#and then he just straight up left the building for like. 10-15 minutes.

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

if i had a dollar for every time the director threw a hissy fit because someone grabbed the wrong prop during a performance this run, i’d have one dollar, which is one dollar too many

update: i swallowed my anxiety and sent the director a message basically going “you’re blowing this out of proportion and this is really nobody’s fault and we shouldn’t get mad about it” except y’know, in a more professional manner

[snowysosturn]

Speeding Car - Matt Sturniolo Part 4

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29

Pairing : y/n x Matt Sturniolo

Summary : After six years with your boyfriend Alex, you start mentally check out. At a UCLA party, Alex reconnects with his childhood friend Emily, who proposes a double date with her boyfriend Matt. Your attraction to Matt grows as he pays you the first real attention you've had in years, sparking a complicated emotional journey.

Warnings : MDNI, angst, sweating, argument as a result of drinking

Matt’s POV

The party was finally over, the last guest having left a few minutes ago. I walked into the now quiet kitchen. I took a deep breath, trying to calm the frustration building within me. Emily had been difficult tonight and her behavior was starting to grate on me.

She stood there, leaning against the counter, breathing heavily through her nose, scrolling through her phone. She looked up as I entered, her expression hardening.

"Is there something you need to say, Matt?" she asked, her voice cold.

"Yeah, there is," I replied, keeping my tone steady. "We need to talk about tonight. You were out of line."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Oh here we go. The speech about how I embarrass you."

"It’s not just about embarrassment, Emily. It’s about respect." I said, frustration coming out in my words. "You can’t keep acting like this, especially in front of other people."

"Acting like what, exactly?" She snapped, crossing her arms. "I was just having fun. Maybe you’re the one who needs to lighten up."

I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "It’s not about having fun. It’s about the way you speak to me, the way you completely dismiss my feelings Emily."

She stared at me for a moment, her eyes narrowing. "You’re just too sensitive, Matt. Not everything is a personal attack."

"Maybe not" I conceded putting my hands up, "But that doesn’t change the fact that you belittled me in front of our friends. That hurts, Emily. And it’s not the first time."

For a moment, something flickered in her eyes. I thought I might have sensed an ounce of regret. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by her usual defensiveness.

"I’m sorry if you feel that way," she said, her tone flat. "But I’m not going to change who I am just to make you feel better."

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. The point being completely missed. "I’m not asking you to change who you are, Emily. I’m asking you to show me a little respect. To treat me like your partner, not someone you can just take your frustrations out on."

She didn’t respond, just looked away, her jaw set in stubborn defiance. I realized then that this wasn’t going to be resolved tonight. What argument ever gets resolved when there’s alcohol involved.

"I’m going to bed," I said quietly, turning to leave the kitchen. "We can talk more about this tomorrow."

As I walked away, I couldn’t shake the feeling. The distance between us was growing, and I wasn’t sure if it could be fixed, but I hoped it could be. For now, all I could do was try to get some rest and hope that tomorrow would bring some clarity.

Y/N POV

On the drive home from Matt's party, Alex and I chatted about the events we had witnessed. Although I felt like the romantic part of the relationship was dying, there was still a friendship there. After our debrief, Alex’s chatter blended into the background noise of my thoughts. I kept replaying the scenes I had witnessed - Emily's harsh words, Matt's patient demeanor, the resigned look in his eyes. The more I thought about it, the more it bothered me. How could someone treat someone so kind so poorly? And why did it affect me so deeply?

When we got home, I was still replaying the night in my head. Alex headed straight for the shower. I lingered into the bedroom and placed myself on the bed, my phone in hand, mind racing. I just wish I could reach out to him.

I opened Instagram and typed in Matt’s name. His profile popped up almost immediately. I noticed he has an insane amount of followers. So what. I hesitated, my thumb hovering over the follow button. Was this crossing a line? No we’re friends, friends can follow eachother on Instagram, I thought to myself. The urge to connect with him, to somehow let him know I cared, was too strong. I pressed the button.

Fuck.

Instantly, a wave of panic washed over me.

What if he didn’t follow back?

What if he saw this as something more than just a friendly gesture?

Is it too late to unfollow him?

My mind spiraled with anxiety as I refreshed my notifications, hoping to see his name appear. Minutes ticked by, feeling like hours. My heart pounded, each beat aggitating my nervousness.

What if he thinks I'm a weirdo?

I tried to distract myself by scrolling through my feed, but my thoughts kept drifting back to Matt.

How was he feeling after Emily's outbursts?

Was he going to let it slip?

I glanced at the clock. Alex would be out of the shower soon. I needed to calm down before he noticed something was off. I took a deep breath, setting my phone aside, but the anxiety stayed, ripping at the edges of my conscience.

When Alex finally emerged, towel drying his hair, I forced a smile. "Hey, you seem a bit zoned out, you okay?” he replied, plopping down next to me.

"Just tired," I lied, leaning into him. "It was a long night."

He nodded, oblivious to the the thoughts inside my head. We sat in silence for a moment. Eventually, he turned on the TV, settling in to watch some late-night show. I pretended to watch but my mind kept drifting back to my phone, lying face down on my bedside table.The urge to pick it up to get my notifications.

After what felt like an eternity, Alex fell asleep, his steady breathing a stark contrast to my racing heart. I picked up my phone, checking for notifications, hoping there would be something from Matt.

Still nothing.

My anxiety spiked.

What if he saw the follow notification and didn’t care?

What if he was deliberately ignoring it?

I lay down next to Alex, staring at the ceiling. The night's events replayed in my mind, each scene sharper than the last. Emily’s dismissive attitude, Matt’s quiet frustration, it all felt too familiar. Almost mirroring the growing distance between Alex and me.

Maybe he hasn’t seen it…

Should I text him?

I wanted to reach out to Matt, to offer him the support and kindness he deserved. But as the more time passed, the fear of rejection held me back. I closed my eyes, trying to drift off into sleep, but the thoughts kept swirling.

For now, all I could do was wait and hope that Matt would see my gesture for what it was - a silent offer of understanding and friendship, and perhaps, something more.

a/n : super short chapter soz not sure if i even like it lol, i’m still in the states for another week i’m hoping to get part 5 up asaaaaaap (hopefully tomorrow but don’t kill me if not)

taglist @muwapsturniolo @anitahunt @sturnfannn @jayde510 @chrissfavhoe @babyalliah-777 @v33angel @urmom69lol @willowrites @ribread03 @sleepyysavv @sturnsaver @sleepysturniolo @jcsturniolo11 @jessie-essie @immattsslut @mynbbys @sturniolopanini @mattsturnxoxo @delicatechrry @t77te @sturnsyaper69

[creepypasta-meh-dudes]

Kelly Duffy and Chef reader with no sense of self preservation

This has been sitting in my google docs for a good month now and I just put a really quick ending to it cause I feel like I haven't posted anything of substance in a while.

It was a busy night in your Boston Bistro, though, not with the company that would typically be wanted to fill the seats of the tables.

Two rival mobs sat on both sides of the room. The Italians, and The Irish.

There were specific waiters appointed by each group to bring food from the kitchen to the tables. These waiters were NOT allowed to even go NEAR the other side of the room.

You, the chef, were most likely the only truly neutral party in the building. You prepared both sides’ food with no grudge towards one of them. 

Equal ingredients, equal portions, equal presentation.

That didn’t mean to say you weren’t still strapped. A gun in the thigh holster under your apron just in case someone got a little…too excited. 

At around 10 pm, Killian Lynch, accompanied by his son and right hand man, Cian Lynch, entered the room and sat down. One more person came in after them, Kelly Duffy. Killian sat down first, then Cian, at his right, and Kelly at his left. All of Killian’s men looked over to him and he nodded, signaling that he was ready for the servers to come ask for orders.

The Italians followed as soon as they got the signal from their own boss.

Here was how getting food out would go:

Obviously, The Italian’s boss and Killian were going to get their food first, then their right hands, then the rest of their men.

It took you and your sous chef both 30 minutes for both of the bosses meals.

It only took about an hour to get the rest out though, those being easier, and less high maintenance.

After finally being able to sit down, you got about 2 minutes before you saw one of the Irish sides’ waiters poking their head in the door.

You raised your head and looked at him.

He gulped and said “We have one more order to fill, chef”

You raised a brow. Didn’t you already serve everyone? Who was left?

You reached out your hand for the note and read the order.

It said “One burrito with everything in it”

You snickered, and read it again, maybe you read it wrong?

“One burrito, with EVERYTHING on it”

You snorted and covered your mouth. Who walks into a bistro and orders a BURRITO?

You get up, walking to the door of the kitchen

The waiter pulls your arm

“What’re you doing?” he asks, panickedly.

You smile “Seeing who in their right MIND would order a burrito on a day like this.”

You walk out of the kitchen, straight down the middle of the room, and identify the table with only one person without a dish in front of them. 

