambled, trying to say as much as she could before she forgot it all again. This only made Tom worry. What was this ‘thing’ she bought? And what did she mean by ‘jolly’? There were many questions he had but he knew he couldn’t get all the answers at the moment.

“Alright, thank you Cheeto, we’ll look into it.”

He said and smiled, which earned a quirky smirk from the girl, before he turned to his companion who - of course - had been listening to the whole conversation. The woman flinched before listening intently as the man spoke.

“Isabelle, would you please write all of that down for me? And make a note to announce of a sketchy individual tomorrow.”

The blonde nodded forcefully with a quiet ‘Yes sir!’ before quickly scribbling down the important details. Tom turned back to the girl who was sitting patiently on the stool whilst kicking her legs childishly. 

“Thank you again Cheeto, you're free to go now.”

At the mention of her name, she looked up at him. She jumped off her stool and headed towards the door whilst fiddling with her mask. She opened the door ever so slightly before pivoting on her foot to give a wave and a smile, then proceeding back outside where she belonged. 

Tom let out a sigh before sitting back down to get back to work. Hopefully this would all blow over and things would go back to normal, worry free.

[crazydementeddreamer]

Prophecy

Chosen ch. 1  ch. 2   ch. 3

Blessed ch. 4

Decided to change the name, as I’m going to switch to other characters POV in a few chapters. 

Nick Jakoby x OC

Words Count- 2,000

No warnings. She’s still doing the best she can for this silly boi to get his head out of his butt.

Jacinda checks the front window; still no vehicle. Is he working? Is his SUV further up his driveway? Grabbing her phone she texts Lu-

                                                                            I've gone full blown stalker

Lu's fast reply-

it's not stalking it's research

Her sister is being supportive, but she doesn't need encouragement, she needs someone to tell her to get over him.

                                                                                                          Jace-

                                                  Checking his front lawn every few minutes is                                                    not research. I think Mom was too                                                                      'encouraging' when he was over and made                                                        things weird.

Lu-

Or he's a cop and works 

odd hours like being off on

Saturday and working Sunday

                                                                                                                 Jace-

                                                                  The fact that you're logical doesn't                                                                     mean you're right.

Lu-

Wait a couple days then find

 a reason to talk to him

Jacinda resists the urge to throw her phone. Nick was a huge help the day before. He had accepted the invitation to eat with them after working so hard. His smile for Darius had been genuine, he was comfortable with the baby...but he had not shown interest in her. As much as she stared at him, she never made eye contact. And he had more or less bolted as soon as the truck was unloaded. Jace spoke her thoughts aloud, hoping she would stop acting like a child.

"He's a cop, he helps people. That's what he does." For the moment she resolves to ignore the fact that the orc she's been imagining for months is living next door. Also the possibility that he's not into her whatsoever.

He could still smell her. Nick is at a roadside stand. He doesn't know what he's looking at. But he would recognize her scent in a crowd of thousands without trying.

She laughed at my jokes This did not build up his hopes. Instead, it frustrates him. He can't stop reminding himself that she liked him. He actually needs a few things for this week. But he turns abruptly and stomps to his truck. Call him ridiculous, but he keeps pondering if she was disappointed he wasn't home today. She didn't think of you, she has no reason too.

From her job to her looks, she lives & belongs more to human society than Clan. She wouldn't date a Pure orc. Regardless of being Unblooded. Nick drives aimlessly, wasting time and gas until the sun is slanting down towards the horizon. If only he could talk with someone, but he was on his own. Nick despairs ever earning Ward's friendship. He learned to be cautious, every time he thought he was building a relationship he found he was terribly mistaken. Her father treated him with real respect and asked him to keep an eye on her. But he's a father trying to take care of his daughter. Nick is aware that not every city is as segregated as LA. Not every city is as racially divided as LA. But no matter the city, or how Orcs are treated; Orcs remain the same. Where ever Nick goes, he is on the outside.

Nick pulls his truck into the driveway behind the SUV. He gets out and stands for a moment; regarding the back of her house. He could say he didn't know how to fix one of the meals her mother gave him.

No, he would wait a day or two.

Be cautious. he reminds himself. If he doesn't hear from her in a couple of days, he'll know how she feels about him.

          Wednesday trash day. Nick rolls his garbage to the end of the driveway. The trash collectors are turning on the street. He needs to leave if he's going to be at work on time. But her garbage isn't out. He assumed she must not be interested in seeing him again. After all, there was no sign of her since Saturday.

Why did it have to be a desperate move in his mind to be a good neighbor? He's just taking her trash cans to the road. He remembers her father, Joe asking him to keep an eye on her for him. At the time, Nick nodded, but Joe held his hand out and asked again. Nick understood Joe wanted Nick to make a promise, so he shook the other man's hand and said,

"Don't worry, I'll take care of her." Sighing, Nick walks across the yard to find her trash can.