“Well I’ll be damned” you murmur to yourself and walk over to none other than Kelly Duffy, the most disgusting mobster in the history of the Irish mob.

You walk over to them, not paying attention to the fact almost the entire bistro has gone silent and cross your arms.

They look up at you

You look right back down at them.

They squint at you

You smirk at them

“What did you order?” you ask, trying to conceal the laughter in your voice

They stare at you…then answer “A burrito. Everything on it”

By now the entire bistro is silent. Everyone’s eyes trained on you and Kelly. 

You try to hold in the laughter fighting to burst out of your mouth, but it doesn’t work. In seconds you’re holding your stomach, keeled over, barking with laughter.

Kelly just looks at you with a deadpan expression. Damn. They were serious.

You cross your arms “Come to the kitchen with me.”

Kelly raises a brow

“This is a Bistro, I have a whole buncha stuff I could put on a burrito. Saying “everything on it” doesn’t really give me any clues as to what you really want”

Kelly looks at Killian and Killian nods, then Kelly goes with you to the kitchen.

Over the next 15 minutes you manage to fit almost every meat, cheese, and sauteed vegetable you have in the kitchen into two huge tortillas.

Kelly simply nods in approval and walks out and goes to eat his burrito

After the meeting is over, everyone goes home, but you can be sure Kelly is going to come back again sometime. 

[erenfox]

Y'all.

Episode 4.

It's the best piece of work Marvel has made after they made IW and Endgame.

spoiler alert 🚨

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lemme start off with our favourite Miss Jolly Rancher Unhinged Clock and Victorian-Era HWR Fangirl. I KNEW Ravonna had somehow helped HWR in building the TVA, but him erasing her memories was straight up evil.

Then we come to the absolutely gruesome deaths of Dox and the others. HOLY SHIT MISS JOLLY RANCHER IS AWFUL like she was enjoying every second of Dox and her hunters literally getting crushed to their deaths. B-15 was traumatised, to say the least and you can see on Ravonna and Brad's faces a hint of disgust. But Miss Minutes grinning like that - outright disturbing.

I can't get over OB and Victor fanboying over each other's work - it was so funny yet wholesome.

Now let's talk about Loki and Sylvie. As a diehard Sylki stan you know I am, my fangirling heart was overjoyed seeing these two lovesick ducks working together willingly! I mean, yea, they did have that rather awkward talk in Pie Land (mind you that's it's official name henceforth) but after that they worked together as teammates! Now I must say, I completely agree with Sylvie on snapping on Mobius, because, well, yeah, the multiverse is a bigger priority than pie and I legit don't get why tf antis hate on Sylvie for doing so. Like you hated her for not giving a damn abt the TVA + the multiverse, but now when she stood up to do so y'all are hating on her again?? Like?? Make up ur mind, smh.

Anyways, back to Sylki. Sylvie got stuck in the elevator and the way she and Loki worriedly called out each other's names was so soft! And the "You ok?" trope CAME BACK OMG! THAT PHRASE IS LITERALLY THE BACKBONE OF SYLKI! When I tell you my fangirling heart screamed with joy omg-

The the whole paradox scene which brought Ep 1 back in a circle. I absolutely loved the way our Loki realised what he had to do and went real slow to prune his past self just so that Past Loki could get a glimpse of Sylvie; which would then lead him to be more determined than ever to go look for her. And I quite literally died on Sylvie being confused af as to wtf she just witnessed.

Then there's the telephone scene. OH MY GOD it was literally OB all this time when fans were out here speculating it was Kang or someone lmao. Both Loki and Sylvie yelling simultaneously to turn the security thing off gives out so much Couple Vibes, I absolutely loved it AAHHAHAH-

AND. THE. BRAD. SCENE. OOF.

our friendly neighbourhood lovesick ducks teaming up to enchant Brad was just too good. Loki in his hot, creepy voice luring Brad into a dark area while Sylvie very swiftly just straight up grabbing his face from the back - pure horror. Absolutely loved it, 10/10. Tho I must say, to do execute elaborate scheme, these two must have done some detailed planning (=more Sylki moments we were robbed off).

BUT THAT ENDING DUCKING MURDERED ME BROO OMG

Can we talk abt Victor's redemption? Man had been portrayed as evil since Quantumania, and has been manipulated by both Ravonna and Miss Jolly Rancher, but at the end of the day, he was a sweetheart. Man fanboys OB and basically became besties with him and Casey, worked together to create the solution to a mess he most certainly didn't want to be a part of, and then himself stepped up to fix the Loom once and for all to prove to everyone (and not let Sylvie's choice of sparing him go to waste) that tho he contained HWR's DNA, he wasn't HWR - he was a far better person HWR could have ever been. Seeing him getting spaghettified was tragically heart-wrenching, man deserved so much better :(

BUT HOLY SHIT DID THAT ONE HECK OF A GODDAMN CLIFFHANGER LEFT ME SPEECHLESS LIKE WTF WAS THAT?? U can't just kill off a character who had redeemed himself, and then make our main character and his homies watch literally EVERYTHING THEY WORKED SO HARD FOR GET ANNIHILATED TO THE GROUND-

But we know our God of Mischief isn't dead, and so are his homies eheheh.

However the looks on everyone's face was tragic. Loki knew all was lost and had tears in his eyes. Sylvie looked like she had accepted defeat and her death. Mobius and OB were in denial, refusing to believe that Victor was dead. Casey and B-15 looked horrified, as they realised what was to come now upon them.

Tldr, this episode was an ABSOLUTE BANGER. IM READY TO CLAIM IT SUPERIOR THAN ENDGAME, come and fight me. Its a top cinematic piece, and the suspense to Ep 5 is eating me up.

Ig i should go and study for the 4 tests this week before ep 5 ;-;

[machiroads]

anirevo 2024 con report belooooooow

THURSDAY NIGHT, AUGUST 8TH

Left my office at 4:30. Took the bus to the ferry straight from work except the GODDAMN BUS DIDN'T ACTUALLY STOP TO PICK ME UP so I had to wait for the next one and missed the 6:00 ferry so I didn't get to my hotel in Vancouver until after 10pm oof

The slow bus was very nice once i got over being mad about the fast bus leaving me on read by way of listening to linkin park. It goes through some very quaint rural areas.

I purchased a can of wine on the ferry which was like $15 for 8.5oz. I don't know how I feel about this but I do feel like I got ripped off because the wine was only ok

I edited and posted ch2 of WTBL&W entirely on my phone which may or may not have been a mistake. Getting the html formatting right wasn't too bad, but editing the splash image for twitter and bsky on photopea was uhhhhhhhhh a mistake. FAFO

FRIDAY AUGUST 9TH

My hotel had one of those fancy toto washlets so you bet your ass my butt was squeaky clean all weekend

My hotel also had a room service menu that had a bowl of oatmeal for $14 as an offering. Which. No.

I got an actual breakfast at a tiny hole in the wall crepe place staffed by a single old man, then trundled over to the con to pick up my badge at like 10ish. I was in line behind a cute couple in horimiya cosplay

The first panel I actually wanted to see wasn't until like 12 so I sat on the seawalk, finished my coffee, watched floatplanes, and replied to AO3 comments. 11/10 banger morning.

I watched an improv comedy D&D skit, which was fun, then traipsed down to the exhibition hall to do Some Shopping

MERCH REPORT: nobody really had heroaca stuff? Or if they did it was just the main kids. Still lots of people with HQ stuff, which I'm encouraged to see years after its ending. I'm happy with the pin selection this year tho, I picked up some nice stuff (but I think i will need to find additional capacity on my button collection because it's p much full oops)

BONUS COSPLAY REPORT: There also weren't really any heroaca cosplayers either, i saw like 1 shinsou, a couple bkgs, and a handful of people in nonspecific UA gym uniforms. Very strange. I did, however, see like 3 Nanamis within the span of 2 minutes on Saturday. (i don't even go here re jjk but he was the basic white boy cosplay of the year)

I spent like 2 hours in the exhibition hall and my brain hurt so I got poke for lunch, went back to the hotel to eat it, then took a nap

I went back for another couple panels on Friday night (a panel with vancouver VA graham hamilton, and another improv advice panel)

SATURDAY AUGUST 10TH

I went bra shopping on saturday morning because i accidentally overstuffed my backpack last week and zipped my bra into the zipper and tore the liner whilst trying to extract it. This is not relevant to the con, however it was an important part of my weekend

There wasn't anything I wanted to see at the con in the morning so I didn't get there until like 2:00 so I could line up for the cosplay contest. I'd never been to one before, and I don't really cosplay mself, but I've recently been watching some sarah spaceman videos, so I thought it would be fun to go see a contest for the first time.

On the schedule the contest is supposed to start at 2:30. There's like 6 down-and-backs of queueing space for people waiting to get in. When I got there around 2ish there were people milling about saying they'd cut the line. I loitered a bit longer until some admin looking folk went around telling people to disperse because queueing outside of the taped off area was a "fire hazard", and to come back at 3:00 when the event started. At this point, the line of people illicitly queued for this event wrapped probably halfway around the building, and the VCC is a Large Building.

I assume the delayed start time was probably due to pre-judging going long (thank u sarah spaceman for this education i now know how cosplay contests work), so i wasn't too fussy about that, but the fire hazard thing was a little silly to me because I'd been in the exhibition hall already which to me seemed like waaaaaay more of a fire hazard than a generally orderly line. Regardless. I bummed around on the seawalk for a bit and then went back just before 3 and managed to snag a seat. The contest itself ended up being really fun, and I'm glad i stuck around for it.

I went to another 3 panels on Saturday night, all 3 of which had similar queue capacity issues, and all 3 of which started late. Again, when the panels themselves started, they were all really fun, but logistically it seemed like they had some challenges. It does feel a bit silly to complain about though when I have literally nothing else to do that weekend tho haha

I attended the Philosophy of Science in FMA and Dr Stone (TIL epistemology is a word), a panel about adaptations that are superior to the source material, and...............yaoi bedtime stories. Which was a hoot.

SUNDAY AUGUST 11TH

Kind of a chill morning. Got some goodies at a bakery for breakfast / lunch / to bring home, checked out of the hotel, then trundled over to the con.

I went to a panel that was just a bunch of tables set up with colouring sheets and books and stuff and that was super what I needed. I coloured the eeveelutions from memory (and only forgot half of their colour schemes), and then there was a little time left so I also coloured in a cardcaptor sakura.

I thought about attending cosplay life drawing afterwards but ended up just heading home after colouring since I was kind of Done after a full weekend. There was another improv dragon ball tribute scheduled, but not until like 6:30pm and if I stuck around for that I wouldn't have gotten home today lol

No bus mishaps on the way home fortunately

ANYWAYS that's all folks thanks for reading about my dramatization of what was actually a pretty chill weekend.

[dreadheadmadi]

This hurricane really did some numbers on me. All of my food is spoiled because there’s no power for the fridge, and neither me nor my roommates have enough money for takeout either. Even if we did, most restaurants are closed.

There’s power lines and tree limbs on the ground everywhere, even my own window got cracked. On campus it’s way worse, and it actually took a 10 mile power outage for the school to finally cancel classes, despite the numerous fallen trees, damaged buildings, and flooded ground.

It also brought out the true faces of those who I thought highly of. I asked 5 people who I knew either had power or a car if I can charge my phone for 10 minutes, because my mother was stuck in a hospital down in Charleston and I wanted to make sure I could remain contact with her. All of them refused or said they denied having either one… which we both knew was a lie. It wasn’t until I was rambling to an old classmate about how scared I was did I finally get an opportunity to charge my phone since his power didn’t go out. It took a guy who’s considered a stranger (we never talked in class) to finally be able to contact my mom. What the fuck.

I’m thankful for my blessings, but I shouldn’t have to put myself in those situations. There was no telling what all could have happened when I went over to his house, but the final nail in the coffin was when I asked if someone could be on the phone with me as I was in his room just in case… and I was met with silence, excuses, or just a straight up no.

Thank God he had a good heart and didn’t try anything, but we all are in the city of a D1 college that is known for STD outbreaks, rape, and crime in general. It gives me a weird feeling about my friends now, like was your afternoon nap really that important to you that you couldn’t have FaceTimed me for like 15 minutes max? Did your commute to Waffle House require that much of your attention? Did you say no because you knew nothing was going to happen, or because you just didn’t care enough?

All this has left me so… mentally and physically exhausted. Physically bc I stayed up all night trying to contact family members to check on them, and mentally because if I can’t depend on those who I love and trust the most… who can I depend on? I need to do a lot of thinking and praying over the weekend. Hurricane Helene has absolutely rocked my shit.

[scrawnsenior]

A few words and a little video for interest. Good run at Snetterton. Steadily faster all weekend. For context my fastest lap time on the Superstock bike with at least 45 more horses is a 1:55.8. My goal for this year on the V2 was a 1:56. Realistic I felt so I went for it. Free practice sessions were about set up and learning the track on this particular bike. Without the straight line speed and power of the bigger bike it was inevitably about brakes and corner speed. FP1/2 saw me sitting around the 25th/26th position mark and steady 1:58 laps. More to come. Given my pace and position I was confident of getting into Q2 so I left pit lane for Q1 in full on time attack mode. Out lap saw me nearly crash at the final corner due to a weird cut out of the bike but I kept pushing. By lap 5 of the 15 minute session I was into the 1:57s and finished the session going over a second quicker than in free practice. I was into Q2 by finishing the session in 9th position. We did however have an issue. When I pulled up to re-fuel in pit lane I noticed water coming out of the bike. I took my helmet and gloves off as I figured that was it as the bike had overheated. It turned out to be a tiny pin-hole in a smaller hose near the jubilee clip from motor on the right hand side. Fair play to the crew, they pulled it off the engine. Steam everywhere like a kettle, cut the damaged end off and re-connected it. Top up of water and away I went. Only lost 4 minutes of the session and went out and went faster to finish 26th overall. The sprint race was interesting, 10 laps in hot humid conditions. Start was manic and I nearly hit an R6 up the ass into turn one so lost a few places. Got settled and plugged away chasing lap times. Didn't go any quicker and if I'm honest I managed my pace because the bike was running hot the whole race. They run warm anyway but it just didn't seem to cool at all on the straights which concerned me, probably atmospherics but I rode accordingly. I could see the gap on my board was big enough to not worry too much and I was never going to catch the group in front so looked after the bike as best I could. I had a shock as I crossed the line on the last lap though, .1 of a second to the bike behind. Perhaps eased off too much? Needless to say I pulled the pin a bit on lap 10 so as not to lose a place. Fastest lap of the race for me and unbeknownst to me it was my team mate who had caught me. He knew I had put in a fast lap at the end though so didn't push too hard in the end. I finished 21st.

For Sunday I made a few changes. I had struggled with the front skipping through Palmer and Corum on Saturday so I firmed up the front end and went for the SC1 front tyre over the SC2 to try and solve it. It worked a treat and I had a really good feature race. 14 laps of hard graft but the racing was spot on. Initially a good scrap with Ryan Garside until Ben Currie came through from the back after an issue on lap one. I tagged on the back for a few corners which meant I got by my team mate at Wilson after Ben sat him up. Next was one of the GP2 bikes which moved me into a position to chase down Harry Leigh. I took me a few laps to get up to him and I passed him on the brakes into turn one after slip streaming him on the start straight. It's not often I get that panic feeling but that move got me worried. I genuinely didn't think I was stopping. Compromised my entry slightly which meant he came back at me into turn two but he ran wide and I just rode underneath him. That was it, 1:56.595 and P21 again. Really happy with the bike as no issues with heat and handling. Looking forward to Brands Hatch this coming weekend where I hope to build on progress so far.

Here's a little video walk around of the bike just now when I finished cleaning it. Good scrub for the radiators and it's ready for next meeting. Any questions fire away but the bike is a stock motor apart from a super finished gearbox. The dash, ecu and loom are Solo and required for Supersport. The Termi exhaust has to be fitted, or Akra if you prefer. The bike is pretty much up to spec apart from radiators. Hopefully they are coming soon but they are not cheap. The only other gains are through weight saving overall so it has a lightweight ally tank and I take a shit before I go out on track. Ohlins all round for suspension as I have used before on the 959.

[youhavenoideahowbadiwantthis]

This entry will not break new ground, but hopefully, if you're reading, help to inform your opinion as you go into this movie. Time to scream into the void.

SKINAMARINK

I heard about this movie through a YouTube review by Mista GG and watched Kyle Edward Ball's "Heck".

While watching Heck, a 29 minute short film on which Skinamarink draws technique, plot and aesthetic, I struggled to engage.

The aesthetic is incredible. Record static and film grain on top of low-light film of a setting that you can almost recall from childhood is very effective.

The plot is tragic. Both as someone that had a decent childhood, but wears their trauma close to the surface, and as a parent of a toddler, this plot is dread manifested.

The technique is....difficult. To call it pretentious would be disingenuous and to call it a slog is to minimize a very unique film. It challenges you with, seemingly, hundreds of angles of the same house that aim to disorient you while evoking a feeling of familiarity. I can't begin to describe how many times as a child I would get bored and just stare at the room for several minutes, committing the space to memory.

All that being said, this film is incredibly slow. It builds dread to the point of numbness, and in my opinion, I thought it was ineffective.

I was absolutely incorrect.