"Where is Mommy's black wedge, honey?" Darius sucks on his pudgy hand while Jace holds two of the exact same shoe but in very different colors in her arms. She takes a few steps from her bed and realizes she is wearing said black wedge already.

Ugh. My first day going into Elf Town and I can't dress myself. Her first two days had been in the regular LA Office. It had gone decently, all things considered. Today she would be meeting with clients. Elf clients so she needs to dress to the nines. Jacinda hears the loud truck outside but she takes a moment for its purpose to register,

"Fuck the trash!" Jace runs as best as she is able in her wedges and skirt. She careens out the back door and reminds herself that she doesn't want her child's first word to be fuck. She needs to find a replacement.

"Where are the fucking cans?" She shouts to the empty backyard. The trash collection truck is at the end of her driveway. She spins to look, and there it is! The mechanical arm lifting the can up and emptying the can. As the machine sets the can down Jace rushes to the front of her house. Hope making her heart pound. Had Nick?!

His Police SUV is driving away from his house. In the opposite direction of the trash truck. She's sure he put her trash can by the road. Walking back around, her heart drops a little as it occurs to her this is the helpful thing a cop would do.

"Fuck. No, Damnit. Shucksiegoshdarnit? Ugghhh, fuck!" By the time she gets from the daycare to her firms ElfTown office she makes up her mind that whether Nick is into her or not, she is way too into him to not pursue him.

        This is her fourth Wednesday in the house and yet again, her trash can isn't out. Nick had gotten Thursday evening dinner at her place the last few weeks because she insisted on a thank you. She also said she is glad to have a friend. Nick is certain it won't be long before other people come into her life, so he decides to take advantage while he could. She asked if he could help her with some of the heavy labor needed to fix up her lawn. They set the date for this Saturday, so Thursday dinner and Saturday all day with her and Darius. Nick trains his gaze at the ground to hide the fact that he's grinning like a fool as he walks towards her back yard.

"C'mon, c'mon. Look. LOOK! Ah, yes, there. Nope, not out." Jacinda stands in a spot where she hopes she isn't visible. However, she could see out the front window. She is dressed and ready to leave for the day. But she's waiting for Nick to come around the house for her trash cans. She notices that he hesitates.

Shit. He's sick of doing it. Oh! Wait! He is walking over, looking at the ground. She imagines he is berating her for not figuring out that trash day is the same fucking day every week. She'll have to find another excuse for talking to him, but today she is taking action. Her timing is perfect, coming out the back as he comes into view. She hopes her smile looks normal and not freakishly happy to see him.

They banter back and forth, she loves his sense of humor. She walks with him as he pushes the trash to the end of the driveway. Before he can walk away she does it. She suggests they go out to eat tomorrow night, rather than staying in. His ears twitch in shock, but he agrees! She's grateful for the trash truck covering her scent and the sound of her racing heart. She walks very deliberately to the house, otherwise, she might start skipping.

Nick needs to see if Jace could do dinner on another night of the week. The schedule is changing and he'll be working Thursday evening for a couple of weeks. Maybe it is safe to suggest they make this a regular thing. On Thursday afternoon she cancels. Little Dary is sick with a fever, she thinks he is teething, according to her text. Nick can read between the lines, she realizes going out to eat is too much like a date and doesn't know how else to let him down nicely. As he drives to the call for assistance, he wishes he could talk to Ward about this.

Not that Nick hadn't tried to be more than the guy in Ward's car. But Ward shuts him down fast, every time. Other rookies were well on their way to being respected and accepted by the other street cops. But Nick is still hazed by everyone, and Ward never looks or speaks to him unless it's necessary. Or if he is correcting Nick. Nick called him Daryl once, and the glare he got in return said everything Nick needed to know. Everyone calls him Jacoby, and no one calls him Officer. 

He and Ward arrive on the scene, a couple of high teens that don't know how to calm down. Nick sighs heavily and gets out of the SUV. He'll grab some takeout on the way home.

She came early for Dary at daycare because of his fever. He's miserable, poor chubby boy. He looks like a pure orc; no hair at all, sweet yellow eyes, pointy ears and beautiful blue-green markings that resemble Jace's family. His nose slits are drippy, and he is drooling excessively. He is so hot to the touch! Jacinda calls her mother and gets some instructions. After that she texts Nick. Later she'll see if Nick is okay with picking up take out for them. She doesn't have a moment to feel bad for the missed date, Darius is such a handful that afternoon. She figures she & Nick would be back on track by next week. Finally, she gets Dary comfortable resting on her chest with his favorite lovey, and they both dozed off.