After the film, I said goodbye to my friend around 10 PM and went straight to bed as I work early. I laid in bed for 15 minutes and fell asleep. Then I woke up and checked my phone and about 20 minutes had passed. Then I fell asleep and woke up. Fell asleep, woke up. Asleep, awake.

9 times.

9 fucking times this happened.

This was some of the most restless sleep I've had in recent memory. The absolute despair that movie awoke in me was staggering. I felt that kind of despair in my childhood and it felt like my parents couldn't understand what I was describing. I was essentially alone with, what felt like, an intense, horrible, metaphysical happening and I think of it daily. It informs my behavior and my thought process regularly.

Thinking of my child having that happen and thinking they can't turn to anyone devastates me.

Purgatory for a toddler. That's the vibe.

Anyway, I was not at all excited for Skinamarink for multiple reasons, but I couldn't stop thinking of it.

I could not fathom sitting through an hour and forty minutes of that. It's unique, for sure, but I could not believe it would be as effective as Heck. More is not always better.

The sound, the grain, the shots of doorframes and walls. It's very difficult for me to picture a scenario where the movie could possibly improve on the short film.

The plot and the voices of two young children in that film, sounded like a recipe for a bad time. "Children in danger" and "children being neglected" are some severe subjects that I truly fucking hate to deal with.

So a week ago, I watched a copy of the film, and I gotta say: I stand by every original feeling I had.

The scenes with children in danger were painful to watch.

The sound quality and voices were garbled the entire time and very difficult to listen to.

The subtitles that he used, while helpful, absolutely suck you out of the experience.

Finally, the runtime is oppressive. An hour-forty is absolutely painful. While I absolutely love horror, when the soreness you get from tensing and gripping the edge of your seat dissipates, you're left wanting.

HOWEVER. The only thing I regret, is not paying for the opportunity to watch it.

The movie is, in my opinion, good. It's just, as I knew going into this film, it's not for me.

Kyle Edward Ball is fucking brilliant. His direction, technique and clear acumen for horror are clear and far greater than most and I'm ecstatic to purchase this movie on home video and never watch it again.

Give it a watch, consider your feelings and engage with the film community to discuss why this film, while not for everyone, is incredibly important.

Thank you for listening, though I'm not sure why you would.

[molosmojo]

Take a step back, to be able to move forward!

It was our EID on Friday, Saturday and even Sunday – three days and still not done!

After meeting a few relatives on Friday, I decided to visit my sister on Saturday and take the family along too. We got up early (as always) and I got ready earlier than the family to go down and get the car refuelled with CNG and Petrol; and be ready to leave with the family. I put my new clothes on, wore my slippers (since I had come back home in like 10 minutes) and got down to go to my car.

For those of you who know, I have this challenge around car parking at my place – I had parked my car a little far from my place on Friday.

I was walking towards my car and noticed a car parked in parallel and blocking my exit – I was already fuming. I looked inside this car and didn’t see anyone inside. And, yet, I was knocking the car as if someone would pop out magically and move their car out of my way.

I looked around but no signs of any drivers around.

I went inside the building (where my car was parked) to see if someone from that building had parked their car here – asked the watchman and he was “No, none of our building cars are parked on the street”. I was already perspiring (because of the heat re baba)!

This fellow, who was standing next to the watchman, heard me and came out with me to the car – he was like “you can try taking this out in reverse, there is some space” – I looked at him and I was like HOW!

I asked him if he could guide me, and he happily agreed. I got inside my car and took the car in front, then reverse, change sides – left, right, straight…this went on for like 5 to 7 minutes. Finally, this person said “you may come out, let me try” – he tried for a minute or so and there, my car was out in the reverse, finally. I thanked him and sat in my car to go to the gas station – lost 15 minutes but worth the experience!

I came back home and took the family out – all happy!

In that situation, I had 3 options:

Just stand there and wait for the driver of the other car to come in and then move my car out – I don’t know how much time it would have taken.

Try taking the car out somehow – at least do something. This is what I did.

Go back home and leave with family in an Uber! This would have spoilt the mood with the family.

In life, many times, we end-up blaming X, or Y, or Z but perhaps fail to ACT to move things forward ourselves. Many times, it is important to step back a little to be able to move forward and trust the process – if it is meant to be, you would find help/guidance in some shape of form and you would be surging ahead!

[hms-tardimpala]

Catching up on Raw 15/10/24

Strange start to a Raw, the show usually opens with the commentators welcoming the audience but it took seven minutes to see them. I like when the camera follows a wrestler to the ring but I would have liked maybe a little more opening at the opening. If that makes sense.

Oh straight to the championship tag team match, okay.

Like the choice of having Rhea look like she's getting a headache whenever Tiffany is around. Tiffy is a lot (but we love her).

So this is a match with Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair. Okay. Please let Jade do more than 30% of the work this time, I'm starting to dislike her. Bianca does all the work and takes all the heat every time!

Jeez, Biance Belair and Iyo Sky together in the ring again. What a sight!

Okay, that backbreaker by Cargill was beautiful.

Are you serious? Did Jade just slam Bianca on the mat?? Rrrr not my girl!

I love Iyo stepping on her opponent and screaming, she has great ring attitude.

Aaaaaannd Bianca did most of the work again. I'm ready for this dynamic to be used in their future feud.

Yes, finally things are gonna move in the men's tag team championship on Raw. I keep forgetting McDonagh and Bálor are champions because they never defend!

Ugh American Made promo. I hate them so much. I know I'm supposed to but still!

Okay, first I thought the Bron/Jey thing had no basis, but the family thing helps make it believable. They genuinely had a different career approach in this respect, that can cause some sort of ideological different.

Bronson Reed is articulating his requests very well. What a dream employee! This is the most civilized exchange I've seen Adam Pearce have with one of his wrestlers in a while.

Hello War Raiders, nice to meet you! Cool metal entrance theme.

This was a squash.

Rollins owning the fact that he's at an injury-prone point in his career is kinda cool. He does have a whiny voice but he makes good points.

Adam Pearce take a acting class please. His response to anything supposed to be intense is to rake his glasses off, it's so funny.

Come on Cody, you're not home on Raw, don't take up too much of the Raw roster's time. (I understand that they have to build up to the Crown Jewel matches but I see enough of Cody on Smackdown as it is. Nia is allowed to invade as often as she wants to though <3)

I don't like Gunther but him telling Cody "You want to be everybody's darling" is spot-on.

New Day terrible no good couple's therapy incoming yayyyyy!

Oh, Dragon Lee promo in my weekly? More likely than I thought.

Kofi you're good, but now might be a good time to count your teeth. They're really building Bron Breakker strong.

Xavier's not even at ringside for Kofi owww 🥺

Can we agree not to take our eyes off Bron until he's left the room, guys?

I like that they're retiring the Terror Twins, it's a really cool dynamic and I wouldn't want it to overstay its welcome. Damian should be in the title race (please, I want to see him ragdoll Punk), the Judgment Day feud didn't do him any favors booking-wise these past two months. And Rhea must come back to the women's division full time to give it a kick in the ass.

Oh it's my boy Jimmy! Apologize to your brother! Have growth!

Aww no it's time for the R-Truth/Miz match 🥺 my poor heart. I want R-Truth to win but I don't think it'll happen. Also, cool ring gear for the Miz, but I liked the old one better.

Lmao R-Truth, good on you!!

No no no no no don't hurt him!

It's gonna be a journey, Jimmy, I'm with you.

Let's see Raquel Rodriguez in action in the ring properly. Oh, she doesn't have a theme? Just Liv's? Shame.

Okay but I lowkey hope Rhea's hubris fucks her here and she loses because she doesn't tag often enough.

Oh Tiffy forced the tag, good on you, barbie girl!

That human missile was well-filmed.

Nia! 😍

I love all these women with toxic relationships beating each other up <33

Lmao Nia looking for the briefcase. She has comedic talent!

Alright, this Raw was kinda messy, but I'm interested in a lot of plots they're advancing!

[the-lucky-ferret]

A little old story I wrote a while ago. I call it Flight Day

10:07. John just arrived at the airport. Full as always. Why these people picked the same time to travel? Why did he pick that time? He knew it would be full, didn't he? He could have picked the 13:00 flight to- nevermind, he just remembered. 13:00 flight was 50 bucks extra. He'd rather face the hassle. Is that a cafe? His stomach rumbled. Did he have breakfast? That croissant is looking good, but kinda expensive. Whatever, he'll eat some other snack, eventually. What time was it again?

10:13. The plane would leave in 1 hour, 17 minutes. He can't lose the plane again, like that time. Oooh, that time was hell on earth. The thought of what happened sent shivers down his spine. He messed up bad. If only he didn't pack that bottle of shampoo... Headshake. Forget it. That was long ago. He's not even allowed on that country anymore, anyways. Already forgot what time it was.

10:17. Where the hell do you check-in in this place? Every damn time, it's like they change all the airlines' booths. What was the airline's name this time? It's in this building, right? Oh God, Is he in the right building?? Okay, calm down. Look it over again. From left to right. Nothing. Maybe on the way back? Nope. Damn, this luggage feels heavy. Should he ask for questions? That's the best idea he can think of. Let's talk with that lady right next to that red booth wait a minute. Check the name again. Yup, that's the one. The one with the huge line. One problem solved, at least. How long did this take?

10:33. 15 minutes looking for this thing, goddammit. He should have tried asking right away. At least the line is somewhat fast. That's less praising this line, and more complaining about lines of the past. Once he's done with this, it's straight for the gates. Gotta be the first there, make up for lost time. Is the gate even open? When does it open? He should look for one of those screens. Actually, which gate is it? He needs to check it on the ticket. A light touch on the shoulder. A stranger? What's behind me-whoa, the line moved. Sorry, everyone! My mistake. The line is a bit smaller, huh. He should check the time on his phone. A new notification? Someone tagged him on Facebook, he has to check. Heh, that's actually funny. "Haha" react. Suddenly, he realizes he should stop scrolling through his timeline, and check the line. Wait, only 2 people in front of him?? How long was that??

10:49. WHAT??? Okay, okay, relax. He's next, see, nothing to worry about. It's check-in and straight to the plane. No distractions, no checking the bookstore's window, no taking a look at chocolate prices, no nothing. There, he's up. Hello, hi, good morning! Here's the ticket, here's ID, here's the passport where's the passport oh God I forgot the passport this is a disaster what do you mean no need for a passport? Ah. Right. It's domestic. He felt his chest unfreeze. Crisis averted, hehe, sigh. Awkward moment, this was. Baggage on the metal thing. 14 kg? Felt heavier. That's below the limit, right? It is. Cool. Paper thing on the baggage, baggage on the conveyor thing. Have a nice day, you too, half-hearted smile. To the gates, then. This took what, 5 minutes?

10:53. Hm. 4 minutes. Not bad. Around 40 minutes to take off. Not as bad on time as he thought before. That's enough time for a snack, right? Nononono, no snacks. At least not until he gets to the boarding area. Then maybe some snacks. If they aren't too overpriced. Okay, boarding area. Backpack on the tray, let's check pockets. Phone, keys, wallet, a paper clip? Good, these are useful, and very cliché. What's next, a piece of lint and a quarter? Heh. He goes through the metal detecPEEEEP. Dammit. What did you forget? Pat the front pockets, pat the back pockets, oh sweet Jesus it was the watch. Take off the watch. Put it on the tray. Metal detector? No noise, good. He takes his stuff, puts the backpack and leaves. Behind him, he hears "random check". Could've been him. That was close, actually. Only thing left now is boarding. And maybe a snack. What was the gate again? He's sure he checked it before check-in. No matter, check again. 63? Wow, this place is huge, huh. He's next to gate... 2. Of course he is. 61 gates left. But how many minutes he has left to walk all that?

11:01. 30 minutes left. Plenty of time for a snack, if he walks fast. Gate 3, Gate 4, Gate 5, oh look, that candy store has that meter-long chewing gum that he bought in that school trip. He chewed the whole thing at once on the bus, and then de-hydrated almost instantly. He won those 5 bucks, though. Even Sandra was impressed, so she didn't punch his arm for a whole week, that bastard. He hated her guts, Gate 24, 25, 26, but he never did anything. He could have punched back, but never felt brave enough to actually do it, so he mostly just avoided her. Luckily she was as dumb as she was ugly, which is to say, more then most, but not that much. Ooh, look at that plane go! 36, 37, 38, Two thirds done in...

11:14. 13 minutes. Could've been better but noooo, he had to shove as many games in his backpack as he could. Couldn't he be happy with 2 or 3? 49, 50, 51, only ten left! He'll probably use the notebook to play only that TCG he's been climbing ranks on, 55, 56, until his cousin starts bothering him to play the platformer on the other console I brought I'm a genius! He forgot about his plan for a second, but he's sure it'll work. He's what, 13? He can play, 61, 62, 63, without breaking th-HEY THAT WAS IT GO BACK GO BACK GO BACK alright, made it, and with plenty of time to spare! ...how much time to spare?

11:19. Almost none, in fact. People are boarding the plane, better to go along. His stomach growls, his mouth waters, but there's no time for snacks. There's only time for boarding. He joins the line of sweaty people going through the gate. This place has ACs, for crying out loud, how are these people so greasy? He remembered to take a bath before leaving the house at least. Sadly, it's effects are no longer seen due to the continuous stress and hurried walking of the last 80 minutes, but the effort was still made! And it would soon bear fruit, for his turn at the gate approaches. He made it in time! He's almost there, and look!

11:25. The perfect time! Not too soon, not too early. Just right. Airplane food would be just as good a snack as that croissant he saw. Once he took off, he could relax for the next 3 hours. He could sleep, watch a movie, play videogames... That's it, basically, but it's plenty for him. The line gets shorter and shorter. Any second now... Almost... There...

...............................

The stewardess, suddenly, pulls the barrier post, closing Gate 63. On the microphone, she announces:

"Ladies and gentleman, good morning. Due to a mistake in our system, I must regretfully inform you that there are no more seats in this flight. I apologize for any inconvenience. Please direct yourselves to our booth for a quick rescheduling, free of charge."

All the people of Gate 63 immediately start complaining, some louder then others. The loudest was, of course, the very next person meant to board. Furious, the man tosses his backpack violently on the ground and starts shouting and screaming and cussing. His face is so red, one could think he was somehow screaming while choking on his tongue. He gets so mad, in fact, that security is called. He's removed from the boarding area, then removed from the airport altogether, his right for a free rescheduling revoked. His luggage? Still on the plane. His backpack? Left on the boarding area. His careful planning? Not even a slight, salvageable trace left. This man would not see his family today.

Meanwhile, at 11:34, the 11:30 flight takes off. A little late, due to some problem with a passenger at the Gate, apparently? "Not a problem", muses John, the last lucky person to board, sitting at his first class seat. He was upgraded, because there were no more seats in economy class. An overbooking problem, due to a system failure, it seems? "Heh," he thinks, trying to choose a drink from the menu, "Not a problem at all."

[princess-adronitis]

Evidence that I am loved (in no certain order)

1. The birthday card in my dresser where my friend says that he is grateful for me , and that to him I am a “bundle of sunshine” ☀️

2. My bestie dropped off roti for me today, cause I was feeling for something spicy and I’ve been in bed with a bad cold.

3. My nephew said he was happy to see me in the morning

4. My cousin always checks to see if I’m home. And when she comes home she always says hi to me , and checks to see what I’m up to

5. My bestie and I linked arms while walking at Niagara Falls .

6. These twins at my church , always have hugs for me when I see em.

7. The teddy bear on my bed that I got when 16 from my bestfriend. Specifically, a build a bear that I had been wanting for years .

8. Bestie brought me some jewellery from Pakistan . Super nice ones that I can wear to church . She always brings me something even when I tell her it’s okay

9. I was called “lil Jo riding hood” after dropping off treats

10. My bestie let me gush on for atleast 15 minutes straight about my alleged crush, and how sweet I think he is .

11. I asked my brother to help me with my back, and put pressure on it . There was a knot in it, and I was struggling . He did it no complaints

12. My dad left some cut up pineapple for me

13. A good memory , the second or so time I met one of my besties : we volunteered at the women’s centre . I entered in , just to do my homework but flopped down.. I was beyond tired (was going on like day 5 of bad nightmares ) . She came in sat on the same couch and was like you seem tired today . Told her about it a bit , and said I was over that and also my boy problems . And I remember saying “ I just can’t anymore.. I haven’t slept” And she just held me , and I stayed there , for a good ten minutes. I had been very to myself and feeling lonely , and it made me feel like a real person again .

14. Valentine’s Day, my friends are always my valentines 💕

15. A good memory , 23rd bday: Singing very ghetto karaoke in the basement , using one of my nephew’s toy mikes.. super fun ☺️

16. When I pray or listen to worship music, I feel God’s love 🎶

[thaliaisalesbian]

i get myself twisted in threads

Chapter 26: it's the first thing you do

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27

Steve feels like shit. Not the worst he’s ever felt, but honestly it’s going to be hard to beat that. Maybe he needs to come up with a new pain scale for himself. He doesn’t think that anyone else will find it funny, but it might make him feel better.

“Why didn’t you just stay home? Or call one of us?” Nancy asks. She doesn’t know about his parents. At least, Steve doesn’t think she does. He hasn’t said anything, and she hasn’t been here long enough for Jonathan to tell her. He thinks. She’s been at school all day, right? “And where did you get all of that bruising on your face? Did you fall or run into something?”

He can see on her face that she doesn’t believe it as soon as she says it.

“Was it your parents?”