When she wakes up it is late enough Nick should have been over by now. Panic grabs her immediately-

What if something happened to him at work?!

She texts him.

Nick is just placing the leftovers from his takeout dinner in the fridge when his phone flashes.

Jace 

Where are you?

Confused, Nick replies-

                                                                 At my house, you said Dary                                                                     is sick with a fever.

As soon as he hits send, Nicks' heart starts to pound. What if Dary is sick but she meant for him to come over for dinner still? Unfortunately, since he's a prick he made an assumption...and now he's eaten and she...she is calling him!

Fucking idiot! He takes a breath and answers.

"I meant to text you and ask you to pick something up, I'm so sorry Nick. He's usually so happy, but he's so miserable, -" Dary starting to fuss in the background. Within seconds, Dary is screeching in a way Nick has not heard before. The phone hangs up, whether Jace means to or not. Nick thinks for a moment, then he grabs the leftovers from the fridge and heads over.

He is still beating himself up hours later when he climbs into bed. She called him a good friend while she downed the leftovers and he held Dary. Hardly. He's so sure she is going to ditch him, he practically abandons her. They would never be more than friends, but he could at least be a good friend.

Shit, Jakoby, you're the asshat in this! You spend all this time wishing for friendship and it happens, what do you do?

He makes up his mind to stop assuming Jacinda is like everyone else. When she does start dating someone she would expect him to be a good friend and be happy for her. So Nick would do that. He rolls over and tries to sleep.

@eebbapanda1 @mbaku-babygirl @jaihardy

[ladystylestores]

The ‘Defund’ Conundrum – The New York Times

Want to get The Morning by email? Here’s the sign-up.

Good morning. Some white voters are souring on President Trump. Global health officials are worried about virus counts. Let’s start with the debate over “defund the police.”

Advocates for police reform are making the case that the phrase “defund the police” doesn’t mean what many people think it means. “Be not afraid,” Christy E. Lopez, a Georgetown University law professor, wrote in The Washington Post. “‘Defunding the police’ is not as scary (or even as radical) as it sounds.”

What it actually means, these advocates say, is reducing police budgets and no longer asking officers to do many jobs that they often don’t even want to do: resolving family and school disputes, moving homeless people into shelters and so on. Instead, funding for education, health care and other social services would increase. (For more detail on the movement’s agenda, you can read this Times explainer.)

The challenge for advocates is that many people equate “defunding” with a major reduction in policing — and they don’t like that idea. Reducing police budgets is arguably the only high-profile reform idea that’s not popular:

This situation reminds me of several other political issues in the Trump era, like health care and immigration. On all of them, progressives are pushing for multiple policy changes that are popular with voters (like expanded Medicare, the end of migrant-family separation and more police accountability). These changes are typically much more popular than President Trump’s positions on the same issues.

But many progressives have also adopted one big idea in each area that is decidedly unpopular with voters: Get rid of private health insurance. Abolish ICE. Defund the police.

The combination explains much of the political response you’ve seen in recent days. Joe Biden, Cory Booker and other Democrats have distanced themselves from the phrase “defund the police,” while Trump has highlighted it. “They’re saying defund the police,” he said last week. “Defund. Think of it.”

At the same time, some Republicans have begun signaling their openness to other parts of police reform, which is a big change. John Cornyn, a conservative senator facing a tough re-election campaign in Texas, yesterday tweeted the following: “I’m dedicated to rooting out racial injustices so no other family has to experience what George Floyd’s family has. It will require bipartisan commitment across the country & listening to the voices of those who have been most affected is the first step — we must not fail to act.”

A shift: A majority of Americans (57 percent) now believe the police are more likely to use excessive force against African-Americans. In 2014, the share was only 33 percent. “In my 35 years of polling, I’ve never seen opinion shift this fast or deeply,” Frank Luntz, a Republican pollster, said.

THREE MORE BIG STORIES

1. Trump’s base is fraying

Polls have also been shifting on Trump in recent weeks and show him to have fallen about 10 percentage points behind Biden. Why? Partly because some white working-class voters have soured — at least for now — on the president, according to Nate Cohn, a Times polling expert. Trump’s lead among white voters is down to around five percentage points, compared with his 13-point margin among whites in 2016.

“Incumbent presidents usually have an advantage in seeking re-election and that makes his deficit all the more striking,” Nate says. Past candidates have made up big deficits from the summer before the election, but the last incumbent to mount such a comeback was Harry Truman in 1948.

2. The policy debate on policing

Lawmakers around the country continued to consider new policies on policing. New York legislators defied police unions and began to approve a package of bills targeting police misconduct, including a ban on chokeholds. In Congress, Democrats unveiled legislation that would make it easier to prosecute police officers for misconduct, and require law enforcement agencies to report data on the use of force.