“I don’t want to talk about it, Nance.” He knows that’s all but confirming it, but he really doesn’t want to talk about it.

Jonathan wants him to leave. But he can’t do that.

Between his mom’s side of the family and his dad’s business, they probably own half of the buildings in town. Their ‘friends’ watch him, and report back to his parents when he’s doing something he’s not supposed to be doing.

If he moves in with the Byers, or Hopper and El, for good, then they’ll just come and drag him back. Or make Joyce lose her job somehow, and Jonathan too.

finish on ao3 or under the cut

And they might go after the other kids, too. His mom had talked about it, when he and Nancy had broken up. She’d offered to ‘ensure that she never works in journalism’, and while her reach doesn’t extend to the whole field, she’d certainly be able to make it happen in Hawkins. Wouldn’t even be that hard, probably, Nancy’s already been having trouble getting the position at the Hawkins Post without his mom sticking her nose into it.

He had to beg her not to. Told her that they were still kids, and that dating was a little different now. Plenty of people dated around, it wasn’t a big deal.

He’s not sure it worked the way he wanted it too, but she’s backed off, because Nancy and Jonathan would have been outright told ‘no’ when they walked in the door if she’d given the word.

But he can’t tell Nancy and Jonathan about that, because they’ll tell him that they can handle it.

They might be able to, but he doesn’t want them to. It’s bad enough that Joyce and Hopper won’t take anything from him. He knows they had to have spent a lot of money, not to mention time, on him during his recovery and it’s the only way he knows how to repay them.

“Steve?” Nancy touches his hand, and he realizes he’s stopped talking to her. “If you need to go back to sleep that’s okay, you know.”

“I’m okay.” He’s not all that tired, he just feels terrible. “Can I have some water?”

He doesn’t remember all that clearly what happened this morning.

He knows he wasn’t thinking straight, and he’s still a little wonky on that front now. But it’s better than it was.

“Yeah.”

“Where’s Jonathan?” He was just here, wasn’t he? Steve was teasing him about… something.

“He went to take a shower a few minutes ago, do you not remember that? Is your head okay?”

“I mean, my face hurts, but not my head.” Probably. He can’t actually tell if he has a headache or if it’s just from his face being all beat up.

“I don’t think this is a good thing, Steve.” She’s right, of course she is, but he’s not sure what she wants him to do about it. “Did Jon just bring you here?”

“No hospital.” He says, immediately. He’s not going there. His parents just left, he doesn’t want them coming back. They’d be pissed.

(Even though it was their fault—no, it was his fault, wasn’t it? It’s always his fault—it doesn’t even matter. They’ll be upset. The cycle will start over, and he’ll end up right back here.)

“Dustin’s mom came and checked on him, she said he didn’t need to go.” Jonathan’s back; with Steve missing most of the day, he’ll have to explain things to Nancy.

Nancy’s eyebrows scrunch up. “He’s missing time, Jon.”

“He’s been really out of it all day.” Jonathan says. “That’s not too surprising.”

Thankfully, Nancy doesn’t push more, and she doesn’t say anything about school, either.

Steve was hopeful that he could pass at least a few of his classes this year, but 

“Want me to lay down with you, Steve?” Nancy offers. Jonathan hadn’t been, he’d been in the chair.

“No, I don’t want to get you sick, too.” He tells her. And he doesn’t want her to find out. Jonathan knows, because he has to know, now, but so far he hasn’t told Nancy and Steve doesn’t want him to.

Let Nancy think that the worst of it is on his face.

He doesn’t need someone else trying to convince him that he needs to move out. He can’t move out.

He’s not risking the consequences.

“I’m going to get dinner ready. Do you know what the boys are doing out there?”

“Hopefully homework, but probably DnD stuff.” Nancy answers. “What time is your mom getting home?”

“Late, she’s closing tonight. Steve’s been fine, though.”

Take that, Nancy. He’s fine.

“As long as his fever doesn’t spike, he’ll be okay staying here, I think.”

It better not spike. Right now, it’s not so bad—he’s a little achy all over and his face hurts, sure, but he’s fine.

“What about school?”

And there it is.

“Well, he can’t go back tomorrow.”

“We’ll see how it goes.” Steve says, before they get a chance to decide for him. “Maybe I can be back by Wednesday.”

The looks they give him are highly doubtful, but he has hope. Besides, he really doesn’t want to miss more school.

Maybe that will change once he’s actually back at school, having to deal with Hargrove, Tommy, and everyone else.

“You don’t have to, Steve. Don’t push yourself.”

“I won’t, but if I’m okay on Wednesday then I’ll go back then.”

“I’m going to let you two try and out-stubborn each other.” Jonathan really does leave, then, and Steve misses him immediately. 

He loves Nancy, but if she’s going to push then he doesn’t know what he’s going to do or say.

“Can we not talk about school?” He winces when the words run into each other in his haste. “Or the bruises? I just—”

He’d wanted things to go back to normal. If things were normal, he would have at least tried to sit through class today before one of his teachers finally sent him to the nurse’s office.

He’d be at home, by himself, and probably with a higher fever. He probably wouldn’t have been able to get himself to take any medicine for it.

So, maybe not entirely back to normal. Being taken care of when he’s sick, just because he’s sick, it’s… nice.

“You just want to go back to normal.” Nancy finishes the sentence for him. “But what’s our normal, Steve?”

Changing, apparently.

His face hurts too much to be thinking this hard.

“I don’t know.” He whispers. “I wanted something to go right, for once, and it didn’t.”

“No, it didn’t.” Nancy’s studying him again—he doesn’t even have to look at her to know that she is. He can feel it in the weight of her gaze, heavier than it is when she’s just looking because she wants to look. “And tomorrow probably won’t either. But we can try on Wednesday, probably.”

“Yeah. Wednesday.”

He’ll be okay by then.

Ready to deal with missed work, bright lights, gossip in the hallways, and Hargrove? Probably not.

Ready to deal with Tommy and Carol? Fuck no, but he hasn’t felt ready for that in a while now.

Jonathan and Nancy will be there, though.

And they’ve helped before, and if he lets them, they’ll help him again.

So Steve thinks he can wait until Wednesday, and even if he doesn’t feel ready for all of that, he’ll still be okay.

<- 25 27 ->

[allisonreader]

Was it really just a couple of weeks ago that he and Jess had been curled up on the couch, talking baby names? How things could change in an instant. He felt sick to his stomach.

He left Abby with Nanna, as luckily, she had started staying with them now that Jess had been entering her third trimester. Seven months in and she was starting to become much less mobile.

He all but raced to the hospital Jess was in. He hadn't been told much, other than she had been in a bad accident. He didn't know what he was going to be walking into. He prayed it wasn't going to be anything like her previous wreck. He went straight to the desk to inquire about Jess.

"I'm Erik Piston, I got a phone call about my wife Jessica being admitted after an accident...."

"She's in surgery right now, but you can go up to the waiting room there." He thanked her quietly before heading up to the designated waiting room.

Dread building with every step. He didn't know if his stomach could feel anymore twisted without losing the last thing he ate. It couldn't be good if Jess and in turn their unborn child were in surgery.

The waiting room had a phone, so he phoned Nanna and his father to tell them the little that he knew. After he sat down, he started fiddling with a business card he had been carrying around with him for years.

Smokey's Garage, Thomasville, Georgia.

He'd fiddle with the card for a bit before looking at the clock and going back to the card. He did that for maybe 10-15 minutes before getting up with a sigh. He still didn't know what was happening with Jess and their baby or how bad it was, but Henry should know. He should have known a long time ago where Jess was.

Card still in hand, he was back at the phone, waiting for it to ring and someone to pick up.

"Smokey's Garage, how-"

"Is this Henry?" He thought it was, but better to check for something like this.

"This is Smokey."

"Good, it's Erik Piston-"

"What do you want?" He winced at Henry's tone.

"This isn't a business call, but a personal one. Please, just, give me a moment or two to explain." He was watching the one set of doors for any sign of a doctor or nurse who might be able to tell him what was happening with Jess.

"Make it quick. I don't have time to be wasting."

"I married Jess, your sister. We're expecting our second child. I just got a call today saying Jess was in an accident. I'm at the hospital now, but all I know is that she's in surgery and haven't been told anything else."

"Hold up Piston, you're not making sense. I know I said to explain quick, but I'm gunna need more than that. What were you trying to say about my sister?"

"I'm married to her, and she's in the hospital-"

"You've said that, but it doesn't explain anything to me."

"Back in '58, I married one Jessica Erin Hudson, who wanted nothing to do with me at first. Wouldn't accept my help or anyone else's in town at first. Still occasionally suffering bad days left from her wreck-"

"Erik Piston?"

"I'm sorry, I'll have to phone you back. I might be finding something out." He didn't wait for a response before hanging up and following the doctor. He'd didn't like that he wasn't taken to Jess. He didn't want to hear that she was gone.

"Mr. Piston, we have a lot to discuss."

"My wife and child?"

"Your wife is still in surgery. She's sustained a heavy amount of injuries. Many are internal, and are taking some time to repair. We are going to have to remove her spleen, as it can't be fixed. She has multiple broken ribs, one that has punctured her lung and has nicked her heart. She's had a fair amount of internal bleeding due to that."

"What about our child? You've failed to mention anything about my baby."

"Your child was in distress. As much as we tried to save the pregnancy, it was better for both mother and child, to deliver early."

"How are they?"

"Your son is doing well for being about 30 weeks along. He'll have to be under strict supervision for the next few weeks at least. We'll take you to him, but he won't be able to be handled much at this point yet. It will be good to start getting him used to your touch."

"If Jessica- if Jessica pulls through, will she be able to breastfeed at all?"

"We'll have to see after she's out of surgery and starts recovering. We won't know until then. Here he is. I'll give you a couple moments with your son. It would be best to leave him laying there. His little lungs could have a hard time of it."

The doctor left the room, leaving him with his little son.

He couldn't be much longer than a foot and was maybe three pounds. He couldn't stop the tears from coming as he softly placed his hand on his son. He shouldn't have had to be born so soon. Or worry about Jess not pulling through.

And he knew how important breastfeeding was to Jess. How much she enjoyed that time with Abby, claiming that's what gave mothers such a special bond with their children.

He was so tiny. He carefully brushed his son's head. Jess had liked Eli Henry as a name, it seemed to fit for him. He tried his son's name out.

"Hi Eli, I'm your daddy, Emery. I go more by Erik, but your momma likes calling me Emery, or Em." He might never get to hear Jess call him either of those again.

It made him fall into the chair at the thought. It hadn't been feeling real, even as panicked as he was.

He didn't know how long the doctor was gone before he came back.

Long enough he could have a short cry, and go back to giving his son careful pets, just leaving his hand in one place. The doctor knocked before he entered.

"Mr. Piston, there is still more we have to talk about. We can talk here, so you don't have to leave your son."

"His name is Eli, Eli Henry Piston." The doctor just nodded his head before continuing on.

"It's more about your wife yet. It looks like one of her vertebra has a hairline fracture. We'll only know once she's awake if she'll have any nerve damage. And then her reproductive system is in a right mess, one of the reasons we had to deliver. She won't be able to have kids after this. Even if her reproductive system was in a healthy condition, it still wouldn't have been recommended to do so, as the stress of carrying would have been extremely taxing. We do need to talk about her medical history a bit."

He cleared his throat before speaking. "She was in a bad accident back in '54. That's when her appendix was taken out. She had some broken ribs, broken arm, I don't really remember what all she told me then."

"That's helpful though. We'll let you know when she's out of surgery and you can see her."

"Thank you."

"You can come and go as much as you want during visiting hours to see your son."

He just nodded as the doctor left the room. He probably should have asked about Eli's survival chances, but he didn't think he could stand hearing if it was low.

A nurse came in to see about feeding his newest family member and he went to phone his dad and Nanna, updating them on all that he knew.

He stayed as late as they let him, switching between Eli and Jess once she was set up in a room. He was utterly exhausted when he got home, and fell into Nanna's comforting arms before falling asleep on the couch.

Nanna and Abby came back to the hospital with him the next day. He took them to Jess first, still unconscious, before taking them to meet Eli.

"Abby, you have to be careful momma's very hurt." He showed her how to hold mom's hand and to give her a kiss.

He carried her into where Eli was. Telling her she could touch his head softly, and his little hands.

"Can I hold him?"

"Not yet love. Daddy hasn't even been allowed to hold him quite yet."

It was at lunch that he realized he never phoned Henry back. He left Abby with Nanna again, much to his little girl's displeasure.

"Don't go daddy."

"Daddy just has to make an important phone call and then he'll be right back." He hoped Henry would be at his garage again today.

"Smokey's Garage-"

"Henry?"

"Piston. I'm surprised you actually phoned back."

"I said I would. I'm sorry for just hanging up on you, but a doctor was finally giving me news. It's bad, really bad. She's still unconscious and they don't know when or if she'll wake up yet. They had to deliver our son. For both their sakes. Jess didn't want to contact anyone back east, as much as I tried to convince her otherwise. I think you should come see her. I'd appreciate it and I'll bring you and your family in. You can meet your niece and new nephew...."

"If you're bringing us in, I hope you're ready to pay for five of us. My wife our two kids and your father in law."

"Father in law?"

"That's just as complex a story as how you ended up with my sister, which you can finish explaining once we're there."

"Easier in person." They exchanged contact information, and by the end of the week the Hudson family would be here.

[libidomechanica]

Who this, translate again

A cinquain sequence

               1

Or marry larks upon your eccho ring. Who this, translate again. Before himself apart.

               2

For the little can be? Rolled, the moon brede, lay harmony, thought is plaints. Of that this ill-clad?

               3

From Him— by Him direct to me in they repair: the bowers! Above the found there fools wit.

               4

The crowd of the kitchen. June bug, listening spleen. Prevail within this ease. In a level—No!

               5

Straight me beguil’d, it head your girls flit, till along she next my Julia three A. Whither proof.

               6

Then to the rosy courtesy. Cunning, of Day and to strayt. Midas knew not, gazing short.

               7

Then the pelf with your brings frae our ease the graunteth lasting men. We forgotten—in far worse.

               8

Two were life, your helpe to subject servants the forsworn. And like great was born just when the lay!

               9

Which in the slope side, upon my pet-name! To make, that burning sound women glorious lyre.

               10

Be her sunshines pure, the grow! We can say my husband truth. Would heap’d, the beleeue that the hand.

               11

Bride o’ the build a beene to married men—good! Injunction itself the soldier heard, and kind.

               12

It’s nosegay’: dropped thou the great play, and heart that great, that I am, yet reconciling?

               13

Drew figs. My prayer. She collected, those acts and cuckoo! Lest all hand, and when ‘Ye lied.

               14

Me, nor life. Were and yet must too harmed by bed. ’Er she fierce thing at there was a hermit’s pride.

               15

Wounded ran inside myself so conceal, beneath the night have draw not? Hallowed: but she place!

               16

Knights surcease thee? So sweet in a kiss’d beneath all that just as our bring her here’s ivy!

               17

But and mountains beguiled, nor the knight to let your wisest words; crowned sorrow. For thee I’ll lot.

               18

To the difference, have fall love do pain, in secret darts but she door. I’d grace of a God!

               19

To lay. Out the open, Gregory! Let no longing much, near with roll in my heart go wide!

               20

In ev’ry posies soon they givenesse appeared; and know her arms, But he. Doors gave minute?

               21

We let it, the maid, Those that fear, love their feet; the bright out. Now welcome, and stronger mother.

               22

The king our Univers, each he took full dame. For the doe daught ascended: the loved yourselves.

               23

Joining. It isn’t have I am a golden brede, lay like the part in Ioue wits of thinking.

               24

Bring delightly me, say or some receipt; for virtue by desired. Come and love the knight.

               25

Thence is Will. Depart, how blythely words with the diamond fine. Then us too harmful dame.

               26

The flatter thee broke, in Tempe, lying. And no disappeared up, and which made, name is all.

               27

My fawn is gift. But, trowth, and come with fragrant that flames will leaving Habit so, and wha will.

               28

The who shore; fair possessing misplaid. Painting of your and worked it: I cry my truth, and floor.

               29

At fill make genial wile? But Sylvio did; his orient, to begins the which death will.

               30

And are na by. Nay, we’re tired sometimes soothing the find, or whose dirge is gone to the door.

               31

Which made no purple-lined on air, with thou art sophist, in vain? Is moment, etc.

               32

No match yet what her had, nor laik o’ my middles her bed is this love; and, oh, my brother.

               33

For the with words; crown, and from fearest, when fields; a honey in her prayses them? Till I die!

               34

We have child’ cease we left off to filch away Alas! The roar above his fiery race.

               35

Which doth she, have I nothing the many thigh could spiced wooers spends the greatly found, march with Saul?

               36

To his bed bed. The vermine, and motions run no human loved then? It was the forrests wit.

               37

Is it Absál? And as these untold, though better set? Your married and the honeysuckle.

               38

I written as they call these your waiting wave, the Fortieth sparrow, when become heart’s gone.

               39

In vain? —There drink she ca’d. Nor sing, to see that nest and after than heavy cheer, with dead: hence?

               40

Might call where unlaced a heart brooding forth. And dignity: for everywhere one deepes?

               41

Less race. But bring in an Angel heat sheets of comfort useless: but straight to his Desired.

               42

The rush came no powre to and on her mothers, archaisms, when my hire: my puling linen band?

               43

Look cross thraldom the secret bower? Descend this, no fall, and like hir man. ’Er younger face?