Trump denied that systemic problems existed, declaring that as many as 99.9 percent of police officers are “great, great people.”

Differing accounts: Attorney General William Barr contradicted Trump on Monday and confirmed that the president was taken to an underground bunker last month because of security concerns over street demonstrations outside the White House.

3. How to be safe in a pandemic

By now, many of the key rules for reducing your coronavirus risk are familiar: Wash your hands frequently when you leave the house. Wear a mask. Avoid close conversations. Minimize your time in indoor spaces.

But there’s one rule that probably deserves more attention: Adjust your behavior based on where you live. Virus rates vary significantly by state.

Our colleague Tara Parker-Pope has published a list of five rules to live by during a pandemic. Rule No. 1 is “Check the health of your state and community.”

In other virus developments:

Here’s what else is happening

The S&P 500 has recovered all of its losses on the year. But stocks opened down in Europe this morning, suggesting American markets may fall as well.

Reports of child abuse in New York City have dropped sharply since the pandemic began, which could be a sign that the system to protect children has fallen apart.

Adam Rapoport, the editor of Bon Appétit magazine, resigned after a 2004 photo of him resurfaced on social media, drawing condemnations for a stereotypical depiction of Puerto Ricans.

Lives lived: He was known as Brother Ah (born Robert Northern), a master French horn player (and Washington D.J.) who hopscotched between jazz and classical music before embarking on a solo career making music that defied categorization. He has died at 86.

BACK STORY: New York awakens

Christina Goldbaum, a Metro reporter, reflected on New York City’s first day of eased restrictions:

On Monday morning, New York seemed to be slowly waking up from its 100-day hibernation. The streets were still absent the usual crowds and cacophony of car horns. But the return of around 400,000 people to some urban routines offered some sense of normalcy.

Commuters wearing face masks hopped onto freshly scrubbed trains that smelled like lemon-scented cleaning supplies. Even the more crowded train cars still carried only a dozen or so riders.

By midday, local shops had unlocked their doors for curbside pickup. In the East Village, a half-dozen construction workers who had been home for months chatted and laughed as they lined up to have their temperatures checked.

Other parts of the city remained at a standstill: In SoHo and on Fifth Avenue, where many stores were looted last week, marquee shops were still boarded up. But graffiti on the plywood offered encouragement: “LOVE NYC” was a common motif and, at one store, “STAY STRONG.”

PLAY, WATCH, EAT, HUNT

Embrace tiny fish

Seafood from a can gets a bad rap — dismissed as survival fare that gathers dust in the back of many people’s pantries. But you can do a lot with tinned fish, says the cookbook author David Tanis.

You can make anchovy crostini, tuna-stuffed peppers or a big plate of spicy pasta, spruced up with canned baby clams, bacon and peas. Tanis suggests splurging for high-quality anchovies and tuna if you can. If not, work with what you have.

Finding the virtual action

With real-life sports mostly on hiatus, gamblers are flocking to the competitive video-game matches known as e-sports. Since early March, half of all sports betting in Europe has reportedly been on video games.

Bettors can wager on players trying to shoot each other in games like Call of Duty, or facing off in sports games like FIFA 20 or Madden NFL 20. Some sports books even offer betting on completely automated matches — that is, computer versus computer.

At least someone’s having a good day

It sounds like a plot lifted straight from Hollywood. A decade ago, a New Mexico art collector named Forrest Fenn buried treasure in the Rocky Mountains and self-published a book challenging people to find it. According to Fenn, the chest — filled with gold, gems and artifacts — is worth around $2 million. Over the weekend, he said, someone found it.

“I do not know the person who found it, but the poem in my book led him to the precise spot,” Fenn wrote on his website. He created the treasure hunt after recovering from kidney cancer.

At least two people died trying to find the treasure, and Fenn still refused to retrieve the chest. “If someone drowns in the swimming pool we shouldn’t drain the pool,” he said in 2017. “We should teach people to swim.”

Diversions

Games

Here’s today’s Mini Crossword, and a clue: Netflix selection (four letters).

You can find all of our puzzles here.

Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. — David

P.S. The word “fancams” — videos by K-pop fans featuring their favorite singers, recently used in support of the Black Lives Matter movement — appeared for the first time in The Times yesterday, as noted by the Twitter bot @NYT_first_said.

You can see today’s print front page here.

Today’s episode of “The Daily” is about proposals to defund police departments in the U.S. And in the latest episode of “Popcast,” two former editors of The Source, a hip-hop magazine, retell how the publication covered the 1992 uprisings over the beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles.

The Times is providing free access to much of our coronavirus coverage. Please consider supporting our journalism with a subscription.

Ian Prasad Philbrick and Sanam Yar contributed to The Morning. You can reach the team at themorning@nytimes.com.

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