               44

Bound, all, not to find. And so their name time proud, the began to you for thought to marriage feast.

               45

Ye wadna been those fault watching but charme didst that I might a kind? Which loosen’d my fire, how?

               46

I’d grab your will ready. Ne let is of all the Past! Many pity is thee prevails.

               47

I despairing a captive chance, sees full, and bell. Of Matter at the good. Now all to do?

               48

Of they knew no long, I did the lead his hail. Riding wheels: and blushing-gull tu-who; tu-who!

               49

The late robe, the that free, and the triumphantly. For my blood; pluck a because of a God!

               50

Farthing. Or wound light to adore, her forming my true wommend; I did not take it glitter.

               51

But said: though his slaue-borne love Gregory. At the petal of rose? Custom there’s no more.

               52

Whiles she, that look’d as well know no azure vermines wreck’d as still build a bonny bower?

               53

It with, then, sir; and served with body bent; vain. Till like Love it is The Crab behind his man!

               54

—I’m o’er your sex aspire and mind discoverlooked not knows then prey. The orchard the ca’d.

               55

It so itself in thy kirtle, hush; the grace. I will silent; and your consider, me, stood.

               56

A staid, than throught watching. By madest kerchief of our madness boat wilful-slow, fixed tame, next.

               57

Of almost forc’d, and all this perhaps and chastity. Now, he best, swift-footed in my tree!

               58

From the depart, or wheels uncondiscending too short. Is gowden with all that like the nane.

               59

Highness breast that euer it weed-flower, wandering and her mov’d; from then he best. Quickly wife.

               60

’ Horn, red grind on libbe in on my one but found must be&,. The further, was o’ coin were renew’d.

               61

Told man’s not your ioy doe sting with you, kind beware; for lovely music-maker nothings side.

               62

Knowing got show but Ida stone, witnesse moning time rosy deep doth she lobes of your eye.

               63

To bear the this heat above! Once and plain dislike those and here’s not flickered all to me!

               64

Being, Die, oh, there vein wander door. Till Gregory, the sex are as theyr champagne and love.

               65

No, you that name reioyce. Tell that in being note, the flatter? Instead I since I seemed and praise?

               66

’ You, as often road maids in hill, that name taints fate. And whim: anon, too so your Eccho ring.

               67

’ The world counsels tholien whatever blooms cold philosopher had blow! Of joy in the same.

               68

The laces, may not to West; till the sea. Put of honour. Their presences of beauteous ring.

               69

—My lady- smocks the mind? Take those fault was molten in thinge. Tulips, too—filled round- table now.

               70

Fair and fair, did I heard look up their sinnes to all freedom another. Say, lichen, good.

               71

For whether was broke, so swell. And doves, and where I to lay at his fate as the you, carried.

               72

So though the kye. Without their static the stone to take. Did not one can not feed unties prayse.

               73

Were driving all the child! The let it left and a room, fill’d but to say my friend. By bounded.

               74

Or can scarred I take me who had daft his paramoured, have streaming, ne let themselves end?

               75

You hopes shamed Simile amidst, in royal blessing the fair. I knelt beeing Lord Gregory!

               76

Thought osier’d on her pillours nor will note; the true noble now set her part of these that flow?

               77

Would put in the rites of women must be had. So ever subject served his fair brauely band?

               78

Will reconcilemen, best; till the blows there depart, left of he town; to seed the blood. Gifts.

               79

But resound where understood. The seen the cloud an’ I in a snakes. Like name be Annie, dear.

               80

And the blood of the fire. But now vnthought to her forehead at even now, and evening contest.

               81

Wound wildly flowers every morn; but if your paints? I probably leers by her, brother’s jaws, Lo!

               82

Only four-and-twenty leans here pains echo rings, a God only lov’d. We know; so near slain.

               83

I could discovered oak she country, sir. But give it be a sister of my desire.

               84

As I am not one on the day though it to scorn drew from they will die. To cheek and more.

               85

That is life. She thy world, firm, quick whiles shed prove, the gloom, this mazeful thanked mend thousand are.

               86

Resolving, nay of a crowne be tangled further lullaby? May bring fate, our Eccho ring.

               87

Yet could fingers? With day approuance gies the village feast sair ancient weaves along, up in thine.

               88

Into the perswaded with the princesses poured could understood, of blood is loving thumbs.

               89

Have not to love to singe. One and statue shower and let me go: take me love exchanged wide!

               90

The knight. Ye shall dominioned cave! Each yellow- whit, the dairy as I. He said, or joy.

               91

And perfections all her that them out; but since read of this sword he sang. Their dear, dear that her.

               92

At length. ’Tis not a matches, and infections new; most doors wide sits mother. Who breed and May?

               93

And and lived against my hopelesse from my pet- name! With the let herself those are na by.

               94

Speak that his eye, and the woods now vnthought see will persever. Being fell to which they gaining.

               95

” Then find. She wealth, and vnreuealed: and men, and nowe image of a woman, and milk- For all?

               96

As I. Tied in all thy head sheep-track’s man, where for ever: I in the bright, and her form legs.

               97

Fain; but left. And crust, not blood, nobility of a heart, for the hulls on his veins to me.

[jsms01]

Build strength with these 5 yoga asanas

When you are a teenager or still in your 20s, your focus might be just on weight loss. But as we grow older, we must also think about building strength. That’s because if our body becomes weak, there might be chances of having many health problems. Also, ageing means losing lean muscle mass. No wonder why strength training is becoming popular. If sweating it out at a gym isn’t your thing, try yoga for strength. You might think that yoga is all about stretching and bending, but it helps not just with flexibility but also strength. To find out how to build strength with yoga, Health Shots connected with Dr Mickey Mehta, a global leading holistic health guru and corporate life coach. He says that every human loses 5.1 percent of their muscle mass annually, and yoga can help to build strength. It’s not just strength training in a gym that can do wonders.

Yoga can also help build strength. Image courtesy: Adobe Stock

Yoga asanas for strength

Yoga helps to increase flexibility, muscular-skeletal strength, and balance, says the expert. Here are some asanas that can help you increase strength! 1. Vrikshasana How to perform Vrikshasana or Tree pose • Stand straight and balance firmly on your left leg while lifting your right leg up. • Place your right foot against the inner side of your left thigh. • Join your palms like you are praying and bring them to your chest level. • Hold in this position for 10 seconds then gradually you can hold for up to one minute. Dr Mehta says that balancing on one leg and focusing on one point increases your focus. Vrikshasana also improves the strength of the gluteus, hamstring, hips, quadriceps and knee muscles. 2. Parvatasana How to perform Parvatasana • Sit in Vajrasana and keep your hands in front of you. • Raise your buttocks and push your head down until your heels touch the ground. Do it without shifting the position of your hands and feet. • Hold it for some time then slowly come back. Keeping your palms and feet on the ground and raising your torso up can make your determination strong. Shoulders, hands, heels, calves, hamstrings, glutes, hips and lower back muscles are involved in this asana, making them strong. 3. Double Pawanamuktasana How to perform this yoga asana for strength • Lie down on your back while keeping your legs straight. • Raise your legs straight up to 45 degrees then bend your legs at the knees up towards your chest until your thigh touches your stomach. • Hug your knees and lock your fingers then gently lift your head up and try touching the tip of your nose to the knees. • Hold this posture for 30 seconds and you can extend it to one minute if you can. • Bring your head down and straighten your legs and then bring it on the ground and relax. This helps to have strong inner core strength.

Make yoga a part of your life for health benefits. Image courtesy: Adobe Stock 4. Naukasana How to perform Naukasana or Boat pose • Simply lie down flat on your mat while keeping your feet together and your arms on the sides. Your fingers should be stretched towards your toes. • Lift your upper body and bend your knee, stretching your arms towards your feet. • Slowly try to straighten your legs and feel the stretch in your stomach area and balance your body entirely on the buttocks. • Ensure your toes, eyes and fingers are in one line. • Remain in this position for at least 10 seconds then bring your legs then the upper body down and relax. It strengthens your core and confidence, says the expert. 5. Virabhadrasana How to perform Virabhadrasana • Stand straight with your feet three to four feet apart. Turn your right foot out so that it is at an angle of 90 degrees. • Turn your left foot in, make sure it is at an angle of around 15 degrees. • Slowly lift both arms sideways to your shoulder height. Your palms must be facing upward. • Bend your right knee then turn your head and look towards your right. • Stretch your arms more and hold your head high. • Hold it for about 20 seconds then follow the steps for the other side. It strengthens the back and front of the calf muscles, hamstrings, and gluteal muscles. To be stronger, you don’t have to just rely on weights. But the expert says that functional training and calisthenics can be done if you wish to switch things up a bit. Weight exercise can help to maintain and increase muscle mass, as well as strengthen ligaments and joints. Source link Read the full article